Gathering Money

Madam Wang put down the basket of grass and went up to Tian Zhuangzhu to ask him what he had said to Wunian.

Tian Zhuangzhu looked past Madam Wang at his two sons and eldest grandson standing in the courtyard. Then he stood up and walked up to them, saying, "Let's talk at Weixin's house." As Weixin's residence was far from the main residence, Tian Zhuangzhu felt that it was safer there.

The group of people filed into the house and sat down. Tian Zhuangzhu repeated his conversation with Wunian and Juxiang word for word.

After they heard this, they dropped to the ground. Weixin said, "If I had to live this sort of life for ten years, I might as well just die."

Young Madam Wang asked, "How much would it cost to buy ourselves out all at once?"

Madam Wang, Madam Liu, and Madam Ma also hurriedly nodded, indicating that they wanted to buy themselves out.

Tian Zhuangzhu did some calculations. Every year, they would earn 19 taels of silver from the farmland and pigs. Now, with ten pigs, that would be 750 taels of silver in 15 years. In addition to the compensation for their mother, it would be a total of 1,000 taels of silver.

Tian Zhuangzhu felt that this was enough to buy out their past.

Wunian's little wood spirit came to report and told her everything they had said. Wunian nodded and said to the wood spirit, "Alright, I understand. Continue to keep an eye on them."

The wood spirit slipped away again.

Wunian patted the non-existent dust on her sleeve and said to Juxiang, "Sister, let's go out for a walk."

Yuelan, who was in Weixin's room, saw Wunian and Juxiang walking out of the courtyard door from the window and said in surprise, "They're leaving, they're leaving!"

Tian Tieshan asked her to be quiet. "They're just going out for a walk. They are not going to leave so easily."

Madam Ma said anxiously, "What should we do then?"

Madam Wang said, "What else can we do? We'll pool our money! We haven't spent much of what our family has saved all these years. Our family has a total of 280 taels of silver. Do as you deem fit!"

Madam Liu quickly said, "We don't have money. Our Weihong hasn't married yet!"

Madam Ma also said, "That's right, my Weichun doesn't have a wife either. We don't have money."

Tian Zhuangzhu slapped his thigh and said, "Since we don't have money, let's take our time and suffer then. In any case, our old bones won't last for more than a few years." As he spoke, he stood up to leave.

Tian Tieshan and Weixin grabbed Tian Zhuangzhu and said, "Don't go. Let's gather money. Women are short-sighted."

Then, Tian Zhuangzhu sat back down. Tieshan roared, "Madam Ma, bring all the money we have at home. We have to get rid of those two first!"

Madam Ma was most unwilling as she got up and went beck to her house. She returned with 50 taels. Tieshan went home and found 20 taels. A total of 70 taels were handed over to Tian Zhuangzhu.

Weixin asked Young Madam Wang to contribute 60 taels. Tian Tieniu looked at Madam Liu and said, "What are you waiting for? Go get them all. Our family has 90 taels. Don't hide it from me."

Madam Liu was so furious that smoke was almost coming out of her eyes. Did one have to be so overly honest?

This way, they gathered a total of 500 taels.

Tian Zhuangzhu then said that each of the women would have to go back to their parents' house to borrow 100 taels of silver.

Tieshan said, "We're still short of 200 taels! That's right! Doesn't Weixin have a very rich classmate? If we were to borrow from him we'll have just enough."

Actually, things were not as simple as they thought.

On this end, Wunian and Juxiang came to the house of the village chief Tian Zheng. Tian Zheng, coincidentally, was just walking out. Wunian went forward and called out, "Uncle Village Chief."

"And you are?"

"Uncle Village Chief, we are Tian Tiejun's daughters."

"Oh! You're Juxiang. You're Wunian?"

"Yes, I'm Wunian."

Juxiang also greeted him.

"Alright, alright. Come into the house." Tian Zheng led Wunian and Juxiang into the house and sat down at the stone table under the big tree in the courtyard. He then asked his daughter-in-law to serve tea.