"Big sister, go transfer the money from the last year's investment to Leiting Haoxuan tomorrow." Before going to sleep, Chen Xihua mentally calculated the current money in the company's books. She still needed to set aside one million to buy land, leaving less than two million. However, two million wasn't a small amount; it would be enough for her to manage for a while.
"Okay, I was just about to ask you when would be a good time to move over?" Chen Chunhua, who had already lain down and was about to go to sleep, turned her head slightly to reply.
In the following days, Chen Xihua took Chen Xiaoliu to Old Man Qin's house to practice calligraphy.
"Chen Xiaowu, your handwriting has improved a lot in terms of basic skills. Next, you can slowly practice your own style, but you can't forget the basics. You still need to practice more." Old Qin knew that this girl had long wanted to write freely, but he had been suppressing her desire to build a solid foundation stroke by stroke.
"Alright, but teacher, when have I ever not written carefully and slowly?" Chen Xihua raised her eyebrows slightly, pretending not to understand.
"You know your own situation." Old Qin lay comfortably on his recliner, his hands tucked under the thick blanket, leisurely watching Chen Xihua and her brother practice calligraphy.
Feeling a little uncomfortable, she reached out and gently touched the wool blanket, which Chen Xiaowu had specially asked someone to buy, saying it was brought back from a city in the north.
I was worried that he would feel cold in the southern winter without a heated kang (a traditional heated bed), and that he wouldn't be used to it, especially since the weather this year was particularly cold.
She's worrying unnecessarily. She's lived in the south for over thirty years and is used to it. But it really is warm. "Chen Xiaowu, a three-courtyard house is enough. You don't need to look for a four- or five-courtyard one; they're hard to find these days."
"Teacher, I know. A house with two or three courtyards is fine, but the owner hasn't decided whether to sell it yet." Chen Xihua looked up, admiring the characters she had just written. Hmm, not bad. A smile appeared on her lips.
Then she shrugged, acknowledging that there was nothing she could do, and she completely agreed with Old Man Qin. At this time, it was indeed difficult to buy a large courtyard house; it was a rare find, and it would cost at least one or two million yuan.
"Fifth sister, is our family going to buy a house in Beijing?" Upon hearing this, Chen Baohua's eyes lit up with joy. Did that mean that after her fifth sister was admitted to university in Beijing, she could also go to study in Beijing?
He wouldn't have to be separated from his fifth sister anymore.
“We haven’t found a suitable place yet, and even if we buy a house, you can’t go there to study unless you get into university there. It’s very difficult to transfer your household registration now.” Chen Xihua interrupted Chen Xiaoliu’s wild thoughts without any gentleness.
"It's not that there's no way," Old Qin said quietly, then looked at Chen Xihua, raising his eyebrows and chin in a pleading manner.
Oh, this old man Qin has this ability, but Chen Xihua doesn't want to make an exception.
"No need to transfer your household registration. It's up to Chen Xiaoliu himself. If he doesn't get into a university there, Xiaoliu, you can stay here in Nan Province." Chen Xihua won't interfere in this matter, especially Chen Xiaoliu's personal development.
Nowadays, she basically follows Xiao Liu's preferences and grows up a bit wildly. He has a lot of hobbies and interests that change from time to time, so she has even less reason to force her thoughts and demands on him.
When he was little, I would tease him and tell him to stand up for his sisters. Now that he's grown up and become more sensible, I don't need Chen Xihua to nag him all the time.
But she would still constantly remind him that her goal was to go to university.
"Oh." Chen Xiaoliu pouted slightly. His fifth sister wouldn't let him take any shortcuts.
Time flew by and it was the 25th of the twelfth lunar month. That evening, news came from Shanghe Village that Old Lady Li had passed away. Upon hearing this, Li Yumei remained calm and showed no particular sadness. However, when she returned home, she did not say a word.
During the meal, Chen Lao Er could still sense something was amiss. It was different from his wife's reaction a few years ago when his mother-in-law passed away. Back then, she had been heartbroken; this time, her reaction seemed unusual.
The Chen sisters also noticed that people at the dinner table became quieter, with almost no one talking or making noise.
When she returned to her room that evening, Li Yumei was still expressionless, sitting quietly on the edge of the bed. After some time, she muttered to herself.
“I’ve known for a long time that she is my biological mother. When I was very young, probably five or six years old, my mother started to let me go out to play in the village without worry.”
One day on my way home, she stopped me, pulled me to the back of the house, and said she was my real mother. At the time, I didn't believe her; I thought she was lying to me. Although my mother was very strict with me, how could she not be my real mother? Back then, I had better food and clothes than other children in the village.
But later, she came to see me several more times, and after I went to the village to play, I gradually heard the gossip that the villagers were talking about, and I became certain that I really was born to her.
For a while, my mother forced me to study and write. I didn't want to learn, so I threw a tantrum. I felt that my mother was very strict and annoying. Moreover, my mother was not like other mothers in the village who would coax their children gently.
If I slacked off even a little, my mother would hit my palms with a ruler. At that time, I even thought that it would be nice if I could go back to my own mother.
I've passed by her house several times and each time I saw her holding Li Dashun, doting on him with a face full of affection, never uttering a single harsh word to him. He was probably two or three years old then, and I thought he was so happy. If I go back, will she treat me the same way?
Later, after she discovered that I was frequently visiting her house, she smugly assumed I would acknowledge her and even affectionately held my hand. She said she loved me very much and couldn't bear to give me to her mother to raise, but her family was too poor, so she had no choice but to give me to an outsider.
Then they started coaxing me, telling me to hide all the delicious food I bought at home and take it to Li Dashun, saying that he was my younger brother. They said that after I got married, I would still need his support as my brother from my maternal family.
I was really happy at the time because other children in the village had many brothers and sisters, and if they were bullied, their older brothers and sisters would stand up for them, while I was always all alone.
When I was ten years old, one night, quite late, I secretly went to her house again.
At the intersection, I heard her beating and scolding her two eldest daughters, saying they were a waste of money, born only to take care of their younger brother. She also called me a worthless girl, saying that if it weren't for my mother Zhang Shuyun's wealth, she wouldn't have pretended to be warm and ingratiating towards me.
At the time, she even plotted that after her mother passed away, she would trick me into giving all the money from that family to Li Dashun.
Perhaps ever since her father, Li Lao Er, passed away, she has believed that all of her mother's money should belong to her family.
When I heard this, my body trembled. I was heartbroken and ran home crying. My mother saw that my eyes were red from crying and seemed to know what had happened, but she still didn't try to comfort me.
After that, I never went to her house again.
A few days later, as I was walking home, she suddenly rushed out, grabbed my ear, pinched my hand hard, and questioned me about why I hadn't given food to Li Dashun, while constantly calling me an ingrate.
Later, as I grew up, when I married you, I thought that when I had children and became a mother, I would be a hundred times better than her.
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