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Even if you spend all your money, it will come back again.

Author: Shu Ke

The Ning family has a son who is as beautiful as jade.

Yu means beautiful jade.

The Ning family had a son who lived up to his name, gentle and refined. By the age of fifteen, his talent had spread far and wide, making him a well-known scholar in the city. He was of pure character, spoke eloquently, and was impeccably handsome. He was the object of affection for countless girls, and wherever he went, he attracted attention. By the time he turned eighteen, matchmakers were lining up at his door to propose marriage.

Unfortunately, although this young master Ning Yu appeared gentle, he also possessed the pride of an ordinary talented man and was unwilling to easily agree to the marriage. The Ning family's lineage had never been prosperous, and by the time of Master Ning, he only had this one son left, which made him extremely anxious.

Finally, some busybodies secretly discovered that the girl Ning Yu admired was actually Miss Wenqin.

"A match made in heaven by the sound of the zither," the third young lady of the Wen family, whose maiden name was Wenqin, was sixteen years old. She was beautiful and gentle. The beginning of their love was truly because Ning Yu played the zither so well that the beautiful lady came to visit after hearing the sound, and she fell in love at first sight.

Like other wealthy families in the city, the Ning family was well-off and owned a bank, which was quite famous in the area. When they learned of their son's feelings, Master Ning was overjoyed. He thought that the Ning family and the Wen family were a good match and that it was best to do good things as soon as possible. So he hurriedly picked an auspicious day and sent someone to propose marriage. The Wen family was satisfied with Ning Yu's good reputation and the fact that she was the only heir to the Ning family business. Soon the marriage was settled.

When young men and women fall in love, they inevitably spend time together under the moon and flowers, making vows of eternal love, whispering sweet nothings, and entwining with each other. After the engagement is arranged, the two gradually shed their initial shyness and openly appear as a couple. The whole city knows that they are a perfect match, a match made in heaven, causing countless young girls to have their dreams shattered and their hearts broken.

In the dim light, two figures embraced tenderly.

Only an old man stood on the street corner, letting out a sigh that no one could hear: "Such a fine physique for martial arts, yet he chose to get involved in calligraphy and painting. What a pity!"

.

A strong wind blew all night, and a huge fire broke out all night.

Everyone was jolted awake. The firelight illuminated half of the city, and everyone was terrified. Screams and cries filled the air. The wind continued, and the fire spread rapidly, affecting several nearby households, including the largest Ning Family Bank, which was right next door.

Fate played a cruel trick. The bank was too close to the fire, and by the time the fire was discovered, it was too late. The floor collapsed quickly, and the entire bank was engulfed in flames. Master Ning tried several times to go in himself, but his wife and children desperately stopped him. He couldn't care less about his reputation and knelt down to beg everyone for help. Unfortunately, the neighbors were all looking after their own homes and had no time to care about someone else's bank. Although more than a dozen employees ran around trying to put out the fire, it was all in vain and they were powerless to save the day.

All the account books were burned to ashes, and Master Ning fainted several times.

Ning Yu, dressed in flowing white, was lost in the crowd. She had never encountered such a great upheaval before. She wanted to help put out the fire and take stock of the losses, but she was also worried that her elderly and frail parents would not be able to withstand the blow. She was too busy to think about anything and was in a state of panic.

A dark cloud flew in silently and landed on the high city wall.

Gazing at the blood-red flames in the distance, the old man laughed loudly: "It's fate! It's fate!"

A wealthy young master would never pursue a particular profession, but things can change when he's desperate. And he happens to need an apprentice, a successor.

.

At dawn, the city's largest bank was gone, replaced by broken stones and ruins, black dust washed away by the water, and a few charred, smoking logs. A large crowd of people surrounded the ruins; they were all customers of the Ning family's bank. Panicked by the bank's collapse, people rushed to the door to cash out their money, creating chaos.

Those close to them sighed, while their enemies rejoiced. Fortunately, the Ning family's bank had a good reputation, so they swallowed their pride and said many kind words, finally managing to send everyone away.

But the money still had to be repaid. Seeing that the situation was hopeless, he really couldn't come up with much money to repay these debts. On the third night after the incident, Master Ning bowed a few times in front of the ancestral tablets, and then hanged himself when no one was paying attention. When he was found dead, the whole family held a funeral and wept bitterly. Ning Yu naturally wore mourning clothes and endured the grief to handle the affairs of state.

Before Master Ning was even buried, creditors came knocking again. Ning Yu, disregarding his grief, humbled himself and offered all sorts of polite words, finally settling the matter with some cash. But misfortune never comes singly; the blow to Madam Ning caused her to fall seriously ill. The servants and stewards all left, and the creditors came daily demanding payment. Ning Yu had no choice but to use the family's remaining silver to pay off some of them. For those who didn't receive their money, he had to move his belongings to pay off the debts, leaving the Ning family destitute. Fortunately, Miss Wenqin was sensible and not a heartless person. She would often secretly visit him and even used her own savings to pay for the old lady's medical treatment. However, Madam Ning was old and could not bear all this. She passed away in less than two months, leaving behind a tragic situation where even the cost of her coffin could not be raised.

In just two months, the Ning family held two funerals, leaving only Ning Yu. She had done everything she could, and finally, the creditors demanded the house deed. Just when she was at her wit's end, her old nemesis, Young Master Yu, came knocking on her door.

He smiled and waved his folding fan: "Brother, I have an idea. My father has been thinking about opening a bank for a long time. Now that everyone is here, we just happen to be short of an accountant. I have heard a lot about Brother Ning's talent. If you are willing to take the job for five years, I will help you keep this ancestral home. What do you say?"

This young master Yu is quite talented, but he and Ning Yu have always been at odds. Making this condition is nothing more than an attempt to humiliate him. How could anyone tolerate a dignified young master of the Ning family being reduced to a bookkeeper?

Ning Yu remained silent for a while before calmly replying, "Okay."

.

The Yu family's bank opened soon, on the site of the former Ning family's bank. The accountant behind the counter was none other than Ning Yu. Some people felt sorry for him, while others sympathized with him. However, Ning Yu himself remained indifferent to all of this. He watched as his former friends were all won over and befriended by Young Master Yu, but he remained calm. The only thing that made him a little uneasy was that Miss Wenqin had not been heard from for a long time.

Half a month later, Master Wen invited him over, but said that his daughter had reached the age to marry him and could not wait any longer, urging him to marry her as soon as possible.

Not only was the mourning period not over, but Ning Yu also had no money to marry her, so he had no choice but to politely decline.

Master Wen was very displeased: "Nephew, there is always an exception to everything. My daughter is now over sixteen. If you wait for her to observe three more years of mourning, wouldn't that be a waste of her youth?"

Ning Yu remained silent for a while before saying, "This junior wishes to annul the engagement."

Master Wen was overjoyed: "My dear nephew, you are a man of extraordinary talent and will surely prosper in the future. You will have every woman in the world at your disposal. My daughter is plain-looking and not worthy of you. I am willing to return the betrothal gifts and add two hundred taels to help you..."

Ning Yu interrupted him: "No need."

The day before yesterday, the Yu family sent someone to act as matchmaker and inquire about the family's name. Master Wen was very satisfied. The Yu family was wealthy and powerful, while the Ning family had already fallen into decline. How could Ning Yu afford to marry his daughter to him? Seeing that he was willing to break off the engagement and did not want any money, Master Wen did not force him. He secretly laughed at his aloofness, casually offered a few words of comfort, and then signed a written agreement to annul the engagement.

.

Night, two jars of wine, the Ning family compound empty.

"The bright moon is my witness, our hearts are one, and we will never betray each other." Pointing to the half-moon on the wall, he smiled, took a sip of wine, and recited the vow he made back then, word by word.

She loved his talent, enjoyed reciting poetry with him, watched him paint, and listened to him play the zither. But overnight, he had nothing left but these things, and she wanted to break off the engagement.

I did not betray you, but you betrayed me.

He took another sip of wine.

So be it. Money has caused countless people to turn against each other throughout history, let alone someone as pampered as her. That gentle girl, with her beautiful, soft black hair and shy face, can she endure hardship with him now?

He hugged the wine jar and drank it down, yet his mind remained remarkably clear.

At that moment, someone spoke.

"Kid, do you want money?"

.

Before anyone knew it, a thin old man dressed in black sat down beside them, his eyes gleaming, his gaze sharp and piercing, with a sinister smile on his face.

Ning Yu paused for a moment, then said, "Yes."

The old man said, "I can make you rich."

Ning Yu shook his head: "Although I am poor, I know the principle that one should not accept rewards without merit, and that the poor should not accept food offered with contempt."

The old man raised an eyebrow: "Even if you had the money to marry that Miss Wen, you wouldn't want her?"

Ning Yu smiled and picked up the wine jar again: "Even if she marries me now, what will the future hold? If she follows me, she will always suffer."

The old man smiled and asked, "You like Miss Wen?"

Ning Yu made no attempt to hide her feelings: "Yes."

“If you continue to be as wealthy as ever, she can live well,” the old man waved his hand as he was about to speak. “Don’t worry, I won’t give you anything; I just want to teach you how to make money.”

Ning Yu put down the wine jar and said in a low voice, "No need. If you are willing to lend me five hundred taels of silver, I will definitely repay it with interest after one year."

The old man said, "I'm afraid Miss Wen won't be able to wait that long."

Ning Yu was stunned.

The old man said, "Silly boy, there must be a reason why the Wen family is in such a hurry for you to break off the engagement. Young Master Yu will be coming to propose in three days."

Ning Yu froze.

The old man laughed: "I have a way to make you a thousand gold pieces in three days. Do you want it?"

Ning Yu was stunned for a long time before slowly lowering her head.

"If you won't listen, then forget it." The old man got up and left.

Seeing that he was about to walk out of the courtyard gate, Ning Yu finally couldn't help but call out to him, "Old man, please wait!"

The old man did indeed stop.

Ning Yu rose and bowed: "May I ask your honorable name, sir? I am fully prepared to listen to your guidance..."

The old man had a headache: "I can't stand these sour words."

Ning Yu immediately shut her mouth and stood respectfully.

The old man said, "My name is Jin Yue. You may have heard of this name before."

.

The Ning family wasn't a martial arts family, but the name "Jin Yue" transcended the martial arts world. Simply put, three years ago, Jin Yue, the leader of the Thousand Hands Sect, infiltrated the palace and stole a gold button from the emperor's robe, leaving a note claiming he had a bet and needed it for three months. Sure enough, three months later, when the emperor attended court, the button was already on the dragon throne in the Golden Palace. The emperor was helpless in this situation. The Thousand Hands Sect had a long history of leaders visiting the palace, a feat even the palace guards couldn't detect. Moreover, no one knew when they would arrive, making them impossible to guard against. Fortunately, while these thieves were skilled, they weren't malicious. Most of the time, they entered and left the palace simply to make bets, stealing only small treasures. Therefore, the emperor turned a blind eye; if he caught them, he caught them; if not, he ignored them. Thus, most cases were left unresolved, and the Thousand Hands Sect and the court gradually developed a tacit understanding of peaceful coexistence.

Ning Yu was shocked: "Could you be the leader of the Thousand Hands Sect?"

Jin Yue laughed: "As long as you are willing to become my disciple, you can take any treasure in the world and use it all. Why would you have to worry about not having money?"

Ning Yu retorted, "Old man, you are mistaken. My family has an upright reputation, and I am educated and reasonable. How could I be a thief and do such a thing!"

Jin Yue said, "Although many of my Thousand Hands Sect members are thieves, there is a rule that we do not harm the elderly, weak, women, or children. We mostly steal from the rich and heartless. They have so much money, yet they just let it rot in their coffers. What's wrong with taking the world's surplus wealth for your own use?"

Ning Yu said, "Gaining without working, or profiting through despicable means, is ill-gotten wealth."

Jin Yue said, "The Thousand Hands Cult are not ordinary thieves. Besides stealing, they have many other tricks up their sleeves, such as using poison, disguise, hidden weapons, and light-body skills. None of these are our true skills. How can money earned through our true skills be called unearned? Where is the despicable in it?"

Ning Yu raised her hand and sat down: "Thank you for your kindness, but Ning Yu would never do anything that would dishonor our ancestors and disgrace our family. I dare not listen to your teachings. Please!"

Look at those hands, tsk tsk, it's such a waste they're not in the Thousand Hands Sect! Seeing him give him the order to leave, Jin Yue wasn't angry: "You're not even willing to do this for Miss Wen's sake?"

Ning Yu said proudly, "A woman who is only interested in money is not worth treating like this."

"Tch, so many people want to become my disciples. If it weren't for your exceptional talent, would I be wasting my time here with you?" Jin Yue blew on his beard and stormed off angrily. "Since ancient times, it's always been the disciple who begs the master. Now, you have to beg to find a disciple!"

.

"The bright moon bears witness, our hearts are one, and we will never betray each other." Looking at the words on the handkerchief, Ning Yu trembled. Knowing that she had only been imprisoned by Master Wen, he felt a mix of wanting to cry and wanting to laugh.

She did not betray him, but he betrayed her first.

Three days later, the Yu family was going to come to propose marriage, but she sent her maid out secretly to beg for help, saying she would rather die than marry someone else.

The proud Ning Yu finally bowed her head and decided to plead with the Wen family.

When he stepped across that threshold again, he had never felt so embarrassed and ashamed, but what did this little bit of face matter for her?

Master Wen's attitude had cooled considerably. Upon hearing his request, he simply smiled and said, "I only have one daughter, and I naturally hope that she can have a better life in the future. The Yu family's betrothal gift is a thousand taels of silver. If my nephew can obtain a thousand taels of silver within three days, I will then betroth her to you without any problem."

Under the mocking gaze of the butler behind her, Ning Yu walked out of the Wen family's gate, her heart filled with endless despair.

One thousand taels of silver!

For the former young master of the Ning family, a thousand taels of silver was not much, but now Ning Yu doesn't even have ten taels of silver left.