Farm Girl's Manor

The waiter, who came to add more porridge, saw the opportunity to ingratiate himself and quickly introduced, "This caravan comes from the northwestern border, traveling year-round between JingDu and some tribes in the northwest. They mostly use cheap cloth, pottery, and farm tools to exchange for precious furs, medicinal herbs, and gems from those remote and uncivilized tribes. Then they transport these goods to Jing City to resell for a substantial amount of Silver Coin."

Mo Yan, detecting no envy in the waiter’s tone, asked out of curiosity, "They earn perhaps more Silver Money in one trip than you could in your entire lifetime, aren’t you tempted?"

The waiter, somewhat perplexed, countered, "Why should I be envious? I work here as a waiter, with room and board included. I can earn Eight Hundred Wen every month. By the end of the year, I can save Eight Tael Silver. In just three to five years, I can afford to build a new house and take a wife. Later on, when I have children, I can also make ends meet. Though I can’t become rich and prestigious, what’s wrong with a whole family living together, safe and content?"

At this point, the waiter’s face beamed with pride. He quietly pointed to those rough men of the caravan and whispered, "Don’t be fooled by how much they earn; it’s all earned at the risk of their lives. Do you think those uncivilized tribes are easy to deal with? One misstep, and not only could they lose their goods to robbery, but they might also lose their lives. Even if they return home safely, they are hardly ever home to care for their elders and their children, causing their families to live in constant fear. No matter how much Silver they have or how luxurious their lives become, what’s the point if there’s no real meaning to it?"

Seeing the waiter’s blissful expression, Mo Yan was also moved and couldn’t deny that he was right. Life is but a brief few decades and if one’s energy and time are spent elsewhere, they cannot properly care for their elderly and young. Even if adorned in fine clothes and feasting on gourmet food, living in houses filled with jewels and gold, without the most authentic happiness, such a life is incomplete.

The waiter, having received Half a Tael of Silver as a tip, thanked them profusely before leaving. Mo Yan turned around to see her father had stopped eating and was looking at them with a face full of guilt. She immediately understood her father’s thoughts and comforted him, "Dad, let bygones be bygones. Aren’t we all doing well now?"

Mo Qingze, however, could not let go so easily and said, despondently, "At the beginning, it was because Dad was so focused on material gains that I neglected you all, making you endure so much hardship. Now when I think about it, I owe you all too many apologies."