Era: Starting with the struggle to refuse being taken advantage of

Chapter 131 Money? We have it at home.

"Money? We have plenty!"

Listening to his mother's long-winded complaints, Wang Chengpeng chuckled and pulled out two hundred yuan from his pocket, saying:
"Didn't I run into Zhou Xia when I went to the wedding last time?"

“What else could he want from me? It’s obviously to pay back the money. These two hundred yuan are the money that Zhou Xia helped the Liu family pay back.”

"Besides, they promised to pay back the rest of the money right away, so how could our family be short of money?"

"Father, Mother, you'd better finish building the new house soon, or I'll blame you if I can't find a wife in the future."

With her trump card played, and given the Wang family's undeniable wealth, Liu Chunhua glared at Wang Chengpeng and said:
"Okay, we'll fix it, but it can't affect your chances of getting married."

"Old Wang, since you're planning to build a house, you'd better take good care of your neighbors. You'll need their help later."

"Why don't you go and ask them if they're available to help?"

"Sigh, this plot of land is great in every way, it's just a bit too far away."

"I doubt they'd be willing to help, so we'll have to put in a lot of effort ourselves."

Liu Chunhua certainly knew about Zhou Xia's visit to Wang Chengpeng, but although the amounts recorded on the two IOUs were large, they were repaid by Wang Chengpeng through a failed marriage.

Therefore, they had already assumed that the money belonged to Wang Chengpeng and had no intention of actively demanding it.

Now that Wang Chengpeng is willing to take out the money, she is not only gratified but also filled with emotion, feeling that her son has finally grown up and knows how to share the burden of the family.

After swallowing the food in his mouth, Wang Tieshan agreed:
"Okay, I'll ask the neighbors after I finish eating."

"But you're right, we probably can't have too high expectations. We'll have to work hard ourselves."

"If only there were a way to shorten the distance to our homestead, but unfortunately, that's probably impossible."

Little did Wang Tieshan know that Wang Chengpeng had already paved a path for his family, a path that would simplify complicated matters, and that his worries were completely unnecessary.

However, since this matter won't be revealed until at least tomorrow, he estimates that if he asks his neighbors for help tonight, almost no one will agree.

However, this is understandable. After all, helping Wang Chengpeng's family build a house is not something that can be done overnight. If this drags on for a long time, any family would need to be cautious.

Unexpectedly, before Wang Tieshan had been gone for long, he brought back some exciting good news.

Gone was his former taciturn self; Wang Tieshan's face flushed, and he was unusually excited, saying with ecstatic joy:
"Guess what?"

"When I told them I needed their help to build a house, I also told them that it was very far away."

"But they basically had no objections and agreed to it immediately after confirming that meals would be provided."

"I never thought that any families would agree before I went to ask, but I didn't expect that I would have completed the task after visiting only a few families."

"If we keep going like this, the number of people coming to help will probably exceed the limit."

Seemingly realizing he had overreacted, Wang Tieshan scratched his head and said:

"Don't laugh at me for making such a fuss over such a small thing."

"I've asked my neighbors for help before, but I've been refused far more often than they've agreed. It's never been that easy."

At this point, Wang Tieshan looked puzzled and muttered, "What's going on?" Liu Chunhua, also puzzled, asked in surprise, "What? They all agreed?"

"Although we don't know the exact reason, it's still a good thing."

"Son, go to town tomorrow and buy more grain. We can't let them down since they're willing to help us."

Why else could it be? Of course, it's because Wang Chengpeng played a major role in it.

That thank-you meal, which may have seemed like a waste of money, made the neighbors remember the kindness of Wang Chengpeng's family and made them even more willing to help them.

Furthermore, Wang Chengpeng's bicycle refurbishment incident made them realize that he would never let them suffer a loss, so they were naturally happy to help.

However, neither Wang Tieshan nor Liu Chunhua noticed these things, which is why they were so puzzled.

Unbeknownst to them, Wang Chengpeng had already subtly changed the image of his family in the eyes of Wangjia Village.

When the topic of grain came up, Wang Tieshan's expression became serious again, and he said:
"Chunhua, how many grain coupons and meat coupons do you have at home?"

"The grain coupons we received from our hometown were not many to begin with. We were already struggling to make ends meet for our own family. It would be a bit difficult to feed so many people at the same time."

"Sometimes I really envy those factory workers. They not only have secure jobs, but also good benefits and high wages. Some good companies even provide accommodation. How could they live as poorly as we do?"

Liu Chunhua rolled her eyes at Wang Tieshan and said, "Old Wang, why are you saying these things in front of the children at a time like this?"

"We still have grain coupons and meat coupons, but not many."

“But we can’t let down the villagers who are willing to help. Son, if all else fails, go to the black market and buy some tomorrow. We can’t skimp on money at a time like this.”

Seeing his parents worrying about the coupons, Wang Chengpeng smiled and said, "Grain coupons? Meat coupons? We have those!"

After saying that, he pulled a thick stack of receipts from his pocket.

Although the number of notes is not large, each note is the highest denomination, so the total amount is not much less.

Liu Chunhua took the meat and grain coupons from Wang Chengpeng's hand and counted them. She couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, saying:
"Son, did you rob the supply and marketing cooperative? Otherwise, where did you get so many receipts?"

The total number of these meat and grain coupons was even more than Liu Chunhua had ever seen in her entire life.

After all, Zhao Yuju used to manage the family's finances, and Liu Chunhua could only see a little more of the receipts when the year-end bonus was distributed and before the items were handed over.

When asked by his mother, Wang Chengpeng smiled and said, "I have to say, there are definitely more opportunities in the city than in the countryside."

"I've been going to the city a lot lately, and I never expected to run into a woman who needed my help."

“My parents taught me from a young age to help others, so I naturally didn’t hesitate and immediately helped the woman.”

"Unexpectedly, this woman turned out to be a staff member of the supply and marketing cooperative. She happened to have some extra receipts on her, so she gave them to me as payment."

Wang Chengpeng's words sounded completely fake.
Ironically, these are real, and the fact that these notes are significantly newer than those circulating in the market serves as the best irrefutable evidence.

In the end, Wang Tieshan and Liu Chunhua could only marvel at Wang Chengpeng's good fortune and encourage him to continue to uphold traditional virtues, help others, and assist the women on the street who needed help.

Helpers have been called, food has been secured, and although the money is not much, it's enough to get by.

Everything is ready, except for the final push! Tomorrow marks the beginning of Wang Chengpeng's family's hard work towards their new home!
(End of this chapter)