Chapter 53 Rich Uncle

Ye Mingzhu quickly explained: "My cold symptoms have eased. My mother-in-law said that as long as I take the medicinal bath on time, I will be cured in a year."

Wang Dahu's eyes were a little red. He pounded the table hard, his eyes full of pain. His sister and brother-in-law were gone, his niece had a cold, and she got married with her brother at a very young age.

"Uncle, Yun'an and I are living well," Ye Mingzhu said slowly, "After all, the Jiang family was once a prominent family in the capital. Jiang Hongyu promised me to teach Yun'an how to read and learn martial arts. Our lives will get better and better in the future."

Wang Dahu was even more sad. He buried his head in his arms and said, "Mingzhu, your uncle is sorry for you. You actually married like this for Yun'an."

Although his words were choked and a little unclear, Ye Mingzhu still heard clearly. She waved her hand: "Uncle, it's not like that. Jiang Hongyu treats me very well."

"He went to town specifically to buy my wedding dress."

"He built a bathroom in his new house, with charcoal basins in all four corners, so taking a bath in winter is no problem at all."

"He specially made a few pounds of braised pork before he left, just because I like it..."

Ye Mingzhu blushed as she spoke. She didn't expect that Jiang Hongyu had done so many things for her without her realizing it.

Wang Dahu slowly raised his head. He saw the blush on Ye Mingzhu's face and felt less sad. It seemed that Mingzhu's husband treated her well.

At this time, Ye Yun'an brought over a bowl of water, which actually contained tea leaves.

Wang Dahu was a little surprised: "Who bought this tea?"

"My brother-in-law." Ye Yun'an raised his neck with a proud look on his face. "My third uncle said that this tea is very expensive. Only my brother-in-law's family has it in the whole village."

Wang Dahu picked up the bowl and took a sip. He became curious about this nephew-in-law whom he had never met. Tea like this was not cheap. How did a half-grown child with only his mother earn money?

"Mingzhu, is your nephew-in-law at home?" Wang Dahu's mood calmed down a little and he wanted to talk to Jiang Hongyu.

Ye Mingzhu explained awkwardly, "He went out. I was a little worried about my uncle, so he said he was going to Xinghua Village to inquire about his uncle's news."

The expression on Wang Dahu's face turned from gloomy to bright, and he felt much better. A man who was willing to go out and inquire about things for his wife right after getting married should be considered responsible.

"Uncle, where have you been all these years?" Ye Mingzhu was afraid that Wang Dahu would ask something else, so she changed the subject.

"When I first left, I worked as a boy for someone else and signed a contract. The place was far away, so it was inconvenient for me to come back. Now I've been promoted to a manager, and the master sent me here to work, so I have the opportunity to come and see you."

"Mingzhu, this is the dowry I prepared for you. The color of this fabric is very good, and many ladies in the city like it. I bought these hairpins in the city. Here are some lip balm and face cream. Do you like them?"

Wang Dahu opened all the boxes on the ground. In one of the boxes were several pieces of fresh cloth, which were very suitable for Ye Mingzhu's age. In a jewelry box were gold hairpins and gold bracelets, as well as small boxes of facial creams, rouge and other things.

In the other box were dark fabrics and various snacks.

Wang Dahu said, "The colors of these fabrics are old-fashioned. Pick out two batches later, and bring some snacks. Then we'll go see your mother-in-law."

Ye Mingzhu calculated the price of these things in her mind and said worriedly, "Uncle, what are you doing now? Did you exchange all the money you saved for these things?"

Thinking about the contract Wang Dahu mentioned just now, human trafficking was legal in ancient times. Could Wang Dahu be a slave of some family now?

"Uncle, you're not selling yourself, are you?" Ye Mingzhu spoke a little faster than usual: "This is a matter of life and death. No amount of money is more important than freedom."

Wang Dahu laughed heartily: "You little girl, you really know a lot. I signed a working contract and work in the shop, don't worry."

Ye Mingzhu was a little bit unconvinced. Which shop could save so much money by working? The things in these two boxes must be worth at least twenty or thirty taels.

Seeing that she didn't believe him, Wang Dahu smiled and took out a small box the size of a palm from the box he gave to Ye Mingzhu.

This small box was under the cloth. Ye Mingzhu didn't notice it just now. Wang Dahu opened the box with a smile.

The room suddenly became brighter, and Ye Mingzhu couldn't hide the surprise in her eyes: "What is this?"

The word "diamond" was in her mouth, but she swallowed it back.

"Beautiful, isn't it? This is a gemstone. My uncle doesn't have much money, so he can't buy the best ones. He can only buy these small ones. You can keep them to make jewelry, or you can sell them. Some wealthy families in the capital like this kind of jewelry."

Wang Dahu's face was full of pride.

"I bought these things with my boss when I went out to buy them. They're very cheap there, and we can always sell them for a high price when we bring them back here. When my uncle works for a few more years, he'll come back and open a shop and find Yun'an a wife."

Ye Yun'an was listening to them carefully. When he heard this, he shouted, "Uncle, please find us an aunt first."

Wang Dahu patted his head and said, "You little bastard, you dare to meddle in your uncle's affairs."

Ye Mingzhu's eyes flickered. Wang Dahu must have gone overseas, otherwise such a small box of various gemstones would not be easily obtained.

I guess my uncle is not an ordinary manager. This box of gems can be sold for at least a few hundred taels, maybe even thousands. My uncle is really rich!

Since ancient times, maritime transport has always been profitable but also dangerous. If strong winds or heavy rains occur, it can be fatal.

The Ye family has been making a living on the sea for generations, and they understand the difficulties better than others.

Ye Yun'an had already begun to sob. He hugged Wang Dahu's arm and said, "Uncle, it's too dangerous to stay at sea. Can you please not go?"

Wang Dahu shook his head. He signed the contract last year and there was still more than a year left. How could he just not go?

To reassure the two, he told them about the boat they usually took, which was a specially built two-story ship with a deep draft that could travel very far.

The manager he is with now is very kind. When they came here this time, they encountered a storm and lost a boat. Not only did the manager not get angry, he also asked everyone to rescue people first.

"Uncle, will the manager cause trouble for them in the future?" Ye Mingzhu didn't expect that there was such a conscientious manager. The loss of a shipload of goods was not a small amount.

"The manager won't do that, but we can't help but be grateful. We've already agreed that you won't ask for wages next time you go out to sea, and you should try to bring back more goods to sell." Wang Dahu expressed his gratitude to the manager.

"The cargo on the large ship was divided into four or five small boats and transported back, fearing this situation might occur. Although there was a lot of cargo on the capsized ship, the price was not the highest. The other cargoes were sold at a higher price, so the loss this time was not significant."

"The weather was bad, so the manager decided to dock at the pier for a day. I begged him to let me come back to see my family, stay overnight, and go back tomorrow."

Ye Mingzhu listened more and more attentively, and couldn't help asking, "Uncle, what was on the broken ship?"