Reborn in a small village in the 1990s

Chapter 317

In her previous life, Zhao Chunqin suffered a loss. She couldn't sell her goods and didn't even make back her costs, losing about 50,000 to 60,000 yuan. She only repaid 20,000 to 30,000 yuan to the Zhao family. However, Wang Guixiang used that 20,000 to 30,000 yuan to build a new house for her third uncle's family, while her own family got nothing.

When the father, Zhao Tiesheng, asked his aunt for money, he only got back a few thousand yuan. Then his aunt turned hostile, saying that she had already returned tens of thousands of yuan to the Zhao family. When it came to Wang Guixiang, she said that the money returned was for the money owed to Tiegang's family and the bride price for her second aunt, Zhao Chunhua. She said that the money for her own family was still owed to her aunt, Zhao Chunqin. The two of them just kept passing the buck, and neither of them would give the money back.

In this life, Zhao Da'e guessed that without her involvement, going to the county town to ask her aunt Zhao Chunqin for the money would have been no different from the previous life—she would have been turned away and wouldn't have gotten the money.

But in this life, with her involvement, her third uncle and aunt were also dragged down, so the outcome might be different.

"Dad, don't think too highly of things." Zhao Da'e wanted to say something, but seeing Zhao Tiesheng's unhappy look, the words he was about to say instantly died in his throat.

Sure enough, Zhao Tiesheng said, "Big Goose, you have to believe me. Once I get the money from your aunt this time, I'll use it to build a new house, a two-story one. That way, our whole family can be together, which is more important than anything else."

Zhao Da'e pursed her lips but ultimately said nothing. She understood that Zhao Tiesheng was the kind of person who wouldn't learn until he hit a wall, and there were some things he would only understand after suffering.

"Big Goose, remember to tell your mother that we're going to the county town in two days to ask your aunt for the money. Don't forget," Zhao Tiesheng repeatedly reminded her, afraid that Zhao Big Goose would forget.

"I understand, Dad. Don't worry, I'll pass on what you said to Mom," Zhao Da'e replied, and Zhao Tiesheng left with peace of mind.

In the afternoon, Cheng Jinxiang returned to the Cheng family home, carrying Zhao Xiaojuan on her back. Zhao Xiaojuan is only a few months old and cannot be separated from her mother. If Cheng Jinxiang leaves for even a few hours, Zhao Xiaojuan will start to cry. So whenever Cheng Jinxiang goes on a long trip, she will take Zhao Xiaojuan with her and carry her on her back, which makes walking easier.

Cheng Jinxiang had just returned from town. She bought some mutton there to improve the family's meals. Being at the Cheng family home was not as comfortable as being at her own home before. Now that the Cheng family home belonged to her eldest brother, Cheng Jinxiang's return to her parents' home was considered a visit. Having stayed for quite some time, she also had to help with some things, such as this time when she spent money to buy mutton.

Cheng Jinxiang carried the mutton into the kitchen, placed it down, and planned to use it to cook dishes in the afternoon. After washing her hands, she wanted to go back to her room to rest. As soon as she entered the room, she saw Zhao Da'e.

"Big goose, what brings you here today? Aren't you at your aunt's?" Cheng Jinxiang said with a smile, unwrapping the cloth covering Zhao Xiaojuan. Zhao Xiaojuan was asleep, her face rosy, the little girl wrapped in thick cotton clothes. Cheng Jinxiang couldn't help but touch Zhao Xiaojuan's face.

"Did you come to see your sister? But she's asleep. You can play with her when she wakes up later."

Cheng Jinxiang took off her thick cotton coat. There was a heated kang bed in the room, and it was warm and cozy to sit on. She was going to sleep later, so she took off her outer cotton coat.

Zhao Da'e took off his shoes and climbed onto the bed. He glanced at Zhao Xiaojuan, who was fast asleep, and couldn't resist reaching out to pinch her cheek. Children's faces are so tender. As if sensing someone touching her, Zhao Xiaojuan waved her little hand, but didn't wake up. She closed her eyes, rolled over, and fell asleep in a frog-like position. This was Zhao Xiaojuan's favorite sleeping position. Whenever she was in bed, she would think of rolling over and sleeping in this position. Zhao Da'e didn't really know if this sleeping position was comfortable or not.

But Zhao Xiaojuan is my younger sister, so she can sleep however she wants, and she's adorable no matter how you look at her.

Zhao Da'e was so busy looking after his sister that he almost forgot about the important matter at hand.

"Mom, Dad came to see me this morning. He told me to tell you that in two days we'll go to the county town together to find my aunt and get the money back."

After Zhao Da'e finished speaking, he looked up to see how Cheng Jinxiang would react. Cheng Jinxiang had a smile on her face, but as soon as Zhao Tiesheng was mentioned, her smile visibly froze and she could no longer smile. Her eyes showed some resentment.

"Now you're thinking about getting the money back? Why weren't you in such a hurry the previous times?" Cheng Jinxiang was extremely disappointed in Zhao Tiesheng. How could she have been so blind to fall for Zhao Tiesheng when she was 17?

When Cheng Jinxiang was 17, her older sister acted as matchmaker, saying that Zhao Tiesheng was a capable and hardworking young man who would have a good future. She then took a liking to Zhao Tiesheng, who was good-looking, down-to-earth, hardworking, and good at managing a household. At that time, Zhao Tiesheng also had feelings for her. When they reached marriageable age, Zhao Tiesheng asked his parents to come and propose marriage, and that's how the two got together.

Only after living together did she realize that although Zhao Tiesheng seemed reliable and capable, he was actually a mama's boy who listened to his family in everything and didn't side with his own family. When she and Wang Guixiang had conflicts, Zhao Tiesheng would always question her first. Even if Wang Guixiang started the trouble, Zhao Tiesheng would only tell her not to mind. In the years since she married into the Zhao family, Cheng Jinxiang had suffered enough grievances.

Previously, the two of them had saved up several sums of money. Zhao Tiesheng suggested that they put the money with Wang Guixiang. Cheng Jinxiang originally disagreed, but Zhao Tiesheng persuaded her several times that Wang Guixiang should manage the money so that the two of them wouldn't spend it recklessly and wouldn't be able to save enough money to build a new house. Only then did Cheng Jinxiang agree to put the money with Wang Guixiang for safekeeping, but not all of it, but only a portion of it.

She had a few thousand yuan on her person for emergencies, but Zhao Tingxu fell ill and it was said that it would cost several thousand yuan to treat his illness. Originally, the three brothers were supposed to split the cost equally, but the eldest brother Zhao Tiebao's wife refused to give any money, so she didn't give any. The third brother Zhao Tiegang's family didn't have any money, so her family foolishly gave the money. This matter bothered Cheng Jinxiang for a long time.

She had previously told Zhao Tiesheng that her family was being taken advantage of. The money was supposed to come from the three brothers, but her family ended up paying for it all. The worst part was that they said Zhao Tingxu was sick, but she didn't know what illness he had or how much the illness had cost. They took the several thousand yuan and then disappeared without a trace.

Cheng Jinxiang kept a record of every single expense. Every time she mentioned it to Zhao Tiesheng, he would use the excuse of filial piety to talk to her, saying that since his parents were sick, he, as their son, should do his duty and contribute money, and that she shouldn't be so stingy.

Now that Zhao Tiesheng knows that Zhao Chunqin has taken all the money he entrusted to Wang Guixiang, he's panicking again. If he had known this would happen, what was he doing in the first place? Didn't he say he trusted Wang Guixiang to keep it safe for him? And now?

Cheng Jinxiang now just wants to mock Zhao Tiesheng, laugh at how much he trusted Wang Guixiang and how blindly filial he was, and what he got in return.

Thinking of this, Cheng Jinxiang couldn't help but reason with Zhao Da'e, "Da'e, there are some things I have to tell you. You can't be too blindly filial. You have to keep a record of everything. Even if you have money, you don't have to put all your money on Mom. You should keep some money for yourself. If something unexpected happens, you can use that money for emergencies. It's safer to keep money in your own possession. Now that you're making money, Mom also wants to tell you some things."

"If your grandparents ever ask you for money in the future, just say you don't have any or that you've lost money in business and owe money to others. Never say you have money, because that will give them a reason to ask you for money and then not pay it back. You can be filial, but you can't be blindly filial and give them all your money, including me. The same principle applies to friends. When lending money, lend to those in urgent need, not those who are already poor. Once you lend money to some people, it's very difficult to get it back, and you might end up losing even your family and friends."

These are all things Cheng Jinxiang has experienced in the past few years. It's a pity that no one taught her these principles back then. She was unwilling to give away all her money, so they said she was unfilial. But in the end, she couldn't get the money back after giving it away. The money she wanted to use to build a new house was gone. If she had kept half of the money, the house could have been built by now, and she wouldn't have had to come back to live with her parents, where she was also uncomfortable.

Zhao Da'e smiled bitterly to herself. She had understood this principle in her previous life. Many truths are gained through practice. So when she was doing business, if someone asked her about selling water, she would try to say that she earned little or that she spent the money elsewhere, so that they would think she earned little and not ask her for money back. Money is for those in urgent need, not for the poor. Some people who borrow money will never think of paying it back.

However, Zhao Da'e didn't want to appear so precocious in front of Cheng Jinxiang, lest Cheng Jinxiang show a distressed expression. Instead, she nestled affectionately in Cheng Jinxiang's arms, feeling her mother's embrace, and said, "Mom, don't worry, I'm very clever. You don't need to worry so much about me. I'll earn a lot of money for you to spend in the future, so you can enjoy life and not envy other people's children. Besides, I love giving you money. Even if you don't pay it back, it's okay. This money was originally saved for you to spend anyway."

Cheng Jinxiang looked at Zhao Da'e snuggling in her arms and felt a little helpless. She rubbed Zhao Da'e's head and said, "You, I can't be with you forever. You have to think about yourself too. You gave me all your money, so what will you do? I know you're in business, and businesses also have times when they're short of funds. You need money too. When you make money, just give some to Mom. Keep most of it for yourself. Mom isn't very educated and can't help you much. The only thing I can do is support you in whatever you do and not hold you back."

These are Cheng Jinxiang's heartfelt words; she wants Zhao Da'e to live a good life and supports whatever she does.

A warm feeling washed over Zhao Da'e, and she called out "Mom" with emotion. She looked up at Cheng Jinxiang and then rushed into Cheng Jinxiang's arms.

Cheng Jinxiang patted Zhao Da'e on the back. Remembering that Zhao Da'e said he would go to Zhao Chunqin's place in two days to ask for the money back, she felt a little unsure. She wasn't sure if she could get the money back. Given Zhao Chunqin's shameless nature, she guessed that she wouldn't return the money easily.

Cheng Jinxiang thought of a question and asked, "Did your father say anything? What if your aunt doesn't pay back the money?"

Zhao Da'e pursed her lips. Thinking of how much Zhao Tiesheng trusted Zhao Chunqin, she looked down on Zhao Tiesheng a little. He thought too highly of everything and too highly of people.

“Dad said that Aunt used the money to start a tea business. He heard from Grandma that Aunt made some money, so he’s sure he can get the money back when he goes to Aunt this time,” Zhao Da’e said honestly. He guessed that his mother’s face would darken again after hearing this.

As expected, Cheng Jinxiang's face darkened. She said with a hint of exasperation, "If that were really the case, Zhao Chunqin would have paid back the money long ago when she was able to. Even if she had the money, she wouldn't have come to pay us back on her own initiative. Why can't your father understand? He thinks so highly of his good sister and mother. Living with him is truly a miserable experience. If we hadn't given the money away in the first place, we could have avoided a lot of trouble, but your father just wouldn't listen. Now everyone knows that your grandmother lent money to your aunt, and your father still trusts your grandmother so much. There's no hope for a person like him. He deserves to never be able to build a new house."

Cheng Jinxiang couldn't help but complain about Zhao Tiesheng again, and she had no expectations for going to Zhao Chunqin to ask for money this time.

After thinking for a moment, Zhao Da'e said, "Mom, listen to me for a moment. When you go to the county town with Dad to find Aunt in two days, I want to go with you too. Maybe I can help you in some way."

Looking at Zhao Dage's eager-to-help expression, Cheng Jinxiang felt both helpless and amused. "You can go with her, but you won't be of much help. You're so young. If you come to her door asking for money, you'll just sit there crying. Your aunt is shameless and doesn't spoil you. I don't think your crying will affect her. If she doesn't want to give you money, she won't give it no matter what."

Zhao Da'e shook his head and chuckled, "Mom, I'm very useful, you can believe me."

Zhao Da'e had some of her own opinions. "Mom, I know that my aunt is an educated person, and even has a good job in the county. She is a small leader in a big factory, managing more than a dozen people. Do you know where my aunt works? Big factories value their reputation. If an employee has any problems that affect the factory, they will be fired."

When Zhao Da'e said this, Cheng Jinxiang understood what Zhao Da'e was trying to say. She subconsciously asked, "You mean you want us to cause trouble at your aunt's factory?"

Although it was a question, Cheng Jinxiang knew that Zhao Da'e meant it. She knew her own daughter well, but Cheng Jinxiang hesitated, unsure if it was feasible.