Chapter 27: The Greedy Boss? Ma Yulian Grits Her Teeth in Hatred!

His burst of laughter left Ma Yulian utterly baffled; she had no idea what he found so amusing. Did he see through her lies? Anxiety gnawed at her heart, but with the eldest son and his wife present, it was impossible to ask Li Junsheng directly.

Li Junsheng himself was surprised by the excuse Ma Yulian had concocted. If she had insisted she had no money, there would be nothing he or the eldest couple could do. But with this fabricated story, she inadvertently confirmed the existence of a sizable deposit.

Having died tragically in his previous life and returned, Li Junsheng understood human nature like no other. He knew all too well the true faces of the eldest couple. Now that they knew Ma Yulian had a substantial sum lent out for interest, their greedy nature would surface—they would latch on like turtles clinging to flesh, never letting go easily.

He was curious to see how Ma Yulian would patch up her lie. If she couldn't produce the money, Li Guojun and Wang Xiuhua would not rest until they got it. Clearly, Ma Yulian had never suffered the consequences of spinning falsehoods; one lie demands a hundred more to cover it, and eventually, the truth will burst forth.

As expected, Li Guojun and his wife, just as Li Junsheng predicted, brightened instantly upon learning Ma Yulian had lent out a large sum for interest. Their faces overflowed with greed and excitement; they barely noticed Li Junsheng's inexplicable laughter and instead showered Ma Yulian with praise.

"Amazing, truly my mother! So shrewd—now our money is multiplying. Does that mean we'll never run out of money again?" Li Guojun exclaimed.

"Mother-in-law, why didn't you tell us you were putting the money to good use? We misunderstood you—just look at this mess," Wang Xiuhua chimed in.

They hurried to the sofa, fawning over Ma Yulian with flattery. Ma Yulian felt triumphant, secretly delighted to have the eldest couple seemingly under her control. Now there was no need to hand over the money!

But she was far too optimistic. Li Guojun and Wang Xiuhua were not entirely foolish. Though they praised her intelligence, they would never be satisfied until they saw the money.

Just as Ma Yulian basked in their compliments, Li Guojun suddenly changed tack, saying, "Mom, tonight we're discussing how to split the family and the money. There's still time, so why not go to uncle’s this afternoon and get the money back?"

"Bring it back, principal and interest, so we can count it and divide it tonight. That way, there’s no more arguing about money!"

Wang Xiuhua quickly echoed, "Exactly! Dad lost his job, and things will be tough at home. With this money, we can plan for the days ahead."

"What? You want it back now?" Ma Yulian's face fell; events were unfolding in ways she had not anticipated. Now the eldest couple were even harder to deal with.

Li Junsheng settled into a chair, content to watch the spectacle. He didn’t need to say a word—the eldest couple alone were enough to overwhelm Ma Yulian. She surely never expected this: after years of stirring up trouble and urging her eldest son to demand money from him, her foolish pawn would one day turn against her.

Seeing Ma Yulian’s discomfort, Li Guojun pressed her, "What’s wrong? Mom, are you unwilling to bring the money home?"

Uneasy, Ma Yulian coughed lightly, forcing composure as she refused his request. "It’s not time yet. The money I lent out hasn’t matured—at least wait until the term is up, then the borrower will return principal and interest!"

At her words, Li Guojun and his wife exchanged glances, each wondering if she spoke the truth. Without seeing the money, they would never believe her.

After thinking it over, Li Guojun persisted, "If you can’t get it all, at least bring half back. We really need money right now!"

"Your granddaughter Xingxing doesn’t want to learn piano anymore; now she wants to study dance. We’re short on funds, and the leaders upstairs say we mustn’t skimp on the children’s education."

Li Guojun’s frustration was palpable. Knowing the family had saved for years and lent out the money for interest made it all the more unbearable. Having money he couldn’t see or spend left him restless—he wouldn’t sleep tonight without seeing it. Wang Xiuhua felt the same.

Watching her son and daughter-in-law constantly demanding money, Ma Yulian was simply disgusted.

"Money, money, money! All you two care about is money—you’re obsessed!" she snapped, her expression sour.

Li Guojun smiled, launching into moral persuasion while Wang Xiuhua resorted to threats and inducements.

"Mom, you can’t blame us for caring about money. What doesn’t cost money nowadays? With money, we can truly honor you; otherwise, all we have are empty words!"

"And besides, we’re spending to help your granddaughter succeed—it’s not wasteful. You’re Xingxing’s grandmother; surely you want her to have the best education?"

Li Junsheng shook his head from the sidelines—the moral leverage was wasted on Ma Yulian, who had no scruples whatsoever.

Indeed, Ma Yulian was unmoved by Li Guojun’s words. Wang Xiuhua, however, was more ruthless: "Mother-in-law, if you treat your grandchildren well now, they’ll honor you when you’re old. But if they find out you’re hoarding money and refusing to share, they might not even acknowledge you as their grandmother. Where will you go then?"

Li Junsheng, watching the drama, added, "The children are asking, why not bring some money back? Not all of it, just enough so everyone can see how much interest you’ve earned."

"Yes, mom. I heard it’s hard for individuals to borrow from banks—they only borrow from us. Get uncle to raise the interest!"

Ma Yulian was torn, unable to say a word. She simply couldn’t produce the money, but refusing wasn’t an option either—it was a nightmare.

"Mom, listen to me—tell uncle to increase the interest, and while there’s still time, hurry over. It’s urgent!"

Li Guojun grabbed her arm, pulling her from the sofa and pushing her straight out the door.

Glancing back at her eldest, Ma Yulian realized that if she didn’t bring the money back, he might not even let her back in.

Behind Li Guojun stood Li Junsheng, watching the show. Ma Yulian’s teeth ached with resentment—if he hadn’t mentioned her savings, the eldest couple would never have thought in this direction!

"What are you looking at? Go get the money! If you don’t bring it back, don’t bother coming home," Li Junsheng waved her off, and Li Guojun slammed the door behind her, not forgetting to remind her to retrieve the money.

Standing outside with a darkened face, Ma Yulian wondered desperately—what should she do now?