Chapter 20: There Is No Need to Keep Score Among Family
At that moment, in a village near F City.
“Is your leg feeling better?” On the road home, Yu Lihui and Yu Ze ran into a fellow villager.
“Much better, much better. The doctor said I can have the cast removed in about a month,” Yu Lihui replied quickly, eager to assure him that he was now safe and sound.
“That’s good to hear.” The villager was pleased to see Yu Lihui walking without a limp. Then, as if remembering something, he said, “If you hadn’t broken your leg, you could have had the chance to work at a construction site in the city these past few days! There’s a newly opened development, and they’re short on workers.”
“When you go, please keep an eye out for me. Once my leg heals, I’ll see if they’re still hiring,” Yu Lihui hurriedly responded.
This injury had already cost him a lot. He had spent over two months recuperating at home without working, and the children’s tuition and living expenses were still unsettled.
“All right! But first, rest well. Your two children are grown now—Yu Zui has started working, and Yu Ze got into a good university. You’re set for the future,” the villager said with a hint of envy.
After all, Yu Lihui was the first in the village to put both kids through college. Having successful children was better than anything else.
That was a future one could see clearly.
Hearing this, Yu Lihui felt a flicker of happiness.
His daughter had just graduated from university and was working in an office, spared from harsh outdoor labor.
His son had been admitted to the province’s best university, one of the prestigious 985 or 211 schools. He had a promising future ahead.
The next generation would be free from the mud-stained fate of their parents.
With these thoughts, he said, “There’s still a long way to go! My daughter just graduated and doesn’t have much money—she gave me what she saved for my treatment. My son still needs tuition and living expenses. Anyway, please keep an eye out for me.”
He felt good inside but kept his mouth shut.
He still hoped the villager could help him find a job.
“All right, I’ll definitely keep an eye out for you,” the villager nodded.
Indeed, families with heavy burdens and no income for months struggled to get by.
And with a child about to enter university, expenses multiplied everywhere.
After chatting for a while, Yu Lihui and Yu Ze headed toward home.
Just then, the village courier station had returned from the city with deliveries. Seeing Yu Lihui and Yu Ze, one of the staff said, “Uncle Yu, there’s a package for your family. It’s from Yu Zui.”
Upon hearing this, Yu Lihui told Yu Ze, “You go get it.”
Obediently, Yu Ze went, and when he saw the large parcel, he lifted it and was shocked by how ridiculously heavy it was.
What was his sister sending home?
Soon after, Yu Ze came home, panting.
“Was that the package from Yu Zui? It arrived so fast,” Zeng Xiwen said in surprise.
“You knew?” Yu Lihui asked.
“When I was on the phone with Yu Zui just now, she said it was some drinks and milk,” Zeng Xiwen replied. “She even transferred me three thousand yuan.”
“Ah, why are you still accepting money from the kids?” Yu Lihui immediately expressed his dissatisfaction toward Zeng Xiwen.
“Yu Zui said she changed jobs and is earning money now, so she wanted to help out with the household expenses and take good care of you,” Zeng Xiwen glanced sideways at Yu Lihui. “In tough times, what’s wrong with the kids giving a little money? We’re family—no need to fuss over such things.”
Zeng Xiwen was more open-minded. As long as her children could live well and were willing to send her money, she accepted it.
If the children were struggling, she would find ways to support them.
As she spoke, Zeng Xiwen took scissors and began unpacking the parcel.
Inside were bottles of drinks, with the milk standing out prominently.
She handed a bottle of milk to Yu Lihui. “Here, your daughter sent this to help you recover.”
Yu Lihui took it, looked it over, and said in surprise, “There’s foreign writing on it! Is it imported? Why spend money on this?”
“Yu Zui said it’s a new product from her current job, and she got it at an employee discount,” Zeng Xiwen explained.
“Then keep it! You can’t waste a child’s kindness,” Yu Lihui said frankly.
“By the way, Yu Ze, your sister wants you to go to S City to find her. There’s a summer job paying three thousand a month, with weekends off and meals included. You can stay with her,” Zeng Xiwen mentioned the matter.
Yu Ze was surprised but then blushed. “Mom, did you tell her about my part-time work?”
Thinking about it now, he felt embarrassed.
He was already an adult and yet had cried like a child.
But at the time, the frustration was unbearable.
Zeng Xiwen coughed lightly and said, “I just mentioned it casually. Your sister needed someone at her new job, and since you wanted to gain some experience, it made sense for you to work together with her.”
“Wouldn’t that be inconvenient?”
“Your sister seemed confident about it. She said you could also work part-time there after you start university,” Zeng Xiwen replied.
She didn’t want her son to have to work hard even before entering university after years of study.
But she also knew that if he stayed at home, the psychological pressure would be heavy. It was better for him to earn some money and feel at ease.
These days, life was hard without money.
“All right, I’ll go,” Yu Ze said as he pulled out his phone, ready to check the train tickets. He saw a location pin and one thousand yuan sent from his sister.
[This is your wage in advance. I’m swamped—hurry and come help.]
Reading the message, Yu Ze smiled.
He was certain now that his sister genuinely needed him.
Zeng Xiwen smiled at Yu Ze and said, “Put the drinks in the fridge, then let’s have lunch.”
“Okay,” Yu Ze replied and began to help.
As he carried the drinks, he noticed the ingredient labels and foreign markings on the bottles.
They were imported; these must not be cheap!
His sister had bought so many? It felt like she suddenly struck it rich.
With that thought, Yu Ze started taking photos of the drinks.
He wanted to learn about them so he wouldn’t be clueless when he started working.
After tidying up, the three of them happily finished lunch.
Yu Ze volunteered to wash the dishes but was shooed away by Zeng Xiwen.
In the end, Yu Lihui washed them.
Seeing this, Yu Ze smiled.
With his father injured at home and feeling restless, having him do chores was a good thing.
Then Yu Ze took out his phone and searched for the drinks his sister had bought.
He quickly found a shop called “Yu’s Grocery Store.”
Opening it and checking the prices, he was stunned.
A 200ml bottle of milk cost 188 yuan!
Other drinks were similarly priced.
They were dozens of times more expensive than ordinary drinks.
Was this some kind of scam?
Yu Ze felt worried but his trust in Yu Zui prevailed.
He began researching the shop.
To his surprise, he found many related reviews.
# Yu’s Grocery Store on the Old Street, whose products pack a powerful punch—a dark horse in summer beverages #
# Yu’s Oolong Tea at the grocery store has amazing weight-loss effects #
# Has anyone mentioned Yu’s Iced Black Tea? It keeps you cool all day #
# Yu’s Grocery Store’s automatic checkout robot “Xiao Ka”—is it truly smart or human-operated? #
# Yu’s Grocery Store’s products are a hit; the new desserts are exquisite #
# When did Yu’s Grocery Store suddenly appear? #
# ... #
Reading the feedback, Yu Ze sighed with relief—at least the buyers’ reviews were positive.
He decided to buy the train ticket and visit the store in person.
If the products lived up to their reputation, the market potential seemed considerable.
But what about the special effects?
He had some at home already—maybe he should try them first.