When the Side Character Gets a System and Travels through Difference Worlds-Chapter 16: Tingting 14
"I’ll get it. I’ll get it ready. I just got paid today." Han Guangzhi’s head throbbed. He knew how difficult his father could be; the crucial thing was that his dad was completely shameless.
Han Cunming was barely satisfied, but Tan You wasn’t about to let it go. She stared at Han Guangzhi. "You’re obligated to support me until I’m an adult. This is your responsibility; you can’t shirk it. I don’t want to keep running to Yun City over and over. I’m busy, too."
"I asked my teacher. Tuition and meal fees for one semester of high school are about five thousand, which comes to thirty thousand for all three years. I’m in eighth grade now, with a year and a half until the high school entrance exams. For that year and a half, give me ten thousand."
"Give Grandpa forty thousand in one lump sum, and I will never ask you for another cent again."
"That’s impossible!" Han Guangzhi refused flatly. "Where am I supposed to get that much money right now? I’ll have your tuition ready in the future. I absolutely won’t forget."
Han Cunming now understood. "Tingting has a point. You come home less than twice a year and never send money. Am I supposed to run all the way over here every time she needs tuition?"
"Give us all of Tingting’s remaining tuition in one go. It’ll save me and my granddaughter the trouble of coming to find you every time, only to have to deal with your sour face."
Han Guangzhi’s head throbbed. "Dad, I really can’t come up with that much money all at once."
"Then go borrow it. I don’t care who you borrow from. I just want the money." Han Cunming had made up his mind. He could see it clearly now. ’If he didn’t get the money this time, it wouldn’t be so easy to ask for it again.’
Li Xiaomei couldn’t hold back any longer. "Dad, Guangzhi really can’t produce that much money on such short notice. We have a child now, too. Raising a child costs money... You can’t just provide for your granddaughter and ignore your grandson."
"He’s no grandson of the Han family. He’s a grandson of your Li family." Han Cunming rolled his eyes. "Get him to call me ’Grandpa,’ and then I’ll give him some consideration."
Li Xiaomei said helplessly, "He can’t even talk yet..."
’Isn’t this old man just trying to make things difficult? Forcing a baby who can’t even talk yet to call him Grandpa? What kind of person says something like that?’
"Then there’s nothing more to discuss," Han Cunming said, not giving Li Xiaomei an ounce of respect. He was a complete rogue, with a personality so disagreeable even cats and dogs would shun him. Only Tan You could put up with him.
Han Guangzhi stubbornly repeated that he had no money, but did Han Cunming not have ways to deal with him? ’A father has plenty of ways to discipline his son. He just hadn’t connected the dots before, but now everything was crystal clear.’
’Money in his son’s hands was a completely different thing from money in his own.’
"If you don’t pay up, I’m following you to work tomorrow to have a chat with your boss."
Han Guangzhi grew frantic. "Dad! I’m your son."
"And Tingting is still my granddaughter." Would Han Cunming let his granddaughter suffer for Han Guangzhi’s sake? His logic felt impeccable to him. "Other than your surname not being Li, what’s the difference between you and a member of the Li family? But Tingting is a granddaughter of the Han family."
"I am notifying you: this forty thousand is for Tingting’s tuition, and not one cent can be missing. Also, you will give me five hundred a month for my living expenses. I’m getting old and can’t handle the farm work anymore."
"Give me this six thousand for the year along with the forty thousand. Send it to me at the start of each year."
Li Xiaomei’s vision swam. ’Five hundred a month was six thousand a year. He wanted to take forty-six thousand from them in one go. Why doesn’t this old man just go rob someone?’
Li Xiaomei’s mother started to speak, but Li Xiaomei’s father finally cut in. "So, you’re saying that if we pay for Tingting’s tuition until she’s an adult in one lump sum, Guangzhi will no longer have to worry about her?"
"That’s the gist of it," Han Cunming agreed readily. "Don’t blame me for being harsh. Guangzhi was the one who decided to have a child, and if you have one, you raise it. She’s not some puppy or kitten you can just toss a few scraps to. I intend to raise her properly."
"Her grades are good. It would be a shame if she couldn’t continue her studies."
Li Xiaomei’s father nodded. "It’s true that girls should be well-educated. You’re not wrong about that."
"I’m glad you understand," Han Cunming finally smiled. "I won’t play games. As far as I’m concerned, I’m giving my son, Han Guangzhi, to you, the Li family. So, let’s start with six thousand for the first year of my support."
"We’ll see how things are in the future. We can increase it year by year based on the circumstances."
"Dad!" Han Guangzhi tried to protest, but who was going to listen to him?
Li Xiaomei’s father made the final decision. "Fine. With the cost of living rising, the support payments should indeed increase a bit each year."
"It’s just Tingting’s tuition... Guangzhi really doesn’t have that much cash on hand," Li Xiaomei’s father said, choosing his words carefully. "Raising a child is a significant expense for the young couple."
Han Cunming couldn’t care less about Han Guangzhi’s predicament. "That’s his problem. In any case, I’m not leaving until I get the money."
Li Xiaomei’s father fell silent. ’This old man’s words were harsh, and his attitude was shameless. But strangely, he wasn’t completely unlikeable. At least he was upfront about everything, which was better than someone who was sneaky and hid their true intentions.’
"How about this: we’ll consider the forty thousand a loan to Guangzhi." Li Xiaomei’s father was a decisive man and agreed on the spot. Han Cunming didn’t care where the money came from. As long as it was in his hands, everything else was negotiable.
"Have Guangzhi write you an IOU," Han Cunming said. "He’s the one who’s supposed to pay this."
Li Xiaomei’s father sighed. "Alright, he’ll write the IOU."
The two men settled the matter, talking back and forth. What could Han Guangzhi do? He could only suppress his indignation and write out an IOU for forty thousand. He was, however, able to produce the six thousand for his father’s living expenses.
With the IOU written, Li Xiaomei’s mother had no choice but to go into the bedroom and get the money. As she handed it to Tan You, she forced a smile. "Tingting, you’d better remember that it was your Grandpa Li who paid for your tuition."
Tan You looked at her. "My dad wrote you an IOU, so it’s his debt now. Paying for my education is his responsibility. If you don’t want to give us the money, that’s fine. My grandpa and I can just go to his office and ask for it."
She was quiet and seemed slow on the uptake, but that didn’t mean she was a fool. Sometimes, the words of a single-minded person could be the most suffocating.
Han Cunming tapped on the coffee table. "That works too. Your company can give you a salary advance, can’t it?"
Li Xiaomei’s father shot his wife a glare. "Don’t take offense," he said to Han Cunming. "She’s just joking with Tingting."
Han Cunming grinned, baring his teeth, as he stuffed the forty thousand yuan into his bag. "No offense taken. As long as the money’s in my hand, all is well."
Han Guangzhi also took out six thousand yuan. Han Cunming carefully stowed the money away. "Alright, the business we came here for is finished. Tomorrow, take the day off and accompany us to find your ex-wife."
"What for?" A flicker of disgust appeared in Han Guangzhi’s eyes at the mention of his ex-wife.
"I’m not biased," Han Cunming said. "Tingting may be in your custody, but your ex-wife promised child support and hasn’t paid a single cent these past few years. You think I’m not going to collect on that?"
Seeing Han Cunming go after everyone with equal ferocity, Han Guangzhi’s mood strangely improved. "Alright, I’ll take tomorrow off and go with you. Will it be the same deal? Make her pay all the child support until Tingting’s an adult in one lump sum?"
