Free Web NovelChapter 59: Chapter 59: A Difference of Opinion
Once they were a good distance away from the Gu Family’s house and saw no one around, Wen Xiu finally let out a long, smiling sigh of relief. "This is great. Now Minzhen can buy a small courtyard home in town and won’t have to travel all the way out to Lihua Village anymore."
"I know, right? Who would have thought my sister-in-law’s father-in-law had so many nice things. And to think her mother-in-law was constantly complaining about how poor they were. It’s true what they say—the richer people are, the stingier they get."
Whenever Lin Qin thought of the white jade bracelet inside that exquisite box, her eyes filled with envy. A treasure like that was more than enough to be passed down as a family heirloom.
"The jewelry is not to be touched," Zhang Dazhuang said, looking at the two women with a serious expression. "That’s Nuannuan’s dowry from her grandfather. And the gold can’t all be exchanged for cash, either. It’s meant to be saved for Nuannuan’s education. When you really get down to it, there isn’t much we can actually use."
"So, are you saying we’re just supposed to stare at it? And let Minzhen and Nuannuan suffer for nothing, still having to live all the way out in Lihua Village?" Wen Xiu was dumbfounded. ’If that’s the case, what’s the point of having any of it?’
"How is having them live in Lihua Village and buying a bicycle ’suffering for nothing’?" Zhang Dazhuang retorted. "Wasn’t that our original plan?"
"But back then, we didn’t expect..." ’...that her father-in-law would be so generous.’
Wen Xiu got a headache just thinking about how stubborn her husband was.
"No. It’s better to be low-key," Zhang Dazhuang insisted, shaking his head. "Being too conspicuous will only attract thieves."
"You stubborn old man! How is that being conspicuous?" Wen Xiu shot Zhang Dazhuang an angry glare. Although his remark about attracting thieves did make her a little nervous—as the saying goes, it’s not the thief who steals you have to fear, but the one who’s always watching. Still, she wasn’t ready to give in. She turned to Zhang Minzhen and nudged her. "What do you think?"
"Me? I... I don’t know..." Zhang Minzhen stammered. "M-Maybe we should just do as Dad says?"
’I actually agree with Dad,’ she thought, stammering. ’I don’t want to exchange the gold for cash. It feels safer to keep it, since it will hold its value. If we can avoid touching it, we should. It would be great to save it all for Nuannuan.’ But she didn’t dare say so outright and cause her mother to lose face.
"You... You’re driving me crazy! Why are you as stubborn as your father?" Wen Xiu sulked, turning away from the father and daughter.
"Mom, Dad and Little Sis do have a point," Zhang Wei Qiang said, moving closer to coax her. "Since we can get by for now, we shouldn’t cash everything in at once. We just need to exchange enough to buy a bicycle and have some startup capital for a small business. That should be enough, right?"
"Besides, a suitable courtyard house isn’t something you can find easily just because you want one. In my opinion, having them live in Lihua Village for now isn’t a bad idea. If we make a big show of buying a house right away, won’t that just invite that mother-daughter pair from the Gu Family to cause trouble? People will do anything for money. Even if her father-in-law can control them at home, can he stop them from making a scene outside? It would be much better to let Little Sis set up a stall in town and run a small business for a while. I can help them keep an eye out, and when a suitable house comes along, it won’t be too late to decide whether to buy it. By then, even if the Gu women come knocking, we can just say the money was earned from the business. What could they possibly say to that?"
Zhang Wei Qiang was inwardly pleased. ’Now that Little Sis has both money and tangible assets, she has a safety net. It won’t be a disaster even if she loses a little money when she first starts her business.’
’In business, you win some, you lose some. I’m not asking for much. As long as Little Sis can earn enough to cover food and daily expenses for herself and her daughter, why would I worry that they couldn’t make a living, or that Nuannuan would have no money for school? And if she does manage to earn a bit extra, it won’t be too late to think about settling down and buying property in town then, would it?’
"Yes, Big Brother is right," Zhang Minzhen said, nodding in agreement. She had instantly understood his meaning.
As Wen Xiu mulled over her son’s words, her expression gradually softened. ’He’s right, what he said makes a lot of sense,’ she thought. ’Buying a house right now is too hasty. Everyone would know exactly where the money came from. Would those Gu family members really let it go? Instead of having them show up every other day to cause trouble, it’s better to wait. That way, we can confidently claim the money came from my daughter’s business. Isn’t that much better?’
Seeing that Wen Xiu had come around, Zhang Minzhen sidled up, took her arm, and gave it a little shake with an appeasing smile. "Mom, Dad and I actually meant the same thing." Then she deliberately looked at Zhang Dazhuang. "Right, Dad?"
"Yes, yes, that’s right."
Knowing he had to placate his angry wife, Zhang Dazhuang also chimed in with an appeasing smile.
"Hmph. A little late for that now. You two are just a pair of opportunists," Wen Xiu said, giving the father and daughter an annoyed glare before her expression finally softened into a smile of approval for her eldest son. "Qiangzi is the one who really knows how to talk. He’s so logical and convincing."
Seeing that Wen Xiu had finally come around and wasn’t angry anymore, everyone chuckled in relief.
Carrying such valuable items, Zhang Dazhuang and Wen Xiu were in no mood to linger in town. However, it was a rare trip for Lin Qin, and she wanted to stay a while longer. In the end, they decided that Zhang Wei Qiang and Lin Qin would stay behind to pick up Gu Nuan Nuan, while the other three would head straight home.
It was already approaching noon, and whether they were staying in town or heading home, everyone needed to fill their stomachs first. They all went to eat noodles, and Zhang Minzhen took the initiative to buy two meat buns from He Ji for everyone. She bought enough not only for those present but for everyone back home as well.
Gu Nuan Nuan’s share was given directly to Zhang Wei Qiang and Lin Qin, so she could have them as a snack when they picked her up from school.
After buying the meat buns, Zhang Minzhen also had a few pounds of fatty pork cut for her. She also bought a large grass carp that weighed well over ten pounds and was still flopping about when it was pulled from the water, carrying it with a grass rope.
Seeing her daughter buying meat buns, pork, and fish, Wen Xiu didn’t say anything in front of her daughter-in-law. But as soon as the three of them were walking alone, she chided Zhang Minzhen, "Honestly, you. You just got a little money, and already you don’t know how to be more frugal?"
"Mom, it’s just that I’ve never really been able to buy things for everyone. Now that I have a little extra, I felt I should make a gesture."
"What kind of gesture? That’s all superficial," Wen Xiu said dismissively.
"It’s a kind thought from the girl. She’s already bought it, so just let it be." Zhang Dazhuang, carrying the fish and meat, stopped Wen Xiu from nagging further. Then he turned to Zhang Minzhen. "This one time is fine, but save the rest of that money. There will be plenty of times you’ll need it, so don’t spend it recklessly again."
"Okay, okay, Mom, Dad. I was just so happy that things went smoothly today. Can’t we just call it a celebration?" Unfazed by her parents’ lectures, Zhang Minzhen hugged Wen Xiu’s arm and wheedled, "I’ll be frugal from now on. At the very least, I’ll wait until I’m earning my own money from the business before I buy things for everyone again."
"Oh, you..."
Wen Xiu couldn’t help but smile helplessly. "Have you even decided what kind of business you want to start? Don’t go planning how to buy things for everyone before you’ve even earned a single cent. Even after you start making money, you need to make sure you and Nuannuan have enough for yourselves before you think about anything else."
Zhang Dazhuang nodded in agreement.
"Dad, Mom, I know. You can rest assured." Zhang Minzhen’s nose tingled, and she secretly vowed that she would find a way to earn more money so her parents wouldn’t have to worry about her day in and day out.
She suppressed the wave of emotion and frowned in frustration. "I haven’t figured it out yet. I did discuss some ideas with Big Brother this morning, but nothing seemed quite right, so I haven’t made a final decision..."
