latelenovela Chapter 15 Emotions and Economy
Chapter 15 Emotions and Economy
Old Xiao realized that 15 cubic meters wasn't enough to store much. Finally, he and Xiao Wei went to a friend's small company to have custom-made shelving designed to hold their goods.
The logistics shelves used in the company were too tall and too big to fit. So he designed a shelf based on his 15 cubic meter dimensions, drew it on his computer, sent it to his friend, and asked him to make it according to his requirements.
This way, only one channel is left for each person to enter, or there may not even be a channel. The items are arranged in rows to make it easy for them to take what they need.
When Lao Xiao's friend saw his design drawings, he couldn't help but exclaim, "Lao Xiao, your idea is quite unique, but it does make the most of the space." Lao Xiao smiled and said, "There's no other way; with limited space, you have to be careful with your calculations."
After a period of waiting, the custom-made shelves were finally completed. Lao Xiao and Xiao Wei carefully installed them in the space, then neatly arranged the supplies on them according to their categories. Looking at the space, which was full yet orderly, their sense of security increased even more.
~~~~Cute dividing line~~~
After receiving the 300,000 yuan from Lao Xiao, Lin Yue wondered how she could tell her husband she had it. Emotionally, she should use the money, since Lao Xiao had a bank deficit and was in debt for around 200,000 yuan. She herself had 50,000 yuan in outstanding credit card debt from several banks, which, after paying off, would leave her with about 50,000 yuan. Basic household expenses shouldn't be a problem.
Lin Yue sat on the sofa, her brow furrowed, deep in thought. She knew the importance of this money to the family and understood that honesty might be the best option, but she worried that her husband would question its origin. She was torn; one moment she felt that being direct was essential for mutual trust between husband and wife, the next she feared it would cause unnecessary misunderstandings and trouble. Lin Yue sighed, got up, and paced back and forth in the room, trying to find the most suitable way to ensure her husband would accept the money willingly while avoiding excessive questions and worries.
Finally, Lin Yue remembered that a former boss had called her to order an air-raid shelter door for a doomsday fortress design. A friend of her former boss, surnamed Yang, specialized in building underground air-raid shelters and warehouses for the government—doors that were indestructible by various weapons. However, the government's doors were double-leaf type. Now, they wanted to create a smaller door for residential use, which required scaling down the internal design. Essentially, it meant redrawing the plans, creating new molds, and making new tools. At the time, he quoted 300 million yuan.
When the private business owner approached Lin Yue, he wanted her to help him secure the order and pass it on to Mr. Yang. Lin Yue initially told her husband that someone else had taken the order. Could she then say that another private business owner approached her needing security doors, and that her commission had increased to 300,000 yuan? Yes, that's a plausible explanation.
Lin Yue thought about it more and more and felt that this excuse was feasible, and she felt a little more at ease. She planned to tell her husband about it when he came back. However, before her husband returned, she couldn't help but repeatedly consider her words in her mind, thinking about how to make it sound more natural so that her husband would accept the money without any doubt.
Lin Yue called out to the remnant soul Xueyang and the old man Huoyun Immortal Cauldron in her consciousness, asking if she could say this to her husband. The remnant soul Xueyang and the old man Huoyun Immortal Cauldron both replied.
The remnant soul Xueyang said, "If you don't want to tell him about your cultivation or the existence of me and the old man, you can say it like this. But you can't give him all the money at once, because if you give it all at once, others might be able to trace it back to you."
The old man Huoyun Xianding said, "You should give Gong Yong small amounts of money in multiple installments, like the payment method for building a house that I recently saw on your computer. The first payment is a deposit, then the second payment is the progress payment, and the third payment is the progress payment. They will give you commissions in three or four installments, and you should also give your husband commissions in three or four installments. This way, no one will notice."
After listening to their advice, Lin Yue felt more confident. She began planning how to approach her husband about giving him the money, as well as the timing and amount each time. She knew this matter had to be handled carefully to avoid any potential risks to her family.
On Friday, Lin Yue took 50,000 yuan in cash with Xiao Bao and quietly took a taxi to the bank. However, when she stepped into the bank to deposit the money, she withdrew 10,000 yuan, depositing only 40,000 yuan. She knew her personal balance couldn't exceed 50,000 yuan; anything over that amount would be recorded and monitored by the bank. So she deposited 40,000 yuan, keeping 10,000 yuan as funds to buy supplies later.
After depositing the money, Lin Yue led Xiao Bao out of the bank, sunlight shining on them. Xiao Bao asked his mother curiously, "Why didn't we deposit all the money?" Lin Yue squatted down and gently said to Xiao Bao, "Baby, this is Mommy's little secret. You'll understand when you grow up." Then, she led Xiao Bao towards the supermarket, intending to use the remaining 1 yuan to buy some daily necessities.
It was another beautiful, sunny weekend. Lin Yue received a call from a boss asking to borrow money. She left Xiao Bao with Gong Yong, explaining that she had something to do and needed to go out. She told Gong Yong she had a business deal to discuss, and left on Saturday morning, not returning until evening.
Gong Yong, alone with his three children, played around nearby for a while, bought some food, and then went home to help the children with their homework. In the afternoon, the two girls went to their guzheng lessons, while he took his son for a nap. That evening, Lin Yue gave Gong Yong 40,000 yuan.
When Gong Yong saw Lin Yue take out so much money, he asked in surprise, "What's going on?" Lin Yue smiled and said, "This is the first commission from that order I told you about before. There's more to come." Gong Yong was skeptical, but seeing the determination in Lin Yue's eyes, he didn't ask any more questions. He just secretly admired Lin Yue's competence; he was almost suffocating under the pressure. His bank was also chasing him for payment, and he was tired of answering their calls!
Lin Yue spent the entire day out on Saturday, not to discuss deals, but to buy supplies. She had previously taken out 50,000 yuan, deposited 40,000 in the bank, and then withdrew another 50,000 yuan, giving 40,000 to Gong Yong, leaving her with 20,000 yuan in cash. She thought she could stock up on some supplies in her personal space, just in case. Then she called Lao Xiao and asked him to meet her.
Old Xiao came out and met with Lin Yue briefly. She asked him how his supplies were going, and he said they were okay. She then asked if she wanted to buy some live animals like chickens, ducks, and fish. Old Xiao drove his car and took Lin Yue to the place where he had previously bought the chickens and ducks. Lin Yue bought five male and five female live chickens, and five male and five female ducks. She also bought fifty pounds of fish, which she stored in a box for Gong Yong to put in the trunk of her car, and they found a secluded spot. Old Xiao drove directly to the warehouse they had previously rented. After he drove the car in, Lin Yue put the items into her spatial storage space right in front of him. Old Xiao then drove Lin Yue to the pet market and bought many fences, knowing that Lin Yue's spatial storage space could probably support live animals. He didn't say anything, but Lin Yue said, "No matter what you saw today, pretend you didn't see it, because you are a trustworthy friend."
That evening, Lao Xiao called Xiao Wei down, and the three of them ate together in a private room at a restaurant Lao Xiao had invested in. They discussed some things, including whether they could buy more beads. Lin Yue replied that three of them were enough to protect themselves; being greedy wouldn't be good.
The atmosphere in the private room was somewhat heavy. Although Lao Xiao and Xiao Wei felt a little resentful after hearing Lin Yue's words, they understood that Lin Yue meant well. The three of them ate their meal in silence, pondering the various possibilities they might face in the future.
After dinner, Lin Yue gave Xiao Wei and Lao Xiao some honest advice: "If disaster really strikes, you can come to me if you have any difficulties, or you can come with me directly."
Lao Xiao and Xiao Wei exchanged a glance, and then said to Lin Yue, "Lin Yue, I have a house in the south. I want to sell it and buy another house downstairs in your neighborhood. What do you think?"
Lin Yue said, "Okay, that way we'll be closer, and if anything goes wrong, we can look out for each other."
Old Xiao said, "Okay, then I'll sell that 140-plus square meter house on the south side first, and then buy a bigger one in the villa area behind your community. No, the small high-rises and townhouses. I plan to sell another one as well, and sell some of the other houses I have to stock up on some supplies."
Lin Yue said, "That's fine too. If you feel you don't have enough space and need to stockpile supplies, and you need my help, I can help you."
Xiao Hui asked curiously, "Lin Yue, how big is your space?"
Lin Yue said, "This is a secret."
Lin Yue looked at the two of them sincerely and said, "You don't need to be so nervous. If war doesn't come, we still have to live our lives. There's no need to exchange all your fixed assets for supplies. You can stockpile some gold or other things!"
Xiao Hui was a little disappointed, but she understood Lin Yue's desire to keep it a secret. The three chatted for a while longer before going home. Lao Xiao and Xiao Hui began to busy themselves with selling the house and purchasing supplies.
Lin Yue still had 20 yuan in cash left, which she kept quietly in her space, planning to take it out gradually over the next few months.
Huoyun Xianding said, "Lin Yue, to be honest, do you think your marriage with Gong Yong could have continued without this payment?"
Hearing this, Lin Yue fell into deep thought. She didn't know how to answer, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She recalled all the moments she had shared with Gong Yong, the sweetness and arguments, the ups and downs they had weathered together. She knew that marriage wasn't solely sustained by money, but faced with the pressures of reality, she had to admit that money did indeed influence the stability of a marital relationship to some extent.
After a long while, Lin Yue slowly spoke, "I don't know, maybe it's possible, maybe it's not. But I hope our relationship isn't just based on money."
Huoyun Immortal Cauldron sighed and said, "You're still too naive. The warmth and coldness of human relationships in this world are often inextricably linked to self-interest. However, no matter what, I hope you can hold onto your happiness." Lin Yue nodded silently, her eyes revealing a hint of confusion and determination. She continued to prepare for the unknown that might come.
To avoid attracting attention, Lin Yue could have paid off all her credit cards at once, but she didn't. Instead, she paid off just a little more than the minimum amount on each card. She wanted to pay them off gradually to avoid arousing suspicion about her financial relationship with Gong Yong.
Gong Yong also deposited 40,000 yuan into a bank near his company, and then quickly paid off the most urgent and severe credit card debts.
Lin Yue and Gong Yong handled these financial matters with extreme caution, not wanting to cause unnecessary trouble due to sudden changes in funds. Although they had only paid off part of their credit card debt, it gave them a temporary sense of relief. They knew that the road ahead was long and required even more careful planning and responses.