Back to 1984: Earning Money, Raising Kids, and Keeping the Household Busy

To everyone's surprise, Lin Ying's family, who had fallen out with the Xu family, was so wealthy that they were willing to contribute money and effort to their married daughter.

At the time, she was only jealous for a while and didn't care at all, but now that she knows Lin Ying's family is going to transfer Xu Jian and Xu Kang to study in the city, she can no longer remain calm.

Xu Dapeng sneered, "If you don't want our child to be outdone, you can ask your family for help! What's the use of telling me!"

Wang Fengying was displeased. "How dare you talk like that! You don't care about your own child, and you're relying on my family? Have you no shame?"

Xu Dapeng didn't respond at all.

Wang Fengying was very upset, so she went to the old house to complain to Wang Ximei. "Mom, you know, the second son is so capable that he managed to get A-Jian and A-Kang to study in the city, but why didn't he think of helping his nephew? Our A-Jie is his eldest nephew, and your eldest grandson!"

Wang Ximei got angry as soon as she heard Xu Dahai's name. "Don't mention that ingrate to me! It's my money, what business is it of his how I use it? He keeps saying I'm biased and misled me into dividing the family property. Now that he's eating meat and drinking wine, he doesn't even think of me, his own mother who raised him from infancy. What is a nephew to him?"

Wang Fengying's face immediately darkened. "Mom! A-Jie is your most beloved grandson. The conditions in our village are not good, and the schools in the town are just so-so. I also want A-Jie to study in the city."

Instead of trying to hint at it, it's better to state your intentions directly to avoid others beating around the bush.

Wang Ximei shook her head without even thinking, "You two should figure it out yourselves. I've already built a house for you two and helped the eldest son get married. Your children should do their own work. I don't have the ability to do that."

Wang Fengying bit her lip in frustration, "Mom, can't you step in and put in a good word for me?"

"What did you say?" Wang Ximei glared at Wang Fengying, annoyed. "I've already argued with my second son's father-in-law, what am I supposed to say? Beg them to help me get A-Jie into school in the city? Do you think they'll give me that favor, or do you think my second son and his wife are stupid? Just put away your underhanded schemes!"

It's true that she favors her eldest son, but she hasn't lost her mind and completely offended her second son. Especially since Xu Dahai is doing better and better now, and there might be times when she needs Xu Dahai to pay for things in the future, how could she continue to be at odds with Xu Dahai?

Wang Fengying's face turned pale and then red as she was scolded, as if she no longer recognized her mother-in-law.

After returning from the old house, she started arguing with Xu Dapeng, telling him how difficult her life had been and repeatedly talking about her son's future, implying that Xu Dapeng should give her money to buy a house in the city.

The couple both have jobs and are considered quite respectable people in the village, but their savings are still too much to buy a house in the city. More importantly, they also have to work in the town, and they have no relatives or friends in the city, so sending their child to study there is simply unrealistic.

Xu Dapeng couldn't persuade Wang Fengying otherwise, so he went to his father-in-law's house to tell them about the matter and ask them to intervene and control Wang Fengying.

The Wang family were relatively sensible; knowing the whole story, they came to Xujia Village and gave Wang Fengying a thorough dressing-down before she finally calmed down.

However, the news had already spread throughout the village, and both Xu Dahai and Lin Ying knew about it, but no one paid any attention to it.

There are only two or three days left before school starts.

Lin Ying's family hurriedly packed their two sons' luggage and headed to the city.

Lin Yi's electric tricycle wasn't enough, so in the end Lin Ying carried Xu Xinyi onto the vehicle, along with all the luggage.

Xu Dahai and his two sons walked there.

The group arrived at Nanyu.

Lin Ying excitedly told Lin Qin, "I'm planning to renovate that house in the city. I'll see if I can tear it down and rebuild it or just renovate it. When we come to the city to visit the kids, we can take them there to stay. I can't keep troubling you all." Lin Qin and Chen Wenjun had already helped them a lot, and Lin Ying couldn't take her sister-in-law and brother-in-law's care for granted.

Seeing that she had already made up her mind, Lin Qin didn't try to dissuade her. She simply said, "That's fine too. You can take your time to renovate your house. Anyway, A-Jian and A-Kang will have company with Ping An and Ya-Ya here, and it will be convenient for Dad to pick them up and drop them off."

In addition, Wenjun plans to add another floor and a half to the house we live in, saying that the second floor will not be so hot in the summer. If it becomes a three-and-a-half-story house, there will be a large platform on the top floor, so that we can lay straw mats on the platform if we don't want to sleep in the house in the summer.

"Once this is built, at least five or six more rooms will be available. Even if Ah Kang and Ah Jian each have their own room, they'll be able to manage."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ying immediately nodded in agreement, "Adding a floor here will definitely make it cooler. Our house is also two stories, and in the summer, no one wants to sleep on the second floor. They would rather sleep on a makeshift bed in the lobby on the first floor. I hadn't figured it out before, but you've cleared things up for me."

"But can you build such a high foundation?"

Lin Qin pulled her over to take a look, "The entire foundation, including both the underground and above-ground parts, can easily support a five- or six-story building. Besides, we're using rock, so there won't be any problems!"

While the two sisters were talking, Xu Dahai was also discussing their plans to renovate the house with Chen Wenjun and Lin Yi.

Chen Wenjun introduced Zhang Yongquan directly to him, and said, "My construction team will be here tomorrow. It should take about a month to finish the bare house, and another month or so to finish the renovation. After that, we'll work on your house."

"No problem," Xu Dahai agreed readily.

He was in a hurry to renovate the house because he didn't want to trouble the Chen family, and he was also worried that Chen Wenjun's house wouldn't have enough rooms, which would affect Ya Ya and Ping An. If Chen Wenjun built an extra floor and a half, these problems would be solved.

After discussing the house, Xu Dahai inquired about the Zhu family's situation with Chen Wenjun and Lin Yi.

"They never came back to ask about the child again?"

Lin Yi and Chen Wenjun shook their heads in unison.

Lin Yi sighed softly and shook his head. "Don't worry about them. Just raise this child well. We won't tell them. They won't know. Even if they find out later that you have another daughter, they won't think much of it. At most, they'll think it's because you had an extra child."

Xu Dahai was relieved.

Since Xu Jian and Xu Kang were going to stay in Nanyu for an extended period, Lin Yi cleaned up another guest room on the first floor and put his two grandsons' luggage in it.

The four children went crazy when they saw each other and immediately ran to the stadium, not caring about anything else.

Xu Dahai and his wife were used to it, and in the afternoon they asked Lin Yi to take them to the station to catch their train.

The next day, Lin Qingxiang arrived with a group of construction workers and laborers. At the same time, the cement, sand, steel bars, and red bricks that Chen Wenjun had ordered also arrived.

With Lin Yi overseeing the construction, the entire Nanyu area was bustling with activity.

When Lin Qingxiang had a spare moment, he asked Lin Yi about Lin Qin, "Why isn't Qin home?"

"The daycare starts on the eighth day of the lunar new year. She's taking the little one to school and then going to study on her own. What's up? Do you need her for something?" Lin Yi looked at Lin Qingxiang, who seemed mysterious and hesitant, with a puzzled expression. (End of Chapter)