"Mother, is that really what you think? Isn't it because you're afraid of troubling me that you're not going?" Su Yan asked again, her bright eyes fixed on Li Juan with a serious expression.

Li Juan slapped her shoulder irritably and scolded, "Why would your mother lie to you? I know you're worried about us and afraid that the Su family will cause trouble, but have you forgotten my temper? If they dare to come again, I'll chop them up!"

Su Yan smiled faintly but remained silent upon hearing this, though her heart was heavy.

Her mother was indeed shrewish, but she was just an uneducated and naive rural woman. She didn't care much about the other members of the Su family, but if she were to face that old fox, Old Master Su, her mother would only be left to be devoured.

"Then I'll let you do as you please, but if anything happens after I leave, you have to send me a telegram immediately. Don't hide anything, understand?"

"I know," Li Juan said with a smile. "You're clearly my daughter, but you've reversed our roles as mother and daughter."

"I don't care, you have to take my words to heart, or I'll get angry with you."

Su Yan clung to Li Juan's arm and acted coquettishly, thinking about how to prevent the Su family from causing trouble in the future. Otherwise, their occasional appearances were really affecting her mood.

For dinner, we had stir-fried beef with celery, pork meatball and winter melon soup, and water spinach with garlic.

Grandpa Li ate a bite of beef and a sip of wine, his face glowing with happiness, and said, "Life is so good now."

Since their daughter brought her grandson back, their family's standard of living has improved day by day.

Grandma Li glared at her husband and said, "What's wrong? After eating delicacies for two days, you don't want to eat coarse food anymore? You old man, the older you get, the more shameless you become."

What if saying such things makes Juanzi and her granddaughter overthink things?

Li Juan was a beat slow to react, but Su Yan laughed and said, "Grandma, if Grandpa likes to eat, let him eat to his heart's content. What's a little bit of meat? When there's a chance, I'll take you and Grandpa to eat a full seafood feast."

It wasn't that she was exaggerating; it was just that in the 1980s, as long as you were willing to swallow your pride and do business, you were basically guaranteed to make a profit. Her rich second-generation friends from her previous life would get together and brag all day about their fathers' glorious deeds in the 1970s and 80s, making money as easy as picking it up off the street. Anyway, Su Yan felt that it was indeed very easy to make money here.

Of course, she doesn't deny that she has the advantage of having traveled back in time with her memories intact.

Grandma Li looked at her granddaughter with loving eyes, "Alright, Grandma and Grandpa will be waiting for Ayan's filial piety."

Su Yan responded, then remembered something and asked, "By the way, Grandpa, do you know any builders?"

Grandpa Li looked up when he heard this, "What's wrong?"

"I plan to tear down the bamboo wall and replace it with a brick wall to enclose our house. I'll also replace the door with a big iron gate and expand the kitchen by half. This way, it will be safer and we won't have to cook in such a small space anymore."

Upon hearing this, Grandpa Li dropped his chopsticks. Coming to his senses, he quickly said, "No, no, this will cost a lot of money. Even if we have to demolish and rebuild, I won't let you pay for it. Otherwise, people outside will think that I, the grandfather, am exploiting my granddaughter."

Grandma Li: "Yes, Ayan, we appreciate your kindness. You are a smart child. Save your money carefully, because you will go to university in the future, and university expenses will be quite high."

“Grandpa and Grandma, you’re being too formal. If you consider me family, I should pay for the wall to be built. Also, I’m going to buy a house in town soon, and I want to bring you all to live with me.”

Before the two elderly people could speak, Su Yan continued to steer the conversation toward Hu Zi, saying, "Even if you don't consider yourselves, you have to plan for Hu Zi's future. Going to town will not only allow him to receive a better education, but also broaden his horizons."

"My uncle is gone, and Tiger has no siblings. As his cousin, I'm practically like a sister to him, and I'll definitely help him if I can. Besides, if he doesn't go to school, what will Tiger do when he grows up? Are we really going to let him stay in the fields and toil for a living? But my uncle only left behind this one child; he must want Tiger to receive the best education from heaven. Grandma, do you think what Ayan said makes sense?"

Grandma Li and Grandpa Li were speechless. Their firm refusal began to waver after hearing these words.

How could they bear to let their grandson end up like them, never able to leave these mountains for the rest of his life?

But they are getting old, and their health is declining year by year. How many more years can they live? By then, Tiger will still be a child. How will they manage?

Now that Su Yan is willing to help, even though they don't want to trouble their granddaughter, they think of young Hu Zi...

Tiger nestled in Grandma Li's arms, sucking on a slice of meat with relish. His expression was innocent and naive. He was very thin and small; anyone who didn't know him would think he was only a few months old. He was clearly malnourished, and it was heartbreaking to see him like that.

Su Yan touched his face tenderly and said softly, "Grandpa and Grandma, you don't need to answer me right away. You can tell me when you've thought it through. You are my family, and what I say to my family always counts."

Li Juan wiped away her tears, moved. Her daughter was truly doing what was best for the family. She didn't seem to mind the heavy burden.

After dinner, Li Juan played with Hu Zi and Su Lei in the yard while Grandpa and Grandma went to take a bath.

Su Yan wrote down the ingredient list for the braised dishes and the prices of various braised dishes on the table.

She bought a calligraphy brush and red paper; the characters written with ink would be more eye-catching when pasted on the stall.

"Mom, when do you plan to send my little brother to school?" she asked as she wrote.

Upon hearing this, Li Juan paused for a moment before realizing that her son was already five years old and hadn't even finished first grade. Moreover, no one had mentioned it when he was at Old Su's house, and later, with so many trivial matters happening at home, she had forgotten about it.

Before she could speak, Su Lei quickly shouted, "Mom, I want to go to school! I want to go to school! Can you take me?"

Although Su Lei is young, his family situation has affected him, making him much more mature than other children his age. He had wanted to go to school for a long time, but while he was at his grandfather's house, his mother and father were always arguing, and the family couldn't even get enough to eat. So he suppressed his desire and quietly helped his sister and mother with the housework. He also knew that apart from his mother, sister, and his older brother who hadn't come back for many years, no one truly liked him, including his father.

Afraid that Li Juan would refuse, Su Lei took two steps forward and hugged his mother's arm, looking up at her with a pitiful expression, "Mom, please let me go to school, okay? I will definitely work hard like my sister to get into university and make you proud!"

Li Juan's eyes and nose stung with tears. She hugged her son tightly and said guiltily, "Xiao Lei, Mom is so sorry."

She almost ruined her son's life; she was such a foolish mother!