On the way home, he made a special trip to the bookstore. Following the list Master Su had provided, he bought several books, spending thirteen taels of silver.
In this day and age, books were far too expensive. Studying was a costly endeavor, one might even call it a luxury.
Back then, his elder sister Chen Xiaolan, while struggling to get by with her husband's family, had insisted on sending him to a private school. The bitterness and grievances she must have endured were beyond words. He was once again reminded of how much he owed his sister.
He went ahead and bought a full set of jewelry—gold earrings, a gold bracelet, a gold necklace, and a gold ring. He also bought a few catties of pig's head meat and carried a jug of wine to the Su Family's home.
He gave the wine and meat to Old Lady Su.
Old Lady Su's long, sour face broke into a rare smile, and she even asked him to stay for dinner.
Of course, he refused.
If he stayed for dinner, Old Lady Su would nag about it for days, and his sister would never hear the end of it.
Chen Xiaolan, however, disagreed.
The siblings spoke in private. "You bought the food and wine, so you should have stayed for dinner. Don't be so polite with her. The more polite you are, the more she'll take advantage."
"Sister, you know my temperament. I don't have the patience for such pleasantries. Next time, I'll definitely stay next time. Sister, stop what you're doing for a moment. Look what this is. Your little brother has money now, so I bought this especially for you."
Chen Guanlou took out the gold jewelry he had bought, a smug smile on his face.
"Heavens!" Seeing the pile of jewelry, Chen Xiaolan was instantly both anxious and angry. She first peeked outside the door, making sure her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law weren't spying, then quickly shut the door and windows. Lowering her voice, she hissed, "Where did you get this money? What have you been doing? You can't do anything reckless!"
"Sister, this money was earned honestly. You don't have to worry about me. Besides the fixed salary from Tian Prison each month, there are also bonuses. The bonuses are the biggest part. I live alone and don't have many expenses, so I've saved up a bit over the past few months. I thought about how you don't even have a single decent piece of jewelry, so I decided to get a set for you."
After hearing his explanation, Chen Xiaolan finally relaxed. As long as the money was obtained legitimately, it was fine.
Looking at the glittering gold jewelry, she felt both happy and heartbroken. She touched her bare neck and wrists, giving a wry smile. "Even if you give these to me, I can't wear them out. If I'm decked out in gold and silver while my mother-in-law doesn't have a single decent piece, the neighborhood gossip alone would be enough to drown me. I'm afraid I won't be able to hold onto this jewelry."
"You don't think Old Lady Su would actually dare to snatch jewelry gifted by her daughter-in-law's family, do you?" Chen Guanlou's eyes widened, a fierce look on his face.
Chen Xiaolan sighed. "She wouldn't snatch it, no. But her words, her insinuations... they can wear a person down to death."
Chen Guanlou was furious. "If she wants to wear jewelry, she should ask Su Dacheng for it! What right does she have to covet her daughter-in-law's private property? Sister, don't be afraid. Wear it boldly." The source of this chapter is NovelPing.
"No. I can't cause trouble for myself, and I certainly can't cause trouble for you. Take this jewelry back. You can use it as a betrothal gift in the future."
"No! This is a gift for you; there's no reason to take it back. At worst, just put it away and keep it at the bottom of your chest. Your husband and his brother will have to split the family assets sooner or later. Besides, Sister, you need to save up some private funds for yourself. You raised me for so many years. Now it's my turn to support you. Don't be afraid."
Chen Xiaolan broke into a contented smile. "Hearing you say that makes all the years of hardship worthwhile. Alright, I'll listen to you. I'll keep the jewelry at the bottom of my chest."
"Wait a minute!"
Seeing Chen Xiaolan gathering the jewelry, Chen Guanlou suddenly remembered something.
"Just in case, I've put a special mark on every piece."
Chen Xiaolan was clearly stunned. "This..." She had wanted to say he was being petty and suspicious. But on second thought, he was only doing this for her sake. He was afraid she would be put in a difficult position at the Su family home, worried about an embarrassing scene, and was preparing for it in advance. No matter what, she couldn't say he was wrong.
Chen Guanlou took out the dagger he carried and carefully carved a "√" on the back of each piece of jewelry, a shape that looked a bit like the Nike logo. This was a mark unique to his sister's jewelry.
"There, that's better. You're the only person in the world whose jewelry has this mark. If anyone spouts nonsense in the future, this will be the proof."
Chen Xiaolan was deeply gratified. "You really think of everything."
"It's better to be safe than sorry."
The brother and sister talked for a long time.
Before it was time for dinner, Chen Guanlou announced his departure.
Old Lady Su tried to make him stay for the meal, but he firmly refused and left without any hesitation.
This time, Old Lady Su was satisfied. She had wine and meat for the evening, and she didn't even have to set out an extra pair of chopsticks.
With Chen Xiaolan having gained some face, Old Lady Su turned her fire on her eldest daughter-in-law, cursing and grumbling without end.
...
Every three to five days, Chen Guanlou would go to consult Master Su. Each time, Master Su would patiently answer his questions, followed by a long-winded lecture. This chapter is updated first at novelping.com.
As time went on, he didn't prepare a gift every single time he visited.
Sometimes he went in a hurry, only bringing a few pieces of malt candy for Master Su's two children. The children were happy, but Master Su's wife was not.
She could tolerate him not bringing a gift once or twice. But when it happened more often, Master Su's wife began to complain.
On this day, Chen Guanlou went to consult Master Su as usual, buying a few sesame seed cakes to take with him on the way.
Master Su's wife looked at the cakes, her attitude a bit cold as she took them. "How thoughtful of you," she said. "Now we have lunch for today. I just hope the Master won't complain about the lack of wine and meat. He never considers how many mouths there are to feed in this family. With the meager tuition he earns, it's a blessing we can even eat our fill. And he still wants wine and meat with every meal? In his dreams."
Chen Guanlou: ...
How awkward.
"It's my fault. I came in a hurry and missed the butcher's stall. I'll go buy a few catties of meat right now. We must ensure the Master eats and drinks well."
Master Su's wife's expression changed as if she had studied face-changing opera; she was suddenly all smiles. "There's no need for you to run the errand yourself. I'll just send the two little ones to buy a catty on credit from the corner."
"No need to buy on credit. Wouldn't that be a loss of face for the Master?" Chen Guanlou immediately counted out five qian of silver and gave it to Master Su's wife. Only when she was satisfied did she let him be.
Chen Guanlou thought to himself, *I can't come to Master Su's place anymore. Every time I come, his wife looks down on me. I'm not a glutton for punishment.*
There were plenty of other learned men in the world.
Having received the silver, Master Su's wife personally went to the corner and bought two catties of meat. However, she only cooked one catty, placing the other in the cupboard, intending to eat it that evening.
Logically speaking, Master Su earned a decent amount. Yet, his wife was never satisfied, always living frugally and acting in a petty, stingy manner.
She had a son and a daughter with her previous husband. Both children were already grown. The daughter was simple; she could be married off with a modest dowry. The difficult part was her eldest son's marriage, which would cost a fortune. After he married, they would have to consider him moving out to start his own life, which would cost even more money. The house they currently lived in was inherited from Master Su's ancestors; there was no way her eldest son could become the head of this household.
She also had a son and a daughter with Master Su. Both of these children were still young. Master Su was already so old; what if he passed away one day? With her younger children still small and her eldest son not yet established, what was a woman like her to do? She couldn't just get married a third or fourth time.
Her stinginess—wasn't it all for the sake of this family