As soon as his son left, Zhang Dashan, seeing everyone looking at him, quickly jingled the silver in his hand and said somewhat proudly, "This is what my youngest son gives me every month. I have two other sons, so my future is secure."
The corners of everyone's mouths twitched. If they hadn't overheard the conversation earlier, they would have looked at him with envy. But since they knew his youngest son didn't get along well with his two elder brothers, and he was still showing off, everyone sneered dismissively.
Zhang Dashan stomped his foot in anger as the crowd dispersed in a rush. He felt they were jealous of his good fortune. They weren't dressed much better than him, and he didn't believe they lived particularly affluent lives.
Although reality differed from his imagination, his future life would undoubtedly be better. The thought of his son's filial piety made him uncontrollably happy. He hummed a tune as he walked back. As the door opened, he was startled to see everyone standing in front of him. "Why are you all standing here? Don't you have any work to do?"
"We were worried when Father went out, so we waited for you at the door. Now that Father is back, we'll naturally attend to our own tasks. Come, Father, please have a seat. I'll get you some tea," the eldest daughter-in-law spoke first, quickly helping him inside. The second daughter-in-law, having missed her chance, pouted slightly in discontent and followed closely behind him, wiping a stool clean and respectfully inviting him to sit. Zhang Dashan knew exactly what they were after, but the thought of having money and being served made him ecstatic.
"Father seems very happy today. It looks like you had a good harvest," his eldest daughter-in-law probed tentatively. Hearing her voice the question everyone wanted to ask, the others, while appearing busy, were all ears, hoping to hear their father's words and see if there was any advantage to be gained.
"Indeed. My son is still my son. Even if he changes his surname, it doesn't negate the fact that my blood flows through him. When I visited, he agreed to give me money every month to support me." Although he used to think his youngest son was stubborn, he couldn't deny that his youngest son now held a place in his heart equal to his elder two sons. More importantly, he brought him money and honor, allowing him to brag with old friends of similar age when they went out.
"Really? Congratulations, Father. Did he say how much money he'd give you?" Husheng couldn't help but interject upon hearing this. He hadn't expected their father's visit to yield such results. It seemed the other party wasn't as heartless and unrighteous as they had imagined.
Mentioning this, he paused. They would likely be dissatisfied with the amount. Despite that, it was the most he could negotiate. Seeing their expectant gazes, he hesitated for a moment before lowering his voice, "Ten taels of silver each month."
"What? Ten taels? What's that for?" The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. Haisheng had initially thought the other party might give a thousand or eight hundred taels of silver, but he never expected it to be merely ten taels, not even enough to satisfy his hunger.
"What's wrong with ten taels of silver? Ten taels of silver is enough for me to live comfortably in the capital. He's being filial to me; he has no obligation to support you. If you want money, earn it yourself. There are no shortcuts in this world.
You've been working in the capital for so long, and I haven't seen even three taels of silver from you, let alone ten. "Although Zhang Dashan also found the youngest son stingy, he felt a bit wronged seeing their contemptuous expressions. His own needs weren't unmet, but in all this time working in the capital, not a single coin had been handed over. He could skim a little from the money for groceries, but it was very little. They always gave him a precise amount. The only way he could get extra was by haggling with small vendors, saving the difference. He also had expenses here in the capital, but no one considered that.
The few of them looked at each other, feeling guilty and lowering their heads. Then, they felt that their father's words clearly indicated his dissatisfaction with them.
"We don't have money. When we do earn, we will absolutely honor Father well. It's just that we are incompetent right now. After working so hard, we still live in such a dilapidated house. The people at home won't even buy good clothes, and we never see meat on the table daily. We are also heartbroken, but there's nothing we can do.
We were counting on you, Father, to ask Hesheng if he could help us out. When we earn money in the future, we will definitely repay him." Haisheng's mind worked quickly. He immediately played the victim. He knew his father had a special affection for him, his eldest son. As long as he spoke to him properly, his father would definitely consider it carefully.
Zhang Dashan saw his son's guilty expression and felt a pang of sympathy. He could understand his son's pressures. It was already difficult to make ends meet upon arriving in the capital. Furthermore, his children were growing up and needed to get married. Anyone in the capital was wealthier than them. How could anyone marry their daughter into such a family? He desperately wanted to buy a house, which was understandable. However, he had already said all the good words he could, and Hesheng clearly didn't want to help. Su Dan Novel Network
"I know your difficulties, but you must also understand me. You know what Hesheng is like, stubborn since childhood and with little affection for our family. For him to offer to give me ten taels of silver each month for my old age is already a great effort. If we press him too hard, I believe he will turn around and leave, and then you won't get a single cent. Do you think I don't want to lead you to a better life? How could I?"
Everyone thought about the heartlessness of mother and son and felt that perhaps their father had indeed done his best. Although the outcome was different from what they imagined, at least they would get something. The cost of living in the capital was high, and everything was expensive. But if they were frugal, ten taels of silver could indeed allow their father and a few children to live comfortably for a month, relieving them of a lot of burden. Perhaps they could even save money in the future.
Therefore, no one spoke and pretended the matter had not happened, resuming the facade of filial piety and familial love. In reality, there were subtle differences. Since everyone knew their father had money, they unconsciously adopted a somewhat fawning attitude, hoping he would favor their own families more.
Suddenly, Zhang Dashan was extremely satisfied with his current life. Of course, if he had his own courtyard, the land deeds in his possession, and a few maids to serve him, he would be living the life of a lord. His life would have been worthwhile.
Hesheng was doing these things behind his mother's back. Recently, his mother and Young Master Chen were very busy, spending their days in the Crown Prince's study. He was sensible enough not to disturb them. Honestly, sometimes he couldn't help but feel envious. If his mind were sharper, if he were more talented, perhaps they would include him, instead of keeping him in the dark about everything as they did now.