Chapter 233: Chapter 234: Do Not Underestimate the Young and Poor
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“Aunt used to treat our family fairly well,” Xiao Han smiled and said. “If back then you had treated us just a little bit better, I would have calculated the money on a per person basis. But, unfortunately, the affection between us is only worth one hundred yuan, yet, I gave you a thousand. I’ve paid ten times over. So, don’t think that I’m unkind.”
“You!” Great Aunt was somewhat annoyed upon hearing this.
Yet, when she thought about it, the two families had indeed never treated Xiao Han’s family well. They had always looked for ways to target them, even taking away the property that the old man had left for their family. They went so far as to try to take half of the consolation money when Xiao Han’s father died. Such actions were indeed somewhat inhumane.
But, those things were all in the past, and now she was here with a very sincere and polite attitude, wasn’t she? Why should she still be treated this way?
“Xiao Han, let’s just forget about past matters,” Mother Xiao reminded him from the side. “We’re not heartless people, either. Who doesn’t want to have some relatives in society, right?”
“Yeah,” Second Uncle Xiao Minghua also nodded and said, “Let’s forget about the past. In the future, we’ll all be relatives, and we should love each other, right?”
“Mm,” Xiao Han nodded and replied, “Past matters can be put aside, and be left in the past.”
“Then…” Xiao Minghua said curiously.
“The money is still a thousand, if you don’t want it, then leave it,” Xiao Han replied. “I’ll be going to the provincial city tomorrow. I’ve no say over the Hanmen Training Class. So, don’t bother her about it. All of the family’s assets are in my hands, so if you want to borrow money, don’t look to my mother. My mother doesn’t have money.”
“How will your mom live then?” Great Aunt was stunned for a moment.
“My mom will officially start working at the Sanitation Bureau next month,” Xiao Han said with a slight smile.
“Oh, how tiring must that job be?” Great Aunt hurriedly said when she heard this. “Getting up early every morning to work, it must be tough in the winter.”
“No,” Xiao Han shook his head and explained, “My mom’s a regular employee, within the establishment, and, on top of that, she doesn’t need to sweep the streets or do hard labor. She just needs to assign tasks. As a leader of the sanitation workers, she only needs to assign tasks daily and distribute materials to the workers. Mung beans for cooling down in the winter, rock sugar… warm handbags for winter… and other materials.”
Upon hearing this, everyone was immediately astonished.
They hadn’t expected that the sister-in-law they always looked down upon had become a regular employee at the Sanitation Bureau and even a minor leader. To the Chinese, this was practically a golden rice bowl, a super golden rice bowl at that. How many people desperately wished they could have such a job?
“This… this isn’t true, is it?” Great Aunt was somewhat embarrassed. Actually, this was the kind of job she had always dreamed of. A job with stability, a decent income, and the icing on the cake: a little bit of power under her command, without much work involved. It was something she had never expected the person she despised and hated the most to get. She indeed found it hard to believe.
“Of course it’s true!” Xiao Han declared.
“How can that be!” The eldest uncle shook his head and said, “You must have been deceived. How difficult is it to get a job as a regular worker these days? It not only costs money, but you also need to have connections and relationships. Sometimes even money can’t secure such a position.”
Xiao Han sighed and then explained, “It’s not really that difficult. I reached out to the leaders of the Education Bureau, hoping they could settle my mother into a position. The leader agreed very readily. After all, I’ve brought honor to the Z province and to Linjiang City. Now the whole country knows about a student from Linjiang City who scored full marks on the college entrance examination. It also lets the entire nation know that the educational strength of Linjiang City is very formidable.”
“No wonder!” They all nodded almost in unison, clearly believing what Xiao Han said.
Of course, Xiao Han had said all this deliberately. It was nothing but a way to tell them he now had a background and capability.
Eventually, the family of the eldest uncle and second uncle couldn’t stay any longer, and they left Xiao Han’s home with the thousand yuan in hand.
After leaving Xiao Han’s home, the group was very silent. There’s a saying: “You must not deceive the old, but never scorn the young and poor.” Now things had changed, and Xiao Han had ascended like a phoenix to the top of the tree, no one could bully him anymore. In terms of money, his income this time alone was worth more than what the two families could earn in half a lifetime. Moreover, his future and prospects were limitless. Most importantly, his mother had mixed into a regular employee position and even became a minor leader. What a comfortable job it was.
In this way, a family that had been living in poverty suddenly became moderately well-off.
“Goodness,” Xiao Mingguo was still somewhat shocked.
“Yes, who would have thought,” Xiao Minghua also sighed and lamented, “Thirty years East of the river, thirty years West. Xiao Han is no longer the child of the past, nor is he the fool he once was. He has completely changed.”
“Yes!” Xiao Mingguo nodded.
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“I’m furious,” Great Aunt said indignantly, “Isn’t this bullying? It’s just too wicked.”
“The fact that they’re offering you a thousand is already a favor; you should be content,” Eldest Uncle spoke up, “You don’t think about how you treated them in the past.”
“How did I treat them?” Great Aunt said angrily, “Wasn’t I also doing this for our own good? For the sake of our family? If it wasn’t for this, how could I possibly have been against them in every possible way?”
“Yes, yes, everything you do is for this family!” Xiao Mingguo said, “Anyway, you always have your reasons, right?”
“I…” Great Aunt was at a loss for words for a moment.
“Now Xiao Han’s family is, frankly, thriving,” Eldest Uncle sighed, then continued, “Now look, we are the ones worse off than the rest. Ah, it really is the making of a good son, isn’t it? Without Xiao Han, where would their family be right now?”
“I just can’t stand to see them like this,” Great Aunt spat through gritted teeth, unable to conceal her anger, “I must find a way to ruin their reputation all at once, to make them fall back into hardship. I just can’t bear to see them do well, to see them smug and looking down on everyone.”
“So what can you do about it?” Eldest Uncle laughed, then said, “Are you planning on destroying their family or what?”
“Yes!” Great Aunt nodded and declared, “After I go back, I’m going to spread all the nasty things about their family. Humph!”
“Don’t be rash, don’t take it too far,” Eldest Uncle cautioned with a glance, “Everyone has their limits, and Xiao Han has grown up now. You know he’s not only wealthy, but also has some connections behind him. If you’re found out, you could be finished.”
“What do I have to fear!” Great Aunt scoffed, then stated, “In the end, I’m his Great Aunt. Let him dare to have me arrested. If he dares, I’ll expose him to the media, accuse him of being heartless and of annihilating his own kin.”
“That would be quite the story,” Eldest Uncle retorted dryly.
Afterward, both parties returned to their own homes, each harboring a bellyful of anger.
……
At Xiao Han’s home.
Mother Xiao looked at Xiao Han with a face full of apology as if her eyes held a depth of debt and a tinge of profound weariness. After so many years of conflict, though there was now silence, it was more difficult to handle than the clamor. They came to her indirectly asking for money, as if somehow her family owed them. Little did they realize, over the years, they had taken so much wealth from this poor family. The house left by the old man was taken and divided up by them, and she didn’t receive a cent. Even the gold and silver jewelry that her mother-in-law left behind were all sold off by them, without leaving her anything.
Yet, even so, they were unwilling to let things be; they even thought about dividing up the compensation money from her husband’s death. That was absolutely unforgivable. Her husband had passed away, his body not yet cold, and they were quick to come to divide the money. Therefore, Mother Xiao filed a lawsuit and took them to court. In the end, the law delivered a fair judgment and served as a reminder to them that the world does not consist only of weakness; there are laws, these weapons to protect the disadvantaged.
“Xiao Han, I’m sorry,” Mother Xiao sighed and said, “If I hadn’t been so accommodating, they wouldn’t be so greedy today!”
“Mom, it’s not your fault,” Xiao Han said earnestly, “I didn’t expect them to be so greedy either.”
“Ah,” Mother Xiao sighed, “But how can it not be? When will all this end?”
“Don’t worry,” Xiao Han assured her, “It’ll never end. Once you satisfy them once, they’ll want a second time. And a third time.”
“Yes!” Mother Xiao nodded and said, “Greedy people are never easy to satisfy. So, it’s truly a sad affair.”
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“Mom, rest assured, if they come again, just ignore them,” Xiao Han smiled.
“You should be leaving for school tomorrow,” Mother Xiao said tenderly, looking at Xiao Han, “My child is finally going far away. I’m reluctant to let you go, and yet I’m looking forward to it. Only when you leave for a distant place do I realize you have truly grown up.”
“Hmm,” Xiao Han nodded, then said, “Mom, take good care of yourself when you’re home alone.”
“You too,” Mother Xiao nodded.
That night, Xiao Han couldn’t fall asleep. Too many worries were entangling him. There were too many things he couldn’t let go of and too many troubles bothering him. He was worried about his mother, and also concerned that the Hanmen Training Class would not produce results without him. Although Li Yunpeng had a wealth of experience, his age was catching up with him, and he found himself exhausted just from teaching a morning’s worth of classes. The other two teachers lacked Li Yunpeng’s experience and often needed his guidance.
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