Reborn in the 80s, Get Rich by Eating Melons
Chapter 292: Want Money

Chapter 292: Chapter 292: Want Money

Si Weimin felt a dryness in his throat as old memories surged in, leaving him unsure of how to face Si Chen. After a while, he said, "Sister-in-law, don’t worry, Xiaochen has grown up now. There are some things...since he hasn’t mentioned them for so many years, I assume he knows how to prioritize."

His vague reminder seemed to suggest that since Si Chen hadn’t mentioned it in so many years, he probably wouldn’t in the future either.

Lin Fengying had had a hard time over the years. Now that she was getting older, she shouldn’t be troubled by the past anymore.

It seemed Lin Fengying also guessed his thoughts and suddenly said, "All these years, I brought up three children on my own. That must be my punishment from Heaven."

"Sister-in-law..." Si Weimin wanted to say something, but he caught sight of his wife coming in, swallowed the words he was about to say, and solemnly asked, "Does your home have a telephone installed now? If not, leave me a number so we can conveniently communicate in the future."

Lin Fengying was about to say no, but when the words reached her lips, they became, "I was just thinking about getting one installed."

"Good, get it installed as soon as possible! When it’s done, give me the number. If there’s anything happening here with Xiaohui, I can let you know."

"If there’s nothing else...I’ll hang up first."

After Lin Fengying hung up the phone reluctantly, a wave of loneliness instantly overwhelmed her. It felt as if the whole world came in pairs, and she was alone.

Her son and daughter had their own families, and her younger brother-in-law had his, too. Only she had insisted on raising three children on her own and now, in her old age, had no partner.

No matter what, she felt more at ease now that she was in touch with Si Weimin.

Returning to the milk tea shop, Lin Fengying told Boyi that she was thinking about getting a telephone installed at home. Boyi didn’t object and immediately agreed, offering to pay for it himself.

Zhang Lijuan was displeased and scowled, "Mom, elder brother is better off than us. If we’re getting a telephone, he should be the one to pay! I’m giving birth in a few months, and there will be lots of expenses."

"How much money can a telephone cost?" Boyi glared at Zhang Lijuan and said to Lin Fengying, "Mom, don’t listen to her. I’ll pay for the phone."

Their elder brother had already done enough for them, always being considerate. He couldn’t be as petty as a miser. He just wasn’t capable of that.

Moreover, their elder brother hadn’t used family money when he got married. He spent hundreds of yuan when he got married, and their elder brother had added quite a bit. If he started bickering over petty stuff, he would not only upset his brother, his conscience wouldn’t allow it either.

"What do you mean, don’t listen to me. Am I doing this for myself?"

Zhang Lijuan retorted, then turned to Lin Fengying, "Mom, Boyi is so honest that he’s willingly taken a loss. I speak from the heart. Don’t be angry, expenses for you should spread between all the siblings anyway. Xiaohui is a girl and doesn’t need to contribute that much, but elder brother should. If not full, then at least half?"

Zhang Lijuan wasn’t a fool. She knew Si Chen and Tong Yao owned two shops and made a decent living. The cost of a telephone was trivial to Yao Yao.

By principle, Yao Yao, having more money, should shoulder all the costs and lighten the load for their small family.

"Lijuan, what nonsense are you talking about now? I’ve said that I will pay for the phone. Just stop meddling. Hasn’t elder brother and sister-in-law helped us enough? " Boyi was very angry to hear Zhang Lijuan’s words, finding her insatiable.

The two of them had savings, so helping mom install a telephone wasn’t a problem.

"You, with your little savings, are acting the big man here? Did I say something wrong? Who pays for parents’ retirement, if not the two brothers? If you’re too embarrassed to talk to eldest brother and sister-in-law, I’ll do it."

Zhang Lijuan then went to grab the phone, but Boyi snatched it away, "Just try to make the call."

Boyi was stubborn and believed there was no need for the two brothers to be so calculating with each other, as it would harm their relationship. If Zhang Lijuan didn’t understand this, that was her issue. He couldn’t allow himself to be so clueless.

Seeing the two of them arguing back and forth, their faces flushed with anger, Lin Fengying was so upset that her face turned red. Finally, she couldn’t stand it any longer and reprimanded, "Stop arguing! Lijuan is right. The cost of the phone should be shared between you two brothers. I’ll call your elder brother right now."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lijuan immediately calmed down, "Mom, I knew you’d understand."

Boyi shot a glare at Zhang Lijuan and immediately tried to stop Lin Fengying from calling, but Lin Fengying said, "If you still consider me your mother, don’t interfere."

"..."

Boyi stiffened and sat down quietly in front of the counter in frustration.

Fortunately, Xiaoshuang had the day off. If this had happened in front of outsiders, the Si family would have lost all face.

When Tong Yao picked up the call from Lin Fengying, she was discussing loan details with Gu Hongwei. Seeing the home number on the screen, she casually picked up the call. After greeting, Lin Fengying’s voice came through.

"Yaoyao, I called to discuss the installation of a telephone at home. I think it’s inconvenient to always make calls from other people’s homes, so I’d like to have one installed at our house."

Zhang Lijuan saw how friendly Lin Fengying was towards Tong Yao, even using the word ’discuss’ for the phone installation. She couldn’t help but mutter under her breath, "It’s different with a daughter-in-law who is rich, even cats and dogs know to wag their tails at her."

Her voice was not loud, but the three dogs at the door had very keen ears. As soon as they heard the word ’dog’, they immediately barked in excitement.

Tong Yao heard barking over the phone and laughed, "Installing a phone would indeed be convenient. Let Boyi take the money for it from the shop. We can cover the costs. Lijuan will be delivering soon, and they’ll have lots of expenses."

The phone installation at home was likely an indirect way of asking for money. Lin Fengying was no longer young and earned little from farming, so she certainly couldn’t spare the money for a phone. Tong Yao, on the other hand, didn’t mind paying for it, as it would make contacting home more convenient.

"Okay, I’ll talk to Boyi later." Tong Yao voluntarily offered to pay. This made Lin Fengying feel respected and improved her mood quite a bit. "You and Xiaochen shouldn’t work too hard out there. Eat whatever you want. You are too thin; you need to nourish yourself."

To get pregnant, it’s better to be healthier. Tong Yao had been married for over a year without getting pregnant. This was probably because she was too thin. City folks chased after thinness, thinking it looks good, but she didn’t understand how looking like a beanpole was attractive.

Zhang Lijuan, with her sturdy frame, was much better suited for birth. If Tong Yao were as sturdy as Zhang Lijuan, she would have already given birth.

If it weren’t for the fact that she had just asked for money for the telephone, it wouldn’t have been appropriate to bring up anything else, Lin Fengying would have nagged about children again.