The purpose had been exposed, and there was no need to hide it any longer. Xu An coaxed his younger siblings into going into the bedroom to play, then returned to the yard and confronted Grandma Xu.
"Grandma, just like Auntie said, this family can't do without me. If I leave to go to university, what will you all do? Am I just going to watch Kang Kang and Le Le be sent to Auntie's house like a fertility goddess, to suffer Auntie's torment for four years?"
Look at my aunt's husband and aunt's wife, neither of them is easy to mess with. My aunt's words don't carry any weight. They're still young, and if they're bullied, they can't find anyone to stand up for them. They'll just think it's their fault and that they didn't do a good job.
Even if I bring them back four years from now, will they still be as lively and cheerful as they are now?
“If you had told me earlier that you didn’t want to go to college, why would I have spent three years supporting you through high school? Wouldn’t it have been better to send you to work on a construction site earlier? Now that you’ve finished high school and are ready to go to college, you’re telling me you don’t want to go anymore.”
Grandma Xu patted the rocking chair armrests, making a loud thumping sound.
"Or do you think that because I broke my leg, I'm useless and can't take care of Kang Kang and Le Le, and that I'm a burden to you, that's why you're not going to university?"
Grandma Xu's words were heart-wrenching.
Xu An did have this thought in his past life. He was young then and always felt that his family was a burden to him. Otherwise, he could have run further and fly higher.
So he didn't stop his aunt from taking Kang Kang and Le Le away. Although he was a little uneasy, he felt more that he had lost a burden.
It wasn't until after I graduated that I realized I was wrong, but it was too late, and no amount of remedy could undo the mistake.
If he could live his life again, he wouldn't want to repeat this regret.
Xu An grabbed Grandma Xu's right hand, which was red from patting, and looked at her slightly red eyes. He said seriously, "Grandma, the results haven't come out yet. There are still two and a half months before you go to university."
Consider these two and a half months a chance for me to try. If I can earn 20,000 yuan in these two and a half months, you'll agree to me not going to university, okay?
Grandma Xu tried to shake off Xu An's hand, her fingers twitching a few times, but she eventually gave up.
If she had a choice, she wouldn't want to send Xu Kang and Xu Le to her daughter's home either. But this was the best option at the moment, and for Xu An's sake, for Xu Kang and Xu Le's sake, she had no other choice.
But now, Xu An has given her another option, an option that allows their family to continue living together, and how could she not be tempted?
However, this choice comes at the cost of Xu An's future.
Seeing that Grandma Xu's emotions had calmed down a bit and she seemed to be interested, Xu An quickly seized the opportunity and told her all his plans at once.
Grandma Xu's only business venture was selling vegetables at the market; she knew absolutely nothing about buying and selling. Although Xu An spoke eloquently, she still felt uneasy.
"I've already talked to Uncle Dongliang about this, and he's all for it. Come back to our house for lunch later and try my cooking."
Dongliang, the youngest son of Ahua's family, is a bit unreliable on a daily basis, but he's dependable when it comes to important matters. He said that if it's possible, it's worth a try.
Looking back on Xu An's rapidly improving cooking skills these past few days, it's likely that he had this idea in mind for a while and specifically went to learn this skill.
"Let's wait until Dongliang has lunch before making any plans."
My university studies are finally over. Now it's time to see if I can earn 20,000 yuan in the next two and a half months.
Xu An tidied up the ingredients and seasonings piled up at the gate of the courtyard and put them into the kitchen. There was also a slightly old eggplant that he had picked that morning and kept for his own consumption.
For lunch, I plan to cook three dishes according to the boxed lunch standard: a meat patty with an egg, a minced meat and eggplant dish, and finally a stir-fried cabbage with glass noodles.
I also need to cook a seaweed and pork rib soup for Grandma to nourish her body; this is what we'll eat at home.
Meat patty with egg is the simplest dish to make. Just chop up some lean and fatty meat, add seasonings and mix well, then spread it evenly on a plate.
Divide the meat in the dish into six portions. Use a spoon to make a hole in the middle of each portion, crack an egg into it, and steam for fifteen minutes.
I've already made the minced meat and eggplant dish before, so I won't go into detail again.
Shred the cabbage, heat oil in a wok and sauté scallions, ginger and garlic until fragrant. Add the shredded cabbage and stir-fry until it changes color and softens. Add the soaked glass noodles and seasonings, stir-fry evenly and it's ready to serve.
Finally, wash the pot and cook the rice.
Just as the rice was cooked, Uncle Dongliang pushed open the door.
"Anzi's cooking is excellent; I could smell the aroma of the food from a long way off." Upon entering, I saw Grandma Xu under the longan tree. After greeting her, I helped set up the table and chairs, waiting for Xu An to bring the food up.
"Wow, steamed egg with meatloaf, eggplant with minced meat, cabbage and vermicelli, and a seaweed and bone soup, that's quite a feast."
I picked up my chopsticks and tasted the dishes. I wouldn't say they were amazing, but they were definitely better than the food from the restaurants and stalls around the construction site.
"This tastes good; it's more than enough to open a small restaurant."
I took a sip of the seaweed and pork rib soup and let out a long sigh of relief.
"In this weather, a bowl of soup after a meal is pure bliss!" With that, he gave Xu An a thumbs up: "With this standard, bring it to the construction site tomorrow, and I can get you twenty people."
Hearing Uncle Dongliang's straightforward praise, Xu An and Grandma Xu both breathed a sigh of relief.
It has potential.
"Uncle Dongliang, it's settled then. Tomorrow I'll go to the construction site where you work to sell boxed lunches. You have to bring twenty people with you."
"Alright, twenty people is no problem." Uncle Dongliang finished the soup in his bowl in one gulp, his eyes darting around: "Tell me what's on the menu tomorrow so I can promote it to you."
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