Chapter 57: Telling the Truth
“Dad. What’s up with you! I am worried about your health!” Jin Weiwei comes to Jin Dabao and asks, “How did you come to the wild forest?” He tries to respond, but fails. It turns out that Jin Dabao planned to follow them secretly when he heard that Jin Weiwei wanted to pray for her happiness at her birthday in Quan’an Temple as usual. Thus, he went out and followed them this morning.This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.
Her sugar-coated haws and the huge water tank reminded him of something. Thus, he wanted to try his luck and walked to the forest at the back of the temple, where he found that old pine-tree, and dug the hole under that tree. To his surprise, he dug out a large sum of money, 2000 taels of silver coins!
He was stunned by such a large sum of money! With this money, how could he be trapped there to plot against Jin Weiwei? With this money, hell with Jin Weiwei, the meat shop, and everything about his old life! With this money, nothing could stop him from pursuing his own happiness! But, he was knocked unconscious abruptly before his daydreaming even got started! When he woke up, he found the money was gone! What about the feeling? It is just like dropping from heaven to hell. That’s distressing!
Then, with a resounding smack, his face is slapped. “Why?!” Shouts Jin Dabao, covering his face, confusedly. He doesn’t know why Jin Weiwei slaps him. “I found that you talked about nonsense just now. I am worried that you are scared into madness by something horrible.” Says Jin Weiwei, pretending to be innocent. At that moment, a wind blows through the forest, with leaves whistling.
Hearing Jin Weiwei mentioning the ghost, Jin Dabao chills unconsciously. He is still extremely scared every time he recalls his ghost-haunting experience. “I’m fine… Let’s go home quickly.” Jin Dabao stands up and staggers away. The disappearance of the money makes every minute here a great torture for him. Jin Weiwei will never let him off the hook so easily. He is supposed to give an explanation about those strange things today. Unlike the fat monk with excellent Chinese Kungfu, Jin Dabao, a common person, is quite easy to catch.
“Dad, why are you in a hurry? What are you looking for? You just said… Money?” Asks Jin Weiwei, grabbing him suddenly. Jin Dabao smiles in order to cover his unnatural facial expression, trying to get off. Suddenly, a tough voice comes to his ears. “Tell the truth. Do not cover anything. If not, I bet you will regret for that.” Jin Dabao figures out that the owner of the voice just now is not Little Rich. Then, he turns to Little Rich immediately, only to see that Little Rich standing by without saying anything.
Jin Dabao thinks, “Does that sound come from the ghost?” “Hurry up! Make clear the whole thing! If not, you will regret.” It seems that the owner of the voice continues to threaten him. “Well… Ok…. Ok… I tell you…” Says Jin Dabao, scared to death. His legs weaken and he collapses, begging, “I will tell you. Please don’t hurt me.” What happened just now confuses Jin Weiwei. Since Jin Dabao intends to tell the truth, she won’t stop him. Thus, Jin Dabao tells the truth of the whole thing. It turns out that all the money was left by Jin Weiwei’s mother.
Jin Weiwei’s mother told Jin Dabao at her death bed that he was supposed to take Jin Weiwei to Quan’an Temple to pray for her happiness and buy her sugar-covered haws every year at her birthday. Under such a condition, he could dig out some money as living expenses for Jin Weiwei. Maybe, knowing that Jin Dabao is an extravagant man, Jin Weiwei’s mother only allowed him to withdraw a small part of the money which could be enough to buy daily necessities for her daughter.
Until last year, at the 15th birthday of Jin Weiwei, Jin Dabao dug out a large sum of money buried by that old pine tree with a note reading that this sum of money was Jin Weiwei’s dowry. However, as he was very greedy, Jin Dabao tore that note and kept the money by himself. Soon after that, he eloped with Widow Chen with that money. Hearing the whole story, Jin Weiwei figures out why Jin Dabao took her to the temple at her birthday every year, though he disliked her very much. At that time, Jin Weiwei even thought that his father had decided to treat her well for he was willing to buy sugar-covered haws for her. Now, she gets to know that money is the answer!
“Today, why didn’t you bring me to the temple?” Asks Jin Weiwei. “Last year, I already got a large sum of money.” Says Jin Dabao awkwardly. “The note says that that sum of money is your dowry. I think a girl like you, dull-minded, plan-looking, and illiterate, will never have the chance to get married. Therefore, this year, I think you mother will never prepare any money for you. But… But… I can’t believe that you mother loves you so much. She still left money for you!” Pausing a while, Jin Dabao beats his chest and cries in anguish. “What a pity! I was knocked unconscious by the thief who stole my money!”
Seeing that, Jin Weiwei has no intention to tell him the truth. Thus, she pretends to walk to the pit under the pine-tree, saying, “The silver coins are right in there? How much?” Jin Dabao cries with his hands rubbing his tears, “1000 taels of silver coins! The money is there! Right in there! 1000 taels of silver coins!” Jin Weiwei says with a surprising expression, “You said, my mom left me with 1000 silver coins? And you… you…. you lost that money?!!”
Jin Dabao nods his head. His sorrow is no better than that of Jin Weiwei. “What are you doing here? I even haven’t seen 1000 taels of silver coins and you lost them! If you were not so greedy and we three dug them together, the money couldn’t be robbed by others!” Jin Weiwei keeps on complaining. Jin Dabao, knowing that he is guilty and fears the voice of that ghost, listens to the blame of Jin Weiwei without saying a word. After a long while, Jin Weiwei feels tired because of h one-day-long hard work. Therefore, she decides to go home right now.