Volume 1: The Golden Years Chapter 56: Mother Jiang Has No Money
After dinner, when Yuan Xudong was helping Zhu Suosuo clean up the dishes, Mother Jiang stood up and said goodbye:
"Xiao Yuan, Suosuo, it's getting late. I'm going to go back first. You should also go to bed early. I'll ask you to take better care of Nansun."
Hearing Mother Jiang's farewell, Yuan Xudong looked up at her and said:
"Aunt, Suosuo and I will take good care of Nansun, don't worry!"
After saying that, he glanced out the window. It was dark at night, and then he suggested to Mother Jiang:
"Aunt, it's so late. You can stay here for one night and go back tomorrow morning."
Zhu Suosuo on the side chimed in:
"Auntie, Yuan Xudong is right. It's so late, it's not safe for you to go back alone. You should stay here for one night and go back tomorrow morning!"
Before Jiang's mother could say no, Jiang Nansun hugged her arm and advised:
"Mom, it's so late, don't go back , stay here with me!"
Glancing at Jiang Nansun, Mother Jiang shook her head slightly and said:
"It's okay. I play mahjong and dance every day. I often go home at this time. It's safe outside. You don't have to worry about me. If I don't go back, your grandma will say something bad. What's more, such a big thing happened at home. I can't rest assured if I don't go back."
After that, she looked at Yuan Xudong and Zhu Suosuo and said:
"Xiao Yuan, Suosuo, I'm leaving first. Please stay and let Nansun take me out."
Seeing that Mother Jiang was determined to leave, Yuan Xudong stopped trying to persuade her. He glanced at the time, which was 9:35 p.m., and then he smiled and said,
"Aunt, let me take you back. It's not far from here to Jiang's house. It's just a matter of pedaling the accelerator."
Hearing this, Mother Jiang shook her head slightly and refused:
"No need, just help Suosuo clean up the dishes. I drank a little tonight, so it's not convenient for me to drive. I can just go out and get a taxi."
After that, she glanced at Jiang Nansun, then continued to look at Yuan Xudong and explained:
"I want to talk to Nansun alone, so let her take me out. You and Suosuo stay at home to clean up the dishes and go to bed early, because you have to go to work tomorrow."
Seeing Mother Jiang say this, Yuan Xudong and Zhu Suosuo didn't know what to say. He nodded slightly and said:
"Aunt, let Nansun take you there. Be careful on the road. See you next time!"
"see you later!"
…
After bidding farewell to Yuan Xudong and Zhu Suosuo and leaving the rental house, Jiang Nansun walked along the road with her mother, looking at her and saying:
"Mom, can you lend me 20,000 yuan?"
When she first heard her daughter Jiang Nansun ask her to borrow money, Jiang's mother said worriedly:
"Nansun, what do you want 20,000 yuan for?"
Seeing her mother's anxious expression, Jiang Nansun quickly explained:
"I don't want to spend Zhang Anren's money anymore. Now I'm moving out alone, so I want to borrow some money from you as basic living expenses and transportation fees for this semester."
Hearing Jiang Nansun say this, Mother Jiang frowned slightly and said:
"Did you have a fight with Zhang Anren?"
"No!"
Jiang Nansun shook her head slightly and said:
"I simply don't want to spend his money. He only gets a small salary every month, which is barely enough for his own living. If I'm included, he'll be very tired."
"He is your boyfriend, and you haven't gotten married yet. You really shouldn't expect him to support you!"
Mother Jiang nodded slightly, then took off the jade bracelet on her wrist and handed it to Jiang Nansun, saying:
"This is the jade bracelet Xiao Yuan gave me when we first met. It's of very good quality. You can sell it. It should fetch you a lot of money."
Looking at the jade bracelet handed over by her mother, Jiang Nansun said in astonishment:
"Mom, what are you doing?"
Putting the bracelet in Jiang Nansun's hand, Jiang's mother rolled her eyes at her and said:
"Don't you want 20,000 yuan for living expenses?"
Hearing her mother say this, Jiang Nansun couldn't believe it and said:
"Mom, you have no money, not even 20,000 yuan?"
"Gone!"
Mother Jiang nodded slightly and said calmly:
"I've used up all my money on buying insurance for you and renting a house. I only have some basic living expenses . The Jiang family has no money left."
Hearing that her mother had used most of her savings to buy insurance for her, Jiang Nansun choked up and said:
"Mom, why did you buy so much insurance for me?"
Seeing Jiang Nansun with tears in her eyes, Jiang's mother comforted her:
"Over the years, your father has lost more and more money speculating in stocks. I was worried that the Jiang family would be ruined by him sooner or later, so I bought some insurance for you just in case. Now it comes in handy."
After that, without waiting for Jiang Nansun's response, she continued:
"This afternoon, when I went home to pack my things, I found that your father had gone through my jewelry box and found that a diamond necklace was missing. It was a fake one. He didn't know that all the jewelry in the jewelry box was fake, and only the one I was wearing was real."
Hearing this, Jiang Nansun's face was slightly stunned, and she said hesitantly:
"Is it true?"
"I sold them all and used the money to buy insurance for you."
"If he takes the necklace out to sell, he will know it is fake. What will he do then?"
"Even if he knew the necklace was fake, he didn't have the nerve to come back and ask me."
"Dad owes so much money to others. What will you do if someone comes to collect the debt?"
“They can take whatever they want, but they can’t take our lives. Besides, even if they do, we can’t pay them back the money we owe them.
I don't want the Jiang family to drag you down. You can move out and have the insurances. Then you can find a stable job and live a good life.
As for your father, he is not a bad person, he is just a gambler, a gambler who loses everything and does not care about anything. The current situation is caused by him, so you can't blame others!"
"Does Dad know about buying insurance?"
"It was he who suggested that I buy some insurance for you, but he didn't know that I bought so much for you. At that time, he also said that he would leave you some money. He loves you, but he can't change his shortcoming of stock speculation. He is too gambling!"
"Mom, are you scared?"
"What's the point of being afraid? You have to face what's coming. Before I got married, I couldn't afford anything. Later, I could afford it, but I didn't feel very happy. Now I'm not afraid of being beaten back to my original state."
"Mom, this is the bracelet Yuan Xudong gave you. If I sell it to earn living expenses, I will be ashamed for the rest of my life if he finds out. Take it back. I will find a way to pay for my living expenses myself."
"But, you..."
"Mom, don't worry. I'm a top student at the Magic City School of Architecture after all. It shouldn't be a problem for me to make money to support myself. If there's really no other way, I can still eat and drink for free at Suosuo's place."
Mother Jiang took the bracelet back and said hesitantly:
"Nansun, I know Xiao Yuan likes you very much. Is there any possibility for you and him..."
"mom!"
Before her mother could finish, Jiang Nansun interrupted her and said:
"I know what you want to say, but that's impossible. Not to mention that my boyfriend is Zhang Anren, even if there wasn't Zhang Anren, I wouldn't choose Yuan Xudong.
He is Suosuo's boyfriend. No matter whether he likes me or not, I will not fall in love with him. I promised Suosuo that I would not steal her boyfriend.
Besides, Yuan Xudong is not my type at all. He is lazy all day long, not steady at all, and even wants to have two girlfriends at the same time. I hate him when I see him. If it weren’t for Suosuo’s sake, I would not pay attention to him.”
Seeing her daughter's sharp words, Jiang's mother stopped and said:
"This is your lifelong event, you should think it over carefully. Although Zhang Anren seems to be a down-to-earth and steady person who knows how to live, that was when our family was not bankrupt.
I just don't know if he will still obey you like before after he knows our family is bankrupt. Don't rush into marriage. You might as well test him. Men are afraid of choosing the wrong career and women are afraid of marrying the wrong man. You must see clearly, understand?"
"I know, Mom, don't worry!"
"As long as you know!"
Mother Jiang stopped a taxi and got in. She looked at Jiang Nansun and said,
"I'm leaving, you should go back too and get some rest!"
"Goodbye, Mom!"
Jiang Nansun waved goodbye until the taxi disappeared from her sight. She then walked towards the rental house, wiping her tears and putting a smile on her face again, just like before.
Walking into the house, seeing Yuan Xudong and Zhu Suosuo washing dishes in the kitchen, Jiang Nansun laughed loudly:
"Suosuo, I'm back. I'll help you wash the dishes!"
After that, she drove Yuan Xudong, who was standing next to her to help, out of the kitchen, and started to wash the dishes with Zhu Suosuo, laughing and joking. Looking at the hardworking and capable Zhu Suosuo, Jiang Nansun said with a complicated expression:
"Suosuo, I feel so useless and I can't do anything!"
Zhu Suosuo thought Jiang Nansun was talking about housework such as cooking and washing dishes, so she smiled and comforted her:
“No one is born knowing everything. Don’t be fooled by the fact that I seem to be very hardworking and capable. That’s all I can do. I have lived with my uncle since I was a child. In order to please my uncle and aunt, I rushed to do all the housework.
In fact, I also want to lie on the sofa and watch TV like Jiaming, and not do any housework, but there is no other way. After all, they are not my biological parents. If I want to live a stable and worry-free life, I must not be annoying, and try to please and flatter them without showing it. This has been my philosophy of life since I was a child."
Hearing this, Jiang Nansun was slightly stunned, then looked at Zhu Suosuo and said jokingly:
"So now you are cooking and washing dishes, are you trying to please Yuan Xudong?"
"Of course!"
Seeing Jiang Nansun making fun of her, Zhu Suosuo rolled her eyes at said confidently:
"I like him, and he likes me, and we are both willing to please and flatter each other. Is there any problem with that?"
"No problem at all!"
Jiang Nansun glared at her and said in a strange voice:
"I wish you to have a baby soon, marry Yuan Xudong with a baby, marry into a wealthy family, and realize your dream of becoming a rich man since childhood!"
Hearing this, Zhu Suosuo touched her belly and said in a controlled tone:
"Don't worry, when I become Mrs. Yuan and have a boy or girl, I will take care of the Jiang family's debts!"
"Thank you in advance, Mrs. Yuan!"
"You're welcome. You're my bestie!"
