Chapter 358 - 352_1
The other one is the main issue, though. Stealing a few dozen pounds every day might not be noticeable, and everyone might not easily find out, but over such a long period, I’m afraid at least a few hundred pounds of sweet potatoes have been stolen, which could have been sold for quite a lot of silver.
Zhao Erhu did give Zhao Wusi a small punishment since Lin Yue had intentionally let him off easy, but he came up with a different excuse in front of others. Otherwise, if everyone thought they could just steal from the Zhao Family and get away with it by making some excuse, there would be a lot more of such people, and it would really become harder to manage later on.
Zhao Wusi, although he lost his wages from the sweet potato theft and couldn’t continue to work in the workshop, felt even more guilty seeing that Dongjia had let him off so easily. He also felt lucky, as with his dad’s honest nature, and given how seriously ill he was, if his dad knew what he had done, he would probably become even sicker from anger.
"Zhao Wusi, take these. These are some old clothes Dalang and the others used to wear; they don’t wear them anymore. They may be old, but they’re still good for keeping your nephews warm. To wear so little in such cold weather at their young age, I’m afraid they might fall ill from the cold. Here are also some clothes that Zhao Erhu and I no longer wear; they’re just taking up space anyway. Take them if you don’t mind."
In the end, Lin Yue still pitied those two children. Before Zhao Wusi left, she handed him a bundle, which not only contained some old clothes but also had ten taels of silver in it. Lin Yue wasn’t just overly sympathetic; rather, she saw that Zhao Wusi was inherently not a bad person and helping him at such a critical time was more valuable than a thousand small deeds, especially since it was no more than a trivial effort for her.
Lin Yue didn’t know that her act of kindness helped Zhao Wusi’s family get through their toughest times, and they vowed to repay her. Zhao Wusi etched this gratitude deeply into his heart, which later helped Lin Yue escape a great disaster with his assistance.
Zhao Wusi holding the bundle in his hand, felt its weight even though it wasn’t very heavy. Despite feeling guilty and embarrassed, he couldn’t find the words to refuse. Given the situation at home, if it were just himself, he might as well starve to death rather than do such a thing. But there were his sick father and two young nephews to think about, and his sister-in-law, who never had a day of happiness since she married into their family. Zhao Wusi felt that grateful words, no matter how many, were meaningless. Thus, he knelt on the ground with a thud and kowtowed several strong bows to Zhao Erhu and Lin Yue.
"Dongjia, Dongjia’s wife, I, Zhao Wusi, will remember today’s kindness in my heart. If there’s a chance to repay you in the future, I will go through fire and water without hesitation." After the kowtows, Zhao Wusi quickly left Zhao Erhu’s courtyard.