CHAPTER 409: CHAPTER 409: NOT GIVING IT BACK

He Juan pulled away Qin Xiangmei’s hand, her face also grew tense.

"Xiang Mei, we agreed on cash-and-carry."

"I know," Qin Xiangmei leaned over the table, very anxious, "but isn’t there someone who wants to buy it, and we could earn an extra 500 yuan, don’t you want it?"

"Of course, I do," He Juan averted her gaze, "but the screen, someone has already taken it away, how can we get it back?"

"It can be taken back even if it’s gone, right?" Qin Xiangmei was desperate, "When you buy something, there’s always the option to return it. If we sold it, we just ask for it back. At worst, we give them an extra 100 to 200 yuan for their loss, I’m sure they won’t be at a loss," but as she said this, Qin Xiangmei didn’t know how painful her heart was, fearing that she’d have to spend another 100 to 200 yuan, all because of this He Juan, why act so quickly, and if she can’t make that ten thousand yuan, she’ll see how she’ll deal with He Juan.

"It can’t be taken back," He Juan put down her chopsticks, "Xiang Mei, they’ve already taken the screen abroad, how could it possibly come back? We agreed on cash-and-carry; we can’t control where they take the goods. It’s already crossed the seas, the shipping costs alone who knows how much, how could they possibly bring the screen back from so far away, especially just for you?"

"We’ll pay, right?" Qin Xiangmei became anxious upon hearing this, "Whatever he wants, we’ll give, is it not okay to compensate for a new screen?"

But to her disappointment, she thought that she had made an offer good enough for anyone to consider - not only willing to pay hundreds of dollars in compensation, but also to cover the shipping costs and to provide a new screen. But still, she was truly let down. Even with all these great conditions she proposed, He Juan still shook her head, it was no use whatever you said, the screen was already sold, and no amount of money could change that.

"How can you be like this?" Qin Xiangmei lost her temper, without the screen, she won’t get the ten thousand yuan, and that’s not a trivial amount, that’s ten thousand yuan! The thought of not getting the money filled her with intense anger, and of course, the one she hated most now was He Juan.

"That screen is mine, I can sell or reclaim it whenever I want. He Juan, isn’t your heart dark enough? Why not give it back to me?"

"Qin Xiangmei, you’re the one at fault here."

He Juan’s patience was almost exhausted, she directly threw her chopsticks on the table, the noodles in the bowl clumping together. When will Qin Xiangmei ever end this? In business, there’s no such thing as telling someone that you’re not selling after the sale is made.

"You might agree, but the other party has to agree as well. They don’t agree now, so are you going to steal it? No matter what, there’s no such precedent."

Qin Xiangmei obviously knew she was in the wrong; she thought that just by offering more money, He Juan would give her the screen, then she could give He Juan a little benefit, and all would be well. But now He Juan wouldn’t budge, no matter what she said or how much more money she offered.

The two nearly came to blows in the cafeteria. In the end, Qin Xiangmei left with harsh words, while He Juan also had a gloomy face, pursing her lips at Qin Xiangmei’s retreating figure, who was she afraid of, did she really think everyone was made of clay?

Qin Xiangyang had been waiting outside for a long time without seeing anyone come out. Even when students were leaving school, he still hadn’t seen Qin Xiangmei once. Whether it was a success or not, she should at least say something, right? But Qin Xiangmei, obstinately different from others, just gave up in despair.

Qin Xiangyang took the ten thousand yuan and went home. As soon as he got home, he started complaining. His face was ugly; he had been standing outside for almost a whole day, hungry and tired, while Qin Xiangmei played hide and seek.

Granny Lu hurriedly served Qin Xiangyang some cooked dumplings, telling him to eat first.

Qin Xiangyang was indeed starved. He always had a big appetite, and the military academy’s cafeteria didn’t limit their portions. Not eating for a day had really left him starving, nearly to death.

Wolfing down a plate of dumplings.

He set the plate aside and wiped his mouth.

"Now what do we do? She’s probably going to hide like a turtle."

"You can run from the monk, but not from the temple," Qin Xiangnuan didn’t have to have the Qingming River Painting back at all costs. She had already embroidered three of them by now, and it wouldn’t be hard to embroider another one. But she just didn’t feel like it. If it came down to it, she’d just embroider something else and make it into a screen. It was just giving Qin Xiangmei an easy thousand yuan for nothing.

Although a thousand yuan isn’t a lot, she would rather lose it, throw it away, than willingly spend it on Qin Xiangmei.

"But, we can’t just let her sell the screen for nothing, can we?" Qin Xiangyang felt like punching cotton - utterly frustrated and angry. He wished he could strangle that woman, or, just like with a man, grab Qin Xiangnuan and give her a good beating, but of course, he couldn’t lay a hand on her, so he felt even more stifled.

"How could it be sold for nothing?" Qin Xiangnuan looked at the empty living room. Without the screen, it was really quite an eyesore. There’s no such thing as a freebie here. Anyone else might have taken something, but Qin Xiangmei had no chance. She wouldn’t be allowed to take even a single thread.

In her past life, Qin Xiangmei had given her a way out, but in this life, there was no way Qin Xiangnuan would make things convenient for her.

"So what shall we do?" Qin Xiangyang stood up and paced back and forth, clearly quite agitated and annoyed.

"What’s to be done?" Qin Xiangnuan seemed to have a clear thought and suddenly smiled, her brows and eyes bright and pure, unstained, as neat and direct as ever, "A screen in exchange for our peace in the future, it’s worth it."

"You mean..." Qin Xiangyang understood what his sister meant.

"Let her move out?"

"What else?" Qin Xiangnuan lifted her eyelids. "If she continues to live here, who knows when she might even sell Conghua."

Upon hearing its name, Conghua stuck its head out from in front of its paws, seeming a bit puzzled when everyone looked at it, wagged its tail, and then went back to sleep.

Jian Zhiqing couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

"It’s not impossible. Conghua has a pure breed lineage. A military dog like Conghua could easily sell for tens of thousands. Even if you don’t sell the pedigree, just the dog meat could fetch a few hundred yuan."

Qin Xiangyang wiped the sweat off his forehead unconsciously.

Brother Jian is really ruthless.

"No way," he hurriedly picked up Conghua and left, "I have to keep an eye on Conghua, can’t really let that woman sell it." He couldn’t even guarantee that Qin Xiangmei wouldn’t target Conghua. That woman was cruel, savage, and shamelessly enough that selling Conghua, heck, even selling them off, were things he felt she could very well do.