Siheyuan: If you ruin the reputation of the whole courtyard, I will move out

Zhang Yu smiled and replied, "No need. I will leave after Christmas and before the New Year. The school's vacation is only a few days, and I probably won't be able to come back during the Spring Festival."

In the future, you don't have to go out to work odd jobs anymore. I will give you 5,000 yuan a month for living expenses, which I believe is enough to pay for you to complete your four years of university studies. "

Su Mingyu shook her head and refused: "I don't need your financial support. I know it's not easy to work here. You are also working and studying at the same time. I guess it must be very difficult for you!"

"I have no problem. For a man, this little difficulty is nothing. But for a girl like you, it's not good to get involved in society too early." Zhang Yu responded.

Hearing this, Su Mingyu questioned dissatisfiedly: "Brother, this is male chauvinism! How can you study and work at the same time, but I can't?"

Hearing this, Zhang Yu was stunned. He didn't expect his sister to care so much about dignity.

He quickly explained: "I don't mean to offend you. I just think you are still young and should focus on your studies. You should stay on campus and study hard instead of entering society as soon as possible."

Su Mingyu asked, "Brother, do you think I've embarrassed you?" There was a hint of doubt in her voice.

Zhang Yu showed a surprised look and replied: "Why do you think so? Seeing that you are so independent, I can only be proud of you. How could I make you feel ashamed?" His words were full of support for his sister.

Su Mingyu has suffered a lot in life and has become a little sensitive. This is one of the reasons why Zhang Yu is not eager to let her get involved in the complex society early.

Su Mingyu insisted: "When I left home, I told them that I would not ask for a penny from them anymore and I would live through my own efforts." Her determination was unshakable.

"I am very pleased to have your kindness. At least in this respect, you are better than Mingcheng, who has to ask for money from his family from time to time." When talking about Su Mingcheng, Su Mingyu said with contempt: "Su Mingcheng like that will always be a coward who only knows how to rely on others."

"No matter what, Mingcheng is your elder brother after all, there is no need to say that." Zhang Yu picked up some food for Su Mingyu, hoping to change the subject and avoid further arguments. He knew that Su Mingyu had a deep misunderstanding and dissatisfaction with her brother.

However, Su Mingyu did not compromise: "Su Mingcheng has never treated me as a sister." Her eyes were full of disdain.

Faced with such a situation, Zhang Yu could only shake his head helplessly. Su Mingyu and Su Mingcheng had been in constant conflict since childhood, and the possibility of reconciliation was very slim.

"Since you don't accept money from your family, I can at least give you some pocket money. But you have to take care of your living expenses yourself. I recently met a friend who is very good at business. He taught me a lot, and I believe I will find my own way." The friend Zhang Yu mentioned is Su Mingyu's master, Mr. Meng, who will be the chairman of Zhongcheng Group in the future.

After giving a couple of safety reminders, he suggested, "If you don't like your big brother's help, why don't you help me run the business. You do your thing, and I'll support you."

Su Mingyu was obviously a little surprised: "You said you started a business?" She didn't have a deep understanding of the industry.

So Zhang Yu explained his purchasing agency business to her in detail and even showed her some orders for reference.

"It's the same thing, but why is the price so different?" Su Mingyu said in surprise when she saw that the prices of foreign luxury goods were significantly different in China.

"This situation is caused by the high tax rate on domestic consumption and the entry of international brands, who artificially raise prices," Zhang Yu explained the economic rules.

Zhang Yu told her that he could be responsible for foreign purchases, but he would need an assistant to open up the domestic market, which is why he asked her for help. "As for the risks, as long as it does not involve illegal smuggling, small-scale sales will not attract legal sanctions. Many students are doing similar things."

He also said that he would not continue doing this for a long time in the future, but hoped to obtain genuine authorization. "I just need a stable and legal sales channel."

These words made Su Mingyu's eyes light up, and she suggested: "I heard that online shopping is very popular now. If you want to purchase on my behalf, you can consider opening an online store and selling directly to customers." Su Mingyu seemed to see a business opportunity.

Hearing this, Zhang Yu decided to let her execute this idea: "Since you came up with this idea, you can open an online store. I will take 5% of every order as commission."

When Su Mingyu heard that there was a commission to be earned, her eyes sparkled. She seemed to be thinking about this matter seriously and judging its feasibility.

Finally, she said, "I will take over the domestic market, and you focus on finding sources of supply. We will work together and we will definitely get things done." This was her determination.

The two of them toasted and drank tea together, wishing their online business to prosper in the future. Zhang Yu told Su Mingyu that his parents missed her and hoped she could go home soon. But Su Mingyu stubbornly said that she would only consider going back when she made enough money. Hearing this, Zhang Yu sighed slightly and advised her not to work too hard in the process of pursuing her career, reminding her that life does not have to be a winner-takes-all.

When he sent Su Mingyu back to school, he passed by a sneaker store and picked out a pair of white hook shoes for her as a gift. This expression of affection and understanding made people feel Zhang Yu's deep care and support for Su Mingyu.

"Your shoes are worn out. You need a new pair." Zhang Yu bent down and took off Su Mingyu's worn-out shoes, only to find that even her socks were worn-out.

Then, Zhang Yu asked the servant to bring a pair of new socks and handed them to her sister personally.

Su Mingyu held her socks and new sneakers in her hands, and her eyes couldn't help but turn red.

"Brother, you are so nice to me." She said gratefully.

Zhang Yu sighed: "Although I treated you well, it's too late, otherwise you wouldn't have suffered so much hardship."

Zhang Yu returned home after sending his sister back to school. As soon as he entered the door, he saw a table in the yard and a fat man walking out of the house.

"Mingzhe is back!" The man greeted the visitor happily.

"Uncle?" The other party was Zhang Yu's uncle, Zhao Meilan's younger brother.

"Mingzhe! I heard that you returned to China, so I came to see you right away." Uncle Zhang Yu was enthusiastic and quickly pulled him to sit down. He asked about his life and study in China, such as whether his schoolwork was heavy and whether he could find a job that could make money there.

Although Zhang Yu felt a little troubled at first by his uncle's concern, he soon realized that his uncle's purpose was not just concern - he wanted something.

Zhang Yu's uncle Zhao Dabao often visits the Su family, seemingly to enhance their relationship but actually to make money. He has always been a parasite who lives on his sister Zhao Meilan. He has lived in a sexist environment since he was a child, and he thinks it is natural for him to suck his sister's blood.

Zhao Meilan chose to marry Su Daqiang not out of love, except to help his brother Zhao Dabao get married and pay for the wedding. Afterwards, the two families moved their household registration to the city together.

Zhao Meilan once thought about divorce, but was unable to do so because Zhao Dabao wanted to buy a house and settle down in the city and needed financial support from the Su family.

Over the years, Zhao Dabao always asked Zhao Meilan for money. Therefore, this visit was naturally not just to greet his long-lost nephew.

"I heard that the study atmosphere in China is better and the academic pressure is less. Is that true?" Zhao Dabao asked, holding Zhang Yu's hand.

At this moment, Zhang Yu finally understood Zhao Dabao's intention. He had a son named Zhao Zhongbang who was about to enter elementary school.

"Uncle wants my cousin to go to school?" Zhang Yu asked.

Zhao Dabao couldn't wait to ask: "Mingzhe, with your ability and your work, can you help take my nephew there to study?"

Zhang Yu saw Zhao Meilan and Su Daqiang each holding some melon seeds and drinks in their hands, and realized that his uncle must have discussed this matter with them in advance.

"Mom and Dad, do they know about this?" Zhang Yu asked his parents.

Su Daqiang glanced at Zhao Meilan timidly and said nothing.

As the "eternal sister protector", Zhao Meilan did not blame Zhao Dabao for his request at all, "Mingzhe, your uncle only has this one son, so help him if you can."

Zhang Yu smiled and agreed, "Good idea." Zhao Dabao was immediately delighted when he heard this.

However, Zhao Dabao said shamelessly: "Mingzhe, I know I don't have a proper job and my family is not very rich. Can you temporarily advance my tuition and living expenses?"

Faced with such an excessive request, Zhang Yu helplessly spread his hands and said, "I am not rich either. When I went abroad to study, my family even sold a house to pay for the tuition."

Zhao Dabao was unwilling to give up: "Your nephew is still a primary school student, the tuition fee won't be too much."

In response, Zhang Yu was both amused and confused: "Uncle, do you know how much the annual tuition for elementary school is?" He asked back to show his dissatisfaction.

Zhao Dabao asked in confusion: "Will primary school be compulsory? I remember that it shouldn't cost much to go to primary school there."

Zhang Yu shook his head and said, "That refers to public elementary schools. Only citizens can attend, and the fees are indeed low. However, my cousin is not a citizen after all. He has to apply to study abroad and choose a private school. The tuition fee is about 200,000 RMB a year."

"Add to that the five-year primary school system, and that's one million." At this point, Zhang Yu took a deep breath.

Zhao Meilan said angrily, "Does it take a son a reason to use his parents' money? Selling a house is nothing. When you graduate and make a lot of money, you can buy it back. The key now is that you should focus on your studies. Don't lose the big picture for the sake of small things. You should quit that job right away."

Seeing his parents' uneasy expressions, Zhang Yu stood up, reassured them, and consoled them: "Mom, I'm really fine, you see I'm full of energy. Work will not affect my studies, on the contrary, I can take this opportunity to learn some cooking skills, which is also a way out."

Zhao Meilan grabbed Zhang Yu's hand and found that his palm was covered with thick calluses, all traces of cooking. She said distressedly: "Your hands are used to hold a pen and study, and I was counting on you to study for a doctorate and get a degree. It's because your parents are incompetent that you have to suffer like this."

As she spoke, Zhao Meilan couldn't help but shed tears. Although she had always been self-respecting and had never cried in her life, she showed her vulnerability for the first time when she saw the calluses on her son's hands.

At this moment, Zhang Yu deeply identified with his mother for the first time. Despite her many shortcomings, her love for her son was genuine and true.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Zhao Dabao didn't want to continue asking for money. After a few words of greeting, he said goodbye and left, never mentioning studying abroad again.

Zhang Yu watched Zhao Dabao leave with a cold smile on his face. If it weren't for his acting skills, this uncle probably wouldn't have compromised so easily.

That night, he returned to his room alone and checked his account. He felt relieved when he saw the balance increase and the money owed for purchasing on behalf of others was paid back one by one. He asked Zhao Dabao for help during the day to dispel his impulse to borrow money, knowing that the man's habit would turn into a vengeful mentality once he got accustomed to taking advantage of others.

Whether it is for other strangers or strangers, Zhang Yu might choose to simply refuse, but he knows that he cannot be too cold and hard when dealing with the family relationship issue of his mother Zhao Meilan. He cleverly creates a difficult situation to make it difficult for Zhao Dabao to borrow money.

He knew these kinds of people: when you were successful, they would take advantage of you as if it were their due; when you were down, they would be glad to kick you when you were down, and would never be willing to help you shoulder any responsibilities.

Zhang Yu had a feeling that Zhao Dabao might not come to visit him again in the short term, but that didn't mean the problem was completely solved. Zhao Meilan's existence was like the most difficult problem to overcome. As her child, he didn't have many solutions for the time being, so he could only try to alleviate the problem slowly.

That night, the night was silent. Su Daqiang and Zhao Meilan tossed and turned, and neither of them could fall asleep.

"Stop tossing and turning. If you can't sleep, sleep on the sofa. Don't disturb my rest." Zhao Meilan complained and drove Su Daqiang to the sofa.

Facing the pressure, Su Daqiang sighed, sat up, and suggested: "Meilan, let's sit down and talk together."

However, Zhao Meilan still replied with an annoyed expression: "What do you want to do? If you don't sleep in the middle of the night, don't go to work tomorrow."

Facing the question, Su Daqiang continued: "Do you know how much savings we have left?"

Zhao Meilan seemed impatient: "Why are you asking me this? If you want money, just tell me! Whose money?!"

Su Daqiang tried to clear up the mystery: "I don't think we should force Mingzhe to do that kind of work. No matter how hard it is, we can endure it, but the matter of the child..."

Zhao Meilan fell silent for a moment, then slowly spoke after a moment: "In fact, we don't have much savings. If it weren't for the money Mingzhe sent back regularly, life would have been very difficult."

Su Daqiang frowned: "How could this happen? You and I both earn over 10,000 yuan, and we obviously don't need that much money, so where did the money go?"

Being wrongly accused of embezzlement, Zhao Meilan was furious and pushed Su Daqiang off the bed: "What do you mean by saying these words? Are you questioning my contribution to the family?"

Su Daqiang got up from the ground with a bitter look on his face: "I didn't mean that...what are you so excited about?"

Zhao Meilan said: "Mingcheng is about to graduate from college. I think his grades may not be good enough for the postgraduate entrance examination, so I plan to help him find a good job. I have asked someone to arrange for him to work in a foreign company, which involves a lot of expenses."

Su Daqiang sighed: "As the children grow up, there are naturally more places to spend money."

Zhao Meilan also sighed: "This is still a small matter. When Mingzhe and Mingcheng get married in the future, we can't not contribute to the financial burden at all."

Su Daqiang touched his head and said worriedly, "I don't know if you can get back the money you lent to your uncle. We are not well off right now."

Zhao Meilan responded: "How can Erbao have money? His job is unstable, and he has a wife and children to support. How can he save any money?"