Cheng Rushan smiled and took out a plastic wallet clip, pulling out several sheets of paper and receipts from inside, placing them on the table.

He glanced at Yan Runzhi and Jiang Lin, “There’s a total of seven thousand yuan here, I…”

“What?!!” Yan Runzhi’s expression was more exaggerated than a child’s, “Seven thousand? Dongsheng is really capable. Mom has never seen seven yuan before!”

Although Jiang Lin wasn’t as dramatic, her eyes widened too.

Three cents for a bun, four cents for an egg—how much could you buy with that… such a huge sum!

In the 1980s, millionaires were impressive, and now he’s a millionaire.

Boss, please accept my admiration!

Thinking of the hardships when she started her business, Jiang Lin sincerely admired him.

Seeing the admiration in Jiang Lin’s eyes, Cheng Rushan smiled and took out one of the papers. “I spent some on shopping, transportation, and other miscellaneous expenses. There’s also some I’ve set aside for connections. The remaining six thousand, half for each of you.” He handed a slip of paper to Jiang Lin, “This is a deposit slip. Take it with our household registration book, the village’s introduction letter, and my seal to the county credit union.”

Jiang Lin was dumbfounded. “For… for me?”

Cheng Rushan’s gaze was warm as he looked at her. “Yes, for you.”

Jiang Lin blurted out, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll run away with it?”

Yan Runzhi and her children immediately looked nervous.

Cheng Rushan half-jokingly said, “It’s yours once I give it to you. Spend it however you like. If you want to use it to get connections and return to the city, it’s easy with money. Of course, if you want, I can help you with connections without spending much money.”

But Jiang Lin felt like cold water had been poured over her.

Oh dear, is he testing me?

Thinking of poor Qianbo, she decided to play along and smiled, “Forget it, it’s not safe for me to hold onto it.”

Cheng Rushan smiled again and handed the other part to Yan Runzhi. “Mom, keep this. We’ll need money when Dad comes back.”

Yan Runzhi started wiping her tears. “Taking care of Ruzhou when the time comes is our responsibility, that poor child. It’s this money…”

She pushed it towards Jiang Lin, looking pitifully at her, “Bao’er’s mother, you’re in charge now. You handle everything. From now on, all the spending decisions in our home will go through you. You have the final say.”

Jiang Lin: “…” What’s going on here?

XiaoBao: “Six thousand is a lot?”

Da Bao: “Very much.”

Xiao Bao: “More or less than ten thousand?”

Da Bao: “Um…”

Xiao Bao: “Am I more expensive?”

Jiang Lin: “…”

Yan Runzhi laughed, “How can you be expensive?”

Xiao Bao became happy again, puffing out his chest. “Linlin, take it. Sell me, Buy enough flower dresses to wear, okay?”

Jiang Lin: “…”

You’re really persistent, aren’t you?

Da Bao: “Buy a bicycle to ride! You can ride to the city then.”

Jiang Lin: “You boys are right. A bicycle should be bought.”

Buying a bicycle would probably last twenty years, haha.

And I should also buy a sewing machine, to make clothes at home for at least ten years.

And a clock, to see the time, and a radio to listen to the sounds outside.

Jiang Lin!

You should stop it!

It’s not your money!

And why are you thinking so deeply about how to live your life?

Jiang Lin looked at the blurry reflection on the table.

She was so invested in figuring out how to live with these people.

She was really getting into it.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she couldn’t say anything.

She didn’t notice that everyone in the room was silent.

Yan Runzhi looked at her nervously, while Cheng Rushan remained calm, patiently waiting.

Jiang Lin raised her head, her eyes immediately drifting towards him.

Jiang Lin: “Maybe in the future, conditions will improve. Let’s keep this money as capital for something.”

If we spend it all at once, what if we need money later?

Cheng Rushan: “It’s up to you.”

Yan Runzhi happily said, “Bao’er’s mother, you keep it safe. Let’s have lunch.”

Jiang Lin hesitated, looked at Cheng Rushan, and he nodded slightly, indicating she should take charge of it.

Jiang Lin took the money and put it in a locked chest.

Though it was a lot of money, she really didn’t dare to spend it.

What had Cheng Rushan been doing outside for these six years?

Some said he was in prison, he said he was running transport, but Jiang Lin felt it wasn’t that simple.

Could running transport clear his family’s name?

Unless those educated and well-connected intellectuals had someone high up looking out for them, it wouldn’t be so easy to clear their names.

In this era, earning seven thousand yuan wasn’t easy at all.

She herself had dropped out of school at a young age, worked hard to support herself, and later started a decoration workshop with twenty or thirty people.

She knew how hard it was to earn money.

Because she knew, she didn’t want to spend Cheng Rushan’s money recklessly.

People couldn’t just live off others; there were great opportunities in the future, and she needed to strive for them.

For breakfast, Yan Runzhi made boiled eggs, steamed egg custard, stewed salted vegetables, and staples.

“Dongsheng, are you leaving today?” Yan Runzhi was anxious, eager to sort out their connections and bring the men back as soon as possible.

Cheng Rushan replied, “I’ll go to the village first, see if we can buy back the small courtyard we gave away before.”

If he went out to leverage connections, it was uncertain how many days he’d be away.

But if he stayed home and waited passively, it might take a year or more to sort out.

He didn’t like being too passive.

Yan Runzhi said, “That courtyard was exchanged when we divided the family property. Let it be; it’s nice to live there without wasting that money.”

Cheng Rushan nodded, “When Dad and Zhou Ge come back, we won’t fit here.”

Yan Runzhi’s eyes welled up again.

She nodded, “Zhong, you have the final say.”

Jiang Lin asked if he needed to take the money.

Cheng Rushan smiled, “I still have some here.”

After dinner, Cheng Rushan initially wanted Yan Runzhi to rest at home and not do any work, but she insisted on going to embroider.

It was her habit, even if her son was coming back and they had money now.

She needed to maintain her daily routine, and disrupting it would leave her feeling lost.

Yan Runzhi wanted to take Da Bao and Xiaobao out to let the young couple be alone and bond, but seeing Da Bao eager to stick to his father, it seemed unlikely.

Especially Xiao Bao, upon seeing his father again, clung to him like a precious treasure, needing to keep an eye on him at all times.

When Yan Runzhi left, Cheng Rushan took out two hundred yuan from his own pocket and gave it to Jiang Lin. “Take this and buy something for the family.”

Jiang Lin refused, “You should focus on your business first.”

Cheng Rushan took her hand and pressed the money into it. “I won’t need much money when I’m out.”

Jiang Lin noticed that he seemed easygoing and reasonable, but once he made up his mind, he was also stubborn.

She reluctantly accepted the money.

Cheng Rushan said, “This is for you to spend. Don’t be reluctant.”

Jiang Lin smiled, “Alright.”

Cheng Rushan suggested they go to the village committee together.

XiaoBao was already standing on a stool, trying to climb onto Cheng Rushan’s shoulders.

Cheng Rushan lifted his arm to help him up.

Jiang Lin said, “Xiao Bao, you’re a big boy now. You shouldn’t always ride on Dad’s neck.”

Xiao Bao giggled, “But I want to!”

He then called out to Da Bao, who was already holding Jiang Lin’s hand. “Let’s go.”

Jiang Lin asked, “Do you want Dad to carry you?”

Da Bao replied, “No, I’ll walk by myself.”

Grandma said Cheng Rushan could go to collect firewood by himself when he was six, so there was no need for Dad to carry him.

Cheng Rushan carried his youngest son, while holding Jiang Lin’s hand, they went to the village committee together.

Coincidentally, the members were heading out for work and were stunned when they saw Cheng Rushan.

Cheng Rushan had been running around since he was fourteen, so most villagers didn’t know much about his life as an adult.

They still saw him as a child, fierce and cold-eyed like a wolf cub, without any emotional attachment.

Now, seeing him carrying a child and the whole family going out together… was this real?

Cheng Rushan had clearly matured a lot in the six years since they last saw him.

His demeanor was calm, without a hint of hostility, and he even smiled when meeting people, though his smile sent shivers down their spines.

They watched Cheng Rushan and his family of four head towards the village committee office, only snapping out of their daze afterwards, chattering and spreading the news excitedly.

Inside the village committee office, Cheng Fujun, Cheng Fulian, and Wang Gang were all present, their expressions serious as they waited specifically for Cheng Rushan.

While they didn’t know what Cheng Rushan had been up to outside, they certainly didn’t believe Cheng Fugui’s rumor about him dying in prison.

Cheng Fujun, entrusted by Secretary Shang to take care of Cheng Rushan’s family, naturally hoped for his safe return.

With a son becoming a father, he no longer saw Cheng Rushan as a child.

Cheng Rushan put down Little Bao and let him play with Big Bao in the courtyard, while he and Jiang Lin discussed business.

Without any pleasantries or explanations about where he had been for the past six years, Cheng Rushan cut straight to the point.

He expressed his intention to buy back the small courtyard.

Cheng Fujun looked slightly troubled. “Rushan, you see, that small courtyard has been turned into the village’s guesthouse…”

In truth, Cheng Fugui had arranged for his younger brother to ensure the courtyard was kept for his retirement in the future.

Cheng Rushan interrupted bluntly, “Uncle, just tell me who’s taken over it.”

“Dongsheng!” Cheng Ruhai rushed over, acting exceptionally affectionate towards his brother, reaching out to hug Cheng Rushan. “Little brother, you’re finally back. There’s something important I need to discuss with you.”

As Cheng Rushan saw his brother coming towards him, he shifted his body to the side, and with a quick move of his foot, Cheng Ruhai stumbled forward without being able to stop.