Chapter 1260: The Fool's Daughter (39)

"And now, for your elder brother's sake, you actually want to mortgage the house. Fifty thousand? Who knows how long it'll take before that money is repaid?"

"Jinghua, Big Brother's family is in trouble right now. He supported me through college back then. I can't just stand by and do nothing. I don't want to become an ungrateful person."

"That excuse again, Tang Lide! He supported you for one year. Everything after that, you earned yourself. We met in university—I know better than anyone how hard things were for you back then. All these years, it's been our family helping theirs."

"I've never objected to helping them, because I help my own family too. But mortgaging our house? I won't agree."

When it came to using the house as collateral, Song Jinghua was unusually resolute.

She could tolerate losing every cent of their savings.

But not the house.

She never wanted to return to the days of drifting around the city without a place to truly call home.

"Tang Lide, we're nearly fifty years old. In another few years, we'll be old. We won't have the strength to struggle all over again. No matter what, this house cannot be touched. What if something goes wrong? If we lose the house, where will we live?"

Tang Lide sighed.

"It's only a mortgage, Jinghua. Just five hundred thousand, not that much. We won't lose the house. Let Big Brother get through this crisis first. Once things ease up for them, they'll pay us back."

"I remember they have two houses themselves, don't they?" Song Jinghua suddenly reacted. "Tang Lide, go talk to your brother and sister-in-law. Let them mortgage their own houses. That should work too."

After hearing that, Tang Lide thought for a moment.

"Then I'll discuss it with Big Brother again and see if they're willing to use their house as collateral."

Only then did Song Jinghua breathe a sigh of relief, though the frustration in her chest still refused to dissipate.

"Tonight we'll just have noodles with boiled vegetables."

After tossing out those words, she turned and headed into the kitchen.

Tang Guo sat down on the sofa and looked at Tang Lide.

"Dad, if Uncle's family refuses to mortgage their own house, will you still use ours?"

"Xiaoguo, your eldest uncle is my own brother. He helped me in the past. Their family has run into so many troubles now—how could I just ignore them?"

"But Dad, this house is the only thing our family has left, isn't it?"

Tang Lide found himself speechless.

"Dad, to be honest, we're the poorest family now. And this year the economy has gone downhill. Business at our company is bad. Salaries have been cut, and people are being laid off."

"If the house is mortgaged and something unexpected happens, where will our family go?"

"Our money has only been lent out temporarily. We're relatives, we should trust each other. They all signed IOUs. They'll repay us."

Tang Lide defended himself.

Tang Guo continued, "Then tell me, Dad. When exactly will they repay us? One year? Three years? Five years? Ten years? Twenty years? Thirty years?"

Tang Lide couldn't answer.

He knew perfectly well that once money was lent out, it was extremely difficult to recover.

But they were family.

Shouldn't family help one another?

He simply couldn't bring himself to stand aside and watch.

"Dad, I have to say something."

"Neither you nor Mom have ever worried this much about me."