Chapter 83: Reactions from Each Branch

  Fang Qing was admitted to university, and all the branches of the Fang family came to celebrate.

  Eldest aunt Fang Cuilian had rarely been home since she sold the old house to pay off her debts. This time, upon hearing Fang Qing had been admitted, she simply asked her mother to pass on 50 yuan.

  Fang's mother looked at the 50 yuan in the old lady's hand and felt a wave of dismay.

  This eldest sister-in-law was truly powerful. When she had persuaded them to sell the old house, she had made all sorts of promises, but after the house was sold, her debts were paid off, and the money she had promised to give to each branch was gone.

  So, the house she and her husband had saved and paid for for so many years ended up being a bargain for her family?
  Fang's mother had been holding a grudge over this matter. If her daughter hadn't later saved someone and earned some money, which helped the family's immediate needs, they wouldn't know where they were going.

  Now that her own child had been admitted to university, it would have been fine for her not to come, but what did she mean by "I didn't expect Fang Qing to get into university"? Was this what an aunt should say?
  Fang's mother thought about it and found it a bit ridiculous. Sometimes, the actions of her own family members weren't as heartwarming as those of outsiders. "Never mind

  ," she said, "just treat them as distant relatives from now on." Fang's mother smiled and took the money from the old lady.

  But to Fang's mother's surprise, Old Lady Fang also took out five hundred yuan and solemnly handed it to her granddaughter.

  "This is for my granddaughter. Take it!"

  Fang's mother stared at the money in her mother-in-law's hand, stunned for a moment. "Mom, what are you doing?"

  The old lady had been showing signs of aging over the past two years. Although she and Fang's mother had many disagreements and hadn't shown any particular concern for her granddaughter, Fang Qing's admission to university made Old Lady Fang proud among her fellow old ladies.

  Every day when Old Lady Fang went out for a walk, she would praise her granddaughter's beauty and intelligence to everyone she met!

  Although Fang's mother was surprised that her mother-in-law suddenly showed some interest in her daughter, as long as the family atmosphere was harmonious, she didn't care about anything else.

  Looking at the 500 yuan her mother-in-law handed her, Fang's mother suddenly realized that the old lady seemed to have aged a lot and was much thinner than she had been two years ago.

  Fang's mother pushed the money back. "Mom, we appreciate your kindness, but you're usually frugal and don't have much money. Save it for yourself to buy some more nutritious food."

  Old Mrs. Fang rolled her eyes at her and forcefully stuffed the five large bills into Fang Qing's hands.

  "This is the first college student in our family, and she even got admitted to the capital. When Qingqing's grandfather was alive, he looked forward to his granddaughter's success. Now that Qingqing has made a name for herself, I'm so happy. This money is a small gift from me and her grandfather, and I have to accept it."

  Fang Qing knew that although her grandfather loved her since she was a child, her grandmother didn't like her. She didn't expect her grandmother to give her such a large sum of money to encourage her.

  Thinking of the kind old man, Fang Qing was moved and took the money respectfully.

  Fang Qing took the money from her grandmother, her eyes slightly red with emotion. "Don't worry, Grandma. When I go to college, I will work hard and strive to win more glory for our Fang family." Only

  then did Mrs. Fang smile with satisfaction, patted her granddaughter's hand, and let the nanny push her out for another walk.

  Her aunt Fang Cuiying, whose family had become tighter after she had a child, still rushed over during her lunch break to give Fang Qing 100 yuan.

  "Qingqing, this is a little gift from me. Don't think it's too little."

  Fang Qing refused. "Aunt, I appreciate your kindness. Take this money back and buy some nutritional supplements for my nephew."

  But her aunt was not happy. "Just accept it. Let's not be polite with each other. Study hard in college and help me make a lot of money in the future!"

  Fang Qing and her aunt had been close since childhood. She refused to take the money no matter what. Finally, her aunt said she had to go back to work and stuffed the money into Fang Qing's pocket when Fang Qing wasn't paying attention.

  Fang Qing looked at the two fifty-dollar bills, their edges frayed, in her hands, feeling a pang of pain. She thought about finding another profitable business, and she would definitely take her aunt and her family with her.

  Her uncle was out on a sales trip and didn't return in time, but he called and said he would visit Fang Qing at university after she left.

  Fang Qing felt this out of all the attention she received, and for a moment, she was a little overwhelmed. Her father, however, accepted it all with equanimity, placing a bag of money in Fang Qing's hands. "This is family's affirmation and encouragement for you. Keep it. You'll need money for school so much!"

  As

  school drew closer, Fang Qing's mother had packed her belongings.

  But two days before departure, her aunt, whom she hadn't seen in a while, unexpectedly visited.

  "Hey, Chunxia, your family is doing great! Has Qingqing got everything she needs for school? Do you need any help? I'm not busy these days, so just let me know."

  Fang's mother felt annoyed by her sister-in-law's insistence, but she couldn't just kick her out, so she offered her a seat and some tea.

  The eldest aunt, holding a cup of tea, went around every room, even going into Fang Qing's studio to take a look.

  Fang's mother was afraid that she would move around, so she hurriedly followed her. When she saw her reaching out to fiddle with Fang Qing's paint box, she quickly stopped her, "Sister-in-law, those are children's paints. It's hard to wash them off. Don't stain your clothes."

  The eldest aunt curled her lips in disgust, "Tsk, why should a child learn to paint? What kind of family is this? Just smearing with these broken paints, what's the use of it..."

  Fang's mother watched her sister-in-law looking around and endured it again and again. Finally, when she saw her husband coming back with watermelons, she found an excuse to bring her sister-in-law out.

  Sister-in-law Wang Huizheng looked at the clean, tidy and beautiful new house of the second room, feeling envious and jealous. It was a pity that this house was not hers, but the family had already divided it. If she wanted to move in, it would not be as easy as before.

  "Chunxia, Qingqing is going to the capital to attend university, aren't you going to go with her? Qingqing is so young in such a big city, don't let her get abducted..."

  Fang's mother gritted her teeth secretly. This sister-in-law really didn't know how to talk. She didn't come to visit, but was obviously looking for trouble.

  "Don't worry about that. Qingqing lives in the school. It's a university, not everyone can enter. I heard from the children of the Wen family that the school has strict management and is much safer than ours."

  Fang's mother took a sip of tea, and seeing her sister-in-law's face pale from being blocked, she finally felt a little relieved.

  Wang Huizheng rolled his eyes, put down his teacup, and started a new conversation. "Then you two should go and take a look too. After all, Qingqing has gone to college, and you haven't seen what college is like. What a pity..."

  Fang's mother nodded. "Of course. I only have this one precious daughter. We must send her away. It's a good opportunity to visit the capital and broaden her horizons."

  Hearing this, Wang Huizheng's eyes lit up. "Then we can't have no one to look after the house. I'll take the trouble to help you look for houses!"

  (End of this chapter)