Wang Qiqi's words not only silenced the onlookers but also stunned Li Cui. "Perhaps you'll say I'm ruthless, having money myself but refusing to help my uncle. But the problem is, how many times have my parents helped him? Did he ever change? After my parents passed away and my aunt fell ill, he was still gambling! I think the only way for someone like him is to cut off his financial lifeline."

As if that wasn't enough, Wang Qiqi grabbed Li Cui's hand and continued, "Auntie, I need to tell you, you can't keep enabling my uncle like this. Now that my parents are gone, there's no one to support him financially. You must stand firm and refuse to give him money. Let's see how he gambles then. Before, my parents and you treated my uncle too well. We must unite on this front. And we should tell Auntie too, so she does the same."

Li Cui truly didn't know what to say. Standing with Wang Qiqi was the right thing to do, but the crucial issue was that the uncle could ignore Wang Qiqi, but what about the gambling debts Da Gui had accrued? Was she expected to pay them? The thought of taking money from her own home to settle Da Gui’s debts made Li Cui’s heart ache. Although a portion of their savings came from Da Gui's wins, Li Cui had grown accustomed to a life where his winnings were saved, and when he lost, someone else would cover the debt. Thus, even though she often voiced her displeasure about Da Gui gambling, she didn't fundamentally stop him. But now that Qiqi had spoken so plainly, Li Cui knew those good days were over. As for the elder sister-in-law (Da Gugu), Li Cui knew she only spoke forcefully; asking her for money was out of the question.

Could Li Cui dare to voice any of this? It would be courting death. Moreover, Li Cui knew Wang Qiqi wasn't like her elder brother-in-law's family; they always talked about not covering the debts, yet they ended up bailing him out frequently. "Yes, yes, I always told your parents they spoiled your uncle too much, making him feel like he always had a safety net out there gambling. Let's see how he gambles this time. But Qiqi, what about the gambling debt your uncle owes this time?" Li Cui inwardly thought that hadn't someone said Da Gui gambled again yesterday and accrued new debts? Li Cui hoped Qiqi would pay this time, after which she absolutely had to keep a tight rein on Da Gui.

"Does my uncle's gambling debt have anything to do with me? Don't tell me he ran off to gamble because he was heartbroken over my parents' passing," she scoffed. A brother who had time to gamble but no time to help arrange his elder brother’s funeral—was he truly worthy of her help? "Besides, I just said I wouldn't help pay debts. I meant what I said. In short, I will not repay this money; it’s to teach Uncle that he must settle the debts he incurs himself."

Li Cui looked at the resolute Wang Qiqi, inwardly seething with anger. She knew that despite how friendly those people appeared toward Da Gui usually, if Da Gui truly couldn't pay, they would storm their doorstep.

Thinking of the 'Great Man' portraits about to be taken away from her, Li Cui felt immense resentment. She abruptly rushed to the memorial tablets of Wang Dajun and his wife and knelt down. "Brother, Sister-in-law, you've left just like that! Why didn't you take that useless brother of yours with you? Now you've left this mess for me to clean up..." Li Cui said while wiping away tears, though if one observed closely, they would notice her eyes constantly darting toward Wang Qiqi.

Wang Qiqi coldly snorted while watching her aunt's performance. So, it's an act, is it? You can act, but you think I'm a fool? Aren't you blatantly cornering me right now?

Wang Qiqi also immediately knelt down, making quite a scene. "Dad, Mom, you always told me not to spoil Uncle, not to keep paying his gambling debts. It does him no good; it only fuels his arrogance. Dad, when you were here, you said you’d help as long as you could, and once you left, he’d have to rely on himself. Now that you and Mom are gone, and Auntie says the same thing, are you hoping that I, the younger generation, should settle the debt? I don't know—I’m a student. Am I supposed to empty the inheritance my parents left me to pay the debt? Remember, I'm just living off savings here, while Uncle and Auntie are still earning salaries. What does Auntie mean by what she's saying now?"

"Dad, Mom, it’s not that I don't want to help Uncle. If I help Uncle this time, isn't it the same as when Dad was here? Moreover, Auntie always believed Uncle would end up like this because of how you and Mom spoiled him. From now on, I can’t keep enabling him. But look, Auntie is unhappy about that too. It’s confusing: if I help pay the debt, Auntie says it’s our family spoiling him; if I don't pay, Auntie calls me heartless. I truly don't understand."

Though Wang Qiqi didn't state it explicitly, the implication was clear: Our family has always paid the debts, yet Auntie never speaks well of us. But now that I refuse to pay, Li Cui has an issue. It’s obvious to everyone that she thinks we are all fools.

"Auntie, I will manage my money myself, and I will not use it to pay gambling debts. Tell Uncle that if he doesn't want his family ruined, he needs to watch himself." Wang Qiqi nodded firmly. As for her cousin, Wang Rui, who looked demure but was quite manipulative, Qiqi didn't want to bother with her; ultimately, whether she turned out well or not had nothing to do with her.

Li Cui had intended to cry in front of everyone, assuming the young girl would be soft-hearted and easily swayed. She hadn't expected that even after crying before Wang Dajun’s memorial, the girl wouldn't budge an inch; instead, she exposed Li Cui’s own contradictions in front of everyone. "Brother, Sister-in-law, I really can't manage Qiqi. I'm just a little girl, and she’s holding so much money..."

"Do I need your guidance on how to spend my money, Auntie?" Wang Qiqi snapped. "You keep bringing up my parents' money and their compensation funds. Do you think I'm young and still naive as before, so you can just take the money now and slowly scheme to get more later?"

Li Cui immediately started denying it. "Qiqi, your uncle and I both have salaries. Why would you say that? We just worry, that's all."

"Worry?" Wang Qiqi let out a few cold snorts. "Rest assured, I will manage my life well, and I will see my parents off with dignity. How I live afterward, whether I have money or not, is my own business. Auntie, instead of worrying about me, you should pay closer attention to Uncle. If Uncle continues like this, I’m afraid he’ll gamble away all of Auntie's money, and then you’ll have to sell the house."

Li Cui became enraged. She pointed at Wang Qiqi’s nose and scolded, "You wicked girl, what kind of talk is that? How can you curse your own uncle like that?" Selling the house, what bad luck!

Wang Qiqi looked innocently at Li Cui. "Did I say something wrong? The debts my parents paid off before included a house! Remember, although my parents received compensation money, that belongs to me, Wang Qiqi. Being filial to elders is necessary—giving gifts during festivals, maintaining contact with relatives—but excessive demands should not be entertained. Furthermore, if you genuinely need to borrow money, write an IOU. Don't expect me to lend more before the previous loan is repaid. And the amount won't be large; it must be proportional to your income. Otherwise, you ask for an exorbitant amount like one or two hundred thousand while crying, and who ends up paying? Me."

Li Cui finally understood. Her visit today had yielded one definite result: a complete falling out with this wicked girl, Wang Qiqi. "Don't forget, you're still a child. Your parents' funeral still requires the help of elders."

"It's fine, Auntie, don't worry. I plan to hire people directly to handle everything. Pay them a little money, settle the accounts clearly, and avoid owing favors, so people don't go around saying later how much work they did for our family." Wang Qiqi stated unapologetically. "I still remember the favor when Uncle helped arrange the two refrigerated coffins when my parents came home."

Li Cui was about to retort that she did remember her uncle's kindness, mentioning how hard her uncle had worked running around to secure things, when she noticed Wang Qiqi’s expression change. She stopped herself immediately.

"It’s fifty-one days outside. My uncle initially told me eighty-one days. Later, I said I didn't have that much money and asked if seventy-one days was acceptable. As a result, I was paying one hundred and forty per day! Do you know that when I negotiated the price yesterday, the other party immediately told me it was fifty per unit per day, and if the term was longer, the price could be negotiated further?" Wang Qiqi said bluntly. Since the gloves were off, she no longer cared about maintaining a good relationship with her uncle.

Li Cui heard the murmurs from the crowd, some even remarking that they had rented those items for forty yuan a day earlier in the year, so why was Wang Dajun's family being charged seventy, and why did they initially ask for eighty? No one was an idiot; there had to be some inside deal.

Li Cui naturally denied it. "Didn't you and your uncle tell me to write a higher receipt amount so you could claim more compensation?" Li Cui admired her own quick thinking; otherwise, she wouldn't know how to salvage the situation today.

Wang Qiqi knew she would deny it. After all, an income of fifty yuan a day meant five hundred over ten days. If that got out, Wang Dagui’s reputation would be utterly disgraced.

"Auntie, rest assured, I didn't wrongfully accuse anyone. Aunt Luo across the hall knows, and Uncle Qi upstairs knows too." Wang Qiqi thought: If I didn't have witnesses, would I really pick this moment to have a full-blown confrontation with Li Cui? You people are notorious for being shameless; would I speak up without any assurance? "That day Uncle came to ask me for the fees, Uncle Qi and the others happened to be at the door. I gave the money to Uncle and casually mentioned that seventy-one days was a bit expensive and asked if it could be cheaper. Do you think I can trust someone who would pocket money even for something like this? This isn't about a few thousand or tens of thousands."

At first, people were confused by the vague stories from both sides, unsure whose account was accurate. But now that Wang Qiqi named witnesses, the crowd leaned heavily toward believing her.

Just as Li Cui was about to claim the witnesses might only be supportive of Wang Dajun, Uncle Qi, who lived upstairs, happened to return. Seeing a crowd gathered outside Wang Qiqi’s door, he curiously peered out. The onlookers immediately pulled him in and asked him about the events of that day.

At first, Old Qi couldn't recall, but after thinking for a long moment, he remembered and meticulously recounted the scene from that day. This completely convinced everyone. After all, he remembered the expressions and gestures of several people—how could it not be true? Moreover, Old Qi was known for his fairness.

At this point, the gazes directed at Li Cui shifted, filled with probing curiosity and, more so, thinly veiled ridicule. Li Cui desperately wanted to run away; why did she have to be the one to face such public humiliation? But her legs had gone weak. She dared not flee. She told herself she had to hold firm. If she ran now, they would surely say Da Gui was wronged. She had to endure it, or by evening, the neighbors would be saying that she and her husband couldn't even let go of a little bit of money. It made sense why the young girl refused to let her uncle hold the savings passbook.

The Maiden's Household Affairs Book Number: 2681104 Synopsis: A certain loli states that the struggles of the inner courtyard are too stressful; she prefers telling tall tales to ghosts! Recommended by [Website Name] for full text novel reading, ad-free.