Wang Hao lay at home and slept for two days straight.
Wang Jianguo couldn't stand the sight of it.
"You're a grown man. What does it look like, not going out to work and just lying around like this every day?"
Wang Hao didn't want to just lie around either, but he genuinely didn't have a job to go to right now.
"If you don't have a job, go look for one.
"Wang Hao, do you plan to just drag things out like this forever?
"Let me tell you, a man without a career is looked down upon even more.
"Hurry up and get out. Don't let me see you moping around the house, it annoys me."
Wang Hao felt upset after being scolded.
He shot back at Wang Jianguo:
"You have the nerve to lecture me, but what about yourself?
"Dad, you've never had a real career your whole life, have you? You just farm a little land in the village every day, or do some odd jobs in town.
"Then you go play cards at the edge of the village. Haven't you survived until now?
"So why are you lecturing me?"
Wang Jianguo forcefully flicked his cigarette ash:
"Could our times be compared to now?
"Times were different. Back then, I didn't have the opportunities. It wasn't that I lacked ability when I wanted to go out but couldn't.
"Besides, no matter how useless or poor I was, I still managed to send you to college.
"You being able to earn so much money, isn't that all because I sent you to college?
"Wang Hao, a person needs to know how to be grateful and repay kindness."
"Kindness?"
Wang Hao instinctively retorted:
"What kindness?"
Wang Jianguo chuckled:
"The kindness of raising you. We raised you to be this old, so it's time for you to repay us.
"Speaking of which, it's been a few months since you and Lin Wanyi started fighting, and you haven't given us any living expenses, have you?
"It used to be two thousand a month, and it's been four or five months now. Just give me ten thousand in one lump sum."
Wang Hao immediately stood up and took a few steps back:
"Dad, I have no house, no car, and no job right now.
"I don't even have a wife and kids anymore, and you're still asking me for money?
"Dad, are you even my biological father?"
Wang Jianguo's face darkened:
"If I'm not your biological father, who is? Those two thousand yuan were agreed upon when you got married, to be given every month.
"For the first eight years, Lin Wanyi never stopped giving me the money.
"Are you going to deny the debt just because she left?"
His words suddenly jogged Wang Hao's memory.
He pulled Liu Chunlan over as well:
"Mom, let me ask you. When Lin Wanyi and I got married, didn't you say we were too young to save money?
"And didn't you secretly tell me to have Lin Wanyi give each of you two thousand a month?
"At that time, you said this money would be considered living expenses in front of Lin Wanyi, but between us, it was you helping me save money.
"You said you wouldn't touch a single cent of mine, didn't you?"
Liu Chunlan panicked. She didn't dare to look at Wang Hao.
But Wang Hao continued:
"Mom, it's been eight years. Forty-eight thousand a year, that's 384,000 over eight years.
"You've been saving all this money for me, right?"
Liu Chunlan didn't dare to say a word.
Wang Jianguo, however, spoke up self-righteously:
"What nonsense are you spouting? What do you mean 'saving money for you'?
"That was the living expenses and pension money you gave us. It was meant for us to spend.
"It was only two thousand a month. What is there to save?"
Wang Hao's mind went blank for a moment. After a long while, he finally said:
"So, for the past eight years, the money I gave you every month... you didn't save a single cent for me.
"You spent it all?"
Wang Jianguo said, "What else? It was just two thousand. I even felt it was too little and not enough to spend.
"Wang Hao, starting from this month, you need to increase the amount. Raise it to at least three thousand."
"Dad!"
Wang Hao shouted angrily:
"What are you talking about? Eight years ago, you and Mom were only in your forties.
"That was when you were young, at your physical peak, and most capable of making money.
"What pension did you need back then?
"Tell me, what pension?"
He turned around and grabbed Liu Chunlan's sleeve:
"Mom, tell me, is it true? Is what I'm saying true?
"Back then, you were the one who said you would save it for me. You said you would definitely give it to me when I needed it urgently.
"But when I bought a house back then, you said the money was in a fixed deposit and couldn't be withdrawn.
"When I bought a car, you said the same thing.
"And now? Now tell me, where is the money?
"If I want to use this money to marry another wife, will you give it to me or not?"
Liu Chunlan was scared to death.
Where would she get the money?
She had said that back then partly because she didn't want Lin Wanyi to manage the finances.
On the other hand, she did genuinely want to save some money for Wang Hao. Of course, it was all to be saved for Wang Hao; she wouldn't give Lin Wanyi a single cent.
She just didn't want the money to fall into Lin Wanyi's hands.
So she made up this excuse, and Lin Wanyi remained unaware of her true intentions.
At the time, she thought Lin Wanyi wouldn't agree.
To her surprise, she didn't object at all.
She had saved her own two thousand a month for two or three years.
She had asked for Wang Jianguo's share, but he refused to give it to her. After asking a few times, she let it go.
When she had saved up to eighty thousand, Liu Dabing suddenly came looking for her.
He owed over three hundred thousand in gambling debts.
He said that if he couldn't pay it back, he would definitely be beaten to death.
Her heart softened, and she gave all the money she had to Liu Dabing.
After that, Liu Dabing visited every few days.
The money she got from the two sets of in-laws, including Wang Hao's money, was all taken by Liu Dabing.
As of now, she only had a little over thirty thousand left.
How was she supposed to answer Wang Hao?
She could only use the same excuse she used to brush off Wang Jianguo:
"Son, Mom put all that money into a fixed deposit.
"When it matures, I'll show it to you, okay?"
Wang Hao didn't buy it: "Then show me the bankbook. You must have that, at least."
Liu Chunlan said guiltily:
"I can't find the bankbook."
"What about mobile banking? Mom, don't you have mobile banking? Let me see."
Liu Chunlan didn't know what to do. Even Wang Jianguo was looking at her:
"Exactly. I asked you a few days ago how much money you had left, and you wouldn't say.
"Show it to me and our son right now. We need to have a clear idea of how much money there is, so we can make arrangements if something really happens."
Cold sweat poured down Liu Chunlan's face, and her hands trembled so much she couldn't grip anything.
Her chest began to ache terribly.
Suddenly, her vision went black, and she fainted.
Wang Hao hadn't expected Liu Chunlan to suddenly faint.
He hurriedly took her to the town hospital.
After examining her for a while, the doctor said:
"It might be a panic attack triggered by severe stress. You'd better take her to the city hospital for a full-body checkup.
"As people get older, their organs start to decline.
"You need a proper examination for peace of mind."
Wang Hao called Wang Kai:
"Big brother, Mom's health might not be too good. I want to take her for a full-body checkup."
Wang Kai sounded completely emotionless on the other end of the line:
"Yeah, then go. People need to pay attention to these things when they get old."
Wang Hao continued: "What about the money? We are both her sons, we should discuss this."
Wang Kai immediately cut him off:
"Stop right there, Wang Hao. Didn't you just say a few days ago that I'm a live-in son-in-law who married into my wife's family, and that I shouldn't meddle in our family's affairs?
"What do you mean by this? I don't get a share when money is being handed out, but you think of me when it's time to spend money?
"Wang Hao, how can you have such double standards?"
Wang Hao was full of anger:
"Remember what you said. You don't contribute a single cent normally, so don't even think about coming back to claim a share of the money later."
He hung up the phone furiously and called Wang Meijuan.
But Wang Meijuan also said:
"I am a married daughter, like spilled water.
"Hao Hao, don't look for me. Whatever happens to Mom and Dad is the sons' business. It has nothing to do with me."
