660: Chapter 661 Sister Like Mother 78_1 660: Chapter 661 Sister Like Mother 78_1 Ever since Zhao i returned from Capital City, her spirits had greatly declined.
She had never expected that Huang Man would truly vanish from the face of the earth after graduating from college.
Even though she knew Huang Man was attending a university in Arica, what could she do?
She didn’t have a passport and couldn’t go to Arica.
Even if she made it to Arica, it would be a huge problem how an old lady who didn’t speak English could get around there.
Counting the days, the child should have long since graduated from her master’s program, but Zhao i had no idea about her current situation.
She didn’t know whether Huang Man had returned to the country or stayed in Arica; Zhao i knew nothing at all.
In the past few years, Zhao i had also beco much more low-key, especially when she saw people around her discussing their children’s marriages, talking about how to raise grandchildren.
At these tis, Zhao i could only listen dumbly and watch the children with envy.
Then she’d fall into deep thought, leaving others clueless as to whether she was regretting not saving her son or regretting the fallout with her two daughters.
Since Huang Man started college, Zhao i only learned about her admission to a prestigious foreign university with a full scholarship when she rushed to Capital City, which led to Huang Man’s overseas study.
After that, there was no phone contact, and everyone was completely in the dark about her circumstances.
As for Huang Lina, although she hadn’t returned to the village, people still had so news about her.
For instance, she later t a wealthy man who was older but seed quite generous to her.
Villagers saw her one ti in the city, dressed in fashionable clothes and looking glamorous as she stepped out of a car.
According to villagers, she had completely changed and was unrecognizable as Huang Lina.
Of course, she didn’t seem to want to acknowledge them and simply walked past, muttering “country bumpkins.”
Hearing this, how could people not be angry?
They claid that Zhao i’s daughter was a lost cause.
In just one city, the daughter enjoyed a life of luxury dining and traveling by car to fancy places.
In short, her days were as comfortable as could be, but sadly Zhao i didn’t share in any of it.
Zhao i let out a light sigh, looking around as people started discussing their children’s money matters again.
Finding the topic dull, she prepared to head ho.
She still lived with Tian Zhiguo, but his sons and daughters were all married with children of their own.
Every day after work, he would go to his son’s ho to help with the kids and do chores.
It’s like he treated Zhao i’s place as a hotel, a place that needed his money and was always there to ask for it.
Zhao i of course knew Tian Zhiguo’s intentions were to get money from her bit by bit, but now, as a lonely widow, she had to rely on Tian Zhiguo for every little headache and fever.
The postman passed by on his bicycle, spotting Zhao i, “Zhao i, your international remittance slip.”
At the ntion of a remittance slip, an international one at that, everyone was stunned.
They thought about who Zhao i knew overseas.
Then soone quickly rembered, “I recall, I recall, Huang Man did go abroad.”
“Could it be from her?”
So people then rembered the phone call Huang Man made before leaving the country, in which she said she would provide for Zhao i’s retirent when she turned 50.
“Zhao i, have you turned 50 yet?” soone rembered that she should have reached that age.
Zhao i certainly rembered her own birthday and humd in response, “Yes, I celebrated it a couple of days ago.”
Just two days ago was Zhao i’s 50th birthday, and right after that, her pension arrived.
Everyone craned their necks to see; they all wanted to know how much money Huang Man had sent to Zhao i.
Zhao i signed for the package and glanced at it, “Two hundred US dollars?”
They knew US dollars were valuable, but they didn’t know exactly how much they were worth.
“About 1200, 1300 yuan,” said the postman, who was also seeing such a receipt for the first ti.
He had heard his colleagues discuss it and retained the information.
“That’s quite nice,” exclaid everyone, “My son works in the city area and only earns a bit over two thousand a month.”
Instantly, everyone looked at Zhao i with envy and jealousy.
An extra over a thousand each month, plus rent of more than two thousand in the city area, could be said to rival the salaries of retired workers in the city.
“You are really lucky.” Soone else wanted to add sothing but found the words aningless upon reaching their lips.
What to say, that Zhao i never looked after Huang Man, and now the child was still providing for her in retirent?
Was saying this ant to sting Zhao i or them?
They had to work the fields, do housework, look after their grandchildren, but in the end, they still had to tread carefully around their sons and daughters-in-law.
In contrast, Zhao i, even if Huang Lina didn’t care for her, even though Huang Man was in another country, was still rembered by them and received pension remittances.
“Having money at hand, a man to serve you, soone to do the chores, no need to take care of children, no need to face anyone’s whims.”
Soone sighed softly; what good were children and grandchildren surrounding them if only they knew the hardships they endured?
Zhao i looked at everyone’s envious faces and suddenly felt that not having children and grandchildren around was a relief.
“Not at all, you are the lucky ones, often able to see your sons and daughters, with grandchildren playing at your knees.”
“I’m just alone,” Zhao i repeated the bitter words they had said earlier, giving a retort.
Hah, they wanted to provoke her; now she was throwing it back at them.
Listenting to the familiar words, even if they weren’t happy, they had no choice but to restrain themselves.
Her life was simply better.
In the afternoon, Zhao i went to the post office to withdraw the money and decided to deposit it into her bank card after considering her options.
After all, she lived in the village and only had to provide for herself; her spending was truly minimal.
Tian Zhiguo’s vegetables grown in his private plot were enough for her needs.
Whether she wanted to eat fish or chicken, she could simply buy them from the village, cheaper and fresher than outside, keeping her monthly expenses low.
Handling the money, and knowing Tian Zhiguo’s occasional remarks, she could tell that the mont he found out Huang Man had started sending her remittances, he would try to get his hands on the money.
Zhao i knew all too well that money should not be kept idle; even bank savings were depreciating.
The best course of action was to buy property and then rent it out.
Zhao i directly approached the agent who dealt with her property rentals, informing them that she wanted to purchase another small studio to rent out.
The agent was of course happy to hear it.
Buying a property ant a commission for them, and renting it out brought another fee.
Naturally, the agent recomnded the best properties they had on hand to Zhao i.
After a quick look, she soon made up her mind on which one to buy, paid for it, and just waited for the property transfer.
The agent knew Zhao i was a straightforward person, but even the most straightforward people didn’t usually act so decisively when buying property.
“Don’t you want to go back and discuss it with your family?” The agent was worried – if the old lady’s children ca knocking with issues later, how would it be handled?
“No need, my daughter is in Arica.” As for the other daughter in the city area, Zhao i regarded her as good as dead.
She never involved herself in her life, never seen a penny of her pension.
Hmph, when she died, if there was still any money or property left, it would go to Huang Man.
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