"If my sister is truly willing to help me with this favor, then this money should naturally come from me. How about this, I'll give you two thousand yuan first. The company is a bit short on funds recently. If it's not enough, you can come to me for more later!"
After speaking, Chen Lishu opened her bag without another word and took out all the cash inside. She then counted the amount and handed it to Li Na.
Li Na hadn't expected Chen Lishu to agree so readily. It seemed the company was indeed in trouble! She suppressed her excitement and carefully put the money into her bag. She then put on a look of feigned sympathy and advised:
"Don't worry, I'll handle this for you! Whether you're happy or sad, one day will pass. It's better to relax, eat properly when it's time, and only when you're full can you have more energy to think about solutions."
"Yes, sister, I'll listen to you!" After saying that, a faint, weak smile appeared on Chen Lishu's face. She followed Li Na to the dining table. They called it dinner, but she could only force down a few bites. Afterward, she mostly listened to Li Na's insincere words of comfort.
The meal lasted for over an hour. Perhaps thinking of the two thousand yuan in her bag, Li Na said somewhat impatiently, "It's getting late, and it's not good for us to trouble you any further. We'll be leaving now!"
Chen Lishu tightly held Li Na's hand and said, "Sister, why don't you stay here tonight?"
"I still have to go to work tomorrow, and I need to help you sort out company matters. I simply can't stay here overnight. We'll talk more another time, when our family can sit down and chat properly!" After saying this, Li Na, dragging Li Xiuli, left the Gu residence with great haste.
Hearing the door close, Chen Lishu raised her eyebrows and then eagerly picked up a bowl, eating heartily. She muttered, "I'm starving! Thankfully, they left tonight, or I'd still be hungry!"
Seeing this, Li Xiulan felt a mixture of heartache and amusement. She asked, "Are things at the company that serious?"
To avoid worrying Li Xiulan, Chen Lishu feigned a cheerful demeanor and said with a smile, "It's not that serious. It's just that there's too much work piled up these days, and I want to resolve it all at once. It's just my next move."
Having lived together for so long, how could Li Xiulan not see the exhaustion on Chen Lishu's face? Unfortunately, she didn't understand company matters and, opening her mouth, didn't know what to say for a moment.
After Chen Lishu finished eating, Li Xiulan told her to go back to her room to rest and that she would handle the cleaning.
----
Meanwhile, on the other side, at the Li residence.
Upon returning home, Li Na impatiently took out the two thousand yuan and counted it again and again.
Seeing this, Li Xiuli frowned and asked, "Why did you agree to help Chen Lishu with this matter?"
Li Na waved the money in her hand and said smugly, "Because of this two thousand yuan, it's better to take it than not!"
Hearing Li Na's words, Li Xiuli slammed her palm onto the table. Her expression turned cold, and she said with disappointment, "So, are you really planning to go to the company tomorrow and mention this to the boss? I advise you not to be so naive. After all, this concerns two companies. If you meddle and displease the boss, you might very well lose your job! Two thousand yuan is indeed not a small sum, but staying at Qin Group, the money you earn from your job is not less than these two thousand yuan! Without Qin Group, you'll have a record, and what company would be willing to hire you then?"
"Who said I'm going to help her? Everything Chen Lishu did to me before is still vivid in my memory. I'll never forget it! I wish she were dead! How could I possibly help her? I'm just trying to seize this opportunity to get some benefits for myself! But seeing how readily she gave the money today, without a second thought, her company's situation must be clearly not optimistic. They're already resorting to desperate measures."
As she spoke, Li Na couldn't help but let out a cold laugh. Back then, she acted so high and mighty in front of him. Now, karma had come around, and she had to fawn over her.
Once Li Xiuli understood Li Na's intentions, her eyes instantly lit up, and she reached out and snatched the money from Li Na's hand.
"Mom!" This sudden action made Li Na pause, and then she looked at Li Xiuli with a hint of anxiety and confusion in her eyes.
Li Xiuli raised her head and said righteously, "I'll keep this money for you. You and your husband never know how to save. You spend whatever you have! If something were to happen at home someday, and there's nothing going on now, what then? Will all the children at home starve to death with us adults?"
As soon as Li Na heard Li Xiuli was taking the money, she became anxious. "Mom, I'm working at Qin Group now. I get paid on time every month. How can the family starve? You can't take this money. I was planning to buy a bicycle. After all, the distance between where we live and Qin Group is too far, and it's inconvenient for me to commute to work."
Li Xiuli raised her voice and questioned, "What? You even want to buy a bicycle? Your brother's marriage hasn't been settled yet. Shouldn't you, as an elder sister, help out?"
As soon as Li Na heard Li Xiuli was taking the money for Li Chen, her eyes instantly turned red. Finally, like a madwoman, she put her hands on her hips, her face contorted, and questioned menacingly, "Do you only have Li Chen in your eyes and not your daughter? My family has several mouths to feed. Your son is useless, why should you take my money? If you don't give me the money today, then consider these two thousand yuan as the cost of severing our mother-daughter relationship! I won't support you in your old age anymore."
"Li Na!" Hearing her words, Li Xiuli's chest heaved uncontrollably with anger. Li Chen doesn't have a stable job now. How will he support her?
Facing Li Xiuli's murderous gaze, Li Na snorted, her attitude unwavering.
The mother and daughter stared at each other for a moment. In the end, Li Xiuli lowered her stance and said, "Consider these two thousand yuan as a loan from Mom. When Li Chen finds a job, I'll have him pay you back! You don't need this money right now. At most, you can ask Chen Lishu for more later. She's so rich; two thousand yuan is nothing to her."
Li Na finally understood. In any case, she wouldn't get the money back. She took a deep breath and said irritably, "Fine. If it's a debt, then write me an IOU!"
Li Xiuli instantly exploded, questioning, "An IOU? Li Na, do you still have me as your mother in your heart? Are you so distrustful of me?!"