RYEY -Chapter 439 Difficult Labor

“Really? There’s such a good thing? Mom, how much are you planning to give me?”

“What do you think?”

“Five thousand yuan.”

Cheng Li said boldly. In less than ten years, he had saved up five thousand yuan on his own. For this land purchase, Grandpa had also given him five thousand yuan. So now, he was a ten-thousand-yuan household.

A ten-thousand-yuan household—what a terrifying number that was. In this place, there probably weren’t many people who could even take out a thousand yuan, let alone ten thousand.

For a while, he really wanted to show off, to tell Wu Xiaolin that he was already a ten-thousand-yuan household. But Cheng Ligou stopped him, saying wealth should not be flaunted. Otherwise, in a place with such rough folk customs, the grandfather and grandson might not even be able to protect themselves.

Cheng Li was an obedient child. He finally suppressed all that vanity. But when he saw Cheng Qiao and Li Huan, all those pent-up thoughts burst out at once.

“Mom will give you ten thousand yuan. Although buying land and building houses doesn’t cost much, stocking goods is expensive. And the goods you stock won’t necessarily sell right away—you’ll have to bear the pressure of inventory.”

“Mom, thank you. I understand now. You’re worried that I might be short on working capital, right? I’ll be careful and make proper plans. I definitely won’t touch any money beyond what I can turn over.”

“Oh my, this child—who taught you to talk like that? You sound so polished.”

Cheng Liguo listened with a smile to the conversation between the father, mother, and son. At that moment, he felt incomparably happy: above him were his daughter and son-in-law, and below him his grandson keeping him company. Life was truly good.

“I write to Uncle Shouhou every month, and I also write to my grand-uncle. Between the lines, they teach me how to manage things and how to do business.”

Cheng Qiao froze. Ever since Li Huan was poisoned, she hadn’t written to her uncle and aunt for almost half a year. She hadn’t contacted Zhao Hui, and she hadn’t even gotten in touch with Ye Ling—despite the fact that Ye Ling was her business partner.

“Come on, come on—go with Mom to make some phone calls. We have a lot to call today: my master, Ye Ling, Shouhou, and your grand-uncle.”

Li Huan felt deeply guilty. If it weren’t for him holding Cheng Qiao back, she wouldn’t have forgotten to stay in touch with all these people. Thankfully, she hadn’t forgotten their son and daughter—or his old mother.

“I’ll also call my mother and ask how she’s doing.”

They went to Qin Daqiang’s office again. Qin Daqiang knew at a glance they were there to use the phone and tactfully excused himself. After all, Cheng Qiao never wasted their phone bill for nothing.

The first call was to Mother Li. She hadn’t heard Li Huan’s voice in a long time. She already knew that the one injured back then was her Huan’er. Fortunately, Cheng Qiao had kept reassuring her that Li Huan was fine.

“Mom, are you doing okay?”

“You little brat! You still remember your mother? I’m not okay—what are you going to do about it? Come back and see me!”

Li Huan’s nose stung. He had never been away from his mother for so long. He was truly sorry—not intentionally, but the journey was long, the weather cold, and he simply couldn’t endure it.

“Mom, I’m sorry. Your son is unfilial, making you work at your age, mind the shop for me, and take care of my son.”

“You really are unfilial. You can’t even compare to one finger of Ming’er’s. Thank goodness I have Ming’er with me—otherwise, an old woman like me would have no one to turn to. I might as well hang myself.”

Li Huan’s heart ached terribly. What had turned his gentle, kind mother into someone so irritable? It was him—his unfilial behavior, his incompetence.

The line went silent. After venting her anger, Mother Li suddenly felt uneasy. Had she gone too far? Had she hurt Huan’er’s feelings? Sigh—knowing full well her son’s health wasn’t good, why had she provoked him like that?

She was about to soften her words when Li Ming snatched the phone from her hand. Li Huan’s guilt was temporarily suppressed amid Li Ming’s repeated calls.

“Dad, don’t worry. Grandma has me. You focus on recovering and get well soon, then bring my big brother and Mom home.”

“Son, thank you,” Li Huan said.

“Dad, no need to thank me—we’re father and son. Oh right, where’s Mom? I want to hear Mom’s voice, and Big Brother’s too.”

Reluctantly, Li Huan handed the phone to Cheng Qiao. What worried her most was this child—too mischievous, always getting into trouble.

“Mingming, tell Mom—have you been causing trouble lately?”

“Mom, I haven’t been causing trouble anymore. I’m busy every day—no time to cause trouble.”

“Really? Then tell Mom what you do every day.”

“Mom, I get up early every morning to run. Then I come home for breakfast, go to school, and after school I help Grandma cook dinner and wash clothes. Sometimes I even help move goods.”

Cheng Qiao felt greatly comforted. This child’s strength was even greater than that of an adult man—letting him move goods wouldn’t be a problem.

“Son, be careful when moving goods. Don’t force yourself with things taller than you or too heavy. If you hurt yourself, you won’t grow taller later.”

“Ah… Mom, I know.”

“Take good care of Grandma, okay? And remember to balance work and rest.”

Li Ming had never liked listening to Cheng Qiao’s nagging before—it always felt annoying. But when he heard Mom say she was about to hang up, he felt reluctant. He was willing to listen to her nagging now; it was a kind of happiness.

Cheng Qiao’s voice choked slightly. Seeing this, Cheng Li quickly grabbed the phone. The two brothers joked and laughed over the line, finally lightening the mood.

After hanging up, Cheng Qiao made her second call—to Ye Jun. After understanding the situation, Ye Jun hung up. Everyone was busy; as long as they knew the other was safe, that was enough.

She continued calling—this one, of course, was to Ye Ling. The moment Ye Ling picked up, she couldn’t stop complaining, even saying things like she was a hired girl while Cheng Qiao was a landlord.

In the end, the two of them still hung up happily. Their goal was to make money—since the money was coming in, what was there left to complain about?

She then called Zhao Hui. Zhao Qijun answered. When Cheng Qiao learned that Zhao Hui’s transportation business investment in Xiangyang County had already taken off, she was genuinely delighted. This was a major step forward in social development.

Just as Cheng Qiao was about to dial the last number—the number for her twins—she took a deep breath. She was about to face tearful cooing on one end and awkward silence on the other.

But she had barely dialed four digits when Qin Daqiang knocked urgently on the door. Cheng Liguo’s expression changed—he knew something serious had happened, and it was definitely for Cheng Qiao.

“Cheng Qiao, quick—Jiang Meili’s mother is having a difficult labor!”

Qin Daqiang cursed inwardly. If it weren’t for Li Bing, he wouldn’t have to deal with this mess. An old woman already nearing menopause, still insisting on having a child.