Font Size:
Jiang Yining smiled in understanding. “Aunt, I was planning to call you tomorrow. I wanted to come over and have a meal with you all, and while I’m at it, pay back the two hundred thousand we owe Uncle.”
Ying Yun was surprised. “Ning Ning, where did you get so much money?”
She had only hoped Jiang Yining could pay back a little more—not for the girl to cover the whole amount. But with her husband and son unable to help, and the family strapped for cash, she had no choice.
Jiang Yining said apologetically, “Aunt, I got married. We’ve already registered the marriage, though we haven’t held the wedding yet. I was thinking of bringing him back in the next few days to meet Uncle.”
Ying Yun was stunned. At that point, the money was no longer the focus—Jiang Yining had already registered her marriage.
Her husband adored this niece of his. She’d have to think of a gentler way to break the news to him.
It wasn’t the kind of thing they could discuss over the phone, so she said, “Ning Ning, your cousin took a few days off. See if you two are free tomorrow or the day after to come back.”
“Alright.”
After hanging up, Jiang Yining began to worry. Uncle’s family needed the money. She couldn’t keep repaying the debt slowly like before.
With no other option, she called Zhang Qiao. “Qiao Qiao, could you lend me some money?”
“What’s wrong?”
“My cousin’s buying a house. I want to repay the money Uncle lent us.”
“How much do you need?”
Jiang Yining’s voice dropped a few notches. “T-Two hundred thousand.”
Zhang Qiao was honest. “I only have a hundred thousand in savings right now. But don’t worry—I’ll go home tonight and get another hundred thousand from my parents.”
Hearing that, Jiang Yining finally let out a sigh of relief. “Qiao Qiao, thank you.”
Zhang Qiao chuckled. “What are you being polite for?”
After the call, Jiang Yining washed her hands. As she turned around, she saw He Chi standing just outside the kitchen, brows slightly furrowed, his expression a touch cold.
She didn’t know how long he had been standing there, but judging by his reaction, he’d heard everything.
Jiang Yining knew he was upset—upset that she would rather borrow money from someone else than use his.
She bit her lip and sighed inwardly.
Sometimes, a big family wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
Lifting her gaze, she looked He Chi straight in the eyes with a stubborn expression. “I know this amount is nothing to you. But this money was borrowed to treat my mom’s illness—I have to pay it back myself.”
Even though He Chi had handed over all the household finances to her, Jiang Yining couldn’t bring herself to spend his money without guilt.
She wasn’t sure whether she and He Chi could truly go the distance.
She didn’t want him to look down on her.
Seeing the tears welling in her eyes, He Chi frowned slightly. He stepped forward and gently wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye with the pad of his finger.
“You can pay it back if you want to. I never said you couldn’t. So why are you crying?”
His voice was soft, coaxing.
Jiang Yining didn’t mean to cry, but the tears just wouldn’t stop.
“I’m not crying.”
He Chi gave a low chuckle. “Mhm, you’re not crying. You just got chili juice in your eyes while slicing tomatoes.”
His comment made Jiang Yining laugh.
He led her to the sofa in the living room and sat her down, speaking patiently, “Two hundred thousand isn’t much for my family, but for your friend’s family, it might be quite a lot.”
“They may not be in urgent need of it now, but life is unpredictable. If something comes up, where are you going to find another two hundred thousand to pay them back all at once?”
Jiang Yining sat on the sofa while He Chi remained standing.
She suddenly felt at a loss. Looking up at him, she whispered, “I…”
She couldn’t refute what he said.
He continued, “I’m guessing your uncle lent you that money years ago. It’s been nine years. If he’d put it in a fixed deposit at the bank, it would’ve earned quite a bit in interest.”
“My suggestion is: you shouldn’t just repay the amount you owe.”
Looking at her, he added, “Because from their perspective, you’re in a much better position now. And they’re at a point where they genuinely need the money. They helped you when you were struggling—if now that they’re in need and you give nothing extra, it might chill their hearts.”
Jiang Yining lowered her gaze, lost in thought.
Back when her mother fell ill, her uncle had given tens of thousands, then later lent them another four hundred thousand.
Her father had barely repaid any of it. It wasn’t until she started working that the repayments began.
Her uncle’s family had been well-off once, but he later fell seriously ill and had to quit working. He had been recuperating at home ever since.
He now relied on traditional Chinese medicine, which cost a lot each month.
Her aunt couldn’t work either, as she was taking care of him full-time.
Even so, they never pushed for repayment.
Now, with her cousin getting married, her aunt had no choice but to call and ask.
For an average family, helping the younger generation buy a home often meant emptying their savings.
If they were to repay the money, they should repay not only what was borrowed but also what had been given for her mother’s treatment.
There was no way Qiao Qiao could lend that much.
Jiang Yining looked up at He Chi. She had hoped to solve this on her own, but in the end, she would have to rely on him.
Biting her lip, she asked, “He Chi, could you lend me five hundred thousand?”
“I mean lend, not give.”
He Chi responded with a quiet “Mhm,” then added, “But I have one condition.”
“Go ahead.”
“Between husband and wife, we shouldn’t be using the word ‘lend.’ But if you insist on repaying it yourself, I’ll respect that—just this once.”
His tone turned a bit serious. “Now that we’re married, legally, you own half of everything I have. You can’t keep thinking that spending my money is wrong.”
“If people find out, they’ll think I, He Chi, am stingy with my own wife. How am I supposed to show my face in Lincheng?”
Jiang Yining lowered her long lashes. “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”
He Chi nodded. Seeing her hang her head, admitting fault, her eyes still a little misty and stubborn, he found her endearingly pitiful.
He reached out and tousled her hair lightly. “Want to make dinner together?”
Jiang Yining suddenly remembered something and quickly got up. “Wait for me a moment.”
She ran to the study and came back with paper and pen. “I need to write you an IOU.”
He Chi followed her lead—whatever made her happy.
Jiang Yining knew He Chi didn’t want her doing housework. He preferred hiring a housekeeper to help at home.
These chores weren’t beyond her, but He Chi insisted on pitching in if she did anything.
She figured during summer or winter break, if she was bored and he still wanted to hire help, she might as well apply for the job herself. Better to earn that money than let someone else take it.
She could even pick up a part-time job outside.
After writing the IOU, Jiang Yining texted Zhang Qiao, telling her not to borrow the money anymore. Then she went to the kitchen with He Chi to make dinner.
Before stepping into the kitchen, she tied her long hair into a simple side braid. Her delicate face, paired with her gentle manner and understated outfit, made her look effortlessly elegant and fresh.
He Chi thought, Those bastards in the group chat still don’t know I’m married.
That punk Chen Feng kept bragging about getting back together with his ex-wife.
Who doesn’t have a wife these days?
Over dinner, Jiang Yining mentioned helping Aunt Fan look for a job.
He Chi replied, “I’ll make a call in a bit and ask around.”
“Domestic work pays well around here. Most people get in through connections.”
Jiang Yining frowned slightly. “So you mean even if they’re hiring, Aunt Fan might not get in?”
Hearing that, He Chi looked at her with amusement. “When did I ever say that?”
“You just said they only hire through connections.”
He Chi raised an eyebrow and countered, “Don’t you think your husband could be that ‘connection’?”