Chapter 288: Chapter 287: A Man’s Dignity

After seeing off the villagers and closing the courtyard gate, only the family remained. Qin Yao finally had time to manage the family’s grain sales money.

Liu Ji’s health had improved considerably. Leaning on the stick handed to him by Second Lang, he made his way to the living room. When he saw the large basket of silver coins on the floor, his eyes lit up. He picked up a few copper coins and then tossed them back, listening to the pleasant metallic clang, curiously asking:

“Wife, how much have we made from the sales?”

Qin Yao was focusing on her abacus, and the sound of beads clicking was loud, “We sold six thousand pounds yesterday, of which one thousand pounds were from the old house, at a selling price of thirty cents per pound, totaling exactly one hundred eighty taels, less thirty taels from the old house, leaving a hundred fifty taels to account…”

Today, they sold over five thousand pounds. After subtracting the portion sold on behalf of the villagers, four thousand seven hundred pounds belonged to the family.

The selling price today was twenty-five cents per pound, accounting for 117 taels and 5 maces. Adding up the two days, it totaled 267 taels and 5 maces in silver!

Staring at the final total on Qin Yao’s abacus, Liu Ji couldn’t suppress his glee.

The original cost was only a bit over thirty taels of silver, yielding a profit of more than 230 taels.

“Wife, you’re truly amazing, to have foreseen all this, no wonder our family is thriving!” Liu Ji praised with a thumbs up.

Qin Yao turned to look at him, expressionless, asking: “Did you study your lessons today? Have you finished the practice questions? What’s your progress on the Four Books and Five Classics?”

Liu Ji took a sharp breath, turned around, and silently left the living room, returning to his room.

The sound of the door slamming shut was followed by the rustle of marks being ground inside.

Qin Yao snorted, then cheerfully asked Second Lang and others to bring ropes to string the copper coins.

The Dragon and Phoenix Twins went wild with excitement—they particularly loved this task!

Four small stools were lined up in front of the basket. As soon as Si Niang settled down, she couldn’t wait to pick up a rope, asking, “Mother, how many should we string together?”

Qin Yao instructed: “Da Lang and Second Lang string a hundred each, then Sanlang and Si Niang make a string of ten.”

The two younger ones can’t count past fifty, otherwise, there would certainly be confusion, so it’s most suitable for them to string the larger amounts.

Qin Yao waved her hand, and the four siblings immediately sprang into action, starting the repetitive, ’boring’ task of coin stringing.

But starting with a hundred coins meant Sanlang and Si Niang had no way to begin, urging impatiently: “Big brother, second brother, please hurry.”

Second Lang grumbled: “It can’t be faster, if we miscount, we must start over, oh dear, don’t talk to me, how many have I counted?”

Qin Yao reminded him: “Fifty-eight.”

Second Lang threw her a grateful look and quickly continued counting.

Da Lang was more patient, giving a small basket of copper coins to the Dragon and Phoenix Twins, letting them count ten piles each and place them on the table, which sped up stringing a hundred coins and gave the twins a sense of participation.

Qin Yao praised, “Da Lang, your method is excellent.”

The young boy blushed bashfully at the tips of his ears.

With the coins strung, Ah Wang’s dinner was also ready.

Today they ate relatively light, but meat dishes were indispensable.

There wasn’t any fresh meat at the town’s butcher stall; fortunately, a lot of cured meat had been smoked last December, and there was still some left. Eating it every so often barely manages to add a touch of luxury.

Since revealing his true identity to Qin Yao, Ah Wang now took a small stool to sit at the dining table, eating with Qin Yao’s family.

But he sat a little further away, eating quickly, and as soon as he saw the first person put down their utensils, he would immediately follow suit and get up to tidy up.

The Da Lang Brothers and Sisters were initially unaccustomed to rotating chores, but this way, they had more time to do their own activities, read, practice writing, or play with other children.

Jinhua now envied Si Niang, who not only could go out and play, but also didn’t have to help with chores. One day she returned home and said to her father Liu Zhong:

“Dad, why don’t you bring someone back from town like Uncle Third did to help with chores?”

Unexpectedly, she got well disciplined.

Second Lang was delighted to share this ’joyous’ event with their parents when suddenly there was a shout from Shunzi outside the courtyard: “Third brother, has your injury improved?”

Liu Ji, who was forced to read indoors, immediately poked his head out, curiously asking: “Shunzi? Why are you here?”

Shunzi first smiled and greeted Qin Yao and the others in the living room and then gestured towards Liu Ji’s room. With Qin Yao nodding, he walked over to Liu Ji, assisting him into the room with exceptional attentiveness:

“Third brother, you seem much better now, able to get up and walk. I must say, that ointment from Doctor Jin is really good. Third brother, look at you, the bruises on your face are gone, and you are back to being my graceful and unmatched handsome third brother…”

Listening to Shunzi’s flattery, Liu Ji felt secretly pleased, but because they shared a kindred spirit, once seated, he leaned back against the headboard, folded his arms, and smirked while asking:

“Come on, what favor do you want to ask of me?”

Asking, he glanced outside the door, not seeing Qin Yao around, he assumed Shunzi’s visit certainly had her endorsement.

Shunzi spoke straightforwardly, opening with a chuckle: “Third brother, when are you going back to the academy?”

Liu Ji himself didn’t know, but it wouldn’t be until the refugee affairs settled and the city gates reopened.

“I estimate it’ll be over half a month yet.” He was keen to return to the academy after being away for a while, at least there he wasn’t under Qin Yao’s constant watch, allowing him to catch his breath.

Unlike at home, triggering trouble meant the scolding was tolerable, but the beatings were truly dreadful.

Seeing Liu Ji’s still unrestrained carefree spirit, Shunzi clicked his tongue twice in amazement: “Third brother, having a wife like Manager Qin, you should be content.”

Now in the surrounding villages, everyone knowing the previous situation of Liu Ji’s family envied him for his ease of living.

Liu Ji snorted, “Now you’re just her lackey; don’t think I don’t know, you’ve long forgotten this third brother. Hurry and spit it out, I have no patience to speak much with a traitor!”

Sitting upright, Shunzi continued, “Third brother, the factory is organizing a literacy class, but they lack a teacher. I thought, third brother, you’re right at home and an academy student with accolades; isn’t this a coincidence…?”

Before he finished speaking, Liu Ji waved off with a triple refusal: “No, I refuse, don’t call me!”

Apparently, his visit was to recruit manpower for Qin Yao, the malicious woman; he had no intention of serving as unpaid labor.

Shunzi was at a loss for words.

“You could at least let me finish speaking…”

Liu Ji: “You traitor!”

With a sigh, Shunzi took out a cloth bag from his pocket, holding it in his hands, letting it tinkle crisply. Before he could put it down, Liu Ji swiftly snatched the bag.

Opening it, he found a string of copper coins, a complete hundred cents.

Liu Ji was overwhelmed with happiness as he grasped Shunzi’s hand, “Shunzi, do you know what this hundred cents means to a penniless man?”

A little intimidated by his reaction, Shunzi stammered, “What does it mean?”

Liu Ji sprang to his feet on the bed, wildly kissing the money bag: “It’s a man’s dignity!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep