"No problem!" Tan Lin’s face lit up. "To be honest, the vegetables in town are no match for the ones we grow ourselves. The tomatoes your grandma grows are so mealy and ripe. Last time I bought some, they were hard as rocks."
"Of course they’re different," Tan You said. "Homegrown tomatoes don’t last long. Greenhouse tomatoes have a long shelf life and are easier to transport, so of course the texture and taste are worse."
"From now on, I’ll come back every two or three days to get some vegetables," Tan Lin planned. "I heard your grandma say yesterday that she’s making preserved mustard greens this year. Ask her to make some extra, and I’ll buy them from her."
"The old lady’s preserved mustard greens are really delicious."
Tan You refused to get involved. "You can talk to her yourself. If she’s willing to give them to you for free, I won’t object."
"How could I really let your grandma give them to me for free?" Tan Lin gritted his teeth. "I’ll just buy them from her. But they can’t be too expensive."
"You’re such a cheapskate," Tan You chuckled. "Have I been unfair to you? Your financial burden isn’t heavy these days. Why are you so obsessed with money?"
"It’s because I don’t make much, isn’t it? So naturally, I have to be frugal," Tan Lin had his own philosophy on life. "If you don’t save the small change, you’ll never have big money. Every little bit adds up."
"Your grandpa and grandma are in the countryside; they only spend a little on meat and fish each month. Your mom and I live in town, and we start spending money the moment we open our eyes in the morning."
Tan You understood what Tan Lin was getting at. "You really know how to play the victim. I’ll talk to Grandma in a bit. In the second half of the year, we’ll be planting in that big field right by the house anyway, so Grandma will have more time to tend to the garden."
"Hehe, another expense saved." Tan Lin was happy; he had achieved his goal. Seeing Tan Yue go to the well to wash edamame, he sidled up to Tan You conspiratorially. "About what you said to your mom last time, about buying a car..."
Tan You looked up. "Hmm? Did Mom go get her driver’s license?"
"No, not yet," Tan Lin waved his hand. "Your mom’s thinking is, didn’t you just take her to buy jewelry the day before yesterday? So she doesn’t want you to buy the car. The clothing factory isn’t far from town, and it’s convenient for her to ride her e-bike back and forth."
"She also doesn’t have time to study for the license test, and besides, parking is a hassle where we live."
Tan You asked, "Are you really okay with not getting it? I can see your face is all scrunched up."
Tan Lin truly didn’t want to pass it up, but thinking about everything Tan You had bought for them, he wasn’t a greedy person. "No, we don’t need it. It’s not easy for you to make money."
Tan You understood her father’s personality. He was just being rational about saving every penny, and he hated to see money wasted, no matter whose it was.
"Alright, then we won’t buy it." Tan You put the lid on the pot. "Next time I’m home for my monthly break, I’ll deposit the money for you. Just consider it your family’s emergency fund."
Tan Lin wanted to refuse, but he couldn’t bring himself to. His expression turned a little strange. "Are you really going to deposit it for us? You should keep it for yourself."
Tan You said, "I know you can’t bear to refuse, so why would I tease you? As long as you behave, you’ll have a house, a car, and money. All of it."
"Behave? You’re the one wearing the pants now, so of course I’ll behave." Tan Lin chuckled. "But I didn’t ask you for this. If your mom scolds me later, I’m not taking the blame."
Tan You laughed. "Don’t act so innocent after getting exactly what you wanted. And don’t go showing off."
"When have I ever shown off?" Tan Lin protested. "I’m very tight-lipped. I haven’t said a word about any of this outside the family."
Tan You shook her head helplessly. "Alright, go turn on the air conditioner in the living room. Lunch will be ready in another half hour."
Just then, Tan Yue came over holding a basket of edamame, so Tan Lin passed the task right on to her. "Your sister wants you to turn on the AC in the living room. Do you know how?"
"I do! Dad, you’re so lazy." Tan Yue flicked her little braid and scampered off to the living room.
"Your grandpa is a penny-pincher too. He’s only willing to turn on the AC for a little while during meals. He never turns it on otherwise," Tan Lin casually complained. Tan You glanced at him. "And you’re any different?"
"Alright, fine, I’m the same way," Tan Lin shook his head. "We all came up through hard times, so naturally we know to save money. I don’t know how you got to be like this, spending money without batting an eye."
"I can spend because I can earn," Tan You had long since learned not to be too hard on herself. "I don’t earn money just to torture myself by living miserably. Of course, it’s for a better life."
"I noticed Mom doesn’t seem to like gold. Did she like the jade bracelet I bought her last time?" That one bracelet had cost Tan You nearly a hundred thousand yuan, the most expensive piece of all the jewelry.
And even then, Tan You felt it wasn’t high-end enough. Unfortunately, they were in a third-rate little city; the stores didn’t carry anything better.
Tan Lin said, "Like it? How could she not? She can’t bear to wear it to the factory. Every day after work, she takes it out to look at it and try it on."
Tan Lin said cheerfully, "I get to sneak a peek at the small gold bars too. They’re all locked up tight in the safe. We definitely never take them out normally. You know, don’t flash your wealth."
"But your grandma... she sure has a lot of self-control. She didn’t even show off in front of your second grand-uncle?"
Tan You said, "You think the old lady is really that foolish? She’s sharper than she looks."
When she had taken her grandmother and Cheng Wenhui out to buy gold jewelry, her grandmother had only boasted to Tan Deming for a bit after they returned. Otherwise, she didn’t breathe a word of it.
So, that was Wang Hunv for you. She might look simple and guileless, but she knew how to keep a secret when it mattered.
Tan Lin thought about it and agreed. "Fine, so I’m the only one acting all smug like a petty man who’s come into money."
Tan You shot him a look. "The little gold Buddha and the small gold ingots I bought for Tan Yue—she promised to keep them safe herself. You are not allowed to ’keep them safe’ for her. Who knows if you’d end up pocketing them after ’safekeeping’ them for a while."
Tan Lin gave a slightly guilty laugh. "Am... am I that kind of person?"
"You’re not?" Tan You knew when she needed to put her foot down. "Then what about the lucky money my grandpa gave me every year? I barely had a chance to warm it in my hands before it all ended up in your pocket, didn’t it?"
Tan Lin just chuckled sheepishly. Tan You was only lightly bringing up old scores. "I bought Tan Yue a small lockbox. She knows what to do. Let her learn to manage her own things from a young age, so she doesn’t grow up clueless."
"Tan Yue is a sensible girl."
Tan Yue ran into the kitchen too. "Sis, I’ll take good care of them!"
’I won’t go around showing them off. I’ll be good.’
The father and his two daughters prepared lunch in the kitchen, while Tan Desheng and Tan Deming waited in the living room, making small talk. It was mostly Tan Desheng trying to get information about Tan You, with Tan Deming giving vague replies, not letting a single important detail slip.
The old lady, Wang Hunv, sat fanning herself with a cattail fan and watching TV. As the living room gradually cooled down, she frowned, her heart aching. ’How much is this going to cost in electricity?’
’Is it easy for my eldest granddaughter to earn money? And it all just benefits Tan Desheng? The old man and I can never bear to turn on the AC, but as soon as that old coot comes back, he starts making demands.’
Thinking about all this, Wang Hunv tossed her fan aside and ambled into the kitchen. ’Forget it,’ she thought. ’Just looking at Tan Desheng makes me angry. I’d rather go chat with my eldest granddaughter.’