Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Distributing Wages
When Lin Xiao arrived outside the Hu family's courtyard, Aunt Hu invited him to come in and sit, but he declined. Instead, he politely asked her to call Tie Tou out.
The Hu family hadn't split up, so the whole big family lived together in one courtyard. With so many people around, Lin Xiao preferred not to go inside.
When Tie Tou came out, Lin Xiao quickly pulled him into a dark corner.
In that shadowy spot, the two quietly conducted the wage distribution.
Upon receiving the money, Tie Tou's eyes gleamed with excitement. He whispered, "Xiao, is this really mine?"
Lin Xiao nodded, then, realizing it was too dark for him to see, also whispered, "Yes, just put it in your storage bag and keep it hidden from your second aunt. Otherwise, she might make you turn it over to the family."
Tie Tou nodded vigorously, pulled out his storage bag from his chest, and stuffed the money inside. "Don't worry, Xiao, I know what to do. Hehe, tomorrow I'll ask my dad to bring back a roasted chicken for me. Have you heard? There's a new roasted chicken shop in town, and their chicken is delicious! And it's not expensive, only 38 copper coins!"
Hearing this, Lin Xiao immediately handed him 38 coins and said, "Have Uncle bring me one too!"
Tie Tou patted his chest confidently, "No problem, leave it to me!"
Tie Tou's father, Uncle Hu San, regularly went to town to do odd jobs, so he made a trip to town almost every day. Since Uncle Hu San had a good relationship with Lin Da You, Lin Da You occasionally asked him to bring things back from town.
Since Uncle Hu San often delivered items to Lin Da You, and Lin Da You wasn't always home, Lin Xiao, who was usually around, had gotten to know Uncle Hu San quite well.
After discussing the roasted chicken, Lin Xiao bid farewell to Tie Tou and headed to the next house.
Meanwhile, back at the Hu family courtyard, Tie Tou was intercepted by Aunt Hu San, who whispered, "Tie Tou, is it true that the Lin family's second boy struck it rich in town today?"
Tie Tou, impatient with her nosiness, shook off her grip and replied, "Ah, no! Aunt, stop prying!"
Aunt Hu San, unhappy with this, raised her voice. "Hey! How am I prying? Everyone who went to town today says that Lin's second boy did some kind of business and had a huge crowd around his stall. Even if each person only gave him a copper coin, wouldn't he still be rich?"
She continued, "I'm not saying this to scold you, but you've been friends with that boy for so many years, and yet you haven't learned any of his money-making skills? And that boy, too—he's close with you, but he doesn't think to share the good opportunities and just keeps it all to himself..."
At that moment, a door burst open, and Tie Tou's mother called out, "Tie Tou! Get inside and go to bed! What are you doing out so late? Aren't you afraid of bumping into ghosts?"
Hearing his mother's voice, Tie Tou quickly ran inside, shouting, "Coming, Mom! I'm going to bed right now!"
In the courtyard, Aunt Hu San stomped her foot angrily under the moonlight. "Hmph! Who's a ghost? You're the ghost!"
Lin Xiao wasted no time heading to his next stop: the Qin family.
The Qin family's household was simple, both in terms of population and relationships.
Qin Jianghe's father, Uncle Qin, lived with his wife, Madam Liu, and their two sons, Qin Jianghai and Qin Jianghe. Jianghe was the younger son, so he had more free time, which allowed him to become close friends with Lin Xiao and the others.
Though Qin Jianghe was quite clever, Lin Xiao didn't mind. In fact, he liked it. Qin Jianghe's cleverness was mostly a result of growing up in a complex extended family before his grandparents passed away and the family split up.
Back then, the Qin family's situation had been even more complicated than the Hu family's, with frequent conflicts that shaped Qin Jianghe's ability to read people and navigate tricky situations. But his cleverness was always directed outward, never towards his friends, so Lin Xiao appreciated it.
Lin Xiao and Qin Jianghe met in the Qin family's main hall. Knowing that Lin Xiao had something to discuss with Qin Jianghe, Uncle Qin, Madam Liu, and Qin Jianghai all retreated to their rooms, leaving the hall to the two of them.
Lin Xiao took out a string of money and handed it to Qin Jianghe with a grin. "Our sect is a proper one, and a proper sect must have salaries. Here's yours."
Hearing this, Qin Jianghe didn't refuse and accepted the money, saying, "Xiao, I'll think of ways to earn money for the sect too. Next time, I want to contribute as well!"
Lin Xiao laughed. "Sure! Let's all work together to build our sect."
Then Lin Xiao took out the rest of the money and handed it to him, saying, "Actually, distributing wages and managing money is the job of our Finance Elder. I've already distributed wages to two houses, so you'll join me for the rest."
Understanding that Lin Xiao was helping him get more familiar with his duties as Finance Elder, Qin Jianghe readily agreed. "Of course, Xiao, don't worry. I'll keep the money safe! I even sleep with my storage bag in my arms—no one can steal from me!"
After bidding farewell to Uncle Qin and Madam Liu, the two of them headed out together. Qin Jianghe clutched the storage bag containing over two thousand copper coins, feeling the warmth of responsibility. He was going to distribute wages! Even though he hadn't earned the money himself, he was determined to think of ways to earn money for the sect in the future.
Their next stop was Sun Yigao's house.
The Sun family had an even simpler household: Old Master Sun, Madam Sun, and their only son, Sun Yigao.
When they arrived, Madam Sun warmly welcomed them into the hall. "Yigao is changing clothes. Come in and sit for a while."
She served them two cups of water and brought out a box of dried fruits, placing it on the table for them to enjoy.
Lin Xiao quickly said, "Aunt Sun, please rest. We're just here to give Brother Sun his sect salary."
Since Madam Sun knew about the sect, Lin Xiao spoke openly.
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