Chapter 8 She doesn't take our Tong family name.
After Tong Aihua was robbed and went missing, the factory believed that since they had not found her body, they were unsure whether Tong Aihua was dead and were therefore unwilling to pay her compensation.
If Tong Aihua is not dead but has not shown up, then there is suspicion that he has absconded with the money.
If the factory were to issue a compensation payment under such circumstances, wouldn't that be a huge waste of money?
Li Mei had already fainted when she learned that Tong Aihua had been robbed, fallen into the water, and gone missing. Hearing these rumors, she almost collapsed.
She was completely lost and had no idea what to do.
If these comments are ignored, let alone compensation, the four women, mother and daughters, will be torn to pieces by the factory workers!
This money is the factory's lifeline.
Li Mei's family is unreliable, and they had a falling out over work issues long ago. They only bother with her when she needs money.
When the Tong family first learned of the incident, they were very proactive, running around and devising various ways to get money from the factory.
Upon hearing such remarks, they all immediately ran away, leaving Li Mei and her children to face the situation.
When Li Mei was desperate, she immediately thought of Su Ying and called her to explain the situation.
Su Ying immediately gave Li Mei advice and taught her what to do.
Knowing that Li Mei was indecisive and unable to handle these situations, she called the Zhang family patriarch, Zhang Guohui, the male protagonist's grandfather, and asked for his help.
When Zhang Guohui was sent down to Su Ruyi's village, Su Ying neither gave him special treatment nor deliberately made things difficult for him; she handled everything according to the rules.
One year, when Su Ruyi was still a little girl, she accidentally went to play near the cowshed and found Zhang Guohui, who was in a coma with a high fever. She then went home and told Su Ying.
Su Ying rescued Zhang Guohui. Because it was a special time, Su Ying was also taking a risk, and Zhang Guohui was very grateful.
Because of this opportunity, they started seeing each other. Since it was inconvenient for Su Ying to show up, Su Ruyi would run over to play with her little legs.
Zhang Guohui liked Su Ruyi very much and once jokingly said that he wanted Su Ying to marry his grandson so that they would be a family.
When Zhang Guohui was exonerated and left, he left Su Ruyi a fountain pen and mentioned the incident again, saying it was a keepsake.
Su Ruyi's memories of this part are somewhat hazy; she only remembers a very kind grandfather.
Su Ying told her that when Zhang Guohui first arrived, he was very depressed and never said a word, just kept working. "You have such a talkative mouth, you managed to get people talking."
Another reason why I took care of Zhang Guohui was that Zhang Guohui and Tong Aihua were from the same hometown, and I always felt a sense of kinship with them.
After Zhang Guohui was exonerated, he returned to Qing Province, which is why Su Ying called him to ask for his help in ensuring fairness.
Su Ying knew her ex-husband well; if he were still alive and of sound mind, he would never have absconded with the money.
Even if she misjudged him, there needs to be solid evidence, not just wishful thinking. This not only damages Tong Aihua's reputation but also his family.
Old Master Zhang's connections were undeniable, and he quickly resolved the matter.
This whole thing is baseless; it's just bullying a widow and her orphan. If they stay this way, they'll definitely lose any chance of getting compensation or other benefits.
The furniture factory has now so readily paid out the compensation, and all those rumors seem to have never existed, all thanks to Old Master Zhang's intervention.
Otherwise, if Tong Aihua's rumors are confirmed, it will implicate Su Ruyi in the future.
If she wants to enter the system, with a father who can abscond with public funds, she won't even pass the political review.
Grandpa Zhang has been such a great help, so Su Ruyi has every right and reason to visit him and thank him for his assistance when she comes to Qing Province.
This means that Su Ruyi's encounter with the male lead is unavoidable.
However, as long as Su Ruyi didn't pester the male lead, none of this would have happened.
The arranged marriage was just a joke, and Grandpa Zhang had more than one grandson, so there was no agreement about which grandson the child would marry.
If she doesn't like him, Grandpa Zhang won't force her to marry the male lead; that would be more of a feud than a marriage alliance.
With this in mind, Su Ruyi temporarily put the matter out of her mind and focused on figuring out what she could do to make money.
She has two thousand yuan in her hand now. This is all the money her father sent her over the years, which her mother has kept without touching a single penny. However, because prices were different back then, and Tong Aihua's salary was lower in the past, the amount she received was also less, so she has only saved two thousand yuan in ten years.
This is all the savings the family has.
Although Ms. Su Ying is capable, she not only earns a salary but also keeps up with the work in the fields. She also raises chickens, ducks, fish, and pigs, and grows a lot of fruit. She also receives awards and bonuses from time to time for acts of bravery and other reasons. Her annual income is quite good, making her one of the wealthier households in the village.
But her family was also big spenders. Su Ruyi had never gone hungry since she was a child and could eat meat almost every day. A few years ago, this would have been considered a decent family in the city.
Judging from the sleeper ticket that Ms. Su Ying bought for her when she came to Qing Province this time, you can tell what kind of person she is.
These days, sleeper berths are a luxury; ordinary people can't afford to spend the money to ride in one.
Ms. Su Ying arranged a sleeper berth for Su Ruyi without a second thought, showing no reluctance whatsoever. Although she herself was very hardworking, she never expected her daughter to be like her.
So, despite her competence, Ms. Su Ying was unable to save any money.
These two thousand yuan are Su Ruyi's trump card, and she must use them with caution.
Don't say there are many opportunities now; even a pig can fly if it's in the right place at the right time. In fact, many people are stuck at home.
For example, Yu Huaying, a notorious human trafficker, discovered that selling children was a lucrative business when she and her lover failed in various business ventures during that era and she sold her own child. This led her down a path of crime.
If you lose those two thousand yuan, it won't be so easy to raise that much money again.
While Su Ruyi was figuring out how to make money, the Tong family kept scolding her. The family, who usually went to bed early, were unusually excited because of her late-night behavior.
"You guys have no idea, Guangyao and I almost didn't make it back! That wretched girl, that dead pig from the mountains, I've never seen such a despicable person..."
Zhang Cuihua kept repeating her insults, cursing Su Ruyi inside and out.
After berating her for a while, he didn't forget to bring up Li Mei, believing that it was all Li Mei's doing. "She did it on purpose! I told you she was cunning back then, and now look, she's the most vicious one! If it weren't for her, Aihua wouldn't be gone. It was all her doing to sow discord and cause Aihua to drift away from us!"
Old Man Tong tapped the table with his pipe: "Alright, stop making a racket so late at night."
Zhang Cuihua snorted and shut her mouth, but she kept muttering to herself from time to time.
The eldest son in the family, Tong Aiguo, frowned: "This is so ill-mannered. How could he lay a hand on his grandmother and brother? He must be taught a lesson."
Tong Aiguo's wife, Wu Jinfeng, rolled her eyes and said, "I've long heard that the second son's ex-wife is no good, and that her daughter is a wild and unruly girl. No wonder Li Mei tries to please her; she's not afraid of being bitten back later. With this girl being so unruly, Li Mei definitely won't get away with it."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Cuihua sat up straight: "Won't that girl steal all that money? That brat is so strong and reckless, she's capable of anything."
Li Mei is not capable of handling things, but Zhang Cuihua is confident that she can get the money; she just needs to make a few more fuss.
But if Su Ruyi gets the money and runs away, where will they get the money back?
Everyone present realized this, and their expressions turned somewhat unpleasant.
Tong Aiguo's eldest son, Tong Guangzong, said, "That's perfect. If she can get the money, I'll call a few of my buddies, and we'll have no trouble getting it."
Old Man Tong glanced at him and said, "Don't do anything reckless, that's your cousin."
"I'm not doing anything, I'm just asking her to return our family's money," Tong Guangzong said with a nonchalant smile.
"If you ask me, my family is too kind. If we had asked my brothers to step in earlier, we wouldn't still be in trouble with the money. I would have been at work by now."
Although furniture factories aren't doing so well these days, having a job is always good. At worst, you can just stay on the sidelines and do your own thing; it's never a bad thing.
Wu Jinfeng: "Li Mei is no pushover. She can even force her two daughters, who have absolutely no relation to the second son, into the money. How could that wild girl from the countryside possibly outmaneuver her? She probably won't even get her own share, let alone try to get anything else."
Zhang Cuihua spat fiercely: "Pah! What do you mean by 'her own share'? A little brat like her has the nerve to ask for my son's hard-earned money? Doesn't she fear getting hit by a car when she goes out? The money, the house, and all those things belong to Guangyao! No one has the right to take them!"
Tong Guangzong remained calm upon hearing this, knowing that Tong Guangyao was still young and he wouldn't give him the money anyway.
His grandparents would definitely give him financial support when he got married, and he would also get the job. Therefore, he has always been very proactive in asking for money.
Old Man Tong put the tobacco back into his pipe, lit it, and said, "Let's keep an eye on them for now, and we'll deal with it when they start making a scene."
"So Guangyao and I were just bullied by this girl for nothing? I'm her grandma! If I don't teach her a lesson for treating me like this, she'll trample on our whole family!"
Zhang Cuihua was immediately displeased; she had lost face completely today and had slunk back home.
Old Man Tong's face darkened, his expression turning ugly.
Tong Guangzong: "Grandma, don't worry, I'll keep track of this debt for you. I'll definitely teach that girl a lesson and teach her the importance of respecting the elderly and caring for the young."
Old Man Tong: "No matter what, she's still a member of the Tong family..."
"Dad, you forgot, she doesn't have our Tong family surname," Tong Aiguo reminded him.
Old Man Tong paused, his expression turning even more unpleasant:
“That second son is so unreliable! We have to make her change her surname back. What kind of nonsense is this! When everyone finds out, our family will be laughed at to death.”
Zhang Cuihua rolled her eyes: "What's so special about a brat like her..."
Old Man Tong glared at her fiercely, and Zhang Cuihua immediately fell silent.
A girl may not be important, but this concerns the reputation of the Tong family. If the child takes the girl's surname, it would mean that their family has a son-in-law who lives with the woman's family, which would be too shameful if word got out.
Back in the countryside, nobody knew about us, but things are different now that we've come here.
Old Man Tong added, "Once this is over, let her go home. That would be a way to give her some dignity. We'll forgive and forget and let her return to her ancestral home. That's what she should do."
A note from the author:
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