Cheng Su, upon Luh Kai’s recommendation, picked out a refrigerator and treated him to lunch before heading home.
The refrigerator made its way through the courtyard, and everyone had their eyes on it, their eyes turning red with envy.
These days, buying a refrigerator costs quite a bit of money, but it seemed like Cheng Su’s family never had to worry about money. Whatever they wanted to buy, they bought, without ever worrying about the cost.
How much money had she actually made?
The workers moving the refrigerator were making quite a bit of noise, drawing Chunhua out to see what was happening. Seeing the refrigerator, she also couldn’t help but express her admiration.
"If I have more meat at home than I can use, can I store it in your fridge?" Chunhua, eying the brand-new refrigerator with envy, asked Cheng Su with a smile.
Cheng Su was busy arranging things inside the refrigerator and felt a twinge in her heart upon hearing this. She said, "Raw meat is fine, but cooked meat is not. Cooked meat easily smells, and I really don’t like the idea of storing meat and vegetables in the fridge because it’s hard to eliminate the odor. That’s why I always buy just enough groceries for one meal, and leftovers from one meal don’t taste good either!"
Without waiting for Chunhua to reply, she continued, "But you should also try to buy just enough for one meal. Even if you were to store it here, I can’t be at home all day. I have to go to work, and Old Qi is in the army. Nobody’s home to fetch things for you, right?"
Chunhua felt a hint of rejection in her words, and her face involuntarily flushed with embarrassment. She awkwardly said, "That’s true, I was just speaking off the cuff. I couldn’t just bring it over and store it like that!" Inside, she felt somewhat uncomfortable.
Cheng Su smiled slightly.
She knew she might be coming off as unsympathetic, but there were times when a refusal was necessary. For instance, with storing vegetables and such – once there’s a precedent, every time their family had extra food, would they bring it over for her to freeze? And if she allowed it, the fridge only had so much space; managing food for two families would be complicated aside from the health concerns. On the other hand, if she refused, she would likely be accused of being cold-hearted.
With that in mind, it seemed better to refuse from the start and avoid future awkwardness!
Feeling disheartened, Chunhua returned home and hugged Yuer, glancing at her own humble dwelling and then comparing it to Cheng Su’s. The stark difference between having money and not was immediately obvious!
Their home always looked pristine, everything in place, the windows shining clean, exuding warmth.
As for her own place – it was a mess, dirty, and just looking at it made one uncomfortable.
Having money was indeed wonderful!
Chunhua patted her daughter’s back and sighed. Old Liang’s allowance was only a few tens of yuan, not even a hundred yuan. Now with Yuer born, their expenses had increased, and they hardly had any savings.
Chunhua wondered if she should look for a job. Or perhaps, she thought, she should ask Cheng Su for a position in her shop?
Having made up her mind, she shared her thoughts with Liang Shurong when he returned home.
"If you go to work, what about the baby?" Liang Shurong frowned and hesitated before saying, "The allowance has increased by twenty yuan this year, so we have a little more income. Maybe you shouldn’t go to work? Just take on some handicrafts to do at home?"
"Doing handicrafts is exhausting and pays so little. Stringing thousands of beads only to earn a few measly coins," Chunhua said, feeling deflated.
"But if you go to work, there will be no one to look after our daughter." Their daughter was only a few months old!
"I was thinking of weaning her and sending her back to our hometown to be with your mother," Chunhua said.
Liang Shurong immediately felt a pang of distress and said, "She’s not even half a year old, and you want to send her away so young? I can’t bear it, and I wouldn’t feel at ease!"
"What else can we do then? I’m sick of living in poverty!" Chunhua snapped.
Liang Shurong went silent at once and pursed his lips.