Chapter 4: The Two-Hundred-and-Fifty-Yuan Bowl
Page 1/3
Chi Mu pretended not to notice and grasped Chi Zhen’er’s hand, asking, “What are you afraid of?”
Chi Zhen’er recoiled slightly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize your face was so badly burned. Sister, maybe I should go back to my room to eat, so you won’t feel uncomfortable seeing me.”
Yun Sufen saw that Chi Mu couldn’t eat with that face either, so she went along with Chi Zhen’er’s suggestion. “Mu Mu, why don’t you eat in your room? With your face like this, you probably don’t want us to see you either.”
Chi Mu frowned. “Zhen’er, Mom, how can you think like that? I’m not uncomfortable. I want to eat with you all. Besides, didn’t Dad ask me to sit down and eat with you?”
She paused, then added, “Or do you not want to eat with me?”
“Of course not.”
“Fine then, let’s eat.”
Chi Mu deliberately placed a large chicken drumstick in Chi Zhen’er’s bowl. “I heard you’re still blaming yourself. After you finish this drumstick, I’ll forgive you. We’re still good sisters.”
Then she gave a big steak to Yun Sufen. “Mom, you’ve worked hard taking care of me. Eat more. I promise I’ll behave from now on.”
When she reached for a big pork knuckle, Chi Li Feng quickly grabbed his bowl and started eating, afraid that if he hesitated, the pork knuckle would end up in Chi Mu’s bowl.
Chi Mu let out a light chuckle and took the pork knuckle for herself.
After that, no one spoke at the table.
Yun Sufen forced herself to finish the steak despite feeling nauseous, just to make Chi Mu obey.
Chi Zhen’er, who had only returned four months ago, suppressed her strong urge to gag and forced herself to finish the large chicken drumstick, all to maintain her image of being obedient and kind in front of her parents.
This meal was the most comfortable one Chi Mu had eaten in a long time.
…
Night fell.
Zhang, the housekeeper, brought a bowl of ginger tea to Chi Mu. “Second Miss caused you to be like this, and she still has the nerve to finish her meal and then go vomit in the bathroom for half an hour. I swear she’s a venomous woman!”
Chi Mu sipped the ginger tea, noticing tears in Zhang’s eyes. She asked, “Why are you crying? Did they make things difficult for you?”
Zhang couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. “I’m heartbroken for you! Such a beautiful face ruined! You must be in so much pain when it caught fire!”
Since the accident, no one had cried for her.
Zhang was the first.
Chi Mu’s nose tingled as she wiped Zhang’s tears away. “Zhang, it’s okay. My face will heal.”
“Zhang, our Chi family has enough money to treat her. You don’t need to worry or pity her like a servant.”
Chi Zhen’er barged in uninvited.
Having just emptied her stomach in the bathroom, anger growing inside her, she came to find Chi Mu and vent, trying to turn the tables.
Chi Mu asked Zhang to leave, to avoid involving anyone innocent.
Seeing no one around, Chi Zhen’er became even more brazen, throwing a bag of dog food at Chi Mu.
“Chi Mu, in the end, you should thank me. Without the fire I started, you would have no reason to stay in the Chi family. As for me, I’ll just consider myself an extra dog they keep here. Something to play with when they’re bored, and it doesn’t cost much. Right?”
Chi Mu tore open the dog food and toyed with two pieces of freeze-dried kibble in her hand. “Finished talking?”
Page 2/3
“…”
“There’s something at the door. Go take a look.”
“?”
Chi Zhen’er was suspicious and reluctant but curiosity got the better of her, so she went out.
Just as she stepped into the hallway, a sharp pain struck the back of her knee!
She suddenly fell to her knees, her upper body pitching forward, her face hitting the corridor railing hard.
Instantly, a piercing scream echoed through the Chi family villa.
Chi Mu rose slowly, walked over with deliberate calm, picked up the freeze-dried dog food that Chi Zhen’er had thrown, and crouched beside her. “Oh my, how careless you are. You can even fall while walking.”
Chi Zhen’er opened her mouth, and blood gushed out.
Two front teeth were knocked loose and fell out.
“Ah! My teeth!”
She cupped her fallen teeth, her expression a mix of pain and terror.
Chi Mu looked on thoughtfully and sighed, “As expected, you can’t expect elegance from a dog’s mouth. Your teeth are truly ugly.”
Chi Zhen’er, furious, lunged at Chi Mu with claws out.
Chi Mu sidestepped easily.
Behind them, Yun Sufen came rushing over at the sound.
Chi Zhen’er’s claws landed squarely on Yun Sufen’s face, leaving five deep bloody scratches.
“Zhen’er, what are you doing!”
Yun Sufen cried out in pain and anger.
Chi Zhen’er, seeing her mother, was overcome with grievance. “Mom, Chi Mu pushed me! I lost my teeth! Look!”
Yun Sufen’s heart broke at the sight and she immediately demanded, “Why did you push Zhen’er?”
Chi Mu shrugged. “I didn’t push her. She fell on her own.”
“Stop lying!”
At that moment, Zhang and Steward Li arrived. “Madam, both Steward Li and I saw that Second Miss fell on her own. It had nothing to do with the eldest Miss.”
Yun Sufen was speechless, unable to scold further.
Chi Zhen’er, enraged, suddenly changed her story. “No! It wasn’t a push! She hit the back of my knee with something, that’s why I fell! Yes! It was the dog food in her hand!”
Chi Mu raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence. “You say I hit your knee with dog food? Have you been reading too many martial arts novels? If you’re going to lie, at least make it believable.”
“Well… maybe it was with something else!”
Chi Mu said, “Mom, she’s spilling secrets. You better take her to the hospital before she makes things worse.”
Seeing Chi Zhen’er’s unreasonable behavior and her mother’s face hurting badly, Yun Sufen, worried about scarring, quickly pulled her away.
Page 3/3
Chi Mu looked at the pool of blood and saliva, chuckling softly. “You brought this on yourself.”
…
The next day.
Chi Mu arrived at the largest antique market in Haishi City—Panjiayuan.
Stalls were filled with all kinds of antiques.
There were jade artifacts, porcelain, calligraphy, paintings, furniture…
Chi Mu walked slowly, her gaze passing over each stall until she stopped in front of a one-eyed old man’s shop, listening to him haggling with a customer.
“This porcelain bowl is a hundred yuan, no more!”
“Two hundred and fifty.”
“One hundred and fifty!”
“Two hundred and fifty.”
“Two hundred!”
“Two hundred and fifty.”
“Hey, old man, I think you’re insulting me.”
“Two hundred and fifty.”
“Three hundred! How about that?”
“Two hundred and fifty.”
“…”
The old man stubbornly held to his price of two hundred and fifty. The customer, feeling his dignity insulted, put the bowl down and left in a huff.
Chi Mu stepped forward, picked up the bowl to examine it carefully, then promptly paid. “Grandpa, I’ll take this bowl for two hundred and fifty.”
The one-eyed old man sized her up, then pulled out a plastic bag to pack the bowl. “Deal.”
Chi Mu tucked the treasure into her bag and headed toward the exit.
Coming toward her was a young man.
He was on a video call, holding a piece of white porcelain jade pendant, boasting to the person on the other end, “Brother, look at the quality of this jade pendant. It must be worth over ten million!”
Curious, Chi Mu glanced at the pendant worth over ten million—
The next second, she heard the young man add, “I only spent two million to buy it!”
Chi Mu shifted her gaze to his face.
Her eyes filled with sympathy.