He has spent half of the 1,200 yuan he got from his resignation and divorce, and only spent a little over 100 yuan on medical expenses. As for the rest... he doesn't know how he spent it, but the money just went away so quickly.

At first, the money was placed in the hands of Wang Shuifeng and Tian Zhiyuan respectively. Tian Zhigao was bedridden every day and had difficulty moving, so his mother and brother kept the money. His mother Wang Shuifeng had always known how to manage life, and would definitely discuss any major expenses with him, so Tian Zhigao was very relieved.

Later, family members came to the city one after another. Even if they stayed in a hotel for a long time and ate and drank, it didn't cost much. Tian Zhigao didn't say anything, but they began to dress like city people. The patched clothes disappeared, and everyone wore neat and fitting new clothes. The sixth and seventh children, at a young age, even followed Tian Zhiyuan's example and put hair wax on their hair, making them look neither Chinese nor Western.

Tian Yalan and her sister-in-law Du Meiqiu had more than two or three new sets of clothes, which they changed every day. They wore new leather shoes and carried fashionable shoulder bags. When they walked closer, they could smell a strong scent of cold cream. They were more fashionable than the girls in the city... Don't ask why Tian Zhigao noticed all this. He had dated and married Xian Fangfang, so he had some observation skills about women.

Tian Zhigao felt something was wrong: Wang Shuifeng loved and indulged Tian Yalan and the sixth and seventh brothers, and Tian Zhiyuan also doted on his new wife. They were in charge of the money... but they couldn't afford to spend it like this!

So Tian Zhigao decisively took back the money and found that there was only 750 yuan left. What could he say? Then he took out another 150 yuan to buy a yard, and there were only 600 yuan left.

Life goes on, and more and more people come around. In addition to Wang Shuifeng, Tian Zhiyuan and others, Tian Xianglan and her four nieces come, and Tian Baoshan and Zhao Liulian also come once a week with their two nieces.

With so many mouths to feed, without a grain coupon, one can only eat expensive grain on the black market. Even if one buys three or five grams of flour, and eats coarse grain steamed bread and pickles, the expenses are still not small. How long can six hundred yuan last?

Tian Zhigao's injuries had not yet healed and he was already in a bad mood. Faced with this messy family, he felt very upset, but he could do nothing about it: these were his family, his blood relatives, he could not refuse them at all, nor could he get rid of them.

He understood very well that if he didn't want to lose all his capital and be dragged down, he had to find money as soon as possible!

Only with money can we improve our lives and environment.

The most important thing is, if you want to do big things in the future, you have to start accumulating funds now.

Tian Zhigao, who has lived two lives, has too many ways to make money in his mind, but now is not the best time. He can really let go and make money. He has to wait until the college entrance examination is resumed and the important meeting at the end of 1978 confirms the reform and opening up.

It's not that there is no way at the moment, it's just that it's quite difficult. It depends on whether you are brave enough. You also have to consider the safety factor. Don't be reckless. If you are not careful, you may be reported and arrested, and charged with "speculation and profiteering", and you will have to go through labor reform.

In the past few days, Tian Zhigao's mind has been busy. He has been thinking hard and dialectically, trying to screen and find a simpler and safer way to make money. This is also because he cannot move. If he can move freely, he won't have to worry so much.

He wanted his younger brother Tian Zhiyuan to implement the plan. Currently, Tian Zhiyuan was the only one he could command. The sixth and seventh children were still young and lacked social experience, and Tian Zhiyuan's IQ was not as good as his. So he had to think things through carefully. He had to plan everything out step by step so that he could feel at ease.

He had just thought hard and finally chose a way out and sorted out the steps of the whole plan. Several place names that were originally a bit vague were also thought through clearly. He even drew a simple map in his mind, but was startled by Tian Yalan and Du Meiqiu who suddenly started quarreling outside the house. Tian Zhigao almost couldn't hold back his laughter and was so angry that he was fuming.

But Tian Zhigao ignored the noise in the yard outside the house. This fucked up chaotic life was not something he could control, and he was too lazy to care. He was just living with them temporarily, and soon he would change the status quo and have his own separate, high-end residence.

I silently recited to myself, trying my best to calm myself and continue thinking.

Wang Shuifeng came in with a bowl of hot water. Tian Zhigao took a few pills with the water and frowned, asking, "Mom, why are you arguing all day? What are they arguing about now?"

"Where is Sister Xianglan now?"

"I gave her five yuan and asked her to go back with her children. Five yuan can support her for a while and she can earn some work points in the village. That damn Liang Tiezhu ran off with his shameless mistress and we can't find him. Xianglan dragged the children with her and was sometimes fine and sometimes crazy. Her husband's family didn't give her a house to live in. When I wasn't home, your eldest brother and his wife always disliked her and drove her away. The mother and daughter were like dogs that had lost their homes... Oh, how pitiful."

"When my eldest sister married into the Liang family, didn't she have her own house?"

"Yes, she did, but her mother-in-law was a stepmother who favored her younger aunt and uncle. She was cruel and they couldn't get along. So your eldest sister sold her two houses to her younger uncle. Taohua's yard happened to be empty, so your eldest sister moved in with Liang Tiezhu and a few children. Later..."

Later, Taohua had a falling out with the Tian family and returned to the Meng family. Of course, Tian Xianglan could not live there and was kicked out.

Tian Zhigao lowered his eyes and remained silent. He didn't know the details of this matter, but he heard that Meng Taohua said that she accused the Tian family of bullying an orphan girl, the man cheated her into marriage and money, and the woman occupied her yard...

Perhaps, he was indeed sorry for Taohua, but it was a matter between him and Taohua. Taohua loved him deeply and was willing to give everything for him.

What does this have to do with that fake Meng Taohua? What qualifications does she have to accuse him? It's ridiculous! Tian Zhigao exhaled a foul breath and said, "After a while, I will give my eldest sister some money and ask her to build her own courtyard house in the village, live there with her children, and stop running around."

Wang Shuifeng looked at her son in surprise and joy: "Really? Are you willing to pay for your sister to build a courtyard house? But your elder sister said that she doesn't want to stay in the village either, and wants to live with us in the county town."

Tian Zhigao frowned, "That won't work. I'm the only one with a food allowance, but I don't have a job. I'm an ordinary town resident and can only get more than 20 kilograms of food a month. How can that be enough to feed so many people? Food on the black market is often two or three yuan a kilogram. We can't afford it! Things will get better in the future, and I can let you all go to the city, but for the next two or three years, it's better for you to go back to the village."

Wang Shuifeng: “…”

She had lived in the county town for more than a month and realized that the city was much better than the village. Apart from anything else, the bright electric lights alone made her love it so much that she even went back and boasted to the villagers that she had settled in the county town. Now she was asked to go back to the village, but she was not happy.

Tian Zhigao didn't know what she was thinking, so he said, "Mom, go call Zhiyuan over. I have something to discuss with him."

"What? Mom can do it, too."

"You can't do this. You have to go far away. Ask him to come."

When Wang Shuifeng heard that Tian Zhiyuan was going on a long journey, she hurried to find him.

(End of this chapter)