Chapter 493 Money is more important than life
"What's wrong?" Tunan saw that she had something to say, so he asked.
Xingyan hesitated for a moment before saying:
"How about I go with you tomorrow? After all, I've met your father before, and he invited me today. It would be a shame not to go."
Tunan knew Xingyan was worried about him, so he smiled and said, "If you go, he won't be able to attack me, right?"
Xingyan smiled playfully: "I also want to visit your other home, is this an acceptable reason?"
"Okay." Tunan knew her character and nodded.
At noon today, Zhuang Chaoying originally wanted to call Xiaoting to ask when Tuanan would be back, but he happened to find that he had already arrived home, so Tuanan answered the phone. Zhuang Chaoying knew that Xingyan was also there, so he invited them to have lunch tomorrow.
Tunan agreed verbally, but he had no intention of letting Xingyan go with him. He planned to go alone.
Xingyan was curious and worried about him, so she thought of following him.
Tunan returned home and told Huang Ling about it. Huang Ling didn't think it was a big deal. She said:
"Go ahead! If he dares to raise his hand, fight back! If you can't beat him, you'll lose face in front of Xingyan!"
Tunan laughed when he heard this, and changed the subject to Zhou Huaiyi and said, "Uncle, let's have a drink together tomorrow night. I brought back some Maotai."
"That's great! I'll cook something delicious tomorrow night and we can have a nice drink together."
"Moutai! I want a glass too!" Huang Ling became excited when she heard it.
Unexpectedly, they both said in unison: "No! Just smell it!"
Xiaoting raised her hand: "I want to smell it too..."
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Zhuang Chaoying has been feeling refreshed lately.
Not only did he accomplish great things, but his relationship with Zhu Xiu Yu also eased. When he spoke to Tu Nan on the phone yesterday, Tu Nan seemed to no longer resent him and even agreed to bring Xing Yan to see him. He was very happy.
He got up early in the morning to clean the house.
There was nothing much to clean up. After Zhuang Hualin left, he often cleaned the house, for fear that Zhu Xiuyu would come back one day and dislike the house being dirty.
Then he went to buy some vegetables and a hen to make soup.
He was very skilled at cooking because he had taken care of Zhuang's father and mother, and he thought the food would taste good.
He was preparing chickens in a corner of the yard when he heard someone knocking on the door. He quickly stood up, wiped his hands on his blue cloth apron, and walked towards the door.
"Tunan..."
He stopped talking before he finished speaking because he recognized the person.
"Brother!" Zhuang Ganmei called out from outside the door.
"How did you get here and how did you find this place?" Zhuang Chaoying looked at Zhuang Ganmei with a stern brow.
"Of course my mom told me. I've been back for several days and you didn't come to see me, so I came to see you!"
"You've seen it all, just go!"
"Brother, I don't have any money! Give me three or five hundred yuan to spend. It's Chinese New Year now and I need to buy new clothes and other things. Money is everywhere..."
"I don't have any money." Zhuang Chaoying thought to himself, and as expected, he answered with a sneer.
"How is that possible? You only earn a hundred dollars a month!"
"I can't live on a hundred dollars! Don't I have a family? Why should I give you money? You're not my child. You're not my responsibility. If you want money, ask your mother for it!"
You're asking for three or five hundred, but I can't even save three or five hundred in a year. How dare you ask for it? I don't have any anyway. I'd rather have my life than money."
Zhuang Chaoying thought that even if he died at the gate of the courtyard today, he would never be given a penny. Xiu Yu had said that people like him would cherish their lives, and as long as they didn't care about their lives, he would definitely lose.
Zhuang Ganmei looked past Zhuang Chaoying into the house and said, "How is that possible? Your little yard looks quite nice. You must have had a good life these years, right?"
Zhuang Chaoying nodded and sneered: "Thanks to you, my family was almost destroyed."
"What do you mean by that? I've come all the way here to visit you, and you're not going to let me in?" Zhuang Ganmei shook the gate.
"I'm sorry, I have something to do today. You can go back and ask Mom if I'm doing well. If she says I'm doing well, please don't come again. I don't want to get better."
Zhuang Chaoying placed great emphasis on the last word "good".
"I just want to live a few days of peace and quiet. I've taken care of them for eight years, including a few years when their father was paralyzed. Now I'm just a mother who can help you with the work. Just continue to take care of them for the next eight years! Don't come to me again."
When Zhuang Ganmei heard this, he stuck his finger out from the gate railing and said angrily:
"I didn't expect you to be so unfilial! I thought Mom was just talking nonsense! Isn't it normal to take care of your parents? Isn't it natural for you to take care of them when I'm not around?"
"Go ask around my house and see if I'm filial. Besides, I'm just telling you something normal. Mom is also your mom. It's not normal for me to take care of her for eight years and for you to take care of her for another eight years."
Have you spent a penny or put in any effort in these eight years? You haven't. Since you mentioned filial piety, now it's your turn. Aren't you filial? Be filial. It can't be that I'm the only one who is filial and you, the son, don't have to be filial! What kind of reason is that? I'm not afraid of anything you say!"
Zhuang Chaoying showed no sign of weakness.
"Then I'm in there, right? It's not that I don't want to be filial, I..."
Zhuang Chaoying interrupted him: "Then you are out now, right? It's your turn from now on, so what's the problem?"
"Brother, you have such a high salary, and I don't have a job yet. I don't think Xiao has any money either!" Zhuang Ganmei knew that this statement was not reasonable, so she changed the topic.
"Filial piety doesn't cost money. You just need to get up three times in the middle of the night like me to deliver water and tea, clean up the feces and urine, and do housework. Mom's salary is enough for both of you to eat. What's more, she has eaten and used my money for the past eight years without spending a penny. I saved all the money for you! Even if you don't work for a short time, you won't be unable to eat.
"I'm different. Tunan and Xiaoting are grown up, and I still have to save money for their wedding. Hongbin has my last name, so I have to take care of him. It's completely different from you," Zhuang Chaoying said sarcastically.
Zhuang Ganmei's impression of Zhuang Chaoying still remains from eight years ago. He didn't even know that his brother could be so eloquent at times. For a moment, he felt like he couldn't win an argument with him.
"Huh! You're still a teacher! That's all you can do. If I don't take care of you, what can you do to me? You have to take care of me honestly. Do you have the guts to not go? Aren't you afraid of being criticized?"
"I advise you to coax her well, and you can get some money to spend. If you disappoint her, then I don't know who will get her money. Even if she doesn't give it to me, an unfilial son, she still has her grandchildren and great-grandchildren! If you don't care, then don't care. I won't care either. I will take care of it after eight years." Zhuang Chaoying was determined.
"I'm not afraid of you making a fuss. Do you know why? Because no matter where we live, whether it's the factory or the school, everyone knows our family situation. Nothing you do is surprising. Having a prisoner brother like you would have broken my spine long ago."
Then, Zhuang Chaoying blocked what Zhuang Ganmei wanted to say.
"Go back! Don't come here. Live a good life with you two and don't bother us." Zhuang Chaoying concluded.
Zhuang Ganmei only felt that the relationship between her elder brother and her mother was not just what her mother said. Now it seemed that Zhuang Chaoying was full of resentment.
"Mom said, it's not too much to ask you to go back for the New Year! Or, I think your little courtyard is nice. Since my sister-in-law is not at home anyway, my mom and I can move in for the New Year. We can leave after my sister-in-law comes back..."
As he was planning, he saw Zhuang Chaoying turn and leave.
"Hey! Where are you going?"
Then, Zhuang Ganmei saw Zhuang Chaoying picking up the bucket for soaking the chicken. The water in the bucket was still steaming slightly, and the chicken feathers were still in the bucket, emitting a unique fishy smell.
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