Thirty million!
Zhuo Ling’s eyelids twitched.
In this world’s currency, that was equivalent to thirty taels of silver.
That was enough for an entire family to eat well for a year and a half.
She could easily sell the gold hairpin to the Marketplace System without anyone ever knowing.
But this kind-hearted young lady had already given them pastries and even paid a generous price for their firewood…
She loved money, but this wasn’t the same as secretly stealing her Second Aunt’s eggs. Conscience told her she simply couldn’t do something like that.
Still, her unscrupulous boss back in the Underground City had once said that if you wanted to get rich, you couldn’t afford to have a conscience.
“Eldest Brother, look.”
Zhuo Ling tugged on Zhuo Chang’an’s sleeve, stood on tiptoe, and whispered, “The hairpin that lady is looking for is under the water plants.”
“What?”
Startled, Zhuo Chang’an narrowed his eyes and looked toward the patch of water plants. After a moment, he hesitated and said, “There does seem to be something shiny underneath.”
“You two country kids—I’ve already given you pastries and paid you in copper coins. Why are you still here? What are you dawdling around for?
“Go on, go on! I don’t have time to bother with you right now!”
Madam Zhang hurried toward the gate, muttering anxiously under her breath.
“If the hairpin fell outside, somebody’s bound to have picked it up already. How are we supposed to find it now?”
“Auntie, don’t worry. My little sister says she saw something shining in the pond. Could you check if it’s the hairpin?”
Zhuo Chang’an quickly stopped her and pointed toward the water plants.
“It’s right under there.”
“What?”
Madam Zhang froze in surprise, then looked the two poorly dressed children up and down suspiciously.
“Really? Do you two even know what gold looks like?”
The siblings wore coarse clothes covered in patches. They were thin, undersized, and still carried the rustic air of country children. One look was enough to tell they rarely had enough to eat.
Standing inside the grand Pang Residence in such shabby clothes, they looked completely out of place.
The Young Madam’s gold hairpin was worth at least a year’s worth of food for an ordinary family. Even if they had really found it, wouldn’t they have quietly pocketed it instead of telling anyone?
“My little sister saw it. You might as well take a look.”
Zhuo Chang’an lowered his eyes and took Zhuo Ling’s hand.
“Ling’er, let’s go.”
“Wait! I… I remember playing with Fengshou by the pond this morning. Maybe it really did fall in!”
Zhou Ying—the Young Madam of the Pang family—hurried toward the pond in quick strides.
Madam Zhang immediately rolled up her sleeves and parted the water plants.
Sure enough, hidden deep beneath them was a gleaming golden hairpin.
“It’s really here! Wonderful… This is wonderful!”
Overjoyed, Zhou Ying picked up the dripping-wet hairpin and clutched it tightly against her chest. Tears shimmered in her eyes as she looked at the siblings.
“Young man, thank you… Thank you so much! Madam Zhang, go to my room and bring me a ten-tael silver note. We must properly thank these brother and sister.”
“There’s no need, Madam. You already gave us pastries and bought our firewood. We only did what anyone should.”
Zhuo Chang’an replied calmly.
“The hairpin wasn’t lost outside. Sooner or later someone would have spotted it. My little sister just happened to see it first.”
A look of surprise appeared on Zhou Ying’s beautiful face.
“How could that be? This hairpin means a great deal to me. If you won’t accept silver, then how am I supposed to thank you?
“You must take it! Oh, that’s right—are you hungry? Madam Zhang, tell the kitchen—”
“Madam, if you truly wish to thank us, could you grant me one request?”
Zhuo Chang’an’s expression remained calm as he said evenly,
“I heard your family owns a pharmacy. My sister and I often gather medicinal herbs and mountain produce in the hills. In the future, could we sell those things there to earn a little money to help support our family?”
Zhou Ying stared at him in disbelief.
“Young man, if you accepted my gift, your family would have enough to eat for at least a year or more. Why insist on gathering herbs to earn money yourselves?”
A faint smile curved Zhuo Chang’an’s lips.
“My mother says it’s better to teach someone how to fish than simply give them fish. Silver will one day run out, but knowing how to earn it is the true foundation for making your way in life.”
Their mother could actually say something so profound?
She’s so well-educated!
The Underground City had brought together survivors from every corner of the world. Over the past fifty years, traditional languages, cultures, and even everyday customs from different countries had gradually disappeared.
The younger generation, in particular, knew less and less about the traditional culture of their own nations.
And nobody cared.
“That’s right! Mother said that!”
Zhuo Ling proudly puffed out her tiny chest.
“Your mother can read? It’s truly remarkable for her to say something like that.”
Still astonished, Zhou Ying thought for a moment before saying,
“You must accept the silver. Later, I’ll send word to the manager of our pharmacy. Whenever you and your sister gather medicinal herbs, just bring them over.”
“Go on, take it.”
Madam Zhang returned with the banknote and stuffed it into Zhuo Chang’an’s hand without giving him a chance to refuse. Then she reached out and playfully pinched Zhuo Ling’s chubby little cheek.
“You lucky little thing! You spotted a bit of gold no bigger than a fingernail. You’re clearly blessed. How old are you?”
“Fi… five.”
Zhuo Ling randomly held up three fingers.
Her large, bright eyes remained fixed on the banknote, sparkling with excitement.
Ten taels.
Not bad. Not bad at all!
Drip…
A string of glistening drool landed right on the back of Madam Zhang’s hand.
Madam Zhang burst into laughter.
“Thank you, Madam. But my mother also says that when someone shows you kindness, you must never think of repayment as profit. We truly can’t accept this silver. Mother would scold us when we got home.”
Even so, Zhuo Chang’an firmly pressed the banknote back into Madam Zhang’s hand. Then he picked up Zhuo Ling and said,
“Our mother has probably been waiting for us for a long time. She’ll be worried. We’ll take our leave now.”
“Chang’an, little Ling, whenever you come to town to sell herbs or mountain produce in the future, if you’re thirsty or hungry, don’t hesitate to come to my residence.”
Zhou Ying personally escorted the siblings to the gate.
Then she gently rested a hand on her stomach. Her eyes reddened as she sighed softly.
“Madam Zhang, just look at those two children. They’re so handsome and adorable. If only I were as blessed as that young lady…”
She had been married into the family for three or four years without ever becoming pregnant. Even though her father-in-law, an Imperial Physician, had personally examined her pulse, prescribed medicine, and prepared countless remedies, her womb remained stubbornly silent.
Lying on Zhuo Chang’an’s back while happily munching on her sweet pastry, Zhuo Ling asked in confusion,
“Eldest Brother, that was ten taels of silver! We could buy so many good things. Why didn’t we take it?”
“Mother taught me that haste makes waste, and that chasing small profits keeps you from achieving great things. If we want to earn far more than ten taels in the future, then we couldn’t accept this money.”
Zhuo Chang’an turned his head slightly. Seeing pastry crumbs all over her mouth, he smiled fondly.
“Refusing the silver is for our future. No matter how much money you earn in the Marketplace System, how could you possibly bring it out and spend it openly?
“But if the people in town and the village all know that the Young Madam of the Pang family owes us such a great favor, then whenever we need money in the future, we can obtain it through a reasonable excuse from her. No one will suspect a thing.”
Understanding dawned on Zhuo Ling.
“Oh! I get it! Eldest Brother isn’t after short-term gains—he’s planning for a brilliant future!”
She’d thought her brother was simply too noble to accept the money.
Turns out he was far more cunning than she had imagined!
No—not cunning.
He was calculating… and wonderfully far-sighted.
“Ling’er is so clever.”
Zhuo Chang’an chuckled. Spotting Fenniang anxiously searching through the crowd not far ahead, he quickly lowered his voice.
“When we’re with Mother, you still have to pretend to be the old Ling’er. Otherwise, we won’t be able to explain ourselves.”
Zhuo Ling snapped her fingers crisply.
“Roger that!”