Coming out of the state-owned store, Father Yuan felt his entire body go stiff, his mind consumed by the two hundred and fifty yuan tucked away on his person. He kept one hand pressed tightly against his pocket, his knuckles turning white, taking cautious, tentative steps as if terrified the money might suddenly fly away. With an expression that practically screamed “I have money in my pocket” to the entire world, Li Xia couldn’t help but feel a wave of helplessness watching him.
“Dad, let me carry the money,” Li Xia suggested in a low voice, tugging gently at the hem of Father Yuan’s shirt. “If you carry me while we walk, no one will ever suspect a child is holding the money. It’ll be much safer that way.”
Father Yuan froze for a moment, then slapped his thigh in realization—of course! He had been so consumed by his own nervousness that the idea hadn’t even crossed his mind. He quickly pulled Li Xia into a quiet street corner, casting vigilant glances around them. Hurriedly unbuckling his belt, he stuffed the cloth pouch packed with crisp, new banknotes securely into the waistband of Li Xia’s pants, carefully smoothing down the hem of her shirt to completely conceal the hidden stash. Only when everything was perfectly hidden did he bend down to scoop Li Xia into his arms, instantly feeling half the weight lift from his heart.
On the journey back, Father Yuan held Li Xia in a vice-like grip. His arms squeezed her so tightly it actually hurt a bit, but Li Xia didn’t utter a single complaint—she understood completely that Father Yuan was terrified of losing the money. To the other passengers on the bus, his tight embrace merely looked like a devoted father shielding his beloved child from the crowded, jostling commute, so no one gave them a second thought.
After a bumpy ride all the way home, Father Yuan could barely contain his excitement the moment they stepped through the courtyard gate. “Xiu Yun! Xiu Yun! Come out here quickly!” he called out eagerly, setting Li Xia down, his voice trembling with irrepressible emotion.
Mother Yuan was currently in the courtyard feeding the pigs. Since Father Yuan had gone to sell the pearls today, she hadn’t been in the right frame of mind to go dig the river canal either, choosing instead to take the day off. Hearing her husband’s urgent shouts, she ran out without even putting down the pig feed ladle. “What’s wrong? Why are you shouting so loudly? Did you sell the pearls?”
“They’re sold! Guess how much money they fetched?” Father Yuan’s eyes shone brightly, gleaming like a child who had just been handed a piece of candy as he intentionally kept her in suspense.
Seeing his ecstatic expression, Mother Yuan felt a spark of hope ignite in her heart, yet she still didn’t dare to dream too big. “How much could it be? One hundred yuan?” In her eyes, one hundred yuan was already an astronomically large sum.
“Way more than one hundred yuan!” Father Yuan thumped his chest proudly, his voice rising a pitch higher. “A full two hundred and fifty yuan!”
“How much?” The pig feed ladle slipped from Mother Yuan’s hand, hitting the ground with a loud clatter. She rushed over, grabbing Father Yuan’s arm, her eyes filled with absolute disbelief. “Say that again, how much?”
“Two hundred and fifty yuan!” Father Yuan repeated triumphantly. Reaching into the waistband of Li Xia’s pants, he pulled out the money and placed it directly into Mother Yuan’s hands. “See and count it for yourself!”
Mother Yuan hurriedly shut the courtyard door and pulled Father Yuan into the house. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she carefully spread out the money and began counting the bills one by one. The crisp, brand-new banknotes carried the distinct, fresh scent of ink. She counted them over and over again until she was absolutely certain it was indeed two hundred and fifty yuan. A radiant smile broke across her face, her eyes crinkling with pure joy.
“Going to the county seat today, it was truly a blessing that I brought our fifth child along,” Father Yuan remarked as he sat beside her, reflecting on the day’s events with deep emotion. “When I first stepped into the store, I didn’t even dare to speak. It was our fifth child who had the courage to question the shop assistant, and she even knew how to ask around for directions. This girl is incredibly sharp!”
Mother Yuan nodded in agreement, smiling broadly. “You’re only realizing this now? Our fifth child has been sharp since she was a baby, always harboring more clever ideas than all her older brothers and sisters combined.”
Father Yuan’s eyes filled with immense pride and comfort. “When it came to selling the pearls this time, those seven expensive ones were all retrieved from the river mussels by our fifth child. This child carries a touch of good fortune with her. Since she mentioned before that she wanted to go to school, I think we should just send her. With two hundred and fifty yuan, how could we not afford to support a child’s education?”
Mother Yuan caught herself, momentarily stunned, before nodding her assent. “It’s only right that we send our fifth child to school, but what about the other four children? We can’t possibly send only her, can we?”
“They will all go!” Father Yuan declared with a grand wave of his hand, his tone resolute. “As long as they want to study and are willing to learn, we will send every single one of them to school! Whether they can make something of themselves will depend entirely on their own abilities!”
Mother Yuan smiled and agreed, “Alright! I asked around the village today, and the tuition for the primary school on the main street is three yuan a semester. Even with all the children combined, it won’t cost that much. The remaining money must be put away safely. Our second and fourth children aren’t so small anymore; in a few years, we’ll need to build houses and find wives for them. Those are all things that will require a lot of money.”
Father Yuan nodded understandingly. “You’re right, we must spend the money wisely. However, don’t be biased either. In the future, when our daughters marry out, whatever bride price the groom’s family gives will be given back to them as their dowry. We won’t keep a single cent of it, so that they can hold their heads high and feel confident in their husbands’ households.”
“I know, we’ll do exactly as you say.” Mother Yuan carefully wrapped the money back up and tucked it securely beneath the bottom of the cabinet, her heart finally filled with a deep sense of peace and security.