Chapter 77: I Will Not Marry You

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"Is ten thousand enough?"

The director of the welfare institute was taken aback. Ten thousand?

"How do you have so much money?" 

The welfare institute received only a few thousand yuan in annual funding from the government, so receiving ten thousand yuan at once was quite tempting for the director. However, he was also cautious because he couldn't accept money with an unclear source.

Tang Ailian gave him a disdainful look. "I saved someone's life with the spiritual medicine my master gave me, and that person's family is wealthy, so they gave me a hundred thousand yuan."

She didn't hide the fact that she had received money for saving someone's life. After all, saving a life was not a bad deed, and if someone wanted to give her money for it, why should she refuse?

At this time, unlike in her future life, the source of money was closely scrutinized in this era. 

However, she suppressed her excitement and said, "Ten thousand is too little. How about I give you a hundred thousand?" It was good that he didn't ask for fifty thousand.

Tang Ailian continued, "Director Yu, there are only a little over a hundred of my little brothers and sisters here. Their monthly food expenses should not exceed five yuan each, including clothing, education, and other expenses. A hundred people will need about a hundred yuan a year. I'm giving you ten thousand just to let them stay here temporarily. In some time, I will come to take them back."

Director Yu said, "You mentioned 'in some time,' but who knows if you will really come back? What if you can't? Besides, if you take them all, how will you arrange for them? If you don't come back, I'll have to take care of them properly."

In fact, Director Yu was also taking advantage of the fact that Tang Ailian was unaware. Even if she didn't take responsibility, the higher authorities would eventually have to step in. In the end, at least half of these children would end up in his welfare institute. However, if he could get some money from Tang Ailian, why wouldn't he accept it?

After thinking for a moment, Tang Ailian said, "Alright, I'll give you a hundred thousand, but you must take good care of them. If I come back and find any problems, I won't let it slide."

Director Yu accepted these abducted children. Of course, Tang Ailian paid a price of one hundred thousand yuan.

So, over a hundred children stayed at the Children's Welfare Institute in Lanshan County.

Tang Ailian had fulfilled her responsibility as the "big sister," and all the children remembered her as their "big sister." They also remembered the oath they had made to Tang Ailian, which she had made them repeat.

Except for Feng Ming, who had been taken away by his father that night.

Tang Ailian chose a time when the adults were working to sneak over to the cassia tree at Liu Meilan's house. However, the cassia tree was still in a deep slumber.

She sighed and was about to leave when a small figure blocked her way.

Tang Ailian was surprised because she hadn't noticed anyone while she was focused on the cassia tree. When she looked closer, she couldn't help but be amused.

"Why are you blocking my way—"

The person blocking her was none other than Li Xinye. What was even more amusing was the look of disgust in his eyes.

Had she offended him in some way? On the contrary, her mother had given his mother sweet potatoes several times, totaling hundreds of kilograms.

Li Xinye boldly declared, "I won't like you, and I won't marry you. Don't come to my house."

Tang Ailian was shocked. Had she stolen his belongings? On the contrary, her mother had given his mother sweet potato flour. He was only a year and a half old at the time. How could he remember something like that?

At that moment, Tang Ailian realized that Li Xinye was repeating what he had heard from someone else, most likely Liu Meilan.

During the difficult times of the 1960s, food was scarce, and the sweet potatoes given by her mother to Liu Meilan had saved their lives. Liu Meilan had taken away a bag of sweet potatoes from under Tang Ailian's bed, carrying it back to her own house while fearing that Liu Xiujian, her mother-in-law, would change her mind. The bag of sweet potatoes was a huge source of nourishment compared to the nutritious rice flour. Yet, they had the audacity to complain about not getting Tang Ailian's specially made sweet potato flour?

Tang Ailian realized that Liu Meilan had deceived her in her previous life, causing her to fall into the Li family and ruining her life.

She couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness at her past blindness and gullibility.

"I won't marry you? Then who will you marry?" Tang Ailian asked.

"I will marry Ah Yu. Even if you come to my house, I'll make Ah Yu chase you away," Li Xinye said proudly.

Tang Ailian was taken aback. Ah Yu, was that Liu Qingyu from Liujiacun? The one who later became Li Xinye's wife? In her past life, wasn't it because she was driven away by Liu Qingyu that she had ended up marrying into the Li family?

Tang Ailian's heart ached at the thought of how blind she had been in her past life, unable to see through Li Xinye's affair with Liu Qingyu. Liu Meilan had known about it, but she had deceived Tang Ailian and led her into the Li family, ruining her life.

(End of this chapter)