Twins from the 1970s, if you disagree, I'll slap you.

Chapter 21 If you shortchange me even a penny, I'll stay at your house and never leave.

"Even if I'm not worthy, that's my family's business! It's none of your concern!"

Zhou Xiaoqin, hands on her hips, continued shouting, "You're all just meddling! Give me the 100 yuan right now, and let Er Ya come home with me, or I'll really report you!"

At this moment, Wang Erya, who had been standing behind Chen Dachuan, suddenly stepped forward slowly, her face pale and her eyes filled with loss and despair.

She looked at Chen Dachuan, her voice choked with emotion, and said, "Brother Dachuan, thank you... thank you for helping me today."

"But I've accepted my fate. I was born of my mother, and I can only do whoever she wants me to marry..."

After saying that, she wiped away her tears and turned to walk towards Zhou Xiaoqin.

"Er Ya, stop right there!"

Chen Dachuan grabbed her arm: "Don't accept your fate! You should be in control of your own destiny and live a wonderful life!"

"Be yourself! Marrying a fool will ruin your life!"

Wang Erya stood there, stunned, staring blankly at Chen Dachuan.

In all these years, no one has ever said such a thing to her.

No one ever told her that she could control her own destiny.

She froze for a moment, then her eyes reddened, and years of pent-up grievances and resentment burst forth.

She turned sharply to Zhou Xiaoqin and shouted with all her might, "I won't get married! I'd rather die than marry that idiot! I refuse to accept my fate!"

"you……"

Zhou Xiaoqin was startled by her sudden resistance and was completely stunned.

In her memory, Wang Erya had always been submissive, timid and weak, never daring to talk back to her, let alone shout and rebel against her like this.

After Zhou Xiaoqin realized what was happening, she turned ashen with anger and pointed at Wang Erya, yelling, "Well, you've already gone bad after just half a day with them, haven't you?"

"You've learned to talk back to me now? I guess you've grown wings!"

She then turned to Chen Dachuan and Lu Ye, her eyes filled with malice: "It's all because of you two brats that my daughter was corrupted! Let me tell you, don't think I don't know your background!"

"You two kids were hiring people to collect herbs in a big way before, where did you get the money to pay them?"

"Hmph! You must not have paid the workers, right? You're all liars!"

"Er Ya, you're too easily fooled! I'm your own mother, would I ever harm you? They're the outsiders!"

Wang Erya immediately retorted: "Brother Dachuan is not a liar! Neither is Brother Luye!"

"I went up the mountain with them to collect herbs today. Brother Da Chuan said he'd pay me 5 yuan for my work! They keep their word and won't cheat me!"

Zhou Xiaoqin reacted as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world: "Hmph! Five yuan? I work in a textile factory for a month, and I only earn a little over ten yuan. You go up the mountain to collect herbs for a day and you want to get five yuan?"

"Er Ya, you've been completely fooled! They're just using these lies to lure you away!"

As she spoke, her gaze swept across the crowd and she immediately spotted the villagers who had followed Chen Dachuan up the mountain to collect medicinal herbs.

Her eyes lit up, and she immediately shouted to the villagers, "Fellow villagers, tell me! Did those two brats pay you for hiring you to go up the mountain to collect herbs?"

"Did you get the 5 yuan they mentioned? Where's the money? Show it to me!"

The villagers who were named looked at each other in bewilderment.

One of the older men hesitated for a moment before speaking, "They gave each of us a one-yuan deposit beforehand, saying they would settle the remaining four yuan after we returned from collecting the herbs. But... they haven't paid us yet."

Zhou Xiaoqin, as if grasping at a lifeline, laughed even more triumphantly: "Did everyone hear that? They're liars! They tricked you into going up the mountain to work with a five-yuan lie."

"They only paid you one yuan for the work, and they never intended to give you the remaining four yuan! You've all been scammed!"

The uncle who had spoken earlier scratched his head and said, "One yuan isn't a small amount. It's enough for me to earn a day's wages doing heavy lifting in town. Besides, picking herbs in the mountains isn't tiring; I can treat it as exercise."

"You've all been fooled by them and you're still defending them! You're all idiots!"

"The wages are just being settled a little late; there's no need for you to spread rumors and sow discord."

Lu Ye finally spoke, his tone calm.

He stepped forward and said sincerely to the villagers who had come up the mountain to collect medicinal herbs, "I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting."

As he spoke, he took out a stack of brand-new change from the cloth bag he carried with him.

This is the 500 yuan in cash he received today from selling herbs in town. He made sure to exchange a lot of small change so he could pay the villagers for their work.

"Now, I will settle the remaining 4 yuan of wages for everyone."

As Lu Ye spoke, he began distributing money to the villagers.

Lu Ye handed each of the ten villagers who went up the mountain to collect medicinal herbs four yuan.

The villagers received the money, their faces beaming with joy.

For them, it's no different from finding money on the street.

After handing out the money, Lu Ye walked up to Wang Erya, took out 5 yuan, and handed it to her.

"Er Ya, this is your wages for gathering herbs today. You earned it with your own strength, so take it."

Wang Erya stared wide-eyed at the five yuan in her hand, her face filled with disbelief.

This was the first time in her life that she had earned money through her own efforts, and the first time she had ever owned money of her own.

Zhou Xiaoqin, who was standing to the side, suddenly rushed forward and tried to snatch the money from Er Ya's hand: "Give me the money!"

Chen Dachuan reacted quickly and stopped her.

He shielded Wang Erya behind him, staring coldly at Zhou Xiaoqin: "Hey, don't go too far. Erya earned her own money, why should she give it to you? How can you be so greedy?"

"I'm just managing her money. How can a little kid like her manage money properly? What if she loses it?"

Chen Dachuan sneered and said, "This is Er Ya's own money. She can spend it however she wants. Why should she give it to you?"

"Because I'm her biological mother!"

"You don't deserve to be her mother!"

The villagers, who had received their wages, stood aside and watched Zhou Xiaoqin's tantrum. They couldn't help but gossip about it, their eyes filled with contempt and disdain.

"This is outrageous! She's trying to steal Er Ya's own money. How can a mother be so heartless?"

"That's right! They always beat and scold Er Ya, and now they're trying to steal her wages. They have no conscience!"

"On the other hand, Sister Sun's two sons are true to their word and are especially kind; they know how to help Er Ya."

Zhou Xiaoqin was furious at the sight.

The swelling and pain in his cheeks were still throbbing, but he hadn't earned a single penny and had instead lost face in front of the whole village.

Her eyes darted around, and she blinked rapidly, immediately coming up with a solution.

That fat bastard slapped her twice just now, and she's been clinging to this story, throwing a tantrum and trying to extort money from her. She's determined to get something out of him!

Before anyone could react, Zhou Xiaoqin's legs suddenly gave way, and she collapsed to the ground with a thud, slapping her thighs and bursting into tears.

Her voice was shrill and piercing, and she was crying with snot running down her face: "He hit me! He killed me! Chen Dachuan, that ill-mannered bastard, hit me!"

"Everyone saw it, right? He slapped me twice in front of so many people, and my face is all swollen!"

While crying, she deliberately showed everyone her swollen face, wailing, "If my face is ruined, how can I live!"

"Sun Yanhua, you have to pay me back! At least 100 yuan! If you pay even a penny less, I'll stay at your house and I'll report you for intentional assault in town!"

Sun Yanhua frowned, looking helpless. Zhou Xiaoqin was determined to extort money from her.

Suddenly, Lu Ye's gaze swept past the crowd of onlookers and inadvertently across the alleyway outside the door, his eyes flickering slightly.

Suddenly, several SUVs stopped at the alley entrance, and many people got out of them.

The man in the lead, dressed in a suit and tie, with an arrogant expression, was none other than Wu Tianlong, whom he had previously humiliated at Jishetang!

Lu Ye understood immediately. This kid had arrived quickly, having followed him all the way to the village. He was clearly here for revenge.

A smile appeared on his lips.

What perfect timing!