Chapter 156: Chapter 122: The Inside Story (2)
In the main bedroom, Lin Liyin helped the old lady lean back on the bed, pulled up a stool, and sat by the bedside. She glanced at her, seeing she had no intention to speak.
Lin Liyin pondered for a while and softly asked, "Mom, how much money does big brother-in-law really have? How much do you lack? You have to tell me so I have an idea. The end of the month is coming soon. When big brother-in-law comes back, how long can you delay it? When I bought the courtyard, you said I bought it myself, was it with this money? I’ll make up the 2,000 Yuan for you. The child’s father already said he wanted to repay it. These years, the burden back home has lightened, and we have a bit of money in our hands, so don’t worry, we’ll find a way to cover whatever’s needed first."
Mrs. Lin gave her a look and said softly: "Why the rush, this amount is not small, your 2,000 is not enough. I still have to think about it.
At that time, besides Zhou Xiaozheng’s deposit slips, their family had quite a bit of money. Back then, before liberation, your brother-in-law deposited it in HSBC. It was run by foreigners, and the management was quite strict.
I asked your elder sister to give me all the money, and she took me to the bank to convert all of it to US Dollars, adding the dollars from the deposit slips, all into Zhou Jiao’s name. Your elder sister said this was left by Zhou Xiaozheng for his daughter, and it had to be in Zhou Jiao’s name.
Back then, the US Dollar was calculated in gold, a silver dollar seemed like it was $0.33, it’s been a long time, and I’ve forgotten some details. I only remember one of Zhou Xiaozheng’s deposit slips was $5,000, and the interest was $200. All the money from their family was converted into US Dollars plus the interest amounted to nearly over $9,000, depositing $9,000 under Zhou Jiao’s name, the extra dollars, and Zhou Jiao’s deposit slip, your sister handed all to me.
After it was handed to me, your elder sister never asked about it again. This money, before liberation, I didn’t even touch, I just kept it there. Later, seeing the situation improve, I was afraid the foreign-run bank would collapse, so I withdrew it all and changed banks. Over the seven or eight years, with interest, it amounted to over $10,000. Subsequently, our bank kept switching to new currency, that $10,000 I didn’t dare to touch, spent all the change and interest.
In 1952, when you got married, your second brother was organizing things, suddenly needing money for many matters. I secretly withdrew $2,000 and the interest, leaving $8,000 precisely in the deposit slip.
Back then, converting to Renminbi, the exchange rate was 1 US Dollar to RMB 2.227, withdrawing $2,000 and the interest over those years, it converted to about RMB 5,500. Bought the courtyard for you, and gave some to your second brother’s family for organizing things.
After that, I didn’t touch the remaining $8,000. Every time I went to the bank, I had to get Zhou Jiao’s household registration, it was very troublesome. Now there are still $8,000 plus interest there.
Over these years, if this amount stayed in Citibank all along, the total wouldn’t be this much, with compound interest, in 17 years who knows how much it would be. It’s a mess—a blur— I moved $2,000, forgot about the interest spent previously. I don’t even want to explain it to your brother-in-law, planning to return $10,000 principal to him.
Aside from raising $2,000, what gives me a headache is your elder sister’s salary all these years. I’ve spent it all, and it was at my request that your elder sister handed it to me. I told her, I was worried she’d be extravagant, to save it for Jiao Jiao when she’s married for her dowry. Now how could I explain? Oh, Shanshan, your mother spent your daughter’s dowry, well, even more than the Zhou Family, she’d definitely blow up at me."
Lin Liyin covered her mouth and laughed heartily, "Old Zhou Family grabbed her dowry, you grab it again, I bet even Dad would turn against you."
Mrs. Lin shook her head helplessly, "Your dad doesn’t even know this money is with me, otherwise he would have asked me to send it to Zhou Jiao long ago.
He just knows about your elder sister’s salary, I’m saving for her. How could he know that everyone in our family seems like they draw salaries, yet it’s never enough. Not mentioning others, Xiao Lin frequently comes to me asking for money, asking for this and that, how many clothes are there in her wardrobe?
Your second brother’s family, with four kids to raise, and your second sister-in-law supporting her family, relying on your second brother’s meager salary, how is it enough? Since marriage, they relied on family aid. Having kids, your second sister-in-law followed the trend, insisted on giving baby formula, the Jiang Family is not far away, can we refuse? The Big Courtyard would have endless gossip.
Except for Victory and his brothers who are a bit more sensible. Just those sisters, one spends more than the other. Your second brother in earlier years with white hair from worry, fought with Xuezhen over a coat and she lay at home for days. That child Xuezhen doesn’t understand, always competing with others, constantly chasing fashion. How does your second brother manage on his salary alone? Every time your second sister-in-law instructs Xuezhen and them to call requesting money, she thinks I don’t know? I understand well, but what can I do, that’s my son."