Chapter 53 : People should not be too greedy

Mother Xiao pulled him into a corner and began telling him everything that had happened at home during the month he’d been away.

Poor Father Xiao had just returned home and was immediately bombarded with so much information before he even had time to take a sip of water.

What?

He’d only been gone a few days, and a half-dead person had been brought back to their home?

And this person turned out to be the grandson of the famous Mr. Su Wubing, Su’s second son?

In just a month, the women of the family had already set up a business stall? And even rented a space for it?

The Su family’s second son gave the family thirty taels of silver as a reward, not only paying off their debts but also inviting several doctors from far away to treat his second daughter-in-law and son?

On top of that, the second daughter-in-law’s infertility was actually can be cured. Now all she had to do was take care of her health, and there was even hope for a grandchild one day?

Father Xiao was so shocked he could’ve swallowed a whole egg.

He stood there dumbfounded, staring at his wife. It took him a long time to process it all.

It felt like a dream. How long had he been gone? Just one month, and so many incredible things had happened and all of them good.

Mother Xiao saw the dazed look on his face and couldn’t help but sigh. She pinched his arm and said: “Still not reacting? I’m not dreaming, this is all real!”

Father Xiao winced from the pain in his arm. He frowned and rubbed it, silently complaining that this old woman was really ruthless, pinching him so hard.

But even so, everything she said was good news, and Father Xiao was overjoyed deep down. Though he still needed time to fully digest it, out of politeness, he turned around and went to greet the gentlemen first.

After greeting the doctors, he went over to see Su Yanqing.

At first glance, he could tell Su Yanqing was indeed a young man born into wealth. His demeanor and presence were truly extraordinary.

The two of them exchanged endless thanks and courtesies.

Later, Xiao Yi brought back the old doctor from the town. When the doctor heard that he would be learning an acupuncture technique from a disciple of Mr. Su Wubing, he agreed immediately without hesitation.

Upon meeting Doctor Qin, the old doctor quickly decided that after learning the technique, he wouldn’t charge the Xiao family a single coin and would provide acupuncture treatment for Zhou free of charge every two weeks.

He was lucky to have the chance to learn, how could he have the nerve to ask for payment?

Because of this opportunity, the old doctor also consulted the other gentlemen for advice. For the sake of the Xiao family, they generously shared their knowledge.

That evening, the gentlemen didn’t stay for dinner. Instead, they went to rest at an inn in the town.

The next morning, Mr. Zeng would take Su Yanqing away from the Xiao household, and Su Yanqing would then follow the gentlemen back to the mansion in Huaxi County to recover.

—

Parting time always comes quickly. Early in the morning, Mr. Zeng had a carriage prepared, furnished comfortably with soft blankets and pillows.

He had a beautifully crafted wooden wheelchair made for Su Yanqing.

Everyone in the Xiao family came to see him off. Although they had only known each other for less than a month, they had already come to understand Su Yanqing’s character, he was kind, reasonable, and deeply grateful, always repaying kindness with kindness.

Su Yanqing also held the Xiao family in high regard. They had strong values, were warm and sincere toward others, and were not driven by greed, something quite rare.

Before leaving, he prepared a wooden box containing five hundred taels of silver and handed it to Father Xiao.

When Father Xiao saw the box inside, he was shocked and immediately shoved the box back into Su Yanqing’s arms, as though it were a hot potato.

Su Yanqing, sitting in his wheelchair, was caught off guard by the move. He watched as Father Xiao waved his hands and stepped back several paces.

“Second Master Su, this won’t do. Our Xiao family can’t accept this. Please take it back!”

Su Yanqing smiled helplessly and gently tried to persuade him.

“Uncle Xiao, the kindness your family has shown me can’t be repaid with just five hundred taels. This is just a small token of my gratitude please, accept it.”

But Father Xiao insisted: “Mr. Su, you’ve already helped our family so much. You found a doctor for my daughter-in-law and helped treat her infertility. That’s already more than enough. People shouldn’t be too greedy. We’re just simple folks. You give us such a large sum of money, we wouldn’t dare accept it. Even if we spent it, we wouldn’t feel at ease.”

“I heard from my wife that you already gave us thirty taels of silver. That’s already too much. Since we’ve become friends, let’s not let money make things awkward between us.”

Father Xiao was a truly honest farmer, simple and unpretentious. He had never seen so much money in his life. If it wasn’t earned through hard work, he felt it was too hot to hold, and it wouldn’t feel right to spend it.

In his old-fashioned way of thinking, they had saved Su Yanqing, and Su Yanqing had, in return, helped treat his daughter-in-law and pay off the family’s debts. That was more than enough, he couldn’t ask for anything more.

Not only that, he would pass this lesson on to his children: people should not be too greedy, because greed often brings ruin.

Su Yanqing felt ashamed after hearing Father Xiao’s words. All he had thought about was how to repay the Xiao family’s kindness, so he tried to give them more money. But he overlooked something important: the Xiao family was not a petty or materialistic one. If they had saved him just for money, they could’ve named a price from the start.

But they never mentioned gold or silver and they cared for him sincerely. It made him feel like the vulgar one in the end.

Finally, Su Yanqing sighed, handed the wooden box with the silver to Mr. Zeng for safekeeping, and then took a jade pendant from his waist, handing it to Father Xiao.

“Uncle Xiao, since you refuse the silver, please accept this jade pendant instead. Consider it a token from me, Su Yanqing, to the Xiao family. I promise you, if the Xiao family ever need help, just bring this jade pendant to Jishantang in Jizhou Prefecture. No matter how big or small the matter, no matter how many years have passed, with this token, I will do everything in my power to help.”

He looked at the Xiao family with resolve in his eyes.

In the face of a large sum, five hundred taels, not a single person in the Xiao family showed any trace of greed or delight. Didn’t that just prove their virtue and character?

“This…” Father Xiao could tell at a glance that the jade pendant was not something you could just buy at any market stall, it had to be extremely valuable. He glanced hesitantly at his wife, Cui Ju.

Mother Xiao was a little unsure herself, and instinctively looked toward Jiang Sui.

Jiang Sui noticed her silent plea and gave her a decisive nod, signaling that it was okay to accept the token.

From her perspective, hadn’t saving Second Young Master Su already brought benefits to the Xiao family in the long run?

Now that this goal was achieved, well, maybe it was a bit selfish.

But with this jade pendant as a token of trust, they had earned a favor. Whether they ever needed to use it or not, it was something solid to hold on to.