Chapter 3 Asking for Money
"Ahem, never mind, Father won't say anymore..."
Xu Chenglin's voice choked with emotion. He raised his sleeve to wipe his eyes, a relieved smile appearing on his face.
"My biggest worry when I fell ill was you. Now that you're married and have someone to keep you company, I can die in peace. I'm so glad you two will be together in the future..."
Xu Jinnian's expression changed slightly. Just as she was about to comfort her father, a clear female voice came from behind her:
“Father, you can’t close your eyes. Your daughter-in-law can’t bear the stigma of being cursed to death. Your son will also be gossiped about.”
Sheng An walked in carrying a cup of tea in one hand and a pair of new shoes in the other, interrupting Xu Chenglin's words, which sounded like he was leaving his last words.
The father-in-law's condition was serious, but not to the point where there was no cure.
If we can arouse the elderly person's will to live and feed them well, they might be able to hold on for a while and recover from their illness.
Xu Chenglin wasn't senile; he could easily understand his daughter-in-law's good intentions, and his smile softened.
"It's An'an, cough cough. It's An'nian's good fortune to be able to marry you."
Sheng An glanced at Xu Jinnian and said with a smile:
“I think so too, so Dad, you need to take good care of yourself. Your days of enjoying life are yet to come.”
"Okay, okay, Dad will listen to you."
Seeing that Sheng An was pleasing to the eye and had a cheerful and generous personality, Xu Chenglin felt even more that he had made the right choice in marrying this daughter-in-law.
This child is pitiful; she lost her mother at birth. Someone must have said something malicious about her being destined to bring misfortune to her mother.
He had to try to hold on for a few more days; he absolutely couldn't let the child bear the stigma of causing his father-in-law's death.
Seeing her father suddenly regain his energy, Xu Jinnian breathed a sigh of relief. Her gentle gaze fell on Sheng An, filled with unspoken gratitude.
She is truly a woman that everyone likes at first sight.
The atmosphere in the room was warm and harmonious. Sheng An served tea to Xu Chenglin and presented him with shoes that the original owner had made by hand.
Xu Chenglin also took out a red envelope he had prepared in advance from under his pillow and handed it to Sheng An with trembling hands:
“Good boy, live well with Anian. If this brat dares to make you suffer, just tell your father and I will definitely teach him a lesson.”
Sheng An smiled and agreed, "Okay."
Xu Chenglin was exhausted, so the young couple didn't stay in the room for long and went to the main room to prepare for dinner.
Xu Jinnian ladled out two bowls of dumpling soup, and Sheng An took one and placed it in front of him:
"Does Dad eat this too? Does he need someone to serve him meals?"
Xu Jinnian sat down opposite Sheng An and pushed the plate of scrambled eggs toward her.
"Dad doesn't have a good appetite. He's been eating even less these past few days. I'll serve Dad after I finish eating."
Previously, he would feed Xu Chenglin first, and then eat himself.
This morning was Sheng'an's first meal at her in-laws' house since her marriage. Fearing she wouldn't be used to it, he ate with her.
Sheng An frowned after hearing Xu Jinnian's words.
If you don't get enough nutrition when you're sick, you won't have enough energy to repair yourself, and your body will get worse and worse.
Not only does the father-in-law Xu Chenglin need nutritional supplements, but the original owner's body, which is still in its developmental stage, does as well.
The original owner had her period last year, and it had only come twice in over a year, a typical case of insufficient blood and qi and malnutrition.
If you don't take good care of yourself, it will be difficult to get pregnant in the future, and even if you do get pregnant, you may not be able to give birth.
Sheng An doesn't care about whether she can have children, but the original owner definitely did.
Even if the original owner can't come back, she doesn't want to be seriously ill and lose her life again because of her depleted body.
Thinking of this, Sheng An glanced at Xu Jinnian across from him.
Seeing this, Xu Jinnian assumed she was embarrassed, so he put a piece of scrambled eggs into her bowl:
"Eat quickly, it will taste fishy when it gets cold."
Sheng An blinked and revealed her purpose: "Do you have money? I'll go buy some delicious food after I finish eating."
Having lived for over twenty years, this was the first time Sheng An had asked a man for money, and she was incredibly self-righteous about it.
Who told her to be penniless now, with her pockets emptier than her face?
Besides, they are husband and wife, so she wouldn't feel embarrassed.
There was a moment of silence. Under Sheng An's expectant gaze, Xu Jin cleared his throat and nodded, saying, "I'll give it to you in a bit."
Before he fell ill, Xu Chenglin was a minor manager at the dock, earning three taels of silver a month.
With some savings from their early years, the Xu family lived a comfortable life; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to afford to send Xu Jinnian to school.
Until a few months ago, Xu Chenglin fell ill, and all the family's money was used to pay for medical treatment and medicine.
All the expenses for the wedding were earned by Xu Jinnian through copying books with his excellent handwriting.
Now the Xu family has very little money left; only this house, a shelf of books in the study, and the woodland in the countryside are worth something.
Sheng An didn't miss the man's fleeting lack of confidence. Knowing the Xu family's financial situation, she spoke up generously:
"When I have money, I will take care of you too, so don't feel too much pressure."
When Xu Jinnian heard someone other than her father say they would take care of her for the first time, she was stunned for a moment before a warm feeling welled up in her heart.
He chuckled and continued to serve her scrambled eggs, his handsome face seemingly bathed in a soft glow: "Okay."
Seeing that the man didn't take her words seriously, Sheng An didn't mind and finished the bland scrambled eggs in her bowl in one go.
Self-reliance leads to abundance.
Relying on a man to support you will definitely lower your quality of life.
Starting a business is imperative!
Xu Jinnian was unaware of Sheng An's thoughts. Seeing that Sheng An was eating with relish, he picked up his own bowl.
He wondered if it was just his imagination, but the moment he tasted the dumpling soup, he found it exceptionally delicious, even better than the ones he had made before.
Xu Jinnian took a few more bites to make sure that there was nothing wrong with her sense of taste.
He glanced at his wife across from him, concealing the deep thought in his eyes.
Can adding just half a spoonful of salt really change the taste so much?
After finishing his meal, Sheng An took the loose change from Xu Jinnian and was about to go for a stroll on the street.
Xu Jinnian spoke up to stop her: "Wife, wait for me a moment, I will go with you."
His wife was unfamiliar with the city, and there were often thugs and ruffians on the streets, so he was really worried about her going out alone.
Sheng An thought for a moment and did not refuse: "Okay, you go and serve Dad his meal."
Xu Jinnian took the bowl to Xu Chenglin's room, while Sheng An sat listlessly on the stone bench, looking around the not-so-spacious courtyard.
The small courtyard is less than 50 square meters, but it is decorated very elegantly.
Several potted plants are placed in the corner of the entrance. They are currently in bloom, with red, yellow and purple flowers clustered together, creating a lively scene.
Near the corner of the storage room, there was a grape trellis that was taller than a person.
The grapevines are growing vigorously, completely covering the trellis, with bunches of newly formed grapes hidden among them, blending into the lush green leaves.
Above the stone table and benches stands an old osmanthus tree, enough to foreshadow the season when the osmanthus blossoms, filling the air with their fragrance and refreshing the soul.
Sheng An was engrossed in watching when the courtyard gate was pounded on with a deafening roar, followed by a woman's loud voice:
"Jin Nian, Jin Nian, open the door quickly!"
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