Flowers in full bloom

I will now tell everyone's name and the total amount of monthly silver. Xiaoyuan, can you pay the silver? "Xiaoyuan nodded.

"Uncle Fu, one tael per month, three taels for three months." Xiao Yuan put three silver ingots of one tael in front of Uncle Fu. "Aunt Fu, eight hundred coins per month, two thousand four hundred coins for three months." Xiao Yuan put two silver ingots of one tael and four strings of one hundred coins in front of Aunt Fu.

"Auntie Song, eight hundred coins per month, two thousand four hundred coins for three months." Xiaoyuan placed two silver ingots of one liang and four strings of one hundred coins in front of Auntie Song... "Xiaoxiao, five hundred coins per month, one thousand five hundred coins for three months." Xiaoyuan placed a silver ingot of one liang and five strings of one hundred coins in front of Xiaoxiao.

Hua Lei reported everyone's name from beginning to end. "Miss, Master..." Aunt Song's eyes were a little wet, "This...?" "Everyone check it out, if it's correct, please sign here." Hua Lei looked around at everyone and handed the detailed paper to Uncle Fu first. Uncle Fu signed with trembling hands and handed it to Aunt Fu next to him.

Because of Hualei's grandfather, everyone can read, and the worst can count and sign their own names. The paper was passed from one hand to another and then returned to Hualei. Hualei looked at it, folded it, and put it back into the wooden box.

She continued, "Before the Chinese New Year, my grandfather would give everyone an extra month's salary. This year, he didn't give it to everyone before the Chinese New Year, so I'll make it up to everyone today. Let's do it the same way as before. I'll give you my name, and Xiaoyuan, you give me the money." Hualei turned to Xiaoyuan, who nodded.

"Miss, don't spend money recklessly." Hua Lei smiled and continued to call out everyone's name, giving everyone another month's salary. Everyone was stunned as they looked at the pile of small silver ingots and copper coins in front of them.

"In the past, before the Chinese New Year every year, grandpa would buy cloth for everyone to make new clothes. This year, he didn't buy cloth for everyone, so I will convert it into silver and pay everyone. Let's do it the same way as before. I'll give the names and Xiaoyuan, you give the silver. One hundred coins per person, including Xiaofei and Yaya." There was also a string of copper coins in front of each person, including Xiaofei and Yaya.

"In the past, grandpa would give out red envelopes to everyone on the first day of the new year. This time, grandpa was ill and didn't give them to everyone, so I'll make it up to you today. Let's do it the same way as before. I'll call out the names and Xiaoyuan, you give the money. One hundred coins per person, including Xiaofei and Yaya." There was another string of copper coins in front of everyone.

The silver in the wooden box was dwindling rapidly. Hualei looked around at everyone and said, "If the silver is correct, everyone keep it safe. I have something to tell you."

Everyone put the money into their pockets hesitantly, especially Mrs. Luo, whose hands were shaking with excitement. She put the money in front of her into her pocket, still a little bit unbelieving. In the past, when the master distributed monthly silver, he would distribute it to the whole family together.

Let Uncle Fu take care of the whole family. So as a daughter-in-law, even if she knew that the monthly silver would be paid on the same day, she would not see the silver. Although the silver might be handed over to the mother-in-law later, it feels so good to touch the silver now. I must do my best in the future. The young lady and the young master are both kind people. Mrs. Luo silently swore to the sky in her heart.

Sun Xiaoqun and Sun Xiaoxiao were equally excited. They had never seen so much money before. It was all collected by their mother every month. When they asked their mother for money, she would give them ten copper coins at most. Now they saw so much money in ingots and strings, which made them very happy.

Xiaoqun lifted the hem of his clothes and quickly put all the silver ingots and copper coins in front of him into the hem. Ignoring Aunt Song's expectant eyes, he picked them up and ran away.

Xiaoxiao quickly picked up the silver ingot and put it into her sleeve, quickly grabbed the copper coin in her hand, turned around and went back to the room.

Aunt Song was left sitting there with an incredible look on her face. Hua Lei smiled, patted Aunt Song's hand and said, "Aunt Song, Xiaoqun and Xiaoxiao are both grown up, you should leave some pocket money for them, and save the extra for them when the time comes." Aunt Song nodded woodenly.

Seeing that the table was clean, Hua Lei turned to Uncle Fu and said, "Uncle Fu, please report the expenses for the trip to Beijing and the expenses for the past few days. I will also make up for the shortfall now."

"Okay, miss. I'll go get the account book." Uncle Fu turned around and took out a bound small notebook and an old purse from his room and handed them to Hua Lei. Hua Lei took it and opened the account book. The daily expenses along the way, including accommodation, food, and the cost of going into the city, were listed in every detail.

In fact, the expenses for the first few days were not high. Before leaving, everyone made two large baskets of steamed buns and dry food to take with them, so the food in the first few days was homemade and there was no money spent on food. In the beginning, the men were reluctant to spend money and did not book a room. They just slept next to the animal house in the inn for one night.

Or they could sleep in a large bunk bed, each person paid ten coins a night, but Hualei disagreed, fearing that they would catch a cold and get sick, so they had to rent a room to sleep, and eat hot food in the inn, and ask the innkeeper to heat it up for them. That's why they spent more. But no matter how much, with the miser Fu Da Niang watching over them, they didn't spend much, so they only spent twenty-three taels and two coins on this trip.

Then in the past two days, I found a bricklayer, customized a desk, bookcases, and bought a bed, which cost a total of three taels, six hundred wen. Add on the three taels of cotton cloth and cotton that Aunt Fu bought today, and the total cost is thirty-one taels, eight hundred wen.

Hualei handed a silver ingot of one tael and eight strings of copper coins to Uncle Fu, saying, "Uncle Fu, this silver plus the previous thirty taels makes a total of thirty-one taels and eight coins. Has this cleared all the accounts for today?" Uncle Fu nodded. "Okay, I'll give you twenty taels as a backup." As she spoke, she handed two silver ingots of ten taels to Uncle Fu.

Uncle Fu took one and said, "Miss, one is enough. The things behind are not expensive. At most, you will need to buy more flour and grain flour. So don't leave too much with me. I will ask you for it when I run out."

"Okay, as you say. From now on, we will settle the accounts every month. I will give you ten taels of silver as a reserve every month. If there are special circumstances and urgent need for money, you can ask me for it separately. If there are no special circumstances, we will just give you ten taels of silver per month. Aunt Song and the others will also get their daily miscellaneous expenses from you. Everything will be done according to the rules of the old house." Uncle Fu nodded.

Hua Lei took back a silver ingot and put it back into the wooden box. She handed the account book back to Uncle Fu and asked him to keep it. Seeing that Xiao Qun and Xiao Xiao had not returned yet, Hua Lei smiled, dismissed everyone, and took Xiao Yuan upstairs to the study.

The monthly silver was 22 taels and 4 qian, and the year-end and year-end silver was 2 taels, plus the 1 tael and 8 qian shortfall for Uncle Fu, which was 26 taels and 2 qian. Three taels and 8 qian of the 30 tael silver ingots were taken back. Ten taels of the newly opened 100 tael silver note were given to Uncle Fu as a reserve. Now Hualei still had 190 taels of whole silver notes and 3 taels and 2 qian of loose silver copper coins in her wooden box. Eight and a half taels of loose silver were still in Hualei's purse. Hualei carefully counted each and every detail for Xiaoyuan to hear, while recording it in the account book.

Xiaoyuan watched from the side without saying anything. Hualei finished writing it down, turned around and put a silver ingot of one tael into Xiaoyuan's hand, saying, "This is for grandpa to make new clothes for Xiaoyuan at the end of the year." She took another silver ingot of one tael and put it into Xiaoyuan's other hand, "This is for grandpa to give Xiaoyuan as a New Year's gift."

Xiaoyuan stroked the two silver ingots for a while, then slowly put them back into Hualei's wooden box, and took two strings of copper coins, "Sister, Grandfather won't give me so much, he always gives me 100 coins." "That's because you are still young, you are seven years old this year, the money has increased." Hualei put the silver ingots into Xiaoyuan's hands again, and Xiaoyuan shook his head. "It's better not to take it, sister, keep it. Now our family still has 192 taels of silver."

"Xiaoyuan, don't worry, you have enough money for private school." "Yeah, I know. I have a sister, I'm not worried." Xiaoyuan looked at Hualei, closed the wooden box, and pushed it in front of Hualei. He turned around, picked up the book on the table, and began to review.

Hualei sighed softly, turned around and put away the wooden box. "Sister, are you going to look for Dingbei Marquis Mansion?" Xiaoyuan asked suddenly behind her.