Upon hearing that they still had over six hundred dollars at home, Lu Jiang stared at his wife for a long time, ultimately resigning himself to disbelief.
"Hearing you say ’impoverished and desperate’, I thought we wouldn’t make it to next month with our money. Our combined salaries give us over two hundred dollars every month. Considering our life in the military, including all the social obligations and the underground purchases of local herbs, we would only spend a hundred or so each month at most. According to the summary you’ve made in this bill, the major expenses in the past six months have been airplane and train tickets, which we don’t have to pay for each month. Xiaoyun’s living expenses also aren’t paid on a monthly basis. I suspect, during your time in the Capital, you’ve had some free time to purchase antiques, jewellery, calligraphy and paintings haven’t you? There wouldn’t be this opportunity in the military."
"To avoid not having the money when we want to buy something, we have to be even more disciplined. As you said, buying antiques are costly, but when we come across them in the future, it’s safer to have them in our hands." Upon hearing this, Feng Qingxue attested she needed to save money even more, and would seize the opportunity to seek out antiques at waste-buying stations, second-hand markets, and black markets.
Upon thinking about it, Feng Qingxue couldn’t help but feel a sense of regret.
She had originally planned to go to the waste-buying stations and second-hand markets in the Capital after the confinement period to procure as many antiques as possible. Even if she couldn’t keep them all for herself, donating them to the state would be considered a contribution.
Some antiques can be kept as a personal collection, but some should be handed over due to their cultural significance.
Xibao finished the fruit all of a sudden and wiped his mouth, "I have money!"
Feng Qingxue and Lu Jiang stared at him in surprise, the latter asked: "I didn’t hear you mother say she gave you money. Where did your money come from?"
Xibao had been well-off since childhood and Feng Qingxue had never given him any money. Of course, excluding New Year’s money, but after receiving said money, they would take it away, including the money given by his comrades in the military.
"I have money!" Xibao ran to find his little shoulder-bag.
The colorful ragged bag was made from various bits and pieces of fabric by the diligent soldier at the elder leader’s house. The bag was vivid and Xibao loved it so much that he never left it for a certain period of time, only forgetting about it after some time.
Of course, he would remember it and use it for a few days.
"My bag, mum, where is my bag?"
Feng Qingxue knew that the ’bun’ Xibao was referring to was not steamed bread but his shoulder bag. She then turned around and fetched it from the suitcase. Upon holding it, she felt something off— there was something in it.
Before she even had the chance to open it and see what it was, Xibao immediately snatched it back, opened it then dumped out a bundle of large denomination notes.
"My money!" Xibao cried loudly.
A bundle of large denomination notes had at least dozens of them, Feng Qingxue and Lu Jiang stared at each other and asked each other wordlessly, "Where did he get them from?"
"I have no idea, because I have never taught Xibao to put things in the shoulder bag. When we first got the bag from elder leader’s house, it was empty. Afterwards, I never opened the bag, Xibao doesn’t let me touch it. When we were sorting and packing the suitcases, he put it in there himself." After Feng Qingxue finished speaking, she knelt in front of Xibao, "Xibao, tell Mummy, who gave you the money?"
"Grandfather!" Xibao grabbed a handful of money, "Buy cake, buy fruit, buy meat!"
Feng Qingxue furrowed her eyebrows, "Mummy knows it was grandfather who gave you money, but which grandfather gave it to you?" While she was speaking, she pulled out all the photos, "Tell Mummy, which grandfather gave it to you?"