Back to 1979: Sending the Educated Youth’s Wife Back to the City

Chapter 192 Parents Arrive
After the May Day holiday, the travel agency's office moved to the first courtyard of the traditional courtyard house. Han Mei organized the relocation, arranging all matters in an orderly manner.

Lin Yan couldn't help but say to Fang Mingche, "She has all the abilities." She thought she would have to worry a lot.

Fang Mingche smiled and said, "With high income, people's initiative comes out in full force."

In her past life, Han Mei took over her father-in-law's job at the factory, and her work attitude was actually quite similar to Lin Yi's now. She would slack off whenever she could, just to get by and collect her wages. But after being laid off in 98, the couple suffered greatly because of this.

Ayan had already passed away by then, but Yan Yan was admitted to a university in Beijing in 1995. Occasionally, she would visit her maternal grandparents on weekends. It was a matter of courtesy, after all, they were the child's elders.

They would take their things, have a meal, and then return to school; they wouldn't stay overnight. At that time, they were still living in the two rooms allocated by their father-in-law. Around that time, their cousin Yan Yan was also born. The twelve-year-old boy also slept in the dining room at night, acting as the 'manager'.

According to Yan Yan's phone call, her uncle and aunt were very envious of her for not being laid off as a teacher. Later, Han Mei went to work as a cashier at a supermarket. She was forty years old then, and didn't have many other options.

Lin Yi, he remembered, went to drive a taxi. Like Master He now, the car belonged to the boss, and he had to hand over a monthly fee. But taxi drivers made a lot of money back then; things weren't so good after 1998. Things are valued for their scarcity, and the same principle applies to people.

The two of them earned just enough to make ends meet. Two middle-aged people were laid off, and two elderly people lost their retirement pensions. Their finances suddenly became tight!

He transferred 5000 yuan to Yan Yan's card so she could give it to her maternal grandparents. After all, they were Yan Yan's parents!
In 1998, his salary wasn't very high, just a few hundred yuan. He was raising his daughter alone and couldn't even afford to smoke good cigarettes.

Lin Yan nodded. "Her initiative was indeed mobilized. Money really does have an effect!"

Fang Mingche laughed, "Your brother is incorruptible by wealth and status!"

Lin Yi is incredibly composed. His wife earns around 300 yuan a month, yet he remains unfazed. After get off work, he still plays cards with his coworkers. He doesn't even bother with the workers' university or professional title exams.

Speaking of Lin Yi, Lin Yan could only sigh. He really has absolutely no ambition.

“If he weren’t my brother, I think Han Mei would definitely want to dump him right now.”

Why is Lin Yi so confident? It's because Han Mei works at his sister and brother-in-law's travel agency.

Even if Han Mei ignores him and looks down on him in her words, doesn't he feel bad?
Fang Mingche said seriously, "Tell Lin Yi that if Han Mei divorces him, I will not fire a useful subordinate because of him."

Lin Yan nodded.

The couple chatted idly while desks, delivered by a small truck, were being unloaded one by one and carried into each office, where nameplates had already been made. These nameplates, also made by the Lei family, matched the style of the house.

The desks were folded up with soft cloths, otherwise there wouldn't be enough space for many desks. Even so, I'll have to make a second trip. But there's no other way; this is the only truck available. And there's no moving company yet.

The van was out picking up passengers, not cargo. So, since we have a car and a driver, it's better to make one more trip. That's the most cost-effective way! Today is Sunday, so the administrative staff are all making use of their time, diligently moving their own belongings. Consider it two hours of overtime.

As Xiao Gang passed by Fang Mingche and Lin Yan, he asked, "Cousin, where's the restroom?"

"Over there," Lin Yan pointed in a direction.

The toilets are newly built; the old courtyard houses didn't have toilets. Now, each courtyard has a small, dedicated toilet room. They're squat toilets with a flush tank above each one. These are for staff use only; the guesthouse rooms have toilets.

In addition, a kitchen was set up in both the first and second courtyards. The row of houses where the kitchen in the first courtyard was located would later become the travel agency's catering team. Several older women who were particularly good at cooking were hired.

The second dish is for guests staying at the guesthouse. Old Wang's club makes a considerable profit selling fried rice. They also opened a small restaurant to earn some extra money.

Unlike Lao Cui, who made a fortune, Lao Cui didn't have to worry about setting up a kitchen. He bought all the small courtyards of his neighbors on both sides and expanded his restaurant to three times its original size.

Those are two small courtyards, each over 100 square meters, which would cost at least 20,000 to 30,000 yuan. Anyway, now that the individual business license is up, business is booming.

After a while, Xiao Gang came out of the restroom. He said to Fang Mingche and Lin Yan, who were talking in the corridor, "I just took a walk around the restroom, the greenery is really nice."

The renovation of this courtyard began in the first month of the lunar calendar. Master Lei and his team carried out the house repairs and landscaping simultaneously. After all, they were the top contractors employed by the Ming and Qing dynasties, and the landscaping was done very well. The trees and flowers, from transplanted to newly planted, were all beautifully arranged.

Lin Yan said that although it cost eight thousand, it was well spent.

After the office relocation was completed, the Fang family of four moved from the small courtyard to the Overseas Chinese Apartment. Their move was even simpler; they didn't move any furniture or appliances. They just packed their clothes and moved them over.

Lin Yan bought a whole set of new furniture and appliances at the Friendship Store. The furniture was made of good wood and had a European style. The appliances were all imported. Nowadays, imported goods are indeed better.

A 21-inch color TV, a top-loading fully automatic washing machine (which existed as early as the 70s), a refrigerator, and an air conditioner.
In her words, since she was already 100,000 yuan in debt, adding a few tens of thousands more wouldn't matter. "A lot of lice don't itch, a lot of debt doesn't worry me! I'll enjoy myself first."

Many neighbors from the tenement came to help them move, but they also took the opportunity to visit the famous Overseas Chinese Apartments. Liu Qingfeng and Geng Shan drove a small truck to bring back the appliances. Zhu Dahai, Hu Yong, and the other three helped carry them into the elevator.

Well, a few days ago, Lin Yan, Zhu Dahai, Hu Yong, and the other three sat down to talk. They reached an agreement: Lin Yan would take 25%, Zhu Dahai 15%, and the other three would each take 15%. The total investment was 20,000 yuan!
Hu Yong is now in charge. Zhu Dahai originally wanted to try, but Lin Yan rejected him outright.

"If you take the lead, won't it just lead to everyone wanting a share of the phantom stock?"

Zhu Dahai wanted to say, "Isn't it you two who's here?" With the two of them involved, he believed no one would dare to make a rash move. But before he could say it, he knew he shouldn't.

Lin Yan suggested that Hu Yong take the lead. After all, he was the one who led those four people, and in the past year and a half, there had been no internal troubles and no outside interference.

Zhu Dahai wanted to say that it was because the two of you had sorted out all your relationships in the village before. But Hu Yong and the other three were naturally united, and Lin Yan also supported them, leaving him no room to speak.

Lin Yan said, "Old Zhu, when we do things, we must put the right people in the right positions. This is the only way to ensure that everyone's interests are maximized. You can just wait for your share of the profits, like me. Oh, and you also have to do some work, so that'll be an extra source of income."

In the end, Zhu Dahai reluctantly agreed to let Hu Yong take the helm. He would be a shareholder who did the work. If he didn't do anything, Hu Yong planned to kick him out. He wasn't exactly indispensable anyway. Bringing him in was simply to eliminate one troublemaker.

Now everyone is banding together to squeeze Qi Shun out and monopolize this market.

We're going to buy tractors in a couple of days, three of them first. We'll use the remaining 11,000 yuan to utterly crush Qi Shun.

Even Aunt Yuan couldn't help but exclaim in amazement when they were unpacking and assembling the appliances. "This is so advanced! These things alone must be worth tens of thousands of yuan! Appliances are expensive these days, especially imported ones!"
Then Lin Yan revealed that she was 100,000 yuan in debt.

The old neighbors were stunned for a moment, then realized what it meant. That big courtyard house! They heard it cost over 100,000 yuan.

Lin Yan smiled and said, "We'll be opening on May 18th. Please come and have a look. You can also watch our Changchang's first birthday celebration."

Zhu Wenjuan laughed and said, "518, I want to get rich! Changchang's birthday is really a good day."

"It was purely a coincidence!"

Fang Mingche left the decision of buying furniture and appliances to Lin Yan. Actually, in a few years, as domestic appliance manufacturers develop their products, the prices of imported goods will drop considerably. However, it's only a few tens of thousands of yuan; his wife can certainly enjoy it a few years earlier if she wants.

They work hard to earn money, so they definitely want to enjoy it themselves. And it's true, imported goods are generally of better quality than domestic ones.

The neighbors were still gossiping, saying how wonderful the apartments in this overseas Chinese community were, and how amazing the furniture and appliances were!

Lin Yan said, "This should be considered a normal configuration in the Overseas Chinese Apartments."

It feels so good that we don't have to pretend to be poor anymore! And the neighbors all agree that they deserve this kind of good life.

The crucial point is that they are also in debt for over 100,000 yuan, which is common knowledge.

She used the 70,000 yuan she misappropriated to buy furniture and appliances. It's a pity no one in the Overseas Chinese Apartments was selling any apartments; otherwise, it would have been more cost-effective to use the money to buy a house.

However, the travel agency's profits were soaring. Their company alone could distribute dividends of around 400,000 yuan a year. Therefore, even though she was currently over 100,000 yuan in debt, she wasn't too worried.

Fang Chang can now walk a few steps, albeit unsteadily. Despite his lack of skill, he's quite enthusiastic, wobbling around all day like a little roly-poly toy. A helmet is definitely a must. He also wears knee pads and wrist guards to prevent falls.

He could still say a few simple terms of address, like Dad, Mom, and Sister. Then, he staggered forward, heading straight for the room.

Yan Yan quickly followed behind, "That's my room, do you want to go in and have a look? It's mine!"

Fang Chang steadied himself by the door, then patted his chest. The implication was, 'Where's mine?'

"This way, this way, your room is this way." Yan Yan guided him to the larger room next door.

Fang Chang shares a room with Min Jie, so her room is a few square meters larger than her own. However, her room has better natural light. Her parents said they would try their best to treat everyone equally.

Changchang changed direction and went into her own room first.

Niu Niu and Song Chi followed them inside. Niu Niu couldn't help but exclaim, "It's huge!"

This is about the same size as her two rooms combined.

This apartment is 240 square meters, with four bedrooms, two living rooms, a study, a kitchen, and a bathroom. So, the rooms are definitely not small.

Gu Wenle also lunged in that direction from his mother's arms. Zhu Wenjuan said, "Okay, okay, let's go in too."

She had actually complained that it sounded like she and her son were of the same generation. But the Gu family's generational naming system was the "Wen" generation. It wasn't Wenjuan's "Wen" that was part of her generation; she just thought the character sounded nice.

There was no reason to ask Gu Wenle to change the middle character if he wanted to. In the end, he simply ignored it.

The little guy is about four months old now, and his neck is already holding up steadily. As soon as he came in, his eyes darted around. This time, he insisted on going into Changchang's room, so Zhu Wenjuan had to carry him in to participate in the group activity.

Sister-in-law Song asked Lin Yan, "Will your Yan Yan continue studying in the same preschool class?"

Lin Yan took the lead, saying, "Finish this semester first, then transfer here."

Next semester, she'll be attending a nearby school for overseas Chinese children, where the teaching quality is quite good. Wang Dexian helped her secure the enrollment, and she'll be attending a full-time school. Yan Yan has already passed the interview. Her previous experience studying abroad, as well as her spoken English and Japanese, played a crucial role.

As for Fang Jian and her two sisters, it was Gao Xiang and Grandpa Gu who helped them find schools. Yes, they were all expensive, because they didn't have Beijing residency permits.

On May 10th, Mr. and Mrs. Fang were preparing to go to Beijing. Xu Shengshun picked them up from their home on his way to Beijing.

"Master, Madam, I'm going to LS city to buy some goods. I'll take you with me on the way."

Fang's father knew that he had bought a used pickup truck and indeed went there every month to pick up goods. Besides continuing his black market business, Xu Sheng had also opened a legitimate general store. He was making money both openly and covertly, preparing to gradually transition into other businesses.

Previously, I already had a sole proprietorship business license. Having this legal status is definitely better; I can do business openly now. However, I'm still a little reluctant to pay so much tax. But clearly, this is the trend of the times.

So Mr. Fang agreed to hitch a ride with him.

On the day of departure, Xu Sheng estimated the time and came to pick up the person from home early in the morning.

Fang Minghua helped the elderly couple carry their luggage onto the train, saying, "Young man, we'll need your help getting on the train later."

They were transporting goods, and he would have taken up a lot of space on the return trip. Otherwise, he would have liked to go to the train station with them and see his parents off to their sleeper car before he felt at ease.

Xu Sheng said, "Uncle-Master, don't worry, I will make sure to get the Master and his wife into the carriage and settle them in properly."

Fang Minghua couldn't help but chuckle when he heard him call him "Uncle-Master." Since his brother had become successful, some people had indeed come to him with all sorts of sarcasm and ridicule, but many others had also become much nicer to him because of it.

Before getting into the car, Mr. Fang looked at his eldest son's bare wrist, took off his own watch, and put it on him.

"I'm going to the capital to work and earn a salary. I'll buy myself another one later. You can take this one!"

These are Swiss Titoni watches; a pair cost three or four hundred. In their small towns, very few people wear them yet.

Fang Minghua said, "Dad, no need, we have a clock at home." As he spoke, he reached out to take it off.

"Just take it, do as I say."

Watching the van carrying the two elderly people drive away, Yuan Shufen said, "Have you changed your mind?"

Last year, my mother-in-law came home wearing an imported women's watch, and she was incredibly envious. However, my mother-in-law definitely wouldn't give it to her.

Fang Minghua said, "I can't just refuse without even saying yes, especially in front of outsiders."

He raised his wrist to look at it; having a watch was indeed much more convenient. Moreover, it was a symbol of status and position.

Yes, he definitely benefited a lot from the second son's influence.

Yuan Shufen pouted and said, "This is what you truly love and can't put down!" Even though I only studied for a year or two, I've heard this phrase before.

Fang Minghua rolled his eyes at her. "Alright, we still need to wire 300 yuan to the capital at the end of August. Time to get to work in the fields!"

Yuan Shufen would certainly not hesitate to send the money to her own children. Besides, it was clearly not enough; her brother and his wife would have to contribute as well. 300 yuan was only enough for half of the school selection fees for her three children.

"Okay, let's go—"

Xu Sheng was true to his word. He parked the car outside the train station, bought a platform ticket, and saw the two elderly people onto the train.

He was carrying the boxes in both hands. "Master, they're not heavy at all."

Mr. Fang said, "It's mainly some summer clothes to change into. In addition, there are the winter clothes that your teacher's wife bought for us when we went to the capital last time."

He gave all the winter coats Fang Mingche had given him to his eldest son. The only winter clothes he had left were still wearable. If they dressed poorly, it would be a slap in the face to their son and daughter-in-law.

Fang Mingche had Han Mei buy lower berths for the two of them, which was very convenient. Xu Sheng saw that they had brought quite a lot of food and drink along the way, so he didn't buy them any more. Otherwise, the two elders would be a burden on the journey.

Father Fang had actually bought extra because he was expecting a gift. Otherwise, the other party would definitely offer more, which wouldn't be good. It's better to prepare more than necessary, even if you're poor. Their family wasn't so poor these days that they had to skimp on food and drink.

There was no other way before, which is why the old woman was driven to that state.

At 4 p.m. on the 12th, Lin Yan drove Fang Min and Changchang to the train station to pick up their grandparents.

Fang Mingche has class in the afternoon and hasn't come back yet. Yan Yan has finished her preschool class, but she still needs to go to the Children's Palace for a piano lesson.

Fang's father and mother were picked up by Fang Min as soon as they exited the train station.

"Seventh Uncle, Seventh Aunt, this way—"

Fang's mother stared blankly at Fang Min, who had just taken the suitcases from them. This girl has become so stylish!

Mr. Fang was also somewhat surprised; she truly looked like a completely different person. He almost didn't recognize her at first, and even joked about someone trying to snatch their suitcase. He instinctively put it back, fearing he'd encountered a robbery at the train station. It was only after hearing her cheerful greeting that he realized who she was. Looking closely, it was indeed the same person. But the change was truly remarkable!

Fang's mother said, "Xiaomin, if you didn't call us, I wouldn't even recognize you."

Fang Min tugged at her dress. "Aunt Jiu saw the style at the Friendship Store and then bought the fabric to make it for me."

Lin Yan made two outfits with a sewing machine, one for herself and one for Fang Min. Fang Min's fabric was a brighter color.

"Oh, she's quite skillful. Your hair used to make you look like a complete dwarf. Now it's all black and shiny."

Fang Min nodded, "Yes. Aunt Jiu and Changchang are waiting in the parking lot, let's go over there."

Upon hearing that their grandson had also arrived, the two elderly people immediately quickened their pace.

Upon closer inspection, a chubby face was pressed against the car window, slightly distorted and comical. Lin Yan was behind him, her arms around him.

Lin Yan's father-in-law had called Mingche earlier to tell him that he had shown the account books to her brother-in-law and sister-in-law. Since her father-in-law was so sensible, Lin Yan was naturally willing to treat them with more respect.

When Mr. Fang saw his grandson, he burst out laughing. His face was so chubby, it looked like he had a piece of candy in his mouth (Crayon Shin-chan's face).

Lin Yan lowered the car window slightly. "Mom and Dad, it's sunny outside, so I didn't let Changchang get out of the car. You should get in quickly."

Fang's mother said, "Yes, yes, don't get out of the car, don't get out of the car. Look at him, he's getting too hot!"

Mr. Fang opened the car door and sat in the second row with Mrs. Fang.

"Changchang, your grandpa and grandma are here to see you."

Fang Chang looked at them as if they were strangers. Lin Yan said, "These are Grandpa and Grandma."

Fang Chang stared at them for a moment, but did not refuse his father's offer to lift him onto his lap.

"Mom and Dad, sit tight. I'm about to start driving."

"it is good!"

Lin Yan drove the two elders directly to the courtyard house. They had the eldest sister cook there, so they ate there. She'd been spoiled by Ming Che and was too lazy to cook.

As for Fang Min, she didn't ask her to cook either; taking care of the child was the top priority. Besides, Fang Min also attended night school.

It's not far for Yan Yan after school, only a 12-minute walk. She's already found classmates who live nearby to go to and from school together. There's less traffic now, making it easier to avoid cars.

Looking at the courtyard house, Mr. Fang realized that this was the proper way to live. This was a true courtyard house for a wealthy family. The previous small side courtyard was really just a place where servants of wealthy families lived in the past.

Although he couldn't afford it, he had seen the former landlord's house and knew its layout.

His youngest son had already told him that the second and third courtyards would open on May 18th, and they would be used to open a bed and breakfast. He understood the "bed and breakfast" as a privately run hotel. Since it wasn't state-owned or publicly run, it was essentially a privately run establishment.

Such a nice house! We're not staying here ourselves, but letting outsiders live here. However, with only a few people in our family, we really can't fit in such a big house.

Making money from an empty house is a great idea! The younger son even offered him a basic salary of 50 yuan a month, plus a 5% commission on the profits. That's why he so generously gave the watch to his older son.

Fang's mother whispered, "More than 100,000!"

She was terrified to hear that her youngest son and daughter-in-law were now burdened with debts of over 100,000 yuan.

Not only did the two elders know about this, but everyone in the village knew as well. They knew that Fang Mingche had bought a courtyard house of more than two acres, near Tiananmen Square. Now he wanted to open a hotel and asked his father to help with the management.

Fang's mother also told people that it was fortunate they bought it to open a hotel. If it had been for their own use, with so much debt, she would definitely have scolded them if she went there.

Lin Yan parked the car and came over. "Mom and Dad, come in."

Mr. Fang said, "I heard the first thing you see is the travel agency's office. Just lead us through the side door and go straight to the back. Don't delay them from starting work."

"It's our first time back, and you're not allowed to use the main gate? Isn't that a bit inappropriate?" Lin Yan hesitated.

Mr. Fang said, "It's our own house; we can come and go as we please. Why bother with all this formality?"

Mother Fang also said, "Are we going to insist on this kind of gift from you?"

She had a problem with Lin Yan before because Lin Yan had been using contraception after giving birth to Yan Yan in order to return to the capital for the college entrance examination. But now that Lin Yan has been admitted to university and has given birth to their grandson, she is much more agreeable.

Thank goodness, thank goodness I passed the exam in '79. Otherwise, after the meeting in September '80, they would have said that having a second child was no longer allowed.

"Alright then. The side entrance is at the end of this alley, and the guesthouse will indeed be accessed through the side entrance from now on. Don't let my parents know, or my dad will definitely nag me for ages."

Mr. Fang nodded with a smile, "Don't worry, don't worry."

Lin Yan led them to the back, all the way to the third courtyard.

“Mom and Dad, life here is quite convenient, and there are people to cook three meals a day. Since Fang Jian and the others haven’t arrived yet, why don’t you stay here for the time being?”

Mr. Fang said, "Wouldn't that mean we'd have to take up a room?"

"It's alright, it's bound to be full at first. Besides, there are staff rooms available. This is a benefit you deserve."

Hearing her say that, Mr. Fang nodded, "Okay, then we'll stay here for now. When the three of them arrive, they can stay here during the summer vacation too. Fang Jian and Fang Fang can definitely help with cleaning and do whatever they can."

Lin Yan nodded, "Okay, you can arrange it."

She led the elderly couple to the arranged room, which was indeed furnished like a family home. It was more like a suite, with a small washroom/toilet. In case of rain, her father-in-law could stay overnight.

However, it's a ten-minute walk or so from here to the school Fang Jian and the others will be attending. Once they start school, it'll be better to live in that small, secluded courtyard. That's where real home life is.

"Then you guys rest for a bit. Mingche and Yan Yan will be back soon. I'm going to pick up my parents and Lin Yi. Mingche said we should have dinner together tonight. Changchang, are you going with Mom?"

As a result, Fang Chang didn't go; he took a fancy to the tiger-head shoes that his grandmother had brought out to amuse him.

"Okay, you can play with Grandpa and Grandma. Xiaomin, keep an eye on him so they don't get tired. Oh, by the way, Mom, he might fall down at any time, so be careful."

Fang's mother touched the soft 'helmet' her grandson was wearing, and said, "Okay, I understand."

After Lin Yan left, Fang's mother also sent Fang Min away, saying, "You go about your business. We two old folks will spend time with our grandson."

"Okay, Aunt Seven, I'll sweep the yard outside. Call me if you need anything!"

The store won't open for another few days, and the staff are still undergoing military training and haven't arrived yet. She's been sweeping the floor these past few days.

Yes, it's military training. They sent us to Uncle Wang's club for training. Uncle Jiu said that this kind of training will greatly improve our obedience and discipline. They told Uncle Wang it would cost per person.

Tomorrow, I need to come in for service attitude training. Also, I need to be able to speak a few basic English phrases.

After Fang's mother left, she said happily, "This house is so nice! I've never lived in such a nice house in my life."

Father Fang said, "The second son has caught a good time; the timing, location, and people are all in harmony."

Fang's mother said with amusement, "I didn't say anything, why are you so sensitive? And you're talking about the eldest son, I think your own mentality isn't very good either."

"Hmph, no matter how powerful he is, he's still my son."

Lin Yan went out and called out to Han Mei, saying that they would have dinner together in the third courtyard later.

Han Mei nodded in agreement, "Uncle Fang and Aunt Fang have arrived?"

"Yes, my father-in-law said he was worried about delaying you from getting to work, so he asked me to take you through the side door. Don't let my dad know."

"Well, I see."

Lin Yan drove back to her parents' home, stopping at the entrance of the alley before getting out and walking inside.

"Oh, Ayan's back." Because Lin's parents had called her Ayan since she was little, the neighbors in the tenement had gotten used to calling her that too.

"Yes, Aunt Wu. My parents-in-law arrived today. Mingche said we'd have dinner together tonight, so I came to pick them up."

"Oh, it should be almost time to get off work."

Lin Yan returned home and sat down; only her mother was there. This had been agreed upon beforehand, and she hadn't planned to cook dinner.

Lin Yan sat down and relayed Fang Mingche's words that if Han Mei and Lin Yi divorced, Han Mei would not be fired for it.

Lin's mother said, "Why get a divorce when everything is fine? She said she'll have a baby in five years. There's nothing that can't wait."

What else can you do? You can't force a cow to drink water if it doesn't want to.

Lin Yan said, "I'm not saying Lin Yi wants to divorce Han Mei. I'm saying it's in case Han Mei thinks Lin Yi isn't ambitious enough and wants to divorce him."

Lin's mother frowned, "Lin Yi has a formal job, and she's not holding her back."

If the travel agency weren't an export-oriented enterprise that was highly valued by higher authorities—and if it weren't neither state-owned nor collectively owned, and didn't offer benefits like housing, medical reimbursement, or retirement pensions—Lin's mother wouldn't have really thought much of Han Mei's job.

Wages are high now, but will they stay this high forever? It's definitely better to have a stable, secure job.

"Wouldn't it be better for those two to be together? Han Mei's income is eight or nine times that of Lin Yi, and she frequently comes into contact with people from the Beijing Hotel. It's only natural that she'll start to look down on Lin Yi more and more."

Lin's mother asked, "Which side are you on anyway?"

Of course, she knew that it was better to be together as a couple. That was the reason why Ayan insisted on going to university. Otherwise, with her son-in-law earning so much money today, if her daughter weren't even a university graduate, countless people would want to take her place.

When a man has money, he's bound to face many temptations. Even if he doesn't want to go astray, there will always be women throwing themselves at him. Does that mean women will act the same way when they have money? Surely not.

If a man does something like that outside, it's called being charming and romantic. But if the same thing happens to a woman, it doesn't sound good. It's called being flirtatious and promiscuous!
"Of course I'm on Lin Yi's side. But when it comes to work, we have to keep personal and professional matters separate. Anyway, I'm making this clear: if Han Mei wants a divorce, don't come to me to threaten her."

Lin Yi walked in from outside. "Sister, please think of me, okay?"

Lin Yan said, "I certainly won't look down on you. But you should also try to prove yourself and not let Han Mei look down on you! If you were a skilled worker like our dad, earning the same salary as the workshop foreman, would she look down on you? Or, it would be good if you had an ambitious attitude. Anyway, I'm just telling you in advance that whether Han Mei divorces you or not won't affect her work at the travel agency."

Lin Yi said with a dark face that he wasn't going to eat.

Lin Yan said directly, "Fine, I'll say you're working overtime. Mom and Dad, let's go—" Did she really think he'd blackmail her by refusing to eat?

Lin's mother pushed Lin Yi twice and said, "What kind of temper are you throwing? Your sister is only doing this for your own good! Come on, your sister's in-laws are here, it would be impolite not to go."

Besides, if you're going to eat such good food, wouldn't it be a waste if you threw a tantrum and didn't go?

When Fang Mingche came home from school, he heard his father lament that with the implementation of the one-child policy, Changchang would no longer be able to have more children to fill the yard.

He thought about it for a moment. The brat was 35 years old then, the perfect time to have children. He could have plenty of time! Back then, some people might not even have their first child until they were 40.

Fang Mingche looked at Changchang, who was happily eating the food prepared in advance. "I've created such good conditions for you. You're not going to say that the company is too complicated and you don't dare to have children like your sister did in your past life, are you?"
In 2015 of her previous life, Yan Yan was 39 years old, and her grandson had entered middle school. He had just retired and asked Yan Yan if she wanted to have another child, saying he could help her take care of it again.

My grandson was sent back to his hometown to be cared for by him back then, since there were no in-laws or in-laws involved. But for the second child, he can stay in the capital to help take care of him.

At the time, Yan Yan said that her child was going through puberty and that the competition at her company was fierce. She refused to have any more children no matter what.

At the time, I was so relieved, telling myself that I was lucky I hadn't listened to him and had a second child. Otherwise, things would be even more difficult now!
In his past life, he was a retired teacher with a pension of only five or six thousand yuan. He couldn't afford to support his daughter and son-in-law. But in this life, by 2015, he should be able to afford it. Of course, he will prioritize his children's wishes.

Babies are so adorable, with their short arms and legs, like little lotus roots. They chatter away in their innocent, childlike voices. And before the age of three, they're incredibly attached to adults. With money, raising children can bring pure joy, without the worries of poverty-stricken couples facing endless troubles.

Fang's mother pointed to herself and Fang's father and said, "This is Grandpa, and Grandpa is Dad's father. I am Grandma, and Grandma is Dad's mother."

Fang Mingche chuckled. It's a pity there aren't any rocking horse machines outside the supermarket yet. Otherwise, I'd send you on a ride a few times, and you'd learn that 'Dad's dad is called grandpa, and Dad's mom is called grandma.'

The car horn sounded, and he recognized it as his own car. So he said to Fang Min, "Go tell Sister Lu that the vegetables are ready to be cooked."

Yan Yan followed him out to greet her maternal grandparents and uncle. Seeing that her uncle didn't smile, she asked, "Uncle, what's wrong?"

Lin Yi said, "Your mother cursed you."

Yan Yan asked in confusion, "Why would my mom curse you?"

Before Fang Mingche could react, Lin's father glared at his son and said, "What nonsense are you spouting to the child? Don't wear a long face when you meet the elders later."

"I understand," Lin Yi said in a muffled voice.

Fang Mingche said, "Lin Yi, your brother-in-law and sister definitely want the best for you. No one would curse you! Just ask Dad if I don't strive for success, will he let your sister and I remarry?"

Lin's father thought to himself: That's definitely not going to happen. Ayan had complained a few times before that they had high standards and strict requirements for their son-in-law, but no requirements for their son at all.

But sons-in-law can be replaced. Can a son be put back into his mother's womb and remade? Sigh, it's really worrying.

He said, "He's an adult, he can bear the consequences himself. We've done our duty to advise him."

As they were talking, Han Mei came out. She had worked overtime for a while after get off work and had just walked in from the first entrance. Hearing that her parents-in-law and Lin Yi had arrived, she came out to greet them.

Lin Yi looked nervously at Fang Mingche and Lin Yan, "Don't say those things in front of Han Mei."

Yan Yan scratched her head. What was her uncle feeling guilty about?
(End of this chapter)