"Why have you come?" Zhang Tiehua asked, turning to adjust her clothes, her tone carrying a hint of joy she hadn't noticed herself.
Zhang Tieshan couldn't help but frown. Although they were in urgent need of help, he felt as though his precious treasure had been snatched away. Moreover, when had his sister met this person? He had no idea.
"I heard from the neighbors in town that you were driven out. I immediately handed over my business to the shopkeeper and rushed over," he said. Then, he glanced around the surroundings with some disdain, "Is this place fit for people to live in? Why didn't you find me when you encountered difficulties?"
"I was afraid of bothering you." In truth, Zhang Tiehua had considered finding him when she first faced difficulties, but she felt it would incur a debt of gratitude and give the impression of not being reserved enough.
"I said I wanted to be your support. Your affairs are my affairs. I wish you would come to me. If you are willing, I want to resolve all your troubles from now on," Yu Qiuyan said, gazing at her affectionately.
Zhang Tiehua quickly lowered her head. Although she didn't like him, the thought that there was another person in this world who loved her wholeheartedly made her heart bloom with joy.
The story of how she and Yu Qiuyan met dated back two years. She had gone to his shop to buy something and happened to see him arguing with someone. "Boss, your calculation is incorrect. You should have given me 351 copper coins, but you only gave me 350."
Yu Qiuyan, who had just taken over the business, felt a pang in his heart. He admitted he hadn't been very interested in business before, let alone practicing the abacus. He quickly went to the counter and calculated again, saying with some confusion, "It's correct. I should only give you 350."
The other party became anxious upon hearing this. "My father calculated it very clearly and told me how much I should get back. The amount is wrong, and he'll think I've spent it."
Zhang Tiehua looked at the flustered Yu Qiuyan and shook her head with a slight smile. He clearly looked like a young boy who hadn't grown up. She slowly walked forward and said softly, "Young man, give me the abacus. I'll recalculate it for you."
Seeing someone step in to help, Yu Qiuyan breathed a sigh of relief and quickly handed over the abacus.
Zhang Tiehua recalculated in front of both of them. It was indeed 351 coins as the other party had stated. During her calculation, Yu Qiuyan realized where he had made a mistake and immediately apologized to the other party.
To thank Zhang Tiehua, he gave her the item she had chosen, not asking for a single copper coin.
Zhang Tiehua felt a little embarrassed. The next time she went into town, she brought him local specialty products from the countryside. Through this, they became acquainted.
From their first meeting, Yu Qiuyan had developed a good impression of her. To be worthy of her, he diligently studied accounting. Later, from snippets of conversation, he learned about her situation, lamented her fate, and felt even more pity for her.
He was a few years younger than Zhang Tiehua. In the past two years, his mother had introduced many girls to him, but he had refused them all. Only under his mother's persistent questioning did he reveal Zhang Tiehua's name.
His mother investigated her. She was not satisfied with her background. Although Zhang Tiehua had once been a lady from a prominent family, that was in the past. Now, he urgently needed a powerful family as in-laws to support him after the division of the family.
Yu Qiuyan's background was also quite complicated. His father had been doing business in the city for decades, owning twenty to thirty shops. However, his mother was a second wife, and his father's original wife had left two sons who were eyeing the family fortune with covetous eyes.
Once, Yu's mother wanted her son to pursue the path of imperial examinations and not get involved in the family business. Unfortunately, after reading until he was eighteen, her son had only barely passed the preliminary exam. He knew himself well and realized he would probably never become a scholar in his lifetime. He quickly returned and begged his father for a shop to practice with. When Zhang Tiehua met him, it was the first time he had taken over a business.
He was not consumed by love. He planned to continue meeting potential partners, knowing how to make the most advantageous choice for himself. If Zhang Tiehua were living well, he would have let it be. But the moment he knew she had nowhere to go, his heart softened. He thought that as long as she could live a stable life with him, even if he didn't receive much property after the family division, they could run it well together, and their days would be peaceful and happy.
He had made his plans, ready to abandon certain things to find her, wanting to see her attitude.
Zhang Tiehua knew clearly that this was not the time to be sentimental. Blushing, she nodded, saying with some worry, "I'm afraid your family won't agree."
Yu Qiuyan's face immediately broke into a smile. "You don't need to worry about that. Since I've decided to marry you, I will find a way to solve all the problems."
After speaking, he took out ten taels of silver from his embrace and handed it to Zhang Tiehua. "I know you don't want it, but I also know you need it. Since you've decided to be my woman, I have the responsibility and obligation to spend money on you."
Seeing Zhang Tiehua's lack of reaction, he directly held her hand, placed the silver in her palm, and said unyieldingly, "I have urgent matters to attend to and cannot stay with you for too long. Take this silver to improve your life and settle yourself. Wait for my good news."
With that, he hurriedly greeted Zhang Tieshan and left.
Zhang Tieshan saw her looking down at the silver, a sweet smile on her face, and felt a pang of bitterness in his heart. He opened his mouth to say something but didn't know where to begin.
Should he blame her? He had married Gao Feixue first, and she had shed countless tears in the quiet of the night because of it. Now that they were at their wits' end, someone was willing to provide money, and it seemed they were deeply in love with his sister and came from a wealthy family. He had no reason to object.
When Wu Caiwei went out to buy groceries, she heard that the siblings had rented a decent small courtyard and ate out daily. She was surprised. After a little inquiry, she learned that a young master from a wealthy family had once approached them.
She raised an eyebrow, not expecting Zhang Tiehua to have such an opportunity. As if on cue, the two met. Enemies meet, and their eyes burn with hatred. Although Zhang Tiehua wanted to step forward and provoke her, she remembered how formidable Wu Caiwei had been that day and thought it was better to stay far away from her.
Wu Caiwei didn't give her the chance and walked quickly up to her. She looked her up and down with ill intentions and sneered, "I didn't expect you to be so capable, managing to hook up with a young master from a wealthy family. I'm afraid he doesn't know the true relationship between you and Zhang Tieshan, right? After all, such things cannot be spoken of."
Zhang Tiehua's heart tightened upon hearing this. With the silver, her quality of life immediately improved. For a life of adequate food and clothing, she changed her mind and was determined to marry into the Yu family. As for whether she would seize Yu Qiuyan's family fortune after he divided the family, that was a matter for the future.
Wu Caiwei's appearance reminded her of this point. She retorted uncomfortably, "Who would believe such baseless gossip?"