Siheyuan: The wife pays off the husband's debt, Huairu's mentality collapses

"But we are different. Our family only has this little savings. Buying a new refrigerator would cost us most of our life savings. Aren't you making things difficult for us?"

As soon as Aunt Zhang finished speaking, someone immediately echoed: "Yes, Sumu, Aunt Zhang is right. Now that you are well off, it is only right that you help us poor neighbors."

"Oh, you can't say that," Su Mu shook his head, his tone filled with both helplessness and determination.

"It's not easy for me to make money. Every penny is earned through hard work. Besides, although my old refrigerator is no longer in use, I haven't said I'm going to give it away or sell it."

"Everyone has their own lifestyle and plans. I can't unconditionally sacrifice my own interests just because others are poor, right?"

When the residents heard this, they were speechless for a moment.

Faced with Su Mu's firm attitude, Aunt Zhang not only did not back down, but became even more aggressive.

She put her hands on her hips, the smile on her face became a little stiff, and her eyes flickered with dissatisfaction and unwillingness.

"Sumu, why are you so ignorant? We are not begging you, we are negotiating with you."

"Look, you are so rich now. The old refrigerator is just a decoration to you, but for poor people like us, it is a life-saving treasure!" Aunt Zhang's voice gradually became louder, as if she wanted to overwhelm Su Mu with her momentum.

"Besides, you are young and strong, you have hands and feet, and you have many opportunities to make money. But what about us? We are old and in poor health. How many opportunities do we have to save this money again?"

"Even if you don't think about yourself, you should at least think about us old neighbors, right?"

Her words were full of accusations and moral blackmail, as if Su Mu would become an unforgivable sinner if he did not agree to her request.

Although no one from the surrounding residents spoke out in agreement, their eyes revealed their support and expectations for Aunt Zhang, as if they were all waiting for Su Mu to give in and give up the old refrigerator.

"Aunt Zhang, I respect you as my elder, but I also have my own principles and bottom line. The old refrigerator is my family's personal property, and I have the right to decide whether to keep it or not. If you really need a refrigerator, I suggest you go to the second-hand market or save money to buy it through your own efforts."

"Instead of trying to use moral kidnapping to get things that don't belong to you." Although Su Mu's words were calm, every word was full of power and determination.

When Aunt Zhang heard this, her face turned pale and blue, and she was obviously choked by Su Mu's words and couldn't speak.

She glared at Su Mu fiercely, then turned away angrily, muttering some dissatisfied words.

As Aunt Zhang left, the onlookers also dispersed, and the yard returned to peace again.

......

At the Yan family's house, Yan Bugui, his third aunt, and his three children - Yan Jiecheng, Yan Jiedi, and Yan Jiekuang - were sitting around a square table that was mottled with traces of time.

The dishes on the table were extremely simple. A few vegetable leaves could be vaguely seen among the plates of green vegetables, making them look particularly bland.

"Dad, is this all we're going to eat?"

Yan Jiecheng looked at the simple meal and unconsciously smacked his lips, frowning, with a hint of dissatisfaction and surprise in his tone:

Upon hearing this, Yan Bugui's shrewd little eyes quickly turned around in his sockets, as if he was calculating something.

His eyes showed both his awareness of his son's dissatisfaction and his adherence to his own frugal philosophy of life.

Yan Bugui was notoriously stingy and mean. This character trait was not only reflected in his treatment of outsiders, but also in his own children.

He gently put down the chopsticks in his hand, a barely perceptible sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he slowly said:

"Jie Cheng, you know the situation in our family."

"The world is tough now, so we should save as much as possible. Although these dishes are not rich, they are enough to fill our stomachs. You should know that thrift is the long-term solution."

There was a hint of instruction in Yan Bugui's words. His words were like a sharp blade. Although no blood was shed, they were enough to make people feel the severity and harshness in them.

The third aunt sat aside, and although she did not interrupt, her eyes revealed her tacit approval and support for her husband's decision.

Yan Jiedi and Yan Jiekuang lowered their heads and ate the food in their bowls in silence without saying much.

They have long been accustomed to this kind of life and understand that in this family, their father's decision is unquestionable.

Just as the atmosphere at the table was becoming awkward due to Yan Jiecheng's complaints, the third aunt suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence:

"Have you heard? Su Mu's family recently got a new refrigerator. I heard it's a big brand, quite expensive."

As soon as these words were spoken, Yan Jiecheng, Yan Jiedi and Yan Jiekuang all put down their chopsticks and looked at their mother in unison.

Yan Bugui's eyes lit up instantly, as if he had heard some great news.

"Oh? Did Sumu buy a new refrigerator?" Yan Bugui's voice contained some surprise and some calculation.

He put down the bowl and chopsticks in his hands, leaned forward slightly, and seemed particularly concerned.

"Yeah, I heard that old refrigerator is pretty new, they just replaced it with a bigger one."

The third aunt continued to speak. She seemed to be quite interested in this matter, and perhaps she was testing Yan Bugui's reaction intentionally or unintentionally.

A meaningful smile appeared on the corner of Yan Bugui's mouth, and he had already started calculating the value of the old refrigerator in his mind.

In his opinion, since Su Mu could afford a new refrigerator, the old refrigerator was naturally dispensable to him.

And he can take this opportunity to obtain this "extra" property at the lowest cost.

"Su Mu is a more and more promising kid." Yan Bugui said with emotion.

Then he changed the subject, "But speaking of which, if his old refrigerator is no longer in use, can our family consider taking it over? After all, our refrigerator has been used for many years, and it's time to replace it with a new one."

As soon as Yan Bugui finished speaking, Yan Jiecheng, Yan Jiedi and Yan Jiekuang were all stunned.

They didn't expect their father to come up with such an idea so quickly, and they didn't expect him to express it so directly.

The third aunt understood Yan Bugui's character and knew that once he made up his mind, it would be difficult to change it.

But she also knew that Su Mu's old refrigerator was indeed a big temptation for their family.

"We still need to think this over carefully." The third aunt finally said.

So, the topic at the Yan family's dinner table shifted from the original family gossip to the question of how to get the old refrigerator of the Sumu family. And Yan Bugui's shrewd eyes had already begun to outline a beautiful picture of "making the best use of things" in his mind.