Chapter 100: Persuading Mother

Zhou Jiao looked at her tearful mother, reached out to hold her hand, and spoke to her earnestly: “Mom, it’s not that I don’t want to accept your kindness, and I don’t blame you either. I can put myself in your shoes—if I were you, and Xiao Wu went missing under suspicious circumstances, I would also leave Ping An with my mother-in-law for safety and go searching myself. I understand your feelings for Dad.

Maybe others don’t get it, but I do. If something happened to Xiao Wu, my only reason to keep going, just like you, would be the belief that he’s still alive, waiting for me to find him. Little Ping An would be safe and well cared for, and once I found his father, our family would be whole again. That’s why, as I grew up, I came to understand how hard things were for you, and I never blamed you.

Besides, everyone has their own personality. Ever since I was a child, I never liked showing off. Even if I’d grown up by your side, I wouldn’t have been flashy.

If I were like those kids in the compound, just eating and playing all day with no goals, wasting time, do you think a girl like that would be your daughter? Would she be like you or Dad?

You and Dad aren’t the kind of people without goals, just eating and drinking your lives away, right? So there’s no need to compare me to other girls. There are wild ones in the compound, and there are well-behaved ones too.

You’re my mother, so of course I accept everything from you. Otherwise, do you think someone like me would accept expensive gifts, like large sums of money, property deeds, or bankbooks? Have you seen me accept them cautiously? I haven’t! The things from you and Dad, I take as a matter of course. I’m your only child now—if I don’t accept them, are you going to give them to someone else?

As for me being careful with money and worrying you’ll run out—that’s true. Look at you: as soon as you saw me, you showered me with money and handed over two property deeds. I’m really afraid you’ll give me everything you have and leave nothing for yourself, relying only on your salary and thinking Dad will take care of you.

If that happens, I’ll have to be thrifty and save the money for you, so that if you ever need it, I’ll have some set aside. The future is unpredictable; you always need a sense of crisis. Dad has given me all the valuable jewelry and houses too. What if, in the future, you and Dad have a few more children?

When they grow up, get married, and start their own families, how much money will that take? By then, you and Dad will be retired. I can’t let you carry such a heavy burden, and I certainly can’t let you suffer.

I’m the eldest daughter, so it’s my duty to be filial and take care of you. I have to look after my younger siblings and make sure they grow up happily, get married, and have children of their own.

Now, if you and Dad put all your money with me and I spend it all, what will they do in the future? So I can’t be wasteful. Besides, I don’t like spending money recklessly. As long as we have enough, that’s all that matters. Anything extra is just a number. I know you’re not stingy, but I still want to help ease your worries.

That’s just how I am—helping you keep these things safe. As for you, just do whatever you want. Don’t let money control your life. Just be happy with Dad.”

Lin Lishan wiped her tears, listening in a daze. She knew her daughter was thoughtful and tended to overthink, but she hadn’t expected her to worry about their retirement. Now her daughter was the one fretting over them. Thinking about it, she found it funny—she really was born to worry.

“You don’t need to worry. What I’ve given you is yours. What responsibility do your dad and I want you to take? You really are a worrier. Even if we have another child, we’d be so old by then, and it’d only be one at most—your dad’s the one who wants it, not me.

Besides what I’ve given you, your grandma has also saved some for me. The money you have now is only known to the two of us. Those bankbooks in Beijing are just the rent from your house, so it’s not like I’ve given you cash yet, you know?

I’ve also saved quite a bit from my job, plus the savings from the two years after I married your dad. All that money is with your grandma. She’s just like you—afraid I’ll spend it all, so she kept it for me. She said she’d hand it over to your dad when he comes back this time.

So if you add it all up, with your grandma’s savings and your dad’s remittances, plus our salaries, we have plenty. So just spend what you need.

Others only know that you have the rent from that house and two property deeds. That’s it. I was planning to give you cash when your dad comes back, but not now—you don’t need much here anyway.”

Zhou Jiao looked at her speechlessly. She really trusts people—well, she is her mother after all. But Zhou Jiao didn’t trust so easily. With so much money in the old lady’s hands, and all those years when her dad was gone, the savings he left behind should have been handed over to her when she got married and started her own family. They should have let her and her mother handle the inheritance themselves. Now, even with Grandpa Lin and her mom coming all the way to the Northeast, they didn’t bring the money. Are they really waiting for Dad to come back to hand it over? Do they think she’s stupid? Calculating every step. But for the sake of this silly woman who gave birth to and raised her, she couldn’t be bothered to argue.

“No need to give me any more. With what I have and Xiao Wu’s private savings, we have over 2,000 yuan in cash—more than enough for us. We don’t even need the bankbooks in Beijing.

See, it’s not like I don’t have money. I can’t just flaunt it and let people know we have more money than this whole family combined, right? After we get married and have kids, we’ll plan things out.

After we split from the family, my father-in-law will build us a house here, so we won’t have to spend money on that. Then, we’ll look for opportunities to go to school or find jobs. Buying a courtyard house in the county only costs about 1,000 yuan, and we’ll still have over 1,000 left to save. See? We’re not short of money. So you and Dad should keep your money for yourselves. If I ever need any, I’ll come to you.”

Lin Lishan glared at her. “Save 1,000 yuan, and you two will keep living like skeletons, with Ping An pitifully wearing patched-up clothes—is that your plan? Now that Mom’s here, I won’t let you live like that. Take care of your health, take care of Ping An. Buy whatever you want—we have money. You know, that last time at the Friendship Store, your 1,000 yuan was gone in one trip. Even spending those 600 yuan in foreign exchange certificates didn’t feel good. I had to compare prices for ages before buying anything.”

Zhou Jiao grinned and nodded. “That’s why, when you said you wanted to buy me a cashmere coat, I agreed—because I know my mom isn’t short of money. The 50 yuan monthly rent is higher than a worker’s salary, so I’m not short of money either. Let’s spend it—since you said all the cash is with Grandma, I’m relieved. If I see something I want, I’ll buy it.”

Lin Lishan nodded approvingly. “That’s the right attitude. When your dad comes back and gives you money, don’t be silly and say you already have enough. Don’t tell your dad about the money abroad—that doesn’t exist. The rent and bankbooks in Beijing can’t be withdrawn here, so that’s as good as not having money. So right now, all you have is a little private savings with Xiao Wu and the house you bought, so you’re not rich. Take whatever you’re given, and if you don’t spend it, just save it. If my daughter, Lin Lishan’s daughter, ever lacks money, that would be a joke.”

“Rich Mom, I’m so poor, really poor—so poor that all I have left is money.”

Zhou Jiao teased her with a smile. But in her heart, she sighed. Isn’t it obvious? Why hasn’t she thought it through? Her own mother had two sons and two daughters. Oh well, she’d just have to look out for her more in the future. Maybe she was just being overly cautious."