strictlysupreme Chapter 6 Settling Accounts and Demanding Money (Part 1)
Chapter 6 Settling Accounts and Demanding Money (Part 1)
Liu Congyi still maintained a cold expression towards the Shen family.
"Then let's calculate the cost."
Shen Dapeng and Liu Chunhua huddled together and whispered for a while before Shen Dapeng spoke.
“Datian has been dead for seven years. We have received compensation for seven years, 44.5 yuan per month, totaling 3738 yuan. Wancheng and Yaoyao are our granddaughters, so we should also contribute to their dowry. We will just add a small amount, totaling 4000 yuan.”
"Officer, do you think this is feasible?"
Although only 3738 yuan should have been refunded, Shen Dapeng took the initiative to add zero, saying he wanted to give Shen Wancheng 4000 yuan.
Does this mean they genuinely acknowledge and admit their mistakes?
The leading police officer looked at Shen Wancheng and asked for her opinion.
Shen Wancheng hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.
Liu Congyi said loudly, "Niece, say what you want to say, we are all here to stand up for you!"
Shen Wancheng seemed to have finally mustered up her courage and began to speak.
“My father, Shen Datian, joined the army in 1956 when he was 18. He had no money for the first six years of his military service. When he got married in 1961, my grandparents didn’t give my parents a single quilt. The house they were given was even worse than the woodshed next door.”
"We've been married for three years. My mom gave birth to me and Yao Yao. We bought some household supplies, but we still don't have any money. My grandparents haven't given us a single steamed bun, and they always make my mom do chores. My dad said that he could tolerate it himself before, but he can't let his wife and children suffer because of him."
"So in 1963, I sold everything I owned and even borrowed money to scrape together 500 yuan for my grandparents. We wrote an agreement that I would not be responsible for their care in the future."
"My grandparents agreed to all of this. My family doesn't owe them anything!"
As Shen Wancheng spoke, tears streamed down her face, and everyone present felt pity for her.
The female officer from the People's Armed Forces Department patted Shen Wancheng on the shoulder to comfort her.
Shen Wancheng let her tears fall, but her words remained clear as she continued speaking.
"From 1964 to 1967, my family was paying off debts and making a living, but we still didn't save much money. It wasn't until 1967, when my father was promoted to deputy company commander, that we started saving money."
“My mom has a habit of keeping accounts. I’ve seen them, and she remembers them very clearly.”
"After my dad was promoted to deputy company commander, his monthly salary was 72 yuan, his monthly household expenses were 32 yuan, and he saved 40 yuan."
"Until my father sacrificed his life in 1973, his savings totaled 3360 yuan over seven years."
“During this period, my family built a house. These four brick and tile houses (there is another room behind the main room) cost a total of 1000 yuan. My mother did not use her savings to purchase other furniture and household items. She saved money from daily expenses.”
"So when my father sacrificed his life, my family had 2360 yuan in savings. My grandparents forced me to hand over this money to them for safekeeping."
“My dad was promoted to deputy battalion commander and died a month later. The deputy battalion commander’s monthly salary was 89 yuan. My dad received 89 yuan. The army gave three months’ salary as funeral compensation. 89 multiplied by 4 equals 356, so there was 356 yuan here. In addition, my dad’s army gave him a separate pension of 1000 yuan, which I also know.”
“所以1973年的时候，爷奶拿走的钱就是：2360加356加1000等于3716元。”
“From 1973 to 1980, in the seven years after my father’s sacrifice, my grandparents did not give my mother a single penny. My grandparents took all of my father’s compensation money.”
"Because my mother didn't have a formal job, the monthly compensation my family of three received was half of my father's salary when he died: 44.5 multiplied by 84 equals 3738 yuan."
"So the money that grandpa and grandma took should be 3716 plus 3738 equals 7454 yuan."
Although Shen Wancheng appeared to be crying and sobbing, she clearly and meticulously accounted for all the money the Shen family had robbed of her family over the years.
Liu Congyi looked at Shen Wancheng with admiration in his eyes.
This girl has the makings of a good accountant.
7454 yuan!
When Shen Dapeng and Liu Chunhua heard this number, the sky seemed to fall.
They used the money they had taken from the second son's family, divided it up, and didn't even have 2000 yuan left in their own slush fund.
Over the years, they may have given their eldest daughter a total of 2000 yuan, but Zhou Fengxia, the eldest daughter's wife, is not good at saving money.
The eldest son's family spent 1500 yuan just building the house, and probably several hundred yuan more on jobs for his eldest and second grandsons. That's almost all of the 2000 yuan gone.
If Zhou Fengxia hadn't been facing depletion of her savings, she wouldn't have come up with the idea of marrying off the Shen sisters, Shen Wancheng and Shen Yao, to Liu Datong's two foolish sons, in order to obtain a generous dowry to use for her grandsons' weddings.
But even if the eldest son's family has no money, they still have to find a way to come up with 2000.
Solutions are always devised when people are forced to.
However, the third son, Da Biao's family, might have some savings.
Liu Chunhua thought to herself that she had always been the best to her youngest son, Shen Dabiao. Every time money was divided, on the surface both sons received the same amount, but in private she would always give her youngest son an extra one or two hundred.
Over time, the total amount given was at least 1000 more.
The third son's wife, Liu Xianglan, was also stingy, always trying to save money on meals. The third son's house didn't cost as much as the eldest son's house; it seemed to be less than a thousand yuan.
Although the two children in the third son's family are still in school, the third son has a job in town and a stable income every month. Liu Xianglan also occasionally does odd jobs for the villagers.
Liu Chunhua thought to herself that she had always been the best to Lao San's family, and Lao San would definitely try his best to help them raise money.
Five thousand dollars would probably be difficult for them, but three thousand is certainly possible.
That would bring the total to about 7000. Shen Wancheng and Shen Yao are their granddaughters. She cried for a while, because she really didn't believe that Shen Wancheng wouldn't round down the amount for her.
Once this matter is over, Shen Wancheng and Shen Yao will be getting older and will eventually have to get married.
When she receives the bride price, she will be able to recoup a significant portion of her investment.
After figuring things out in her mind, Liu Chunhua cried even more earnestly.
“Good heavens, we villagers have never seen more than 7,000 yuan in our entire lives. Asking us to return more than 7,000 yuan is simply a way of saying they don’t want us to live.”
"Even if I sold my flesh and blood, I still couldn't raise that much money."
The female officer from the People's Armed Forces Department snorted.
"It's easy for you to swallow other people's money, but asking you to spit it out is like taking your life? Who believes you don't have money? Even if you don't have money, sell your houses and furniture. How could you not raise enough money for this whole row of brick and tile houses?"
Shen Yao suddenly interjected, "This room belongs to my family!"
The female officer from the People's Armed Forces Department paused for a moment, then realized, "Right, we've only settled the money with you; we haven't settled the bill for the house and its furnishings yet!"
"Officer, they're still trying to occupy someone else's house and refuse to vacate it!"
Before the police officer could speak, Shen Dapeng gritted his teeth and roared.
"We'll refund them! We never said we wouldn't!"
"They have new houses and new furniture that you've used for six or seven years. How can you expect them to be the same if you return them?"
Shen Yao chimed in, "It's different. I don't want old houses, nor do I want their rotten scrap metal."
The female officer from the People's Armed Forces Department glanced at Shen Wancheng and Shen Yao and immediately understood what the sisters meant.
"Then let's convert it all into money!"
Shen Wancheng's voice, neither too loud nor too soft, rang out at just the right moment.
“I agree. I can calculate everything clearly and I will never take a penny more than my grandparents deserve.”