Allure of a Country Maiden-Chapter 59 - 57 Still Wanting Silver

Chapter 59: Chapter 57: Still Wanting Silver

Chapter 59 -57: Still Wanting Silver

Shen Chengyao and his three sons spent the whole night in a daze and fits of laughter, until Mrs.

Liu, who had held herself back until after dinner, could no longer bear their strange behaviour, “What’s gotten into you all?

Have you found some silver?”

Upon hearing her words, Jinghao hugged Mrs.

Liu, exclaiming, “Mother, you’re truly incredible!”

Not understanding their sudden strange behaviour, she turned to Xiao’er, “What’s happened to them?”

“Indeed, we have found some silver!” replied Xiao’er nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders.

This offhand remark infuriated the two brothers, “Mother, we found a lot of silver today!

Our family is going to be rich.”

“What, you really found some silver?

How much did you find?

We can’t be doing anything unethical, silver isn’t something that just blows in the wind, we must turn the silver over to the government!” Although she didn’t expect them to have really found silver, let alone found enough to claim they would be wealthy, she was joking.

She feared that if they hastily kept this silver for themselves, it might bring trouble to the family.

“Mother, don’t worry, it isn’t like you think.” Xiao’er brought out the pearls they had “found” that day and put them on the kang bed.

When Mrs.

Liu saw the different-sized coloured pearls on the navy cotton, she was gobsmacked.

“These, these pearls…

are found?

These things are obviously valuable, only the wealthy could afford something like this.

We must immediately bring these to the government, otherwise if they think we stole them, it’ll be our misfortune!”

“It’s not like that, my dear wife, we found these inside river clams that we dredged from the river today, they didn’t belong to anyone.”

“Yes, mother, it was father and us who pulled them out of the river.”

Jinghao told her the whole story of what had happened that afternoon.

Hearing it, Mrs.

Liu finally relaxed, and then she too began to feel like she was walking on clouds.

Xiao’er decided to make them even happier.

She went to her room, dragged over the bag of herbs, and from there, found the ginseng, “Father, mother, I found a ginseng plant up the mountain today.”

The family members looking at the ginseng in Xiao’er’s hand which had already taken a human form were all stunned.

They had never seen ginseng before, but seeing this humanoid radish with long whiskers, they were sure it must be ginseng.

Shen Chengyao wondered how it was that he had never encountered ginseng in all his trips up the mountain, wait a moment, up the mountain?

“Xiao’er, did you go up the mountain by yourself?

Did you go into the deep mountains?” Shen Chengyao’s tone gradually grew more solemn, and his expression grew stricter.

“No, I had gone to dig in the forest that brother said was unlucky.”

Hearing this, Mrs.

Liu quickly pulled Xiao’er over, looking her up and down, “My girl, why did you go there?

No one in the village dares to!

Don’t you care about your life?”

“Didn’t I say you weren’t allowed to go?

Why did you still go?” Jingrui was also angry.

“Sister, why are you so disobedient!” Jinghao also felt that she was too daring.

“Father, mother, brother, and young brother, listen to me.

My master once told me about a tree that he had seen abroad, it’s called a rubber tree.

The tree leaks something called latex which is very useful.

The rubber that is made from latex can be used to make many things, like waterproof soles on shoes.

Even rubber mugs can’t be broken.

I planned to dig a well in our wasteland and then fit a water pump on it.

The water pump also needs a rubber sealing ring.

Furthermore, rubber can be made into various toys.

In short, it is useful for many things.

However, I do not know whether it can be made or not.” Feeling moved, she realized that Shen Chengyao and Mrs.

Liu had not let the impressive amounts of money muddle their minds.

They had worried about her safety the moment they heard about her going up the mountain.

The excitement they had had a moment ago was gone, replaced by concern for her.

Having such a family after crossing over was more than she could ask for.

“If that thing is so useful, then they can’t be unlucky trees.

They are indeed treasure trees.” Jinghao exclaimed.

“Uncle, aunty, have you gone to bed?” Shen Jingwen’s knock and question came from outside the door.

Upon hearing the sound, Jinghao quickly packed up the pearls littered on the kang bed and hid them in the cupboard.

Jingrui did the same with the ginseng.

Shen Chengyao and Mrs.

Liu smiled at their two sons, “No, aunty will open the door for you soon.”

“No need, my father is asking for you in the main room.” Shen Jingwen finished speaking and returned to the main room.

Upon hearing this, Mrs.

Liu and Shen Chengyao told their children to go to bed early, and the two of them headed to the main room.

Xiao’er wanted to hear what Master Shen had to say, “I will go with father and mother.”

The two brothers also accompanied them, and the whole family proceeded to the main room.

Upon entering, Jinghao spotted Mr.

Shen and asked, “Grandfather, did you enjoy the fish tonight?

I caught it myself and saved the big ones especially for you and grandma.

Was the fish fresh?”

Mr.

Shen was pleased to hear this, “So the fish was caught by Jinghao.

No wonder it was so delicious.

I knew you all were dutiful; always remembering your grandfather and grandmother even when there are good things available.”

Mr.

Shen pointed to the stools under the kang bed, “Sit down, you must be quite tired after a day’s work.”

In the main room, besides the primary family and Shen Yuzhu, no one else had ever sat on the kang bed.

Once Shen Chengyao and Mrs.

Liu were seated, Mr.

Shen asked, “I heard you bought the mountain land and two barren mountains at the edge of the village?”

Shen Chengyao nodded, “I told you last night, didn’t I?

I bought some wasteland to build a house.”

“Nonsense, are you squandering your money?

That land has neither water nor fertility,” Mr.

Shen scolded.

He had been farming for decades and was thus quite familiar with the land.

Those wastelands and barren mountains wouldn’t mature for ten or eight years, and wouldn’t grow much of anything but grass, which outmatched crops.

Even weeding would be quite troublesome.

“As for water, we can either fetch it from behind the mountain or dig a few wells,” Shen Chengyao explained.

“If it were really possible to draw water from behind the mountain, the generations of villagers would have done it long ago.

There wouldn’t be any wasteland left!

Digging wells costs three to two silver taels per well.

How many wells will be enough for such a large piece of land!

If this isn’t squandering money, then I don’t know what is!” Mr.

Shen grew angrier at Shen Chengyao’s words; he had even heard the villagers calling Shen Chengyao a fool!

Xiao’er, seeing that Mr.

Shen was about to continue his reproach, quickly interjected, “Grandfather, now that we have bought the land already, my mom and dad had no choice but to purchase some wasteland because we ran out of money.”

Hearing this, Mr.

Shen didn’t go on about the wasteland, “I know that your niece is already betrothed and will be married next year.

Her dowry, your nephew’s school expenses, the cost of the rural examination; every one of these is a matter of money.

And today we spent another forty taels of silver. freeωebnovēl.c૦m

We’re really scraping the bottom of the barrel.

If you have any spare money, help your eldest brother out.”

“Grandfather, we just hired some people to reclaim the wasteland and we also need to prepare to build a house.

Therefore, we are short of money as well.

We plan to send my brothers to school in the spring, but we are also worried about not having enough money and we’re even thinking of borrowing some from uncle.”

Mrs.

Zhuang Lin gave Xiao’er a glowering look.

“Without a house to live in now, what’s the matter?

If you don’t have enough money, that’s great, don’t build a house.

Give your eldest brother’s family the money for their needs.

Not everyone can read.

What’s the use of wasting money in vain?

This money should be used for Jingwen’s examination,” she stated.

Xiao’er’s anger flared upon hearing this.

So, it wasn’t right to spend their own money on themselves?

The angrier she got, the calmer she became, “Sister Bao’er’s gold hairpin is really beautiful.

The silver bracelet on her hand is also very delicately made.

I have not seen my eldest cousin wear this before.

Is it newly purchased?”

“Of course.

That gold hairpin is a new design from the Golden Jade Hall.

It costs ten taels of silver each.

I have one too.

Bao’er gave it to me.” Hearing this, Shen Yuzhu straitened her back, raising her head with pride, implying that she had a set as well.

Shen Bao’er muttered a curse under her breath, shot Shen Yuzhu a warning glance, but unfortunately it went unnoticed.

Xiao’er sneered internally, ‘One need not fear God-like opponents, but pig-like teammates.’ “The gold hairpin that big cousin wore yesterday was different.

Is that also new?”

“That’s already last month’s style, and it costs about eight taels of silver each.

You, a country bumpkin, wouldn’t understand.

Bao’er and I buy a new hairpin every time a new style comes out.”

“My aunt and cousin must be rich.

My mother has always been wearing only a wooden hairpin all these years.” Except for Shen Yuzhu, who had remained oblivious, everyone else in the room changed their expressions.

Upon hearing this, Shen Chengyao stood up, “Father, we’re also tight on money lately.

From a girl’s perspective, there is no need to buy new jewelry every month.

If we save that money, it should be enough for my elder brother’s family.

After all, we are just farmers.” He then gestured to Xiao’er towards Mrs.

Liu, “Let’s go.

We have to get up early to reclaim the wasteland tomorrow.”

“Father, mom, we’re going to bed.

Rui’er, Hao’er, you two should also go to bed early.” After saying that, Mrs.

Liu followed Shen Chengyao.

Only then did Shen Yuzhu realize that she had spoken out of turn.

She glanced guiltily at Shen Bao’er.