Chapter 229: Chapter 230: Greed
After everyone left, Auntie kept smiling warmly.
“Mom, why did you make me agree to them?” Xiao Han frowned.
“Your auntie was good to our family in the past,” Mother Xiao responded, “Although she became adversarial towards us later, I guess it’s because of the instigation of your eldest uncle and second uncle. So, you can’t blame your auntie. We should remember the good others do for us, not their wrongs.”
“Oh!” Xiao Han nodded helplessly.
Mom is a good person, and a kind woman. Or maybe, she’s like a typical Chinese man—kindhearted, hardworking, and very compliant, someone who takes whatever is thrown her way. For years, she suffered the bullying at the hands of eldest uncle and second uncle’s families but she never held grudges or resentment.
This was what Xiao Han admired most about her. Throughout his life, he’d witnessed his mother’s endurance countless times, as well as the eldest uncle’s family’s unrelenting righteousness and their domineering presence. Therefore, Xiao Han never liked these so-called relatives. Throughout the years, regardless of holidays, Xiao Han never missed them and was never willing to associate with them. Even last Chinese New Year, it was only because they had invited his family that he went at all, otherwise, he would have adamantly refused.
Xiao Han felt extremely helpless.
……
On the way back, Auntie and Xiao Ling’s family walked outside.
“Auntie, I really want to thank you this time,” the middle-aged man said with a look of gratitude, “Here’s a thousand yuan, please take it.”
“Alrighty!” Auntie excitedly took the thousand yuan, pocketing it while carefully separating it from her own money to count it later and check for counterfeit bills; if there were any fakes, this matter would be far from over. After securing the money, she said with a big smile, “Xiao Ling, you must study hard. Look how good your parents are to you. They spare no effort for your sake. So you must try your best, alright?”
“Uh huh!” Xiao Ling nodded. The girl wore a long dress, harboring dreams of being a princess, as if she were a girl untouched by worldly affairs.
The family walked back home.
“Auntie, Xiao Han is really amazing,” the middle-aged man said enviously, “Not only is he the top scorer in the college entrance exam, but he also scored perfect marks. I’m so jealous. Xiao’s family must be very proud to have such an outstanding member.”
“Absolutely!” Auntie said proudly, “Which one of my neighbors isn’t envious of me?”
“Hehe…” the middle-aged man chuckled before adding, “Yeah, I’m envious too. I just hope my daughter can get into a good university. That way, we both can relax a bit. Earning a little more money in the future would also bring honor to us.”
“Indeed, who doesn’t want to get into a good university these days?” Auntie quickly added, “As long as you can get into a good one, the future is certain.”
“Yes!” the middle-aged man nodded, “We suffered because we didn’t get an education. Otherwise, would we still be in this situation?”
“If anyone wants to attend the Hanmen Training Class in the future, tell them to come to me!” Auntie boasted, “I’ll make sure they get enrolled. My nephew listens to me best, he will definitely make an exception if I ask.”
“That sounds good,” the middle-aged man replied upon hearing this, “Many of my neighbors have been inquiring about it, and they’d probably be willing to pay.”
“Great!” Auntie nodded.
Xiao Han had no idea that by giving in just once, a flood of troubles was soon to follow.
The next morning, early.
Xiao Han was still deeply asleep. A noisy commotion from outside startled him awake. He hurriedly opened his eyes, groggily glanced outside, and only then deciphered the noise.
“Sister-in-law, you have to help me with this,” Auntie’s voice came from outside.
“I really can’t help you!” Mother Xiao said helplessly before adding, “I can’t have much say in this matter; yesterday, Xiao Han agreed because he was in a good mood, and because you’re his auntie. Otherwise, with his personality, he wouldn’t have agreed to something like this!”
“It’s not a bad thing!” Auntie argued, “It’s a win-win situation. The Hanmen Training Class is recruiting anyway, and I can make some money for my old age, so why not?”
“But that’s wrong,” Mother Xiao said with a wry smile, “What you’re doing is unfair to those in line. Understand?”
Upon hearing this, Auntie quickly responded, “This country is all about relationships and connections. What’s the point in queuing? ICBC executives favor their relatives. The whole Industrial and Commercial Bank has almost become a family business, so how come it’s fine for them, but not for us?”
“That’s different, the situation is different!” Mother Xiao explained.
“So will you help or not?” Auntie became slightly angry, sure of her ability to leverage Mother Xiao, who she knew was susceptible to this approach, hence her boldness.
“I can’t help. I don’t run the Hanmen Training Class,” Mother Xiao said with resignation.
“Fine, then I’ll go find Xiao Han!” Auntie went inside, annoyed.
Mother Xiao couldn’t stop her at all. She could only let her walk inside. After entering, Xiao Han had already gotten up from the bed. He looked at his aunt and then said, “Auntie, why have you come to our house so early in the morning?”
“Oh, Xiao Han, Auntie’s good child.” The aunt hastily smiled and asked, “Have you eaten breakfast?”
“I’ve just gotten up,” Xiao Han glanced at her and then said, “Did you come to our house this early because there’s something you need?”
“Of course!” The aunt quickly nodded and said, “Auntie has been short of money recently, with no job and lots of health issues. So, I wanted to earn some money for retirement. Lately, many people have been seeking me out, so I’ve taken a little tip for running errands and come to ask for your help to cut in line. Xiao Han, for the sake of your aunt getting old and frail, could you please help?”
“Auntie, how much did you earn from the deal yesterday?” Xiao Han asked, curious.
“They only gave a red envelope with two hundred yuan,” the aunt hastily replied.
“Two hundred yuan?” Xiao Han was taken aback and then smiled, “That can’t be all, can it?”
“Uh…” The aunt’s eyes darted around before she said, “There isn’t that much, really just two hundred. If you don’t believe it, you can ask their family.”
“But Xiao Ling said they gave one thousand!” Xiao Han spoke up.
“Ah…” Upon hearing this, the aunt said, “This… I… I really didn’t know, I haven’t even opened their red envelope yet, it’s still at home, I thought it was only two hundred, I didn’t realize it was one thousand. I…”
“Auntie, that’s enough,” Xiao Han looked at her and then said, “You can’t be too greedy or go too far. Hanmen Training Class has always projected an image of fairness and integrity to the public, and it absolutely mustn’t change because of some people.”
“But I…” The aunt seemed at a loss.
“How many people this time?” Xiao Han inquired.
“They’re all right here!” The aunt hastily took out a stack of documents from her bag and then said with embarrassment, “Twenty-three people in total. I’ve brought all their information over. Xiao Han, do you think that would be alright? If it is, can I leave these documents here?”
Xiao Han stood agape.
Greed, in the expression and gaze of the woman before him, he saw sheer greed. This greed was as heavy as an elephant. In one breath, she had collected information from twenty-three people. Hanmen Training Class’s total enrollment quota was only one hundred, and she had already taken one slot for herself, and now she wanted to take twenty-three more. Xiao Han found it almost unbelievable.
“What’s wrong?” The aunt looked at Xiao Han with a puzzled face, not knowing whether it was a yes or no.
“Auntie, you can’t be too excessive,” Xiao Han said earnestly, “Twenty-three people, you’ve taken away a quarter of Hanmen Training Class’s enrollment slots all at once. When we open for registration tomorrow, people will know how many slots have been internally filled just by looking at the number of registrants. Isn’t this embarrassing us?”
“What does it matter?” The aunt hastily shook her head and said, “That’s just how society is, why should we be so rigid?”
“No way!” Xiao Han shook his head without hesitation and then said, “This can’t be done, and it’s not negotiable.”
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“Xiao Han, please, I’m begging you, alright?” The aunt clutched Xiao Han’s arm, pleading miserably, “Your aunt has no sons, only a daughter, and securing my retirement is a problem, and your uncle is not good to me, what will I do in the future?”
As she spoke, her tears quickly began to fall.
Mother Xiao also advised from the side, “Xiao Han, help if you can. Look at how distressed your aunt is.”
“Indeed, life is hard,” the aunt seemed to have grasped a lifeline, then with tears flowing, she said, “I didn’t marry the right person, so I’ve been suffering all my life, and now in old age, I still have to earn my own retirement money. It’s not easy, not easy at all…”
“Xiao Han…” Mother Xiao, holding the aunt’s arm, said, “We are all people with hard lives, help if you can. Otherwise, what?”
“How about this,” Xiao Han asked, “Auntie, how much tip did you collect from these people?”
“A thousand per person,” the aunt said, lowering her head, “A total of twenty-three thousand.”
Twenty-three thousand meant little to Xiao Han, but for an ordinary family, that was a significant amount of unearned income. No wonder the aunt was willing to come and beg so desperately.
“How about this!” Xiao Han smiled and said, “I’ll give you twenty-three thousand, and you refund the information to these people. How about that?”
“What?” The aunt was stunned upon hearing this.
Suddenly, she was somewhat at a loss; she had never thought about taking money from Xiao Han. But the money offered to her was absolutely there for the taking. Yet, accepting the money so openly seemed somewhat improper. The aunt thought for a moment and then said, “Is this… is this alright?”
[There will be another 10 chapters at noon.]
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