Chapter 73: Do You Think You Are Zhuge Liang?

People who borrow money are humble the moment they open their mouths to borrow it.

But after opening their mouths, they become persistent, spitting out all kinds of reasons and grievances, pestering and tangling to achieve the purpose of borrowing money.

Only when it is impossible to borrow money will they feel disheartened, harboring resentment and leaving gloomily.

The Han family, old and young, came to the door and gambled their faces. The words of borrowing money were spoken, so how could they easily give up?

Li Yue just threw a washbasin, which could be considered as knocking a gong for the opening, and the good show was still behind.

"Oh, it's been a year or two since I've seen you. Xiao Ye has grown so tall and is so handsome. Big brother and big sister, you really have blessings..."

"Eng, I've always said this child would have a future. Look, I guessed it right! He's already a big writer..."

An old couple first started the praise mode, trying to break the embarrassment around them.

Unfortunately, Li Ye didn't cooperate, just staring blankly at the washbasin that fell in the yard.

It was enamel, a large piece of white porcelain fell off, and the gap was very obvious.

This is embarrassing.

The old couple were naturally Han Chunmei's parents. Seeing that praising Li Ye didn't work, they glared fiercely at Han Chunmei.

Han Chunmei was very difficult to do, turning her face away and not saying a word. Li Kaijian, who loved his wife, said helplessly: "What are you standing there for? Don't you know how to greet people!"

Li Ye glanced at him, but finally called out to them.

"Grandfather, Grandmother."

A call of Grandfather and Grandmother came out, and Han Chunmei was a bit surprised. In the past, Li Ye didn't know the relatives of the Han family at all.

With the stubborn donkey temper of the original owner, he wouldn't even call this old couple Uncle or Aunt, always making Han Chunmei very embarrassed. Today, although he still had a face of dissatisfaction, he was already giving a lot of face.

A call of Grandfather and Grandmother made the old couple very satisfied, and they hurriedly said: "Sigh, look, it's so cold, don't stand outside, hurry in."

Li Ye followed everyone into the main room and sat down on a small stool.

No way, there were too many "elders" in the family today, and there were not enough chairs.

Even so, Li Ye had face, and the other juniors were not qualified to enter the room.

However, Li Ye sat on the stool, but his momentum was not weak at all. He asked directly: "I'm studying! Suddenly calling me back, what's the rush?"

"Cough, it's like this,"

Li Zhongfa coughed lightly and said: "Calling you back is just to ask how much money is left from your manuscript fee."

"Hmm?"

Li Ye was a bit surprised, looking at Li Zhongfa's old eyes that kept flickering, and finally understood the meaning of this grandfather.

Li Zhongfa actually still wanted to borrow some money to maintain the relationship between the in-laws, or rather, not to make his daughter-in-law too difficult.

Li Kaijian is over forty, married a wife seven or eight years younger, and Li Zhongfa sees how he loves her. Spending a little money, isn't it for his son?

But seeing him wink at Li Ye so urgently, it was obvious that he didn't want to borrow too much, hoping Li Ye could make up a lie.

This is the human relationship view peculiar to the elderly in this era. Leave a line in everything, so that we can meet again in the future.

If it were in later generations... I'll leave a line, I must cut it off completely.

But Li Zhongfa thought so, but Li Ye never thought about borrowing money. After listening to little Li Juan's chatter all the way, he couldn't borrow it even more.

"Why are you thinking about my money? I said long ago that I have to use that money!"

Li Zhongfa was stunned. This grandson of his had been as smart as a monkey since he opened his mind. He had winked so much, why didn't he understand?

However, before he could figure it out, Han Han Lao Han, who was sitting in the chair, spoke: "Heh, Xiao Ye, is this how you talk to your grandfather? No big or small, wow."

Old Lady Han pulled her old man and said with a smile: "Which family's child doesn't hold their first earned money like a treasure? Just ask properly, why talk about size?"

While the two were talking, they were both glaring at Han Chunmei. After all, they were old and knew how to save face, hoping that others would be the villain.

This made Han Chunmei a mouse in a bellows, not a person inside or outside.

Didn't Li Ye treat her and her two daughters well?

During the New Year, the three of them had a new set of clothes, single clothes, coats, and shoes—all of them. When they went back to their mother's house, they dazzled the eyes of the aunts and uncles in the neighborhood.

Spending several hundred yuan on the three of them for the New Year!

You are a stepmother, what else do you want?

Didn't your own grandfather and grandmother add a piece of clothing to the children all these years?

Now it's fine, let me open my mouth to Li Ye, how can I be embarrassed?

"Cough~, Chunmei, you are not a qualified mother, I have to say a few words to you..."

Han Han Lao Han saw that his dead daughter was not on the road, so he had to go into battle himself.

He said very honestly: "Since you married into the Li family, you must fulfill your responsibility as a mother."

"Xiao Ye eats and lives at school all day, don't you know how to pick him up and serve him? I remember No. 2 Middle School is not far from here, right?"

"The child is so young and doesn't understand the sinister nature of people. What if he is cheated? It's a small matter to be cheated of money, but it's bad if he is cheated onto an evil path. Do you remember your uncle Youcai? He took the money and went to the provincial capital..."

Han Han Lao Han chattered for a long time. His honest face and sincere tone moved others so much that they couldn't even interject.

At the beginning, Li Ye thought he was lecturing his daughter, but after listening, the taste was wrong.

Where is he lecturing his daughter? He is clearly giving him, Li Ye, a "warning" lesson!

That Uncle Youcai, who broke into the provincial capital with all his family property during the Republic of China, lost everything and was infected with the five poisons. He is a typical representative of a "prodigal son."

And the reason for his decline was that he was too young when his father died, and his mother was soft-hearted and let him manage the family's financial power.

In other words, although Li Ye's manuscript fee was earned by him, it was very unreliable to hold it in Li Ye's hands.

Li Ye stared carefully at the honest farmer who was spitting, and seemed to see the cunning of having experienced the world in his eyes.

According to reason, it is inappropriate for his Han family to say such things in the Li family, and it is very annoying.

But Han Han Lao Han just said it.

People in the eighties valued relatives and friendship very much, but if such words are said on this occasion, it is a precursor to turning against each other.

Han Han Lao Han's subtext is—【Are you using a child to fob me off? Do you really think I'm stupid?】

Li Zhongfa's face changed, and Li Ye's grandmother's face didn't look good either.

The in-laws came to the door for the first time, and they made so many tricks, using Li Ye, this child, to top the matter. If it spreads out, it seems not very authentic.

Don't look at Han Chunmei as a sequel, but the more this kind of half-way couple, the more the parents have concerns.

The Han family is not a thing, but it is Han Chunmei's mother's family. In those years, the Bi family drove Han Chunmei and her three children out, and she only returned to the Han family to have a place to shelter from the wind and rain.

So asking Han Chunmei to break with the Han family is difficult for others.

The family is not without money. Borrowing a few hundred yuan is fine. If it can't be returned, he, the grandfather, must make up for it for his grandson.

This is also Li Zhongfa's principle. The grandson's money is the grandson's. If it is borrowed and not returned, he, the grandfather, must make up for it.

But how much to borrow is up to Li Ye. After all, the spare money in the family is earned by this eldest grandson.

But Li Ye's answer exceeded Li Zhongfa's expectations: "I still have two thousand in my hand."

Li Zhongfa almost slapped his thigh in anger.

【Eldest grandson, why are you so unobservant? I gave you so many winks.】

Li Zhongfa had just reminded Li Ye to help gather a few hundred yuan.

If Li Ye said he still had a thousand or so, then leave some for the child, borrow five or six hundred, and it would be enough to give face. Now it's fine...

Li Ye didn't look at Li Zhongfa's winks, but asked Han Han Lao Han directly: "How much does it cost to build a house at Grandfather's house?"

Han Han Lao Han said immediately: "The wood and adobe at home are ready-made. It costs 1,500 for labor, cement, bricks, and tiles. If it's all bricks and tiles, it will be 2,000."

In Qingshui County, it doesn't cost much to build a house. The 2,000 yuan in '82 is enough to build a very imposing big tile-roofed house.

(The author's hometown has a house, which was built around that time. Grandfather said it cost about 1,000.)

Li Ye nodded and said: "Then how much do you want to borrow?"

Han Han Lao Han was surprised: "Didn't I say it? 2,000! Xiao Ye, don't be afraid that I won't return it. My house is there. If I don't return it, you can take my house as collateral."

"I tell you, this money must be spent in the right place. Building a house and buying land is the right way. If you keep the money in your hand, you won't even realize it if you spend it on zero..."

"So you don't have a penny yourself?"

Li Ye stood up directly from the stool, wishing he could kick this old bastard to death.

Not a penny, yet you want to build a new house, and you are still calculating the amount of Li Ye's manuscript fee to borrow money. Do you think you are Zhuge Liang?

Calculating everything, playing with others in the palm of your hand?

I spit! ===== CHAPTER 74 =====

No matter how awful the Han family was, they were still Han Chunmei's maiden family; back when the Bi family kicked Han Chunmei and her three children out, she only had the Han family to return to for shelter from the wind and rain.

Therefore, asking Han Chunmei to make a clean break with the Han family was asking too much of her.

It wasn't as if the family didn't have money; lending out a few hundred yuan was fine, and at worst, he could just use his own salary later to make up the difference for his grandson.

This was also Li Zhongfa's principle: his grandson's money was his grandson's, and if it really were lent out and not returned, he, as the grandfather, had to make it up.

However, the exact amount to be lent out still had to be decided by Li Ye, as all the spare cash in the house was earned by this eldest grandson.

But Li Ye's answer exceeded Li Zhongfa's expectations: "I still have two thousand in my hands."

Li Zhongfa was so angry he nearly slapped his own thigh.

【My eldest grandson, why are you so oblivious? All those winks I gave you were for nothing.】

Li Zhong had just reminded Li Ye to help scrape together a few hundred yuan,

and if Li Ye had said he only had a thousand or so left, then keeping some for the child and lending out five or six hundred would have been enough to save face. But now, look at this...

Li Ye didn't look at Li Zhongfa's winks at all; he asked Han Han Lao Han directly: "How much will it cost to build a house at your place?"

Han Han Lao Han said immediately: "The timber and adobe bricks are already on hand, but labor, cement, bricks, and tiles will cost fifteen hundred. If it's all brick and tile, it'll take two thousand."

In a place like Qingshui County, building a house didn't cost much; two thousand yuan in '82 was enough to build a very impressive large tiled house.

(The author has a house in their hometown that was built around that time; my grandfather said it cost about a thousand back then.)

Li Ye nodded and said: "Then how much do you want to borrow?"

Han Han Lao Han said in surprise: "Didn't I say? Two thousand! Little Ye, don't be afraid that I won't pay you back; my house is right there. If I don't pay you back, you can take my house as collateral.

Let me tell you, this money is being spent on a proper cause; investing in houses and land is the right path. If you keep the money in your hands, you'll spend it on little things here and there without even realizing it..."

"So you mean to say you don't have a single cent yourselves?"

Li Ye stood up directly from his stool, wishing he could kick this old bastard to death.

You want to build a new house without a single cent, and you're even borrowing money based on the exact amount of Li Ye's manuscript fees—do you think you're Zhuge Liang?

Calculating every move and playing others in the palm of your hand?

Bah!