Chapter 223 The debt must be paid!
Winter vacation begins.
Xiangdong went to Suzhou and took Pengfei back to Guizhou to celebrate the New Year.
Tuanan officially moved into Huang Ling's home.
Only Zhuang Chaoying, Zhu Xiuyu and Hongbin were left at home.
Whatever the reason, the three of them felt relieved at this moment.
Zhu Xiu Yu worked odd jobs in a small restaurant. She cooked when she was asked to and washed dishes when she was asked to. She was exhausted, but the wages were pitifully low.
Fortunately, Zhuang Chaoying was a simple-minded person and didn't think too much about it or ask too many questions.
After finishing work that day, the boss informed her that she didn't need to come before the New Year and that the shop would reopen after the Lantern Festival. He paid her the salary for the ten days before the New Year plus a New Year's red envelope, totaling eight yuan.
Zhu Xiu Yu was very sad because she didn't even have a big unity card, and she was a little worried about her future life.
When he got home, Hongbin had probably gone out to play with his classmates. Only Zhuang Chaoying was at home, sitting on the bed reading a book. Hongbin's homework was placed on the table beside him, but it had not been corrected.
Zhu Xiuyu frowned.
She heard early in the morning that Hongbin was going to play with his classmates in the afternoon. He said that he would put the homework on Zhuang Chaoying's desk at noon and ask him to correct it. He could revise it when he came back in the evening and ask Zhuang Chaoying if he had any questions.
It now seems that the homework has been on the table for the entire afternoon and Zhuang Chaoying has not touched it.
She felt that she should talk to Zhuang Chaoying.
Whether it was a matter of money or Hongbin's studies, the topic had to start with Tuanan, so Zhu Xiuyu went to the yard to collect the clothes first.
When she came back, she said to Zhuang Chaoying:
"Chaoying, I forgot to bring a set of Tunan's underwear. I didn't put it away because I didn't do anything that day. I only remembered it after he left. Let's ask Hongbin to deliver it to him one day."
"We've already bought a coat worth dozens of dollars, and we're still missing his underwear. Just put it in the closet for now! Don't worry about it." Zhuang Chaoying didn't even raise his head from reading. He felt a little unhappy when he mentioned this matter.
Tuanan was very determined when he proposed to live with Huang Ling, which made Zhuang Chaoying shocked and sad, as if he had been betrayed.
So he didn't listen to a word of Tunan's reasons or the promises he made to him.
However, he did not get angry at Tunan, he knew he couldn't.
If Huang Ling got angry at Tu Nan because of this matter, she would definitely come to his house and slap him in the face.
Moreover, now is the most critical time for Tuanan. In order for him to be admitted to university smoothly, no matter how angry he is, he has to wait until the college entrance examination is over, otherwise, Huang Ling will beat him to death.
Originally, Tuanan said he wanted to come back to spend the New Year with him, but this year Huang Ling's family was planning to go back to Changzhou for the New Year, so Zhuang Chaoying simply agreed to let Tuanan go back to Changzhou with Huang Ling for the New Year.
This was not because he was angry, but for Tunan's own good. He knew very well that celebrating the New Year at the Zhuang family was completely different from celebrating the New Year at the Huang family. He was afraid that Zhuang's father and mother would do something strange, so he made this decision for Tunan's sake.
Huang Ling was of course happy to do so. Tuanan insisted for a while, but seeing his father's firm attitude, he had no choice but to agree.
Zhu Xiuyu sat down at Zhuang Chaoying's feet and replied:
"That's true. If they were in a hurry to wear it, they would have come back and gotten it themselves. Just enough to wear is fine. Also, Chaoying, the Chinese New Year is coming soon. Do you think we should buy some new clothes for the New Year?"
"I don't need one. Go buy one for Hongbin! I can't afford a coat that costs dozens of dollars, but I can still afford a new cotton-padded jacket. Oh, you should buy a new one too! It's for the New Year."
Now he is the director of education, a position of neither high nor low rank, and he does have more interactions than before.
Zhu Xiuyu gathered the quilt at his feet and shook her head:
"Nothing I wear looks good, so I just buy something for my child. In the past, my cotton-padded clothes were made with the same cotton that Hongbin wore that wasn't warm enough..."
"Yes, we used to..." Zhuang Chaoying naturally thought of how Huang Ling used to use the cotton from her children's old cotton-padded jackets to make her own and buy new ones for her children.
But halfway through his speech, Zhuang Chaoying was suddenly startled.
It was normal for Zhu Xiu Yu to do this in the past. As an orphan and a widow with a low salary, it was naturally impossible for her to wear new cotton clothes every year.
But, Huang Ling was like this before!
Zhuang Chaoying couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine. The reason why dual-income families lived like this was simply because his money was used to support his parents and brothers.
"Then let's go shopping together in a couple of days and buy some New Year's goods. Shouldn't parents also buy one each?" Zhu Xiu Yu saw that he was in a daze, so she continued.
"Even after you buy it, they will still find fault and say something bad. Just give the money! Buy whatever you want." Zhuang Chaoying gave the answer immediately.
"That's fine. By the end of this year, all the debts will be paid off, and my parents will feel more relaxed." Zhu Xiu Yu finally suggested.
Zhuang Chaoying was stunned for a moment. He was unwilling to go to give money to Zhuang's mother every month, so Pengfei took over the job.
Every weekend after getting his salary, Pengfei would take the money to visit his grandparents, help with cleaning, cook lunch, and then go home.
Pengfei now hates his grandparents less. Instead, he is grateful to them. Without their rejection, he would not have the life he has now.
Although it was not pleasant every time we went there, we were now able to eat together instead of not being able to drink a sip of water.
Zhuang Chaoying took out his account book and said to Zhu Xiuyu:
"Luckily you reminded me. I have indeed paid it back. It just so happens that the factory hasn't been paying you enough wages these past few months. I'll remind my parents during the New Year."
"Okay, it should be better after the New Year." Zhu Xiu Yu murmured.
"The factory is really something. They didn't even make up for it before the New Year," Zhuang Chaoying said with some dissatisfaction.
Zhu Xiuyu quickly changed the subject:
"Chaoying, Hongbin not only didn't improve in this final exam, he even dropped two places. Please keep a close eye on him during the winter break. There's only one semester left before the exams, and I'm really worried."
"Well, okay." Zhuang Chaoying answered casually.
Seeing Zhuang Chaoying's indifference, Zhu Xiuyu looked worried and began to wipe away tears:
"If he doesn't get into college, he'll be unemployed!"
Zhuang Chaoying then advised, "With Hongbin's current grades, he should have no problem getting into a junior college. It might just be a matter of his mentality. The more this is the case, the more you should stop saying these discouraging words and adding to his mental burden. Do you understand?"
Zhu Xiuyu nodded: "I know, I know. I will just tell you about it. I won't say it in front of him."
As they were talking, Hongbin came back.
"Let me first see how his homework is going. If he has any questions, I'll tell him later." Zhuang Chaoying lifted the quilt, grabbed the homework book and started marking it.
After reviewing it, I gave it to Hongbin for revision.
Zhu Xiu Yu was relieved. She poured hot water for the two of them and took a small blanket, putting one end on her son's legs and the other on Zhuang Chaoying's legs.
She was watching the two of them study at the kitchen door.
She thought, if only it could always be like this.
But this is impossible.
On the twenty-seventh day of the lunar year, the two had a big fight.
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