Xia Rui opened the box, and inside was a pile of silver ingots.
At the beginning, Zhou Yin and Xia Xia and his son agreed that he would take care of the fields and shops he stayed in Shangzhou, including the house, and hand over all the rent to them. He would come back once a year, or every other year. When I come back to pick it up once, I also have to sacrifice and sweep the house.
So Zhou Yin specially reduced the rent by 40% as a reward for them.
The rent for a year is eighteen taels, and Xia Xia puts eighteen taels of silver in it every year, just thinking that one day someone will find it back so that he won't break his promise by not being unable to pay.
In the past fourteen years, their family has not always been smooth sailing, but no matter what happened or how difficult it was, they never touched the money in this box.
In Xia Xia's words, the most important thing in a person's life is to keep his word.
There are two hundred and fifty-two taels in the box now, Xia Xia said with a smile: "There is still a sum of money, which I made up for, and I haven't been able to keep the land for your parents these years, so the lost four How can I get it? I asked your aunt to go to the shop to pick it up, you just wait for her and she will come back."
Man Bao nodded with a smile and didn't refuse, "That's a lot, it's so heavy, Aunt Rui will definitely not be able to come back so soon."
Xia Xia nodded, "Then you sit down and eat here, it's best to leave after dinner, and meet your cousin, your cousin is studying, but unfortunately he doesn't have the talent of your grandfather and father , I have read it for many years, but I haven't read anything famous... "
Xia Xia rambled on for a while before falling asleep unconsciously.
Xia Rui looked scared, reached out and touched his nose, and breathed a sigh of relief.
He glanced at Man Bao, Man Bao nodded slightly, Xia Rui moved the box of money out for her, and he said: "Your aunt probably won't come back for a while, you just sit and wait."
Man Bao said: "Uncle Rui, you don't need to give me the 40% of the money."
She said: "This incident is not considered a breach of trust by you. It is my father and mother who did not come back on time. You took risks that you should not have taken. If you want to say breach of trust, it is also my parents' breach of trust. Although they were forced."
Xia Rui looked at Zhou Man in surprise, she didn't expect her to say these words.
Man Bao glanced back at the main house, took out a house deed from his sleeve pocket and gave it to Xia Rui, saying: "Thanks to your care for so many years, Uncle Rui doesn't have to rush to move the shop anymore, this shop is my gift to you."
"How can this work?" If he had expected the 40% rent, this was completely beyond his expectations, Xia Rui pushed back and said: "This is not possible, this shop belongs to you, I can't Yes, if you are embarrassed, how about continuing to rent this shop to me?"
But Man Bao stuffed it into his hand forcefully, and said sternly: "Uncle Rui, I can even give my ancestral land to the clan that has never taken care of me, why can't I give you the shop?"
Xia Rui opened his mouth, and said with some shame: "This, what's the same?"
"It's not the same," Man Bao said with a smile: "I may not have many contacts with the clan here in the future, but the tombs of my great-grandparents and grandparents are still here, and even my children will come back here in the future. Uncle Rui is the only one who can rely on and be close to."
Xia Rui was obedient and ashamed in his heart, he hesitated to speak several times.
But Man Bao didn't seem to see it, firmly put the deed into his hand, and then said: "There is no need to let Uncle know about this matter, by the way, I will accept this box of rent, thank you Uncle Rui all these years Take care of grandparents."
After all, he solemnly bowed to Xia Rui.
Xia Rui quickly supported her and said: "No need to be like this, no need to be like this..."
Man Bao went out with a box of silver in his arms, and Bai Shan, who was waiting outside, stepped forward to catch it, but almost missed it and fell to the ground.
He took a breath and asked, "What's so heavy?"
Man Bao waved his hands calmly, "Money!"
Bai Shan: ...
Xia Rui, who was following behind holding the house deed, came back from the trance in an instant, and was going to help them carry it. Daji had already carried him to the car, and Bai Erlang, who was sitting beside the car, couldn't help but open the box and look at it. .
Seeing the white silver ingots inside, he couldn't help but be speechless, and looked at Zhou Man with complicated eyes.
Before she knew it, she was already richer than them, obviously he and Bai Shan were the richest when they were young.
Man Bao supported Bai Shan's hand to get into the car, and said to Xia Rui who was standing beside the car: "Uncle Rui, go back, I will visit uncle Gong again before I leave."
Xia Rui responded, took a step back and watched her leave.
When he returned to the inn, Lao Zhou felt the silver ingots in the box and said, "You are the only uncle in the Xia family."
Man Bao nodded, "Actually, with so much money, they can almost buy a shop."
Wu Wulang said: "Your family has more than one shop."
He said: "There are two upper and lower floors with a backyard. They are no smaller than our restaurant in the capital. The location is also good. Even if Shangzhou is not as good as the capital, the price is not much different."
After all, the location of their shop in the capital is actually average, and it is far inferior to the shop in the center of Shangzhou. I don't know how my uncle bought this shop back then.
Man Bao didn't know either, but she didn't feel bad for giving it away, "I entrusted Uncle Rui to take care of the ancestor's tomb here."
Old Zhou nodded. Man Bao had said a few days ago that he would give away the shop, so he had already passed the period of heartache.
Man Bao looked around and asked, "Has the person who went to collect the rent come back yet?"
Daji said: "No."
Man Bao rubbed his chin and said, "It seems Patriarch Xia didn't prepare well in advance, he must be very heartbroken."
No matter how heartbroken, patriarch Xia still handed over the rent to the two guards who came with the cart. The matter has already progressed to this point. so urgent.
When she came yesterday, everyone was obviously very friendly, so he thought she would not raise the rent until after this year's autumn harvest.
His son hesitated for a moment and said: "Yesterday, when she went to see the graves of her uncles, she was a little unhappy, and she didn't say much when she came back. Is it because of this?"
Patriarch Xia suddenly realized, and after a while he sighed and said: "Understood, if you have time, go to Chief Xu and tell him that Zhou Man has asked for this year's rent."
"Will Mr. Xu be the one to blame?"
Patriarch Xia snorted softly and said, "What can he blame? It's his intention to take a step back. Is it not enough for him to get the rent for nothing? And this time he registered in front of the county magistrate. There will be troubles, and in the future, who can tell what will happen in the future? You just go and say that our family’s rent has been paid in previous years, and he will naturally understand. "
Only then did his son agree.
Patriarch Xia sighed: "I don't know what Zhou Man's situation is like in the capital, I only heard that she is a miracle doctor, but unfortunately she refuses to change her surname..."
His son lowered his eyes. The Xia family and Zhou Man didn't have much friendship, and the Zhou family didn't treat her badly. How could she change her surname