The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 514 - 503 Counting Money (extra update for the reward from book friend "Rainfall Water Heart Ripple Fragrance")

Chapter 514: Chapter 503 Counting Money (extra update for the reward from book friend "Rainfall Water Heart Ripple Fragrance")

Zhou Wulang nodded in agreement and sneaked a glance at his father.

Old Zhou didn’t say a word and glared back when he saw him looking over.

So Zhou Wulang and Manbao lowered their heads together and started to chuckle.

Being very curious, Zhou Wulang asked Old Zhou in a very quiet voice, "Dad, was your mother-in-law difficult to deal with?"

"Eh?" Manbao counted on her fingers, isn’t her dad’s mother-in-law her own grandmother?

Never having met her grandmother, Manbao also got excited and ran up to eavesdrop, leaving her mother behind.

Could Old Zhou talk about her being difficult in front of his wife?

Therefore, Old Zhou glanced at the two children and said, "Your grandmother is doing fine."

Ms.Qian walked forward without a sideward glance, and Old Zhou breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Nice, my foot. When he first came to propose, it was she who forbade Ms.Qian from going home with him and even had her three cousins hold him down and give him a beating.

As soon as he got back home, Zhou Liulang gathered a bunch of nieces and nephews around and asked, "Fifth Brother, did their family take a liking to you?"

Zhou Wulang lifted his head proudly, "Of course, the marriage has been settled."

When everyone heard this, they started exclaiming in excitement and congratulating him; even Junior Ms.Qian couldn’t help but stand at the kitchen doorway, laughing, "Now Five has finally gotten what he wished for."

Old Zhou, finding them too noisy, waved them off, "Go back to your small courtyard to make noise, and don’t be too loud either. What kind of behavior is all this ruckus?"

As they were about to leave, Old Zhou suddenly remembered something and called out to Zhou Liulang, "Liulang, you’re not getting any younger either; it’s time to consider marriage."

Zhou Liulang immediately said, "Dad, I’m not in a hurry."

He said, "I don’t want to consider marriage yet, maybe when I’m a few years older."

"How much older do you need to be? Your Eldest brother was married at your age."

Zhou Liulang just said, "Anyway, I don’t want to consider marriage."

And with that, he ran off to the small courtyard with the others.

In response to the curious Zhou Wulang and Manbao, he said, "I’m not stupid, you know. In these sixteen villages, all the good girls over fifteen have been appraised by Fifth Brother. There’s no reason he didn’t choose one that I would end up choosing."

Manbao: "...There are still many who didn’t fancy Fifth Brother. Maybe some of them would fancy you?"

After thinking it over, Zhou Liulang said, "That won’t do either. It would be so awkward running into them at home. Anyway, I don’t want to get married right now."

Unlike Zhou Wulang, who had been set on getting married since he was a child, Zhou Liulang had never given it much thought, especially after getting a new room, he cared even less about getting married.

He didn’t like the idea of having a wife living with him, and in the future, having to share the room with kids too. Just the thought of it was annoying.

He preferred to sleep on a big bed by himself.

Manbao didn’t hesitate to tell her mother what Liulang had said.

Ms.Qian was silent for a long while, but Old Zhou wasn’t too worried as he laughed and said, "He just hasn’t come to his senses yet; he’ll be fine once he does."

What else could Ms.Qian do but nod her head?

Zhou Wulang getting engaged meant that the wedding wasn’t far off.

After waiting a few days to get better acquainted with each other, Old Zhou asked Zhou Wulang to carry a chicken and follow Matchmaker Wang to the Lu Family to inquire about a wedding date.

Unexpectedly, things went smoothly, and the Lu Family also hoped the children could get married soon. As the family doctor said, "Zhiniang isn’t getting any younger; she’ll be eighteen after the new year."

This time, Mother Lu’s attitude towards Zhou Wulang was quite decent, so Zhou Wulang was overjoyed and quickly settled on a wedding date.

They consulted a Taoist priest on the mountain to choose an auspicious day, which turned out to be December 21st, and just three days after the wedding feast would be the New Year’s Eve.

Old Zhou also liked this date, as they wouldn’t have to worry about preparing too much meat; any excess could be saved for the New Year celebrations.

The family needed to prepare a wedding feast, but this time Old Zhou didn’t pinch pennies like he had during Zhou Silang’s wedding, fretting over the money spent.

Because he now had money.

Though the spending was about the same as when they were arranging Zhou SiLang’s wedding, the feeling was worlds apart, and he couldn’t help saying to Ms. Qian, "Having money feels so much different from being penniless."

Ms. Qian couldn’t help but laugh, "Isn’t that obvious?"

Old Zhou counted the money at home again, and only then did he contentedly close the chest.

Zhou Wulang was also counting money at this time. He was about to get married, so Manbao took out his share of the money from the system and gave it to him.

The money they stored with her had always been in individual chests and ledger books. Every time they entrusted her with their money, she would just throw it into the corresponding box and then record it in the ledger.

Every time they took money from her, they also recorded it, so the accounts were very clear.

Zhou Wulang didn’t even glance at the ledger; he simply carried the chest back to his room and started counting with joy.

Manbao and Zhou Liulang were both very curious, so they sneaked into the room to join in the counting.

In his chest were two brand new five-liang silver ingots, the part his family had given him previously, as well as some small pieces of silver, and even more numerous were strings of copper coins.

Zhou Wulang counted and counted, astonished beyond belief. Although he knew he was wealthy, he hadn’t realized he could have this much wealth.

He couldn’t tell how heavy the scattered pieces of silver were just by looking; he would have to weigh them to find out.

But the amount he could count was twenty-eight liang, just that was enough to marry three wives.

Zhou Wulang, gleeful, instructed Zhou Liulang, "Go fetch the scales for me, I want to weigh these pieces of silver."

Zhou Liulang, itching with curiosity, said to Manbao, "I want to count my money too."

Manbao said that was no problem.

The siblings ran out together, one to fetch the scales from the main courtyard, and the other to retrieve their money chest back in the room.

Zhou Liulang, too, had two five-liang silver ingots, but his remaining money was less than Zhou Wulang’s. In fact, they had earned about the same; it was mainly their spending that differed.

Zhou Wulang had constantly set his heart on marrying a wife, and so he saved money with great resolve, Zhou Liulang was different.

He always had to buy new fabric for clothes before the New Year, and he loved eating all sorts of delicacies, so he spent a lot.

Mainly because he didn’t want to marry a wife.

But now as he was counting money, he couldn’t help but look at Fifth Brother’s money chest with envy and regret, "I knew it, I shouldn’t have spent so much."

Manbao said indifferently, "If you don’t spend it and you’re not getting married, what’s the use of keeping it?"

She said, "I’ve already spent a lot. I’ve made plans with Bai Shanbao and the others that this New Year we’re going to eat delicious food in the county town’s restaurant."

Zhou Liulang’s spirits lifted, and he asked, "Can I come along?"

"Sure, but you have to chip in."

Zhou Liulang, hesitantly touching his own money, asked, "How much?"

"We have initially estimated three hundred wen per person."

Before Zhou Liulang could react, Zhou Wulang cried out in shock, "That much? Are you eating dragon liver and phoenix marrow?"

"It’s not just about eating at the restaurant, but also buying all kinds of delicious street foods to eat together," Manbao said. "The three of us have about the same appetite, if we buy too much and cannot finish, we can share. That way we can taste lots of different foods."

Zhou Liulang’s eyes shone, and he nodded repeatedly, "That’s a good idea, a good idea. I want to join in."

Zhou Wulang was skeptical, "Won’t you get a tummy ache eating so many things all at once?"

Manbao then said with a smile, "Yes, so we’ve decided to spread it out over three days."

Zhou Liulang grew even happier, "That’s great, that’s great. Manbao, tell the young master of the Bai Family and the others I want to join as well. It’s perfect, I’m older than you all, I can protect you."

Zhou Wulang: ...