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“This… this is one tael? Why are you putting money in my hand?” Du Shi was still confused.
“This is for you.”
“For me?”
“Yes. Do you remember, Big Sister-in-law, the day after I was divorced, we discussed things here? We agreed that if I come up with thirty taels within three months, all our past grievances would be forgiven, and you would have no right to interfere in my marriage. This is the first tael. The rest will be paid within the next two months.”
Du Shi finally snapped out of it, her eyes widening. “We… we agreed on thirty taels?”
“You did!”
Du Shi tried to recall, and it seemed like there had been such an agreement!
They had agreed that Ye Caiping would be married off within three months, but what exactly did the younger sister say? It seemed like there was a change in conditions, and money would settle things.
At that time, she thought Ye Caiping was just making empty promises, so she never took it seriously.
Who would have thought, Ye Caiping was actually serious! And now, the money was right in her hand!
“Th- this… you’re really giving me thirty taels?” Du Shi stammered. “That’s thirty taels, not just three!”
“Yes, thirty taels!”
Du Shi was overwhelmed with joy, feeling as though she was being wrapped in an immense wave of happiness. Thirty taels! My heavens, she was about to become a rich woman!
Yan Fang and the others, still stunned, finally came back to their senses. Ye Daquan hurriedly said, “No, no! Little sister, we can’t take your money.”
Yan Fang also frowned. “That’s too much, Caiping…”
“Father, Mother, Elder Brother, this was an agreement between me and Big Sister-in-law. I said I would do it, and I will! Moreover, this is money I owe you.” Ye Caiping’s tone was firm.
Though Yan Fang felt her daughter had taken on too much, seeing her daughter’s responsibility brought a sense of relief to her heart.
Yan Fang lowered her head, calculating.
A bowl of spicy soup costs five wen, and she knew how many bowls went through her hands daily—about two hundred or so. After deducting the costs…
The main costs were the meat and those medicinal powders.
Any kind of medicine was expensive, so the costs weren’t low.
She conservatively estimated that, excluding costs, her daughter could earn about five hundred wen per day.
Thirty taels, she could earn that back in two months!
Thinking this through, thirty taels didn’t seem so bad.
What mattered most was that, this way, her daughter wouldn’t be rushed into marriage.
After another year or so, the fact that her daughter had been divorced would be forgotten. By then, with a large dowry in hand, she could marry into any good family.
Yan Fang understood and nodded. “Since it’s been agreed upon, eldest family, you should accept the money.”
Ye Daquan and Ye Erquan wanted to speak, but they were silenced by a stern glance from Yan Fang.
“Hahaha! I’m rich now! I can expect a daughter-in-law, no longer relying on you, Mother!” Du Shi laughed with joy.
Yan Fang gave her a glare. “You better watch it. Don’t you dare say anything about Caiping in the future. You have no say in her marriage anymore.”
“What? I’m not concerned! If she’s giving me thirty taels, I won’t just be concerned about when she gets married—I’d be happy even if she stayed at home her whole life!”
After saying this, Du Shi quickly turned and ran, likely to hide the money in her room.
Yan Fang scoffed. “What nonsense! These past few days, you’ve been rubbing my shoulders and massaging my legs, and now that there’s money, you’re no longer filial!”
As soon as she said this, everyone in the room burst out laughing.
Ye Caiping turned to Ye Yong. “Yong’er, about you and Xiuxiu…”
The faces of Yan Fang and the others changed.
After a long silence, Yan Fang sighed softly. “If you really are serious about her, then give her a hint.”
Though they didn’t like Xiuxiu’s family, it wasn’t easy to find someone you truly liked.
If Ye Yong was really set on Xiuxiu, the twenty taels of dowry would seem more realistic, and marriage wasn’t out of the question.
Ye Yong pressed his lips together. “Grandfather, we’ll talk about it later. I’m going to chop firewood now.”
With that, he left the room.
Ye Caiping furrowed her brow. Wasn’t Ye Yong in love with Xiuxiu?
Right now, she was in need of money, but by giving Du Shi one tael and a promise, she was trying to secure Ye Yong’s marriage.
As long as he could communicate with Xiuxiu and tell her that in two months he would have the twenty taels, he would be able to marry her, right?
Ye Yong hesitated.
Ye Caiping couldn’t understand.
But she didn’t have the time to think about it right now. Her mind was consumed with one thing—money, money, money!
In addition to the thirty taels that has to be given to Du Shi, there was also the ten taels in external debts, plus she still needed to upgrade her space…
With these thoughts in mind, Ye Caiping greeted Yan Fang and left with Ye Jin’er, carrying the wooden buckets.
Wei Shi looked longingly in the direction of Du Shi’s room, envy written all over her face. If she had known she could get thirty taels like this, she should’ve joined in with Big Sister-in-law back then!
Ye Jinhua rolled her eyes. Well, it was okay, I guess!
Although in the past, Ye Caiping had been difficult and caused the family to fall into poverty, now that she was giving money, it could be seen as compensation.
At least Big Brother could marry a wife now, and as for Second Brother…
She couldn’t help but glance at Ye Xuan.
Ye Xuan had been sitting quietly in the corner, expressionless as usual, silently observing.
Ye Jinhua sighed. Second Brother had already missed his chance. Even if he had money now, his future in the imperial exams was bleak.
Moreover, if Big Brother married, and if that person was really Xiuxiu, the dowry alone would be twenty taels!
Not to mention the wedding itself, with all the arrangements, it would cost another seven or eight taels.
That thirty taels would be gone in no time!
And now that the younger sister had given money, it meant she wouldn’t be married off in three months, and the room wouldn’t be freed up.
If they did get a wife, they’d probably need to build another hut beside their home for the new daughter-in-law.
That meant even more expenses.
…
Ye Caiping and her daughter, Ye Jin’er, carried three large buckets and some bowls to the riverbank to wash.
A number of women from the village, who were washing clothes nearby, looked over with shining eyes.
At this point, everyone in the village knew Ye Caiping was selling spicy soup in the town.
There were some who felt jealous, but most of the villagers had a relatively neutral attitude.
After all, not long ago, Ye Caiping had taught everyone how to eat cassava, helping many households gain over a hundred jin of food.
The villagers had benefited from her advice, so seeing her making money, most were just envious and gave a few sarcastic remarks, without going too far.
Of course, there were exceptions.
“Hey, Caiping! These big buckets of yours must be for selling spicy soup, right?”
“Yes, yes, spicy soup, I’ve heard about it.”
“I saw it from a distance. The stall was crowded, with people packed around it. I was wondering who could be so skilled at selling something that the customers were almost fighting for it.”
“Then when I peered through the crowd, I saw it was you and your family!”
Ye Caiping smiled and said, “If you want to eat, just let me know in advance, and I’ll save some for you.”
“We can’t afford it. That’s a precious dish, five wen for a bowl!”
The woman said this, feeling a bit sour. “Five wen for a bowl of porridge? Caiping, you’re going to be a wealthy woman.”
Ye Caiping replied, “It’s not just porridge. I put a lot of meat in it, and just lean meat costs twenty wen a jin! Plus, the chili oil, you have to use a lot of oil and sesame. There are other spices too, all expensive stuff.”
The women froze in surprise. When she put it that way, the soup seemed to be quite fancy.
One of the older women asked, “What kind of spices are those?”
Ye Caiping replied casually, “Just some common spices.”
“Which common spices? How much do you use?”
Ye Jin’er, who had been listening, suddenly exploded, “Grandma Lai, should I just put all the money in your pocket instead!”
Granny Lai jumped up, “What’s wrong with you, girl? You don’t speak to elders like that!”
Ye Jin’er laughed, “No one else speaks like you, Granny Lai, always asking about other people’s secret recipes.”