Chapter 1335: Suggestion

Lin Lin Xiuqing's face was full of smiles as she generously held out her hand to show everyone.

"Ah Dong specially bought this back for me from Zhejiang Province before the New Year, and honestly, it's quite pretty."

"Pretty? That's an understatement—she's dripping in gold and silver, a rich lady, a landlord's wife now."

"What a blessed life—married to a man who's both sharp and good at making money, who dotes on his wife, and can buy you so much gold jewelry…"

"Oh my, even the little ones are wearing silver necklaces… your family is really something…"

"I told you long ago her husband was capable. See, once the economy loosened these past few years, their family struck it rich…"

Lin Lin Xiuqing had only said one sentence, but the neighbors around her had already chimed in with a whole bunch of chatter, not leaving her any room to speak again.

The people around weren't only flattering her—they were also flattering her parents for being blessed. The two elders were glowing, smiling so wide their mouths couldn't close.

A crowd of neighbors swarmed around them on the way home, and the closer ones even followed them right into the house to chat and listen in.

As the son-in-law, Ye Yaodong just sat there obediently, smiling and chiming in with a few words whenever someone spoke to him.

He mostly talked with his eldest brother-in-law, second brother-in-law, and father-in-law. There were two brothers-in-law he wasn't familiar with, so he just casually responded with a couple of lines.

"Hey, A Qing, is there any hardworking young man from your side you could introduce? Life by the sea must be pretty good over there."

Lin Lin Xiuqing said with a smile, "Yes, plenty. But the hardworking ones with good family conditions—there are also a whole bunch of matchmakers lining up for them, haha…"

"Help introduce one, my daughter…"

"My niece…"

"My niece…"

Lin Lin Xiuqing was surrounded by all the aunts and elder sisters-in-law, her face stiff from smiling so much.

Seeing her dripping in gold and silver, everyone thought she had fallen into a nest of blessings, figured life was good over on her side, and wanted to marry their own children over there to share in the good fortune.

The whole morning, the couple was treated like the moon surrounded by stars—the men in one crowd, the women in another, each surrounded separately. Even the children were the most eye-catching kids in the crowd.

Because Ye Chenghu and Ye Ye Chengyang had brought a few of their toys to share with their cousins, even the neighborhood kids got to broaden their horizons, whooping and hollering, thrilled beyond words.

By the time they had to head back in the afternoon, Ye Chenghu was still reluctant to leave.

"Can't we play a little longer? Can't we just take our older and younger cousins home with us?"

"So either you stay here, or you stay home tomorrow to watch the house and keep your cousins company? Or you come with me to the county town as a guest?"

"No, I want to go to the county town as a guest."

He had collected a whole pile of red envelopes today—he was rich now, of course he had to go be a guest. If he didn't go, where would he get more red envelopes?

"Older and younger cousins, don't come over for now. Wait until I'm done being a guest tomorrow and come back, then have your uncle send you over. Second Uncle has a tractor too!"

"Right, we have a tractor at home too. We'll come find you in a couple of days, but you have to let us play with the little car…"

Ye Yaodong didn't bother with the half-grown kids' mutual affection and reluctance to part—he had to busy himself moving things.

Although the two elders weren't home, and the fruit trees and land were left to others to tend, they still collected rent. Farm produce wasn't worth much to begin with, and the family had kept more than half for themselves.

By now they had been loading things onto the vehicle nonstop, and on top of that, the father-in-law's brothers kept bringing them vegetables from home.

The couple couldn't stop them even if they tried—a whole bunch of relatives loaded up pickled vegetables and dried vegetables for them, and the father-in-law even gave them a basket of cured meat.

The tractor was piled high with all sorts of things, a great heap of bottles and jars as well.

It was as if they had hauled one truckload over and were hauling another truckload back home.

Once the couple got on the vehicle to head home, Ye Yaodong even wiped a bead of sweat. "Almost couldn't handle it."

Lin Lin Xiuqing said cheerfully, "That's just how it is on our side. But you're the rich son-in-law—everyone's five points of enthusiasm had to be cranked up to ten."

"Did I make you look good today?"

"It was me who made you full of face—everything was praising you."

Ye Yaodong touched her gold bracelet. "Bought the right thing, didn't I! Let you steal the whole show, and let your whole family have face too."

"Hehe, yes, it's all your credit."

"Hold on tight, we're heading home."

"I want to discuss something with you."

"What's the matter? Out of the blue wanting to discuss something with me?" Ye Yaodong found it a bit strange.

"My dad turns 60 next year. I want to do what our dad did—get him a gold necklace, buy him a big gold ring…"

"I thought it was something big. Buy it, must buy it, and get an even thicker one. Handle it yourself, and buy one for your mom too. I just didn't think it through carefully enough back then, and since I bought a lot of pieces, I bought them in batches—it was too much trouble, so I didn't buy extra."

Lin Lin Xiuqing beamed. "It's fine. My parents are already thrilled getting paid their wages. Then I'll just casually buy my mom a gold necklace and gold earrings. The year after next, when she turns 60, I'll get her a heavier pair of gold bracelets. Otherwise, if I buy everything at once now, what will I give her the year after next?"

"Then handle it however you see fit."

"Buy it I must, but the timing has to be thought through. Otherwise, if I buy so much gold for a regular birthday, what would I buy for a milestone birthday? It has to be even more precious. What could be more precious? That would stump me."

"Mm."

Ye Yaodong didn't mind—as long as she handled it and spent the money however she wanted.

"This trip of ours wasn't a loss either—hauled one truckload over, and hauling one truckload back home." He joked as he drove.

"You can't count it that way. That's everyone's enthusiasm. Every household doesn't have it that easy—they only have whatever comes out of the fields."

"I was already embarrassed, felt like I couldn't bring myself to offer it. But you just had to praise the vegetables from their fields like nothing on earth compared, insisting they tasted better than the city's, and that in the city you'd have to pay money for them. Weren't they so happy they all went home and loaded some up for you?"

"Something as good as honey—my great-uncle even gave you a whole jar. You really did haul a whole truckload home, not a bit of a loss." Lin Lin Xiuqing said with a mock reproach.

"Hehe, it's the New Year. Coming to pay New Year's calls, you have to look decent. Wouldn't be right to lug over a bag of dried fish as a New Year's gift—your family has probably gotten sick of them by now. In a few days, when your second brother really sends those kids over, you'll have to lug two bags back to share with them."

"We'll talk about it in a few days."

Lin Lin Xiuqing talked as she tucked her gold bracelet under the sweater sleeve at her wrist, slipped the necklace close against her body, and slipped the gold ring off into her clothing pocket.

The moment of glory was over—time to put them away first.

Ye Yaodong was focused on the road ahead driving, so he didn't see, or he would have scolded her a couple of times.

The couple sat side by side on the tractor chatting idly. The three kids in the cart weren't bored either—they had so many layers of clothes on that they didn't feel cold.

Showing off at Grandma's house today had thrilled them to no end, and made them feel extra proud. The excitement hadn't worn off yet, and they were still bouncing around in the cart.

Once they got home, it was even more outrageous — even more capital to show off.

Open mouth, close mouth, and it's always "my maternal grandparents' house…"

Once home, he didn't even have time to step through the door before he was rolling around with a bunch of kids.

"Tell your maternal grandparents to move farther away, move them far, far away…"

"Move them to the city… that way you guys can go to the city too, the city is really fun…"

"My maternal grandparents are also in the city… we still get to go…"

Ye Chenghu hollered at the top of his lungs.

Ye Ye Chengjiang couldn't stand watching him show off — so what if his maternal grandparents lived far away?

"You didn't even go last time, and you still have the nerve to say it. Last time all of us went, you were left behind to watch the house. When did you ever go to the city?"

Ye Chenghu got angry from embarrassment, "I've gone way more times than you."

"Then how many times have you gone? Tell us, how many more is 'way more'?"

He counted in his head, going over it again and again — it seemed like only twice: once when he scored 100 on a test, and once when he went with Yangyang.

Now Yangyang had also gone twice!!!

Damn it!!

"None of your damn business. I've gone so many times I can't even count, I'm not playing with you anymore. I also collected a ton of red envelopes, I'm going to take them home and put them in my piggy bank. My piggy bank is already stuffed full, you're a broke loser, you're penniless."

Having clawed back a round, he was full of himself again, head held high as he walked toward home.

"Pfft…"

Ye Yaodong was still hauling things nonstop. Seeing his son come back, he immediately grabbed him as a laborer.

"Dad, I'll help you out — can you take me with you next time you go to the city?"

"What for, haven't you shown off enough? Get to work right now. How dare you bargain with me — you want a beating after New Year's, is that it?"

"I already finished all my homework…"

Ye Chenghu muttered something, then rolled up his sleeves and silently helped with the work.

Not being able to go to the city was fine — he could go to the county town again tomorrow anyway, and he'd already finished his homework!!

In a couple of days, when they were cramming at the last minute, he'd see who got laughed at hard.

The more he thought about it, the happier he got, and he eagerly ran back and forth helping carry things.

By then it was almost dark. The old lady, alone at home, had already prepared dinner ahead of time, so they could eat right after finishing their work.

As soon as Ye Mu came over, she immediately said: "Did you guys hear?"

The couple looked completely blank.

An opening line like that?

"Hear what? We just got back. You throw a line like that at us, how are we supposed to pick it up?" Ye Yaodong said.

"Old Pei returned the boat he bought from Gao Jianshe's father earlier — didn't ask for a single cent. Before he was saying he'd redeem it, and just a few days later, one puff of pillow talk and it turned into a straight giveaway."

"Ah-Guang said so?"

"Ye Huimei came back and told us. That old woman is really something. Good thing Ah-Guang splits off half the money every year. Otherwise, in another year or two, what would the two of them even have left?"

Ye Fu also said: "Good thing the Harvest is coming over, the two of them didn't lose out either."

Ye Mu raised her voice: "Didn't lose out? The money from selling that boat originally had a share for the two of them too. Now it's just given away for nothing — a thousand-something split in half is still several hundred, that's no small sum."

"When did this happen?"

"Just this afternoon, Ye Huimei came back and told us. That old woman really has skills — at her age she can still keep the old fool wrapped around her finger."

"She served the old fool so comfortably over New Year's."

"The kids are still here." Lin Lin Xiuqing glared at him — he had no filter.

"When I say 'served,' I mean attentively bringing tea and pouring water, washing feet and giving massages — that counts as serving too. At least the Harvest went to Ah-Guang, he can't be allowed to go back on that."

Ye Fu said seriously: "How could that be possible."

"Why not? At his age, he could still have a late-life child — what's impossible?"

Ye Mu said angrily: "We're not dead, are we? If he dares go back on it, we'll go bang on his door. Getting more confused with every year, that old fool."

"Well, since it's already given, let it be given. It's just that one boat anyway — probably out of consideration for the younger son's face." Ye Fu said.

Ye Yaodong said: "Maybe it's more than that. Maybe he just found it an eyesore and didn't want the boat anymore. After all, what you said that time, Mother, packed quite a punch — he probably has a thorn in his heart about it, and out of sight is out of mind. With another puff of pillow talk, he probably just went along and gave it."

"Which line? I've said plenty of things."

"You know, the one about taking the whole family to kowtow and visit the grave of her former husband. He'll probably carry that thorn to his grave — this Qingming he probably won't dare go visit the grave."

"Can't handle that? Serves him right! Benefits someone else."

"What Dongzi said also makes sense. Good thing you didn't run over there this afternoon to argue with them — after all, it's their family business. His own property, he can give it to whoever he wants. Ye Huimei and her husband didn't actually lose out."

"I'm just talking, scolding the old fool a few times. Would I really go to their door over this?"

Lin Lin Xiuqing said: "What date did they pick for starting construction on the house?"

"Starting construction on the seventeenth. If they move out, it's even more done for — won't that house all end up in that woman's hands? Sigh… if Old Pei goes out, he can't possibly take all the household money with him. Whatever's left at home, doesn't it all become that woman's? She'd have to tear the house apart and dig it out, wouldn't she?"

Ye Mu thought about it and felt a bit sour — it was all supposed to have been for her daughter and son-in-law, and now it all benefited someone else.

When she first married off her daughter, there was none of this nonsense.

That shameless old thing.

"Why doesn't Old Pei just put it in the bank? Why carry it around — carrying it isn't even safe. Leaving it at home he definitely wouldn't feel at ease either. Putting it in the bank earns interest too, isn't that better?"

"Is it reliable? Can you really put it in the bank? Won't it just disappear once you deposit it?"

"What's there to be afraid of? Leaving it at home, Old Pei is the one drawing water with a bamboo basket — all for nothing. If he has no money, how could people treat him like an ancestor and serve him so comfortably?"

Of course, he was different.

When the money was little, he didn't need to save it — his wife at home was plenty reliable. He'd give it all to A-Qing willingly.

Now there was even more, and it was even harder to save. He had to think about how to spend it, turning it into property that could appreciate in value—that would be more practical.

Ye Mu slapped the table. "You're right. Tomorrow I'll give Ye Huimei a heads-up, tell her old man to deposit the money in the bank. As long as the old man has the money and it can't get into the widow's hands, then there's no fear it'll all end up benefiting the widow."