Chapter 85 - 84: Handling the Hidden Love Rival
As the weather began to warm up, a line of food stalls appeared at the entrance of the residential building. They sold fried skewers, barbecue, and some elderly folks would push a gas cylinder with a shallow pot, selling spicy hotpot skewers.
Every evening after school, Zhao Meimei would stop by the food stalls on her way home and always buy a couple of skewers to eat while walking.
Liu Xiue thought it was unsanitary and scolded her several times, but to no avail. She had no choice but to start controlling Zhao Meimei’s pocket money, leaving her just enough to buy some paper and pens at school, with nothing extra on hand.
At this time, the money Shi Yang left for Zhao Meimei came in handy.
Zhao Meimei was always generous with her friends. Although she was now busy with studies and didn’t have time to hang out with Da Bao and other friends like before, the bond between them remained deep.
Since starting middle school, Da Bao’s body began to grow sideways. The chubby, cute face of his childhood started to change. His heavy eyelids drooped, and when he looked at people, his gaze slid out through the slits, with a hint of ferocity.
Da Bao came from a single-parent family. His mom worked as a storage clerk at a factory, earning a meager wage with no connections. He went directly to the kindergarten where Zhao Meimei studied because it was close to home, and most students there were kids from the residential building, who all knew each other.
Separated from Zhao Meimei, Da Bao, under her imperceptible childhood influence, gradually picked up many leader-like mannerisms and qualities.
In just two years, he had quietly become a respected figure from school to the residential area. Wherever he met someone from another class, they would surely call him Brother Bao.
Da Bao would always give a side-eye, glance at the person. In a good mood, he’d slightly nod in response; in a bad mood, he’d act as if he hadn’t heard, unwilling to bother.