"This is fine. For our family, twenty taels of silver is a year's income." Zhang Changhe said, taking the silver. The couple hiding outside the door couldn't stand it anymore and quickly came out.
Zhang Dahe snatched the silver from Zhang Changhe and placed it on the table next to Wu Caiwei. He said apologetically, "Miss, don't listen to him. Our family is poor, but not to the point of not being able to survive. How can a man ask a woman for money?"
"Brother, please don't be so polite. From now on, we are family. To me, this twenty taels of silver is really nothing. If it can help you improve your lives, that is its greatest purpose. When I came in earlier, I noticed you have two sons who are of school age. Perhaps because of his burden, they have never been to school? If it's possible, find them a private tutor as soon as possible." Wu Caiwei was someone who was polite to others when they were polite to her. She pushed the silver back towards him.
Seeing his brother about to refuse the silver again, Zhang Changhe directly took it and stuffed it into his embrace. "She wants you to take it, so take it. To her, twenty taels is only enough to buy a piece of clothing, but for our family, it's like charcoal in winter. Eldest sister-in-law, you've been worried about your brother's illness recently, haven't you? Use this silver to tide you over for now, and I'll bring you more in a while."
If it were other matters, Fang Xuehua might have refused, but when it came to her brother, tears welled up again. She looked at her husband with expectant eyes. If possible, she really wanted to send this silver back to her maiden family. It wasn't that she had asked for it; it was that her younger brother-in-law was willing to give it. Besides, the young lady in front of her didn't seem reluctant. She decided to be selfish this once.
She had a sharp tongue but a kind heart. Because of her younger brother-in-law's thoughtful words, she began to regret her past harsh attitude towards him, completely forgetting how her younger brother-in-law used to slack off, often using school as an excuse to pilfer their family's silver and spend it on eating and drinking outside, never considering their well-being.
Having been married to Fang Xuehua for so many years, it was the first time she had asked him for something. Zhang Dahe was quite moved. Moreover, since neither of the people in front of him objected, he hesitated for a moment before putting the silver into his embrace. He couldn't say any words of gratitude, but he bowed deeply to them.
Fang Xuehua's tears turned into a smile. She wiped her eyes, relieved that her brother's illness finally had a solution. She hurried to the kitchen to bring out the meat they had been saving for a long time. Someone had helped them so much; they had to be treated well at lunch.
Wu Caiwei didn't stand on ceremony. They all sat together for lunch, talking and laughing. However, Fang Xuehua's two children hadn't seen meat in a long time and were wolfing down their food. When her eldest son reached for the meat again with his chopsticks, Fang Xuehua couldn't help but tap his hand with her chopsticks. Then, she awkwardly smiled at Wu Caiwei, thinking her son had no manners, especially since it was the young lady's first visit.
Wu Caiwei smiled indifferently and picked up a bowl of meat dishes, pouring some for each of the two children. The children immediately looked at their parents with hopeful eyes. Seeing their pitiable state, Fang Xuehua felt a pang of sorrow.
Years of poverty had made the two children shorter and thinner than others, and they didn't look very healthy. Seeing them like this every time tore at her heart, but there was nothing she could do. Today was different. They had twenty taels of silver. She could keep two taels for herself to buy good food to nourish the children and satisfy their cravings.
Especially seeing the children's longing, she nodded helplessly. The children's faces immediately lit up with surprise and joy, and they began to eat, almost as if swallowing dates whole.
After the meal, Zhang Changhe left with Wu Caiwei. They went to Wu Caiwei's shop together. It was then that Zhang Changhe realized they were only two streets apart. He had passed by Wu Caiwei's shop countless times. If he had paid more attention earlier, perhaps they would have met sooner.
Everyone had been waiting to see Wu Caiwei's fiancé, but unexpectedly, she had been seen very frequently with Zhang Changhe recently. If it were anyone else, they might have accepted it, but Zhang Changhe was a notorious rascal, someone who would be scorned even on the street.
What surprised them even more was that Wu Caiwei had so readily entrusted her shop to him to manage. Even if it were someone else, despite their surprise, they believed that given Zhang Changhe's character, he would quickly squander all of Wu Caiwei's money. Then, they could immediately seize business opportunities. However, Zhang Dahe was different.
He and Fang Xuehua sat in the courtyard, quietly waiting for Zhang Changhe to return. As soon as his younger brother walked through the door, he immediately stood up and asked loudly, "How has Miss Li's business been lately?"
Seeing their expressions, Zhang Changhe understood their thoughts. His past reputation had left too deep an impression on them, and it would take some time to change. Although he hadn't caused trouble for a while, hadn't asked them for money, and had even occasionally brought back his monthly wages, after so many years, such a drastic change in a person felt unreal.
"Very good. She has entrusted several of her shops to me to manage, and we've been earning a lot lately. She's using that money to open new shops," Zhang Changhe said truthfully.
"Brother, I am your elder brother. People say the elder brother is like a father. If our parents were still alive, I wouldn't say these words to you directly. But now that it's just the two of us brothers, I'll speak frankly. Miss Li has been very generous to our family, giving us twenty taels of silver the first time we met. And you've brought back so much money lately. While I'm delighted, I'm more anxious. I can't sleep at night, fearing that you might not be reliable and ruin her good business."
Zhang Dahe finally voiced the hidden worry that had been buried in his heart for so long, feeling much more relieved. In fact, he was holding back. He had heard that some people fail in business and end up owing others a great deal, so much that even selling their shops wouldn't cover their debts. He was afraid his brother might be one of them, so he spoke cautiously to avoid hurting his self-esteem, as he had finally gone out to do business for the first time.
"I know what you're worried about. If you're not at ease, Brother, you can visit the shop. You'll understand everything when you see our business." Zhang Changhe felt that his brother would never believe him with just his word. He didn't want his brother to continue doing hard labor for others. He wanted to keep him by his side and teach him, and perhaps in a while, he could help out at the shop. Not only would the wages be higher, but he would also suffer less.