Chapter 150: The More Flowers, The More Earnings

After giving Dong Yuejin a thorough beating, Du Yun washed her hands by the river and returned home unburdened. It should have been time to work in the fields, yet not a single family member had gone outside—they were all inside the house.

“Father, Mother, why aren’t you out in the fields?” Du Yun asked curiously, watching her parents nervously rubbing their hands as they stood by the kitchen doorway, glancing into the room.

“No, no,” her father replied dryly. Seeing the smile on Du Yun’s face as she entered the house, he turned back to look at the eastern room, as if suddenly recalling something. Without warning, he grabbed Du Yun and headed toward the western room. “Come on, inside!”

“Father, what’s going on? Why all the fuss and no letting me see?” Du Yun was still trying to process the situation when her parents pulled her inside. Normally, her father was a simple, taciturn man, so it was the first time he had so decisively drawn her indoors. Her mother followed in with a conflicted expression, and Du Yun’s face showed her puzzlement.

Her parents exchanged uneasy glances, nudging each other to speak but neither knowing how to begin.

“Girl, did you bring all the money from selling snacks when you went to the city?” Her mother finally broke the silence, worry creasing her face as she looked at Du Yun.

“Yes, I did!” Du Yun replied. Hearing the voices coming from the eastern room—discussing clothes and fabric—she suddenly remembered something she hadn’t told her grandmother. She had gone to the county seat and spent money buying clothes for her older sister but never mentioned it to the elders.

“Oh no!” Du Yun cursed inwardly, kicking herself for forgetting. She’d been so focused on collecting debts in town that she hadn’t realized her eldest brother and sister had already brought the clothes and fabric home.

Her grandmother was notoriously frugal, and her eldest sister was not one to argue. The expensive purchases of clothes and fabric wouldn’t sit well with her grandmother. Add to that the third aunt, who loved to stir the pot and take advantage of any opportunity, and things were bound to get complicated.

“Mother, I’ll go explain to grandmother!” Du Yun jumped off the kang bed and dashed toward the eastern room, silently hoping the situation hadn’t escalated beyond repair.

“Ah!” Her mother watched Du Yun’s retreating figure, clutching a ten-yuan bill in her sweaty hand, unable to bring herself to send it away.

“Child’s father, what do you think we should do about this?” Her mother asked bitterly, looking at her equally troubled husband, feeling nothing but gloom ahead.

“We’ll just have to see,” her father said, clenching his fist tightly before letting it fall weakly. He knew his wife and daughter well—it wouldn’t be easy to smooth things over.

“Grandmother!” Du Yun called as she reached the door of the eastern room, where family members were packed tightly around the kang, making it nearly impossible to push through without effort. She had to call out to get their attention.

“Du Yun? You’re back? Come in quickly!” Her grandmother’s voice came from within the crowd, stern and unyielding, lacking the usual warmth she showed Du Yun.

With the matriarch’s command, the people around the kang parted to let Du Yun enter.

“How dare you come back?” Her grandmother pointed sharply at the beautiful clothes and fabric laid out on the kang. “Look at what you’ve done!”

“Grandmother, it’s not Du Yun’s fault; I was the one who wanted to buy these!” Du Zhi said anxiously, stepping forward. “I forced Yun to help me buy them.”

“Grandmother, don’t be upset. I agreed to it. It’s not the little sisters’ business!” Du Song quickly defended, taking responsibility.

Du Yun watched her older brother and sister rush to shoulder the blame, feeling a warmth in her heart despite knowing the matter wouldn’t harm her and that she could convince her grandmother eventually. Their care for her was touching.

“Grandmother, do you think these clothes and fabric look nice?” Under her grandmother’s stern gaze, Du Yun lifted her head and smiled innocently, almost childlike.

“They’re nice,” her grandmother said absentmindedly, caught off guard by Du Yun’s radiant smile and speaking honestly.

“But what good is ‘nice’? Do you even know how much you spent?” Her grandmother’s eyes narrowed as she stared at Du Yun’s cheerful face, feeling they were worlds apart. She scolded bitterly.

More than forty yuan! That sum could have paid the betrothal gifts for both Du Song and Du Huai. Her own softness in not immediately taking control of the money had allowed this young girl to spend so lavishly.

“Grandmother, I know. I picked out the fabric myself!” Du Yun, reading her grandmother’s thoughts clearly, glanced at her grandfather quietly smoking nearby and her grandmother’s stern expression before speaking softly, setting aside her siblings for the moment.

“Grandmother, look at this fabric. How about I make new clothes for you and grandfather?” Du Yun gently held up the blue silk embroidered with the lucky symbols of fortune, happiness, and longevity, flashing a bright smile.

Her grandmother was a proud woman, and though stern, she valued face greatly. Seeing Du Yun’s joyful offer to honor them with new clothes, she couldn’t bring herself to scold her further.

“Hmm, that’s acceptable.” Her grandmother shot Du Yun a sharp look but felt her heart tug at the sight of the shimmering silk. It reminded her of younger days before hardship had struck, when she had dreamed of wearing fine silk and looking beautiful.

But those days were gone. Snapping back to herself, she glared at Du Yun. “The fabric may be nice, but do you understand how much you spent? Your brothers are still waiting for money to marry. How can you waste it?”

“Grandmother, don’t worry. The young master at Zhanji gave me a discount on these clothes and fabric. It didn’t cost much.” Du Yun’s eyes sparkled as she had already prepared her defense. “Besides, trading means money circulates, right? Though I spent a lot now, I’ll earn even more later.”

“What? You’ve found a reason for spending money? Well, then tell me, how do you plan to make money in the future?” Her grandmother wasn’t naive; she trusted Du Yun’s capabilities. Hearing this, her focus immediately shifted to how Du Yun intended to support herself.