Chapter 74
"Eldest son, that's great! You've moved into a new house again. It must have cost a lot." The eldest aunt was the eldest son in the family. She felt sorry for him, as he used to be the most successful one in the family, but later fell into poverty. However, it had nothing to do with her. It was his gambling addiction. "Now that you have money to build a house, shouldn't you pay back the ten thousand you owe my daughter?" Old Fu borrowed ten thousand from his cousin five years ago and never paid it back.
"Oh dear, sister, why are you bringing this up again on such a wonderful day? Big brother just built his house, where would he get the money? Let's wait a bit, let's wait a bit. Big brother managed to build such a grand house, he couldn't possibly be short of your ten thousand." The aunt stepped forward to mediate, but her eyes kept drifting to the silent old Fu beside her. If big brother had the money to pay back his sister, shouldn't her husband, who worked for big brother, also pay back the five thousand he owed?
"Come in and sit down, have some tea, don't all stand." Old Fu listened to his brothers and sisters chattering away, one thing after another, with mixed feelings. He was already tired of hearing it; every year at the family gathering and during the New Year, it was always the same thing.
Fu Le, who was upstairs, heard the whole conversation in the courtyard. Her mother also said that she had heard enough of these unpleasant words and that they would pay off the debts between the two families today to avoid further trouble.
Fu Le went downstairs, greeted the three families, poured tea, and served fruits and snacks, keeping himself very busy.
"Lele, you've grown up so much! You even know to pour tea for the guests now," the aunt said with a smile, looking at Fu Le.
Fu Le forced a smile, but felt annoyed. Just because she didn't get into the top high school and her grades weren't as good as her cousin's, her aunt had made a lot of sarcastic remarks about her. She had a stress response to her aunt and felt annoyed whenever she heard her voice.
"Haha, not bad, you've grown up and become much more sensible." Qi Hua handed over the tea, laughing it off.
"Lele, I heard you skipped a grade?" Uncle's voice came from over the phone.
Fu Le's gaze fell on his uncle's face. "Well, the second year of high school is too easy. I don't want to waste my time." He said it casually, but he could see the sarcasm on his uncle's face at a glance.
In his memory, someone who couldn't even get into the top high school was skipping a grade, which was just being unrealistic and having high aspirations but low abilities. It was a shame that his eldest son was always bragging to everyone around him about how good Fu Le's grades were, without listening to how unpleasant the villagers were saying. Did he think everyone knew that Fu Le's grades were only good enough for a regular second-tier university, or maybe even a junior college? Skipping a grade was just courting disaster. He was spoiling his child to no end, supporting him in everything.
"Wow, Lele skipped a grade! That's amazing! She's much better than your two older cousins." The aunt was very supportive, truly a master at enlivening the family atmosphere. As for what she was really thinking, who knows?
"Hmph, all talk and no action. You have to study steadily and practically. When your older brother was in the third year of junior high, he basically never slept more than six hours a night. He studied every day. He studied just as hard at No. 1 Middle School. If you had worked hard, you wouldn't have gotten into No. 2 Middle School. But you, on the other hand, go out to play every day and even skip grades. Do you think a family like ours can succeed without studying? You're trying to run before you can even walk. Brother, why don't you keep an eye on Fu Le? She's messing around, and you support her." Uncle's words were as harsh as ever.
"Oh, you don't know, Lele's grades are really good now. She was in the top 20 in her grade in her first monthly exam in her senior year, and in the top 10 in the last monthly exam before that. This monthly exam just finished, so she'll definitely do well. Just wait to eat your niece's college entrance celebration banquet, you don't understand anything else." Old Fu had seen his daughter's hard work and the results. He was unhappy with his brother's words, but he wouldn't fall out with her over such a small matter.
"Really? That's amazing, Lele, that's incredible..."
After a heated argument, Fu Le grew impatient and went straight to the kitchen to help his mother.
"What's wrong? Did your uncle say something unpleasant and you don't want to listen anymore?" Qi Hua teased, knowing his daughter's temperament well.
"You're only just realizing this? If I hadn't held back, I was afraid I would have taken his bowl and chopsticks and not given him any food, and then Dad would have blamed me."
"You little brat, you think you can just snatch the bowls and chopsticks like that? If you really do that, your dad will beat you up."
"Can he even hit me? He can't even run as fast as me." Fu Le said dismissively.
"Mom, go and return the money. Then come back. I'll help prepare the food; I won't be any slower than you. I'm too tired to listen to what Aunt and the others are saying; it's too harsh. Do you have enough money for 15,000? I've just sold a few dozen bottles of face cream; I have the money."
"No need, that's enough. You earned it yourself, keep it. I borrowed it from the delivery boss, I'll pay it back when I get my money. I don't have any money on hand, so your dad won't worry about it." Although Old Fu has toned it down a lot, he still likes to make reckless moves most of the time, neither winning nor losing. But he still cares about the family's money. Borrowing and paying it back like this lets him know that the family really doesn't have any money. The children need money for school, and university is no small matter.
"Huh? The pork delivery guy? He's willing to lend money to our family?" Fu Le was very surprised. She was wondering where the family got the money to repay her aunts, but she didn't expect it was borrowed.
"Yes, Lao Deng, his wife and I were high school classmates. We ran into each other recently and found out they're family. They're so easy to talk to. They knew we needed money to build a house, so they came to our door and asked if we needed any money. I was going to refuse, but since we have a family gathering coming up soon, I just lent them 15,000 yuan. They'll pay it back on time."
"Great job, Mom! Your classmate is really nice," Fu Le said with a smile.
"That's right, your classmate is doing very well too. But you really don't have any more imported pork? That commission is pure profit." The customers who used to buy braised meat still come to buy it, but not in large quantities. They say the meat quality has changed, so the taste is not as good, but it's still better than other places.
"It's gone." The sweet and sour pork was indeed gone. Now that she had the sand cricket pupae meat, she didn't like eating sweet and sour pork anymore. Although the sand cricket pupae looked a bit disgusting, the meat was delicious.
As the money was repaid, the atmosphere unexpectedly became extremely harmonious. Even at the dinner table, not a single unpleasant word was uttered. Fu Le looked at the fawning faces and got goosebumps all over his body.
"Look at your dad's attitude, he acts like he's the one who actually earned the money. All he cares about is his face." Fu's mother complained.
"Mom, it's normal for Dad to care about his reputation. Everyone in our country cares about their reputation. Just keep an eye on his gambling and make sure he gambles less outside." After dinner, the four siblings sat down at the table and played mahjong until they were completely engrossed.
At this gathering, Fu Le was the only younger member of the family at home, while the other siblings were all at work. Fu Le was happy to have some peace and quiet and didn't have to entertain anyone.
on Monday.
"Hey deskmate, you're here! Go check the rankings right now, you're amazing this time!" Sun Qianxi grinned from ear to ear when she saw Fu Le.
"Wait a minute, but Sun Qianxi, what happened to your face? Did a donkey kick you?" Your right cheekbone is bruised and purple.
Upon hearing this, Sun Qianxi's face stiffened. "It's nothing." He was a boarding student, and there were some things he couldn't avoid.
Seeing Sun Qianxi like this, Fu Le frowned, a familiar feeling of being bullied washed over him.
But since Sun Qianxi wouldn't say anything, she couldn't just tear it open for him.
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