114: The "huge sum" saved by Nguyen Thi Thuy

With Nguyen Thi Linh and Tran Thi Bao Anh tidying up, they basically put away all the new clothes and some commemorative items.

The rest were discarded as appropriate.

Tran Thi Bao Anh had called Nguyen Tan Minh and Nguyen Thi Thuy to confirm these things.

After all, everyone has a different understanding of what is important, and only Nguyen Tan Minh and his family know best.

Nguyen Thi Thuy didn't expect the construction of her house to start so quickly. Unable to return home, she shyly told her mother that she had hidden 100,000 vietnamese dong in her secret stash under the bed board.

This amount, equivalent to about 27 dragon country currency, was Nguyen Thi Thuy's greatest wealth before Li Qinghe appeared.

However, after Li Qinghe generously gave her 5 million vietnamese dong, this money was insignificant. Otherwise, Nguyen Thi Thuy might have taken leave from her teacher to rush home for this money.

Now, this money can be contributed to her mother for groceries.

With a somewhat amused feeling, Tran Thi Bao Anh pried out a stack of banknotes wrapped in plastic from the crevice of Nguyen Thi Thuy's wooden bed.

She hadn't expected her clever and well-behaved youngest daughter to have saved up a 'huge sum' in the past two years.

"Oh my, so A Shui can save money too."

Nguyen Thi Linh, who was helping her sister put away new clothes, leaned over and looked at the 100,000 vietnamese dong in cash in Tran Thi Bao Anh's hand.

Among them, there were only two 20,000 vietnamese dong notes; the rest were 1,000 and 2,000 vietnamese dong notes, which were small change among the vietnamese dong. One thousand vietnamese dong is less than three mao in dragon country currency.

Looking at this money, Nguyen Thi Linh couldn't help but feel a little sad; before she went out to work, her situation was similar to her sister's.

On second thought, she became happy again: "Mother, we no longer have to worry about not having money to use."

Tran Thi Bao Anh sighed with emotion: "Yes, A Ling, you are lucky. You helped the family turn things around, and A Ming and A Shui have all benefited from your good fortune."

"By the way, Mother, A Shui told me..."

Nguyen Thi Linh told Tran Thi Bao Anh about the 'millet porridge' matter.

Tran Thi Bao Anh stood for a while with a complex expression, then sighed: "A-He is so strong and so outstanding in appearance. It will be difficult for A Shui to fancy anyone else in the future. You must guide her well from now on."

Nguyen Thi Linh stepped forward and hugged Tran Thi Bao Anh's arm: "Mother, you don't have to worry so much anymore. A-He treats me very well, and we will live better and better lives."

"Alright, let's hurry up and pack. Don't let A-He wait too long..." Tran Thi Bao Anh gently pushed Nguyen Thi Linh away and accelerated her packing.

They say a broken home is worth a thousand gold. After Nguyen Thi Linh and Tran Thi Bao Anh's packing, the back of the Wrangler was fully loaded. Some items were things Tran Thi Bao Anh truly couldn't bear to throw away, intending to take them to the county town for use.

This time going to the county town, Tran Thi Bao Anh would ride a motorcycle, which would make it convenient for her to travel between the village and the county town.

Before setting off, Tran Thi Bao Anh and Nguyen Thi Linh stood in front of the tin house for a while, seemingly reminiscing about past times, but Nguyen Thi Linh soon got into the car.

"A Ling, seeing how reluctant you and Mother are, why don't we buy another piece of land and build a house?"

"Ah, Big Brother, no! Building a new house here is the best choice."

Hearing Li Qinghe say this, Nguyen Thi Linh gasped in surprise. Seeing the smile on Li Qinghe's face, she realized he was just teasing her.

Earlier, she and Tran Thi Bao Anh had discussed in the house that this plot of land was the largest asset their family could offer.

Not choosing to buy land in the county town was because they hoped their own family could also contribute something; this was Tran Thi Bao Anh's last stubbornness.

"Big Brother, Mother and I are already very, very grateful to you for being able to build a house here."

"By the way, Mother agreed to A Shui making millet porridge. She said that A Shui has gotten used to the life you've brought, and she won't be able to fancy other men..."

While Li Qinghe hadn't started the car yet, Nguyen Thi Linh took one of his hands to convey her gratitude and also told Li Qinghe about the arrangement for Nguyen Thi Thuy.

"Aunt Bao Anh is a good person."

Li Qinghe defined Tran Thi Bao Anh as such, then started the car and poked his head out of the window: "Aunt Bao Anh, we're off. Ride slowly on your way."

Tran Thi Bao Anh waved: "You go first, I'll be right there," with a tone that held a bit more intimacy and reliance.

With this tin house being demolished, she could only rely entirely on Li Qinghe for her life.

When Li Qinghe drove back to the newly rented house in the county town with Nguyen Thi Linh, it was already evening. The women had finished cleaning and gone home.

Parking the car on the roadside outside the alley, Li Qinghe and Nguyen Thi Linh moved things into the house.

When Li Qinghe opened the courtyard gate with a key, Nguyen Thi Trinh, who was sitting in the living room, jumped up and trotted to the door to greet them.

"Big Brother, you're back! I bought some vegetables and some fish, and a chicken. I didn't buy pork because I didn't think it was fresh."

Nguyen Thi Trinh reported what she had done in the afternoon as if she were giving a work report.

It was clear that she was a little scared staying in the house alone, so when she saw Li Qinghe, her eyes sparkled with joy. She naturally took the things from Li Qinghe's hand.

Unbeknownst to her, Nguyen Thi Trinh, who had been rescued from that home by Li Qinghe, had already developed a deep reliance on him from within her heart.

Li Qinghe smiled and patted Nguyen Thi Trinh's head, making the girl blush instantly. She quickly put the things in the living room.

Li Qinghe looked around. The group of women had cleaned the entire house very thoroughly, living up to the payment he had given them.

"A Trinh, go to the car at the alley entrance and bring the things in."

Li Qinghe called out, then walked out first, with Nguyen Thi Trinh obediently following behind him.

By the time Li Qinghe, Nguyen Thi Linh, and Nguyen Thi Trinh had moved everything into the living room, Tran Thi Bao Anh had also ridden back.

She parked her motorcycle in the courtyard. This courtyard could easily accommodate more than a dozen motorcycles, and if the alley wasn't too narrow, even the Wrangler could be parked there.

"Sister, Brother-in-law, we're here!" Not long after Tran Thi Bao Anh arrived home, a clear, boisterous voice rang out from the doorway.

It was the voice of that little girl, Nguyen Thi Thuy.

Nguyen Thi Linh had sent messages to her and Nguyen Tan Minh as soon as she returned to the county town. She and her brother came over after their classes.

Vietnamese high schools finish afternoon classes at 6 PM. Due to electricity facilities, there is no concept of evening self-study in Vietnamese rural high schools.

Because Tran Thi Bao Anh was busy preparing dinner with Nguyen Thi Linh and Nguyen Thi Trinh, they were moving in today. Nguyen Thi Linh performed a housewarming ritual according to Li Qinghe's custom, and the family would have a lively meal together.

So it was Li Qinghe who opened the door.

As the gate opened, Nguyen Thi Thuy's yellow scooter and Nguyen Tan Minh's black road bike roared into the courtyard.

After turning off the engine and taking off her helmet, Nguyen Thi Thuy immediately hugged Li Qinghe's arm: "Brother-in-law, you're so good."

"How am I good?" Li Qinghe lightly tapped her little nose.

"Brother-in-law is building a house for the family, and he also rented a house for us here. Now Big Brother and I can eat Mother's cooking every day."

Nguyen Thi Thuy displayed the charming innocence unique to a young girl, hugging Li Qinghe's arm even tighter.

When she walked into the living room, arm-in-arm with Li Qinghe, Nguyen Tan Minh silently followed behind. Nguyen Thi Thuy immediately saw Nguyen Thi Trinh busy inside.

"Oh? Sister Trinh is here too. Isn't she going to Hanoi to work?"

"A Trinh is also a member of our family now," Nguyen Thi Linh casually replied as she brought dishes out from the kitchen.

"Ah? Brother-in-law, you're eating Rice Noodles again! You're so fickle!" Nguyen Thi Thuy immediately pouted her rosy little lips, hugging Li Qinghe's arm and twisting her body into a pretzel.