"Second Grandfather, the 1.2 million is only enough to cover the rent. What about the money for development, purchasing seedlings, and labor and equipment? Are we just going to leave the land there after we lease it, and have everyone just sit there and watch helplessly?" Xu An interrupted his second grandfather: "As long as Xu's Fast Food Restaurant is still around, even if I lose this money, I can pay it back sooner or later."
"Besides," Xu An's tone changed, a hint of slyness in his eyes, "Second Grandfather, you dared to rent the entire mudflat in one go; you must have had some plans in mind, and you must have some confidence to do so, right?"
"Tsk tsk." Second Grandfather picked up a towel from the table and wiped the water off his body. "You've been out in the world for over two months. I don't know much else, but your eyes have gotten much sharper!"
Second Grandfather neither denied nor admitted it, but his attitude already indicated that he did have a backup plan. Since that was the case, Xu An no longer hesitated and said directly, "Anyway, Second Grandfather, you set a goal, and I'll make up for the shortfall. Just remember to give me the shares."
After saying that, Xu An got up and left, afraid that if he was even a second too slow, his second grandfather's large, fan-like hand would land on him.
I had barely sat down when I heard my grandmother call my name: "Anzi, come in here for a moment, I have something to tell you."
"Hey, I'm coming!" Xu An replied, locked the courtyard gate, and went into his grandmother's bedroom. He moved a three-legged wooden stool from the living room and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Grandma, what did you want to see me about?"
Grandma Xu sat on the bed, leaning against the wall. An old fan sat on the edge of the bed, creaking and groaning, blowing out a cool breeze. Perhaps because of her age, Grandma Xu, like most elderly people, was somewhat sensitive to the cold. Even on such a hot summer day, she would cover herself with a thin blanket when the fan was on.
“Running a shop must be tough. These days, seeing you open one shop after another and buy one car after another, you must be under a lot of pressure.” As she spoke, Grandma Xu reached out her hand, which had been hidden under the covers, and took Xu An’s hand with one hand. With the other hand, she placed something in Xu An’s hand and said earnestly, “We don’t have much money at home, but you need it for your business. Take this first.”
When Grandma Xu let go of his hand, Xu An withdrew his own and looked down at the object his grandmother had placed in his hand. It turned out to be a bankbook with frayed edges, showing signs of age. Opening the bankbook, he saw that there was only one deposit of 30,000 yuan, followed by almost all small expenditures, ultimately showing a balance of 27,312.65 yuan.
"Grandma, there's enough money in the shop. You're in charge of the accounts, so you know how much the shop makes every day. There's no need for this!" After reading it, Xu An reached out to return the passbook to Grandma Xu, but she dodged it.
"Don't lie to me," Grandma Xu said with a serious expression. "I heard you talking to that young man from the bank at noon about borrowing money from the government!"
Well, after hearing this, Xu An finally understood why Grandma Xu had handed over her family's savings to him. She thought he was having some business problems and was short of money.
"Grandma, the shop isn't short of money!" Seeing that Grandma Xu still looked suspicious, Xu An had no choice but to reveal his entire plan: "Also, the village is planning to develop a village collective industry, but it's short of some money. I'm quite optimistic about this project and plan to invest some money in it, as a way to support the village's development."
"So you're still short of money. You're borrowing money from the bank and you'll have to pay interest. Borrow as little as you can, and the less interest you pay, the better, right?" Grandma Xu gently patted Xu An's hand. "Keep it, okay!"
Xu An looked down at his grandmother's withered hands. Years of hard work had left them wrinkled and covered in age spots. The veins on her hands pushed up the dry skin, making them look like mountain ranges. Looking at her hands, the words of refusal stuck in his throat, and he finally gave up the idea of returning the savings book to his grandmother.
Consider this my way of keeping this passbook safe for Grandma. I will never touch a single penny in it unless I'm absolutely desperate.
At 11:30 p.m., Xu Dongliang, shaking his aching wrist, walked out of his second grandfather's house. He had just reached the gate and was about to open it when he heard his second grandfather's voice from inside: "Dongliang, what Anzi said this afternoon must not be spread. Also, let me check these materials first. If there are any changes needed, I'll come find you."
Xu Dongliang's smile froze. He hurriedly pushed open the courtyard gate, slammed it shut, and quickly left, his steps uneven. If he didn't leave soon, he might not get any sleep tonight and would be revising the article until dawn.
As for Xu An's matter, even if my second uncle hadn't given the order, I would never have told anyone.
I had a good night's sleep.
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