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Old Tan carefully examined the silver notes in his hand, confirming they were real. Overcome with excitement, he was speechless for a moment. “Yiliang… these silver notes? These silver notes?”
Tan Yiliang knew what his father was about to ask. Squinting his eyes, he smiled and said, “Father, these silver notes really came from the Lingzhi mushrooms we sold. Not a bit more, not a bit less—exactly four hundred taels.”
Old Tan took several deep breaths, his legs trembling as he slowly walked over to Wan Chunmei. With joy, he said, “Wife, this is four hundred taels of silver! Four hundred taels! Our Tan family is finally going to live a good life!”
Wan Chunmei nodded repeatedly, her face glowing with a smile. “Yes, husband, our family will no longer go hungry.”
“Right, right!”
It was a happy occasion, yet Old Tan’s nose slightly tinged with tears, nearly overwhelmed with emotion.
“Ah!” Tan Yiliang called out, pulling his father back from his reverie.
Old Tan quickly turned to him and asked, “Yiliang, what is it?”
Tan Yiliang pointed toward the house that was almost finished and said with a grin, “Father, don’t you think our house might be too small?”
Old Tan glanced in the direction Tan Yiliang was pointing, then nodded. “It is a little small, but it’s enough to live in. What’s the matter?”
Tan Yiliang quickly replied, “Father, now that we have silver, doesn’t that mean we can build a bigger house?”
Old Tan, still adjusting to the idea of having silver, paused for a moment, then nodded slowly. “Well, yes, but our little house is almost finished.”
“You’re silly!” Wan Chunmei immediately chimed in with a laugh. “Husband, once the little house is finished, we can move into it, tear down this old house, and build a bigger one.”
Old Tan, hearing this, nodded enthusiastically, gripping the silver notes tightly in his hand. “That’s right, that’s right. We’ll use the land in the backyard to build a two-entry courtyard house.”
“Exactly, Yiliang will be getting married in a few years. We can reserve it for his new house,” Wan Chunmei added with a smile, her face filled with dreams of the future.
Hearing this, Old Tan made up his mind. He handed the silver notes to Wan Chunmei and turned to go to the Yu family to discuss the plans for rebuilding the house.
Wan Chunmei looked at Old Tan’s hurried departure, her face filled with a satisfied smile.
After Old Tan left, Tan Yiliang drank several cups of water to quench his thirst and relieve his fatigue. Once he felt better, he turned and began unpacking the items he had brought back from the county.
Little Qiyue, seeing the bundles of goods, became excited. She stretched out her little hands and motioned for him to pick her up.
Tan Yiliang immediately realized she was craving something and slowly took a package of chestnut cakes from his sleeve. He unwrapped it and handed her one, gently smiling as he said, “Little Qiyue, don’t rush, don’t rush. Take your time and eat slowly.”
Little Qiyue carefully held the soft chestnut cake in her hands, nibbling at it cautiously with her tiny teeth, savoring each bite.
Tan Yiliang watched his little sister with a smile on his face, his heart filling with warmth.
Wan Chunmei handed Little Qiyue over to him, and then asked about the Lingzhi sale.
Tan Yiliang briefly explained and also mentioned the encounter with his grandfather and step-grandmother on the road.
Wan Chunmei’s expression darkened, and she asked seriously, “Did you have any interaction with them?”
Tan Yiliang quickly shook his head and said, “No, no, I just kept going and didn’t pay attention to them.”
Wan Chunmei’s face softened a little. She moved the items Tan Yiliang brought into the house, tidying up as she spoke. “From now on, just act like those two don’t exist.”
In the past, she had still held out a bit of hope because Wan Old Man was her father. Even though he treated her poorly, she always thought things might improve. But ever since she gave birth to Tan Liujin, and none of her family had come to see her, she had completely given up. Now, all she felt was disdain and resentment toward them.
Although Tan Yiliang wasn’t particularly sharp, he understood the situation to some degree. He quickly responded, “Understood, Mother.”
After saying that, he picked up Little Qiyue and went outside to check on the house being built next door.
Little Qiyue squinted her eyes slightly, a faint smile forming on her round face. There was an indescribable aura about her expression.
She finished the last bite of her chestnut cake, clapped her hands, and looked toward the direction of Wan Family’s third son’s house in the distance.
In her clear eyes, there was a flash of coldness.