"Grandma, we don’t need this money. Please keep it for yourself; we have enough," Lin Wan looked at the bundles of old and new bills tied in rolls. It tugged at her heart, and she hugged Grandma, her eyes turning red. With Grandma willing to do so much for them, how had she treated Grandma in her previous life?
"Take it, it was meant for Xiao Yi," Han Ying hugged Lin Wan with a satisfied smile.
Lin Wan shook her head, "No, Grandma, we really have enough. We don’t need this money."
"If you don’t take it, Grandma won’t feel at ease, Xiao Wan."
"Grandma, the money for the house is not only from Han Yi but also from the dowry you gave us. Why should you worry? We really have enough. If you’re not convinced, I can go inside and get the bankbook to show you? I promise it has more than what you have here, so please just keep it."
"Your money is your money. Grandma knows you have money from doing business, but this is the money I saved for Xiao Yi’s house. When I agreed to give your uncle this house, I had already made up my mind. Grandma used to work at a factory; after I retired, I didn’t want the factory housing. Instead, I received a pension, a few dollars each month. In recent years, after policies improved, Grandma resumed the family trade, selling some soaps at home. Even though it’s just a few cents here and there, I made quite a bit. Besides this money, Grandma has saved up quite a bit."
Lin Wan knew Grandma was just trying to comfort her and shook her head with a smile, "Grandma, after we buy the house, our home will still need some furniture. You don’t need to pay for the house; why not help us with the furniture? If you’re feeling generous, perhaps two hundred would do."
"Furniture is one thing, but take all this money. Stop refusing, or Grandma will get upset. Now Grandma is already feeling uneasy. Xiao Wan, Grandma is in a difficult position; Bo Xu and his wife are nice people too. Grandma doesn’t want to show too much favor to Xiao Yi and hurt the grandson’s feelings."
"Grandma, I understand. That’s why we’re buying a house; we were thinking of moving out, but we didn’t know how to tell you, afraid it might upset you. Besides, I don’t want to be apart from you, Grandma. Why don’t you come live with us? The house over there is bigger, and the yard is spacious."
"Grandma won’t be going. You just moved in, and I’ll stay with my nephew, not the grandson. Otherwise, the neighbors might gossip. Besides, Grandma is used to living here; you can just visit often when you move."
In the end, Grandma insisted she take the two thousand dollars. Lin Wan had no choice but to promise that she would open a savings account for her the next day and put in ten dollars every month as a token of respect.
Grandma agreed with a smile.
The next morning, Lin Wan went to the savings bank early to open an account for Grandma, deposited two hundred dollars, and asked the staff to print a transaction slip. Then she deposited all the money Grandma had given her yesterday without printing a slip for this time.
"Opening an account is a big deal, Grandma. This is your wealth from now on, and you don’t want an empty account, so I deposited plenty of big bills for you. Aren’t you pleased?"
"You mischievous child, you just wanted to return yesterday’s money to me," Grandma said with a smile on her face.
In the afternoon, Lin Wan went to the shop, rode the tricycle over, and moved her clothes and some odds and ends in one go.
As for the wardrobe and boxes, Lin Wan planned to ask her brother to come over in a few days to help with the move.
In the evening, her mother-in-law came back with the two kids. They all looked very downcast.
"There aren’t many houses, and finding one isn’t easy. When we first came here, it took my brother a month or two to find a place," Lin Wan consoled them, "If you can’t find one for now, just stay at mine. There are plenty of houses there."
"I saw my dad today. He said our family has a house," Hu Dong said discontentedly.
"A house?" she hadn’t heard him mention it before.