Upon seeing the empty money pouch, Xu Huaixian hesitated in handing over his own funds and quietly withdrew his hand.
Better not.
Too risky to give him control.
Chen Liejiu remained oblivious to this subtle gesture. After surrendering the pouch, he eagerly led Xu Huaixian to the oxcart, pointing proudly at the medicinal boxes. "See? Didn't squander it—all spent wisely on your remedies!"
He opened one lacquered box. "Wanted to buy ginseng at the pharmacy, but the physician said it needs complementary ingredients—too costly."
"Instead, they recommended this—Baorong Pills, their clinic's specialty. Also ginseng-based, treats your condition, and affordable!"
"How affordable?" Xu Huaixian eyed him skeptically. Empty purse yet claiming bargains?
"Ten taels per box," Chen Liejiu announced grandly. "Sixty pills—two daily doses lasting a month!"
"Raw ten-year ginseng costs ten taels too, barely enough for few brews. These use thirty-year ginseng—bought three boxes for three months' treatment!"
Xu Huaixian nearly choked coughing. "...Three boxes? No fear of fraud?"
"None!" Chen Liejiu shook his head. "Went to Ji'an Clinic—county's largest! Branches across Changnan Province. Wouldn't risk reputation over thirty taels."
Xu Huaixian raised an eyebrow. "That established?"
With thirteen provinces under the Jin Dynasty, spanning such territory indicated formidable backing—hardly likely to scam over petty sums.
Chen Liejiu smirked. "Naturally." As if I'd be duped.
Ignoring his smugness, Xu Huaixian examined the three porcelain bottles. "Buying three boxes—didn't demand freebies?"
Chen Liejiu froze. "...Freebies?"
"Like red dates or wolfberries." Nutritious snacks complementing medicine.
Chen Liejiu looked baffled. "Pharmacies give freebies?"
Xu Huaixian sighed. Hopeless.
"And the remaining six taels?" Thirty spent on medicine left six from the original thirty-six.
"Here!" Chen Liejiu revealed more boxes beneath. "Bird's nest—one tael per piece, six total."
Doctor Sun had prescribed ginseng and bird's nest for Xu Huaixian's nourishment. Now secured, Chen Liejiu felt accomplished.
Xu Huaixian studied the snowy bird's nest, conflicted. "Nothing for yourselves?"
"Wanted to," Chen Liejiu shrugged, pockets inside-out, "but broke."
His candidness dissolved Xu Huaixian's reservations. Smiling, he handed over the money house's red envelope.
Chen Liejiu's eyes widened at five gleaming silver ingots. "This much?!"
He'd expected ten, twenty taels at most for the repayment plan—not fifty!
Xu Huaixian's lips curled slightly. Who do you think negotiated this?
Visiting a money house without fleecing them would've been wasteful. Beyond installment plans, he'd proposed flexible interest rates, seasonal repayment adjustments, and profit models—tailoring collections to harvest cycles when farmers could sell produce.
This ensured steady cash flow for both debtors and the money house.
The manager, recognizing the goldmine in Xu Huaixian's ideas—especially paired with Chen Liejiu's introductions and Xu's "frail scholar" act—generously compensated the advice.
"More," Xu Huaixian added, presenting another box. "A medicinal gift."
Chen Liejiu opened it—dried silver ear fungus. Not extravagant but thoughtful, targeting Xu's cough. Chen Liejiu had wanted some but lacked funds earlier.
"Now your treatments are complete!" Chen Liejiu beamed, admiration shining. "You're amazing!"
His radiant smile warmed Xu Huaixian. "Now with funds, what do you all desire?"
Chen Liejiu hesitated. "Perhaps save? Future medicine costs..."
Fifty taels seemed ample before, but divided over months of treatment and tonics, it dwindled quickly.
"Save, but also spend," Xu Huaixian disagreed. "Frugality shouldn't deprive joy."
...Within reason.
Then, the man who preached fiscal responsibility led everyone into a cosmetics shop, meticulously inquiring about moisturizing creams.
As Xu Huaixian sampled products under the shopkeeper's guidance, his family exchanged exasperated glances.
This vanity!
Unheard, Xu Huaixian spent eight mace on four jars of anti-wrinkle face cream and a intricately crafted red hair ribbon.
Exiting, he distributed a jar to each family member.
"One was enough—why three extras?" Chen Liejiu and Xiaomei frowned at the "waste."
"Family shares equally," Xu Huaixian told Wang Wanwan, ignoring them. "The clerk said this doubles as hand cream. Girls should stay lovely."
Wang Wanwan stared at her work-roughened hands, eyes glistening. "I..."
Xu Huaixian smiled. "Ask when you need more."
Overwhelmed, Wang Wanwan simply nodded. "Thank you, Second Brother."
Understanding dawned on Chen Liejiu—he'd overlooked her insecurities. Without hesitation, he gave his jar to her too. "Use mine for hands. Don't skimp—it's cheap."
Moments ago, he'd deemed it extravagant.
Wang Wanwan laughed tearfully. "Thank you, Big Brother."
Xiaomei offered hers next, but Wang Wanwan booped her nose. "Keep yours—unless you want to be 'Little Charcoal' someday?"
A tease—Xiaomei's skin was snow-white like Chen Liejiu's, her round face and sparkling eyes radiating vitality.
"Alright." Xiaomei pocketed it but stuck to Xu Huaixian like glue, silently shadowing him.
In the grocery, Xu Huaixian bought her malt candy—eight coppers per tael—but she refused the five-tael packet.
"What do you want then?" Xu Huaixian asked while confirming rice purchases.
"I—" Xiaomei began, but the clerk summoned him for payment.
Polished rice: five coppers per sheng. Flour: eight coppers. Xu Huaixian bought five dou of each—enough to avoid pests but not hoard excessively.
No rapeseed oil here—locals used flaxseed or sesame oil. Soybean oil, though cheaper at 160 coppers per sheng (versus 50 for flaxseed, 70 for sesame), remained costly due to low extraction yields.
Still, Xu Huaixian bought two sheng—his stomach rejected flaxseed oil's flavor, and sesame oil, a condiment in his memory, felt wrong for cooking.
Beyond Xiaomei's candy, he purchased:
1 jin of cane sugar (10 coppers/tael)2 jin of salt (50 coppers)
Total: 1,340 coppers.
Xu Huaixian declared "40 coppers" inauspicious—"clashing with his fate"—demanding a discount or walking away.
The shopkeeper, fearing to lose a silver-tael customer over mere coppers, relented—adding two jin of vinegar as appeasement.
Pleased, Xu Huaixian promised future patronage, mollifying the grudgingly respectful merchant.
His family watched, stunned. Transactions could work this way?!
"Learn this," Xu Huaixian patted Xiaomei's awestruck head outside, "saves fortunes."
"Now," he jingled leftover coins, "time to fulfill your brother's promise."
—Eat flavorful, drink spicy.
Their faces lit up. Past town visits, Chen Liejiu would splurge at Laike Restaurant for meaty feasts. They assumed Xu Huaixian would too.
Instead, the quartet sat at a bustling wonton stall, each with a steaming bowl.
Chen Liejiu sighed. "This is your 'flavorful and spicy'?"
"Indeed." Xu Huaixian added spoonfuls of the stall's signature chili-oil to his bowl. "Aren't the wontons fragrant, the broth piquant?"
The trio exchanged glances but ate without complaint. Thin wrappers, plump fillings, and fiery chili created humble yet satisfying flavors.
"Saved dozens today—only affordable wontons," Xu Huaixian said between bland bites. "Next savings hundreds, we'll feast at Laike Restaurant."
A promise for the distant, uncertain future.
He'd glimpsed the restaurant's prices—exorbitant for flaxseed-oil-fried dishes. Money required prudent management—spend where needed, waste nowhere