Chapter 8: Qian Shi's Little Scheme - Ten Coins

Wang Shi had a selfish thought in her mind, hoping that if the Bing family offered, she would stay and have her children called over.

They were just a bunch of kids; the Bing family wouldn't have the heart to refuse them food, right?

Unfortunately, the Bing family was different from others; they were extremely poor, so poor that they couldn't even put food on the table. Wang Shi hadn't eaten meat in a few months, but the Bing family hadn't had meat for over a year.

So even though Wang Shi hinted, no one in the Bing family offered.

However, since the family still owed Wang Shi money, Liang Shi couldn't be too harsh and pretended not to catch Wang Shi's hint, standing up with a smile to greet her, "Sister, what brings you here today?"

Seeing that Liang Shi didn't take the hint, Wang Shi knew that Liang Shi didn't want to invite her to stay for a meal, secretly resenting the Bing family's stinginess.

Looking at the dilapidated house of the Bing family, no wonder they were so miserly; even when guests came during mealtime, they didn't offer food.

Wang Shi was disdainful and didn't bother to hide her feelings, mainly because she felt there was no need to; the Bing family's poor state didn't require social niceties.

Wang Shi said coldly, "Oh, sister-in-law, since you're pretending not to understand, I'll have to be blunt. Your family is feasting on fish and meat; when will you repay the twenty coins you owe my family?"

Liang Shi's smile froze; her family really couldn't afford to repay. Even though Bing Wengu had caught many fish, there wasn't a single grain of rice at home, and those fish had to be taken to town to exchange for food.

"Sister, what are you talking about? My family really has no money. These fish were just caught by Da Lang by the river. Da Lang was seriously ill recently, so we couldn't bear to sell them, thinking to nourish the children's health," Liang Shi explained.

Wang Shi curled her lip; she didn't care about Liang Shi's explanation. She wasn't here to listen to excuses but to see if she could gain some advantage.

Wang Shi said sarcastically, "Sister-in-law, your life is really extravagant. Your family owes money but still thinks about nourishing themselves. My family, who is owed money by yours, hasn't thought about how to nourish themselves."

Liang Shi didn't know what to say and could only force a smile.

Wang Shi waved her hand dismissively, "Alright, no need to explain. I know your family can't repay the money today. I'll take a pot of fish soup as interest then."

Liang Shi, of course, couldn't let her take it away like that, and neither could Qian Shi and Zhou Shi. The three women immediately stood up to block Wang Shi's way.

Wang Shi immediately shouted, "Liang Shi, what do you mean? Are you going to hit me?"

"Our family is law-abiding and wouldn't dare to lay a hand on anyone," Bing Wengu sat at the men's table, steady and unmoving.

"Mother and sisters-in-law just don't want you to take our family's life-saving food away," Bing Wengu said slowly, but with an inexplicable deterrent force. "If you want to take our family's life-saving food, you'll have to step over the bodies of my mother and sisters-in-law."

After Bing Wengu finished speaking, Bing Erlang, Bing Sanlang, Bing Silang, and the youngest twins all stood up and said in unison, "If you want to take our family's life-saving food, you'll have to step over our bodies."

Wang Shi was actually a bit afraid of Bing Wengu; his glance that day had given her nightmares for several nights. Facing Bing Wengu, she was still apprehensive.

Seeing the Bing family's tough attitude, Wang Shi knew she couldn't gain any advantage today and could only leave cursing.

Some villagers who had come hoping to gain some advantage saw that the Bing family wasn't an easy target and quietly gave up.

Li Shi, who had come to see the Bing family's misfortune, didn't get to see the Bing family's joke and was more resentful than Wang Shi, the main party involved.

With such a big commotion in the Bing family, the Nan family in the village naturally knew about it.

Miao Shi glanced at her guilty Xiao Geer and said, "Don't cook fish tonight; do it tomorrow to avoid trouble."

Nan Jinping nodded, clutching her clothes, thinking of Bing Wengu who had sent her fish, her heart beating a little faster.

After the villagers left, the Bing family continued their meal. As for the earlier incident, Qian Shi and Zhou Shi cursed Wang Shi for a long time.

Even while cursing, Qian Shi didn't stop drinking the fish soup. This pot of fish soup was too precious for the Bing family.

Qian Shi wanted her daughter to eat more, so she fed her a bowl and went to get another.

Bing Wengu happened to see this and, fearing the child might get a stomachache from overeating, said, "Third brother's wife, the little one is still young and shouldn't eat that much."

It had been a long time since the family had eaten well, and Qian Shi wished she could feed her child even more. She ignored Bing Wengu's advice and, trying to appease him, said, "Our little one can really pack it in and still wants more, right?"

As she spoke, she poked her daughter in her arms. The little girl, just over a year old, didn't understand what being full meant. She only knew the food was delicious and leaned over the bowl, gulping it down.

Such a small child shouldn't eat much, and even though Bing Wengu was frugal, he didn't mind sharing a bit of food. He was genuinely worried the child might get a stomachache.

Liang Shi snapped, "Da Lang, don't waste your breath on her. She doesn't even care about her own child. If the child gets a stomachache, it's her own fault for being an unreliable mother."

Bing Wengu didn't intervene further and continued eating his meal.

The Bing family had been so deprived of good food that they finished the four-pound fish, leaving no soup behind.

Not long after they went to bed, chaos erupted in Bing Sanlang's room. Sure enough, the child had a stomachache.

Such a young child couldn't endure repeated bouts of diarrhea and quickly became unwell.

Qian Shi wailed and frantically pounded on Liang Shi's door, "Mom, mom, please save your granddaughter!"

Liang Shi was livid. She threw on her clothes and snapped, "During dinner, Da Lang warned you not to feed the child so much fish soup, but you wouldn't listen, as if Da Lang was being cheap. Now look, the child has a stomachache, just like he warned!"

Liang Shi was so angry she wished she could slap Qian Shi, her daughter-in-law.

This daughter-in-law of the third son had been chosen by Bing Sanlang himself. The two had taken a liking to each other, and Bing Sanlang had informed the family.

Liang Shi had strongly objected, but there was nothing she could do; she couldn't defy her son.

Liang Shi scolded, "You know how things are at home. We're flat broke. If we had even a single penny, I'd have been off to town for food ages ago."

Bing Sanlang knew his mother was telling the truth. He was annoyed that his wife hadn't listened to the advice and had fed the child so much fish soup. But now wasn't the time to blame her. Bing Sanlang turned to Bing Wengu.

"Big brother, today's mess was entirely Qian Shi's doing. Please don't blame her. For my sake, or for your little niece's sake, please help her."

With all the commotion caused by Qian Shi and Bing Sanlang, Bing Wengu couldn't sleep and had already gotten up.

Bing Wengu really didn't want to get mixed up in this. He had warned them at dinner, and now it looked like he was being cheap. But the child was innocent, so Bing Wengu grabbed two fish from the kitchen and hustled over to the village chief's place to trade them for thirty coins. He gave the money to Bing Sanlang and Qian Shi, telling them to take the child to see a doctor immediately.

The two fish totaled four pounds. In town, a pound of fish fetched fifteen coins, so four pounds would net sixty coins.

But they had no other option. The family urgently needed money, and they couldn't borrow any. At the regular price, no one in the village was willing to buy, so they had to sell it cheaply.

Still, selling to the village chief's family wasn't a bad deal. Over the years, the chief's family had been a big help to the Bings.

Qian Shi took the child to the doctor, came back to prepare the medicine, and kept running back and forth, causing such a commotion that Bing Wengu couldn't sleep.

Later, after the child took the medicine and fell asleep, the noise in Bing Sanlang's room finally subsided, and Bing Wengu was able to sleep.

Zhou Shi made breakfast. Qian Shi had been up too late the previous night and didn't get up this morning.

After eating, Bing Wengu heard movement in Bing Sanlang's room and went to knock on the door.

"Third brother's wife, how is the child?" Bing Wengu asked.

Qian Shi opened the door and smiled, "The child is fine now. She's stopped having diarrhea and is sleeping. Thank you, big brother."

Bing Wengu nodded and asked, "Third brother's wife, do you have any money left from yesterday's medicine?"

It wasn't that Bing Wengu was being petty about those few coins, but the Bing family was truly impoverished at the moment. A few coins could buy a decent amount of grain, enough for the Bing family to have a simple meal.

Qian Shi's smile stiffened, her eyes darting, "I'm sorry, brother, all the money was spent on medicine for the child."

Bing Wengu didn't say anything more, just nodded, and with a basket on his back, headed towards the town.

On the way, Bing Wengu encountered a village ox-drawn cart, which cost two wen per person. Without hesitation, Bing Wengu took a seat. His health had just improved a bit, and he was still very weak, not suitable for exertion. Falling ill again would be a loss.

Although he didn't have any money on him, the cart driver saw the fish in his basket and knew he was going to sell them, so he wouldn't be short of those few coins, and thus took him along.

Riding the ox-drawn cart was much quicker and less exhausting.

Upon reaching the town, Bing Wengu inquired about the busiest street and went there.

His fish were plump and were quickly sold out.

After deducting what was eaten at home, given to Nan Jinping, and sold to the village head's family, the remaining fish sold for a total of two hundred and eighty-five wen.

Bing Wengu tucked the money away carefully, inquired about the cheapest grain shop, and went there to buy grain.

Beans were the cheapest, ten wen per bushel, and Bing Wengu bought ten bushels. Foxtail millet was slightly more expensive, thirty wen per bushel, and he also bought ten bushels, spending a total of two hundred and fifty wen. The remaining thirty-five wen were kept by Bing Wengu as a reserve.

As for other things, Bing Wengu bought nothing. The current situation of the Bing family was such that having enough to eat was sufficient; other matters could wait.

Bing Wengu strolled around the town a couple of times, roughly understanding the prices and what was most valuable, pondering what to bring back.

Selling fish this time was just a trial.

On the way back, he took the village ox-drawn cart again, paying the two wen from the trip.

The ox-drawn cart didn't take him to his doorstep, stopping at the village outskirts. Bing Wengu effortlessly carried two dan of grain back home.

Two dan of grain weighed a hefty two hundred and forty jin.

Bing Wengu had already realized that his current physical condition was more akin to his own body in the interstellar world. The original owner of this body definitely didn't have such strength; he was a frail scholar who couldn't shoulder or lift anything.

As soon as Bing Wengu reached the door, he heard Liang Shi's berating.

"Qian Shi, do you have any conscience left? Look at the state of our family, and you still harbor such selfish thoughts," Liang Shi berated. "You clearly know there's not a single grain of rice left at home. Your brother went to town this time to sell fish and trade for some grain, and yet you hid secret savings."

Qian Shi sobbed, unyielding, and argued, "It's not for myself, it's for the child. If I had money yesterday, I would have taken the child to see a doctor immediately, without having to beg here and there."

Liang Shi trembled with anger, "Look around, which young woman in the village who hasn't split from the family has her own stash of money? Even if you didn't have money, the family didn't refuse to treat the child. In the end, it's all for yourself. Aren't you ashamed to take that money? That money was earned by your brother, who, despite his illness, went to the river to catch fish, just to trade for some grain for the family."