Before Chen Ping'an even entered the courtyard, he caught a whiff of fragrant aromas.
"Nannan, I'm back."
"Brother, you're back! Come, quickly drink some water to moisten your throat."
Chen Er'ya came out to greet him, holding a bowl of clear water.
Chen Ping'an took the water and drank it in one gulp.
"Ha! Nannan is still the most considerate!"
Chen Ping'an said to Chen Er'ya while taking off his Yamen Runner uniform.
The weather wasn't too hot yet, so he hadn't sweat much. If he took off this uniform, he could wear it again tomorrow.
Washing it every day was not only troublesome but also especially hard on the clothes.
He only had two in total, and if they got damaged, he would have to pay a fee to get a new one from the Zhenfu Division.
"Nannan, did you eat obediently today?!"
"Yes, I did! I listened to Brother, and I even ate beef at noon."
"Hmm. Not bad."
Chen Ping'an even walked into the kitchen to glance at the beef.
Uh...
Seeing the beef, which looked hardly touched from yesterday, Chen Ping'an's expression slightly darkened.
"Ate it? Why is there still so much left?!"
"Oh dear..."
Chen Er'ya chuckled, trying to gloss over it.
However, Chen Ping'an wouldn't let it go.
In the end, Chen Er'ya could only honestly confess. She did eat, but only a tiny piece.
"I just wanted to save it for Brother. Brother works outside, earning money to support the family, and he expends a lot of Qi. This beef should be for Brother to replenish his body."
"If I want to eat, I'll just buy it! Besides, me eating and you eating aren't mutually exclusive!"
Chen Er'ya didn't reply. But Chen Ping'an knew what she was thinking.
It was nothing more than the matter of silver! If there were enough silver, there would be no need to be so meticulous.
Although Chen Ping'an said he had found a way to repay the fourteen taels of silver to Young Master Hu of the Tiger Head Gang, Chen Er'ya believed her brother. But as long as the matter wasn't resolved, it remained a worry.
With this worry weighing on her, Chen Er'ya naturally had to be meticulous in every aspect.
"Brother told you yesterday not to be perfunctory with lunch. You didn't listen! Are you trying to anger Brother?! And..."
The Xiao Yatou didn't speak, just blinked her large eyes, looking at him.
"You, ah..."
Chen Ping'an saw Chen Er'ya's pitiful look and felt a pang in his heart, letting out a long sigh. The words he had intended to say could no longer be uttered. He gently tapped Chen Er'ya's forehead with his finger, unable to continue scolding her.
Ultimately, it was his meager monthly salary!
"Did you buy the pork leg I asked for yesterday?"
"Yes, I did! I also bought pig trotters to stew for Brother to replenish his body. Brother is practicing martial arts now, so he needs to eat more meat."
Chen Er'ya said, beaming with joy.
A few days ago, they wouldn't have eaten like this. Every meal was a large meat dish; it was only these past two days that Chen Ping'an had specifically instructed them to, which was why it was so.
Chen Er'ya had already prepared dinner. This Xiao Yatou, though only nine years old, was proficient in all household chores. Even her cooking skills were on par with Chen Ping'an's.
As they chatted, they worked together to bring the dishes to the wooden table.
Tonight's dinner: a bowl of stewed pig trotters, a bowl of braised pork leg, a plate of stir-fried eggs with green peppers, a bowl of mushroom soup, and two bowls of large white rice.
Luxurious!
Extremely luxurious!
If they could enjoy this every day, they wouldn't trade it for being an immortal!
This level of dinner, even the shop owners on the streets and alleys, probably couldn't afford it every day.
One must know that many families around them, let alone having large meat dishes, couldn't even afford the large white rice cooked from polished rice. They could only eat coarse rice mixed with rice husks, which was incredibly rough. Even more so, some families had many mouths to feed, few laborers, and no special skills, making even eating coarse rice difficult; they could only eat some wheat bran.
Compared to them, Chen Ping'an and Chen Er'ya were undoubtedly fortunate.
After all, with the identity of a Zhenfu Division Yamen Runner, they would never starve and could occasionally have meat.
This was also why Chen Father, even when he was on his deathbed, had to expend his efforts, exhaust his connections, family savings, and even borrow money, just to secure a temporary Yamen Runner identity for Chen Ping'an.
With this identity, the days of living hand-to-mouth would be a thing of the past. Their lives would ultimately become more hopeful.
However, what Chen Ping'an needed to resolve was the fourteen taels of debt to the Tiger Head Gang.
"Nannan, you don't need to worry about the fourteen taels of debt. Brother wasn't joking with you yesterday; he really does have a solution."
During dinner, Chen Ping'an looked into Chen Er'ya's eyes and said seriously.
"Hmm, I believe Brother, and I know Brother wasn't joking."
"Then you must take good care of yourself. Don't let things like eating only a small piece of beef for lunch happen again. If the household expenses are short, just tell Brother. Once these fourteen taels of debt are repaid, with Brother's monthly salary, our lives will ultimately get better and better. The household's food, clothing, and other expenses can also be relaxed appropriately."
Chen Ping'an spoke seriously, and Chen Er'ya listened seriously.
"Brother, I know. It's just that I'm thinking, even if the fourteen taels of debt are repaid, there's still a big matter for the family to handle, and there will be many places where silver is needed. What can be saved, I still want to save as much as possible."
"What big matter hasn't been handled?"
Chen Ping'an asked curiously.
"The matter of Brother getting a wife! Brother is already nineteen, and next year, he'll be at the age of capping. I've asked Granny Wang from Changqiao Lane, and to get a wife, the expenses for everything, at least ten taels of silver!"
And my Brother is so excellent, just marrying an ordinary wife home won't do. So, ten taels of silver isn't enough; for Brother to get a wife, the family needs to prepare at least twenty taels of silver. Mother died early, and there's no one in the family to plan this for Brother, so it's just me."
Chen Er'ya spoke straightforwardly, clearly having thought it through. But what she said almost made Chen Ping'an spit out the mushroom soup he had just drunk.
"You Xiao Yatou, you're so young but so clever!"
Though he said that, a warmth bloomed in Chen Ping'an's heart.
"My sister-in-law must naturally be gentle and beautiful. So, even if Brother has a way to deal with the debt, the family's silver still needs to be saved!"
Chen Er'ya said, puffing out her chest and holding her head high.
"Alright, alright!"
Chen Ping'an looked helpless.
He didn't argue with Chen Er'ya.
Since Chen Er'ya had this matter in her heart, anything he said would be useless. Rather than talking, it was better to prove it with action.
After eating, Chen Ping'an didn't clean up with Chen Er'ya this time.
The door bolt of the courtyard gate was still propped up by a piece of firewood. He needed to find a suitable stick. During his patrol in the daytime, he hadn't found anything suitable. Since there was nothing suitable, he would make one himself.
Coincidentally, there was a piece of wood at home that hadn't been fully chopped, which could be modified.
In the courtyard, he held a hatchet, working on the wood. In the kitchen, Chen Er'ya was washing dishes.
During breaks from their work, their eyes would occasionally meet for just a moment, and in that instant, both felt an immense sense of peace.
Having family nearby, this feeling of companionship was truly wonderful!
This feeling was worth more than ten thousand pieces of gold!