Chapter 111 "You probably don't have much spending money left this month, do you?"

After slurping down the noodles, Xia Xinyu stared into Chen Yuan's eyes, asking seriously.

Although she couldn't hear Chen Yuan's inner thoughts, she did possess a superpower—

Using sincere eyes to make the other person tell the truth.

"How do I put this…"

It was October 23rd. Chen Yuan's monthly allowance was 1,500 yuan, issued around the 1st of each month. If he spent an average of fifty yuan per day, he should have at least three hundred yuan left.

Actually, Chen Yuan hadn't spent much in the first twenty days, not even reaching a thousand. But after seeing Xia Xinyu's countdown, the gears of fate began to turn.

And so did the balance in his Alipay account.

Now he only had one hundred and sixty-seven yuan left. Even a simple breakfast at the school cafeteria or noodles when he got back home might be a stretch.

He could only say that, as a last resort, he would have to resort to that move—Old man, drop some coins.

"Actually, you only have less than a hundred yuan left?"

Xia Xinyu guessed nervously.

"It's not quite that simple. The topic of allowance is a bit sensitive. I can only say, the range is between one hundred and twenty thousand." Chen Yuan answered vaguely.

"…" Xia Xinyu thought for a moment, then pressed, "Is it in the range of two hundred to twenty thousand?"

"…"

With Chen Yuan's long silence, Xia Xinyu guessed that Chen Yuan's allowance was less than two hundred yuan.

And the reason, of course, was herself.

The lobster could be considered a reward for himself, an occasional indulgence.

But the eel rice and black pork chops afterward were purely to coax her to not die with delicious food.

"I'll go back to my hometown in a few days. The inheritance my parents left behind can support me. But recently…"

"I know," Chen Yuan interrupted her, saying understandingly, "It's best not to contact your hometown for now. Wait until you're fully prepared."

She had finally become strong, and now was the stage to build her confidence.

If she wasn't ready to face it yet, he wouldn't force her.

"Then these few days…"

"It's okay, I'll ask my parents for money. Don't worry."

"No, no need."

Quickly waving her hand, Xia Xinyu earnestly stopped him, a hint of pleading in her eyes.

This was really strange. What was wrong with asking his parents for money?

[If Chen Yuan's mother finds out that her son doesn't have enough spending money because he's been treating the girl next door to meals, and not just one meal, but many days in a row…]

[His mother will definitely have a bad impression of me.]

Ah, this… This child was thinking too much, wasn't she?

She didn't understand Mother Chen and was jumping to conclusions.

His mother was a very good person. As long as she didn't think he was in a relationship but was helping someone, she wouldn't be angry…

Wait.

Why was she only worried about what his mother thought of her?

Did she not consider Chen Jianye as a person?

That's right, Comrade Jianye couldn't even decide whether to open a bottle of Dream Blue in the wine cabinet at home. What could he do?

"You, you can't tell Mom that you don't have enough spending money, okay?" Xia Xinyu whispered again, afraid that Chen Yuan wouldn't listen.

"Is it okay if I say I overspent myself?"

"It's even worse if they find out you're lying." Xia Xinyu insisted.

And the meaning in her words was very clear.

It was fine if Chen Yuan overspent for other reasons, but it wouldn't do if it was to treat the neighbor to meals, especially if he was hiding it from his parents.

It seemed she still cared a lot about what others thought of her.

"Of course, I'll solve the problem of how to survive without spending money." Xia Xinyu's style suddenly became serious. Counting on her fingers, she seriously calculated, "Vitamins, protein, fat, carbohydrates…"

"One hundred and sixty-seven can satisfy all of that?" Chen Yuan asked in astonishment.

"Of course, there's a low-budget version of satisfaction."

After roughly calculating, Xia Xinyu said creatively, "Discounted eggs, 20 yuan for thirty, will be the main source of protein. For staple food, we have rice, and we can buy some noodles and make various dishes like egg fried rice, scallion oil noodles, egg noodles, cold noodles, etc. For vegetables, we'll eat lettuce leaves…"

"Why specifically lettuce leaves?"

"Cheap and tasty."

"Okay."

"Meat, the most expensive meat…" Xia Xinyu sized up the tall Chen Yuan and asked, "You don't need to grow any taller, do you?"

"Are we going for synthetic meat made with technology and additives?"

"That's too unhealthy." Xia Xinyu shook her head, speaking wisely like a dietary doctor, "Fried chicken cutlets, only about ten yuan a piece, can satisfy one meal of meat. After 8:45 PM, the supermarket's discounted pork belly is only eight yuan a pound, which we can use to make dry-fried pork belly. Frozen chicken feet can be made into boneless lemon chicken feet, which can solve one meal for fifteen yuan. On Saturdays, when we have more time, I'll stew a crucian carp for us…"

"Will that be enough money?" Chen Yuan asked nervously.

"When do you get your allowance?"

"Next Monday."

"Then there's no problem."

Xia Xinyu answered decisively, then clenched her hands into fists, as if grabbing something, and smiled brightly, "On weekend evenings, we can even eat two ice cream cones."

"…"

One hundred and sixty yuan might not be enough to open a cybercafe.

But with Xia Xinyu, it could even set up a feast.

Which stinky brat would end up getting such a perfect woman in the future?

"What? Are you… not satisfied with the dishes?" Xia Xinyu asked, puzzled, seeing that Chen Yuan was a little dazed.

"You still have to go to school. Do you have time to prepare dinner and breakfast every day?"

"Don't worry about that. We have to persevere through difficult times." Facing short-term setbacks, Xia Xinyu said optimistically, "When you get your allowance next week, and I go back to my hometown… then we won't have to be so tight. But, there's one thing I'm a little embarrassed about…"

"Why embarrassed?"

"I only solved breakfast and dinner for you, but for lunch…" Xia Xinyu said apologetically, "I only gave you a budget of 8 yuan per meal, for a total of 40 yuan, and that doesn't even include drinks."

"That's it? It's okay. The school's eight-yuan set meal also has two dishes and a soup. I'll get drinks at school."

"Your school can get drinks?"

"Yeah, I bring my own cup and get it from Zhou Yu."

"Your pronunciation isn't standard. Shouldn't that be called 'robbing'?" Xia Xinyu quipped leisurely.

Heh, he was gradually discovering Xia Xinyu's sense of humor.

"What about you for lunch?"

"You don't have to worry about that. I always eat with my aunt at noon. The No. 4 Middle School's cafeteria allows each staff member to bring one child…" Speaking of this, Xia Xinyu said a little embarrassedly, "I'm that child. I'll eat with my aunt tomorrow, so it won't cost anything."

Although her aunt often wanted to give her living expenses, and wouldn't be so stingy if she just asked, she also had her own life, her uncle, and her younger cousin.

As an orphan, there would be too many things she would need to trouble her with in the future.

Therefore, she had to overcome those troubles that could be avoided as much as possible.

Affection maintained by assistance would always create rifts.

It was precisely because she loved her aunt that she didn't want her to quarrel impatiently with her uncle on some night because of her burden.

Right now, the only person she could trouble was Chen Yuan.

If he got into a relationship, and there was someone who would quarrel impatiently because of her existence one day…

Out of self-respect, she didn't want to be that trouble.

"That's pretty good. Don't waste the chance to freeload at the cafeteria." Chen Yuan replied naturally, not finding it embarrassing at all that she was mooching off her aunt.

And after listening to her inner thoughts, he only had one thought.

Why did this child have so many worries?

Trouble or not trouble…

If the gears of fate didn't turn.

How could he, Chen Yuan, possibly have a 17-year-old high school little chef cook noodles for him?

"That's still one expense less."

As Chen Yuan slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked with Xia Xinyu toward the bus stop, he said casually without any trace of emotion.

"Eh? Is there any other expense?"

"It's a dozen stops to school."

"…"

Suddenly reminded, Xia Xinyu reacted, froze in place, frowned, and her expression immediately became mournful, "Ahhh… Does that mean the only boneless lemon chicken feet snack is gone? Noooo, wouldn't that mean there's no hope at all this week? Or… can you go rob some from Zhou Yu again?"