Mrs. Sun smiled happily as she looked at the copper coin in her hand, knowing that her son wouldn't abandon her.
"That's enough, that's enough. Use this money to buy two liters of millet, and use the remaining eighteen coins to buy rice bran. If we eat sparingly, we can manage until the autumn harvest."
Chen Dabao lowered his head. He had been working for Chen Qingqing for two months and had saved up a few hundred coins. If he gave it all to her, his parents wouldn't have to eat rice bran anymore.
But when he thought about his grandparents' favoritism back then, he felt a tightness in his chest.
Ever since I can remember, whenever there was good food at home, they would remember Chen Zhancai, but all the heavy and tiring work would be left to my parents and my uncle's family.
I remember once, he was sick with a fever and really wanted to drink some hot porridge, but Grandma Chen scolded him for being pretentious.
Chen Zhancai wanted to eat meat, so Old Mrs. Chen killed the only rooster in the house for him to eat...
He was willing to give his parents any amount of money he earned through hard work, but he was truly reluctant to give it to Old Man Chen and his wife. He wouldn't be so conflicted if his grandparents treated him even slightly well.
Chen Dabao clenched his fists, looked up at his mother's gratified eyes, and then thought of his father's hunger and thirst, feeling a pang of sorrow in his heart.
Fine, I'll help them this once for my parents' sake...
“Mother, the rice bran is inedible. Use all this money to buy millet. If we finish it, I’ll give you more money.”
“This…” Mrs. Sun hesitated.
Chen Qingqing came over carrying a bamboo basket; she had overheard the entire conversation between the two.
She smiled and said, "Dabao, I know you are filial, but it's not easy for you to earn money. Old Mrs. Chen has been domineering in the household for many years."
Our eldest son's family was forced to sever ties with relatives. She thought she could easily control the situation, but she miscalculated and we did not compromise.
They are now struggling to make ends meet in order to support Chen Zhancai's education, yet the third family is still like a bloodsucking leech, never satisfied.
Next year will be even harder for them. If you give them all your money now, they won't be grateful; instead, they'll take it for granted.
If you trust me, listen to your mother. Eat rice bran and millet together. As long as they don't starve, let them keep going.
Enduring some hardship and fatigue might actually be a good thing for them.
Sun nodded repeatedly, "Qing'er, you mean to let them experience the despair of starvation, so that they can repent and reflect on their mistakes."
“That’s true, and that’s not true either. Evil people don’t easily become good.” Chen Qingqing smiled slyly. “Anyway, if you trust me, you can’t let her manage the money you earn.”
Chen Qingqing knew that the elderly couple had pinned all their hopes on Chen Zhancai, but Chen Zhancai was becoming increasingly lazy in his studies, to the point that he was practically incapable of lifting a finger.
Even if he could pass the imperial examination and become a scholar, given his selfish nature, he certainly wouldn't care about the fate of Old Man Chen and his wife.
Once the provincial examinations are over next year, Chen Zhancai's ugly side will probably be revealed.
Sun smiled and looked at Da Bao, "We'll listen to your sister Qingqing on this matter. Aren't you going to town to deliver goods later? Help your mother buy some rice bran and two catties of millet."
"Yes, Mother, I'll listen to my sister Qingqing."
Ever since Chen Qingqing rescued him in Wolf Valley, Chen Dabao has looked at her differently, believing everything she says to be true.
"Qing'er, you all keep busy, I'm going back now." Madam Sun turned to leave.
"Second Aunt, these are some snacks I bought for you. I was just about to bring them over, but since you're here, you can take them back with you. They'll help my second uncle recover." Chen Qingqing said, handing the bamboo basket in her hand to her.
Madam Sun waved her hands repeatedly, "No, no, no, Qing'er, you should take it back quickly. This thing is too valuable; we can't afford to enjoy it."
"Take it. Erbao is at the age where he is growing and needs to supplement his nutrition, so don't be polite with me."
"Thank you, Qing'er. I thank you on Erbao's behalf." Madam Sun accepted the bamboo basket with both hands.
These past few nights, I've been hearing noises in the yard late at night. At first, I thought it was a big rat looking for food.
But this continued for several days in a row. Last night, unable to sleep, I peeked out through the crack in the door.
But then they saw Old Man Chen sneak out of the yard, and soon he returned carrying some things.
Although it was dark and she couldn't see what he was holding, her intuition told her that the old couple were definitely up to no good.
Since that day when they tried to extort money, Mr. and Mrs. Chen have been much quieter, but they've become night owls.
Thinking back to what happened last night, Madam Sun suddenly realized what was going on and leaned forward to whisper a reminder.
"Qingya, Erdanzi is watching over so many materials by himself. You need to remind him to stay alert at night so that bad guys don't take advantage of the situation."
Chen Qingqing understood immediately, but frowned slightly. The Lu brothers were short-handed because they had other jobs in other villages, so they didn't keep anyone here to keep watch.
She specially hired Erdanzi from the village for ten coins a night, mainly to oversee the building materials.
Although Sun didn't say it explicitly, her words were likely a reminder...
Chen Qingqing smiled and nodded, "Thank you, Second Aunt, I've got it."
"Alright, Qing'er, you all go ahead and get busy. I'll head back now." Madam Sun smiled and turned to leave.
******
Night falls.
After finishing his meal, Old Man Chen laughed at Old Woman Chen, who was counting bricks, and said, "Old woman, stop counting. You've counted these bricks at least ten times already. Tonight I'll bring back a few hundred more so you can count them to your heart's content."
"This is money! Two coins per brick, and there are a total of 1,028 bricks, which is 5014 copper coins. That can buy more than 100 large sesame cakes. If we eat one every two days, it will last us for almost a year. Tell me, how could I not be happy!"
"Old woman, you're really good at making these calculations, but you're doing it a bit too early. There's still a long way to go. If I keep going at this pace, I can at least make ten or eight thousand, if not more. If you do the math, you'll get at least five taels of silver. Then you can eat big sesame cakes every day without any problem."
These words made Old Mrs. Chen so happy that she almost snotted out of her nose. "Good old man, you've gone to so much trouble. When the pancake seller comes again, I'll get you a pancake too, as a reward."
Old Chen shook his head with a smile, "It's my duty to do the hard work and tiring things. You're being too polite with me. But those sesame cakes were really delicious. Next time you come, ask me to bring you a few more."
"I wanted to switch, but I haven't heard anyone selling sesame cakes these past few days. That old geezer must be deliberately avoiding me. When I run into him next time, I'll definitely take a few more of his sesame cakes."
"Alright, old woman, that thing isn't worth much. There's no need to steal it. If we get caught, it won't sound good. Besides, we're not short of money right now. We can make it back by making a few more trips tonight."
"Look at you, so smug. It's not easy for you to get up before dawn and work until midnight. Earning money is not easy, so you have to save where you can, and you should never hesitate to cut back when you can."
......
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