Chapter 25
"That's impossible... absolutely impossible! If she was that powerful, how could I have bought her back with only three taels of silver? You must be lying and deliberately covering up for her!"
Wang Cuilian felt that she had seen through the essence of the matter and refused to let it go. Even Jiang Wanning, who had hidden in the house, was implicated.
She pretended to drag Jiang Wanning out, but before she could leave the kitchen, she heard a weak voice behind her: "Wait!"
"Whether what I said is true or not, can't you tell for yourself, Second Mother?" After he finished speaking, Lu Shang slammed all the small pieces of silver in his arms on the table. They rolled to the edge of the table in scattered pieces, which made people tremble in their hearts and hurriedly reached out to block them.
Lu Shang coughed a few times and said, "Here's one ounce and four cents. The bookstore paid me three ounces in advance. After deducting the money for vegetables, meat, paper, and pens, this is what's left."
"I heard from the bookstore owner that after Aning returns the work, there will be three taels left. Without saying anything else, I just want to ask, who in your family can come up with so much money at once?"
Outsiders could still guess whether he had received a new monthly salary, but the Lu family knew that the monthly salary of the government office was always paid at the end of the month, and it was often not paid.
It's still some time before the monthly salary is paid, and the family has been spending money all the time these days. It's hard to even come up with a tael of silver, let alone enough to buy so many things.
For a time, almost everyone believed his words.
Wang Cuilian believed it in her heart, but she still said it stubbornly. If she gave in at this moment, wouldn't it mean that she was being unreasonable?
But this time, Lu Laoer's patience had reached its limit. He suddenly pulled him to the back, pushed him hard a few times, and pushed him out of the kitchen.
"Get out of here! Don't stay here and embarrass yourself!"
"I--" Wang Cuilian's face turned red and white, and she still wanted to argue something, but when she saw Lu Laoer raised his hand to slap her, her body trembled, and she had to go back to her room first.
With Wang Cuilian's departure, the kitchen returned to a brief period of peace.
Grandma Lu looked at the small change on the table, and then at her eldest grandson standing against the light. She should be happy that the family had money, but in fact, she was more frightened.
——Jiang Wanning can make money now, and she earns more than anyone else. She can support the entire family by herself.
If this happened in any family, it would be worth showing off, but when it came to Lu Shang's room, Grandma Lu was afraid that she would become rich and break free from the constraints.
If she insists on getting a divorce, who will bring good luck to her eldest grandson?
Grandma Lu stammered, "Shang'er..."
Lu Shang turned around and calmed his breath: "What's wrong, grandma?"
"You said that all this money was earned by Wan Ning..."
"Yeah, what's wrong?"
"I was thinking..." Grandma Lu couldn't help picking at the corner of her clothes, "After all, she is a woman. It's good enough for her to take good care of the family. As for making money..."
Grandma Lu was very worried: "She has too much money. What if she runs away?"
"No……"
"I didn't leave any money." The sound at the door and Lu Shang's voice sounded together. Turning around, Jiang Wanning didn't know how long she had been standing outside and how much she had heard.
She pulled the corners of her mouth, walked in slowly, and said, "Don't worry, grandma, I will give all the money I earn to my husband. I won't keep any money, and I won't run away."
"Besides..." Jiang Wanning couldn't laugh anymore. "My indenture is still in my mother-in-law's hands. I can't run away."
Lu Shang turned around in shock, only then did he realize there was such a thing as a body contract.
As for the others, whether out of guilt or for some other reason, they all changed the subject awkwardly and deliberately, not daring to look Jiang Wanning in the eye.
"I, I hang the extra meat on the tree to prevent it from going bad." This is Lu Laoer.
"I'll go call my child's mother to cook." This was Lu Xian.
Grandma Lu was not as nimble as them, so she stayed behind to help clean up the table and carefully put the silver away.
The remaining children were also very nervous. Some of them understood what was said and some did not, but that did not prevent them from understanding the adults' expressions.
At this moment, Jiang Wanning said, "Let me share the snacks with them."
"...Okay." Lu Shang didn't show it on his face, but he had already remembered the indenture contract very clearly and would ask for clarification sooner or later.
Because of this series of misfortunes, the atmosphere at home suddenly became gloomy until dinner was ready. There was a rare meat dish on the table. The juicy pork was more popular than chicken, and there were sweet snacks after the meal.
Wang Cuilian did not come out and no one brought her food.
The little ones couldn't control their expressions and kept grinning. From the moment they sat down at the table, they kept their heads buried in their bowls, not daring to look up, and their mouths were full of greasy food.
Seeing this, the others also felt much more relieved.
Grandma Lu suddenly said, "Shang'er and Wanning are really capable. One is good at studying, and the other is good at making money. Sooner or later, they will live a prosperous life."
She said that Lu Shang was the one who could study and Jiang Wanning was the one who could make money, but in fact it was just the opposite.
Lu Shang, who knew the inside story, couldn't help but cast a glance at Jiang Wanning. Seeing the little girl lower her head deeply and look away with regret, he replied, "Grandma is right."
After dinner, Ma helped to clear the dishes, and the others sat for a while and then went back to their rooms.
Lu Shang and Jiang Wanning walked one after the other. When Jiang Wanning went in and lit the candles, she closed the door and turned around, and almost bumped into Lu Shang. She was so scared that she took two steps back with a look of shock on her face.
"W-What happened?"
"Here you go." After saying that, Lu Shang stuffed a palm-sized brocade bag into Jiang Wanning's arms, then took off the purse from his waist and threw them to Jiang Wanning.
"Inside the brocade bag are the five hundred taels I got from Guanhe Tower. There are still four hundred and ninety-five taels of silver notes left. In the purse is the remaining small change. Keep it safe."
Jiang Wanning was stunned, and took it with her hands full of heat: "Give it to me, what are you doing for me?"
"From now on, all our money will be handed over to you for safekeeping. Whether you want to save it or spend it, it's all up to you. Grandma and the others are very concerned, and I can't argue with them clearly. We will just ignore them privately."
Jiang Wanning was still a little confused: "All, all mine?"
"It's all yours, but—" Lu Shang paused, his tone revealing a hint of weakness, "I might have to spend money on business, so I'll have to ask you to give me some."
"Hmm—a little may not be enough. I'll probably need a lot. But don't worry, Aning. As long as I give you, I will make up for it sooner or later. Not a bit less."
Not only the silver, but also Jiang Wanning's indenture contract.
Lu Shang saw her embarrassment and was reluctant to bring up the past, but in his heart, getting back Jiang Wanning's indenture contract had become his top priority.
As early as when Jiang Wanning said that she couldn't escape, Lu Shang had the idea of handing over all the money.
He would never be able to understand the feeling of marrying into a stranger's family alone, but if he could make Jiang Wanning feel a little more at ease, or just make her happy a little, it would be money.
Lu Shang said, "Aning, please be kind and give me an extra two cents in pocket money every month."
Jiang Wanning's ears felt hot: "Give it to you, all of it..."
She held the brocade bag and the purse. These two small things were not heavy, but they made her feel heavy in her heart.
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