Chapter 16: Tingting 14

"I have it all, and I'll get it ready. It just so happens I just got paid today." Han Guangzhi had a headache; he knew how difficult his biological father could be, and more importantly, his father was someone who didn't care about saving face.

Han Cunming was reluctantly satisfied, but Tan You was not about to let it rest. She stared at Han Guangzhi: "You have the obligation to support me before I reach adulthood; that is your responsibility, and you cannot evade it. I don't want to keep running back to Yuncheng time and time again; I am very busy with my own life."

"I've inquired with my teachers. The tuition and meal expenses for one semester of high school are about five thousand, so three years of high school would be thirty thousand. I am currently in my second year of middle school, with a year and a half left until the high school entrance exam. You give me ten thousand for this year and a half."

"You give Grandpa forty thousand all at once, and I will never ask you for another cent again."

"That's impossible!" Han Guangzhi refused flatly. "How can I have that much money right now? I will prepare your tuition in the future; I definitely won't forget."

Han Cunming also caught on: "Tingting is right. You return home less than twice a year, and you don't send money home regularly. Am I supposed to run all the way here every single time just for Tingting's tuition?"

"If you give Tingting the rest of her tuition all at once, it will save us grandparents from having to come looking for you every time, only to have to deal with your attitude."

Han Guangzhi was distressed: "Dad, I truly cannot produce that much money all at once."

"Then go borrow it. I don't care who you borrow it from; I just want the money." Han Cunming had made up his mind. He could see now that if he didn't get the money this time, it wouldn't be so easy to ask for it next time.

Li Xiaomei could no longer hold back: "Dad, Guangzhi really can't produce that much money right now. We have a child too. Raising a child costs money... You can't neglect your grandson just for the sake of your granddaughter."

"That's not a grandson of the Han family; he's a grandson of your Li family." Han Cunming rolled his eyes. "If you let him call me Grandpa, I'll take him into consideration."

Li Xiaomei said helplessly, "He can't even talk yet..."

Wasn't this old man just making things difficult? Asking a baby who couldn't even speak to call him Grandpa—was that something a reasonable person would say?

"Then there's nothing more to say," Han Cunming said, showing no consideration for Li Xiaomei. He was a rogue; with his abrasive temperament, only Tan You could tolerate him.

Han Guangzhi kept insisting he had no money, but did Han Cunming lack ways to deal with him? A biological father has plenty of ways to discipline his son. He hadn't realized it before, but now he saw everything clearly.

Having money in his son's hands was certainly different from having it in his own.

"If you don't pay, I'll follow you to your workplace tomorrow and find your supervisors."

Han Guangzhi grew anxious: "Dad! I'm your son."

"Tingting is my granddaughter, too," Han Cunming countered. Would he wrong Han Tingting for the sake of Han Guangzhi? He felt he was being exceptionally reasonable. "Other than not having the Li surname, what difference is there between you and the Li family? Tingting is a granddaughter of my Han family."

"I am notifying you: this forty thousand is Tingting's tuition, and not a single cent less. Also, you will give me five hundred every month as pension money. I'm getting old, and I can't do farm work anymore."

"Give me this six thousand along with the forty thousand, sent to me at the beginning of every year."

Li Xiaomei felt her vision go dark. Five hundred a month was six thousand a year. To take forty-six thousand from the family all at once—why didn't this old man just go out and rob them?

Mother Li wanted to speak, but Father Li finally opened his mouth: "So, your meaning is that Tingting's tuition is to be paid in full before she reaches adulthood, and Guangzhi won't have to worry about her after that?"

"That's the logic," Han Cunming said, not dwelling on it. "Don't blame me for being blunt. Guangzhi chose to have children, and once they are born, he must raise them. She isn't a cat or a dog that just needs a bit of food; I want her to be raised properly."

"She has good grades; it would be a waste if she didn't continue her studies."

Father Li nodded: "Girls indeed need to study more. You aren't wrong, in-law."

"As long as you understand, in-law," Han Cunming finally smiled. "I won't beat around the bush. I'll take charge of giving this son, Han Guangzhi, to your Li family. For the first year, let's start with six thousand in pension money."

"We don't know what the future holds, so we can increase it year by year depending on the situation."

"Dad!" Han Guangzhi wanted to speak, but there was no room for him to talk here.

Father Li made the final decision: "Fine. As prices keep rising, the pension money should indeed increase year by year."

"But regarding Tingting's tuition, Guangzhi really doesn't have that much on hand." Father Li added cautiously, "For a young couple raising a child, it is indeed a significant expense."

Han Cunming didn't care about Han Guangzhi's difficulties: "That's his business. In short, if I don't get the money this time, I'm not leaving."

Father Li fell silent. This old man spoke harshly and had a rogue-like attitude, but strangely, he wasn't unlikable because he was being direct. Being upfront was better than being sneaky and secretive.

"How about this: we will consider this forty thousand as a loan to Guangzhi." Father Li was also a decisive man and agreed immediately. Han Cunming didn't care where the money came from; as long as it was in his hands, everything was fine.

"Have Guangzhi write an IOU. This is money he is obligated to pay."

Father Li sighed: "Fine, let him write the IOU."

As the two sides went back and forth, what could Han Guangzhi do? He could only endure his resentment and write an IOU for forty thousand. As for the six thousand in pension money, he could still manage to produce that.

Once the IOU was in hand, Mother Li had to go into the room to get the money. As she handed the money to Tan You, she said with a forced smile, "Tingting, you must remember, it was your Grandpa Li who paid your tuition."

Tan You looked at her: "Dad wrote you an IOU; that is money he owes. Providing for my education is his responsibility. If you don't want to give it, that's fine; Grandpa and I can go to his workplace to demand it."

She was quiet and blunt, but that didn't mean she was stupid. Sometimes, a single-minded person's words were the most stifling.

Han Cunming tapped the coffee table: "That works too. Your workplace should be able to give you a salary advance, right?"

Father Li glared at Mother Li: "Don't mind her, in-law. She's just joking with Tingting."

Han Cunming grinned, tucking the forty thousand into his bag: "I don't mind. Once the money is in hand, everything is easy to discuss."

Han Guangzhi also produced the six thousand. Han Cunming carefully put the money away: "Alright, we've finished the business we came for. Tomorrow, take a day off and accompany us to find your ex-wife."

"What for?" At the mention of his ex-wife, a trace of disgust surfaced in Han Guangzhi's eyes.

Han Cunming: "I'm not being biased. Tingting is with you, but your ex-wife hasn't paid a single cent of the promised child support in these past few years. Don't I have to get it back?"

Seeing Han Cunming's indiscriminate attacks, Han Guangzhi's mood strangely improved: "Fine, I'll take a day off and go with you tomorrow. And just like this, the child support before adulthood will be paid in one lump sum?"