Chapter 20 Chapter 20 [VIP]

"It's a rare visit from you, so let's just talk it out today."

Putting down the green onions in her hand, Zhuang Xiu said to her earnestly, "Since they're divorced, you should just stop interacting with each other and live your own lives."

Are you all well?

Zhuang Xiu's words didn't dim the smile on Zhou's mother's face. Putting down the water Zhang Laosan had poured, she let out a long sigh, "Old sister, it was really Xiaokai's fault before, but the way he treated Xiaoyan was understandable."

"You know what's happened at the factory these past few years. About half the staff were laid off. Xiaokai is very ambitious and not only wants to stay, but also wants to make some achievements. He hit Xiaoyan because he was under too much pressure and felt bad."

"He's been through a lot in the past six months, and now he's completely moved on. He's definitely going to live a happy and down-to-earth life with Xiaoyan."

In short, Zhou Kai did not get promoted at work and was also cheated in love.

The setbacks have smoothed his edges, and now he wants to find an honest man to live a good life with.

Of course, this is only part of the reason. The more important reason is that they were attracted by Zhang Yan's identity as a "second-generation demolition worker."

Zhuang Xiu and Zhang Laosan didn't think about it, they were only thinking about their daughter's happiness.

After all, they are noble "city people". Who would have thought that they, who claim to be noble, would calculate for their own demolition compensation?

Just as Zhuang Xiu was about to speak, Zhou Kai was quickly sent away by Zhou's mother. "What are you still doing sitting there? Can't you see your father-in-law is busy? How tactless! Go and help!"

"Hey, I'll go right away. Right away."

As he said that, Zhou Kai rolled up his sleeves, stood up and went to the kitchen.

The kitchen chimney was blocked, and Zhang Laosan was about to clear it. Seeing this, Zhou Kai quickly helped him down, took the wooden stick and rag from his hands, and started doing the rough work of cleaning.

Zhou Kai has never been so filial.

Not only did he clean the kitchen chimney, he also helped clean the stove used for heating.

Installing exhaust pipes, repairing tricycles with broken chains, unclogging clogged sewers... I suddenly wanted to do all the work I could at home.

At first, Zhang Laosan and Zhuang Xiu politely tried to stop him, but later they just let him go.

During the years that his daughter lived in his house, she served them like this a lot.

Zhou Kai has only done so much for the family now, but it is not even one tenth of what Zhang Yan has done.

Near noon, Zhang Yan called back from the city and said she wanted to bring a friend home for dinner.

Zhuang Xiu also told her on the phone that Zhou Kai and his mother came to their house to plead for mercy.

Zhang Yan really couldn't stand what they did, so she simply said that she would take this opportunity today to completely end this relationship.

At the same time, at Zhang's house, Zhou Kai and his mother had no idea what was going to happen, and they happily stayed to continue working, waiting for lunch.

Until Zhang Yan came in with her "friend".

Zhou Kai, who was covered in dirt and dust, bumped into a man who was dressed neatly and carrying a generous gift.

"Why are you here?"

When Zhou Kai saw Zhang Yan holding the man's arm, his heart skipped a beat.

The man's name is Wang Jie, and he works in the same factory as Zhou Kai.

Wang Jie is only one year older than Zhou Kai, but he has already reached the position of Chief Inspector. Oh no, that’s not right. He was promoted again a few months ago and is now the head of the production department.

Zhou Kai didn't get along with him and always felt that he was the one who was making things difficult for him, which was why he hadn't been promoted for several years.

They all worked in the same factory, and Zhou's mother and father had privately given him gifts as elders, hoping to get him to loosen up, but were coldly rejected by Wang Jie.

After the Chinese New Year this year, Zhou Kai had just divorced, and there was a target for him to be promoted to deputy director. In order to help him get promoted at work, Zhou's parents made all kinds of connections.

Just when he was feeling proud and thought his life would get better and better, he was reported by someone in an anonymous letter.

Not only did Zhou Kai fail to get promoted, but Zhou's parents also suffered the consequences and were demoted.

They all thought that it was Wang Jie who reported them, and since then, Wang Jie has become the mortal enemy of their entire family.

“You, you two…?!”

Zhang Yan didn't let go, but held him tighter. "I've already agreed to Wang Jie's pursuit. Let me introduce him to you. From today on, he is my boyfriend."

“You! You!!!”

It wasn't just Zhou Kai. Seeing Zhang Yan with the family's mortal enemy, Zhou's mother almost fainted from losing her breath: "Two-timing, do you have any shame?!"

Zhang Yan: "Watch your mouth! I've already told Zhou Kai that there's no chance for us. He's the one who keeps pestering me."

Zhang Yan's words shut Zhou Kai up.

He thought Zhang Yan still loved him and that what she said was just angry talk, but who knew it was actually true!

Frustrated, angry, ashamed...all the emotions rushed to Zhou Kai's head at once.

If Zhang Yan had found someone else, it would have to be Wang Jie!

One is a worker, the other is a small leader with a successful and glamorous career. With this comparison, Zhou Kai feels even more inferior.

He didn't care about his face anymore and picked it up with his hand.

Boom!

Wang Jie, who was standing by, was quick-witted and kicked him in the stomach.

A rough man, if he really gets angry and starts fighting, he won't be afraid at all.

In order to protect Zhang Yan and also to vent her anger, he took the opportunity of "self-preservation" to pin Zhou Kai to the ground and teach him a lesson...

The village chief Chen Bing arrived last. The fight was over and everyone had almost finished eating the melons before he finally arrived.

"What are you fussing about? Can't you just talk it out calmly?!"

With his hands behind his back, Chen Bing looked at the mess in the yard and scolded them harshly, "What's the reason? Why do you have to do this? If something bad happens, will it be an honor to have a criminal record?"

Both families were almost exhausted from cursing, but Wang Jie, who was visiting, subconsciously protected Zhang Yan behind him and explained to the village chief, "It was originally a private matter. They were the ones who started it, and we were acting in self-defense. The villagers can also testify that they were the ones who were cursing and throwing tantrums, and the Zhang family's elderly couple were the victims."

"Let go! You @#￥%!"

Although he was a respectable person in the city, Zhou's mother's scolding was unbearable to hear. "You messed around with someone else's wife, and you still think you're right?"

Wang Jie calmly replied, "They're divorced, so legally they have nothing to do with your family. Marriage is free, love is free. What's wrong with me pursuing Comrade Zhang Yan?"

"But you guys, you went into someone else's house and intentionally hurt them. If we report this to the police, do you think you'll get away with it?!"

Wang Jie's words were powerful and his attitude was neither humble nor arrogant. Although he was only about 26 or 27 years old, he had the air of a boss.

Apart from anything else, the fact that he subconsciously blocked the swinging wrench for Zhang Yan is enough to prove that he is stronger than Zhou Kai.

As soon as the police station was mentioned, the two of them immediately became timid.

They wanted to leave quickly, but Zhou Kai was beaten badly, and his mother tried to help him up several times but he still couldn't get up.

They were already in the wrong, and now they lost such a big person. They really wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

They couldn't win in a fight, couldn't compete, and couldn't win in a dispute. They became complete losers.

Taking advantage of the gap in the crowd, Qiao Jiaxin looked at Wang Jie's tall back. In addition to admiration and envy, she also felt a little regretful.

I regret jumping to conclusions too early.

After all, not all men are bad, there are still some truly capable men...

*

Qiao Jiaxin and her grandmother spent the last day of 1996 in the old house.

Although the house was a little deserted, in order to welcome the New Year's Day, Liu Shuqin bought a lot of good meat and vegetables, and also bought some warm new clothes for Qiao Jiaxin and herself.

I will soon have money in my pocket, and I won’t have to live as tightly as before, so naturally I will treat myself better.

However, even if you have money, you can't just think about spending it, otherwise you will end up eating up all your savings in the future.

"Look, once the water on top becomes clearer, you can fish it out." Liu Shuqin stirred the water in the tank with a spoon while explaining to Qiao Jiaxin the key points of making sweet potato vermicelli.

After pouring out the water in the vat, Liu Shuqin scooped out the sweet potato starch that had settled at the bottom of the vat and carefully spread it out on a bamboo sieve. "It needs to be aired out. It can only be used after it is completely dry."

Liu Shuqin is very good at cooking. She makes some sweet potato vermicelli and stewed food every year, which she can keep for herself or sell.

She had nothing to leave to her children in her life, only this little skill.

But the four sons were too lazy to learn it, thinking that it would waste their time and they would not make much money. Little did they know that this humble skill had earned them a lot of tuition fees when they were young.

"Does it have to be air-dried?" Qiao Jiaxin asked doubtfully. "It's just powder and water anyway, so the dry powder and wet powder should be about the same."

Liu Shuqin: "There's a big difference. Vermicelli made from dry flour can be stored longer, but rice noodles made from wet flour are tastier."

As she spoke, she scooped out a spoonful of starch from the jar and prepared to steam some rice noodles.

Tomorrow, New Year's Day, I'll kill a chicken and make fried chicken. It's just right to add some vermicelli.

Thump thump thump…

Just as Qiao Jiaxin brought the bamboo comb into the yard, she heard someone knocking on the door.

"Aunt? Is she home?"

Before I opened the door, I heard Zhuang Xiu's voice.

Well, I heard the voice before I saw the person.

Qiao Jiaxin: "Auntie, have you eaten yet?"

"Just finished eating," Zhuang Xiu said as she handed her the small paper box. "It's the holidays now, and your sister brought back a lot of chocolate candies. Let me give some to the children in our village."

The small paper box looked exquisite, and there were about ten pieces in it, which added up to just a handful.

Qiao Jiaxin hadn't eaten chocolate for a long time, and she could smell the rich cocoa aroma through the paper box.

"It must be valuable."

Zhuang Xiu smiled meaningfully and said, "It was a gift from her new boyfriend."

I subconsciously fiddled with the new brooch on my clothes, thinking it was also a gift from Wang Jie.

It seems that Zhuang Xiu is very satisfied with her future son-in-law.

Zhuang Xiu walked into the house on her own, praising Wang Jie non-stop. "It takes a former leader to know how to handle things. Look, we've only been in a relationship for a few days, and already they've sent us gifts. Not only snacks for the villagers, but also more than a dozen pairs of cotton gloves."

After entering the room, while he was talking, he took out a pair of new cotton gloves from somewhere and put them on the table.

After all, the Zhang family is not close to everyone in the village, so the gifts he sent were only given to people with whom he had a close relationship.

This is for Liu Shuqin.

According to Zhuang Xiu, Wang Jie's family is well-off. His parents are both businessmen and they own several houses in the city.

Unlike Zhou Kai, who despised Zhang Yan for being poor when they were together, and wanted to remarry her only for the sake of the family's house.

He really likes Zhang Yan.

"Money doesn't matter. People are more important than anything else," Liu Shuqin said calmly as she added firewood to the stove. "Let's spend more time together. After all, this is a lifelong thing, so there's no need to rush."

"Yes, I told Yan'er the same thing."

Having said that, after grabbing a handful of melon seeds from the table, Zhuang Xiu still smiled a very satisfied mother-in-law smile, "But now I think Wang Jie is really good. I hope I didn't make a mistake this time."

Looking at the sweet potato flour on the stove, Zhuang Xiu said, "Auntie, are you going to make sweet potato flour again?"

"Hmm," Liu Shuqin said as she stirred the sweet potato flour in the basin. "We've got a lot of sweet potatoes, so we can make some vermicelli noodles so we can sell them in the city."

Before Liu Shuqin even started cooking, Zhuang Xiu came to the kitchen and said, "Can you leave some for me? I haven't had your vermicelli in all these years. Every time we cook a big pot during Chinese New Year, people always say that it would be great if we put some of your vermicelli in it."

This is how farmers who rely on the weather for their livelihood are. They don’t like to eat rare delicacies from the mountains and the sea, but prefer these simple delicacies.

Liu Shuqin smiled and said, "Okay, I'll send you a basket tomorrow when it's ready. I guarantee you'll have enough to eat!"

"Where will we sell the vermicelli after it's ready?" Zhuang Xiu asked again.

Liu Shuqin: "Let's see. Just find a market and set up a stall."

Zhuang Xiu took the initiative to suggest: "Why don't we give it to Old Chen and have him take it to the supply and marketing cooperative to sell it. In recent years, most of our village's goods have been taken there."

The price offered by the supply and marketing cooperative is not high, but I can accept it all. It is better than setting up a stall on the roadside in such cold weather.

Liu Shuqin also thought this idea was feasible. "Well, I'll go talk to Lao Chen tomorrow. It's the holiday season, so I can take Jiaxin to the city for a walk."

Liu Shuqin made a total of eight kilograms of vermicelli this time, and estimated that she would get about twenty yuan if she sold it to the supply and marketing cooperative.

However, these twenty yuan were no longer their living expenses, but pocket money, because when Liu Shuqin went to see the village chief, she borrowed another thousand yuan from him, which she regarded as an advance payment for her demolition compensation.

The demolition is a foregone conclusion, and the money will be in her hands sooner or later.

Liu Shuqin finally figured it out: the sooner you spend the money, the sooner you can enjoy it.

Anyway, you will become a rich woman sooner or later, so there is no need to endure a few more days of hardship.

With the money, Liu Shuqin took Qiao Jiaxin to spend it lavishly in Yu City.

Not only did he buy clothes and eat out, he also picked out an electric heater in the mall so that his granddaughter wouldn't rub her hands because she was so cold when studying at night.

"Seven hundred and fifty dollars?!"

Seeing the price of the electric heater, Qiao Jiaxin almost dropped her jaw in shock. "Forget it, forget it. I'd better not buy it."

"Buy it, you have to buy it." Liu Shuqin insisted, "We don't need to be so careful now. We have to spend the money we need to spend. Otherwise, what's the point of keeping it?"

Seeing her grandma so cool, Qiao Jiaxin couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Grandma has changed. She has become more cheerful and free. After breaking free from the shackles of life, she is full of energy again.

The power of money is infinite. A grandma who loves to "buy, buy, buy" and "spend, spend, spend" looks much younger than before.

Yes, grandma has millions in demolition compensation. Even if she puts it in the bank, she can get several thousand yuan every month. What is there not to spend?

But……

"Grandma, you forgot that the electrical wiring in our house is not good. You won't be able to use it even if you buy it." Qiao Jiaxin reminded her.

Liu Shuqin: ...

Who would have thought that there would be times when you would have no money to spend.

The village will be demolished after the Chinese New Year, so there is no need to tinker with the electrical wires now.

Turning her head to look at the big color TVs, DVDs, and washing machines, Liu Shuqin sighed regretfully: It seems that I can't buy any of these things today.

Alas, we still have to endure two more months of hard times.

It was just getting dark when the grandfather and grandson came back from the city.

The food in the city during the day was pretty good, but Liu Shuqin still felt that the food she cooked was more delicious, so she bought a lot of ingredients and prepared to go home and cook a big meal for herself.

After getting off the bus, Liu Shuqin sat on the bench for a long time to relax.

"Alas, I am destined to be poor in this life. I feel like vomiting when I smell gasoline." After taking a deep breath, Liu Shuqin muttered to herself as she walked in front.

Qiao Jiaxin took out an orange from her pocket, peeled it, and handed it to her. "Then we won't have to sit there anymore. I'll take you on the tricycle."

Liu Shuqin raised the corners of her lips slightly and touched her head with relief.

When I was almost at the entrance of the village, I saw two familiar figures waiting in the distance.

They also saw Liu Shuqin and Qiao Jiaxin.

"mom!"

It was Qiao Wangnan, and his wife came with him.

Liu Shuqin's stomach churned all the way, and when the man stood up and shouted at them, she couldn't help but vomit...

"Mom, where have you been in such a cold weather?"

"You haven't come back yet, Xiaoli and I are so worried!"

"It's so windy at night. What if I get frozen?!"

Two parts blame, three parts anxiety, and five parts worry...

After raising Qiao Wangnan for decades, this is the first time he is so worried about himself.

I still remember that winter, the evening wind was even more biting than tonight.

In order to buy a few more pounds of coal, Liu Shuqin and Qiao Wensheng went to the coal factory in the city and brought back 50 pounds of crushed coal slag in one go.

Since there was no tricycle at home, they dragged the wooden cart back and forth for thirty miles.

Fortunately, Qiao Fenglai was there at the time. The three of them took turns pulling the cart, and finally they managed to bring back 50 kilograms of broken coal safely despite the biting wind.

"Mom, you're finally back!"

As soon as he got home, Qiao Wangnan ran out of the house in a hurry.

After taking off the coarse cloth on her shoulders, Liu Shuqin was so tired that she couldn't speak, and her lips were cracked by the wind. But when she saw her son coming out to greet her, she still forced a smile.

I thought he was worried about me and wanted to help me in, but the next second he walked over to the wooden cart, picked up a handful of coal slag and ran into the house. "I'm freezing at home. I want to do my homework, but I can't even pick up my pen."

Qiao Wangnan didn't say it explicitly, but his words were full of blame for them, as if they were deliberately wasting time on the road so that they would suffer and freeze at home.

Qiao Fenglai raised his foot and gave him a light kick on the butt: "Cold? Then come with me to haul coal next time. You'll feel better if you move around."

She also wanted to push harder, but she was really out of strength after walking such a long way.

Qiao Wangnan didn't respond, and called Qiao Wangbei and Qiao Wangxi out, taking turns carrying all the coal from the cart into the house...

Liu Shuqin was a little uncomfortable with his sudden concern for her today.

Sitting on the bench, Liu Shuqin drank hot water from the cup while watching Qiao Wangnan working in the house.

It looked like he hadn't worked for a long time. He was exhausted just by using the coal tongs to change a coal ball.

Either it fell off halfway through, or it was crushed by squeezing too hard, wasting several pieces. After finally getting it in, it ended up crushing a few pieces that were cooked perfectly.

Liu Shuqin didn't tolerate him and said angrily, "Put it down quickly. Your hands are just like your feet. They can't even pick up coal and crush it into pieces. What else can you do?"

In the past, Qiao Wangnan would have refuted it long ago.

The coal was too bad, the coal tongs were too rusty, the coal stove mouth was too small... He could always find an excuse to shirk his responsibility, but today he didn't even say anything back and just listened to her blame silently.

"Mom, try this scarf I bought for you?"

When Yang Li came out of the bathroom in high heels, the disgust on her face was almost overflowing, and she wanted to wipe it clean with half a curl of her hand.

It’s no wonder that she is annoyed. After all, she grew up in the city and had never seen a dry toilet in the village.

But after coming to Liu Shuqin, her face changed all of a sudden, and the smile at the corners of her eyes and eyebrows was sweeter than honey.

Taking the initiative to put the scarf on Liu Shuqin, Yang Li even pressed her shoulders in a serious manner, "How is it? Is it warm? This is made of wool, much softer than wool~"

"That's a lot of money."

"Well, it's only about 200 yuan," Yang Li said, and then she took out a pair of gloves also made of wool. "As long as you are comfortable, this little money is nothing."

About two hundred yuan?

Liu Shuqin still remembers that a few months ago, when she and her brothers discussed giving her living expenses, Qiao Wangnan mentioned twenty yuan.

Two hundred yuan, haha, that’s almost enough for her for a year.

Not only Liu Shuqin, they also bought scarves and gloves for Qiao Jiaxin.

But it’s not as expensive as hers. It’s just the most common style in the mall, and at most a few dollars more expensive than the ones on the market.

If someone shows you kindness without any reason, he is either a traitor or a thief.

Stroking the woolen fabric, Liu Shuqin asked quietly, "How did you know Jiaxin and I moved back?"

"I just found out today too." Qiao Wangnan sighed in mock regret. "Xiao Li and I have been busy out of town for the past few months, but I've been sending money to Lao Si on time every month, asking him to take good care of you."

"Thinking about New Year's Day, Xiaoli and I rushed to the family compound to see you as soon as we got back this morning. Only then did Lao Si tell me the truth, saying that you had already moved back to the village."

At first glance, there's nothing wrong with it.

But Liu Shuqin is not blind. She raised them since they were young. Can't she tell whether it is true or a lie?

But she was too lazy to expose him. Since he wanted to put on a big show, she would wait and see what other tricks he had up his sleeve.

“Ahem…”

Qiao Wangnan coughed twice.

Well, still pretending.

Seeing that Qiao Wangnan's red earlobes hadn't recovered from the cold, Liu Shuqin, as they wished, feigned surprise and asked, "You didn't wait for us at the village entrance all afternoon, did you?"

Qiao Wangnan didn't say anything, just nodded silently.

To be honest, it’s so cold today, it’s not that they don’t want to wait inside, they just have no choice.

They are not stupid. If they want to act, why would they really want to suffer?

It's just that I can't get into the house without a key.

When they arrived home and found that Liu Shuqin and Qiao Jiaxin were not there, the couple went to find the village chief Chen Bing and asked him for help.

Chen Bing couldn't stand the dirty things the four brothers did, but he didn't drive them away directly. He said that it was a special period approaching the Chinese New Year, and no matter who came, they could not stay in the office for long.

So after just a few words, he sent the couple away.

They hadn't been back for more than ten years, and they didn't know many people in the village. It was inconvenient to disturb other people's homes, so they had to rest in the car and go to the village entrance from time to time to wait for a while to see when Liu Shuqin and others would come back.

Among Liu Shuqin's sons, Qiao Wangnan is the most shrewd.

He would never let himself suffer any loss unless there was something greater to gain.

Liu Shuqin knew clearly in her mind that he was staging such a self-torture trick just for the sake of the old house that was about to be demolished.

Their household registration was moved to the city, and after their houses were demolished, they did not get any share of either the demolition compensation or the resettlement housing.

How could they not be tempted by a commercial house of over 1,000 square meters and several million in compensation?

Just like those blood-sucking mosquitoes, they usually don’t see people, but only when they smell something will they flap their wings and fly over.

"well!"

With a heavy sigh, Qiao Wangnan wiped away the non-existent tears and walked around the dimly lit room.

As expected of a married couple, Yang Li knew exactly how to respond to Qiao Wangnan's words with just one look: "How are we going to live in this house? It's so cold and shabby. Mom, you've really suffered these past few months."

"It's fine," Liu Shuqin said calmly, taking off her scarf. "After decades of hardship, I've gotten used to it."

Yang Li: "If you need anything in the future, just give us a call and we'll buy it and send it to you right away."

Liu Shuqin: "No, I don't need anything."

"Mom," Yang Li said, holding Liu Shuqin's hand, calling her more affectionately than her own mother. "We are family! Why are you being so polite to me? Isn't it our duty as children to be filial to you?"

After nearly twenty years of doing business, Qiao Wangnan and Yang Li had already become smooth and savvy people.

If you want to take pearls out of a clams, you have to make the clams happy first.

Pearl can't escape anyway, so why rush?

Thump thump thump…

"sister in law?"

It was Chen Bing's voice.

Fortunately, there were outsiders coming. If she had continued listening, Qiao Jiaxin would have been disgusted by their disgusting words and would have vomited.

When he opened the door, Chen Bing's expression was quite natural. However, when he saw Qiao Wangnan was still in the room, the corners of his mouth drooped instantly.

"They haven't left yet?" Chen Bing lowered his voice and said with disgust.

Qiao Jiaxin shook her head.

It's just that Liu Shuqin has a good temper. If it were him, he would have beaten these ungrateful people out with a stick long ago.

Chen Bing didn't want to say a word to Qiao Wangnan, but worried that Liu Shuqin would be soft-hearted, he walked in anyway.

"Are you here? Have you eaten yet?"

Liu Shuqin stood up, and before she could greet him, Qiao Wangnan pulled a chair over and said, "Uncle, please sit down."

"I'm not sitting anymore." Chen Bing didn't even look at him.

Chen Bing took out a few bills from his pocket and handed them to Liu Shuqin. "Xiao Liu just came back. This is the money from selling vermicelli noodles. A total of 22 yuan."

"Twenty-two?" Qiao Wangnan was a little surprised. "How many vermicelli noodles does that require?"

He was not only surprised that Liu Shuqin made so many vermicelli, but also wondered why she still wanted to make money by making vermicelli when she was about to get the demolition compensation.

However, he didn't show his later emotions. He just pretended to be distressed and concerned and said, "Mom, if you need money, you can tell me. Making vermicelli in such cold weather... How can your body handle it?"

Chen Bing rolled his eyes and said sarcastically, "Of course I did. It took me several days to make these vermicelli noodles. There's nothing I can do. I'm broke. If I don't find a way to earn some, we can't just starve, right?"

Chen Bing did not mention the demolition, nor did he say that his old mother, who was once looked down upon by them, was about to become a wealthy millionaire.

Just talking about how difficult it was for her to raise her granddaughter alone.

Qiao Wangnan's brows furrowed even more tightly, full of self-blame for not being able to take care of his mother in time.

Yang Li also wiped her eyes, but unfortunately, her makeup was almost smudged and she couldn't squeeze out a few tears.

It would be unnecessary to say any more words of concern at this time, so Qiao Wangnan took out his wallet from his shirt pocket without saying a word, took out a few bills and handed them to Liu Shuqin.

"Mom, don't do these things anymore. I'll support you in the future. Just tell me how much money you need!"

Liu Shuqin glanced at his bulging wallet without feeling the slightest bit disturbed.

Thirty-six dollars?

There were so many hundred-dollar bills in his wallet, but he didn't touch them and gave all the change to himself... Even if this filial piety was fake, at least he should pretend to be filial.

Liu Shuqin tightened the money in her hand and sighed deeply: "I have to find a way to make some money. It's so cold, and it's useless to just sit by the coal stove. The bed is so thin, I have to save money to buy an electric blanket."

If you want to pretend, you have to perform it well.

If he doesn't know how to act, then give him a good demonstration.

As she spoke, Liu Shuqin gently twisted the thin banknote in her hand.

She didn't ask for money explicitly, but her actions and words just now were very clear.

Qiao Wangnan understood what she meant, "Yes, yes, it's time to buy an electric blanket."

He opened his wallet again, but since he had no change, he pulled out a blue hundred-yuan bill and said, "Let's buy two, one for you and one for Jiaxin. Is one hundred enough?"

one hundred?

It’s still too little.

Since you want to pursue filial piety, just carry it through to the end.

Taking the 100 yuan he handed over, Liu Shuqin nodded in relief and continued, "That's enough, that's enough. An electric blanket isn't as expensive as a washing machine. It won't cost 100 yuan."

"After I buy an electric blanket, I'll take advantage of the sun these two days to wash the mattress. It will be handy for New Year's Eve. Otherwise, I'll freeze my fingers off washing clothes in the middle of winter."

washing machine?

Yang Li heard the hidden meaning in Liu Shuqin's words.

But the couple had just made a promise that anyone could just ask for help if they needed anything, so they couldn't go back on their word right then and there, especially in front of outsiders.

"You're too old to wash clothes by hand anymore. Wangnan and I actually wanted to buy you a washing machine," Yang Li glanced at the empty room and changed the subject, "but you don't even have a proper socket in this room. You won't be able to use it even if you buy it."

"Yes, yes."

As she spoke, Liu Shuqin dug out a new power strip from the bag of things she had bought today. "I bought one specifically for today. Not only can it connect to a washing machine, but it can also connect to a TV and a DVD player."

Qiao Wangnan:???

Why are we talking about TV and DVD again?

Seeing the astonishment on Qiao Wangnan's face, Liu Shuqin immediately suppressed the emotion in her eyes and retreated to advance. "No need to buy it, no need to buy it. I just said it casually."

As she rewound the power strip's wires, Liu Shuqin's back couldn't help but bend, and her expression became more haggard.

"I bought this for someone. I feel embarrassed to go to someone's house to watch TV so often, so I have to buy something for them. I can't afford expensive things, so I can only buy an extension cord as a token of my appreciation."

As she spoke, Liu Shuqin reached out and stroked her granddaughter's hair. "Jiaxin is very sensible. Every time she washes clothes, she helps boil water and rubs them with her hands. She washes them cleaner than a washing machine."

"Third brother, do you remember? When we were little, we always washed our hands like this in the winter. But your father's hands were too thin, so even if we washed with hot water, we would always get frostbite in the winter."

When their eyes met, Qiao Jiaxin was completely impressed by her grandmother's acting skills.

After all, he is an "old actor" with decades of life experience, and his acting skills are much better than Qiao Wangnan's.

Playing the victim?

Grandma can do it too.

In the past, Qiao Wangnan would always go home and play the victim, saying how difficult his life was, how much pressure he was under, and that in order to keep the company going, he had to rely on sleeping pills prescribed by the hospital to sleep.

He is always like Liu Shuqin today, never mentioning money but wanting money in every sentence.

Why did he even need to ask? If he just called them "Mom and Dad" a few more times, Qiao Wensheng and Liu Shuqin would relent and give him the money.

Today, Liu Shuqin was just using his own method to retaliate against him. She only asked for a few hundred yuan more, but he couldn't stand it anymore.

To get him to pay, Qiao Jiaxin echoed Liu Shuqin's words and said, "Don't worry, Grandma. I heard on the radio a few days ago that in winter, if you apply cold cream to your hands after they touch cold water, you won't get frostbite."

"Let's buy a few more boxes. If it doesn't work, rub it with ginger, and that can cure frostbite."

How could Chen Bing have the tacit understanding that the two of them, the grandfather and the granddaughter, had?

I was completely deceived by their slightly hoarse voices. When my emotions were carried away, my nose couldn't help but feel sore when I thought about the two of them having to suffer from the cold and wash clothes with freezing water.

She completely forgot that Liu Shuqin is now one of the richest women in the village. With millions of dollars in compensation, it is absolutely impossible for her to let herself and her granddaughter live such a hard life.

He glanced at Qiao Wangnan and Yang Li with a look as sharp as a knife, as if he wanted to chop them into pieces.

"I must buy a washing machine."

Qiao Wangnan didn't dare hesitate and quickly took out most of the remaining money in his wallet and gave it to her, which added up to almost a thousand yuan. "It's so cold, how can I really let you wash clothes by hand?"

Qiao Wangnan seemed to be giving generously on the surface, but in fact, his heart was bleeding with pain.

Watching him give the money out, Yang Li gasped and almost fainted from the pain.

This money is their "face"...

Qiao Wangnan is very concerned about his reputation. If there is 10,000 yuan at home, he will definitely carry 5,000 yuan with him.

In this way, when he "accidentally" reveals a thick stack of money in his wallet, people will think that he is financially strong and look up to him.

In fact, he is just a paper tiger, and one thousand yuan is enough for him to squander for most of half a year.

More than a thousand yuan.

If it were in the past, if her son could be so filial to her, Liu Shuqin would definitely feel that death was worth it!

But at this moment, not only did she not feel the slightest bit of satisfaction, she was also eyeing the last few bills left in her wallet.

greedy?

This is just the beginning.

Isn't that what they do to themselves? They won't let go until they've squeezed every last drop of value out of them.

Liu Shuqin didn't rush to accept the money from Qiao Wangnan. Instead, she gave it to Chen Bing who was standing beside her. "Old Chen, you know a lot of people. Please ask for me tomorrow if there's anyone selling a used washing machine."

"second hand?"

Chen Bing and Qiao Wangnan said in unison.

Liu Shuqin said calmly, "A used washing machine is cheap, so I can buy a used TV with the remaining money."

Qiao Wangnan: ...

As soon as Liu Shuqin said this, Qiao Wangnan's face turned pale.

He's not just bleeding money today; his wallet is literally drained.

Liu Shuqin had said so much, so Qiao Wangnan had no choice but to take out all the remaining hundreds of dollars in his wallet and said, "Don't buy a second-hand one, buy a new one."

Even though his heart ached terribly, he still managed a smile with great difficulty, but this smile was uglier than crying.

Qiao Wangnan gave so much money at once, and Yang Li next to him completely lost control of her expression. She couldn't turn her face away in front of him, so she could only turn her head away.

Seeing that his wallet was completely empty, Liu Shuqin smiled with satisfaction: "Third brother is still filial. Among all the brothers, you are the most promising!"

This money is not given for free.

Although what he got now was just a compliment from Liu Shuqin, it would soon turn into money and a house.

As long as you think this way, the little money you pay now is nothing.

Cast a long line to catch a big fish.

Seeing that Liu Shuqin was not deceived by her son, but even got a lot of money from Qiao Wangnan, Chen Bing was satisfied and prepared to leave: "It's getting late, why don't you eat first? I'm going home too."

Liu Shuqin: "Yes, then go slower."

Qiao Wangnan: "Let me see you off, uncle."

After following behind to see Chen Bing off, Liu Shuqin's eyes fell on the couple again, "You two haven't eaten yet, right?"

"Yeah." Qiao Wangnan nodded.

After being exposed to the cold wind in the village for an entire afternoon, Qiao Wangnan was already hungry.

Just like an empty wallet, it urgently needs to be filled with delicious food.

Liu Shuqin picked up his coat that was draped over the back of the chair and said, "It's still early, so why don't you go back and have dinner?"

Qiao Wangnan:???

Yang Li: ???

Liu Shuqin had no intention of inviting them to dinner.

They bought a lot of things today, but they were all for their own consumption, with nothing left over.

Qiao Wangnan was stunned for a long time, as if something was blocking his throat.

"Jiaxin and I ate too much this afternoon. We're always hungry, so it's not worth cooking another meal." Liu Shuqin said to herself, as if she didn't understand the surprise on his face, "If you don't mind the trouble, you can cook something for yourself here."

Qiao Wangnan: ...

The mother who raised me for decades seemed to have changed.

She never wanted to go hungry, and she would always prepare hot meals and dishes in advance every time she returned home.

What happened today?

I gave her over 2,000 yuan to buy her some appliances, but she couldn't even afford to cook me a hot meal?!

——

Liu Shuqin did not use the money Qiao Wangnan gave her to buy furniture.

Because just as we worried at the beginning, the wires pulled from outside are easy to burn and cannot power so many electrical appliances.

But she didn't save it, instead she spent it all quickly.

The weather is getting colder day by day, and we can't use electric heaters in the house, so I bought a few warm down jackets and replaced my bedding with a new set of pure cotton ones.

Liu Shuqin, who used to be reluctant to spend money, is now very generous to herself.

There is meat and fish for every meal. Even though he is still living in an old house waiting to be demolished, his quality of life is not bad at all. He spent all the thousand yuan in less than a month.

Qiao Wangnan couldn't change his stingy nature. Even though he had given away all the money, he would call Liu Shuqin every now and then to ask about the whereabouts of his money.

After all, I spent a lot of money, so I have to let her feel my filial piety, right?

"Mom knows that among all of you brothers, you are the most filial. Sigh..."

Liu Shuqin sighed deeply on the phone, and her tone sounded sad, but in fact she was holding the phone while picking out the electric hot water bottles that Wu Juhua had just bought.

The electric hot water bag is about the size of a palm. Unlike a normal hot water bag, the electric hot water bag is rechargeable and can keep warm for a longer time.

Moreover, the rubber material is covered with a layer of velvet to prevent burns.

She wanted to pick one for Qiao Jiaxin to warm her hands on the way to school.

The hot water bottle I usually fill gets cold halfway through the walk, so it’s better to buy a higher-end one.

"Why are you sighing?"

Qiao Wangnan, who had just heard the compliment, was already feeling soft-hearted. Liu Shuqin's sigh, as expected, aroused his "filial piety" again. He quickly asked, "Did something happen?"

"It's not me, it's Jiaxin." Liu Shuqin said calmly, "It's almost Chinese New Year, and their school organized a study tour. They said they were going to Henan University in our city to experience college life for two days."

Liu Shuqin had only said half of her words when Qiao Wangnan's right eyelid started twitching non-stop, and the wallet in his pocket also began to hurt.

"The activity fee isn't much, just around twenty yuan. I don't have much money in my pocket right now..."

Hearing that it was only twenty yuan, Qiao Wangnan secretly breathed a sigh of relief: "Don't worry, I'll pay for it for her."

Compared with the more than 2,000 yuan he had to pay last time, this amount of money was nothing, so he agreed readily.

But he didn't expect that Liu Shuqin had another half sentence to say.

"After the Chinese New Year, Jiaxin's tuition for the second half of the semester should be paid."

Qiao Wangnan: ...

It’s too early to agree.

Now that we have started, we can't regret it now.

Qiao Wangnan knew clearly that the person Liu Shuqin loved most was this granddaughter whom she had raised since childhood.

If you want to please the old lady, you can't forget your niece.

So even if he was extremely unwilling, he had to pay the money.

Qiao Wangnan: "Well...how about this, I'll have someone send it to you tomorrow. It's almost Chinese New Year and the company is very busy. I'll come see you in a few days."

He doesn't dare come again. What if he finds another excuse to ask for money?

His wallet really couldn't afford it anymore.

Liu Shuqin said "hmm".

Not only Qiao Wangnan, Liu Shuqin also didn't want to see him, so as to avoid having to pretend to feel sorry for his filial piety.

After hanging up the phone, Liu Shuqin asked Wu Juhua to get a few more batteries.

"Aunt, you are still very filial now. You give me money whenever I ask for it."

Liu Shuqin curled her lips and said, "It's all because of the demolished houses in our village."

She knew very well that without the demolition compensation and resettlement housing, her sons would never think of her as their mother.

Otherwise, how could they not contact me for several months? I haven't even visited them once.

She was not stupid. Since she knew her son's purpose, she would of course take advantage of this opportunity to get some back.

What she wants is not filial piety, but money.

"Do you really want to give it to me?" Wu Juhua asked again.

Liu Shuqin didn't say anything. After putting all the things she bought into plastic bags, she just snorted coldly.

Dream on!

When I got home, Qiao Jiaxin was concentrating on studying.

Gently placing the newly bought electric hot water bottle on the table, Liu Shuqin said, "Your uncle just said he would pay for it. When you go to school tomorrow, remember to tell the teacher that you will also participate in this week's study tour."

"Ah? I don't want to go." Qiao Jiaxin refused. "What's the point of visiting universities? I might as well do a few more questions at home."

"But we can't study every day, we still have to play when we need to."

Liu Shuqin pulled another twenty yuan out of her pocket and gave it to her. "We didn't have the means before, but now that things are better, we have to make up for what we lacked before."

Is there anyone in this world who doesn’t want to play?

What's more, now that she no longer has the burden on her shoulders, Qiao Jiaxin doesn't need to put so much pressure on herself.

It’s not that she doesn’t want to go out and play, she just feels embarrassed.

After all, the money and the house belong to Liu Shuqin. Her grandparents have supported her for more than ten years, and she feels embarrassed to spend too much of their money.

How does that sentence go?

Giving is a favor, not giving is your duty.

You can't just continue to ask for more just because grandma gave it to you voluntarily.

One should not be too greedy, even if one is rich.

"Take it." Seeing that Qiao Jiaxin didn't say anything, Liu Shuqin urged again.

Qiao Jiaxin: "I really don't want to go. It's only two days and it costs twenty yuan. It's not worth it."

Liu Shuqin said puzzledly: "Isn't it enough to have fun and broaden your horizons? So what if it's not worth it?"

Qiao Jiaxin didn't say anything, but just silently pushed the money back.

Liu Shuqin vaguely sensed that something was wrong.

Logically speaking, they should be happy that they have money and are qualified to spend it lavishly.

But Qiao Jiaxin only started to feel more relaxed during that month. Since the New Year's Day, she stopped spending money lavishly. When buying things, she still subconsciously wanted to buy cheap things like before. Only after reminding herself several times would she choose something slightly more expensive with a good value for money.

Pulling a chair over and sitting down, Liu Shuqin said to her seriously, "What's wrong? Is there something on your mind?"

Qiao Jiaxin's pen hovered over the notebook for a long time. After a long while, she embarrassedly explained the reason, "The house and money are yours. I... am embarrassed to spend them."

"There's nothing embarrassing about this."

She thought something big had happened, but after hearing what she said, Liu Shuqin immediately put her worries to rest.

"What's yours or mine? This is all ours." Turning her around, Liu Shuqin said earnestly, "Originally, this old house was named after your grandfather and me, but your mother and father helped build it. They paid for the bricks and cement. Now that they're gone, isn't it left to you?"

If we talk about embarrassment, Liu Shuqin is the one who should be most embarrassed.

If she hadn't thought of them as a family and her sons as taking care of them in the future, she wouldn't have given her daughter and son-in-law the pension, causing her to live such a hard life for so many years.

Even though the house was in her name, she knew in her heart that it was her granddaughter's property and she was just looking after it on her behalf. All she really owned were those few acres of land.

So there is no such thing as yours or mine. Since they are a family now, everything belongs to them.

Pushing the money in front of her again, Liu Shuqin continued, "Just spend it with confidence, including the money your uncle gave you. Don't be embarrassed. They owe you this money, and it's what they should give you."

In the past, Liu Shuqin was too concerned. She worried that this son would not live well and that that son would suffer. As a result, she ended up returning to the village.

So from then on, she came to her senses and decided to take what she should take, and no longer thought about the fact that they were her sons.

Not only herself, she also had to make Qiao Jiaxin stand up straight and stride forward to live a good life in the future. She must not live in timidity for decades like herself.

She wants to have that sense of worthiness.

Reaching out and taking the money grandma had placed on the table, Qiao Jiaxin tried to straighten her back: "So... did I really spend it?"

"Spend! Spend as much as you want!"

As she spoke, Liu Shuqin took out another ten yuan and slammed it on the table, "We have it at home, no matter how much you spend!"

*

On the weekend, Qiao Jiaxin participated in a study tour arranged by the school.

There are not many universities in Yu City. Yu University is not only the best in the city, but also one of the best institutions of higher learning in the province.

After half a year of study and taking several mock exams, Qiao Jiaxin had a rough estimate of his level.

The exams in the 1990s were not easier than she had imagined. The knowledge points were all the same. Even if she studied hard during this period, there was no guarantee that she would be admitted to Peking University or Tsinghua University, let alone the top ten universities.

But as for Henan University...it should be stable.

Taking advantage of this two-day study tour opportunity, Qiao Jiaxin not only experienced the life of a college student, but also gained a better understanding of Henan University and became more convinced of her choice of this place.

Not only is the teaching level advanced, but the proximity to home is also a major advantage.

On a weekend afternoon, after getting off the bus back to the village, Qiao Jiaxin ran home happily carrying her luggage and two bags of things.

She bought a lot of delicious food from Henan University, all for Liu Shuqin.

There are many delicious foods on the university campus. Qiao Jiaxin specially picked some soft and crispy ones to bring back, thinking that her grandma will like them.

"Grandma~!"

After staying in the village for a long time, Qiao Jiaxin has become accustomed to calling people without knocking on the door.

The door to the yard was ajar, and a mechanical "hissing" sound came from inside.

When she opened the door, there were a lot of flying sawdust in the yard. Qiao Jiaxin didn't see her grandmother, but the man was polishing the wood on the table with the machine in his hand.

Qiao Jiaxin's smile froze on her face, her eyes filled with surprise: "Second uncle? Why are you here?"