Chapter 204 - Chapter 204: Chapter 204: What is this thing? (1/2)
Chapter 204: Chapter 204: What is this thing?
Translator: 549690339
“Dad, what do you make of this? The Imperial Court says it’s going to reform the currency, but who knows how they’ll do it?” Mrs. Yang expressed her worries, no longer preoccupied with her son’s household affairs.
Old Man Han took a drag of his cigarette, equally troubled, unsure of how the Imperial Court would implement the changes and whether it would be advantageous or detrimental to their family.
“In that case, I’ll go out and sniff around, see what the situation actually is.” Old Man Han thought for a moment, then decisively stood up and walked outside. Mrs. Yang quickly followed suit, not forgetting to tuck a string of coins into her bosom.
“Old man, let me accompany you. Staying at home is just as restless, and it’s better to understand the situation firsthand.”
Upon reaching the Market, where the streets were typically bustling, they now faced a gloom that had settled over the crowd. Many people were wailing miserably. This year, there had been a Great Harvest, and selling the grain had earned them a hefty sum of silver, promising a prosperous year ahead. But in the blink of an eye, the coins they had exchanged for Food turned into useless scrap. A year’s hard work seemingly gone to waste, the most pressing concern was, what would sustain their home now?
When Old Man Han and Mrs. Yang returned home, the heavy expressions on their faces were evidence enough that the Currency Reform had significantly impacted them. Though the value of the silver coins they had stored depreciated, fortunately, they had sold only a small portion of their grain. They were grateful to the Fourth Daughter-in-law for this outcome. Thinking back, both Old Man Han and Mrs. Yang felt some relief, and Mrs. Yang’s resentful attitude towards Su Wenyue softened considerably; no matter how flawed the Fourth Daughter-in-law might be, she brought good fortune to their family.
Having lived through a previous life, Su Wenyue was well aware of the impending monetary reform, and though she couldn’t tell the Han family members outright, she dropped hints to keep the grain stores intact. The world was too chaotic these days; nothing was more important than Food. Fearing the Han family members wouldn’t heed her advice, she even insisted on buying grain from them. Because of this, the Han family didn’t sell off their stores, avoiding the same fate as those at the Market.
Su Wenyue wasn’t particularly fond of the Han family members, but as one of them, their interests were intertwined. If the Han family members truly fell on hard times, they would inevitably turn to Han Yu for help, and he couldn’t disregard them.
When Han Yu returned home that evening, Old Man Han and Mrs. Yang summoned both him and Su Wenyue. Old Man Han started by praising Su Wenyue, “Fourth Daughter-in-law, we owe you a great deal this time. If it weren’t for you, we would have sold our grain much earlier, and Our family’s losses would have been extensive.”
Han Yu, unaware of this development, raised an eyebrow in surprise. His Daughter-in-law had taken care of many household affairs without his knowledge. It must have been an omen from her dreams that prompted her, otherwise they could have easily purchased grain from the Town, which would have been cheaper and saved on travel expenses, completing the transaction in silver without further complications. Surely, they wouldn’t insist on buying from home without a reason.
“Yes, Fourth Daughter-in-law, we are truly indebted to you this time. You really are blessed,” Mrs. Yang said, her mind still replaying the desperate cries of those at the Market, feeling a profound sense of relief and uttering heartfelt words of thanks.