Chapter 49: Silver and Money

Chapter 49: Silver and Money

It was afternoon, at the sunniest stretch of riverbank in Xiaohe Village.

A bunch of the village husbands and wives were gathered together, washing clothes.

"Oh, have you heard? Gu Daniu's family is planning to send An Geer to study medicine?"

Wang Guihua glanced at Xu Xiaoqing, who was speaking beside her, and pounded the clothes extra hard.

Though it was only early spring, the river water was still cold, and her hands were already red from the cold water.

Wang Guihua then asked, "Who told you that?"

Seeing Wang Guihua was curious, Xu Xiaoqing got all excited.

"You forget who our neighbor is?"

Wang Guihua pounded the clothes while thinking back.

No one in the village built houses right next to each other. Farmland was precious, so folks liked to fence in big homesteads too.

Growing your own veggies meant you could eat and sell the extras.

The closest house to Xu Xiaoqing's was Gu Tang's place.

Gu Tang's family had a pond out back.

Gu Tang's dad, Gu Youjin, had paid for half a year of school with money from that pond. Once he learned to read a bit, he sent him off to study medicine.

But Gu Youjin died young—Gu Tang had only studied medicine for about a year when his dad passed.

After Gu Youjin died, the family couldn't afford to keep paying.

And since Gu Tang had younger siblings to look after, he dropped out and took over the family pond.

But that one year of studying medicine still taught him a thing or two. Besides tending the pond, he also picked herbs to sell.

In Xiaohe Village, if someone's animals got sick, Gu Tang could take a look.

Xu Xiaoqing continued, "Yesterday, Gu Wen and Chen Youyan went to Gu Tang's house. I was passing by and heard them asking Gu Tang about studying medicine—they want to send An Geer to learn it."

Wang Guihua paused. "Oh, what about Gu Tang's little Liu Geer? Is he gonna study medicine too?"

Xu Xiaoqing's smile slipped—he hadn't heard that.

"Oh," Xu Xiaoqing's eyes lit up, "Hey, isn't that Su Geer?"

Xu Xiaoqing jumped up and hurried over to Sun Susu. He tugged Sun Susu over to his spot, made him squat down, then grinned.

"Speak of the devil!"

Sun Susu looked confused. "What's up?"

Xu Xiaoqing asked curiously, "Yesterday I walked past your place and heard Gu Wen and Chen Youyan over there. They're gonna send An Geer to study medicine?"

So that's what this was all about.

Sun Susu relaxed. Yan Geer and the others weren't trying to hide it anyway.

Sun Susu nodded. "Yeah, they came by yesterday to ask about the pond."

Xu Xiaoqing winked at Wang Guihua, like, See? Told you.

Xu Xiaoqing then continued asking, "Su Geer, I remember An Geer's always hanging around Liu Geer. I've even heard Liu Geer teaching him about herbs..."

Sun Susu looked at Xu Xiaoqing.

"You thinking of sending Liu Geer to study medicine too?"

So that's what he was getting at.

Sun Susu opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

He paused, then smiled. "Yeah, we're thinking about it."

Before Xu Xiaoqing could ask more, Sun Susu looked away and spoke up first. "Oh, isn't that Chen Qingqing? I need to talk to him about something—I'll head over."

"Oh," Xu Xiaoqing tried to stop him but couldn't, and just let his hand drop.

He felt a little cheated. "We weren't even done talking, and he's already gone."

Wang Guihua had just finished washing too. She picked up her basin.

"What's there to talk about? Don't your hands get cold? I'm done washing, so I'll head back first."

That reminded Xu Xiaoqing, and he finally felt how cold his hands were.

He hissed through his teeth, dropped the curiosity, and got back to scrubbing his clothes.

For country folks, gossip was just for fun—the real work was at home.

With that thought, he sighed and felt jealous of Chen Youyan all over again.

Just how much money did that Gu family have?

The oldest son's in private school, the bought child husband's off in town learning to paint, and now the little one's gonna study medicine too.

They even hired a full-time laborer to help out.

This, this, this—they're just as well off as the village head's family.

Man, why couldn't he be that lucky?

Just how much money did that Gu family have, anyway?

"So? How much money do we have left?"

At Gu Wen's question, Chen Youyan couldn't help but sigh.

"Not much. Chaoning's travel and lodging for the exam cost six taels."

"Now he's got another exam coming up—I hear he needs to rent a little courtyard. That'll cost even more. And they say you should always send a traveler off with plenty—a kid going to take exams should have extra on him."

"Xue Geer's spent on two painting books so far—one cost a tael, the other a tael and two mace. That's two taels and two mace total. The half that was supposed to go to the family fund, his folks didn't take it, so we got one tael and one mace back."

"But Xue Geer's apprenticeship—the gift and tuition ran three taels."

"And this month, your carpentry pay plus working with Dad came to six mace."

"Other miscellaneous expenses, buying meat and cloth, came to one qian of silver."

"Since we tied the knot, we've saved twenty-five taels in total. After everything we've spent, here's what's left..."

"Eighteen taels and seven qian."

Gu Wen finished the sentence, his eyes wide with disbelief. They only had this much cash left to their name.

He was earning money now, and it still wasn't enough to keep the family afloat!!!

Chen Youyan went on, "By the way, we haven't paid Hao Laifu's wages yet, but we've stockpiled a bunch of chicken and duck eggs at home. Eggs are selling for a pretty penny these days, so that should be enough to pay Hao Laifu's wages."

"However, once it warms up, we ought to get a couple of piglets to raise."

Listening to Chen Youyan rattle on, Gu Wen felt the weight on his shoulders grow heavier.

He thought back to right after he and Chen Youyan got hitched.

Besides the two qian they had to kick into the family pot each month, plus little odds and ends, everything else went straight into savings.

Gu Wen rolled over and wrapped his arms around Chen Youyan's waist.

He couldn't help letting out a sigh, "Kids sure are expensive to raise~"

Chen Youyan gave him a nudge, "What are you talking nonsense about?!"

That nudge didn't budge Gu Wen.

Gu Wen kept his arms around Chen Youyan's waist.

"Hey, Yan Geer, my folks only had me to raise, right? They must've saved a ton of money, huh?"

Chen Youyan set aside the silver for upcoming expenses and stashed the rest back in the money box.

He said offhandedly, "Then go ask your folks."

"I don't have the guts."

Chen Youyan smiled and gave Gu Wen's head a pat.

"You don't have the guts, huh~"

Gu Wen was thrilled to get a head pat from his husband and nodded, beaming.

But then a smack came down on his head.

"If you don't have the guts, quit being nosy and get to work!"

Gu Wen: "...Yowch."

Gu Wen scrambled to his feet, rushed out of the room, and hurried to his workshop in the back courtyard.

Yin Hongxue, basket of chicken and duck eggs in hand, was tugging Gu Muan along as they came from the back courtyard.

Seeing Gu Wen like that, Gu Muan instinctively stuck his hand in his mouth.

"Papa looks just like that cat that got spooked by Wang Junsheng that time."

Even though Papa doesn't have warm, fluffy fur, he still looks kinda fuzzy.

Yin Hongxue reached over, pulled Gu Muan's hand out of his mouth, and looked at Gu Wen too.

"Papa."

Gu Muan followed suit, "Papa."

The two little boys had chubby, porcelain-white cheeks, as cute as the kids in New Year paintings.

Maybe they'd startled the hen while gathering eggs, because there was a tiny chicken feather on top of Yin Hongxue's head.

Gu Wen answered, then walked over and picked the chicken feather off Yin Hongxue's head.

"Alright, go play out front now."

The two little boys said together, "Okay, thanks, Papa."

Gu Wen was pleased.

Boo-hoo-hoo, even though raising kids costs a fortune, his kids were all adorable and ambitious~

How could he, as their dad, have thought that way?

He needed to buck up, take on more gigs, and rake in more money!

He'd originally planned to go with Gu Chaoning to the exam this time.

But now...

The kids were this old already, and with five of them heading out together, he'd better stay home and work.

When Gu Chaoning got back, Gu Wen told him what he had planned.

Gu Chaoning agreed, of course.

He also noticed that from that day on, his father was like he'd been injected with adrenaline.

Before, if he went to work with Grandpa, he wouldn't touch carpentry when he got home.

But from that day on, even if he worked outside all day, he'd come home, light the oil lamp, and keep at the carpentry.

When he ran out of carpentry, he'd go out and pick up other jobs.

He'd also get up early to tend the fields, checking the rice seedlings every day.

And it wasn't just his dad.

His other dad had also started digging up wild greens again to sell in town.

Even though the kids still got their eggs, the adults were eating them less often.

And every day when he got home, he'd see his dad and grandma either embroidering pouches and handkerchiefs together, or their sewing baskets and scraps spread out on the main hall table.

On top of that, the family was thinking about sending Gu Muan to study medicine at the clinic.

There were three clinics in town, and besides checking the doctors' reputations, they had to ask if they took apprentices—especially little boys.

Bottom line, the adults at home were clearly a lot busier than before.

Gu Chaoning figured the family must be strapped for cash.

Knowing he'd be heading out for the county examination tomorrow, Gu Chaoning mulled it over, then headed to the backyard to find Gu Wen.

Gu Wen was sawing wood in the workshop, the window half open, the creak of the saw drifting out.

Fine sawdust flew everywhere, dusting Gu Wen's head.

The dim lamplight fell on Gu Wen's face, making him look all grimy and worn out.

"Dad, been keeping busy with carpentry work lately?"

Gu Wen looked up, startled, and set the saw down when he saw it was Gu Chaoning.

The tea was kept outside the workshop, and Gu Chaoning poured a cup and handed it to Gu Wen.

Gu Wen nodded. "A bit more than usual, yeah."

He downed the tea in one go and looked at Gu Chaoning. "You're heading out tomorrow—why aren't you getting some rest?"

But honestly, it wasn't that much more.

He'd been hustling for jobs, which had definitely picked up the workload lately.

But furniture wasn't like food—folks might want it one day and not the next.

The most lucrative season for carpentry was autumn; after the harvest, families had spare money, and weddings and banquets became more frequent.

At such times, whether marrying off a daughter or bringing in a bride, one always needed to add new furniture to the household.

Gu Chaoning thought for a moment and chose his words carefully. "Couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk. Heard the racket from the backyard and figured you were still up."

Gu Chaoning knew exactly where Gu Wen stood.

Gu Wen had only apprenticed under a carpenter for two or three years, so his craft wasn't exactly top-notch.

Yet folks still came to him—partly because he was meticulous, partly because he charged a bit less, and partly because he had all sorts of clever little tricks.

In his previous life, Gu Chaoning had climbed the ranks at court and knew well that if a person wanted to make money, the simplest and fastest way was to make money off the rich.

"Come spring, it warms up and the air gets all damp, and all kinds of little bugs wake up. At night, you always gotta check the bookcase to make sure the books haven't gotten damp or worm-eaten."

"Man, if only there was a bookcase that could keep books from getting damp or worm-eaten. Dad, you're a carpenter—think you could make one?"

Gu Wen couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.

No matter how mature he usually seemed, he was still just a child, with such wild, out-of-the-box ideas.

Gu Wen said, "Keeping bugs out, sure, maybe. But dampness? Wood's already waterproof—it doesn't soak up water. How the heck would you make a bookcase that stops dampness?"

"Why not? Just stick some moisture-proof stuff inside the bookcase, and there you go."

Gu Wen went quiet for a moment.