Chapter 404: Men Should Earn Money for Women
In her past life, Bai Ruozhu remembers a Taurus classmate saying that her husband won her over by unreservedly giving her his bank and salary cards. His exact words were: "From now on, you’ll manage the money."
Therefore, the way to win over a Taurus is "give her money, give her money". Of course, if the Taurus doesn’t like you, no amount of money will make a difference. Here, giving money refers to handing over the economic power, which is the best expression of love.
Bai Ruozhu stared at the silver banknote for a while before being taken aback. She asked, "Aren’t you afraid that I’ll squander all your money?"
"No, you’re lucky with money." Jiang Yichun replied with a smile.
"You can read faces?" Bai Ruozhu raised an eyebrow. "Aren’t you afraid that I’ll take your money and refuse to give it back?"
"You’re not that kind of person." Jiang Yichun’s smile widened.
Those words made Bai Ruozhu feel very good, but she quickly became serious again. She stared at Jiang Yichun and asked, "Business never guarantees profits, so aren’t you afraid that I’ll lose money?"
Jiang Yichun replied seriously, "I really am not afraid. Even if I had the money, I would still squander it. Even if it is frivolously spent by the woman I like, there is nothing unacceptable about it. Isn’t it normal for a man to make money for his woman to spend?"
Bai Ruozhu stared blankly at him for a while before asking, "Are you really from this era?"
"What do you mean ’this era’?" Jiang Yichun was a little confused.
Bai Ruozhu breathed a sigh of relief, confirming that he was indeed from ancient times. She then said, "I mean, don’t men in Danliang Country uphold the belief of male superiority, where money belongs to men and a woman’s property consists only of the dowry she brought from her maiden home?"
Jiang Yichun laughed, "That’s others, not everyone is like that. Isn’t it a given that a man should provide for his wife?"
Listenting to this, Bai Ruozhu was overjoyed. She pocketed the wad of banknotes and said with a smile, "Alright, since you trust me, watch me make your money grow. Of course, half of the profits will belong to me."
Jiang Yichun burst into silent laughter. If he wasn’t afraid of waking Bai Ruozhu’s family, he would have let out a hearty laugh.
"Silly Ruozhu, the money you make is all yours. My money is your money." Jiang Yichun couldn’t help but ruffle her hair affectionately.
"Then, my money is still mine." Bai Ruozhu looked greedy.
Jiang Yichun laughed heartily, "Of course, what’s yours is yours."
The next morning, Bai Ruozhu and her second brother set a date to go to Beiyu City. This time, the re-examination for the student exam would have the results released very shortly, within three days. Therefore, they decided to leave the day after the results were announced.
The Bai family had declared long ago that they were going to treat the people who helped after Bai Zepei’s exam to a meal. The affair had nearly been called off because of Bai Ruolan, but the family eventually decided to stick to the plan, saying that those who deserved thanks should be shown gratitude.
The feast was held in the yard of the Bai’s second house in Mountain Village, with just two tables set up; one for men and one for women. The men’s table hosted the three sons of the Bai Lu family. Bai Lu didn’t come, saying that it was enough for the young people to enjoy themselves and he didn’t need to travel so far. The others included Bai Zeji, Zhou Deshun and Zhao Ludan who drove the carts in the village.
The women’s table was populated by three sister-in laws; Mrs. Li, Mrs. Jin, Mrs. Liu and Bai Lianhua. The people Bai Ruozhu wanted to thank the most were these four. They helped greatly that day, and were extremely tired by the end.
So, the Bai family did not set up their stall that day and busied themselves preparing for the feast in the village. By midday, the guests had arrived. Zhou Deshun’s wife and Mrs. Jin insisted on helping, but Bai Ruozhu gestured towards her mother, and they finally managed to pull the two out of the kitchen.
How could they let the guests work on a day meant to thank them?
Soon, all the guests arrived, and the food and wine were served. Everyone ate heartily. Perhaps no one wanted to upset the Bai family, so no one mentioned Bai Ruolan’s attempted suicide or the old lady’s acceptance of Widow Zhou into the family. They only discussed farming, trade and Bai Zepei’s examination. The yard was filled with a harmonious atmosphere.
Once the feast was over, Mrs. Li and the others insisted on helping Bai Ruozhu clean up the tables, and no amount of persuasion could dissuade them. In the end, the women collectively cleaned up the tables, swiftly removing the leftovers and dishes.
As the guests began to leave, the Bai family also planned to return to the town. Bai Yihong looked a bit conflicted.
Bai Ruozhu frowned and asked, "Father, does Grandma want you to continue living in the old house?"
Bai Yihong nodded dejectedly, "But I haven’t agreed to her. I just feel sorry for Ruolan."
"I sent a message to Mrs. Wang last night. She’ll take care of her own daughter, so you don’t have to worry." Lin Ping’er glared at Bai Ruozhu unhappily.
"Father, I think you should lease the land as soon as possible. Even if we lose a bit of money, it’s better than nothing. Once the results are out, my second brother and I will set out for Beiyu City. We’ll be away for a while, and there are many things to take care of at home. How can you manage if you’re not home every day?" said Bai Ruozhu.
Bai Yihong looked hesitant at first, but quickly made a decision, "I’ll find someone to lease my land in the next few days. I’ll no longer stay at my mother’s house, no matter what she says."
Bai Zehao joined in, "Exactly, you can’t stay there any longer. Who knows when Widow Zhou will suddenly move in? It’s not right for you to stay there when Uncle is not at home, is it?"
Bai Yihong went pale with fright and hurriedly responded, "Zehao, you are right. I can’t stay there any longer."
Seeing her father’s reaction as though he was facing a terrible beast, Bai Ruozhu almost burst out laughing. Her father valued his reputation, and she gave her eldest brother an appreciative look.
At that moment, Bai Yizhong approached cautiously and proposed, "Yihong, if you’re thinking of leasing the land, how about leasing it to me? Our children and I could plant crops on it. We can provide for the family and will definitely be more dedicated than outsiders."
The family was overjoyed to hear this. They felt much more at ease if Bai Yizhong’s family was interested in leasing the land.
"Perhaps you could take the harvest as rent, sparing me just a few bags of grain," Bai Yizhong added.
Bai Yihong immediately shook his head, "No, no. It’s not right to let you suffer a loss. We’ll lease the land to you. We’ll ask for the usual price. I’ve used half of the yields, so we’ll just follow the village’s practice for paying grain."
Bai Yizhong didn’t say anything else. The two men discussed how to calculate the rent and quickly signed a contract.
"We don’t need to find a mediator for family matters." Bai Yihong beamed as they each took a copy of the agreement.
Bai Ruozhu felt relieved and grateful. She went up to Mrs. Jin and thanked her again.
When they returned to town, Bai Ruozhu met Du Zhongshu and told him about her plan to visit Du Family’s old patriarch in Beiyu City after the exam results were announced. Du Zhongshu was very pleased and smilingly said, "I will send a message to the family right away, and arrange for a horse carriage early enough so that you and your child won’t have a bumpy ride."
"Thank you. Also, my second brother will also be traveling with us. He plans to look around in the Study Palace," Bai Ruozhu said.
"Your second brother has told me. I will show him around. Don’t worry," Du Zhongshu reassured her, his face full of happiness for no apparent reason.