Chapter 271 (First Update) It might concern something...
Gu Lin was puzzled as to why her cousin-in-law asked that question.
She should know that; nothing has changed over the years.
Hearing that there was no end to the matter, Tong Mingli felt relieved.
Gu Lin probably just wanted to take a couple of days off. Anyone who has worked knows that even the most passionate person will want to rest sometimes.
Tang Mingli, who thought she had figured things out, told Gu Lin to stay there for the night and take Fu Ci's ride back the next day.
Gu Lin's first reaction was to refuse.
"No need to trouble you, it's very convenient for me to take the bus back."
"If there's nothing else, why not stay the night? It's your great-uncle's house, there's no trouble at all. Besides, your great-aunt hasn't seen you in a long time, she'll definitely want to spend more time with you," Mrs. Fu also advised.
That last sentence really touched Gu Lin. Although she was still struggling a bit, she finally nodded.
She really hadn't spent much time with her great-aunt in a long time.
Seeing Gu Lin nod, Fu's mother said happily, "Your great-aunt will be very happy to see you when she comes back from her walk."
That's true. When Madam Fu returned from her walk and saw Gu Lin, she was so happy that she held Gu Lin's hand tightly.
"Have you been very busy lately? You haven't come to visit your aunt in so long."
Gu Lin knew she had done wrong. Even though they lived in the same city, she had only visited him once in the entire last year.
It's not that I don't have time, or that I don't want to come; it's just that I'm not in the mood, and I'm afraid my aunt and uncle will see and worry.
But emotions are something you can't hide from people who care about you.
Before long, Madam Fu noticed that something was wrong with her and asked with concern, "Ah Lin, have you encountered some difficulties?"
Gu Lin still wanted to hide it, so she quickly shook her head: "No, I work in my cousin's factory. I don't have to worry about food, clothing, or housing. What difficulties could I possibly have?"
"Do you think I can't see it?" Old Madam Fu glared at her, displeased. "Don't you even trust your aunt?"
"No, how could that be?" Gu Lin quickly denied. "After Grandma passed away, you became the person in this world who cared about me the most. How could I not believe you?"
"Then tell your aunt what's on your mind?"
"I……"
Meeting the concerned gaze of Old Madam Fu, Gu Lin almost cried as soon as she opened her mouth, unable to utter a word of denial. A voice even began to rise in her mind: since that's the case, why not just tell them what's been troubling her for over a year and hear their opinions?
This hesitant manner of speaking worried not only Madam Fu, but also Tang Mingli.
Could something really have happened?
Two possibilities flashed through Tang Mingli's mind instantly.
Health problems? Relationship troubles?
Tang Mingli preferred the latter.
Nothing is more important than good health in this world.
Madam Fu and Tang Mingli had the same thought on this point.
Gu Lin kept stammering, which made her very worried. She asked anxiously, "Are you feeling unwell? If you are, let's go to the hospital for a thorough check-up. Auntie will pay for it."
"No, no." Seeing that Madam Fu's thoughts had strayed to the topic of health, Gu Lin had no choice but to grit her teeth and say, "Actually, I've been considering whether or not to remarry for the past year."
To be honest, she would never have even considered this before last year.
Although life in the factory was monotonous, it was stable and I could save money.
After working in the factory for several years, she had unknowingly saved up a considerable amount of money.
If she hadn't overheard her colleagues discussing how to save money to buy their own house in Shenzhen that day, she would never have considered remarrying.
What that wife said really hit her hard.
Two people saving money together will definitely save it faster than one person saving money alone.
She later thought about it and wondered if she could guarantee her livelihood for the rest of her life, even though she had saved a considerable amount of money.
It's better not to think about it, because it makes me uneasy.
She knew herself well; unlike her cousin's older sister, she wasn't as capable as her own business owner. She could only honestly sell her labor and earn a stable wage.
My cousin's older cousin owns a clothing store. Although she doesn't earn as much as my cousin, she earns far more than they do working for others. She definitely won't have to worry about money when she gets old. Plus, she has a well-behaved and intelligent daughter, so she'll have children to rely on.
On the other hand, she doesn't know how many years the money she saved while she was still able to work would last, and her son is an ungrateful wretch who can't be relied on at all.
The intense anxiety made her consider remarrying.
Although she blushed with embarrassment, she finally voiced the question that had been tormenting her for over a year.
Upon hearing this, Madam Fu also frowned.
Gu Lin's concerns were not unfounded.
Why have women throughout history gotten married? A major reason is that they couldn't support themselves on their own.
The new society is much better now; women can work, earn money, and support themselves, but not everyone can earn enough money to give themselves a sense of security.
Gu Lin had already stumbled in the matter of marriage, and even if she wanted to remarry, her husband would definitely be filled with fear.
After a long silence, Madam Fu asked Gu Lin, "If you were to remarry, would you prefer your current boyfriend, or would you like to find someone else?"
“I…” Gu Lin hesitated, and finally said the three words 'I don’t know’.
Tang Mingli sighed inwardly.
Not knowing is the same as knowing.
If her current boyfriend could provide her with enough security, why would she say she didn't know?
When a woman hesitates, she has already given her answer; it's just that she's too caught up in it to see the truth.
Seeing her grandmother's worried face, Tang Mingli stepped forward and said something rather rational and objective.
“If you really wanted to marry him, you would have been married a year ago.”
These words hit the nail on the head, and Gu Lin was so saddened that she could only bite her lower lip tightly.
I was too simplistic when I was dating my current partner.
Tang Mingli continued, "I suggest you don't make any decisions in this state. Everyone will get old, but there's really no need to worry about what will happen when you're old decades in advance. What comes before aging might be opportunity, illness, or an accident."
It is unknown how Gu Lin felt after hearing this, but Madam Fu, Fu's mother, and even Fu Cheng'an all nodded repeatedly.
Of course, Tang Mingli also knew that it was somewhat easy for her to say these things without being in the situation herself.
So she readily gave Gu Lin a guarantee: "Don't worry about not being able to support yourself when you get old. I can guarantee you right now that as long as you work for Fu Ci's company for fifteen years, we will give you the same amount of pension the government gives you, so you can get double. If you're even bolder, I'll have Fu Ci take you along if there are any good investment projects in the future."
She could have been more generous and given more, but that's how people are; the sense of security that comes from receiving a lump sum of money at once is completely different from receiving a lump sum every month thereafter.
Fearing that Gu Lin might not understand why it was fifteen years, Tang Mingli explained, "You should also know that you need to pay social security for fifteen years to receive a pension."
"You may have always seen that old people are annoying. But let me tell you, don't be afraid of being annoying when you get old. Old men and women with high pensions and who are generous to their descendants will not be annoying. At that time, your little nephews and nieces, or even the grandchildren of your ungrateful sons, may all want to be around you."
Gu Lin couldn't hold back her tears.
Her cousin's words put her mind at ease.
The problem that had plagued me for over a year turned out to be so simple to my cousin-in-law.
After she calmed down, she was less inclined to remarry.
That night, Gu Lin stayed at the Fu family's house and slept with Old Madam Fu.
Madam Fu stroked her head and whispered comfortingly, "Gu Lin, don't be afraid. Your aunt promised your grandmother that she wouldn't abandon you."
The gentle touch reminded Gu Lin of her grandmother.
When I was little, whenever I felt unwell or was scolded by my parents, my grandma would stroke my head and coax me to sleep like this.
In the blink of an eye, Grandma has been gone from this world for so many years.
Over the years, she has kept her promise to her grandmother: no matter how difficult things get, she must live well.
She had often thought of her grandmother over the years, but never as sad as she felt tonight, at this moment.
Gu Lin, who had cried countless times today, cried again upon hearing these words.
"Auntie, am I really useless?"
Having gone through so much, she thought she had become brave and strong, but it turns out she was still just as vulnerable.
She hated herself countless times, wondering why she couldn't be as strong, brave, and decisive as her cousin's older sister, even though they both married scumbags and got divorced.
"Silly child, what's wrong with you? You're useless now."
"I'm just so useless. My marriage failed, and my son is an ungrateful wretch. I thought I had become stronger after going through so much, but I never expected that someone's unintentional words would completely expose my pretense."
What she found most shameful was that, despite having already stumbled, she hadn't learned her lesson and still wanted to resolve her fear of the future through marriage.
She got married for the first time because she was getting older and worried that no one would want her if she didn't get married soon, so she rushed into marriage without thinking it through, and this is what happened.
However, Madam Fu did not think that this was useless.
She told Gu Lin, "People aren't gods, it's perfectly normal to feel uneasy. Do you think your aunt wouldn't?"
"Your aunt can do that too?" Gu Lin was surprised.
"Of course, my aunt is a human being too, how could she not feel uneasy?"
Gu Lin really didn't expect this.
In her opinion, there was no happier old person in the world than her great-aunt.
The son and daughter-in-law are filial, the grandson is capable, the granddaughter-in-law is perfect, and the great-granddaughter is clever and bright.
They have social status and material conditions that others can't match even in eight lifetimes.
This makes you uneasy?
"Of course I will." Old Madam Fu patted her head again, but she didn't seem to want to go into details. She just said, "It's getting late. Your aunt is old and needs to go to sleep soon."
Hearing this, Gu Lin didn't dare to ask any more questions and quickly said, "I'm sleepy too. We have to get up early tomorrow, so let's go to bed early."
On the other side, Tang Mingli and Fu Ci were still awake.
Tang Mingli was talking to her husband about Gu Lin's situation that day.
Fu Ci was speechless for a long time after hearing this.
After a long silence, he suddenly said, "It seems I need to give the factory workers a proper explanation of social security."
The factory has more than 300 workers, most of whom are over 40 years old.
These workers are often unwilling to purchase social insurance, preferring instead to receive more money each month.
It's not easy to persuade these employees. Moreover, in the early stages of the factory, in order to control costs, it's impossible to provide social insurance for every employee.
But after listening to his wife's words tonight, he suddenly realized that purchasing social security might be very important, as it could determine whether a person can live with dignity in their old age.
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