CHAPTER 378: CHAPTER 371: A MOTHER’S LOVING HEART

Although Mu Xiulan also knew that Vice Mayor Liu was no good person, in the end, she still took out 300,000 yuan, stating it was for building a primary school in the town. She demanded that the school’s construction materials must be the best, and she also insisted that the school’s name had to be ’Sisi Primary School’.

Vice Mayor Liu was secretly overjoyed. 300,000 yuan, ah, it’s enough to build a primary school with just 100,000 yuan. Of the remaining 200,000, he could pocket at least 50,000 yuan himself. Oh boy, what a big fish!

Watching Vice Mayor Liu’s repulsive demeanor made Sisi’s blood boil, and she complained to Tian Xinhua, "Brother Xin Hua, look at that Fatty Liu – if even half of my Mama’s 300,000 yuan is left over, that’d be a miracle!"

Vice Mayor Liu smirked to himself: Half? It’d be nice if this mayor even leaves 100,000 yuan!

Tian Xinhua smiled to soothe Sisi, "Don’t worry. I will call Mr. Yun later; I absolutely won’t let Vice Mayor Liu make off with Aunt Lian’s money."

Sisi’s eyes lit up. "Right, we have to do that. And we should make him cough up what he has swallowed before too. I hate these parasites on the state the most."

Tian Xinhua affectionately patted her head, not saying anything further. How simple could these official matters be? If you always walk by the river, how could your shoes not get wet?

Moreover, clear waters have no fish; if you don’t give some benefits, who would go out on a limb for those higher up? Nevertheless, Vice Mayor Liu’s greed was too unsightly! It was time to replace him with someone whose greed was a bit more refined.

Poor Vice Mayor Liu, his money hadn’t even had the chance to warm up before it was about to fly away!

Mu Xiulan, seeing her daughter unhappy, smiled and tapped her on the head, "Okay, since when do you care so much about money? Now you’re worried over just 300,000 yuan?"

Sisi pouted, "If the 300,000 yuan could truly help the people, would I worry about it? I’m just upset that the money might end up in someone’s belly. Mama, if you really wanted to help these villagers, it would be better to give the money directly to them!"

Mu Xiulan shot her a reproachful glance, "Who am I doing this for? One day, Xinhua will walk this path. If someone makes an issue out of your Mama being from Hong Kong, it wouldn’t be good for you or Xinhua. I thought it through - using some money to buy a good reputation so that later on I can also be considered a patriot. Won’t you have a patriot as a Mama then?"

Sisi was deeply moved, and her eyes instantly reddened. She hadn’t expected Mu Xiulan to think so far ahead. She had always been closer to He Xuewen, her Daddy, and somewhat distant from Mu Xiulan.

But now seeing Mu Xiulan planning so thoughtfully for her, she felt she had been wrong before and should be more affectionate towards her.

"Mama, thank you!"

"What’s there to thank for? You are my daughter; if I don’t plan for you, then for whom would I?"

Mu Xiulan looked at her deeply moved daughter and felt uneasy. She couldn’t help but feel the distance between them, but she never blamed Ah Nan. She was only the mother who brought her into the world, not the one who raised her. What right did she have to demand Ah Nan’s affection as she had for Xue Wen?

Now that she could do something for Ah Nan, she only felt joy. Even if the money was embezzled by the officials, she didn’t care - some of it would surely benefit the common people, wouldn’t it? Consider it as accumulating blessings for Ah Nan!

Tian Xinhua was also quite touched, feeling that his mother-in-law was truly far-sighted!

He Xuewen teased with a smile, "Then I’ll pay half of that 300,000 yuan. It’s not fair if you’re the only one getting credit!"

"No, let me get the credit this time. Next time, we can contribute together."

Now, the relationship between Mu Xiulan and He Xuewen was very peaceful, like that of close friends – not overly intimate but also not too distant.

"Mama, are you still planning to donate money?"

"Yep, I plan to build a hundred primary schools on the Mainland, all named Sisi Primary School, in a hundred different cities. But right now, I don’t have enough money, so Mama has to work hard to earn more!" Mu Xiulan said with a smile brimming with warmth.

"Don’t worry, we’ll take it slow. Hasty climbers have sudden falls. This requires long-term planning. As for money, that’s not a problem. I’ve also made some over the years. With the policy becoming more relaxed and the reputation of He Family Wine, we won’t have to worry about money."

He Xuewen was very supportive of Mu Xiulan’s initiative, and couldn’t help feeling moved. Women really did have a caring touch; why hadn’t he thought of this himself!

"Daddy, Mama, I have money too, I’ll give it all to you," Sisi quickly chimed in, her voice tinged with emotion.

"No need, keep your money for your own spending!" He Xuewen and Mu Xiulan unanimously refused to take their daughter’s money.

"Uncle He, Aunt Lian, I’ve also made some money over the years. I have to do my part for Ah Nan, and moreover, if we’re really going to build a hundred schools, then we should appoint someone trustworthy to manage them, so we don’t have to worry about the money not being used properly," suggested Tian Xinhua.

"Right, Xin Hua’s idea is good. We can discuss it slowly later on."

He Xuewen and Mu Xiulan did not refuse Tian Xinhua’s money and were very supportive of his suggestion.

Sisi was feeling downhearted: Why do they look down on my money? Why did they accept Tian Xinhua’s?

He Xuewen: When a man has no money, he won’t do bad things. Gotta be cautious first!

Mu Xiulan: Mama will manage your future husband’s money for you first, and you can manage it yourself later.

Thus, the ’Sisi Foundation’ named after Sisi came to life during a casual family chat. The ’Sisi Foundation’ later became the largest private charitable organization within the country, renowned at home and abroad, and also became a shining halo over Sisi’s head.

After dining with government officials, Mu Xiulan also visited Mu Xiusheng’s home to share simple meals twice. Although it couldn’t compare to Vice Mayor Liu’s delicacies, the meals were all fresh home-cooked dishes, especially the seafood, which was bursting with freshness.

Other members of the Mu Family also came to invite Mu Xiulan to dine with them, but she declined them all. For one thing, she wasn’t that close with these clan members; for another, she had heard from He Xuewen that over the years, the Mu Family’s ancestral home had been occupied by these so-called good clan members!

Before leaving, Mu Xiulan gave a red envelope to each of the younger generation in Mu Xiusheng’s family. The amount in the red envelopes wasn’t much, one hundred yuan per person. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to give more, but Mu Xiusheng was a proud man. If she had given more, he would definitely find a way to return it to her.

"Xiulian, come back and visit when you have time. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of your home and make sure it isn’t spoiled by those rascals again."

As she was leaving, Mu Xiusheng held onto Mu Xiulan’s hand, tears streaming down his face. Who knew when they would meet again? Maybe by the next time, he would be gone?

"Second cousin, I will definitely come back more often. I’ll leave the house in your care. Please take good care of yourself, and life will surely get better and better," said Mu Xiulan, also feeling pained. Her second cousin’s hair had turned white; every day was one less day to live!

Sisi spoke up, "Second Uncle, make sure to drink the medicinal wine I gave you on time. I’ll bring you more later. As long as you drink it, you will definitely live to a ripe old age."

Sisi hadn’t initially planned to give Mu Xiusheng any medicinal wine. But seeing that Mu Xiulan’s relationship with him was quite good, and considering Mu Xiusheng was an upright man, having him there to keep watch would protect the Mu Family’s ancestral home from any petty thieves looking for an opportunity.

Of course, Mu Xiusheng knew of the reputation of He Family Wine. He smiled gratefully at Sisi, resolved to drink the medicinal wine once back home. Not for any other reason, but to live a few more years for the increasingly better life ahead!