Chapter 44: Money Box

Chapter 44: The Money Box

After the yamen runner left, word had it that he went on to other villages.

After about three more days in Dudu Town, the town went back to how it had been before.

But even though Dudu Town had bounced back, Gu Chaoning's heart hadn't.

As the years went by, memories of his past life had faded in his mind, like a painting losing its color.

He hadn't deliberately let those memories blur, but he also didn't make a point of recalling his past life to stop it.

After all, his enemies' names and faces were still clear—that was enough.

These past few days, he'd dug deep into his hazy memories, but still couldn't recall a single thing about that yamen runner.

What he could confirm now was that this yamen runner had definitely recognized Yin Hongxue.

And that he was probably a good person.

It seemed his earlier judgment had been right—the capital must still be pretty dangerous.

Gu Chaoning also had a vague hunch.

Actually, this yamen runner wasn't the Emperor's man, and he wasn't Marquis Anding's man either.

Wearing cloud-pattern brocade that only wealthy Jiangnan families could afford, his family had to be someone of note.

"Chaoning Ge!"

Gu Chaoning snapped back to attention and saw a little head poking up from under the windowsill.

Yin Hongxue grinned so wide his eyes scrunched into crescents. "Dad told me to come get you."

Gu Chaoning put his books away and headed out with Yin Hongxue.

"What's up?"

"I don't know either."

Yin Hongxue was just as clueless. He'd been painting, and after finishing a page, he'd wanted to go play with Gu Muan, but Gu Wen had stopped him and told him to go get Gu Chaoning.

When the two got there, they found the whole Gu family sitting in the main hall.

Gu Daniu and Gu Wen both had the day off today.

When they saw the two come in, the room went quiet for a second.

On the dining table in the main hall sat a small wooden box, and Gu Chaoning could see something carved into it.

Looked like... a few little snowflakes?

He instinctively glanced at Yin Hongxue, who happened to be looking at the box too.

Gu Chaoning's heart gave an odd thump, and he almost instinctively looked at the adults in the room.

Gu Wen and Chen Youyan still had anger on their faces that hadn't fully faded, but smiles were layered on top of it.

Wang Xiuxiu and Gu Daniu, on the other hand, didn't even bother to hide it—their faces clearly showed they weren't happy, though they tried to rein it in when they saw the two come in.

And even Gu Muan was sitting stiff and awkward in his chair.

Yin Hongxue noticed all of it too. He quickly looked away from the box and cautiously studied the adults.

"Xue Ge'er, come over here." Chen Youyan put on a smile and opened his arms to Yin Hongxue.

Yin Hongxue snuggled into Chen Youyan's arms and looked up at him, confused. "Dad?"

Gu Wen picked up the wooden box.

His tone was firm, leaving no room for argument.

"This is the money box I made for Xue Ge'er. From now on, half of what he earns from painting goes to the family, and half goes in this box as his own private savings."

Chen Youyan then lifted Yin Hongxue onto his lap, and Gu Wen set the little box in his arms.

"Xue Ge'er, take a look—you like it?"

Yin Hongxue ran his fingers over the carved snowflakes and answered without thinking, "I like it."

But then it hit him why Grandpa and Grandma weren't happy.

Farming families mostly didn't split things up, especially before someone got married—any money anyone earned had to go to the family pot.

The family raised you, so when you grew up, you had to give back.

Once you got married and started your own household, that meant you were an adult.

Only then would elders in regular families let the kids keep some of what they earned for themselves.

The bulk would still go to the family pot, of course.

Some split it fifty-fifty, but more often it was sixty percent to the family and forty percent kept for yourself.

There were even stingier elders who demanded every last coin go to the family pot.

In return, the family covered food and drink, everyone pitched in, the older ones looked after the younger—that was how a family got ahead.

A family like the Gus, which only asked for two hundred wen a month no matter how much you made, was already extremely rare.

But a kid like Yin Hongxue, not even ten yet, getting to keep half his earnings for himself—that was practically unheard of.

In Gu Daniu's words, he'd been through plenty of villages and towns and had sure never heard of anything like it.

That was also why Gu Daniu and Wang Xiuxiu had a hard time accepting it.

Since coming to the Gu family, Yin Hongxue had never gone without food, drink, or clothes, and ever since he got his own room at seven, Chen Youyan had given him five or six wen in allowance every month.

So Yin Hongxue knew money was a good thing, but he wasn't especially attached to it.

He looked up at Gu Daniu and Wang Xiuxiu, then at Chen Youyan and Gu Wen. "Xue Ge'er doesn't want the money. Give it to Dad, Papa, Grandma, and Grandpa."

He paused for a second. "Buy pork belly with it."

Hearing that, Gu Daniu and Wang Xiuxiu, who'd been pretty put out, suddenly felt embarrassed instead.

Forget it—it was their son and son-in-law running the household now.

The family was doing better and better, and the two old folks' thinking was behind the times. No point in stubbornly playing the bad guy.

Whatever, let them do what they want.

The tension in the two elders' demeanor eased, and Gu Wen was the first to pick up on it.

He softened his expression, letting his sternness fade: "Alright then, that money's for Xue Geer to use as he sees fit. Xue Geer can buy pork belly for your grandpa, grandma, dad, and me."

Yin Hongxue paused for a moment, picking up on the difference between what he had said and what his father had said.

But not knowing how to put it into words, he just nodded right away.

Gu Chaoning looked from one to another, then dropped an even bigger bombshell.

"Dad, Father, Grandpa, and Grandma have thought things through thoroughly. Instead of leaving that half of the silver for Xue Geer, why not find him a teacher to teach him painting?"

Everyone's eyes snapped to him at once.

Even Gu Wen and Chen Youyan, who had previously considered matters thoroughly and even somewhat unconventionally, hadn't even thought of something like this—this was...

Gu Wen couldn't put it into words, but a boy getting a teacher, and a painting teacher at that? It was...

Gu Chaoning continued, "Our Gu family, going back to our ancestor Gu Hu, has never relied on farming to make a living."

"Like Gu Hu's martial arts, Grandpa's bricklaying, and Dad's bricklaying and carpentry."

As he spoke, Gu Chaoning looked toward the elders seated at the head of the room.

"People often say that having a skill ensures you won't starve, but it's not only men who can have a skill to stand on their own two feet."

"Take the lady doctor at the Heshun Medical Hall in town, for example."

"Painting is also a skill. Xue Geer has talent and already brings in money—why not take it a step further?"

"Moreover, as Xue Geer's skills improve, the money he can earn is bound to go up."

"Just like the shops and land that wealthy families give as dowries to their daughters, these are the means by which women and boys can make their way in the world, never to be looked down on."

"Even shops and land can be lost, but skills can never be taken away."

Seeing that the elders seemed lost in thought and their shoulders weren't as stiff as before, Gu Chaoning continued, "And it's not just Xue Geer." He looked at the puzzled Gu Muan. "An Geer must also find something he loves to do and learn a skill that'll stick with him for life."

Gu Muan, this little guy, was best at reading the room.

Seeing the atmosphere improve, he immediately grinned and said, "An Geer loves roast chicken!"

The roast chicken he had eaten a few days ago had him still craving it.

Everyone laughed at his cute little comment.

Chen Youyan teased him, "Then you should go learn to make roast chicken."

"Alright! An Geer will learn to make roast chicken!"

Gu Muan agreed without missing a beat.

Everyone laughed again. Wang Xiuxiu and Gu Daniu held back for a moment, then cracked up too.

And with that, it was settled.