WRS – Chapter 90

He Yan stared in shock at the property certificate in his hands, then glanced at Jin Xiuzhu. “Mom, do you have so much money you don’t know what to do with it? Does Dad know about this?”

Jin Xiuzhu felt a little guilty at the question and quickly changed the subject. “How’s your dorm? Which floor are you on?”

He Yan looked at her expressionlessly. “Mom, I’m not as easy to fool as I was when I was little.”

Jin Xiuzhu touched her nose. “How’s the cafeteria? Let’s go see what’s good to eat.”

He Yan softened a little at this, frowning. “You haven’t eaten yet?”

Then he added, “Never mind, we can talk while we walk.”

Knowing she couldn’t avoid it, Jin Xiuzhu reluctantly told him about the matter on the way, though there were some things she couldn’t explain clearly. Her experiences in her past life had left a deep impression; she was used to planning ahead. She didn’t want to shortchange any of her three children, so she always tried to leave something for each of them.

In the past, strict circumstances had left no opportunity. Now it was different, and Jin Xiuzhu felt this was the perfect time.

Leaving the small money at home unused was wasteful. Spending it was just for fun. Investing in Wang Ling’s factory was the same—these were just her beginnings. Later, she would invest in more factories or stores. Compared to being busy running a business herself, she preferred to sit back and collect the profits.

But she couldn’t explain this to Jiang Mingchuan or the children. They had grown up in this era, and many of their ideas and principles were different from hers.

Afterward, Jin Xiuzhu added, “Your dad and I have decent salaries, but we spend a lot too, so we don’t save much. You’re growing up, and in a few years you’ll get married and have kids. You’ll need a house, right? Otherwise, what girl would marry you?”

“Raising children costs money too. You, my child, are used to spending freely—using lots of oil and salt when cooking, loving meat. Could you handle eating plain boiled vegetables every day?”

He Yan puffed out his cheeks. “Fine, I won’t tell Dad. But if he finds out later, don’t pin it on me.”

He couldn’t help adding, “What about Yan Yan and Liuliu? Don’t just buy for me, or I won’t take it.”

“They all have one.”

He Yan relaxed. “Good.”

Then he realized, “Wait… what do you mean? You bought three sets?”

Jin Xiuzhu: “…”

He Yan sighed. “You’re bold. Dad’s going to be angry.”

Not because she bought them, but because she didn’t tell Dad anything at all.

But it was understandable—if she told him, he might not have supported it right away. Thinking of this, He Yan added, “Never mind, let’s not tell Dad. The longer we can keep it secret, the better.”

Jin Xiuzhu smiled in agreement.

He Yan grumbled, “I really can’t deal with you.”

But in his heart, he knew his mother only wanted the best for them. He wasn’t sure how she treated others, but for the three siblings, her care was unconditional.

After walking a while, He Yan started talking about the morning registration. They went around the cafeteria and found that Jin Xiuzhu had already eaten. He bought two buns, and mother and son ate while heading to the supply store to buy some daily necessities, then carried the things back to the dorm.

“Just heard from my roommate that every year, freshmen have military training the next day. Our training period is long—half a year. The next semester is when we start academic classes. So you might not be able to reach me for the next six months.”

Jin Xiuzhu nodded. “What about Wei Ningqing?”

“I haven’t seen him yet. We agreed to meet at the cafeteria in the evening after dinner.”

“That’s good—then you’ll have company.”

“Hopefully.”

They arrived at the third-floor dorm. He Yan’s room was 307. He had come early and grabbed the bottom bunk by the window. The bed was already made, with neatly folded military-green bedding. A green thermos was at the bedside, and shoes were arranged under the bed.

This was the result of his father’s training during summer—he was now very familiar with keeping things in order.

Against the wall by the door was a locker, which was already locked. Inside were daily items and a washbasin.

Other students had already arrived. Some were reading on their beds, others chatting, and one new student was wiping the bed with a cloth. Nearby was a woven bag, and his parent was helping, speaking in dialect while taking old clothes and shoes from the bag. Their belongings were worn and tattered, clearly showing modest means.

When He Yan returned, the boy in the top bunk greeted him: “Your sister is really pretty—you two look alike.”

Jin Xiuzhu couldn’t help but cover her mouth and laugh.

The roommate, not knowing why she laughed, smiled too.

He Yan proudly explained, “She’s not my sister—she’s my mom.”

“Ah!”

The others were surprised and turned to look. The parent tidying up their child’s things remarked, “Wow, she looks so young!”

Jin Xiuzhu smiled. “This is my eldest son. I also have two daughters.”

She opened the bag of fruit and handed some lychees to each student. “My little Yan is kind-hearted, steady, and reliable. He talks a lot sometimes, but please all take care of each other.”

“Thank you, auntie.”

Seeing this, the parent quickly gave out a bag of peanuts to the students.

The boy cleaning the bed worried his roommates would refuse. “These are grown by us at home.”

He Yan took a peanut, peeled it, and ate it, praising, “Delicious.”

He then peeled one for Jin Xiuzhu. “Mom, you try one too.”

She ate it and told the parent, “It tastes really good.”

“Glad you like it.”

The parent gave He Yan another handful, which he gratefully accepted with a bright smile.

After looking around, Jin Xiuzhu left, and He Yan escorted her to the bus stop at the school gate.

At the guesthouse entrance, Yang Yingxiong and his brother were waiting.

They saw her and hurried over, calling, “Auntie!”

“Why are you waiting here? Didn’t you register today?”

Yang Yingxiong shook his head. “We’re not in a hurry. I plan to take my younger brother to school tomorrow and register afterward. When are you leaving, auntie?”

“Tomorrow morning, after everything here is settled.”

“Have you eaten? I’d like to invite you to a meal.”

“Not yet. I’m afraid it’ll be too late. He Yan and the others have a class meeting tonight, so I can’t wait. Let’s go eat together.”

“Okay.”

On the way, Jin Xiuzhu asked, “I heard He Yan said he’ll meet Wei Ningqing tonight. Why didn’t you go?”

“I was afraid it’d be too late.”

Jin Xiuzhu nodded and didn’t say more. The three of them ate at a nearby state-run restaurant. Yang Yingxiong insisted on paying. Jin Xiuzhu ordered a bowl of dumplings and, looking at the determined face of the boy, decided to also order braised pork and shredded potatoes.

Yang Yingxiong softened a bit and ordered two more bowls of dumplings, paying for everything.

The brothers were very hungry. They devoured the dumplings immediately but didn’t touch the braised pork, knowing Jin Xiuzhu was showing gratitude for the house purchase. She helped serve them as they ate.

Before leaving, Jin Xiuzhu told Yang Yingxiong, “Yingxiong, you don’t have parents planning for you. Your path might be much harder than He Yan’s. There are some things I can’t say absolutely, but I don’t want you to take too many detours in the future.”

“If you haven’t found what you truly want to do, haven’t found your life’s goal, then work hard to earn money—lots of money. Money will reduce the gap between you and others, give you confidence to face anyone, and solve ninety percent of future life problems.”

Yang Yingxiong listened, stunned. “Earn money?”

“Yes. You earn too little now. You need to keep working hard. The reason you study for university is to get a good job and earn money to support your family. So don’t give up your ability to earn. Making money is also a skill—some people are stuck selling at a stall all their life, while others can start from a stall, open stores, and eventually have a dozen shops, earning more and more. Some things I can’t fully explain—you’ll have to figure them out yourself.”

“But don’t give up on your studies either. You need to find the balance yourself.”

Yang Yingxiong listened obediently.

After speaking, Jin Xiuzhu waved and left. Yang Yingxiong watched her walk away before leading his brother in another direction.

He pondered her words. He had never considered running a stall as serious work; he did it only to earn tuition for himself and his brother. Later, hearing that buying a house was good, he set the goal to buy one.

Now his aunt told him not to abandon the skill of earning money. This was different from his original intention, but he realized she was right—he was going to university to find a good job and support his family.

He didn’t fully understand what “earning a lot of money” meant, but he knew his aunt always spoke for his benefit.

He also realized she had seen his insecurities—his fear of meeting He Yan and Wei Ningqing. He knew they wouldn’t look down on him, but he felt the gap between them was growing.

The next morning, Jin Xiuzhu returned home. Her two daughters had already finished registering and were covering books in the living room.

Seeing their mother, Liuliu happily ran up. “Mom—”

She looked behind Jin Xiuzhu and pouted when she saw no one.

Jin Xiuzhu patted her head. “I bought you something tasty.”

Liuliu wasn’t that excited. “Big brother’s not home. It feels quiet without him.”

Fu Yanyan got up and said, “When you go to university, it’ll be even quieter at home.”

Liuliu quickly realized, “You’ll go before me, so then it’ll just be me alone at home.”

Jin Xiuzhu lightly tapped her head. “Your dad and I aren’t human, huh?”

Years later, whenever He Yan and Wei Ningqing had vacations, they ran over to Yang Yingxiong’s villa, picking their favorite rooms and ordering dishes with the housekeeper.

After waking naturally, they would grab a sports car from the garage and head to the company to see Yang Yingxiong.

Every time they arrived, they would envy him, rushing him off his desk to take his place, ordering him to fetch snacks and drinks.

They ate while playfully cursing him as a capitalist.

Yang Yingxiong could only mutter complaints; he couldn’t fight the two troublemakers, so he endured while being bossed around.