Ji Taoyu burst into laughter.
He whispered to Ji Wenliang, "It’s about time someone took her down a peg. Father and mother have been too lenient with her, letting her act shamelessly all the time. Third Aunt only knows how to bully the weak. Whenever she throws a tantrum, she only dares to do it in front of father and mother. You’d never see her dare to make a scene in front of your brother-in-law."
Huo Shu listened to their hushed conversation but didn’t interrupt.
When he looked up, he saw that most of the people in the room had taken their money, thanked him, and left one after another. However, three men remained, seemingly wanting to say something.
He handed the remaining silver to Ji Wenliang: "Take it."
Ji Wenliang hurriedly cupped both hands to receive the handful of silver Huo Shu had been holding. "Thank you, brother-in-law!"
Noticing the situation in the room, he tactfully said, "I’ll go find A-Shou. I promised him earlier that I’d take him into town. I’ll go set a time with him."
Ji Taoyu nodded.
Seeing that there were no outsiders left in the room, Tian Fu stepped forward and said, "Brother Huo, we didn’t realize the wages would be calculated this way."
"When we fell ill with the plague in Lianping, we delayed the journey for several days. We can’t take the wages for those days."
Huo Shu had thought there was some serious matter.
"The amount calculated is what you’re owed. If wages were withheld every time someone fell sick or got injured on the road, how could anyone continue to trade?"
"These matters weren’t stipulated beforehand, but from now on, things won’t be so disorganized. Let this be the last exception."
Tian Fu and the other two felt somewhat embarrassed, but since Huo Shu had spoken, they didn’t press further.
Wang Yong asked, "Brother Huo, can we still go on trading trips with you in the future?"
"You’ve gained some experience from this trip. If you’re willing, of course you can. However, there’s no arrangement yet for the next trip. I’ll notify everyone when plans are made."
"Great! Brother Huo, we all want to keep working with you. Just give the word whenever there’s work to be done."
Huo Shu nodded.
The three men happily bid Huo Shu farewell, then bowed to Ji Taoyu before leaving.
Ji Yangzong stood in the courtyard, watching the villagers who had arrived cheerfully leave even happier than when they came—more joyous than during New Year celebrations.
The villagers greeted him with noticeably more enthusiasm than before, clearly indicating they hadn’t been shortchanged on their earnings.
He was curious about the profits from this trip, but since it was the young people’s business, it wouldn’t be proper for him to pry too much.
At this hour, the weather was still scorching, and few were working in the fields. Those resting under the trees, sipping tea, couldn’t help but gossip when they saw the men leaving the Ji household.
Acquaintances called out directly: "Brother Ge, you must’ve made a tidy sum on this trip!"
"Just some hard-earned money. Enough to fill our bellies, nothing more."
"Don’t be so modest! Give us a rough idea."
Wealth shouldn’t be flaunted, and no one needed to remind them of that. The man chuckled, "We’re just laborers, how much could we really earn? Business has been tough these past two years, and travel expenses add up. There’s barely anything left. I’d be embarrassed to say. Uncle Zhang, drop by for tea sometime. I’ve got to hurry back and fix my roof, the last storm wrecked it."
As the men dispersed, the villagers muttered among themselves.
Though they all claimed the men must have made good money, hearing them say otherwise provided some consolation.
Human nature is such that people can’t bear to see others suffer—but they also can’t stand seeing others earn more than themselves.
What stung most was that when Ji Yangzong had first organized the trade team, he’d approached many households. Quite a few had refused, citing the distance or the uncertainty of the venture.
If those who went ended up making a fortune, the regret would gnaw at them like a worm in their guts.
Seeing that the men had all left after settling accounts, Ji Yangzong didn’t join the villagers’ chatter outside. Instead, he turned toward the study.
"Father."
Ji Taoyu tidied up the account books, finally relieved to have this major task off his shoulders.
He stretched his arms, about to loop them around Huo Shu’s neck, when he spotted his father walking in with his hands clasped behind his back.
"All settled?"
Ji Taoyu nodded. "The villagers’ shares have all been calculated and distributed."
Ji Yangzong acknowledged with a hum. "Good. As long as everyone’s satisfied with the division, future collaborations will go smoothly."
Just then, Huo Shu retrieved a banknote from his person without hesitation and handed it to Ji Yangzong.
"What’s this for?!"
Ji Yangzong glanced at the amount on the banknote and couldn’t hide his shock, it was a full thousand taels.
Huo Shu said, "Uncle Fan and the others have been eating and staying here, which is no small burden."
"They’re not freeloaders. They’ve been doing their share of work, even gathering firewood from the mountains. Daniu eats and stays here too, and I pay him wages besides. Giving me money like this treats family like outsiders."
Ji Yangzong was displeased. "What, were they feasting on delicacies every day? A thousand taels? Money doesn’t come easy out there, don’t throw it around like this."
Huo Shu replied, "Food and lodging aren’t the main point. Before we left, the family provided a lot of financial support, and you went to great lengths to help us."
"This isn’t about repayment. It’s a gesture of respect from Taoyu and me. It’s only right for the younger generation to honor their elders."
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