Chapter Twenty-One: How much? Good heavens!

"Wanqiu, let's go!"

Sheng Wanqiu wished she could applaud; her aunt was just too cool. That move was brilliant, and from now on, she was Sheng Chunhua's biggest fan.

Sheng Chunhua smoothed out her rolled-up sleeves, slung her basket over her arm, and walked out with Sheng Wanqiu.

"Sister, Wanqiu, aren't you staying for a meal?" Sheng Xiahua chased after them, calling out.

"If I stay with you any longer, I'm afraid I'll die of frustration! What meal?"

"We're leaving. Take care of yourself!" Sheng Chunhua cast a sharp, exasperated look at her younger sister.

Sheng Xiahua smiled sheepishly. She knew her eldest sister had a sharp tongue but a soft heart; she was only looking out for her.

Not until they were well out of the alley did Sheng Chunhua lower her voice to ask about the ginseng.

"We'll talk about that later. Today, my treat!"

"Come on, Aunt, I know a delicious noodle shop. Let me treat you to some chicken soup noodles!"

"After we eat, I'll take you to buy some clothes and jewelry. I guarantee I'll dress you up so well that Uncle won't even be able to look away!"

Sheng Wanqiu linked her arm with Sheng Chunhua’s and walked briskly, giving her no chance to refuse. A moment later, they were already sitting in the noodle shop.

...

"How much? Oh, my heavens!"

Sheng Chunhua stood up so abruptly that Sheng Wanqiu, who was sitting on a long wooden bench, nearly tumbled over. Then, Sheng Chunhua’s hands began to tremble so violently that she couldn't even pick up her chopsticks.

"Aunt!" Sheng Wanqiu pulled her back and pressed her down onto the bench.

"What about the silver? You must keep it safe!"

"Don't give it to Grandma. Keep it yourself, just give her a little bit of pocket money, understand?" Sheng Chunhua regained her composure and immediately urged her.

Heaven knows, when Sheng Wanqiu had whispered "four thousand taels" in her ear earlier, her heart had nearly jumped out of her throat. She had never seen so much money in her life. Her niece was going to be rich!

"Aunt, I understand. After all, Grandma still has my eldest uncle and third uncle; it's not a good idea to keep too much silver on her."

Sheng Wanqiu was growing fonder of her aunt by the minute—smart, wise, bold, and thoughtful. She knew that if she simply gave her aunt the silver notes, not only would she refuse to take them, but she might even give her a scolding. It was better to buy her some things instead. Finding opportunities to help her aunt get rich together—that was what her aunt would truly appreciate.

After finishing the chicken soup noodles, Sheng Wanqiu dragged Sheng Chunhua directly to a jewelry shop. Sheng Wanqiu initially wanted to buy her a gold bracelet, but Sheng Chunhua refused. As a woman who worked around the house every day, what would it look like to wear a gold bracelet? If she accidentally lost it, she might as well jump down a well.

After much persuasion, bordering on a falling-out, Aunt Sheng finally agreed to let her niece shop for her without any further objections. In the end, Sheng Wanqiu bought her a twenty-gram silver bracelet, a pair of silver earrings, a gold ring, and a pearl hairpin. She also bought a silver bracelet and a pair of gold earrings for Grandma Sheng.

Although Sheng Chunhua complained about Wanqiu wasting money, she was secretly delighted, touching the silver bracelet on her wrist repeatedly.

"By the way, now that you have money, this won't be easy to keep secret!" Sheng Chunhua suddenly realized.

Sheng Wanqiu then explained the plan she had made with Ding Dali.

"As expected of my niece, you're as smart as I am!" Sheng Chunhua petted Wanqiu’s head affectionately. "If only your younger aunt had half your wit—even a little bit—she wouldn't be such a doormat," she sighed.

"Aunt, everyone has their own path to walk. We can only do so much; the rest depends on her," Sheng Wanqiu comforted her.

"You're right. No need to pity her. If she gets bullied by the Yang family again, I'll beat them up right along with her!" Sheng Chunhua declared, a sudden spark of inspiration in her eyes.

Sheng Wanqiu thought: *Little Aunt, may the heavens protect you!*

They went to a clothing store, and Sheng Wanqiu waved her hand, picking out two outfits each for her grandmother and younger brothers. She also bought two sets for her aunt and her aunt's own children, one for her uncle, and two for herself.

They went to a snack shop and bought dried fruits, candied preserves, and pastries. She stuffed four bags into her aunt’s hands and took four for herself. She didn't like them much, but her grandmother and brothers loved them!

Only then did they sit on the ox cart to head home, feeling satisfied. In truth, Sheng Wanqiu could have kept spending, but the look in her aunt's eyes warned her that she might be eaten alive if she continued, so she stopped. She would come back alone another time to shop properly.

"Chunhua, that’s a silver bracelet on your wrist, isn't it?" Because Sheng Chunhua kept touching her new bracelet, it quickly drew the curiosity of the woman sitting across from her.

Sheng Wanqiu and Sheng Chunhua exchanged a look: the bait was taken!

"Yes! My niece bought it for me. Isn't it pretty?" Sheng Chunhua generously extended her arm and even thoughtfully rolled up her sleeve, afraid the other woman couldn't see it clearly.

"No way? Your niece bought it for you?" The woman clearly didn't believe it.

"That's right! I bought it for my aunt. Isn't that normal?" Sheng Wanqiu said with a proud tilt of her chin. "I found half a ginseng root in the back mountain and sold it for some money. Isn't it only natural to show some filial piety to my aunt? She’s always been so good to me, why shouldn't I buy her a few things?"

The people on the ox cart were stunned. This Sheng girl really had good luck—and she was truly bold!

"Wanqiu is truly filial. So, how much did you sell that ginseng for?" the woman across from them asked with a beaming smile.

"Why? Are you looking to borrow money, Auntie Song?" Sheng Wanqiu immediately stiffened her expression. "Let's be clear, I'm not lending money. My family needs to build a new house, buy furniture, and send my two younger brothers to school. The money might not even be enough!"

"You child, who said I wanted to borrow money? I was just curious how much you got for the ginseng!" Auntie Song said, laughing awkwardly.

"I sold it for thirty taels to the Xinglin Pavilion pharmacy in town!"

Sheng Wanqiu’s words shocked everyone on the cart. *Good heavens, thirty taels!* If they went up the mountain to dig today, that was a fortune! *Wealth is found in danger—that saying is certainly true!*

The people on the ox cart were as excited as if they had been injected with adrenaline, as if they were certain they would find one too. Before long, the news that Sheng Wanqiu had found a ginseng root in the back mountain and sold it for thirty taels spread as if on wings, and the entire Qingshan Village knew about it.

...

"How much?" Grandma Sheng shrieked, her legs going weak.

Sheng Wanqiu had just returned when Grandma Sheng approached her secretively. Wanqiu had told her the honest price, and this was how her grandmother reacted.

Sheng Wanqiu calmly took the items out of the bamboo basket one by one. It took a long while for Grandma Sheng to steady her emotions.

"Keep the silver yourself, don't give it to me!" This was the first thing Grandma Sheng said. Sheng Wanqiu nodded; she knew her grandmother would be like this.

"Grandma, see if you like these!" Sheng Wanqiu slipped a silver bracelet onto her grandmother’s wrist and helped her put on the gold earrings.

"You naughty girl, wasting money as soon as you have it! I'm so old, what’s the use of wearing such flashy things?" If Sheng Wanqiu hadn't seen her grandmother’s mouth stretching to her ears in a grin, she might have actually believed her.

"Grandma, where are you going?"

Grandma Sheng checked herself in the bronze mirror and immediately walked out in a hurry. Sheng Wanqiu asked, confused.

"I'm going to the big locust tree to chat with those old women! I'll be back soon!"