Chapter 266: Chapter 266: You Raised Me Young, I’ll Care for You Old

"Don’t use money to test people. Even if your mother isn’t tempted by it now," Tan Deming said. "But if you keep making this much money, people are bound to get jealous."

Especially since he and his wife would be living with Tan You, and Cheng Wenhui already didn’t get along with his wife. If his wife was living comfortably, would Cheng Wenhui grow resentful? It was hard to say.

Tan You understood what Tan Deming meant. "That’s why after this book, I don’t plan on writing again until I’m an adult. Once I’m of age, no one will be able to stop me from doing what I want, and no one will have any leverage over me."

Tan Deming sounded a bit rueful. "Your dad... he’s just like that. Every time he opens his mouth, he’s demanding people listen to him. If they don’t, he says nasty things. Like threatening not to support us in our old age, or not to pay your school fees, and so on."

"Your grandma works so hard farming and never lets that land go fallow. Your dad is part of the reason for that."

He sighed. "But we won’t rely on your dad in the future. My granddaughter is more than capable."

Tan You was in a great mood. "That’s right, we won’t rely on anyone. You raised me when I was little, so it’s only natural that I’ll support you when you’re old."

Tan Lin was just like his mother, Wang Hunv—both were total cheapskates. In a normal family, if the grandparents were raising the grandchildren, the son and daughter-in-law would provide money for living expenses. Tan Lin had never given them a cent.

In his mind, since the old couple was living with him, their son, it was their duty to raise his child. Money shouldn’t even be part of the conversation.

So, Tan You had lived with Tan Deming and Wang Hunv ever since she was a child. She ate the food they provided, and from time to time, she’d even go with Tan Deming to eat at the neighbors’ houses. Against all odds, in the Tan family’s impoverished home, they had managed to raise Tan You to be fair-skinned and chubby.

After Tan You turned one, Tan Lin and Cheng Wenhui left to find work elsewhere, all to make more money. Later, after Cheng Wenhui gave birth to Tan Yue, she stayed home for a year. But by the time Tan You was in the fifth grade, Cheng Wenhui and Tan Lin had left to work again, this time taking Tan Yue with them.

Cheng Wenhui was furious about this, because Wang Hunv refused to look after Tan Yue. In Wang Hunv’s own words, raising Tan You all this time had been hard enough; why should she have to take on another little one?

Of course, all of that was just part of the conflict between Wang Hunv and Cheng Wenhui.

But in all honesty, Tan You truly believed she ought to support Tan Deming and Wang Hunv in their old age. The food she ate growing up had all been painstakingly grown by Wang Hunv. Even though her grandmother had been harsh with her, it was a fact that she owed Wang Hunv for raising her.

’Even though it was Tan Deming who had promised to help Tan Lin raise her, he wasn’t able to work himself. In the end, wasn’t it Wang Hunv who had provided for her?’

All told, Tan You had only spent about two years living with her parents, Tan Lin and Cheng Wenhui. She couldn’t remember anything from before she was one, and after Tan Yue was born, life was certainly hard for Tan You. As a result, she subconsciously grew closer to Tan Deming.

’The debt of birth versus the debt of upbringing—it was all impossible to tally. In any case, as far as I’m concerned, as long as I have money in the future, none of this will be a problem. Wang Hunv is just an ignorant old woman. Of course I’ll have my ways to make her behave.’

Every time Tan You talked about supporting them in their old age, Tan Deming was overjoyed. Frankly, his own children weren’t very filial. But people of their generation had all lived hard lives. His eldest daughter, Tan Zhen, for instance, had also had it rough since she was young.

Wang Hunv didn’t have a kind personality either, so it was partly her fault that her children weren’t close to her. But for Tan Zhen to not even visit once a year was simply inexcusable.

Especially since Tan Zhen’s in-laws lived so close—less than fifteen minutes away by electric scooter—yet she still managed not to visit. Thinking of this, Tan Deming couldn’t help but sigh. It always left him feeling down.

Tan You knew her grandpa was thinking about Tan Zhen. "If you miss her, you should go visit. It’s not far from here, after all."

"Will you go?" Tan Deming asked Tan You. "Do you want to visit your aunt?"

"I’m not going," Tan You said, immediately shaking her head. "I don’t like going to her house. In fact, I don’t like visiting any of our relatives. It’s so boring. Besides, they all treat us like poor relations looking for a handout. It just puts me in a bad mood."

"Then we won’t go," Tan Deming said. He could be quite detached in some ways. "We can’t rely on your aunt for anything, so it makes no difference whether we visit or not."

Tan You smiled. "We’re going to the bookstore downtown tomorrow. We’ll definitely pass by her family’s cake shop. Are you sure you won’t pop in for a look then?"

"I’m not going. I get angry just thinking about your aunt. We’re going to have a good time checking the magazine sales tomorrow. I can’t let her and her family ruin our mood."

Tan Deming shrugged. Since he wasn’t counting on his children for his old age and was living with his granddaughter, he didn’t have the spare energy to worry about anyone else.

To be honest, Tan Deming had had a hard life, too. Even when he’d wanted to be good to his children, he simply didn’t have the means. Later, life was still tough, but it was much better than before. By that time, however, his children were already grown. As a result, all of Tan Deming’s affection was focused on Tan You.

The more you invest in something, the more you care about it. That was how it was for Tan Deming with Tan You. He didn’t care about anyone else now. This was why, in some ways, Tan Deming was a cold man.

Tan You said, "Then you should stop thinking about Tan Zhen. We’re definitely going to have a better life than her in the future anyway. Look, Xiao Qing may have opened a cake shop, but someone always has to be there to mind it. Tan Zhen has to help look after her grandson, Chenchen, and help with the business. But does any of the money even end up in her hands?"

Tan Deming thought about it and agreed. "That’s the path she chose for herself, so she can live it however she wants. If things go badly, she shouldn’t come back here crying. I won’t let you help her. It’ll be hard enough for you just to support me and your grandma."

"At the end of the day, your grandma and I are your father’s and your aunt’s responsibility. It shouldn’t be yours."

"But I want to," Tan You said, pressing her lips into a small smile. "You raised me when I was little, and I’ll support you when you’re old. I’d rather do that than watch them have endless arguments over supporting you. Besides, even if they did support you, what kind of life would that be?"

"It would just be more of the same. It’s better for you to be with me. And of course, I need you both, too. I want someone to talk to. Besides," she added playfully, "Grandma is the guardian of our house. With her around, my dad and aunt won’t be able to stir up any real trouble."

Amused by Tan You’s phrase "guardian of our house," Tan Deming stopped worrying about the issue of their support. He couldn’t do physical labor, but ’I can provide emotional support!’ He’d even learned that term from his granddaughter.

’And with me and my wife around, Tan Lin will never be able to get a hold on Tan You.’

"What time are we going to the bookstore tomorrow? Are we taking the electric scooter? Will it be safe to park it near the bookstore?"

Tan Deming changed the subject, focusing instead on the next day’s trip. He had never been to a bookstore, so the idea felt new and exciting. Besides, he was a thorough person who liked to have a plan for everything.