Back to 1984: Let's Work Hard Together to Raise The Kids!-Chapter 173: Lin Yi Pays the Bill

As soon as the two sisters left, the smile on Su Yonghuai’s face gradually disappeared, leaving only endless melancholy.

Su Shengning watched the departing back of Su Yonghuai, feeling unsettled inside.

He stood there for quite a while, then went to the street, biting his teeth.

Lin Qin and Lin Ying returned to the newly renovated house, with Lin Ying continually talking about fate.

Lin Qin said, "Sister, let’s not talk about Teacher Su’s family matters for now. My main reason for coming this time is about Ah Jian and Ah Kang’s education. The two brothers have been in the city for so long, and I’ve almost figured out their situation.

The teacher said Ah Jian’s lung capacity is quite good and suggested he learn a wind instrument. As long as he’s interested and learns well, it could be a skill for the future. Like Ping’an and Yaya, they learned some specialties, so even if their academic performance isn’t good later on, they can still pursue the arts.

With you and my brother-in-law’s current financial situation, supporting an art student is more than enough. Ah Kang is more restless and can’t sit still. The teacher suggested he learn calligraphy to temper his temperament, just in time to have a companion with Ping’an. What do you think?"

Lin Ying was quite taken aback, or rather, she never dared to think that her children could learn such talents like children from wealthy families.

She suppressed her internal excitement and rolled her eyes, "Did the teacher really say that the brothers can learn?"

Lin Qin gently nudged Lin Ying’s arm, "Why would I lie to you! If you don’t believe me, come with me to the institution and let the teacher tell you in person. While we’re at it, you can understand the institution’s situation. If you think it’s good, let them learn; anyway, they’re just taking English classes there for now.

This money is from our dad. I think if he knows the teacher’s suggestion, he might even cover the costs for the specialty classes."

Lin Ying shook her head without thinking, "That’s not okay! Dad saved up money with great difficulty; we can’t let the kids squander it all!"

"It’s not really squandering. After all, it’s for nurturing his grandchildren, and he’s happy about it! Besides, the tuition isn’t expensive. Currently, for the English class, the tuition is ten bucks per child per month, that’s forty for four.

The calligraphy class is about seven or eight bucks a month. For wind instruments, it depends on what kind, but it’s roughly around eight to ten bucks. Like Yaya learning piano, that’s expensive; the teacher even suggested buying a piano, which costs several thousand or even tens of thousands, and the monthly tuition is doubled. I’m still managing that!

Once Ah Jian and Ah Kang start learning talents, I calculated they would spend about a hundred and ten a month. Of course, during winter and summer vacations, when more classes are scheduled, the fees will be higher. It adds up to about eighteen hundred a year."

After Lin Qin calculated this, Lin Ying jumped in shock, her finger trembling as she pointed at her, "Eighteen hundred! Not one hundred eighty! Little sister, you’re becoming more and more spendthrift! Is it easy for dad to save some money? You’re already eyeing it!"

Lin Qin rolled her eyes, "Sister, don’t get excited! I’m calculating the money it takes to nurture the kids; I haven’t even told you how much dad makes in a year! Not to mention, just from things like lotus roots and supplementary aquatic products like eels and loaches, dad can earn over fifteen thousand a year.

Plus, from taro, sweet potatoes, and rice, after saving some for the family, selling them can bring around seven to eight thousand, and calla lilies are valuable too. Dad has planted quite a bit. If the price at the end of the year is good, I don’t even know how much he made, at least five thousand!

Just from farming, he can earn over twenty thousand a year. He was struggling before to buy houses for us, but now that our houses are renovated, he’s saved up that money. Without any motivation, he wouldn’t even know why he’s saving so much!

It was because Ah Jian and Ah Kang weren’t learning other skills before, and dad was worried you’d feel bad, so he didn’t dare bring it up. If the kids are learning, dad will definitely be the first to shout about spending money on them."

Lin Ying really didn’t know Lin Yi’s financial situation, and after hearing this, her eyes almost popped out, and her head spun for a while, unable to recover.

After a while, she said, "So should we really let dad spend this money?"

Lin Qin nodded nonchalantly, "However he wants to do it, he should do it. To him, this money is just a small amount. As long as he’s happy to spend it, don’t refuse. I’m just here to discuss it with you, so the kids don’t all pick up skills while you, the parents, don’t know anything—how funny would that be!"

Lin Ying’s head shrank, her anger fading by half, and she clung to Lin Qin’s arm with a fawning smile, "You’re my dear sister; we trust you with the kids! Well, I’ll go home and kill a few chickens and ducks for you to take back, so you don’t have to use your own!"

Lin Qin quickly declined, but Lin Ying had already rushed off in a whirlwind.

In the evening, Lin Qin returned to Nanyu with several sacks of items.

Lin Yi opened them, stunned, "Your sister’s gone crazy, isn’t she? Why’d she kill so many chickens and ducks? Does she have anything to eat for the New Year? Hey? Why is there half a pig here? And so much of it!"

Huang Yuezhen and Chen Wenjun also came over to join in the fun.

Lin Qin felt like crying but had no tears, "I told her about sending Ah Jian and Ah Kang to learn skills, and she got so excited, she really went nuts, dashing back home recklessly. I chased after her with all my might but couldn’t catch up, and halfway I lost track of her. I had no choice but to return the same way and find her husband in town to stop her back in the village.

Unexpectedly, the couple returned after half a day with so much stuff for me, and her husband said that if I didn’t take it, it meant I looked down on him!"

Lin Qin became more and more agitated, knowing how embarrassing it was to ride the bus with so much meat.

Lin Yi was speechless, furrowing his brows as he looked at Chen Wenjun, "We can’t finish all this meat, and the refrigerator at home can’t hold it. We’ll probably have to take it to the shop, but it’s almost the end of the year now, and there’s more demand, so the shop’s freezer might not fit it all either!"

Chen Wenjun found it amusing, "Dad, isn’t that simple! A while back, in South Port, I heard people say that in the southwest, it’s popular to make smoked or cured meat. If we can’t finish it, we can turn it into smoked or cured meat or make sausages. I’ll go buy some liquor, MSG, sugar, and salt, and some sheep casings."

The so-called sausages are a local specialty. Every year around this time before the Spring Festival, almost every household makes some to serve guests or give as gifts when visiting relatives and friends.

Previously, they were busy and didn’t have enough manpower, so no one specifically went to make these.

This year, with things settled and having this ready supply of pork, it would be a shame not to make them.

Huang Yuezhen had only eaten sausages before and didn’t know how to make them, but upon hearing this, she became immediately interested and insisted on helping.

Thus, the lively sausage-making activity commenced.

At this time, it wasn’t dark yet, so Chen Wenjun hurried to buy the needed items before nightfall.

When he returned to Nanyu, Lin Yi, Lin Qin, and Huang Yuezhen had already cut two large basins of pork.

The five children lined up in the courtyard, watching the adults work. Their little appearances were absolutely adorable.

Chen Wenjun’s heart itched, and he patted each head as he passed, then casually put the items down beside Lin Yi, "Dad, there are a few pounds of meat, don’t put too much seasoning, it’ll taste bad if it’s too much."