Chapter 70: Chapter 70 Where is the Money? (1)_1 Chapter 70: Chapter 70 Where is the Money? (1)_1 Ruan Jiaojiao was eating breakfast while watching the Ruanlin Family matriarch bustling about in the kitchen.
The Ruanlin Family matriarch was truly capable, the go-to person for everything inside and outside the house, hardly needing anyone else’s help. When she passed by Ruan Jiaojiao, the girl grabbed the hem of her pants.
“What’s up?” The Ruanlin Family matriarch was still holding meat, which she was preparing to cure into bacon.
“Granny, when Jiaojiao gets into college, I will buy you lots and lots of tasty things!” she said earnestly.
In the past, Ruan Jiaojiao only wanted to protect the Ruan Family members from dying, but now she wanted them to live well, exceptionally well!
“Hahaha… Then I’ll just wait for my Jiaojiao’s tasty treats,” laughed the Ruanlin Family matriarch, amused and pleased.
“Mmm-hmm! Granny, you wait!” Ruan Jiaojiao was full of fighting spirit.
“Alright, Granny will wait. Once you finish eating, you can go out and play. It’s smoky in here, and it will smoke you out.” She paused and then instructed, “Just play nearby, don’t go out of the village, and don’t go to the back mountain, understand?”
“Okay.” She wouldn’t go even if invited before she had control over her abilities.
This one time that Ruan Jiaojiao got scared, she didn’t think about going hunting for the following week.
That Saturday, the three older brothers who were studying in town returned home.
Ruan Jun, Liao Zhaoji’s eldest son, was fourteen years old and in the second year of junior high. He would be moving to the third year come summer, a critical year for high school advancement, which also concerned whether they could get into college later on.
They came back this time to get money for materials, which cost over five yuan.
This was not a small sum. Hearing this, Liao Zhaoji exploded immediately, “Are you buying gold nuggets or just materials?”
“Mom, these materials are different, our teacher brought them from the province, so they’re a bit more expensive,” he explained.
“Still, it shouldn’t be that expensive. It’s almost half a month’s wages for your father,” Liao Zhaoji was still reluctant to give the money.
“If he needs it then give it to him, it’s for a good cause. Why do you have so much to say?” Ruan Jiandang, who hadn’t received an education or learned any skills and couldn’t work in a factory, could only earn money by doing odd jobs. He knew the suffering of not being educated, so he fully supported his son’s education and didn’t think much of the five yuan material fee. It just meant eating five catties less of meat.
“Didn’t we sell that forty catties of meat for forty to fifty yuan last time?” Ruan Jiandang thought she would keep some for the family, but she sold it all the next day.
But sold was sold, and it made no difference once it was turned into money.
When Ruan Jiandang mentioned the money from the forty catties of meat, Liao Zhaoji felt a sudden twinge of anxiety. She averted her eyes, feeling incredibly guilty but feigned impatience and walked away to her room to get the money. She deliberately pulled out a pile of change and stuffed it into Ruan Jun’s hands, muttering angrily, “Having you kids is like dealing with debt collectors, always eating or asking for money!”
Ruan Jun was past the age of arguing with his mom and couldn’t be bothered to engage with her, knowing that the more he did, the more agitated she would become. He turned and went next door to find Ruan Hao. Ruan Hao was doing well academically, and when he moved up to high school, all the books and materials would be his. Still, Ruan Jun wanted to let him know in advance, just in case he’d already promised them to someone else.
As Ruan Jiandang spoke about this, he recalled something else.
As soon as Ruan Jun left, he said, “The second boy is going to junior high this year. The tuition for both will be over two hundred. How much do you still have left? When you have time, count it up. I’ll see how much we’re short and think of a way to make it up.”