In the main bedroom, Lin Liying helped the old lady lean against the bed, pulled a stool and sat beside the bed, glanced at her and saw that she had no intention of speaking.
Lin Liying pondered for a while and asked softly, "Mom, how much money does my brother-in-law have? How much are you short of? You have to tell me so I can have an idea. The end of the month is coming soon. How many days can you delay until my brother-in-law comes back? When I bought the yard, you asked me to say I bought it myself. Did you use this money? I'll make up the 2,000 yuan for you. The child's father said he would pay it back. The burden on my hometown has been lighter in recent years, and we have some money on hand. Don't worry, we will find a way to make up for the shortfall."
Mrs. Lin rolled her eyes at her and said softly, "Why are you in such a hurry? This is not a small amount of money. Your two thousand yuan is not enough. I need to think about it."
At the time, their family had quite a bit of money, besides Zhou Xiaozheng's savings certificate. Even before liberation, your brother-in-law had his money with Citibank. It was run by foreigners, and the management was quite strict.
I asked your eldest sister to give me all the money. Your eldest sister took me to the bank to exchange all the money in the family into US dollars, and added the US dollars on the deposit certificate, and deposited them all under Zhou Jiao's name. Your eldest sister said at the time that this was Zhou Xiaozheng's gift to his daughter, and it must be in Zhou Jiao's name.
Back then, the dollar was calculated against gold, and one silver dollar was worth about $0.33. It's been so long, I've forgotten a bit. I just remember one of Zhou Xiaozheng's certificates of deposit was for $5,000, earning $200 in interest. All their family money, converted into dollars, plus the interest, totaled nearly $9,000. They deposited $9,000 in Zhou Jiao's name, and your sister gave me the remaining dollars and the Zhou Jiao certificate of deposit.
After handing it over to me, your eldest sister never asked about it again. I didn't touch the money until before the Liberation Movement; I just kept it there. Later, when things started looking up, I was afraid the foreign-owned bank would go bankrupt, so I withdrew it all and changed banks. Over those seven or eight years, including interest, it totaled over $10,000. Later, our bank was constantly changing notes, so I didn't dare touch the $10,000 in full. I spent all the change and interest.
In 1952, you got married, and your second brother suddenly had a lot of work to do and needed money. I withdrew $2,000 and the interest without telling your eldest sister, leaving $8,000 on the certificate of deposit.
The exchange rate for RMB that year was 2.227 RMB to the dollar. I took out 2,000 USD and the interest from those years, which I remember was 5,500 RMB. I bought you a yard and gave some money to your second brother's family to help with their affairs.
I didn't use the remaining $8,000. Every time I went to the bank, I had to get Zhou Jiao's household registration certificate, which was very troublesome. Now there's still $8,000 plus interest.
If this account had stayed with Citibank all these years, the total would surely be much more, with interest piled on top of interest. Over 17 years, I have no idea how much it would have been. This is just a confusing account—I embezzled $2,000 from him, and I've forgotten the interest I paid on previous occasions. I'm too lazy to explain this to your brother-in-law, so I plan to keep $10,000 in principal and return it to him.
Besides having to scrape together $2,000, my biggest worry is your eldest sister's years of salary. I've spent it all, even though I asked her to give it to me. I told her I was worried she'd spend it lavishly, and that she'd save it for her future marriage and a dowry. But what can I say now? "Oh, Shanshan, Mommy spent all your daughter's dowry! Okay, that's even worse than the Zhou family's. She's definitely going to have a fight with me."
Lin Liying covered her mouth and laughed so hard, "The Zhou family stole her dowry. If you try to steal her dowry again, my dad will probably turn against you."
Mrs. Lin shook her head helplessly, "Your father didn't even know that I had this money, otherwise he would have asked me to transfer it to Zhou Jiao long ago.
He just knew that I saved all your eldest sister's salary. He had no idea that although everyone in our family seemed to have a salary, it wasn't enough. Not to mention others, Xiaolin often came to me asking for money, this and that. How many clothes does she have in her closet?
Your second brother has a family with four children to support, and your second sister-in-law is also supporting her own family. How can your second brother's salary be enough? He has been relying on his family for financial support since he got married. When it comes to having a child, your second sister-in-law follows the trend and insists on feeding the child with formula. The Jiang family is not far away, so how can she refuse? The whole compound is buzzing with discussion.
Besides the Shengli brothers, who are more sensible, the two little sisters are the biggest spenders. Your second brother was worried about his hair turning white in the early years. He even beat Xuezhen so hard that she stayed at home for several days just for a coat. Xuezhen is really ignorant. She is always trying to keep up with the latest trends. How can we do this with your second brother's salary? Your second sister-in-law always asks Xuezhen and others to call and ask for money. Does she think I don't know? I know it in my heart, but what can I do? He is my son.
Lin Liying felt a headache when she heard this. "Mom, have you ever thought about this? You don't have any money yourself, and using your eldest brother-in-law's money to support your second brother, is it reasonable? If your eldest sister knew about this, she would definitely make a scene, and she has a bad temper. Calculate how much money you still owe her besides the two thousand yuan you have to pay back. Let's just leave the previous confusing account alone. But you have to explain her salary to her clearly. If you really don't have the money to pay her back, can you discuss with her privately and pay her back part of it?"
And what about the second brother? The two brothers Shengli are about to get married, but where is the money? The second sister-in-law comes to you when she has no money. Where will you get the money in the future? What would the eldest sister-in-law think if she knew that you have been secretly subsidizing the second brother? She has been giving you food money.
Mrs. Lin frowned worriedly. "Your eldest sister hasn't collected her salary since she began taking maternity leave. Back then, she only received about one silver dollar a month. Later, they issued paper money, and then Renminbi. Her salary increased every year, and since she was always on business trips, her monthly allowance was quite a bit. Aside from the monthly remittances to Zhou Jiao, I have it all. I also saved some money at the beginning, and even opened an account at the same bank. Sometimes I would deposit money when I remembered, and I would withdraw it when I ran out of money. How could I still remember it after all these years?"
I originally thought that Zhou Xiaozheng was gone, and Zhou Jiao was still a girl, so she would get married sooner or later. With so much money under her name, your eldest sister won't have to worry about running out of money in the future. Doesn't she have two courtyard houses? They don't have the heavy burdens of your second brother's family, so this little money won't affect them.
I originally planned to privately discuss with your sister about returning the two yards and the $9,000 I paid to Zhou Jiao. Zhou Jiao doesn't know the exact amount, anyway. But I won't give your sister her salary. She's my daughter, so it's easier to negotiate. If your sister disagrees, I'll make up for it with some jewelry and gold.
But who knew Zhou Xiaozheng would come back alive? That would be a different situation. He knew exactly how much money his family had. We hadn't even raised his daughter yet, so any bond of affection was gone. Besides, he didn't ask me to keep their money.
When he comes back and asks me for it, I'll definitely calculate it clearly. Seventeen years of principal, over nine thousand dollars, how much is that now? Even if we sold everything in our house, it wouldn't be enough. If I don't pay Zhou Xiaozheng back soon, am I going to wait for him to come after me? It's better to pretend to be confused and pay him back in person sooner rather than later; maybe he won't be able to ask for it.
Who would have known he'd come back alive? This has completely disrupted my plans. If he had asked your father for the money in advance, what would you think he would do? Besides, didn't you hear what your father said about that kid? He's as smart as Zhou Xiaozheng. What else is there to say? Let's raise the money quickly.
Lin Liying thought of her father. "That should be a rough idea. Do you have an idea?"
Mrs. Lin nodded. "I have a rough idea. Based on your eldest sister's promotion, I'll calculate her salary for 17 years. She started out making 20 yuan a month for three years, then 50 yuan for another three years. Later, your eldest sister probably made 100 yuan a month, not counting subsidies, so that's five years, making it eleven years. I'll collect the remaining salary. Her salary of 110 yuan in the past six years has increased to 185 yuan now. I'll calculate it based on 150 yuan for three years and 160 yuan for the next three years. The company subsidy will be treated as the 20 yuan remitted to Zhou Jiao every month. I'll put the total in the bank and give her a deposit slip when the time comes. This is for your brother-in-law and Zhou Jiao to see."
Lin Liying counted silently on her fingers for a long time, then looked up at the old lady in shock. "Mom, that's a lot of money, almost 20,000 yuan. That eldest sister bought some gifts for us, and she also often bought some dowry for Jiaojiao. Where does she get the money?"
Mrs. Lin patted her. "What's so special about 2017 years' salary? I plan to put 20,000 yuan in the bank as her salary. Actually, I can't remember how much your eldest sister earns, but I know it by heart. She earns about the same as me. You forgot I have pay slips and keep accounts. I can't take it out anymore. Her allowance alone is one-third of her salary. She basically eats, lives, and wears everything in the army. A few times when she went abroad, she gave me extra money and asked me to save it for her to give to Jiaojiao later. Haha, just 20,000 yuan, take it or leave it.
Your eldest sister once privately told me to tell her when you've made 50,000. Listen, even if she's clueless, she's not so foolish as to forget about money. Your eldest sister earns extra money carrying things around for others on her business trips, and she bought you some things because she's making so much money. As for the dowry, she bought it cheaply locally, and while it looks like a lot, it didn't cost much. Some of it was even exchanged for military coats.
Even if she didn't go to Northeast China this time, she would go there next year. She told me privately that next year, Jiaojiao would be 18 years old and an adult, and the rental contract would have to be signed by Zhou Jiao herself if she turned 18. While she was in Beijing, I wanted to transfer the bank deposit certificate and the large courtyard to her, as well as the dowry.
I asked her why she didn't leave a backup, and she said she planned to give Jiaojiao my salary deposit slip as well. Her monthly salary was close to two hundred, enough for her own living. It would be better to explain it clearly as soon as possible so that she wouldn't be confused if she was gone.
Your eldest sister was also afraid that I wouldn't be willing to give it to Jiaojiao. She's my dearest, she's my biological mother! I just haven't visited her, I haven't seen her. When something really happens, I still think of my own child. All mothers in the world are the same."
Lin Liying stood up and paced around the room. After thinking for a long time, she walked over to her mother and said, "Mom, your plan is to get the $2,000 from my brother-in-law to make up for my eldest sister's $20,000. That would cost me about $25,000. I only have less than $3,000. What should I do with the rest? Or you can talk to my eldest sister directly and have her keep it a secret from my brother-in-law. My brother-in-law won't be short of money when he comes back. The 17 years of back pay will be a lot. His salary is even higher than my eldest sister's."
"Otherwise, don't you think about why I'm in such a hurry to make up the 20,000. When your brother-in-law's salary is 50,000, your sister doesn't have 20,000. How can I face your brother-in-law? Don't tell your sister, she can't hide it. Your brother-in-law is the head of her family. Believe it or not, your sister won't suspect that your brother-in-law has other private money.
From what I know about Zhou Xiaozheng, he still has something on hand, but he just hasn't taken it out. Your father said Jiaojiao doesn't trust others, isn't it just like her father? With these two smart people, your sister is also blessed. Give 2,000 yuan for the yard. Doesn't Jianjun know it's a loan? You won't make it difficult. The rest of the money will be embezzled when your eldest brother's salary is paid. We can deal with the future later. I really have no choice but to sell the remaining gold on hand. I originally wanted to leave it to my three grandchildren, but well, I'll wait and see."
Lin Liying sat on the edge of the bed, leaning against the headboard, and said slowly: "Mom, do you think my eldest sister is really blessed? Will she really stay away from me when my brother-in-law comes back? I'm still worried. I don't know if what Dad said is true - Jiaojiao really will protect me, but will she still protect me if my brother-in-law has an affair? If my brother-in-law ignores her, I guess my sister won't be able to bear it. I don't know if she can get over this hurdle."
"Haha, don't worry. If Zhou Jiao is smart, she will definitely protect your sister. Her father is still young. If he really finds someone to be her stepmother, I guess she will find a way to break it up without hesitation. No matter how bad her mother is, she is still her mother. Who would be happy to have a stranger accompany her father? What if she has a child and takes her place?
Besides, no matter how angry your brother-in-law is, he will never blame your sister. He is a real man. He likes to take things on himself and will blame himself. It is true that there is a gap between us.
As for the Zhou family, this time, the relationship between them and him would be severed. He had always had a bad relationship with the Zhou family. Now that his precious daughter had cut off the person who was holding him back, he was overjoyed.
Your sister is Jiaojiao's mother, and because she waited for him for so many years, she can live in peace. Your sister is stubborn and has the blessing of stubbornness. Fortunately, your sister didn't listen to me. If your sister found someone to marry, Zhou Xiaozheng and Zhou Jiao would ignore our family and be worse than strangers. His path is really cut off. They are such proud people, arrogant in their bones. Betrayal is betrayal, and they can't tolerate any sand in their eyes.
"Haha, that's good. Regardless of her position, my eldest sister can finally rest in peace with a daughter who protects her. My eldest brother is back too, and now that the money is settled, there's really nothing for us to worry about.
As for my second brother, with my second sister-in-law subsidizing her family like that, it wouldn't be too much for you to give her a mountain of gold. I really don't understand what the Jiang family is trying to do by subsidizing their family members? Can't they even make ends meet? Their sons and daughters-in-law don't even dare to go home. There's always a limit to how much you can help others, right? Mom, you have to hold on this time! Otherwise, my second sister-in-law won't know what's good for her. She'll ask for money right away, not even asking them to support her in her old age. If Dad finds out, he'll punish them. And did my second brother know that you embezzled my brother-in-law's money, so he sent the package and watch to Jiaojiao?"
Old Mrs. Lin quickly sat up, her face stern, and said anxiously, "He doesn't know! Usually, your second sister-in-law and the others kept it a secret from your second brother. Otherwise, your second brother would be furious if he knew. Don't let it slip. I won't listen to your second sister-in-law from now on."
Your second brother also wrote to say that your eldest sister never visited her daughter, saying the child was too pitiful. He asked your eldest sister not to buy expensive things for his daughter's maid, and to send any to Zhou Jiao. He said that he was too far away, and he really wanted to visit her, and he was worried if he didn't. In the end, he probably accepted too many things from your eldest sister, so he bought and sent them secretly, and your second sister-in-law probably didn't even know.
Lin Liying smiled awkwardly and said apologetically, "I'm the one with the most free time. If I had known Zhou Jiao wasn't having a easy time at the Zhou family, I would have gone to see her a long time ago. Jianjun did mention it a few times and asked me to find out. He said that boys are valued more than girls in rural areas, and life might not be as easy as I thought. I saw that my eldest sister didn't go, so I thought about it and let it go. This time when my brother-in-law came back, I was embarrassed to see him. He was nice to me, but I didn't take it to heart."
Old Mrs. Lin nodded and sighed, "It has already happened, there's no going back, so let it be. If you want to blame someone, blame me, an old woman. Shanshan did say she was worried and wanted to go and see, but the world was too chaotic at the beginning, and I was worried about her going. After liberation, I also advised her not to ask for leave if she didn't have time. It would take half a month to go back and forth, or she could just bring the child back. Besides, I don't want your sister to go to the Zhou family. If your sister goes back to her in-laws' house, who knows what will happen there.
I know your dad is blaming me. I really don't have any feelings for Zhou Jiao because she didn't grow up with him. Besides, your dad asked people and wrote to ask, and the child was fine. Her grandfather always said that she would rather not return to Beijing, because she had brothers and sisters at home. He also said that she was the only child in the second house, and he wanted her to return to Beijing when she was older, when she would have a courtyard and a household registration, and everything would be smooth. Your dad and I discussed that we couldn't ignore her because she was the granddaughter of the old Zhou family. At that time, there were three girls in the family, and I really didn't care about this granddaughter.
Seeing that the old lady was in a bad mood, Lin Liying persuaded her for a few words, arranged for her to rest, and returned to her room.
Lying in bed, Lin Liying kept thinking about her mother's words. She really didn't know that her eldest sister's family was so wealthy. No wonder her brother-in-law didn't care about her eldest sister's spending lavishly. He must have the confidence.
Thinking back to her in-laws' family, Lin Liying sighed. This year, her brother-in-law was admitted to university, and Li Jianjun planned to bring his two sisters back to Beijing. Everything was planned well. After paying back 2,000 yuan, she was in financial difficulty. With the arrival of two sisters-in-law,
Then she thought about all those people crammed into the small courtyard. It was a real headache. She wondered if her eldest sister would agree to lend her the large courtyard. She'd previously felt confident enough to ask directly, but now she knew the courtyard wasn't her eldest sister's, but the Zhou family's. She couldn't guarantee her eldest sister would agree. In a sense, it depended on her brother-in-law's approval, but would he?
Lin Liying had no idea how things had come to this. Ever since her family had ignored her daughter for seventeen years, her brother-in-law's family had become irrelevant. Furthermore, even if the money was repaid, it would only be a small portion. Her mother had no other choice but to put on a facade of ignorance. Her brother-in-law, on the other hand, disdained any contact with their family. Their relationship was less than that of ordinary friends, and in the future, it would only be a matter of face.
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