The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 455 - 444: Fighting Over Money

Chapter 455: Chapter 444: Fighting Over Money

The servant who had come to prepare a foot bath for Bai Erlang saw his own young master emerge covered in dust and immediately set down the wooden basin to run over, "Second Young Master, Second Young Master, how did you get so dirty? Didn’t you just take a bath?"

Having finally found someone, Bai Erlang grabbed him and exclaimed impatiently, "A thief entered my room, and my things are missing!"

The servant quickly understood and asked, "Is it the chest from under the bed?"

Bai Erlang glared, "How do you know?"

"It was taken by Mrs. Bai," the servant explained: "Tomorrow is the Dragon Boat Festival, and early today Mrs. Bai had her maids clean the room and sprinkle realgar powder, and that’s when they found a chest under the bed."

The servant spoke softly, "Young Master, your chest wasn’t locked. The maids opened it, and then Mrs. Bai came. She ordered people to move the chest away."

Bai Erlang paused, "Mother didn’t mention it at dinner just now..."

The servant uncertainly suggested, "Perhaps she forgot?"

Bai Erlang’s eyes reddened, and he darted toward his parents’ main house.

The servant couldn’t help but call out, "Young Master, aren’t you going to soak your feet? The Old Mistress said that in May the evil spirit is strong, and you must soak your feet before sleeping..."

Bai Erlang rushed into his parents’ room and directly asked his mother, "Mother, where is my money?"

Old Master Bai, who was soaking his feet, looked up upon hearing this and asked, "What money?"

Mrs. Bai initially ignored Old Master Bai and softly said to Bai Erlang, "Erlang, it’s not safe to keep so much money in your room. Let mother hold onto it for you, and you can ask for it when you need it, alright?"

"No, everyone else keeps their money, why can’t I keep mine?" Bai Erlang was angry, feeling greatly offended that his mother had taken his money without his consent, and he shouted, "It was the same before, you gave me my New Year’s money and then took it back!"

Mrs. Bai frowned slightly but still spoke softly, "Mother did that for your own good, you’re too extravagant with money..."

Bai Erlang objected, "But it’s my money!"

Old Master Bai, listening to the argument between mother and son, frowned deeply and tossed the towel back into the wooden basin, angrily saying, "Erlang, who taught you to talk to your mother like this?"

Mother and son fell silent for a moment.

Old Master Bai put on his wooden clogs and walked over with a clatter, saying, "No matter the circumstance, you should never raise your voice against your mother. Have I and Mr. Zhuang not taught you manners?"

In the past, Old Master Bai would not have said such things, but after seeing Mr. Zhuang teach children, he realized that simply scolding was futile.

You must reason with children, even if it seems pointless, or they don’t listen, you still must talk.

Seeing his son’s eyes brimming with tears and quieting down, Old Master Bai turned to his wife and asked with a furrowed brow, "Now tell me, what exactly happened?"

Bai Shanbao, who was sleeping in the next room, suddenly jerked awake to a loud "Ah woo" cry, flailing his limbs before opening his eyes.

He sat up, groggy, and then faintly heard sobbing coming from next door. Although it was not clear, there was only one person next door who could wail like that.

Bai Shanbao immediately got out of bed, and Daji, who was living in the next room, also came out.

Standing on tiptoes, Bai Shanbao looked in the direction of the Bai family house and asked, "Daji, what happened to Bai Er?"

Daji pricked up his ears, shook his head, and suggested, "Should we send someone to ask?"

"Hurry, go quickly."

Daji immediately went to find someone.

Meanwhile, it was getting dark, and various places in the Bai household were getting ready to sleep—as a landlord’s household, they couldn’t waste lamp oil, could they?

But now, lanterns were lit up in the main yard, several spots were brightly illuminated, and Bai Erlang was sitting on the ground stubbornly, eyes closed, crying loudly.

Mrs. Bai was quite upset, pained at heart yet unable to bring herself to punish him, only able to constantly comfort him, "Alright, alright, will one silver ingot suffice?"

"I don’t want it; I want all of it—it’s all my money."

Mrs. Bai persisted, "What does a child like you need so much money for?"

Just as Bai Erlang was about to throw a tantrum, he remembered the words Bai Shanbao and Manbao had said. He immediately abandoned his mother and turned to his father. Despite his sobs, he held onto his father’s trouser leg and stammered, "Father, Shanbao and Manbao manage their own money..."

He cried out, "In the future, the farm will need money, and I will have to contribute too..."

Mrs. Bai quickly said, "If you need money, just tell mother, and I will give it to you."

"No, I want to manage my own money," Bai Erlang insisted, "Asking for money feels humiliating, and I don’t want to ask mother or father for it!"

Old Master Bai narrowed his eyes, about to speak, when an old nanny called from outside, "Old Master, Mrs. Bai, the Old Mistress is asking what’s going on?"

Old Master Bai said, "It’s nothing, Erlang is just having a little tantrum, he’ll be fine in a bit. Nanny, go back and attend to my mother, don’t let her be startled."

The old nanny peeked inside and saw Second Young Master unharmed, simply sitting on the floor, possibly feeling wronged.

Reassured, she smiled and agreed, happy as long as no one was laying hands on him.

Mrs. Bai hurriedly sent the nanny off, casually mentioning the reason. Understanding it was another issue about money management, the old nanny didn’t ask further.

Relieved, Mrs. Bai returned into the room, only for Old Master Bai to tell her, "Give the money to Erlang, let him manage his own money."

Mrs. Bai was stunned and said in disbelief, "How can that be? That’s so much money."

Old Master Bai insisted, "Give it to him. The child is grown now, and besides, he’s managing a farm of his own. What does it look like if he doesn’t have any money? Moreover, it’s money he earned himself."

"But that’s money he earned from your ventures," Mrs. Bai persisted, "The child shouldn’t hold onto so much money."

Old Master Bai frowned, obviously displeased. In the end, the matter escalated to Old Mistress Bai. Now it wasn’t Bai Erlang causing a scene, but Mrs. Bai.

The couple started arguing, their voices growing louder, until the old nanny came again.

This time, she brought the family of three to the Old Mistress’s courtyard.

The Old Mistress’s hair had come undone, clearly ready for bed, and now she simply tied it back up and sat on the couch, asking, "What’s all this commotion with your family tonight? None of you can settle down."

Mrs. Bai wiped her tears, looking hurt as she recounted the issue, pleading with the Old Mistress to decide for her, crying, "Erlang is my son; would I do him harm? Mother, you know what happened a few years ago when he demanded to manage his New Year’s money. And what happened after he got it?"

Mrs. Bai continued, "So much money, and it was all spent in less than half a year, and he even gave it all away to others."

Bai Erlang protested, "I didn’t; I spent the money on things."

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