Chapter 15: The Golden Lock

Xiao Hanting looked at the golden lock. There was no emotion in his eyes.

Was it important? Maybe. He had worn it since he could remember, so it probably meant something.

A blind old man had raised him. He said the lock was in his swaddling clothes when he found him. One touch and you knew it was from a wealthy family.

“You married me with nothing. I can’t let you be looked down on by the villagers. Take this golden lock. No matter what happens between us, this is my compensation to you. You don’t need to feel guilty.”

Xiao Hanting’s face was as gentle as jade, his expression serious. It gave people a very comfortable feeling.

Lin Qinghuan’s opinion of him went up a notch. Even if she was only staying with him temporarily after leaving the Lin family, living together would probably be harmonious.

Forget it. She would keep this golden lock for him for now. When he needed it later, she would give it back.

“Since you’ve moved in, you’ll manage the household expenses. Here’s ten taels of silver. Use it first, and tell me when you need more.” Xiao Hanting took a cloth pouch from his sleeve and handed her a ten-tael ingot.

By the looks of it, he seemed to have more than just ten taels.

Lin Qinghuan was stunned. Didn’t the villagers all say Xiao Hanting was a落魄 scholar who failed the imperial exams and was a cripple with two burdens? How come he seemed richer than most people in the village?

Xiao Hanting saw her shock and smiled openly. “I co-own a few private schools with a friend. The profits have been decent these past few years. Enough for us to eat our fill, at least. Don’t worry about going hungry here.”

Lin Qinghuan thought, ‘Wow, I didn’t expect to strike gold.’ If the other villagers knew about Xiao Hanting’s little fortune, they’d probably regret it to death.

Since that was the case, she wouldn’t be polite. How about each of them contributes ten taels a month? That would be the fairest.

“Um… I don’t mean to rub salt in the wound, but have you seen a doctor about your leg? Is it completely incurable?” Lin Qinghuan felt a sense of pity.

If Xiao Hanting’s leg weren’t like this, he would surely be a favored son of heaven with boundless future prospects.

Hearing her cautious question, Xiao Hanting showed no sign of resistance. Maybe he had become numb after hearing too much bad news.

“All the doctors in the county have come to see me. None could do anything. Perhaps this is my fate.”

“What do you mean fate? Your leg isn’t amputated. There must be a way to recover.”

Lin Qinghuan thought it must be the limited medical level of ancient times that couldn’t cure his leg. Maybe she could, or more precisely, her space could.

“Let’s not talk about sad things. Who usually prepares your meals?” Lin Qinghuan quickly changed the subject, since it was his painful spot.

“I have Brother Liu in the village deliver us vegetables every three days. Normally, I move myself to the kitchen to cook.”

When Xiao Hanting talked about these things, his eyes showed no fluctuation, as if it were a trivial matter to him.

“Alright. When he comes with the vegetables next time, I’ll tell him. From now on, I’ll handle all the household affairs.”

As for cooking, that would naturally be her job. It wasn’t convenient for Xiao Hanting to move around like that.

After settling these matters, there was one more question. Lin Qinghuan hesitated, not knowing how to bring it up. Finally, she closed her eyes, steeled her heart, and asked the embarrassing question that made her face burn.

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