Li Daming couldn't care less about the disputes over the heir apparent. He had long since figured out that relying on his son for retirement was hopeless—his daughter was the one to count on.
After all, he was a son himself. He knew exactly how it worked.
"When your mom and I get old, we’ll depend on your sister," Li Daming declared. "We’ll live with her, and once you start working, you’ll send your share of the support money to her."
"But isn’t it hard to find a job these days?" Li Zheng shrugged. "What if I can’t land one? I might end up mooching off you guys."
Mooching might not sound great, but at least it meant not spending his own money.
Jiang Mo slipped on a pair of disposable gloves and nibbled on a duck wing, her words slightly muffled: "Little bro, you’ll definitely find a job. I refuse to believe anyone’s luck is good enough to never work."
Li Zheng: "..." That kinda sounded like a dark joke.
Li Daming nodded in agreement. "Exactly. You’ll find something."
Worst case, he’d swallow his pride and pull some strings.
"Dad, want some more food?" Jiang Mo pointed at the spread on the table after finishing a duck wing.
"No, save the rest for tomorrow," Li Daming said. "There’s durian in the fridge for you, by the way. The one we opened today had tons of flesh."
Jiang Mo’s eyes lit up. She adored durian, but the good ones were painfully expensive.
"Heh, I’ll just have a small piece then," she said, eagerly opening the fridge and grabbing a modest chunk.
Li Zheng watched the cheerful father-daughter dynamic unfold beside him. "Dad, what about me?"
"Your favorite shops were closed today. I’ll get yours tomorrow," Li Daming scratched his head, then quickly retreated to the bathroom under his son’s accusing stare.
Li Zheng suspected the shops weren’t closed—his dad just couldn’t be bothered to take the detour.
Well, fine. Since Dad had sent him a 200-yuan red envelope, he’d let it slide.
Checking his WeChat balance, he smirked. The money he’d secretly saved up had surpassed 3,000 yuan.
He was practically rolling in it.
Speaking of savings, he nudged Jiang Mo with his elbow. "Hey, sis, how much do you think Mom and Dad have saved up after all these years of work?"
"How would I know?" Jiang Mo lowered her voice. "Though, I am kinda curious too."
Based on her own work experience, their parents’ salaries might not have been high back in the day, but over the years, they should’ve stashed away a decent amount.
Yet, the family lived a modest life, with no extravagant spending.
Apart from their current home, she’d never heard them mention owning other properties.
Could she be one of those people who grew up thinking their family was poor, only to discover they were actually well-off?
"You’re supposed to be Mom and Dad’s confidante, and you don’t even know this?" Li Zheng chuckled. "I thought they told you everything."
"I don’t know their finances, but I know yours," Jiang Mo grinned. "You’ve saved over 3,000 yuan, huh?"
Li Zheng’s eyes widened. "How’d you know?"
Jiang Mo tossed her disposable gloves into the trash. "Silly, I saw it with my own eyes. Your phone screen was still open."
Glancing down, he realized his wallet page was indeed still displayed.
"If you really want to know how much the family’s saved, just ask Dad later."
Soon enough, their father emerged from the bathroom.
Fueled by human curiosity, Li Zheng launched a family financial interrogation.
"Dad, how much savings do we have right now?"
"Why do you ask?" Li Daming eyed him suspiciously. Was this kid planning to coast after graduation?
"We don’t have much. You’ll still need to work after college."
The sheer lack of trust in that statement was palpable.
Li Zheng pointed at Jiang Mo. "Sis told me to ask."
"...Just curious," Jiang Mo pinched her brother’s arm and improvised. "I’ve been learning about investing lately. If the family needs help managing money, I could pitch in."
Li Daming frowned. "Don’t mess around with risky investments. Stay away from stocks and funds—don’t get scammed."
"Don’t worry, I’m only looking at low-risk options like money-market funds."
"That’s better," Li Daming relaxed slightly.
Li Zheng wasn’t giving up. "Dad, you still haven’t told us how much we’ve got."
Li Daming shot him a look. "You know our situation. Do I look like the one in charge of finances? I wish I knew how much we have."
Jiang Mo understood—Mom held the family purse strings tightly.
Li Zheng sighed. Time for bed. The Li men had no say in this household.
True to his word about treating everyone to a feast, they went out for a lavish meal the next day.
Jiang Mo made the executive decision to dine out again.
With Li Daming driving, the siblings abandoned their e-bike.
"Once you’re comfortable on the road, I’ll buy you a car," Li Daming said as he parked in the mall’s underground lot. "A girl shouldn’t be riding an e-bike all the time."
"Dad, what about me?" Li Zheng leaned forward from the back seat. "When I get my license, do I get a car too?"
"You can have your sister’s e-bike."
Li Zheng: "..."
Jiang Mo smirked at her brother and sweetly said, "Thanks, Dad~"
Back at the familiar mall, Jiang Mo realized this holiday had been all about eating—not that she minded.
Food was life, after all.
"So, what are we having?" The eternal dilemma: too many choices, too much indecision.
Li Zheng suggested, "How about Japanese?"
Li Daming glared. "Traitor."
"...It’s owned by Chinese people," Li Zheng muttered. "Dad, you’re being unreasonable."
Jiang Mo proposed, "Let’s try Guizhou cuisine?"
Li Daming nodded. "Now that’s tasteful."
Li Zheng clenched his fists. Jiang Mo patted his shoulder. "Hang in there. Dad’s paying, remember?"
Over lunch, Li Daming said, "We’ve got time this afternoon. Perfect for some driving practice."
After the meal, they found a quiet stretch of road where Li Daming coached Jiang Mo behind the wheel.
By late afternoon, Wang Xia returned home.
With the holiday nearly over, the family was finally reunited.
Wang Xia had made sure to come back early, thinking of how rare it was for her son to be home. Last break, they hadn’t even gotten together. Now that the family matters were settled, she hurried back.
"This place is a mess. How could you three let it get like this?" Wang Xia started tidying the moment she stepped in.
Li Daming glanced around. "What mess? It looks fine to me."
"Look at all this clutter on the table. How is this not messy?" Wang Xia began clearing the living room.
There was a universal truth: if Mom said it was dirty, it was dirty.
Jiang Mo, wise to this, quietly joined the cleanup without a word.
For dinner, Wang Xia cooked a full spread.
"This smells amazing—it's been ages since I've had Mom's cooking," Li Zheng thought, feeling a wave of sadness as he remembered he’d be heading back to school tomorrow. He began devouring his meal with gusto.
"Eat up, you’ve gotten so thin," Wang Xia said. Between her busy work schedule, she hadn’t been able to give her son as much attention as other parents might, but she still cared.
Li Zheng sighed. "Ah, Mom’s the best. You’re the only one who noticed I’ve lost weight."
"Is that so? Well, then I guess I’ll just keep the beef jerky and dried fruit snacks I bought online for myself," Jiang Mo said with a dramatic sigh. "I was planning to pack them for you to take to school tomorrow."
"Sis, my dear sister, you’re the absolute best!"
Li Daming grunted. "Don’t look at me. I’ve got nothing. But I’ll drive you to school tomorrow."
Beyond worrying about her son’s health, Wang Xia also turned her attention to his studies.
"Just one more month to go. The finish line is in sight—push a little harder, and once you’re in college, things will get easier," Wang Xia encouraged him. "If there’s anything you don’t understand in your studies, ask your teachers or classmates."
"If you weren’t living at school, your sister could’ve tutored you."
"I know, I’ll do my best," Li Zheng said. "But just so we’re clear—if I perform as usual, great. But if I end up underperforming, don’t blame me, okay?"
Jiang Mo reassured her little brother. "No worries~ As long as you’ve tried your best. It’s not like our family is dead set on you getting into Tsinghua or Peking University."
"Like I could just waltz in even if I wanted to," Li Zheng muttered, then added, "From what I know, a few kids in my class are planning to study abroad instead of going to college here."
Li Daming raised an eyebrow. "What, you wanna study overseas too?"
Li Zheng shook his head. "Not really. Besides, studying abroad is crazy expensive."
"Studying abroad depends on the situation. If you’re capable, our family could afford it," Wang Xia said casually.
The other three froze, exchanging bewildered glances.
"Wife, since when are we that well-off?" Li Daming asked. "You’re not planning to ship our son off to Siberia to dig potatoes, are you?"
Wang Xia shot him a glare. "If anyone’s getting shipped off to dig potatoes, it’d be you first."
Jiang Mo tentatively added, "Mom, even if we’re not talking about Europe or America, studying in neighboring countries isn’t cheap either."
"Your mother isn’t clueless—I’ve been abroad before. If you’d wanted to study overseas back then, I would’ve supported you too."
Jiang Mo nodded to herself. So Mom’s secret stash was apparently quite substantial.
Li Zheng had only brought it up casually, never expecting to uncover such a revelation. "I was just talking. Honestly, going to college here is fine. Overseas isn’t exactly safe these days, and the food’s worse anyway."
"But Mom, if what you’re saying is true, does that mean our family actually has some money saved up?"
"I was just speaking hypothetically. If you were truly capable, I’d sell everything to support you, wouldn’t I?" Wang Xia nudged the dishes toward the center of the table. "Eat up, eat up."
The other three exchanged silent glances. Yeah right—as if they’d buy that excuse.
