Chapter 156 Once there's a stipend, there's a second.

"And what about you?" Little Horse couldn't help but ask. "Let's go together."

Mei Shiyu neither agreed nor refused. In his deep-set eyes, Xiao Ma also saw his longing for his hometown. Mei Shiyu had probably never been back to Longxi. He was also curious about what it was like there, and he also wanted to abandon everything in Rongdu and go back there.

"There's plenty of time," Mei Shiyu said with a slight smile. "Once you've finished running your business, I'll definitely come and reap the rewards."

“Leaving won’t be difficult for me,” Xiao Ma added, remembering something. “The only problem is that if I suddenly disappear, Xingguo Ward will be implicated. For years, the ward master and the others on Canglang Island have treated me well…”

Mei Shiyu gently patted Xiao Ma's shoulder, "If you stay, will Xingguo Fang not be implicated? Every hurdle is difficult, but every hurdle can be overcome. First, get through your own hurdle. Since Xingguo Fang can return to the capital, the court must have plans for him. Let's wait and see. I'm still in Rongdu, and I will do my best to help the Pei family to repay Xingguo Fang for taking care of you over the years."

"My grandfather had such a deep relationship with your family that he deserves your kindness towards me?" Tears welled up in Xiao Ma's eyes.

A blush crept onto Mei Shiyu's pale face. "We've known each other for a lifetime, and I know what kind of person you are, which is why I'm willing to be your friend. Besides..." Mei Shiyu smiled as he looked at Mei Xiaojing, whose eyes were red with tears, "I also need to ask you... to take care of my sister."

"Who needs someone to take care of him?" Mei Xiaojing said, her voice trembling with tears. "If we leave, who will take care of my cousin?"

Mei Shiyu looked at him with affection, "You're still a little girl who never grew up, yet you take care of others? Your cousin is richer than a country, why are you afraid of not being taken care of? Follow Xiao Ma, he will treat you well."

"It's not like you're leaving tomorrow." Xiao Ma wiped away Mei Xiaojing's tears. "There are still many days to go."

"Don't come to the Mei family these next few days," Mei Shiyu said. "After three days, neither Xiao Jing nor I will be able to see you off. When we arrive in Longxi, the driver will go somewhere else and won't come back to Rongdu. No news is good news. Just wait patiently for Xiao Jing to come and meet you."

Xiao Ma nodded emphatically, took a deep breath, and said, "The Shadow Guards should still be waiting for me outside. It seems... I'll have to say goodbye here."

Mei Xiaojing's tears, which she had just stopped, welled up again. Ignoring Mei Shiyu's gaze, she hugged Xiao Ma tightly. Xiao Ma stroked her heaving back and murmured something to comfort her.

After leaving Gongcheng Money Shop, the clerk loaded the silver onto the carriage in Xingguo Ward. Xiao Ma stretched and yawned in the sunlight, and glanced around as he squinted. Luo Yichen was right; there were indeed two unfamiliar faces in plain clothes loitering outside the Mei family's house. When they saw Xiao Ma come out, their eyes also swept over him warily, as if afraid that Xiao Ma would fly away.

"Let's go." Xiao Ma clasped his hands in a fist salute to the manager of the money shop. "Xingguofang thanks the young master of the Mei family."

The sunlight was dazzling and captivating. The road stretched straight ahead, and the ponies, panting heavily, raised their whips high.

Xingguofang

Today is the Great Cold. When we were on Canglang Island, on the day of the Great Cold before the Spring Festival, Xingguo Ward would open its warehouse to distribute grain and oil for the New Year to the ward's residents and islanders. Normally, each person would receive half a catty of pork per month, but on the Great Cold, each person would receive a catty. In addition to this, everyone would also receive five feet of coarse cloth to make a new outfit for the New Year.

At that time, Guan Ye lived in the Lou family's house. Although Aunt Lou never asked her for rent, she always coveted Guan Ye's cloth every year. She would say that there were people on the island who made good clothes, and she would pick some big fruits for them and make clothes for Guan Ye at the same time. She would take away the coarse cloth and take back the new clothes. When Guan Ye tried them on, the sleeves could not even cover her wrists, and the trousers only reached her calves. Then she saw Lou Shitou looking smart in his new clothes. Looking at Guan Ye's hands and feet that could not be covered, she actually had the nerve to point and laugh.

"Isn't this all the work of your shrewd mother?" Guan Ye angrily threw down her new clothes, as if no one cared.

Guan Ye recalled the past. Although what Aunt Lou did was not kind, upon reflection, she had never mistreated her in other ways. Guan Ye ate whatever her family ate. Sometimes, if there were not enough steamed buns, Aunt Lou would break off a piece of the bun from Lou Shitou's hand and share it with Guan Ye. Aunt Lou would say: "Eat more, you will grow taller if you eat your fill."

Guan Ye stretched out her arms and legs, "Have I gained strength? I can carry a 50-pound bag now."

Aunt Lou looked her over with a meaningful expression. Women aren't just about strength.

Guan Ye didn't quite understand, nor did she care to. She took a bite of the steamed bun and ate with a swaying head. Lou Shitou, feeling unconvinced, tried to snatch it, but Aunt Lou gave him a look that silenced her. "Fool, Guan Ye will grow up quickly if she eats enough. Once she's grown up, she'll be yours anyway."

She couldn't understand those words back then, but now... Guan Ye snorted, "Aunt Lou's plan is still too shrewd."

Today is the first Great Cold day since Xingguo Ward returned to Rongdu. A few days ago, people in the ward were whispering about what good things would be distributed this year. Pork? Now we eat pork every other day, there's no need for pork. Cloth? Everyone changed their appearance in Rongdu; coarse cloth, Pei Bi—no one is allowed to mention that word. So what else can be distributed?

Someone secretly went to ask the foundry masters in the inner workshop what kind of things they would receive before the festival. What kind of food would they get? Or silk and satin?

The foundry workers in the inner workshops exchanged a smile. "The imperial workshops don't give out those things, but we get paid in silver."

"Silver!" The crowd in Xingguo Ward cheered. Little Sword Slave was so excited that he started to stutter: "We can...we can still give out silver?"

Early on the morning of the Great Cold, everyone kept an eye on the activity in the neighborhood. At Chenshi (7-9 AM), Pei Bi went to the market to buy some food and supplies, which would last the neighborhood for several days. Around noon, Pei Bi suddenly sent Xiao Ma to Gongcheng Money Exchange to collect silver!

Everyone was secretly overjoyed. Silver! They had lived on the island all this time and had never even had a concept of money. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. They were going to the city to get their share of the money. Life was truly getting better and better. Every now and then, everyone would look towards the door. The money shop wasn't too far away. What's wrong? Is it hard to count silver ingots? Why isn't that dead little horse back yet?

—Won't Xiao Ma abscond with the money since he went alone? Some people are extremely anxious.

"Pah!" Guan Ye spat inwardly. The Ma family had 100,000 taels of silver; why would they care about a pittance? Don't underestimate a young man's potential; he'll rise up and make a great comeback. Then, he'll dazzle you all.

"They're back! They're back!" Those with sharp ears had already heard the sound of carriage wheels and leaned out to point at the approaching carriage.

With a "whoosh," Xiao Ma reined in his horse's neck. Before the carriage had even come to a complete stop, a dozen or so people had already surrounded it. If they weren't all familiar faces, one would have thought someone was going to rob them.

"Manager Pei has arrived."

The crowd quickly parted to make way for Pei Bi. Pei Bi lifted the carriage curtain, and Xiao Ma jumped down from the carriage. "Two hundred ingots of silver, one ingot equals one tael. Manager, would you like to verify this?"

"Two hundred taels!" The crowd's eyes lit up.

“No need.” Pei Bi gestured for the sword servant to carry the box into the courtyard. “I trust you to do things.” Pei Bi looked around at everyone’s expectant faces, their pupils reflecting gleaming silver. Pei Bi chuckled helplessly and coughed, “Have everyone go to the courtyard and wait.”

"What are we waiting for?" someone couldn't help but ask.

Pei Bi was both angry and amused. "You don't want the money?"

"Yes!" the crowd roared, making Pei Bi's ears ring. "Time to divide the silver!"

The crowd ushered Pei Bi and Xiao Ma into the courtyard. Xiao Ma was initially bewildered, but then he realized his mistake. He blamed himself for only wanting to see Mei Xiaojing. In the past, he would have known the purpose of the silver as soon as Pei Bi gave the order. Dividing the silver? Xiao Ma had been on the island for years, and this was the first time he had ever seen money being distributed in the neighborhood. Seeing everyone's excited faces, and then thinking that he would disappear from the world in three days... After spending so many years together, it was impossible for him not to have any feelings for them. But... everyone had their own path to walk... Seeing Guan Ye and the others in the courtyard, Guan Ye waved high when she saw him, and Xiao Ma suddenly felt a pang of sadness.

"Xiao Ma." Seeing that Xiao Ma didn't move when he saw her, Guan Ye squeezed through the crowd and walked up to him, waving her hand in front of his eyes. "I've been calling you for ages, are you deaf?"

Xiao Ma gave an awkward smile, "Hearing about dividing the silver, he was so happy he went crazy..."

Guan Ye snorted, "Does Ma Lin even care about this little bit of money? You're still clinging to the Mei family; you're the epitome of someone who forgets loyalty for the sake of beauty."

"I didn't," Xiao Ma said, his eyes darting around nervously. "Let's go. If we don't go now, the silver will be gone before we get any."

Guan Ye pursed her lips. "I remember someone saying that if you follow him, you can eat and play until you're old. I don't even care about this money."

Xiao Ma dared not say anything more. When Pei Bi gestured for them to come to the front, Xiao Ma rushed forward as if he had found a lifeline. Pei Bi reached into the box with both hands, took out a handful of silver ingots, weighed them in his hands, and handed them to Xiao Ma and Feng Shisan.

Feng Shisan rubbed his eyes and saw that Pei Bi was holding five silver ingots in one hand. Five ingots and five taels, five taels! Feng Shisan was about to take them when he turned his head and saw that Xiao Ma was not moving. He swallowed and withdrew his hand.

"What? You don't want it?" Pei Bi frowned.

"Yes." Feng Shisan was afraid that Pei Bi would take it back, so he didn't care whether Xiao Ma wanted it or not. He hurriedly took the silver ingot and stuffed it into his pocket. "Thank you, steward. Thank you, shop owner."

Pei Bi said with satisfaction, "There's plenty of time ahead. Xingguofang's opportunity is your opportunity. Once you present your sword to the Emperor, there will be a second time. Next time, you'll be able to hold your heads high."

Feng Shisan patted his chest, "If there's a next time, I'll give him a real shock." He then glanced at Xiao Ma and nudged him with his elbow, "Xiao Ma, are you out of your mind? Why don't you take the money and thank the manager?"

Xiao Ma stiffly accepted it, then suddenly held it above his head and bowed deeply to Pei Bi, saying, "Xiao Ma thanks the shop owner and manager for your care over the years. Xiao Ma will remember it forever."

Guan Ye, standing to the side, was a little puzzled. Xiao Ma's words were pleasing to the ear, and Pei Bi nodded repeatedly, but something about the wording seemed off. It was just about sharing silver, yet he had said he would never forget it.

As Guan Ye was thinking, A Jiu elbowed her, "The manager is calling you, aren't you going?"

Guan Ye hurriedly stepped forward. Before she could even see the silver, she bowed to Pei Bi like Xiao Ma. The surrounding crowd burst into laughter. Pei Bi shook his head helplessly and reached into the box to fiddle with something. Guan Ye couldn't help but peek out and grabbed five silver ingots in one hand. Could it be more than five taels?

Pei Bi looked up, and Guan Ye quickly shrank back, causing everyone to burst into laughter again. "Guan Ye," Pei Bi called out softly.

"Yes." Guan Ye straightened her back. "I'm here."

Pei Bi looked at her and said, "You have done very well these past few months, following Xingguo Ward to Rongdu."

Pei Bi was meticulous in his work and usually taciturn, rarely praising others. Upon hearing this, Guan Ye's face flushed red. Pei Bi took out his hand, holding a handful of gleaming silver in his palm. "Here, keep it."

"This..." Guan Ye was dumbfounded. Pei Bi had given her ten ingots. "That's too much." Pei Bi didn't say anything, pretending to take the silver back. Guan Ye didn't have time to think and grabbed his hand. "I want it."

Pei Bi chuckled softly, then flipped his palm and placed the silver into Guan Ye's hand. "Make yourself some clothes and other items. The New Year's Eve banquet must reflect the prestige of Xingguo Workshop."

Guan Ye nodded emphatically, turned to look at A Jiu and the others, and proudly waved the silver in her hand.

Besides Guan Ye, each blacksmith and swordsman received five taels, and each sword slave and servant received two taels. The entire Xingguo Ward was even more lively than during the New Year. Seeing the little sword slave gnawing on the silver ingot, the blacksmith in the inner workshop laughed and pointed at his clumsy manner, saying, "Silly boy, this is silver, not gold. How can you tell the difference between real and fake?"

Little Swordsman retorted, "How could the silver in the workshop be fake? I just wanted to taste the money." As soon as he finished speaking, everyone burst into laughter again, and Little Swordsman scratched his head and chuckled along.

Ji Fang looked around and thought, "This is wonderful. I wish every day could be like this."

"What's wrong?" Feng Shisan put his arm around his neck. "Don't you want to go back to Canglang Island? Why don't you bring A Yuan here too?"

Ji Fang glanced at Feng Shisan's smiling face. For some reason, whenever Feng Shisan mentioned A Yuan, a lewd look would appear on his face. Ji Fang pulled Feng Shisan's hand away, jumped a few steps forward, and said, "You still want to think about the banquet at Shiya Pavilion, right? I don't even know if we have enough money for today."

"Master Guan," Huangpu Ying squeezed next to Guan Ye, "the five mixed copper swords in the furnace have been melted down."

Guan Ye's face darkened, and she followed Huangpu Ying to the foundry. Ji Fang watched Guan Ye's retreating figure and clicked his tongue in admiration, "Look at Guan Ye, she deserves more than ten taels, even a hundred taels."

These past few days, Xiao Ma has been out and about a lot, and he's vaguely noticed that the workshop has taken on new jobs. He wanted to ask, but then he thought that he would be leaving in a few days, so what would be the point of asking? Perhaps... Xiao Ma bit his lip, thinking that it was none of his business and he should just leave it alone.

"By the way," Lou Cangyu suddenly appeared, startling Ji Fang, "how's the melting of the miscellaneous copper sword going? Will you be able to melt down the brass the Salt and Iron Bureau needs?"

—Brass? Xiao Ma's eyebrows twitched in surprise. Xingguo Workshop was smelting brass.