A hundred flavors of life

Chapter 1428 I hope you won't regret this! (Please subscribe!)

Wu Jianguo, who was lamenting how much money he was going to spend at the teahouse, heard someone call his name. He looked up and saw that it was Hua Shier greeting him. He immediately smiled, walked over, and said:
"Hey Pengfei, what are you doing here too!"

Looking at Wu Jianguo's smiling face, Hua Shier also smiled and said, "Uncle Wu, do you think the person who invited you here might be me?"

"What do you mean?"

Wu Jianguo's smile froze. He glanced at Hua Shier, then turned to look at his own daughter. He saw that her face was slightly flushed, but her eyes were firm as she said:
"Dad, Pengfei wants to talk to you!"

Wu Jianguo pointed at the two of them with a look of surprise and doubt: "You, you two?"

Judging from his expression, he clearly suspected that Hua Shier and his daughter were having an affair.

Wu Shanshan quickly grabbed his arm:
"Dad, what are you thinking about? Sit down and talk, or people will laugh at us!"

Hearing his daughter's words, Wu Jianguo realized it wasn't what he had expected, and felt relieved. He glanced at the second floor; several guests were still drinking tea. Knowing it wasn't appropriate to make noise, he nodded and sat down opposite Hua Shier. Then, he eagerly asked:
"What's wrong with you two? Why did you call me here? Can't we talk about this at home?!"

Hua Shier picked up the teapot in front of him and poured Wu Jianguo a cup of tea, then smiled and said:

"Uncle Wu, stop overthinking. I'll tell you what I'm thinking!"

"what?"

Wu Jianguo had just calmed down, thinking he had misunderstood, when he heard what he said and suddenly tried to stand up.

As a result, Hua Shier reached out and placed a hand on Wu Jianguo's shoulder, and an unbelievable scene unfolded.

A tall, thin junior high school student, sitting lightly on the shoulder of a burly adult, managed to push the adult back down as he tried to stand up.

Seeing her father's face flushed red, Wu Shanshan, not understanding what was going on, assumed he was provoked by Hua Shier's words and immediately said:
"Dad, Pengfei wants to talk to you about helping me choose a university!"

Wu Jianguo looked at Hua Shier with some suspicion and uncertainty. The other party's seemingly effortless hand, placed on his shoulder, felt as heavy as Mount Tai for a moment.

Hua Shier smiled and withdrew his hand, then sat down: "Uncle Wu, have some tea to calm your nerves!"

Wu Jianguo picked up his teacup, downed it in one gulp, and felt the warmth soothe his soul, calming him down as he continued, following his daughter's train of thought:
"What's there to say? We've already discussed the college application process!"

When talking about his daughter's college application, Wu Jianguo still seemed a little guilty, his eyes darting away.

Hua Shier gestured for Wu Shanshan to sit down as well, and then said to Wu Jianguo:
"Uncle Wu, under the same conditions, which of your three children do you think will be the most successful in the future?"

Wu Jianguo originally thought that Hua Shier would persuade him to let Wu Shanshan go to high school, and he had already prepared his words of refusal.

But Hua Twelve raised another question.

Wu Jianguo thought about what Hua Shier said for a moment, his expression turned somewhat gloomy, and he remained silent.

Hua Twelve laughed:
"If I'm not mistaken, Uncle Wu, you've already figured out the answer, haven't you? Of the three children, Shanshan is the best student and works the hardest. She's also the most likely to get into university in the future. So the answer to my question must be Shanshan!"

Wu Jianguo said in a deep voice:

"So what if it is? You know your family's situation. There are three children. We can't just ignore the other two and only send Shanshan to college!"

Hua Twelve chuckled:
"Uncle Wu, stop making excuses. Is it that you can't afford it, or that you don't want to?"

Seeing that Wu Jianguo's face was flushed, Hua Shier continued:
"Let's put that issue aside for now and talk about another one. When you get old and need someone to be filial, support you, and take care of you, which of your three children do you think will truly take care of you and support you in your old age?"

Wu Jianguo said with a hint of uncertainty, "My three children are all good, all good kids, and they can all take care of me in my old age, right?"

Hua Shier chuckled, "I asked you to tell the truth, and you're just hypnotizing yourself here?"

Wu Jianguo was somewhat confused: "What hypnosis?"

Hua Shier waved his hand:
"Let me be frank. Zhang Min isn't surnamed Wu, and you're not her biological father. Even if she can take care of you in your old age and serve you wholeheartedly, she has such a scheming mother. You can hardly count on her."

"In the end, aren't you just relying on your two biological children?"

Wu Jianguo wanted to refute, but he had seen many such examples himself. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't say them because he knew that it was probably just as Hua Shier had said.

Hua Shier continued, "Your generation all have a preference for sons over daughters. I guess you, Uncle Wu, are the same way. You think that daughters are like water spilled out after marriage, so you care more about Wu Jun!"

"I'm not trying to be mean, but do you think Wu Jun, with his grades, can get into university? I bet he'll end up like you, working in a factory!"

"Actually, being a worker is not bad, it's just that you earn less, work harder, are tighter on money, and have a harder life!"

"But look at the current performance of various units. I heard that your cotton mill is almost unable to pay wages, right?"

"It's hard to say what the situation will be like when Wu Jun goes back to work. Just being able to work and earn money will be good enough for him to support himself. If he gets married, he'll probably still need your help!"

With each word Hua Shier spoke, Wu Jianguo's face grew more sorrowful, as if every word was a thorn in his side, yet they were all true.

"Pengfei, what exactly are you trying to say?!"

Wu Jianguo was thinking about going home. He wanted to have a drink and forget all his troubles.

Hua Twelve said with a smile:

"What I mean is, if I were you, I would nurture Shanshan, my own daughter, properly. Since she has the talent to learn and the opportunity to excel, why not give her that chance?"

"People say that daughters are their fathers' little cotton-padded jackets. Once Shanshan really makes something of herself, do you think she'll abandon you? Do you think she'll abandon her own brother, Wu Jun?"

"When Shanshan gets into university, she'll be the high-end talent the Guo family needs. She'll find a good job, and she can easily help her younger brother out. That's better than Wu Jun being a factory worker his whole life!"

Wu Jianguo was tempted, his expression complex. After a moment of contemplation, he sighed.
“What you say makes sense, but I can’t do it. If I insist on letting Shanshan go to high school, your Aunt Zhang will make a fuss with me again. Shanshan’s biological mother is gone, and her uncle is raising two children alone; it won’t be easy for him to find another one. Apart from being a little calculating, your Aunt Zhang has been quite good to me.”

He glanced at his pale-faced daughter with some shame as he spoke:

"Shanshan, it's actually quite good for you to study at a teacher's college. You can become a teacher right after graduation. Teacher Zhuang said that teachers' salaries have improved now. If you can find a boyfriend at the teacher's college, you can both be teachers. Wouldn't that be better than anything else?"

Hua Shier's face darkened. This was intentional, absolutely intentional. He was undermining his father-in-law and undermining him right in front of everyone. He wasn't even giving his father-in-law any face.

Wu Shanshan shook her head vigorously: "No, Dad, I want to go to high school!"

Wu Jianguo coaxed, "Shanshan, listen to me. You're a grown woman now, you have to understand the difficulties your family faces!"

Hua Shier chuckled: "I can see that, Uncle Wu, you're determined. I've tried everything to reason with you, but it's no use. So let's have a serious talk then!"

What he said before was truly for Wu Jianguo's benefit, but his good intentions were misplaced. What could he do if Wu Jianguo didn't appreciate it?

Wu Jianguo was somewhat puzzled; "What do you mean by 'tearing up the mask'?"

This time, Hua Twelve went straight to the point, no longer offering advice, but instead providing the optimal solution:

"Uncle Wu, you and Aunt Zhang don't want Shanshan to go to high school, isn't it because you don't want to spend money on her? She can go to a teacher's college for free, am I right?"

"Well then, since you don't value Shanshan, just name your price, and we'll consider it as selling our daughter to me. Shanshan will still live in your house from now on, but I'll cover all the expenses!"

Upon hearing Hua Shier's harsh words, suggesting he sell his daughter, Wu Jianguo immediately became angry and said:

"Pengfei, what do you mean by that? Explain yourself!"

“What’s so hard to understand? Shanshan will get married sooner or later. You’ll only get a hundred or two in dowry then, but before she gets married, she’ll still have to eat and drink at your expense. How much will that cost?” Hua Twelve said, spreading his hands with a smile.

"I'm giving you a sum of money right now as a way of repaying Shanshan for raising you for so many years. I'll support her and send her to university. Whatever she achieves in the future, it will have nothing to do with your family, Uncle Wu!"

Wu Jianguo's expression was visibly contorted, and he looked like he was about to explode.

Hua Shier held up one finger: "One thousand yuan!"

Wu Jianguo's expression froze: "How much did you say?"

Hua Twelve said with a smile:

"One thousand yuan! Nowadays, the highest bride price is only one hundred yuan. I'll offer one thousand, ten times the bride price!"

Wu Jianguo's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. He earned a little over seventy yuan a month, and a thousand yuan was more than he made in a year.

"I... I raised Shanshan and the others single-handedly, how could I sell my daughters for such a small amount of money? You... you mustn't say another word."

Hua Shier laughed and said, "I know, it'll cost extra, two thousand yuan."

Two thousand? Me?

Wu Jianguo was tempted by the salary he had earned over two years.

But before he could speak, Hua Shier continued to escalate the situation:
"Three thousand yuan, that's the most I can offer. You don't need to doubt whether I have the money or not. You all know my relationship with Yiming. It's just a matter of one word from him if I ask to borrow money. If you agree, I'll make one phone call and the money will be delivered to your house tonight!"

Wu Jianguo was completely tempted, but he also knew that selling his daughter was a sensitive topic. He looked at Shanshan, whose face was pale, and didn't know how to bring it up.

Hua Shier stood up, pulled Wu Shanshan to sit down next to him, and then said:

"Uncle Wu, I won't hide it from you anymore. Shanshan and I like each other, and I'm going to marry her in the future. She doesn't want to walk the path you've arranged for her, and I can't make her walk it. Since she has a talent for learning, if you won't support her, then I will!"

"But you have to keep this a secret for me. Don't tell my uncle and aunt yet. I'll tell them after we graduate from university!"

His words were a way of giving Wu Jianguo a way out, sounding like he was respecting his daughter's feelings and not as bad as selling her.

Wu Jianguo thought for a moment and said, "I want to go back and discuss it with your Aunt Zhang!"

Hua Shier kindly reminded:

“Aunt Zhang loves money so much, if you tell her it’s two thousand yuan, she’ll definitely agree. Uncle Wu, you can keep one thousand yuan for yourself. You can use it to find a job for Wu Jun or to help him get married in the future!”

Wu Jianguo was completely convinced and immediately nodded: "Okay, wait for me, I'll go back and discuss it now!"

He stood up and glanced at his daughter with guilt, but Wu Shanshan turned her head away from her father.

Wu Jianguo then hurried downstairs to go home and discuss it with Zhang Amei.

As soon as he left, Wu Shanshan couldn't help but burst into tears.

Although she was more than willing to follow Hua Shier, she found it hard to accept being betrayed by her father in this way.

Hua Shier took a pastry and put it in her mouth, comforting her:

"Focus on the results, ignore the process. As long as the result is good, don't worry too much about the minor pain in the process!"

Wu Shanshan wiped away her tears, nodded vigorously, and the pine nut cake in her mouth, after a slight bitterness, gradually revealed a sweet taste.

Hua Shier was right. When Zhang Amei heard that it was two thousand yuan, she immediately agreed. These days, who can earn two thousand yuan when they marry off their daughter?

In Zhang Amei's mind, with these two thousand yuan, her daughter Xiaomin's life would be secure.

So when Zhang Amei and Wu Jianguo arrived at the teahouse, the first thing they said to Hua Shier was:
“Pengfei is a good person and capable. My Shanshan is lucky to be with you. As soon as Lao Wu went back and told me, I agreed. Isn’t that a great thing?”

Wu Shanshan turned her head with a cold face, while Hua Shier smiled and said:
"Aunt Zhang is right, then it's settled. I'll send the money over tonight!"

Zhang Amei smiled and said, "Okay, okay, but could we not wait until tonight? You're familiar with Yiming, borrowing money is just a matter of a word. Why don't we just go to their store? It's right next door, just a few steps away!"

Even Wu Jianguo couldn't stand it anymore. Selling his daughter is one thing, but why are you in such a hurry? He nudged his wife under the table, but Zhang Amei glared at him fiercely, and he dared not say another word.

Wu Shanshan saw this and was extremely disappointed.

Hua Shier also shook his head inwardly. If it was true that Lao Wu was unhappy in his later years, he wouldn't be surprised at all; it was entirely his own fault.

He smiled and nodded: "Okay, let's go now!"

After paying the bill, I went downstairs and walked a short distance to Pengcheng Electronics Sales Department, where I entered Song Xiangyang's office:

"Xiangyang, Yiming isn't here. Can you lend me two thousand for an urgent need?"

Song Xiangyang naturally knew that Hua Shier was the real boss behind the scenes, so he immediately took out two thousand yuan and handed it to him.

Seeing Hua Shier holding the money in his hand, Zhang Amei's eyes lit up, and she went up to take the money.

Hua Shier quickly put the money back: "Aunt Zhang, we can't just talk about those conditions; we have to put them in writing!"

"Okay, okay, Pengfei, you write it, and Lao Wu and I will sign it!"

Zhang Amei's current thought is that as long as she can get the money, she's willing to sell her daughter, since she's not her biological daughter anyway.

Hua Shier immediately drafted an agreement stating that he would give the Wu family two thousand yuan, and that Wu Shanshan would have no involvement in any matters concerning the Wu family, including supporting the elderly. Furthermore, Xiang Pengfei would be responsible for all expenses related to Wu Shanshan's food, clothing, and daily necessities.
The agreement was made in duplicate and signed by both parties. At the same time, Hua Shier called Aunt Li and Song Xiangyang to act as witnesses and sign the agreement as well.

Both parties agreed that the matter would not be mentioned to anyone until Wu Shanshan graduated from university, and Hua Shier then handed over the two thousand yuan to the other party.

Zhang Amei was all smiles after receiving the money. She counted it several times, signed the papers, and was about to deposit it.

Wu Jianguo said to Zhang Amei, "Well, I need to tell Pengfei something. You go ahead!"

Zhang Amei thought he couldn't bear to part with his daughter, so she left excitedly.

As soon as she went out, Hua Shier knew what Wu Jianguo was going to do. She asked Song Xiangyang for another thousand yuan and gave it to Wu Jianguo, asking him to give her a receipt as well.

After receiving the money, Wu Jianguo turned to Wu Shanshan and said, "Shanshan, I'm sorry, but it's really a good thing that you're with Pengfei. I wish you happiness!"

Wu Shanshan turned her head and burst into tears.

Aunt Li and Song Xiangyang both looked at Wu Jianguo with disdain, making him feel ashamed. He said goodbye and was about to leave.

"Uncle Wu!"

Hua Shier called out to Wu Jianguo, "I hope you won't regret this later!"

Wu Jianguo waved his hand, turned and left the office, but when he left, the man in his thirties no longer stood as straight as before.

　Thank you to 08a and Little Tiger of the Demon Realm for the donations, and thank you to all the brothers who voted with monthly tickets and recommendation tickets. Thank you so much!

　　(End of this chapter)