Grandma has always looked down on me. You could say she favors boys, but oddly enough, she's very fond of Li Fei from my second uncle's family. Although my aunt is partial to Li Fei and has treated me indifferently, at least she hasn't tried to harm me. I believe if my dad were still here, seeing his sister in trouble, he'd step in to help. Now that she's in financial difficulty, if I can help her, I guess I should lend her a hand.
But how do I help? My aunt's personality is a bit soft, and her household is run by her husband. She doesn't have control over their finances either. Uncle-in-law Wu Dachuan, from a farming family near the outskirts, is their only son and has a somewhat stingy temperament. His mother often gives my aunt a hard time for having given birth to a daughter.
Thinking of this, Li Si came up with an idea that could not only help her aunt but also make her more financially independent—and incidentally solve a few of her own issues. Ultimately, though, it's up to her aunt to muster up some backbone.
"Grandma, my dad only left me 20,000 yuan. The heating bill for this house is coming up soon, and I'm only a sophomore in college, with three more years until graduation. That money barely covers my tuition and daily expenses; I can't possibly lend it to anyone!"
Li Si calculated her costs for the next three years and casually mentioned a figure. She was also being cautious of her second uncle's family.
"If the restaurant makes money, your aunt and uncle-in-law won't let you off the hook! What's this called—right, this is called investment. The interest you'd earn putting that 20,000 yuan in the bank is peanuts. Your aunt and uncle-in-law could give you much more later on!"
Grandma Li wore herself out trying to persuade Li Si, lowering her voice in a way uncharacteristic of her usual dominance. Had it not been for her second son's wife analyzing this opportunity and pointing out that the eldest son had left a decent amount of money, Grandma Li wouldn't have come over here and swallowed her pride.
Li Si glanced over at her aunt, who nodded approvingly from the side and tried persuading her, saying, "I still think you should seriously consider this. Even if it's a small restaurant, it's hard for one person to manage everything. You'd need to hire staff. And if business isn't good, you'd lose money. One of my classmates' families tried running a restaurant—they shut it down in less than a year."
"Li Si, your uncle-in-law has already researched the market! There's a shop for rent right next to Central Market in our area. The annual rent is only 4,000 yuan, and the place isn't small—it can fit eight tables! It's guaranteed to be profitable!"
Her aunt spoke anxiously—she couldn't imagine how her mother-in-law and husband would deal with her if she failed to secure the money here.
"Auntie, how much money do you have on hand right now?"
"Me? I don't have any money. All of our household finances are in my husband's hands. And then there's Wu Yue, your little cousin—she's in the third year of middle school now. Her exams are coming up, but we don't even know how well she'll score. If she has to enroll in a private school, the fees will be several tens of thousands of yuan! Where would we get that kind of money?"
Her aunt spoke hesitantly, finding it hard to voice such matters in front of her niece.
"Li Si, you're just a kid—why ask so many questions? Even if I told you, it wouldn't help. Just hurry up and hand over the money. Grandma thinks this house is sitting empty anyway—why not sell it? Once you graduate college, you'll be getting married, right? Whoever you marry will certainly need you to have a house! Sell it and move to your second uncle's place during winter break. Your second aunt even mentioned it earlier today—no matter what, family is who you can truly rely on, outsiders are all useless!"
Grandma Li repeated what her second son's wife had said that afternoon, while watching Li Si's reaction.
Li Si sneered coldly. No wonder. She had been wondering how a rural old lady like Grandma suddenly became so eloquent, stringing arguments together—it turned out her second aunt had coached her. Rely on relatives? Hah, what a joke. If her second uncle's family were reliable, pigs might as well learn to climb trees.
"Grandma, did my second aunt teach you to say this? What a clever scheme! But what if I don't find someone to marry after I graduate? And even if I do, is it guaranteed that I'll have a house? Aren't there so-called 'leftover women' nowadays? Will I just live at my second uncle's place forever? With my second aunt's personality, do you think they'll let me eat and drink for free? Is that something you believe or that I should believe?"
Li Si imagined scenes from the future and angrily questioned Grandma Li.
Grandma Li was left speechless, frustratedly shoving Li Si a couple of times, trying to prompt her to say something. Her aunt stayed quiet as well, knowing full well her second sister-in-law's character after so many years. If Little Li Si really sold the house, she might end up suffering in the future. In this matter, persuasion was pointless—although her aunt was soft-tempered, she wasn't blind to reality.
The room fell into a stalemate.
"Auntie, where are you working at the moment?"
Li Si remembered her aunt never seemed to have a stable job, only working odd jobs here and there.
"I haven't been doing anything recently, you see, that's why I'm planning to open a small restaurant."
Her aunt's eyes shifted as she answered. In truth, she hadn't held down any long-term jobs, spending much of her time at home taking care of the elderly and children. Lately, her second sister-in-law had visited several times, painting a rosy picture about how much money her eldest brother had left behind with Li Si. She had talked up the idea of borrowing money from Li Si for an investment, successfully swaying her husband and mother-in-law.
"Grandma, Auntie, let me be honest with you—my dad is gone, and I'm struggling as it is on my own. I genuinely don't have the ability to invest or lend money for your restaurant plans. However, I do have a work opportunity—would you be interested? It's at a shop opened by one of my classmates' families. They're hiring, with a salary of 1,500 yuan monthly, plus bonuses for good performance. If you're interested, I can help you get in touch."
Li Si was thinking about opening her own shop somewhere, but if her aunt could take this job, it'd provide financial stability and allow her to stand tall in her in-laws' household.
"Li Si, can you really earn that much money?"
Her aunt became visibly excited. Earning 1,500 yuan a month, plus bonuses, was far better than the few dozen yuan a day odd jobs brought in, which were unstable at best. Her own husband earned only slightly over 1,000 yuan each month.
Grandma Li perked up as well, asking cautiously, "Is your classmate's family reliable about paying wages on time? Can they be trusted?"
"This shouldn't be an issue. However, the shop hasn't opened yet, so it'll take some time."
Li Si considered the necessary steps—choosing a location, simple renovations, hiring staff—all of which would require time.
"That's fine, I can wait. Li Si, you're such a good kid; you absolutely have to help your aunt get this opportunity. With your cousin Wu Yue's schooling expenses and all the things at home needing money, if this pans out, Auntie will truly owe you a big thank-you!"
Her aunt finally realized that pressuring Li Si wouldn't squeeze any money out of her. Besides, running a business wasn't guaranteed profit—nothing was more reliable than a stable job.
Grandma Li wanted to keep talking, but her aunt pulled her along, saying they should leave, and the two of them left.
On the way back, Grandma Li grumbled, "Why didn't you let me say more?"
"Mother, can't you see by now? Li Si has changed a lot—she's nothing like the way she was when her dad was alive. She's grown sharp and assertive. I think this girl has matured through the hardships she's faced. And you shouldn't always listen to my second sister-in-law. Weren't our families once very close? If this really were such a great investment opportunity, why wouldn't she come herself? There's definitely more to this—she might even be feuding with Li Si!"
Her aunt had turned into a detective, breaking it all down. Well said, Auntie!
"You might be right. When she glared at me and snapped earlier, I barely dared to breathe. Whatever you all decide to do, I won't meddle anymore. Do as you please!"
Grandma Li tallied it up and decided to retreat to her hometown to enjoy her little life of peace.