Ye Linchen nodded when he heard Meng Xueyun ask this question.
“My dad said he didn’t have money for my schooling, so my classmates and I collected and sold recyclables to pay for my tuition.”
After Ye Linchen graduated from junior high school and was admitted to high school, Ye Zhenghua did not want her to continue her studies. Using the excuse of tight family finances, he reduced the 50 yuan he used to send back to his hometown every month to 20 yuan.
This 20 yuan only includes the support fee for Grandma Ye and the living expenses for Ye Linchen.
Ye Linchen's uncle and aunt were not willing to suffer any loss, and immediately refused to let Ye Linchen go to high school unless she paid the tuition herself.
It just so happens that Ye Linchen's classmate, Wang Xiumei, is an orphan who relies on collecting and selling recyclables to earn money for her studies and livelihood.
Ye Linchen then joined her in picking them up.
In addition, the two also agreed to go to the countryside to collect cicada shells, mushrooms, wood ear fungus and other mountain products to sell to the purchasing station and earn some money from the price difference.
After a hard-earned holiday, I not only earned enough for my tuition but also had some left over.
For two and a half years of high school, the two of them worked together to collect recyclables and resell mountain products. They didn't cost Uncle Ye a penny for their studies and even occasionally contributed money to help support the family. That's why Uncle Ye didn't stop her from continuing her studies.
Is Meng Xueyun asking this question now because she wants money from her?
In his previous life, Meng Xueyun only came to ask for money the day after Ye Linchen returned. In this life, she is so impatient that she has come now.
Ye Linchen actually does have money.
Five hundred and sixty yuan.
Five hundred-yuan bills, one fifty-yuan bill, and one ten-yuan bill.
Brand new, still smelling of ink, all changed by Wang Xiumei.
In those days, this was no small sum of money; it was equivalent to two or three months' wages for an average steelworker.
When Ye Linchen left the countryside, Wang Xiumei reminded her to keep her money safe and not to give it away easily.
"Everything else is fake, only money is real."
These were her heartfelt words.
In his previous life, Ye Linchen made a promise but did not keep it.
After returning home, Meng Xueyun told her about her family's difficulties and hoped that she could give her some money to help her family get through the crisis.
Without saying a word, Ye Linchen quickly took out all the money.
These are her family members, her closest relatives. If she can't trust them, who can she trust?
As long as my parents are happy and my siblings are pleased, I'm willing to do anything for them.
Unfortunately, Meng Xueyun didn't remember her kindness at all after receiving the money.
When Ye Linchen did things that didn't suit her, she would bring up the money.
He kept saying things like, "Don't think you're something special just because you put out some money. Don't expect your whole family to have to put up with your attitude. Let me tell you, that's not how it works!"
"Your dad raised you, what's wrong with you contributing some money? It's only right that you do!"
"Your little bit of money isn't even enough for Xiaohan to buy study materials, and you have the nerve to mention it in front of me?"
In this life, Ye Linchen will never be a sucker again and will never take out his money again.
Meng Xueyun breathed a sigh of relief when Ye Linchen admitted that he was making money.
A warm smile appeared on his face, and his tone became especially kind.
Anyone who didn't know better would think she was talking to Meng Zihan.
“Xiao Chen, you know our family situation. I have to take care of the family and can't work. We rely entirely on your father to earn money to support the family. As you and your siblings grow up, our expenses are increasing, and this money is not enough. You are the eldest sister, and you are already eighteen years old. In a foreign country, you will have to move out and support yourself. Your parents don't care about anything. We can't be so heartless, but you are still a member of this family. We hope you can take out some money to help the family and ease the burden on your father.”
Ye Linchen sneered inwardly.
Does eating a meal make you an outsider, but contributing money make you a member of the family?
However, she did not argue with Meng Xueyun.
What's the point of winning the argument?
The most important thing now is to get her to show her household registration to complete the transfer procedures; whatever else she says is fine.
Ye Linchen showed no sign of it on his face and patiently explained to her.
“We all take advantage of holidays to make money. I came out during the holiday this year, but I haven’t had a chance to make any money yet.”
She put down the comb, picked up her backpack, and took out two one-yuan bills and several two-mao and five-mao bills from the innermost small bag.
Ye Linchen counted the money and handed it to Meng Xueyun: "This is all I had after buying the train tickets last semester, three yuan and eighty cents."
Meng Xueyun didn't believe it and stared straight into her eyes.
"Don't lie to me. Your aunt told me that you earned quite a bit over the holiday. How could this be all you got?"
Ye Linchen simply turned his clothes bag inside out to show her, and then stood up and turned out both bags in his pants.
There was nothing there except a pack of toilet paper.
"Look, where's the money?"
She handed the backpack to Meng Xueyun: "If you don't believe me, search for it yourself."
Meng Xueyun refused to accept it.
She just turned it over, and apart from those three dollars, she didn't see any other money.
“It’s definitely more than that. Your aunt said you can earn over a thousand yuan during a holiday! Don’t try to fool me, thinking about saving money at such a young age.”
“How could it be over a thousand!” Ye Linchen said seriously. “At the beginning, we could earn money, and after paying tuition, we would still have some left. Later, when our classmates saw that we could earn money, they followed suit and started picking up trash, so we couldn’t earn that much anymore. If it weren’t for my grandma’s help, we would have spent all the money we earned long ago.”
Meng Xueyun still couldn't quite believe it; this brat had changed and was no longer as obedient as before.
They have a whole repertoire of skills in lying and deceiving people.
But Ye Linchen searched his entire body and found he had no money.
There wasn't even a five-yuan note, let alone ten or a hundred yuan. She had no choice but to believe it.
Ye Linchen was still holding up the three yuan and eighty cents, handing it to her.
"Take it, I won't keep a single penny."
Meng Xueyun glanced at it, but was too embarrassed to take it.
She felt a surge of irritation.
During the winter break, Meng Zihan needed to attend tutoring classes and had to pay tutoring fees. She originally thought she could get the money from Ye Linchen, but it turned out to be a false alarm.
She glanced at Ye Linchen's swollen face, and remembering the looks and words her neighbors had given her downstairs, her anger flared up again.
That brat, what use is she anyway?
They can't help with anything at home and even embarrass themselves; what are they if not enemies?
She had no more patience for playing the loving mother and said impatiently, "What good is this little bit of money? Alright, alright, go to sleep."
After saying that, he got up and walked outside.
As he walked, he pondered whether he should stop making her study.
Talk to Ye Zhenghua and find her a job right away, preferably one where she can get paid next month!
Back in her room, she slammed the door shut and plopped down on the edge of the bed.
"She only had three yuan and eight fen on her entire body."
Ye Zhenghua was looking at documents at his desk when he heard her say this. He looked up and asked, "Did she say that?"
"That's right, they turned my bag inside out and showed it to me, and even said they could search me if I didn't believe them."
"Then there's probably only that much."
Meng Xueyun, however, did not believe it.
“I always felt like she was playing tricks on me. My sister-in-law made it very clear that she still had at least a few hundred yuan on her, maybe even more than a thousand!”
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