Chapter 12: Even if you spend it wrongly, it's only five thousand
When Deng Xiuzhen woke up, she was so confused that she couldn't fall asleep again.
For a moment, she felt that this was a dead end with no solution, so she worried to the point of daydreaming.
At the same time, I thought it was a good thing to dream about those two people quarreling. At least it was better than figuring out the problem after it happened. Besides, there might be other solutions.
After thinking hard, she suddenly realized that the record she wrote was not good enough, and she couldn't ask Yuan Qiwen to write a receipt, so what if she recorded it herself?
Recording should be possible, right?
But the tape recorder at home is so big, if I bring it with me to record, Yuan Qiwen will know about it, right? Then why record it? Besides, the tape recorder is at home.
Since the recording is effective, then...
A light bulb went off in Deng Xiuzhen's head. She remembered that when she was studying cosmetology, there was an old man selling some strange things not far from the beauty salon. She and her sisters went there together. There were all kinds of advanced things, such as mobile phones that they had never used, and there seemed to be a small recording device that was only as long as a pen, which seemed to be called a voice recorder.
If I had that and recorded it myself, Yuan Qiwen would never know about it.
It’s just that I learned cosmetology a few months later in my previous life, so I don’t know if the old man sells it now.
Yuan Qiwen didn't notice Deng Xiuzhen, but Qin Yanlin, who was sitting next to her and knew her character, noticed it.
He didn't know what Deng Xiuzhen was doing, but he knew she must be thinking a lot. Looking at her frowning face at one moment, dejected at another, and now staring straight ahead, as if she wanted the car to go faster, she was definitely not thinking about anything happy.
"Can you give me some money?" Deng Xiuzhen asked Tan Yanlin quietly. She thought that buying that thing would require money, and Tan Yanlin might not agree with her buying it.
Tan Yanlin looked at Deng Xiuzhen, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "How much do you want?"
"The more the better." Deng Xiuzhen said and looked at Qin Yanlin eagerly.
Tan Yanlin remained silent. Just when Deng Xiuzhen thought that Tan Yanlin would not give it to her, Tan Yanlin began to secretly search her bag.
This time when he went out, Qin Yanlin brought 20,000 yuan with him.
Qin Xiuwen told him that it would cost three to five thousand yuan for a child to attend the first primary school, and even two to three thousand yuan for a child to attend the second primary school.
He wanted to transfer his three children to good schools, which would cost several thousand yuan, or even 15,000 yuan, if all went well. But for the sake of his children, he was willing to spend the money.
He knew where he packed his money. After rummaging through his bag, he found a large envelope and quietly handed it to Deng Xiuzhen. At the same time, he raised five fingers where no one could see, motioning Deng Xiuzhen to look.
Deng Xiuzhen took the envelope and squeezed it, then looked at Qin Yanlin's gesture and understood that he was telling her that there were five thousand in the envelope.
She quickly stuffed the envelope into her bag and whispered in Tan Yanlin's ear, "Thank you!"
Tan Yanlin smiled and said nothing.
He didn't give money to Deng Xiuzhen before because Deng Xiuzhen was confused and always thought about helping her parents' family. If it was a good family, she would help, but Deng Chunsheng was obviously a person who didn't do his job properly, so the money was just wasted.
Why should you give the money you have worked hard to earn to others instead of leaving it for your children?
He saw in the past few days that Deng Xiuzhen had changed. She was no longer confused, no longer cared only about her parents' home, and had a falling out with her family.
Judging from the way she looked just now, she must have thought of something and wanted to do something, and it must be something very important.
He decided to give it to her first and ask what it was about later. This money was not earned by him alone, Deng Xiuzhen also had the right to spend it. If it was used correctly, it would be a good thing. If it was spent on the wrong place, it was only 5,000 yuan, and it was still affordable.
The shuttle bus arrived in Pucheng soon.
There is a big difference between Pucheng in 1993 and Pucheng in 2024. In 1993, there were no tall buildings, no strange costumes, and no constant flow of cars in Pucheng.
There are 28-inch bicycles filling the streets, bustling crowds of people, and bright smiling faces.
Deng Xiuzhen was filled with emotion. After many twists and turns, she returned here again. Thinking of the past, she felt a little sad.
But before I had time to feel sad, reality interrupted me.
Tan Yanlin was calling her: "Xiuzhen, come here, this way."
As soon as I walked over, I saw Yuan Qiwen take something out of his bag and walk aside to talk to it.
Deng Xiuzhen knew that those were the mobile phones of that era, commonly known as big brothers, which cost 20,000 yuan each. Only bosses and leaders of certain units or organizations could use them. Ordinary people could not afford them at all.
After a while, Yuan Qiwen came over and said that it was a bit late and he had something to do. He asked Qin Yanlin and the others to have lunch first and then go to the Education Bureau to wait for him. He would rush over to see them before work so as not to delay their work.
Before leaving, I reminded them not to run too far and to remember to wait outside the Education Bureau, on the bench on the right, and not to go inside the Education Bureau.
Tan Yanlin was a little anxious, afraid of delaying things and also afraid that it would be too late and there would be no bus back.
But I was worried and didn't dare to say anything or advise him, for fear of making Yuan Qiwen unhappy.
Deng Xiuzhen was very happy, because she knew that the Education Bureau was in the west of the city, not far from the old man who sold rare things. She asked them to wait first, so she could buy the recording without attracting attention. It was like a pillow for someone who was sleepy. It couldn't be better.
Tan Yanlin and Deng Xiuzhen walked to the west of the city. It was not yet eleven o'clock, so it was still early for lunch and even earlier than the Education Bureau's afternoon work, which was still a few hours away.
Deng Xiuzhen suggested: "It's too late to eat at this time. If the child's transfer to another school is completed, we will definitely have to rent a house in the city. Why don't we go and have a look now and ask how to rent a house."
Tan Yanlin agreed very much. Since they had limited time to look at houses and inquire about rent prices, they agreed to go and look at houses separately, meet here at 12:30, have lunch together, and then go to the Education Bureau.
Deng Xiuzhen let Qin Yanlin go first. When she saw Qin Yanlin turned the corner and disappeared, Deng Xiuzhen went straight to the alley where the old man was.
Deng Xiuzhen was in a hurry and didn't notice that Qin Yanlin, who had just disappeared around the corner, came back and followed her quietly.
It's not that Qin Yanlin didn't believe her, nor did he think she would do anything bad. He just felt that Deng Xiuzhen had rarely been to the city, was unfamiliar with the place, lacked social experience, and had only a few thousand dollars in her pocket.
In that era, a few thousand dollars was a huge sum of money for ordinary people.
A young woman carrying a large amount of money not only attracts thieves but also is easily targeted by human traffickers.
Deng Xiuzhen didn't know, but he did know. When he came to purchase goods not long ago, he heard that several children had been abducted by human traffickers and some women had gone missing.
Deng Xiuzhen followed her memory and searched there. She was surprised not to see the beauty salon, but was delighted to find that the old man's door was open.
She was so excited that she didn't have time to think about it. She ran over happily and shouted, "Hello, Uncle Zhao!"
The old man looked up at her: "Who are you?"
Deng Xiuzhen then realized that she had said the wrong thing. After all, she had come here with her friends a few times in her previous life before she knew the old man's surname was Zhao. This was her first time here. She smiled awkwardly and said, "It's okay if you don't remember me. I'll buy something from you."
The old man glanced at her calmly and asked, "What are you buying?"
"You have a recorder here, right?"
"Who said I had it?" The old man looked up at Deng Xiuzhen, his eyes full of scrutiny.
Deng Xiuzhen's heart tightened, and she realized belatedly that there was no one in the alley, and she couldn't hear any other people talking. It was so quiet that it seemed like the filming location of a TV drama where a murder was about to take place.
She felt her scalp tingling and the thought of giving up came to her mind.
But thinking about her child's education, she suppressed her fear and said calmly, "I know you have it, and I'm here to buy it sincerely. Can you help me think of a way?"
The old man didn't say anything for a long time, then suddenly smiled and said, "Are you really here to buy something?"
Deng Xiuzhen nodded.
The old man said, what does that person behind you do?
Deng Xiuzhen looked back but didn't see anyone. She turned to look at the old man with a puzzled look.
The old man looked up and shouted outside: Come out.
Then Deng Xiuzhen saw Tan Yanlin slowly walking out from the corner, looking embarrassed. After a long while, she managed to say: I am worried about you.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
