Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Asking for Money Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Asking for Money “Okay,” Liu Yushu nodded incessantly, “You… Once you go off to university, it’ll be fine. It’ll be good once you pass the entrance exams.”
Lu Youxi bowed her head to cook the noodles, her eyelashes trembling slightly.
She had never heard Liu Yushu say such a thing in her past life.
After preparing breakfast, the family went out to work in the fields together in the morning.
By the time it was almost lunch, Liu Yushu and Lu Youxi went back home early to prepare lunch.
Old Master Lu and Lu Zhenguo continued to stay in the fields.
When lunch was nearly ready, Old Master Lu and Lu Zhenguo returned home.
They had just arrived when they heard Ge Guifen, the Second Aunt, shouting at the door, “Dad, Mom, Big Brother, Sister-in-law!”
Following her voice was that of Lu Zhenjia, the Second Uncle.
Liu Yushu and Lu Youxi were in the kitchen; the dishes had just been served.
Lu Youxi, hearing Ge Guifen’s voice, curled her lips in derision, “They really do come sniffing around when they smell food.”
Liu Yushu paused, feeling that Lu Youxi’s words were somewhat off.
As if… they were describing a dog?
Sniffing around and then coming over.
“Shh!” Liu Yushu, who was timid, quickly hushed Lu Youxi, “Don’t let anyone hear you.”
“They won’t hear,” Lu Youxi said with a smile, knowing that Liu Yushu’s timidity wasn’t developed overnight, nor could it change so quickly.
Lu Youxi wasn’t in a hurry; she would take her time.
She and Liu Yushu carried the dishes into the dining hall, where Lu Zhenguo and Ge Guifen were already waiting at the table for their meal, quite consciously.
The lunch was simple: steamed buns with three stir-fried dishes, and a bowl of pickles to accompany the buns.
Ge Guifen nudged Lu Zhenjia with her elbow.
Lu Zhenguo, who was honest and straightforward, seeing Lu Zhenjia and Ge Guifen hesitate to speak, was about to ask.
Lu Youxi, seeing these two, knew they didn’t come with good intentions; they never visited unless there was a reason.
As she noticed Lu Zhenguo about to speak, Lu Youxi said, “Dad, Grandpa, you’ve been working hard in the fields all morning. You must be tired. I’ll go get some white liquor; Uncle and Auntie have come, too. We can all have a drink together.”
Lu Zhenjia had a liking for liquor, and upon hearing Lu Youxi’s proposal, he couldn’t say anything to object.
Old Madam Lu saw it was for her two sons and therefore had no objections.
Old Master Lu nodded his head, feeling that his granddaughter seemed to be acting sensible today.
“Where did we put the liquor again, Dad?” Lu Youxi asked, concerned that Lu Zhenguo might bring it up again if she were not there, pulling Lu Zhenguo along with her.
Lu Zhenguo didn’t think too much about it and stood up to get the liquor with Lu Youxi.
“You Big Girl, make sure to remember the place, so you don’t always have to trouble your dad,” Old Madam Lu couldn’t bear to see her son doing housework.
Lu Youxi pretended not to hear and returned with the liquor, pouring some for the three men at the table.
Unfortunately, while she had stopped Lu Zhenguo from speaking up, she hadn’t managed to stop Old Master Lu.
“What brings you two over today?” Old Master Lu asked.
Lu Zhenjia quickly took his chance to speak up, “Dad… It’s time for Youbang to pay tuition fees and his living expenses for the next two months; we really can’t come up with the money.”
Old Master Lu pondered for a long while before speaking, “Zhenguo…”
“Uncle, demanding that our family pays for cousin’s tuition and living expenses isn’t appropriate, is it?” Lu Youxi said coldly.
Lu Zhenjia slammed his chopsticks down hard on the table, “Men are speaking; what place does a girl like you have to interject?”
Old Master Lu also scowled, scolding Lu Youxi, “The elders are still here, since when does this family allow you to talk?”
“You may not want to hear it, but I have to say it. Our family has strained its resources to send our cousin to university; we’ve done more than enough,” Lu Youxi said loudly. “Hasn’t my mom and dad contributed enough money? To support my cousin through university, Youxue has to go to the town before dawn every day, and how far is that from our village! He can’t even afford to eat at the school cafeteria at noon and has to come back home for food, then rush back to school, sacrificing his rest time. If it weren’t for funding my cousin, Youxue could at least eat lunch at school and rest properly at noon, to better focus on studying in the afternoon. My cousin needs to study; doesn’t Youxue need to study as well?”
Hearing this, Lu Zhenguo fell silent.
He was honest and willing to help his nephew, but he could distinguish between kith and kin.
Youxue was his son; his loyalty was due to Youxue.
Lu Youxi had not realized, and honestly, he himself hadn’t seen how hard Youxue had been working.
“The money for my cousin comes from scrimping on what Youxue eats. My cousin is over twenty, a university student; is it so hard for him to work part-time and study? Does he have to pinch pennies from the mouth of a twelve-year-old child to support himself?” Lu Youxi declared emphatically.
“Big Girl, that’s going too far. It sounds like we owe Youxue,” Ge Guifen couldn’t take it any longer. “Is Youbang attending an ordinary university? He is at Jing University – the top institution in Hua Country! Youbang isn’t just the first university student from our village; he’s the first to attend the nation’s premier institution! Youxi, when you get to university, Youbang will even tutor you for free! You don’t realize how much Jing University’s talents charge for private tutoring. But he’d be available to tutor Youxue at no cost.”
“What are you implying, Auntie? That my cousin had also planned to ask Youxue for money? If he needs tutoring, I can tutor Youxue as well,” Lu Youxi countered coldly.
“You’re not a university student,” sneered Lu Zhenjia.
“I’ve just finished the college entrance exams and will be attending university soon. And I’m confident I will be admitted,” Lu Youxi responded. “Besides, I’ve always been at the top of my class. Forget the university; I am perfectly capable of tutoring Youxue.”
Lu Zhenjia had no comeback for that.
Regardless of anything else, Lu Youxi’s academic achievements were indeed outstanding.
“Besides, since it’s so profitable to tutor as a student of Jing University, my cousin must have made a fair amount, right? Why is he still asking for money for tuition and living expenses? Is it that he can’t earn it through tutoring? Even if he can’t earn tuition, isn’t it possible to make enough for his own living expenses?” Lu Youxi challenged.
Ge Guifen was dumbstruck by Lu Youxi’s questioning.
Lu Zhenjia was quicker to react, immediately justifying, “Your cousin has a heavy study load; where does he have the time to tutor others? He’s only willing to sacrifice his time to teach Youxue, who is our own family, and doesn’t even charge for it!”
“Exactly! Besides, we’re asking mom and dad for a loan, not a handout, and certainly not asking for anything from you,” Ge Guifen yelled, her voice growing louder.
“The grandparents live with us, and the daily expenses are all covered by our family without using the grandparents’ money. In addition to the daily expenses, we also provide them with extra retirement money. The grandparents say they’re saving it for their old age. How did they manage to save their retirement fund? It’s because we support them, and they don’t spend the money they save. Moreover, that retirement money? It’s what our family manages to give the grandparents every month. When you ask the grandparents for money, remember that it’s also coming from us.”