Chapter 344: Rich People are Indeed Stingy!
Chapter 344: Rich People are Indeed Stingy!
As soon as Li Xiuxian finished speaking, Tian Caixia blurted out, "Why don't you have enough money? If you have money, why not buy another boat?"
Zhou Chenglei scooped a piece of vegetable for Jiang Xia, glancing at her to see if she was willing to lend the money. If she wasn't, he wouldn't force the issue.
Borrowing money was a sensitive matter that could affect the relationship between brothers. Jiang Xia wasn't foolish enough to outright refuse.
She smiled and asked, "Are you planning to buy a boat as big as your family's? How much money do you have now? How much more do you need for the deposit?"
Li Xiuxian immediately replied, "We can come up with 3,800 yuan!"
Zhou Chensen, annoyed, said, "No buying! No lending! If you quit your job and go back to fishing, then we can consider it. Otherwise, no buying."
His mind wasn't on fishing. An occasional trip to sea was fine, but he couldn't bear the thought of going every day.
Buying a fishing boat wasn't as simple as hiring someone to go fishing.
Did she expect his parents to watch over it?
How long could his parents help? No one relied on others for such a long-term task.
A day or two, once or twice, was a favor, but who had the patience for it in the long run? Didn't others have their own work to do? Moreover, fishing was risky. If something happened to the hired person at sea, it would be a life lost!
This time, Li Xiuxian wasn't going to back down to Zhou Chensen. Seeing her two sisters-in-law becoming wealthier while her own family became the poorest, she felt anxious.
She didn't want to be the poorest in the whole family.
The couple already had no sons, and if they remained the poorest, how could she hold her head up high?
"Why not buy? I want to buy! Xia, do we need to pay half as a deposit? If so, I only need to borrow 2,000 from you."
Jiang Xia: "In principle, yes."
But rules were rules. Didn't they also put down a deposit of 1,000 yuan for a million-yuan boat?
And so it was with everything in the world; it all depended on people.
Zhou Chensen: "Fine, you can buy if you want, but don't borrow money to do it! If you can't afford it, don't try to act like you can! Chenglei, Xia, don't lend her money! Elder Brother, Elder Sister, don't lend it either! Lending will only cause conflict and damage our relationship!"
The couple couldn't even save up 2,000 yuan in a year, and if they had to borrow for the deposit, how would they manage the remaining half of the final payment?
Would they need to borrow again?
Zhou Chensen had never liked the idea of borrowing money to get by. He preferred a stable and steady approach, gradually moving forward without taking risks.
Wasn't their current life good enough?
They had stable jobs, decent income, obedient children, and some savings. He cherished this lifestyle.
Li Xiuxian: "..."
She was almost infuriated by Zhou Chensen.
Zhou Father spoke up, "Alright, let's eat first. You two discuss the boat later."
Zhou Chensen: "There's nothing to discuss. If borrowing money is involved, I won't buy it. Xia, don't lend it! Chenglei, you're not allowed to lend it either. None of you are allowed to lend!"
Li Xiuxian was so angry she couldn't even finish her meal. Zhou Chensen always had to go against her!
After dinner, while Zhou Chensen was taking a bath, Li Xiuxian went to knock on Jiang Xia and her husband's door.
Jiang Xia was preparing to soak her feet, and one foot was already in the wooden basin.
Zhou Chenglei was rolling up the other leg of her pants, asking, "Is the water too hot?"
"No, it's just right."
With the cold front these past few days, the nights had become increasingly chilly. Jiang Xia, returning from the sea, had taken a bath early, but her feet were still cold.
So, Zhou Chenglei had prepared a basin of hot water for her to soak her feet, making it more comfortable for her to sleep.
The most important thing was that he hadn't bathed yet, and he wouldn't be able to sleep until later in the night. He couldn't warm her feet.
Hearing the knock on the door, both of them looked towards it.
Zhou Chenglei finished rolling up Jiang Xia's pants and stood up to open the door.
As expected, it was Li Xiuxian. Zhou Chenglei wasn't surprised, "Second Sister-in-Law, what's the matter?"
"I want to have a word with Xia."
Li Xiuxian knew that the Fourth Room was Jiang Xia's doing.
Hearing this, Jiang Xia said, "Come in, Second Sister-in-Law!"
Zhou Chenglei stepped aside and let Li Xiuxian into the room, then he took the bowl that Jiang Xia had used for drinking milk and left.
Li Xiuxian closed the door and glanced at Jiang Xia with a smile, "Is Fourth Brother going to wash your feet for you?"
To be honest, among the sisters-in-law, she envied Jiang Xia the most.
Zhou Chenglei was nothing like Zhou Chensen; he was almost an odd one out among the brothers. Despite having the coldest temperament and being the least approachable, he was the most considerate of his wife and always listened to her. He wouldn't even let Jiang Xia do anything.
Indeed, only men who listen to their wives can become successful!
Jiang Xia said, "My feet are a bit cold, so I asked him to prepare a basin of hot water to soak them."
"Among the brothers, Fourth Brother is the most thoughtful and caring."
When she was pregnant with Zhou Ying, she still had to go to class. Although Tian Caixia or Zhou Mu had already prepared meals, she could eat right away.
But she still had to wash the dishes. If she didn't, Tian Caixia would give her a hard time.
As for Jiang Xia, everyone in the family protected her, and even Tian Caixia didn't ask her to do any chores.
Indeed, only with money will people treat you well!
Jiang Xia smiled, "Please sit, Second Sister-in-Law."
Li Xiuxian sat down on the chair by the window and the desk.
The books on the desk were all foreign language books, and each one had different text.
Each pen, ink, book, and lamp had its own place, creating an atmosphere of scholarly elegance.
The scent of books filled the air!
Her desk at school seemed less like a study desk compared to this one.
She couldn't help but take a good look at Jiang Xia's room.
It was cozy, elegant, clean, and tidy.
On the vanity table were many bottles and jars, and one set alone was worth a month's salary of Zhou Chensen.
The blanket, bed sheet, and silk-woven quilt on the bed were obviously from a department store, soft and beautiful.
Unlike hers, which had a bright pink peony bed sheet that could be found everywhere on the streets!
She really needed to find a way to make money to live a better life! She couldn't let Zhou Chensen make all the decisions!
If she listened to him, even Tian Caixia would live better than her!
She was determined to buy the boat!
"Xia, I still want to book the boat. Now that the children are older, there are more expenses, and our combined salaries can barely cover our basic needs. Help me, lend me some money, and let's go and secretly book the boat tomorrow, okay?"
"Your second brother is too content with the status quo and lacks ambition. He's also too concerned about saving face and doesn't want to borrow money. But if we don't buy the boat, everyone in the village will make a fortune from fishing, and our family will be the poorest."
Jiang Xia said, "Second Brother is a leader, different from us ordinary people. He is strict with himself and has a good character. He probably thinks that borrowing money is not a good idea."
Naturally, Li Xiuxian was proud of Zhou Chengxin's position.
Because Zhou Chengxin was a leader, who among her colleagues wouldn't respect her or envy her? But when she returned to the village, her two sisters-in-law completely outshone her!
"He's too stubborn and suffers for it! That's why I'm determined to buy the boat, with or without his consent. Xia, tomorrow you'll accompany me to secretly book the boat. Once it's booked, he won't have anything to say."
"Second Sister-in-Law, I dare not secretly borrow money for you behind Second Brother's back. Tonight, discuss it with him properly, and there's no need to secretly book the boat. I can..."
"There's no point in discussing it with your second brother! He's unreasonable and stubborn! He doesn't want to book the boat, so he said those things on purpose! I have to act first and report later!"
Li Xiuxian's heart sank. Was Jiang Xia refusing to lend her the money?
Indeed, wealthy people are often particularly stingy!
(End of Chapter)
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