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Mrs. Hu was thoroughly dissatisfied with the courtyard and exclaimed loudly, “This place is not suitable. We’re landowners now, running a shop, and relatives of the General’s Mansion. Living here among the poor is not only embarrassing for our family but also reflects poorly on General Chu.”
By midday, Chen Shi treated them to lunch at a small restaurant before visiting Chen Ming’s residence.
This house, located closer to the North Back Street, was a convenient distance—just over a quarter of an hour walk to Chen Shi’s home and a similar distance to Wang Cheng’s, situated between the two. If they were to purchase it, Mrs. Wang would also be pleased.
The house was relatively new, with three entrances, a back hall, a screen wall, a main courtyard, side rooms, a rear covering, and even a rockery in the courtyard…
The price was high, at five hundred and eighty taels of silver, but after negotiations, it was lowered to five hundred and thirty taels.
Chen Ming liked the house very much, but the price was indeed steep.
As he hesitated, Mrs. Hu burst into tears, covering her face with a handkerchief. She lamented, “Head of the household, you worked so hard to support your younger brothers. Now that they’ve all succeeded and live in such nice homes, what about us? We can’t even afford a hovel… They say good deeds are rewarded, why isn’t heaven watching over us?” Turning to Chen Ming and Chen Shi, she continued, “Second brother, Third brother, have you ever stopped to think about how you got to where you are? If it wasn’t for our head of the household returning home to work the land, supporting you to study, would you be living this comfortably now? You are doing well, so it’s time to help your brother. Feng bought a large courtyard for his uncle in a prime location, she should buy one for us too…”
Although grandma Chen empathized with the eldest son, she felt that Mrs. Hu shouldn’t involve Chen Feng in the matter. She had learned to be shrewd and knew that upsetting Feng, who wasn’t a blood relative, could be challenging to mend. Unlike Chen Ming and Chen Shi, who were tied by blood.
Scolding, she admonished, “What nonsense are you spouting? Why haven’t good deeds brought good fortune? The second and third sons have supported you plenty, and A’Feng has done her share as well. You’ve purchased so much land, and now you want to buy a house in the city. Isn’t that all thanks to them?” Chen Ye also chastised Mrs. Hu, “You woman, stop your nonsense. If you keep this up, go back to the countryside. We now own over a hundred acres of land, have a shop in town, and a stake in the restaurant. These ventures were supported by the help of the second brother, third brother, and A’Feng.”
Turning to Chen Ming and Chen Shi, he added, “Don’t listen to your sister-in-law’s complaints, remember your brothers’ kindness.”
Chen Ming decided against purchasing the house, stating, “While this house is appealing, I don’t have enough money on hand. Let’s forget it, we can’t afford it. Let’s go, save up for the future and consider buying later.”
Seeing Chen Ming decide against buying a house, Chen Ye felt no urgency to become a city dweller. He remarked, “I’ll wait a bit longer, save up more money, and then buy.”
On their way home, the Old Lady contemplated that the second son could certainly afford the house but was deterred by Mrs. Hu’s emotional outburst.
The Old Lady felt that it wasn’t easy for Chen Ye to save one hundred taels of private funds, and the second household had already contributed significantly to the eldest brother. After returning home, she decided that the third son needed to contribute more.
At present, the third son lived comfortably, with shares in the restaurant and skewer business, earning a monthly income. With their prosperity, supporting their brothers with forty to fifty taels each would enable the eldest brother to purchase a better-located house. Once the eldest bought, the second could follow suit.
With all three sons having properties in the city, not just in their village but even in the entire town, they would be unmatched.
The Old Lady hoped for harmony among her three sons, leading comfortable lives. Especially if the second and third sons were doing well, she would feel even more for the eldest son, who had sacrificed the most for the family.
Upon returning home, she invited Chen Shi into her room and discreetly informed him about Chen Ming secretly giving the eldest one hundred taels of private funds. She then said, “Your life is comfortable, so give your eldest brother forty to fifty taels more to help them buy a better courtyard in the city.”
Chen Shi was surprised by the request and explained, “Mother, I may earn more than my eldest brother, but my expenses are also higher. I’m tight on funds now, and even with all our savings, I don’t have that much.”
Unconvinced and displeased, the Old Lady retorted, “The richer you get, the stingier you become. In the past, even when you were poor, you helped your brother repair his house. Now as a successful businessman, you can’t spare forty to fifty taels. It’s not about favoring your brother over you, it’s about understanding that your brother raised you with difficulty. Now that you’re doing well, it’s time to support them.”
Feeling indignant, Chen Shi responded, “Have I not given enough to my brother’s family? I lent them money to renovate their courtyard, and last year, I gave them seventy taels. My family isn’t better off than the second brother’s. They have Feng’s assistance, but I can’t rely on that. My son is growing up, my daughter is getting married this year, and I still owe my in-laws money. The dowry for my daughter has depleted all my savings, and I have no reserves left. I even plan to borrow from Feng when needed. I’ll repay her once the restaurant yields dividends.”
The Old Lady was shocked and scolded, “What? You emptied your family’s coffers for your daughter’s dowry? Are you foolish? The Yang family has plenty of money, why would you bankrupt yourself for them? You can’t pour from an empty cup. How could you deplete your family’s resources for your daughter’s dowry? No, I disagree. It must be Zhang’s influence, I need to have a serious talk with her.”
Chen Shi retorted, “You always say, ‘Use hands as big as the bowl’, so why do you keep asking money from brothers? Both I and the second brother have contributed significantly. Besides, the eldest brother isn’t short on money, having purchased so much land this year. You care for your son, and I care for my daughter. If I can take on debt to build a house for my brother to become a landlord, why can’t I take on debt for my daughter’s marriage?”
At this point, the Old Lady realized that persisting in these demands would strain the relationships among the brothers. Provoking the second and third sons would ultimately disadvantage the eldest.
Softening her tone, she said, “Alright, let’s drop it. Don’t be upset. You have indeed helped your eldest brother in the past, and I only wanted all my sons to become city dwellers, hence my asking. Your eldest brother doesn’t know about this. Let’s forget it, you don’t have to give anything. Let’s pretend I never mentioned it.”
She then wiped away tears with her handkerchief.
Seeing his tearful mother and hearing Mrs. Hu’s loud voice from the yard, Chen Shi pondered and gritted his teeth, “Mother, I’ll give another twenty taels to the eldest brother. We truly have no money left at home. I’ll have to borrow the twenty taels from the restaurant first and repay it at year-end after receiving dividends. Please inform the eldest brother and sister-in-law, they can buy the house on Back West Street with this money. It should be enough for renovations and furniture, enabling them to become city dwellers without spending a penny. It’s convenient to enter and exit the city from there, and goods are much cheaper…”