"Wei Guo, Mao Sheng, gather everyone, I'll pay for the food later."
After a satisfying meal, Chen Yang initially planned to have Shen Xue deliver the specially reserved roast chicken to his father-in-law and mother-in-law. However, Liu Mao Sheng and Zheng Wei Guo unexpectedly arrived.
He asked Shen Xue to put away the roast chicken and directly instructed the two men to call over the villagers who had brought fish today.
Hearing Chen Yang's words, Zheng Wei Guo and Liu Mao Sheng quickly ran off to summon the villagers. Yesterday, they had caught fish weighing over sixty and seventy jin respectively, which amounted to over ten yuan!
If Chen Yang asked them to beat someone up now, they would swing their fists without a second thought.
"Villagers, I know you've had doubts about what I've been saying, but this is real money and it can't be faked. We'll settle the payments in the order you brought the fish today. I'll call out your names, and you can come up to collect your money."
Before long, all the men who had brought fish today were gathered in Chen Yang's yard. Chen Yang held the ledger and was straightforward.
"Zheng Wei Guo, large fish 52 jin, small fish 20 jin, a total of twelve yuan and four mao."
"Liu Mao Sheng, large fish 63 jin, twelve yuan and six mao."
"Shen Lai Fu, large fish 87 jin, seventeen yuan and four mao."
...
"Shen Chang Lin, large fish 8 jin, small fish 2 jin, one yuan and eight mao."
One by one, more than ten people received their payment from Chen Yang for the fish they sold last night. Shen Lai Fu received the most.
The man in his fifties, holding the seventeen yuan and four mao given to him by Chen Yang, clutched it as if it were a hot stove, rubbing his hands nervously, afraid of losing even a mao.
"Now that everyone has received their money, I won't say much more. It's still the same price: two mao per jin for large fish over one jin, and one mao per jin for small fish under one jin. As long as they are fresh and alive, I, Chen Yang, will buy as much as you have."
"With money, we can buy grain and ensure our wives and children eat their fill. Heaven and earth are nothing compared to having enough to eat. If you want a better life, you have to give it your all."
Chen Yang smiled faintly as he looked at the villagers whose gazes towards him had completely changed.
From today onwards, in the eyes of these people, he was their benefactor. He wasn't worried about them not giving their all to catch fish.
After all, they only earned a meager amount from their work points throughout the year. Shen Lai Fu was the best example; he earned more in a day than they did in a year. Who wouldn't be envious?
Who wouldn't want to earn money!
"Yang Zi, I have nothing else to say. Shen Lai Fu will follow you from now on. If you ask me to do anything, and I have any objections, you can slap my old face with your shoe sole."
Shen Lai Fu, a simple-minded man, spoke even faster than Zheng Wei Guo and Liu Mao Sheng. The money Chen Yang gave him was a lifeline for his family!
With this money, he could buy grain, and his family would no longer have to worry about starving. How could he not be grateful to Chen Yang?
"Chen Yang, we can see it now. You educated youths are much smarter than us who grew up playing in the mud. As long as you lead us to make money, we will listen to you from now on."
"We'll go back and repair our fishing baskets right away, and tonight we'll all try our best to catch fish."
The others chimed in quickly, showering Chen Yang with praises in various ways. Shen Xue, holding the baby in her arms, watched as the villagers, who usually didn't pay much attention to Chen Yang, were now fawning over him.
A sense of indescribable satisfaction washed over her. She didn't hold grudges against anyone, but seeing her husband so praised made her feel honored.
From now on, she wouldn't have to listen to people gossiping behind her back, saying she was blind to marry a useless man who relied on his wife.
Her husband was capable.
"Mama, Baba handsome."
The baby, nestled in Shen Xue's arms, looked at Chen Yang surrounded by the villagers and thought her Baba was the most handsome man in the world.
"Yes, your Baba is a capable person now, of course, he's handsome."
She poked the baby's smooth forehead with her finger, playfully teasing the little one, causing the baby to giggle in her arms.
"Take this twenty yuan. Later, when you go to your parents' place, give it to them. The busy farming season is over, and Er Ni will need to pay tuition again. She'll be living at the boarding school for high school, so she can't eat poorly. She's still growing."
After settling the accounts with the villagers, Chen Yang calculated. He had originally had 317 yuan. The roast chicken cost 10 yuan, the cigarettes and tickets cost 22 yuan, and he paid the villagers 104 yuan and 2 mao. He still had a substantial 180 yuan and 8 mao left.
His father-in-law had discreetly subsidized their family many times over the years, and Chen Yang was not someone who repaid kindness with ingratitude.
And then there was his understanding sister-in-law. After Shen Xue's accident in his previous life, it was she who painstakingly raised their daughter to adulthood, even delaying her own marriage.
Chen Yang remembered all of this. Since heaven had given him another chance to be reborn, he would cherish those who had been good to him.
"Chen Yang, you're so kind."
When Shen Xue heard Chen Yang was going to give money to her parents, she instinctively wanted to refuse. But seeing his sincere expression, all she felt was touched.
He cared about her, which was why he thought of showing filial piety to her parents.
"Silly girl, you're my wife. If I'm not good to you, who else would I be good to?"
"Little wine jar, come, hold these cigarettes. Remember to call Grandma and Grandpa later, okay?"
Chen Yang opened a pack of Da Qian Men and gave two packets to the baby to hold. His father-in-law smoked hand-rolled tobacco, which was strong and harsh on the lungs for older people.
However, his father-in-law had been a chain smoker for decades, so Chen Yang didn't expect him to quit. Switching to cigarettes with filters would be a little better and a gesture of his filial piety towards his elders.
"Yay, yay!"
"Yanyan misses Grandma and Grandpa."
The baby was overjoyed to hold the cigarettes. Although she was small, she remembered clearly who was good to her and who wasn't. Her Grandma and Grandpa doted on her.
Hearing the baby's address for them, Chen Yang couldn't help but feel amused. He was from the south and was used to calling them Wai Gong and Wai Po. Clearly, his little wine jar hadn't followed his habit.
Anhui Province was indeed peculiar. Within a single province, people ate rice, grew wheat, and corn stalks were everywhere. The customs were also a mix of north and south.
However, Chen Yang didn't dwell on the address. Since the local custom was to call them Lao Lao and Lao Ye, he picked up the preserved roast chicken and the family of three set off for his father-in-law's house on the west side of the village.
Shenjiaba Village was neither too big nor too small. The houses on the easternmost and westernmost ends were about two to three li apart because they were built along the Liu River.
Before long, the family of three spotted a small courtyard with a mud-brick house of three rooms, similar to their own. However, compared to Chen Yang's home, his father-in-law's courtyard was tidier.
Inside the yard, there were neat rows of land planted with various vegetables. In the corner of the yard, a small chicken coop housed two hens, and there were even two geese.
Chen Yang hadn't paid much attention before, but now he realized that his father-in-law was indeed different from others.
In those days, no one dared to raise livestock; at most, they planted a few vegetables in their private plots.
"Grandpa, Grandma."
Before they even entered the house, the little one called out in a milky voice, flapping her short legs, eager to get down from Shen Xue's arms and run in herself.
"Ah, my good grandchild, slow down."
"Old woman, hurry out, our good grandchild is here!"
From inside the house, as soon as the baby called out, there was a burst of surprised voices.