Yang Xiucui slapped her thigh. "I knew that little brat wasn't being honest with us. Watching our whole family run around worried sick, and he didn't say a single word—he was probably standing there laughing at us. I don't care what it takes, I have to get that money out of him! Old man, you agree with me, don't you?"
Guan He paused for a moment, then spoke with feigned righteousness: "If a child his age really has that kind of money on him, it's bound to bring trouble. Better for us to keep it safe for him—that way, we won't be letting down his grandfather's trust either."
Yang Feifang snickered inwardly, but kept a straight face and said, "Dad's right. A little kid like him can't be trusted to hold onto that much money. It would only end up hurting him."
The rest of the family, relieved that they wouldn't have to chip in from the communal fund, were naturally pleased.
When Zhao Shenggu and Guan Yuan got back, they found the entire Guan family waiting for them in a neat row.
Guan He put on a kindly face. "Good child, it's so cold out—what were you doing outside? You must be frozen. Come sit on the kang."
Guan Yuan eyed the Guan family warily.
In his previous life, Guan Manyue had married at sixteen, and nothing out of the ordinary had happened before that.
Zhao Shenggu also sensed something off. He pulled Guan Yuan along and stood well away from them. "Grandpa Guan, Xiao Yuan's shoes got wet. If there's nothing urgent, I'll take him inside to change."
"Siwa's shoes are wet? That's nothing. Come over to Grandma—sit on the kang, and I'll put your shoes by the brazier to dry."
By now, even a fool could tell something was wrong.
Zhao Shenggu had no patience for beating around the bush with them. "Grandpa Guan, just say what you need to say."
Guan He and Yang Xiucui's forced smiles froze on their faces.
"Cough, cough." Guan He cleared his throat and pressed on. "Shenggu, we're only looking out for you. That 1,000 yuan from Yuehua—it's still with you, isn't it? And your grandfather—did he leave you money on the sly? You're just a child—you can't carry that much cash on you. If word gets out, it'll bring nothing but disaster. Best let us hold on to it for you. Once you're grown, we'll naturally give it back."
So that was their real plan. They were treating him like a fool.
In his previous life, Guan Yuan had been timid, and Zhao Shenggu had never told him about any of this, so he didn't know whether this confrontation had happened before. But Zhao Shenggu's money had all been swindled away by Guan Manxing and that doctor, so the Guan family's scheme clearly hadn't succeeded that time either.
"I don't have any money. It's been years now—Mother Yuehua's money is mostly gone. Whatever's left, I'm saving for Xiao Yuan's schooling." Zhao Shenggu turned them down flat.
"Your grandfather didn't leave you anything?" Yang Xiucui couldn't help asking.
Zhao Shenggu smiled. "My grandfather thought the same way you all do. I was only a few years old back then—if he'd left me money, wouldn't that have been even more dangerous than now?"
Guan Yuan silently applauded his brother in his head.
Sure enough, Guan He was left red-faced and speechless.
"You little bastard! You think you can hide this from us? Money or not, you hand it over to me right now!" Yang Xiucui was the first to lash out.
Yang Feifang quickly chimed in: "Child, why are you so unreasonable? Your aunt is getting married, and the family is tight on money. If you have funds, what's wrong with pitching in a bit for her dowry?"
As soon as Yang Feifang said that, Guan He and his sons' faces darkened. What an idiot. An aunt getting married, and she wanted a nephew with no blood relation to provide the dowry. If word of this got out, they'd never be able to show their faces in public again.
Guan Yuan pretended to have a sudden realization. "Brother, so Grandpa doesn't actually want to keep the money safe for you—he wants you to pay for Aunt's dowry! Is that allowed? Maybe we should go outside and ask the uncles and aunties in the village."
Zhao Shenggu also put on a look of dawning understanding. "Grandpa Guan, setting aside the fact that I don't have any money—even if I did, there's no reason for an outsider like me to provide a dowry for Aunt. Did you already use up all the money my grandfather gave you? Now you're coming after mine? Well then, I might as well go ask everyone else in the village whether this makes any sense."
Without waiting for the Guan family to respond, Zhao Shenggu took Guan Yuan's hand and started for the door.
Guan He shot Yang Feifang a vicious glare, then hurried off the kang to grab Zhao Shenggu. "Don't listen to your aunt's nonsense—we'd never use your money for Manyue's dowry. We're just worried a child like you might not be safe with that much cash on hand. Shenggu, after all these years, don't you know how I've treated you? Are you sure your grandfather didn't leave you anything?" Guan He still wouldn't let it go.
"No, Grandpa Guan. My grandfather must have thought the same as you—he would never have left money with me." Zhao Shenggu was unmovable, sticking firmly to his denial.
Yang Xiucui had long since run out of patience. "You ungrateful wolf! You've eaten our food and drunk our water all these years, and now the first time we actually ask you for something, you find every excuse in the book to get out of it."
"Grandma Guan, have you forgotten what we agreed on last time? If you keep talking like this, we can go to the village chief and settle things properly." Zhao Shenggu's face turned cold and hard.
Seeing that nothing more would come of it, Guan He tried to smooth things over. "Alright, if there's no money, then forget it. We only meant well. Don't take your grandmother's words to heart."
Zhao Shenggu nodded and led Guan Yuan back to their room.
The Guan family, having failed to extract any money, were all fuming and turned their anger toward Yang Feifang for her blunder. Guan Mancang scolded her: "Are you an idiot? How could you say something like that out loud?! If word gets out, we'll be drowned in people's spit!"
Yang Xiucui also blamed Yang Feifang. "If you can't talk sense, then keep your mouth shut! All you do is flap your gums!"
Yang Feifang was seething with hatred but didn't dare talk back.
Guan Yuan didn't care what the Guan family schemed among themselves. If they were determined to dig their own graves, he wouldn't stop them.
You want money? Fine—I'll make sure you bleed for it.
In the end, under the joint opposition of the rest of the Guan family, Yang Xiucui and Guan Manyue had to settle for a dowry of 300 yuan. That was still a lot—no one in the village had ever been that generous with a daughter's dowry.
Guan Manyue was still unsatisfied. "Mom, look at them—they just can't stand to see me do well, especially those sisters-in-law. They're green with envy at the thought of me living well. How is 300 yuan enough for a dowry? What if my in-laws look down on me?"
Yang Xiucui sighed. "Forget it. 300 yuan is already a lot. Your father's made his decision—what can I do?"
Guan Manyue fumed. "Hmph, just wait. Once I'm married, they'll be the ones begging me."
With the dowry settled, the Guan family began preparing Guan Manyue's dowry goods: aside from the 300 yuan, she would also get two quilts and two sets of clothes.
It was now the tenth day of the first lunar month. In six days, Guan Manyue would be married. Yang Xiucui kept her daughters-in-law busy putting together the dowry.
That day, Zhao Shenggu and Guan Yuan were airing their quilts in the yard when Guan Manyue wandered out and spotted them. She still held a grudge against Zhao Shenggu for not handing over any money.
"Hmph, you little brats. Just wait until I'm living the good life—then you'll be the ones begging me."
Zhao Shenggu ignored her completely. Guan Yuan, however, couldn't hold back: "Aunt, you're not even married yet—how do you know you'll have a good life? If things don't turn out well, don't say I didn't warn you. And as for us, even if we're eating chaff and wild greens, we'll never come knocking on your door."
"Hah, you little thing's got a sharp tongue, doesn't he?" Guan Manyue sneered at Zhao Shenggu a while longer, feeling satisfied that she'd vented her anger, then turned and went back inside.
"Brother, she's so annoying!" Guan Yuan complained to Zhao Shenggu as soon as she was gone.
Zhao Shenggu flicked the quilt hanging on the line, gave a noncommittal "mm," and said, "She really is annoying. In a few days I'll be heading out to work in the fields. While I'm gone, keep your distance from them." He looked at Guan Yuan's increasingly plump little face and couldn't help adding a word of caution.
"Brother, I'll come work with you!" Guan Yuan wanted to cling to Zhao Shenggu every moment of the day, and seized the chance to ask.
"What would you do there? I'll be busy working—you'd get bored sitting at the edge of the field all alone."
"I don't mind being bored. I just want to be with you. What if I get picked on while I'm home alone?" That remark hit right at Zhao Shenggu's biggest worry. Before, when Guan Yuan was smaller, he'd had no choice but to leave him at home and run back during every break to check on him. But now Guan Yuan was almost five—if he came to the fields, at least Zhao Shenggu could keep an eye on him.
With that thought, he agreed. "Alright then. But if you come with me, no running off."
"Mm!" Guan Yuan nodded quickly, flashing a big grin.
Just then, Yang Feifang came out to dump some water. Spotting Zhao Shenggu's quilt airing in the yard, a nasty idea struck her. With a swoosh, she flung an entire basin of water straight onto it.
"Oh my! How did that happen? I was aiming to the side! Oh no—what are you going to do? How will you sleep tonight?" After soaking the quilt, Yang Feifang pretended to be shocked and acted all worried.
Guan Yuan sneered. "You did that on purpose, and you know it. Quit pretending."
He ran into the house. Yang Feifang had no idea what he was up to and couldn't be bothered. She turned back to Zhao Shenggu: "Shenggu, Auntie really didn't mean it. You'll just have to make do with your clothes for blankets tonight."
It was the dead of winter—if they went without a quilt, they'd be frozen stiff by morning.
Zhao Shenggu's fists tightened until the veins stood out on his hands. I can take the cold, but Xiao Yuan can't.
At that moment, he was so angry he felt like tearing Yang Feifang apart.
Yang Feifang saw his darkened face and felt a twinge of guilt. "I need to get back to sewing Manyue's dowry—I'll head inside now."
Just as she turned, swoosh—she was drenched from head to toe in freezing water.
It was early in the first lunar month, bitterly cold. Yang Feifang shrieked: "Ahh!" She hugged her arms, shivering violently.
Guan Yuan tossed the empty basin on the ground and put on an innocent look. "Oh no! I was aiming somewhere else—how did you end up right in the middle?"
"You little devil! Your heart is rotten to the core! Just you wait till your father gets home—he'll beat you senseless!"
Guan Yuan looked up with wide-eyed innocence. "Aren't we supposed to listen to our elders? I was just learning from you. Why would my dad hit me? If anything, he might praise me."
"You—!" Yang Feifang lunged to grab Guan Yuan, but Zhao Shenggu, who had been ready, stepped in and blocked her.
Knowing she couldn't get the better of them with Zhao Shenggu there, Yang Feifang scurried back to her room, shivering, to change clothes. But in those days, nobody had spare clothes—especially winter padded jackets. Sure enough, she had to put on a thin spring jacket and headed, trembling, toward the main house.
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