Four Silver Beans

This family letter, Wei Tu didn't bother the Dan family with it, but instead entrusted a cart driver who traveled between the county town and Sanyuan Township for years to deliver it to the Li Residence.

The cart driver's fee wasn't high, just a dozen copper coins, about the cost of one meal.

After the letter was sent.

About seven or eight days passed.

Xinghua also entrusted the same cart driver to send a reply.

In her letter, Xinghua first expressed her happiness that Wei Tu had been accepted as a disciple by Martial Graduate Dan, and told Wei Tu to serve Martial Graduate Dan, his master who appreciated him, well...

He didn't need to worry about coming home for the New Year.

Then, Xinghua detailed the harvest of the three mu of land leased by the family this year.

—The First Mistress, Madam Li, was considerate and arranged for several tenant farmers to harvest, without charging a single cent.

At the end of the letter, Xinghua said she had sewn a winter coat with cotton cloth and asked Wei Tu if it fit him and if he needed any alterations.

She also added: she couldn't accurately estimate his waist size, so Wei Tu should measure it himself.

After reading the family letter.

Wei Tu pondered for a moment, then opened the package the cart driver had delivered.

Inside the package, besides a purple padded jacket, there were also two pairs of newly sewn soft satin shoes.

Next.

Following Xinghua's instructions, Wei Tu stood up to try on the winter clothes and shoes.

But as soon as he put on the winter coat, Wei Tu realized that the purple padded jacket indeed didn't fit very well, it was a bit tight around the waist.

Wei Tu found a pair of scissors and cut open the stitching, but as soon as he started, he discovered a piece of paper with writing on it hidden inside the jacket, along with a few silver beans.

Xinghua's words on the paper were brief, only stating that she had put four silver beans inside the winter coat, totaling a little over one tael of silver, and asked Wei Tu to use this money to buy a gift for apprenticeship for Martial Graduate Dan locally.

Wei Tu found the four silver beans one by one within the cotton of the purple padded jacket. Clutching the little over one tael of silver, he felt it was slightly hot in his hand.

"A bride three years older is like holding a gold brick."

"What Madam Li said was indeed true."

Wei Tu sighed, feeling that he owed Xinghua a lot again.

Xinghua was three years older than him and had entered the Li family two years before him. Due to women maturing earlier, she had always taken good care of him.

After they got married, although Xinghua deferred to him, her husband, on major matters, she hadn't entirely lost her habit of telling him what to do.

"A new bride is also like a mother..."

Wei Tu shook his head and smiled, collected himself, and decided to follow Xinghua's instructions, using the little over one tael of silver to buy a gift for apprenticeship for Martial Graduate Dan.

In the days since becoming his disciple.

Martial Graduate Dan had treated him like a true disciple, not just someone with a nominal title.

Stance Training.

Archery.

Horse Riding Skills.

Military Strategy.

These were all subjects tested in the Martial Arts Examination, and Martial Graduate Dan taught Wei Tu almost everything he knew. When instructing him on writing military strategies, he even revealed the preferences of the county town examiners to Wei Tu.

Wei Tu had also been thinking of giving Martial Graduate Dan a gift for apprenticeship these past few days.

However, because he had only recently redeemed his freedom and was short on cash, and all the remaining money at home was with Xinghua, he hadn't been able to get it...

He never expected that Xinghua would also think of this, and her decision was far more decisive than his.

—After all, the apprenticeship was already complete, and the master-disciple relationship was established. Not sending a gift might seem unimportant to those with limited vision.

Walking out of the second courtyard.

Wei Tu gave an instruction to Deng An, a long-term laborer who was feeding the horses, then led a horse out of the stable and left the Dan Residence.

These past few days, when Martial Graduate Dan taught him archery, he had told him that besides his usual Yellow Dappled Horse, he could use the other horses in the stable to practice his horse riding skills.

Deng An, standing nearby, looked on with envy. He stared at Wei Tu's receding back for a long time, stunned.

A few days ago.

He and Wei Tu were both long-term laborers in the West Room.

Wei Tu still had to take his orders.

But in just these few days, Wei Tu had turned his fortunes around and was now a person riding a horse, while he still had to toil cleaning toilets, sweeping courtyards, and chopping and mixing feed, unchanged for decades.

Heading south.

Wei Tu arrived at the town in Sanyuan Township. Leading his horse, he walked along the bustling street, his gaze scanning the shops lining the road, contemplating what kind of gift for apprenticeship would be suitable for Martial Graduate Dan.

Tailor's shop.

Blacksmith's shop.

Herbalist's shop.

Wei Tu's eyes darted around, overwhelmed.

The one tael of silver in his hand was a considerable sum for a poor person; with frugal spending, it could last several months. However, when it came to choosing a gift for his apprenticeship, it felt rather insufficient.

He couldn't afford the expensive items.

As for the cheap ones, he worried Scholar Dan wouldn't approve, thinking he was being perfunctory.

"That's right, Master said that raising parents in their old age and seeing them off in death requires children. I just need to keep this filial piety in my heart..."

Tired of looking, Wei Tu stopped. The words Scholar Dan had spoken echoed in his mind.

With that thought, Wei Tu no longer hesitated. He strode into the pastry shop and bought three boxes of popular pastries. Then, he went to the general store and purchased some seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Finally, Wei Tu arrived at the butcher's shop and bought two catties of fatty meat.

"Brother Wei, why are you out buying so many things today?"

"Is there some good news?"

Upon entering the Dan Residence, the maids, who had become familiar with Wei Tu these past few days, greeted him and asked curiously.

At this moment, Wei Tu recounted Xinghua's letter and the silver beans she had sewn into his jacket.

He hadn't sent the apprenticeship gift before.

Now he was making up for it...

He needed an explanation.

Besides, Wei Tu didn't think Xinghua was someone to be hidden. It wasn't as if he could look down on his former wife now that his status had improved.

Wei Tu hadn't forgotten that half of his redemption silver had come from Xinghua.

"Brother Wei has a good wife."

"She's someone who knows how to handle things..."

Everyone at the Dan Residence praised him.

At this time, Scholar Dan, who was drinking tea and enjoying the cool air in the main hall, was first stunned for a moment upon hearing the commotion outside. Then, a smile spread across his face.

However, when Scholar Dan approached Wei Tu, he put on a stern face, only saying that the gifts Wei Tu carried were unnecessary and that his intentions were what mattered.

"Master, this is my wife's idea. She asked me to make up for the apprenticeship gift..." Wei Tu bowed to Scholar Dan and said.

Upon hearing this, Scholar Dan no longer insisted. He nodded and let Madam Shan accept the apprenticeship gifts Wei Tu was carrying.

"When marrying, choose a virtuous wife; she can influence the family for three generations. Your wife is good," Scholar Dan also offered a word of praise for Xinghua's "virtuous act."

"If your Mistress were back and heard what you said, she would surely dote on you."

Scholar Dan smiled.

Hearing this.

Wei Tu's heart stirred.

The Mistress Scholar Dan mentioned was not the Third Branch's Madam Shan, but Scholar Dan's legally married wife – Madam Shan Min.

Having been at the Dan family for so long, he had also learned about Madam Shan Min, Scholar Dan's principal wife, from the conversations of the servants and maids.

Scholar Dan had married Madam Shan Min before he became prosperous. Madam Shan Min was considered Scholar Dan's first wife, his wife through hardship.

Scholar Dan himself greatly respected his first wife, rarely scolding or arguing with her.

However, as Madam Shan Min grew older and her health declined, and seeing Scholar Dan and Madam Shan's frequent conjugal relations, she had moved out of the Dan Residence a few years ago to live with their son in the Prefectural City.

Thank you to oo for the 100 Qidian coins reward, Leng vs. Luo for the 100 Qidian coins reward, and Xiaoyao Dazun for the 500 Qidian coins reward.