A hundred flavors of life

Chapter 1448 Zhang Amei: They've been hooking up for ages! (Please subscribe!)
The two families spent the day shopping. In the afternoon, Huang Ling treated everyone to a meal at Yichangfu, a long-established restaurant near the department store.

Normally, Huang Ling wouldn't be willing to spend money like this, but today was different. Her son and daughter, with the help of her nephew, each earned 50,000 yuan, which made her very happy.

During the meal, Song Ying winked at Huang Ling, then glanced at Wu Shanshan, who was sitting with Hua Shier, as if to say, "What's going on between these two?"

Huang Ling smiled faintly, then nodded slightly, her meaning quite clear: whatever you say means what you mean.

Song Ying gave Huang Ling a knowing look, her eyes telling her that she had seen through it all along.

Huang Ling chuckled and patted Song Ying on the shoulder, saying, "Then why did you ask?"

After having dinner at Yichangfu, everyone carried their shopping purchases back to the alley and returned home. The Zhuang and Lin families were all smiles.

Song Ying changed into a bright red cashmere sweater and went to the farmhouse specifically to show it to Huang Ling:

"Sister Ling, look at the dress Dongzhe picked out for me, isn't it too flashy? I can't even wear it out!"

Huang Ling smiled and said:
"That's great. We've all opened up and reformed now. Last time I took Tu Nan to Shanghai, people there were so daring with their clothes. Wearing red wasn't a big deal. And we're not old yet, so we should dress like this. As Pengfei would say, we usually wear yellow or green, like pickled cucumbers."

The two sisters giggled, and Lin Wufeng and Zhuang Chaoying laughed too. They all tried on the jackets their son had bought for them. Whether they looked good or not wasn't important; what mattered was that their son had bought them for them, and they were comfortable to wear.
After a while of merriment, the Lin family of three said goodbye and went back next door. Huang Ling began to pack up, putting away all the clothes she had bought that day, to wear again during the New Year.

Zhuang Chaoying sat on the edge of the bed drinking tea. After thinking for a moment, she called Zhuang Tunan and Hua Shier, who were chatting in the inner room, out.

"Tu Nan, Peng Fei, after you graduate, don't you really want to stay in Suzhou?"

Zhuang Tunan hesitated for a moment, then said, "Dad, I want to continue with the postgraduate entrance exam!"

Zhuang Chaoying frowned: "Take the postgraduate entrance exam? That would mean studying for several more years. Why don't you go back to Suzhou? Dad will ask someone to find you a stable job."

Huang Ling, who was working nearby, rolled her eyes and said, "It's just this little thing, and you're still thinking about it?"

Zhuang Chaoying sighed:
"Yes, I've been thinking that after Tu Nan graduates, I'll find someone to assign him to work at the Suzhou Planning Bureau. Tu Nan's major is a perfect match, and they need college graduates like him there. It's a secure job, and so many people want to get in but can't!"

"Besides, his father and grandmother told me twice that they would let Tu Nan stay in Suzhou after he graduates, so that he can help Zhen Dong and Zhen Bei when he develops in the future!"

Huang Ling initially listened attentively to her husband's plans for their son and thought about them carefully, but as she listened further, she felt something was amiss and immediately said:

"Alright, Zhuang Chaoying, you don't need to say anything more. I support Tu Nan taking the postgraduate entrance exam, and I also support him staying in Shanghai to work after graduation."

Huang Ling became increasingly angry as she spoke:

"I understand now. It's not enough for your parents to suck your blood; they want to suck Tu Nan's blood too. I won't allow them to scheme against my son!"

Zhuang Chaoying was somewhat angry:
"How can this be called bloodsucking? It's only right to be filial to parents and help your brothers!"

"There's no such thing as 'should'!"

Huang Ling was so angry she laughed:

“Pengfei made it so clear before: your dad isn’t without a salary. He saves it all for Ganmei and the others, and he even left the house to them. And now he wants us to help him? Is this help? This is just bloodsucking.”

Seeing that the situation was escalating, Hua Shier and Zhuang Tunan exchanged a glance and both gave a wry smile.

Hua Shier coughed lightly: "Uncle, Aunt, let me say something first, and then you two can continue arguing if you want!"

Zhuang Chaoying and Huang Ling temporarily ceased their fire and both looked at their nephew.

Hua Shier said, "Do you know why Tu Nan wants to stay in Shanghai? Because he found a girlfriend from Shanghai!"

What does it mean to have a single word that determines the fate of a nation?

Hua Shier's words instantly resolved the conflict, and the couple's attention was diverted to other issues.

Huang Ling's eyes lit up as she looked at her son:

"Tu Nan, is what Peng Fei said true?"

Zhuang Chaoying also asked, "How is that child? What's his diploma? Is he a university student?"

Zhuang Tunan was completely flustered, looking at Hua Shier with a resentful expression. "Big brother, are you up to something?!"
Hua Shier sighed and patted Zhuang Tunan on the shoulder:

"Brother, can you really bear to watch your parents argue? Just tell the truth, do you have a reason for not coming back? Just say it!"

Zhuang Tunan hesitated for a moment: "No, it's not even close to being done yet!"

Stop talking nonsense!

Hua Shier curled his lip and said, "If it weren't even a hint of a deal, why would I let you bring her along to make money? It's because I've decided she's my sister-in-law, you know? That's why family members take care of her. Otherwise, she wouldn't have a chance!"

Huang Ling quickly said, "You two tell me carefully what happened, and what kind of person is that child?"

Hua Shier turned around and smiled:

"That girl is pretty and has a good personality. I think she's a good match for Tu Nan. It's just that her walk is a bit funny, like a little penguin!"

Zhuang Tunan objected: "Don't talk nonsense, how can it look like a penguin? I think it's quite cute!"

Hua Shier spread her hands: "Auntie, look, this hasn't even happened yet, and they're already protecting each other!"

Zhuang Tunan's face instantly turned red.

Hua Shier went into the inner room and took out a photo. It was a group photo taken at the gate of Tongji University when he drove with Wu Shanshan, Zhuang Xiaoting, and Lin Dongzhe to Shanghai to see Zhuang Tunan that year.

He placed the photo in front of Huang Ling and Zhuang Chaoying, pointing to Li Jia in the photo:

"That girl with the two braids is Tu Nan's girlfriend, and also his class monitor at Tongji University. Her name is Li Jia, and she's a really nice person!"

Zhuang Chaoying quickly put on her glasses, and the couple picked up the photos and looked at them together. The former nodded and said:

"Not bad, she seems like a well-mannered and knowledgeable girl!"

Huang Ling liked it more and more the more she looked at it, but upon hearing this, she said unhappily, "How can it be good?"

Zhuang Chaoying was taken aback: "Did I misspoke? That is..."

Huang Ling: "That's really good!"

Hua Shier couldn't hold back any longer: "Alright, you two keep chatting, I'm going inside to have a laugh for a bit!"

Huang Ling playfully punched her nephew: "You silly child, your aunt just likes you!"

Seeing that his parents were satisfied and did not raise any objections, Zhuang Tunan felt relieved and began to scratch his head and grin foolishly.

Zhuang Xiaoting then came over and started praising Li Jia to Huang Ling. Clearly, this future sister-in-law was extremely satisfied with her sister-in-law.

The Lin family next door. Lin Wufeng said to Song Ying, whose ear was pressed against the wall:
"Alright, stop listening. It won't look good if Dongzhe sees you doing this!"

Song Ying sat back down in her chair and glared at her husband:
"Dongzhe is reading in his room, so I didn't let him see!"

After saying that, he explained:

"I'm afraid that Sister Ling and her husband will fight and Sister Ling will be bullied. If that happens, I'll rush over and scratch Teacher Zhuang's face until it's covered in bruises!"

Lin Wufeng was really worried: "I understand why Huang Ling and you are so close. You really go for it when there's trouble!"

Song Ying listened again and said, "Huh, they're not arguing anymore. Teacher Zhuang is quite well-behaved today!"

Lin Wufeng laughed and said, "That's right, this is called foresight of unknown dangers. If you don't understand this, you'll easily get scratched all over!"

Song Ying chuckled, amused by her husband: "You're quite good at choosing words!"

Lin Wufeng waved his hand: "Hey, isn't this all learned from young people like Pengfei and Dongzhe!"

Speaking of Pengfei, Song Ying recalled Hua Shier's previous talk about investment:

"Hey, do you think Pengfei's idea of ​​us buying a house in Shanghai is reliable?"

Lin Wufeng nodded without much thought:
"I think it's reliable!"

Ever since he learned that Hua Shier was the major shareholder of SDX Group, he began to think about Xiang Pengfei. The more he thought about the kid, the more amazing he became. At such a young age, he was able to start from scratch and build a business that even adults could only dream of.

He explained to Song Ying:
“Look at Pengfei, from childhood to adulthood, has he ever made a mistake in anything? If you think about it carefully, not only has he never made a mistake, but he can do everything to the best of his ability!”

"In this cotton mill residential area, there are three alleys and one street, and all the kids call him 'brother.' That shows how capable he is!"

Following her husband's line of thought, Song Ying exclaimed in surprise:

"You know what, it's really the case. Tu Nan and Yi Ming are both quite outstanding, several years older than Peng Fei, but they still call him 'brother.' They must admire his abilities. And then there's our Dong Zhe. Back then, nobody could control him. He was always hanging around Peng Fei. At first, I thought Dong Zhe was being bullied."

At this point, Song Ying giggled:

"I can't help but laugh when I think of Tu Nan. He was originally Peng Fei's older cousin, but they ended up becoming his younger cousin after playing together for a while!"

Lin Wufeng smiled and then continued talking about the investment:

“After Pengfei mentioned buying a house in Shanghai yesterday, I couldn’t sleep at night. I thought about it for half the night. Shanghai is no ordinary place. In the past, it was the Bund. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, it became a municipality directly under the central government. It’s a metropolis with a good geographical location. It’s a place that the Guo family is vigorously developing!”

"Especially after the reform and opening up, I heard that many people from other places have moved to big cities to develop. In the future, the economic development of Shanghai will definitely have great potential!"

"If the economy grows, the population will definitely increase, and the increased population will directly impact housing prices. So I think Pengfei is right. Buying a house in Shanghai now will definitely be profitable!"

Upon hearing that it could make money, Song Ying immediately perked up:

"So, with this money from Dong Zhe, shall we buy a house in Shanghai?"

Lin Wufeng nodded and said, "Buy it! If Dongzhe studies or works in Shanghai in the future, the house will be left for our son to live in. If he doesn't go to Shanghai, consider it an investment!"

The couple found the newspapers from the past two days, which published the prices of commercial housing in various regions after the reform and opening up. The newspapers stated that in January 87, the average sales price of commercial housing nationwide was about 408 yuan per square meter, while the price in Shanghai was a bit higher, at over 1 yuan.

Compared to new homes, ordinary secondhand homes are cheaper.

The couple discussed whether to use the 50,000 yuan to buy a larger apartment or two smaller apartments.

Just as I was studying it, I heard a woman shouting outside:
"You ungrateful wretch! Your father and I raised you for nothing, only to let you steal money from the house! You heartless bastard!"

Upon hearing it, Song Ying exclaimed, "It sounds like my sister's voice!"

The couple quickly put on their clothes and went outside.

The neighboring family also came out to check the situation, and they heard that things were in complete chaos at the Wu family's place, with Zhang Amei crying and wailing:

"Come quick! We have a heartless bastard in our family who's stealing money from us!"

A number of neighbors came out to watch the commotion. Huang Ling and Song Ying went over to see what was going on. Since they were all neighbors, they could try to mediate if anything happened.

Just then, Wu Shanshan's voice came through, calm yet composed:
"Alright, you know perfectly well whether it's your money or not. It's almost Chinese New Year, aren't you ashamed of yourself for making such a scene!"

Zhang Amei came out of the Wu family's house and started cursing, pointing inside the door:
"Shameful? You're the one who's shameful! Let everyone be the judge, you stole money from home and you still think you're right!"

Aunt Li spoke up:

"Sister, isn't there some misunderstanding? Shanshan would never do something like taking money from the family!"

The next moment, Wu Shanshan stepped out of the house, carrying a military green backpack. She stood there, her demeanor serene and composed, but when she looked at her stepmother, there was a sharp, confrontational air about her, her tone flat:

"Isn't my dad's salary all in your hands? Even if there's extra money, you take it back to your parents' home. You haven't given me a single penny all these years!"

Zhang Amei avoided looking at Wu Shanshan, but instead spoke to the surrounding neighbors:
"You be the judge. This girl stole money from home and spent it recklessly. I said a few words to her and told her to return the money, and that was the end of it. But she said it was her own money, several thousand yuan. Where did she, a student, get so much money? Isn't it still money she stole from home?"

Wu Shanshan didn't argue with her, and instead asked her father, Wu Jianguo, who had come out of the house with her:
"Dad, tell me, is this money from the family?"

Wu Jianguo was timid and avoided eye contact with his daughter, though he knew perfectly well what was going on.

Zhang Amei shouted, "Jianguo, tell me, isn't that money our family's money?! Are you dead? Say something!"

Wu Jianguo didn't directly say yes or no; he just said to Wu Shanshan with some difficulty:
"Shanshan, be a little more sensible. Apologize to your mother and give her the money!"

Just then, a figure squeezed in from behind the crowd, swung his arm, and slapped Zhang Amei hard across the face. With a loud crack, the woman staggered. If Wu Jianguo hadn't caught her, she would have been knocked to the ground.

"Pengfei!"

Huang Ling and Zhuang Chaoying both exclaimed in surprise.

Hua Shier said, "Uncle, Aunt, I didn't tell you before, but Shanshan is also involved in this business venture. So the money Shanshan has is the money we earned from this business!"

He turned back to look at Zhang Amei, who was stunned by the beating, and Wu Jianguo, who looked furious:
"I respect you and call you uncles and aunts, but you should also act like elders. There's a saying that goes, 'The one who wrongs someone knows better than the one who is wronged!'"

"Whether the money is yours or not, you know best in your hearts. You can ask for it back, but you can't wrong her!"

Wu Shanshan was originally quite strong, but when she saw Hua Shier standing up for her, she couldn't hold back her tears anymore.

Zhang Amei snapped out of her daze and pointed at Hua Shier: "You dare to hit someone?"

Hua Shier walked to Wu Shanshan's side, took her hand, and then said to Zhang Amei:
"Your shamelessness is just asking for a beating. You're so shameless, what's wrong with me hitting you?"

Zhang Amei shrieked, "Who's shameless? I'm telling you all, those two have been hooking up for ages!"

Thanks to 08a, Little Tiger of the Demon Realm, and Brother Li Meng of the God of Death for their donations, and thanks to the brothers who voted for monthly tickets and recommendations. Thank you so much!