Chapter 8: The Month-End Spender 8
“Mom, stop worrying about it, I’ll save money on my own,” Zhao Qianqian said, pressing her forehead. “You just had surgery, so stay home and rest properly.”
Wang Yan thought to herself: Relying on you to save money? You’ll never save enough for a dowry and get married!
But she only thought this in her mind, not saying it aloud. Instead, she vaguely responded, “If both of us save together, it’ll be faster.”
Zhao Qianqian wanted to persuade her further, but Wang Yan directly interrupted, “Qianqian, I’m getting older. Even if I grit my teeth and hold on, I won’t last for many more years. If you don’t let me help now, in a few years, when I want to help you, I won’t be able to!”
“Listen to me, money is a person’s courage. You need money to have real confidence.”
“After retirement, working isn’t hard, but when you need money and don’t have enough—that’s when life becomes truly hard!”
They say a generation gap appears every three years, a wide chasm every five years, and a deep rift after ten years. Parents and children often have different views, and there’s probably a whole galaxy between their perspectives…
Normally, Wang Yan kept quiet to avoid conflict with her daughter. But during these days in bed, she thought about it again and again and couldn’t shake the feeling of unease.
As long as she was around, her daughter’s spending habits wouldn’t be a problem, after all, she could always help if something went wrong. But what if one day she wasn’t around anymore? What would her daughter do?
The more she thought about it, the more restless Wang Yan became, unable to let go.
After much contemplation, the only solution she could think of was to leave her daughter more money.
Money may not solve everything, but it can solve most of life’s troubles. So, despite her daughter’s objections, Wang Yan resolutely expressed her stance.
“Mom, I know money is important. In fact, I’ve already started saving recently,” Zhao Qianqian softened her tone and said, “I’m not against you working, but don’t rush. Can you stay home and take care of your health first?”
“If you overwork and end up back in the hospital, the money you earned won’t even cover the medical bills. Don’t you think?”
“Save money? You?” Wang Yan thought to herself, even if she had to comfort her, she couldn’t use such an unreliable reason!
“Yes.” Since it was brought up, Zhao Qianqian decided to be straightforward, “I have 3,000 in my medical insurance card, 16,000 in my provident fund account, and… 12,000 in cash. I have money.”
She had originally planned to mention the money market fund, but fearing her mother wouldn’t understand, she simply referred to it as “cash.”
Wang Yan’s eyes widened. “So much?”
“This time when you fainted and were hospitalized, you really scared me,” Zhao Qianqian sighed. “I’ve been home alone these past few days. Either I’m boiling soup dumplings or nibbling on bread. I’ve been really frugal.”
“Then tell me, from the time I was hospitalized to when I was discharged, how much did you spend in total?” Wang Yan asked skeptically.
Without hesitation, Zhao Qianqian answered, “From admission to discharge, it was exactly ten days, and I spent 350 in total.”
“You don’t even think about it, just blurt things out?” Wang Yan suspected the numbers were fabricated, but she had no proof.
“That’s because I track my spending every day,” Zhao Qianqian said seriously. “I not only record every expense, but I also calculate my daily, weekly, and monthly expenditures.”
“I just calculated it last night, so I remember it very clearly.”
Wang Yan stared at her daughter, lost in thought.
She knows exactly how much she has in assets and can casually recite her monthly expenses… She’s really changed…
Wang Yan felt a deep sense of relief—she never wanted to push herself to work while sick. The only reason she made the decision to keep going was because she was anxious and couldn’t stay idle at home.
Hearing that her daughter was being sensible and saving money made her feel lighter.
Thinking it over, she realized her health was more important, and there was no rush for the next couple of months, so she agreed, “After I’m discharged, I’ll rest at home for two months, and then I’ll go back to work.”
“Great,” Zhao Qianqian said, her brow relaxing.
The agreement was made, they exchanged a glance and both smiled.
—
After finally persuading her mother to stay home and rest, Zhao Qianqian was in a good mood and greeted everyone with a smile.
She had just sent a customer off, and when she turned around, she saw Shen Nianzhi walking toward her. Instantly, Zhao Qianqian’s smile faded.
The contrast was so obvious it couldn’t be ignored.
Shen Nianzhi wondered what she had done wrong. Why did Zhao Qianqian look at her like that?
Zhao Qianqian tried to step away, but Shen Nianzhi quickly blocked her path.
“It’s been a while since we chatted. Why do you run as soon as you see me?” Shen Nianzhi’s tone was familiar.
Zhao Qianqian thought to herself: When I see you, my instinct is to protect my wallet.
“What’s up?” she asked, her expression neutral, as though it was strictly business.
Shen Nianzhi felt irritated just by looking at her, but she said, “I’ve noticed that you’ve been ignoring me lately. I’m wondering if I did something wrong. If I offended you, I’ll apologize, so don’t be angry.”
“You didn’t offend me. It’s just that there’s been some stuff at home, so I haven’t been in the best mood,” Zhao Qianqian replied, brushing it off casually.
Shen Nianzhi took her word for it.
The next second, she beamed brightly and cheerfully hooked her arm around Zhao Qianqian’s. “Let me tell you a secret. When you’re feeling down, you’ve got to shop till you drop!”
“Spending money and getting your beloved items—it makes you feel so much more energized.”
“By the way, there’s a crossbody bag priced at 1200, on sale for 1050. Should I grab it?”
Before Zhao Qianqian could respond, Shen Nianzhi continued, “A good bag cures all ills, and that’s not just a saying!”
“I recommend this particular crossbody bag to you—it’s so beautiful. When you wear it, you look elegant and classy. It gives you a really refined vibe.”
“Don’t miss this sale—you’ll regret it if you do!”
Zhao Qianqian didn’t want to make things awkward, but when she noticed the obliviousness of the person in front of her, she had no choice but to speak her mind and make her stance clear. “Shen Nianzhi, not long ago, my family had some problems. I was financially tight and even had to ask you for a loan. How can you try to convince me to buy lipstick and a crossbody bag at a time like this?”
Shen Nianzhi froze, suddenly realizing why she was being disliked.
Normally, when Zhao Qianqian would say something like, “I’m almost out of money this month,” Shen Nianzhi would take the hint and back off.
But when Zhao Qianqian mentioned family problems, she continued with her usual behavior, going to work on time and acting like everything was normal. Shen Nianzhi hadn’t thought much of it. It wasn’t until now that she realized her mistake and had upset Zhao Qianqian.
“I was just concerned about you,” Shen Nianzhi quickly recovered, trying to save face. “I was afraid you were bottling things up and would make yourself sick.”
Zhao Qianqian thought for a moment. Even if she were feeling down, she didn’t want to vent by shopping.
Her expression softened, and she let out a sigh of frustration. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you…”
“Actually, after the family issue, I borrowed a large sum of money and barely got through it.”
“From now on, I need to save more and pay off the debt. I won’t be able to live carelessly anymore.”
By the end of her sentence, Zhao Qianqian’s expression became melancholic.
It turned out she had been forcing herself to smile all along. She had been pretending to be okay when, in reality, she had been struggling.
Shen Nianzhi suddenly understood.
“Now I get it. It’s my fault for not understanding the situation and giving advice recklessly.” She sighed sympathetically, “Are you okay? Do you need any help?”
“I’m fine,” Zhao Qianqian replied, flashing a tired smile just at the right moment.
Shen Nianzhi, now convinced that Zhao Qianqian had indeed been in debt, asked a few more questions before finding an excuse to leave.
“She probably won’t come back to bother me now,” Zhao Qianqian thought, feeling a sense of relief.
Yun Luo suddenly spoke up, “Toxic friends can also be obstacles on the road to financial independence.”
Zhao Qianqian had gotten used to the system’s sudden interjections and was calm as she responded in her mind, “That’s why I cut her off cleanly.”
After learning about personal finance, Zhao Qianqian finally understood how dangerous her past lifestyle had been. If an unexpected event occurred, she would have had no way to handle it.
As for Shen Nianzhi… she was even worse off than the old version of herself!
Zhao Qianqian, at least, had her home in the local area and lived with her mother. Shen Nianzhi, however, was from out of town and currently rented a place near the office. If something unexpected happened or she was fired, she wouldn’t even be able to pay next month’s rent!
“She still wants to buy bags, skirts, and skincare products, living the ‘exquisitely poor’ lifestyle. She really has some nerve,” Zhao Qianqian, the budding finance expert, couldn’t agree with this at all.
Yun Luo reminded the host, “People used to think the same way about you.”
Zhao Qianqian: “…”
“Let’s not bring up the past,” she said, her face growing serious. “I’ve completely turned over a new leaf and am starting fresh.”
Yun Luo: “When times get tough, Shen Nianzhi will also (be forced to) turn over a new leaf.”
A salary of 4,000 a month simply couldn’t support a lifestyle that required 10,000 a month. It’s a simple math problem.
Zhao Qianqian, speaking from experience, sighed deeply, “But by then, it will be too late.”
She wasn’t exactly sympathizing with Shen Nianzhi. Instead, she was reminded of herself, when she had been pushed to the brink.
Yun Luo: “Awakening to financial awareness is something you can only do for yourself, no one else can help.”
—
Many people joke, “I’ve learned so many lessons, yet I still can’t live a good life.”
In Yun Luo’s view, the biggest problem is that people understand the lessons but don’t apply them.
But the host, Zhao Qianqian, didn’t have this problem.
Though she started late and had a low starting point, she was incredibly resilient. Once she made up her mind to do something, she did it seriously and meticulously.
When she was asked to keep track of her spending, she carried a small notebook with her. Every night, she would summarize and analyze her expenses, never going to bed until the work was done.
When asked to save money, she stuck to it day after day, month after month. Her fixed monthly expenses were 800, with fluctuations of no more than 100. Occasionally, if there was a special occasion like a colleague’s wedding or funeral, she would spend an additional two or three hundred for social reasons.
When asked to read books about finance, she always had her phone in hand, reading eagerly. After finishing one article, she would search for “classic finance reading lists,” buy e-books, and expand her knowledge.
Before she realized it, a year had passed.
At the end of the year, her year-end bonus arrived. Zhao Qianqian didn’t even look at it and directly invested the full amount into a money market fund.
Yun Luo reminded her, “Check the total amount in the money market fund.”
Zhao Qianqian stared in shock, then took out her phone as instructed. Upon entering the page, she saw her account balance displayed as 52,137.32.
She widened her eyes in disbelief.
No matter how many times she rubbed her eyes or checked it again, the number remained unchanged.
Zhao Qianqian stood up in surprise, “I have 50,000 in savings?! Me? In just one year?”
Yun Luo suddenly appeared, sitting on the host’s shoulder with a gentle smile, “The road is long and arduous, but if you keep going, you will eventually reach your destination. Congratulations.”
Zhao Qianqian’s hands trembled, her words disjointed, and her heart was racing.
Yun Luo reminded her, “There’s 4,000 in your medical insurance card and 23,000 in your provident fund account. All your funds combined total 79,000.”
Zhao Qianqian felt so happy that she almost fainted!
She kept marveling, “No wonder my mom loves saving money. The feeling of having savings is really wonderful.”
—
Reader’s Finance Knowledge A:
In some areas, even within the same province, you still need to apply for treatment in a different city. For example, if you go to the provincial capital Hangzhou for treatment, you had to complete the procedure before last year, or you would have to pay upfront.
If something happens, in addition to asking Baidu (which may not be comprehensive, and sometimes the timeliness is lacking), you can also call the mayor’s hotline.
It is a comprehensive service, even if you don’t know, they will provide you with the relevant department’s phone number, and then you can keep asking around.
—
Reader’s Finance Knowledge B:
If you suffer from a serious illness and your family is truly in financial difficulty, you can apply for temporary assistance from the local office or community. Depending on the situation, you may receive a few hundred to a few thousand in subsidies.