But this was the first time Chu Qing had made such a clear request to him since they got married.
If I lose the money, I can earn it back; there's nothing to be reluctant about.
"Okay, I'll go get it."
Wei Yutang went inside and took out the box he used to store silver, then handed it to Chu Qing.
Chu Qing had only said that subconsciously, because Wei Yutang's overly generous attitude made it hard for him to feel at ease.
In his opinion, even if the money were thrown away, it would be better than giving it to the original owner's parents.
Unexpectedly, Wei Yutang didn't hesitate at all and handed the silver directly to him.
Chu Qing opened the box and took a look. There were some loose silver coins on top and some silver notes underneath. The denominations on the notes made Chu Qing subconsciously close the box. When she looked up at Wei Yutang, her eyes were filled with unconcealed shock.
After my wildly beating heart calmed down, I opened it again and took another look to make sure I really hadn't misread it.
"Why are there so many?"
"It's not much, don't worry about using it. I'll earn more if it runs out."
For Wei Yutang, this amount of silver was really not much. He didn't have any requirements for silver before, as long as it was enough for his own use. He went hunting because he didn't want to be idle.
But now that all the money had been handed over to Chu Qing, Wei Yutang recalled the scene he had just witnessed.
Chu Qing's eyes widened slightly in shock, her surprised and delighted expression giving Wei Yutang a strange sense of accomplishment.
He couldn't help but think that Chu Qing would be even happier if there were more silver in there.
"You're really willing to give me all this silver?"
Putting himself in Chu Qing's shoes, considering the things the original owner did, he definitely wouldn't feel at ease. He would be wary of Chu Qing even if it was just a tiny bit of money, wondering if Chu Qing would squander it.
"rest assured."
"We're already married, so what's mine is yours."
Wei Yutang was still thinking that although he had been trying to hide his whereabouts and not want to be found by those people, it wouldn't be a bad idea to go back if there were any special circumstances.
He even began to regret his decision, which was unusual for him. He shouldn't have been so decisive in refusing the Emperor's reward.
Looking back now, it wasn't His Majesty's appreciation or reward for him at all; it was money he could use to support his wife and children!
Chu Qing's fingertips brushed over the broken silver coins. Even during the day, he was still thinking about how to make his life better.
With so much silver in front of him, he no longer needed to consider that problem. Even if Xiaxia could become the top scholar in the imperial examination, this amount of silver would be more than enough.
"Really for me?"
Chu Qing was still somewhat unwilling to believe it, so he asked again. Wei Yutang showed no impatience, gently hummed in agreement, and placed his hand on Chu Qing's shoulder. His magnetic voice sounded gentle in the moonlight.
"They're all yours."
Chapter 108
Chu Qing frowned and put the box aside, inwardly complaining that Wei Yutang was too careless.
"What if I squander it all and ruin it?"
Given the original owner's personality, being thrifty and managing a household was simply a joke.
Wei Yutang painstakingly earned the money by hunting in the mountains every day, and he felt a pang of heartache seeing it.
“Your use of that money isn’t considered wasteful or extravagant. You can use it if you want. Earning money to support your family is what I should be doing.”
Wei Yutang gently corrected him, saying that money was just an external thing to him, and he hadn't thought of it because Chu Qing hadn't mentioned it before.
"So I'll just take it all and spend it tomorrow?"
Chu Qing's words caused Wei Yutang's eyes to darken slightly. He could guess that Chu Qing wanted to use the money to treat his father's illness, but he still gave a soft "hmm".
"good."
As long as Chu Qing can continue like this, it's fine even if he wants to use all of it to treat his father's illness.
Money can be earned again, but it's rare to see a family like this now.
Wei Yutang was not a talkative person and did not know how to express his feelings, so he stepped forward and pulled Chu Qing into his arms.
This sudden intimate gesture froze Chu Qing in place. Wei Yutang's arms had strong, muscular arms that exuded power, which was especially noticeable during the embrace.
At night, Chu Qing's heart was pounding, as if it would jump out of her throat at any moment, and she stared nervously at Wei Yutang.
Just when he thought Wei Yutang was going to do something outrageous, he simply whispered a sentence in his ear.
The warmth emanating from her voice contrasted sharply with the cool night air, filling Chu Qing's chest with a feeling of warmth.
"Let's live a good life together. You can spend the money as you like. If you need more, I'll go back and get more."
"good."
Chu Qing couldn't help but agree immediately, even forgetting for a moment to ask where she was going to get it.
When Chu Qing woke up the next day, Wei Yutang had already left. When she went to the kitchen, she saw that there was still food in the pot, and it was obvious that the best part had been left.
Xiaxia had just woken up and was rubbing her eyes as she asked her father to help her get dressed.
"Shall we go to the county town together today?"
"Um?"
A county town? Xiaxia had never heard of this place before, and a hint of confusion flashed in her eyes.
"It's a place where you can buy a lot of things. Look at the clothes you're wearing, they're all too small."
As Chu Qing spoke, he helped him pull it down a bit. Xia Xia stared at it and realized that a section was indeed sticking out. He nodded slightly.
"good."
After finishing their meal, Chu Qing carried a basket on her back and led Xia Xia towards the county town.
He didn't get up late; it was Wei Yutang who got up too early. If he went to the county town now, he could just make it back before noon to cook lunch.
Although it wasn't hot yet, after walking a lot and being exposed to the blazing sun, Chu Qing and Xia Xia were sweating in no time.
Chu Qing gently wiped Xia Xia's face, which was already bright red from the sun.
"Father, I'm not hot."
"Isn't it hot?"
"Hmm, it's not hot at all."
Even though Xiaxia was already exhausted and a little drowsy, she still stubbornly refused to let her father carry her.
After finally arriving in the county town, Chu Qing took Xia Xia to a cloth shop. After asking about the prices, he learned that buying cloth would be much cheaper, but unfortunately, he really didn't know how to make it.
They selected several bolts of fabric, had the embroiderers in the shop measure Xiaxia's size, and arranged a time to pick them up.
Yesterday, Wei Yutang gave Chu Qing a lot of silver, enough for her to squander. After leaving the cloth shop, Chu Qing turned around and went to the side, intending to buy more things that the family could use.
Everything was fine up ahead. Chu Qing was planning to buy a piece of pork. She had other meats at home, but she didn't think they tasted very good.
As they prepared to go back, Chu Qing noticed that the little guy she was holding was walking slower. She thought he was tired and was about to ask if he wanted her to carry him when she realized that he was staring longingly at the meat bun.
There was a steaming bun stall by the roadside, and the aroma of the meat buns wafted from far away, making Xiaxia so tempted that she couldn't move.
Are you hungry?
Xia Xia nodded subconsciously when he heard his father's voice. He remembered that his father had told him that his father had given him a lot of money.
"Go buy a few, we can take them home and have them for lunch."
Chu Qing walked over and bought six steamed buns, asking the vendor to wrap them up for her and put them in the basket she was carrying.
Unexpectedly, I ran into an acquaintance again at this time.
The eldest son of the Chu family went to the pharmacy to get medicine and returned home, still clutching the remaining silver in his palm. He couldn't help but worry about what his family would do after the silver was spent.
This amount of silver is far from enough, and his father's leg won't get better; it's like throwing him into water—all you can hear is a splash.
Just as he was frowning and worrying, he saw Chu Qing standing next to the vendor.
He was dressed in clean and tidy clothes, and was holding a small baby in his arms, which must have been the child.
Before, when there was no comparison, it was fine, but now that I see my younger brother living such a good life while I'm worrying about tomorrow's medicine money, I can't help but feel a little unbalanced.
When the man stood in front of her, Chu Qing simply walked past him. It wasn't until after taking two steps that she came to her senses and realized that he was the eldest brother from the original owner's memories.
Xiaxia didn't notice anything at all. She took a bite of a meat bun and was burned by the filling inside.
Because the steamed buns tasted so good and she couldn't bear to spit them out, her whole face scrunched up.
Chu Qing knelt down in front of him, frowned, and said softly:
"Spit it out."
Upon hearing this, Xiaxia swallowed it immediately, then stared at her father with wide, innocent eyes.
"I'm done eating."
The little guy was so well-behaved that Chu Qing couldn't bring herself to scold him.
"The steamed buns are very hot right out of the pot. Next time, you should blow on them to cool them down before eating."
Xiaxia nodded obediently, then ate while blowing on the food, like a little tail following behind her father.
In just one day, Chu Qing successfully turned this little guy into a complete tagalong, and now he's even more clingy than usual.
Brother Chu was furious when he saw that Chu Qing hadn't even greeted him. He quickly stepped in front of Chu Qing and said coldly:
"What's wrong with you? Dad broke his leg, and you didn't even go back to check on him?"
Chu Qing hadn't planned to greet the person after figuring out who it was, but now that he was blocking her way and asking her such a question, her dissatisfaction reached its peak.
"If I remember correctly, Father himself said that he would pretend I was not his son. Why would he want me to go back now?"
The little guy, who had been focused on following behind his father and munching on a steamed bun, instinctively stepped in front of him, frowning and saying in his sweet, childish voice:
“If you bully my father, I’ll have him beat you.”
He is still young and cannot protect his father, but his father is not young, and this person is obviously not as capable as his father.
Even before Xiaxia knew what "borrowing power from a tiger" meant, she had already mastered this tactic to the extreme.