Shi Ran immediately put down the fabric she was holding and walked to the table to pick up her phone. The screen displayed 'Mom'.
Her brow furrowed slightly. She walked out of the studio and stood outside to answer the call, "Hello, Mom?"
"Wuwuwu... Ranran, what are we going to do? Your brother owes a mountain of gambling debts again, and people are coming to collect. What can we do?"
As soon as the call connected, Shi Ran's mother on the other end wailed.
Shi Ran's heart tightened as she heard this. "What... owes gambling debts again?"
"Yes. Ever since your elder brother started gambling last year, he's been completely hooked," Shi's mother cried, her grief tearing at her insides. "Last year, you paid to bail your brother out, and the big casinos wouldn't let him in anymore. But your brother has a gambling addiction. He gambles at small underground casinos every day, and he's squandered all the money you gave him. Our house... our house has been sold... Wuwu, that's why when you said you weren't coming back for New Year's, your dad and I didn't dare to force you, for fear you'd find out."
Listening to her mother's words, Shi Ran felt a chill run down her spine. Her mind went completely blank.
Her elder brother had never gambled before. But Zhao Wuyan, in order to force her to leave Tang Si, had targeted her brother.
Now that Zhao Wuyan had achieved her goal, she had indirectly caused her brother to become addicted to gambling, not only squandering the family's savings but also selling their property.
Shi Ran was filled with self-blame and guilt.
"My brother... how much does he owe this time?"
"Th-thirty-five thousand, wuwuwu..." Shi's mother sobbed, choking back her tears. "Your dad and I rented a place, but the debt collectors still found us. They're banging on the door and splashing paint. Ranran, Mom... Mom is scared..."
The simple phrase "Mom is scared" broke Shi Ran.
Her eyes reddened, and tears threatened to spill. "Where's my brother?"
"I don't know. When your brother owed money, he hid... They couldn't find your brother, so they came looking for your dad and me. Your dad... he was so angry he fainted."
"What? Fainted?" Shi Ran's heart skipped a beat. She immediately said, "Mom, don't worry, I'll buy a ticket now. I'll be back right away."
Shi Ran spoke with her mother for a few more minutes on the phone, calming her down, before hanging up.
Holding her phone, she stood at the studio door. She wasn't sure if it was the biting cold wind or something else, but she felt a chill and couldn't help but shiver.
Thirty-five thousand...
Where was she going to get thirty-five thousand?
Meng Jingwei had previously promised Shi Ran that she would transfer fifty million to her, and she had indeed transferred it.
It was just that she had been too busy at the time. She had intended to inform Shi Ran after the transfer, but she got caught up and forgot.
When she remembered later, Meng Jingwei didn't make a point of telling Shi Ran.
After all, bank transfers would send a text message notification to the recipient.
Little did they know, Shi Ran had left Lan Cheng in a hurry and hadn't brought her bank cards. The only Agricultural Bank card she had was a new one she had obtained after arriving in Jiangnan.
She had also unbound her old bank cards from various apps, so she couldn't access any information about the balances on her old cards.
Shi Ran opened her phone and looked at the mere ten thousand yuan in her Yu'ebao account, falling into despair.
Her previous savings had all gone to her elder brother due to his debts.
When she left Lan Cheng, she had taken out her fixed deposit savings of two hundred thousand yuan. A few tens of thousands were lent to Yuan Wei to open his studio, and the rest had been saved.
Now that her brother was in this situation again, Shi Ran truly felt powerless.
She looked back at Yuan Wei, who was working on the sewing machine inside the studio, rushing to finish clothes. She knew he didn't have money either, so she didn't hold out any hope for him.
After standing outside the studio for a while, she used her phone to book a flight for two hours later.