You need to get rid of this bad habit

"You're putting yourself out. Just wait a few more days."

"Then we'll haul it all back to Pukou City."

The guardsman was quite pleased.

He had known all along that this grain transport trip wouldn't be too difficult, but he never imagined it would be this simple.

It was all thanks to Xie Liu's diligence.

He reached out and patted Xie Liu on the shoulder, speaking in a friendly tone: "Tell you what, once you're done with your work in a couple of days, I'll treat you to a big meal at the finest tavern right here in Luofeng Slope."

"Consider it my personal thanks to you."

Xie Liu's eyes lit up, and he nearly started drooling.

It wasn't that the tavern's food was extraordinarily delicious—it was that he rarely had a chance to savor it.

But then...

Just like before, the brightness in his eyes suddenly dimmed, and he did something that left the guardsman utterly baffled.

"No need, no need..."

Xie Liu waved his hands frantically, like a rattling drum, and said, "This is all just my duty, my responsibility. I wouldn't dare hope to have you, sir, treat me to a meal."

"Forget it, forget it."

"There's no need for such extravagance and waste."

After declining, Xie Liu quickly turned and buried himself in his busy work.

This scene brought tears to the guardsman's eyes.

What a good man!

In all his time stationed in Pukou City, he hadn't met many good people like Xie Liu.

But he had no idea that Xie Liu's thoughts were completely different from his own.

Xie Liu knew full well that this place was Luoxia Slope, and in a sense, it was his turf.

On his own turf, let the guardsman treat him to a meal?

How could that be?

If the guardsman really paid for the meal, wouldn't Xie Liu end up having to cover the bill?

That was money, damn it!

Where was he supposed to get the money from?

Besides, even if he did have the money to treat, his home life would be absolutely chaos when he got back.

Having made up his mind, Xie Liu threw himself into his work with all his heart. He didn't drag his exhausted body back until nightfall.

His home was quite nice.

Completely at odds with his somewhat disheveled appearance, it was a four-entry courtyard house, ornately decorated, with birdsong and floral scenes everywhere.

But Xie Liu had little interest in admiring it. He went straight into the room, looked around, and found it empty—his wife hadn't returned yet, and there was nothing on the table.

His stomach, growling like a drum, got no relief.

"Alas!"

Letting out a long sigh, Xie Liu trudged alone to the kitchen. Familiar with the motions, he lit the firewood, took out a leftover flatbread from yesterday, heated it in the iron pot, and when the aroma wafted up, quickly took it out.

He took a big bite, wolfed it down, and only then did his belly feel a bit better.

Just as he was eating heartily, he heard noises from outside. Glancing up, he saw a woman walk in—her figure had thickened, she was rather round, but dressed in fancy, exquisite clothes.

This was his wife.

The woman he had been married to for twenty years.

The wife of an old married couple.

"Eat, eat, eat—how do you still have the face to eat?" His wife screeched upon seeing him. "Do you even know? Something huge has happened, something huge!"

"All day long, all you know is eating."

"You're useless when it comes to real matters. Our family is on the verge of collapse!"

This baffling scolding left Xie Liu confused, but this was the routine of twenty years, and he had grown accustomed to it. He knew what to do.

He quickly put down the heated flatbread, scooped a mouthful of water from the vat, gulped it down, dusted off his clothes, and hurried over.

With a timid, fawning look, he said, "Dearest, what's wrong?"

"What huge thing has happened?"

"This month, our spending went over budget again, do you know that?" his wife, Wang, snapped. "The two of us, no children, yet we overspend every single month. And with that attitude, you think we can save any money? Dream on!"

Wang's scolding grew fiercer. Xie Liu dared not talk back; he hung his head like a schoolboy being lectured by the master.

This was how their daily life usually went. This time, it should have been the same—once Wang's anger subsided, things would blow over.

But today, Wang wasn't willing to let it go so easily. She slapped Xie Liu on the back and shouted, "What? Keeping quiet solves everything?"

"We've overspent again, and you're useless, stuck with your pathetic little salary. How are we supposed to get by in the days to come?"

"Is there even a future?"

Xie Liu startled, finally lifting his head, and said weakly, "Um... I feel like I've been pinching pennies every day. I haven't spent much either."

"How did we overspend again?"

"Why don't we go over the accounts and see where all the money went?"

"Fine!" Wang agreed, then said, "A couple of days ago, I bought myself a set of rouge and hair ornaments. It cost ten taels of silver."

"Oh, what can you do when you're poor and ambition-less? I only dared to buy the cheapest stuff."

Xie Liu said, "Today I was working for the Pukou City soldiers. I got so hungry I bought a wheat cake by the roadside for two coppers..."

"What?" Wang frowned and scolded, "Do we not have flatbread at home? Even if there's no flatbread, there are steamed buns. Two coppers—how many buns or flatbreads can you buy with that? And they're filling!"

"Why waste money like that?"

"You need to break this bad habit of yours!"

Xie Liu was stunned on the spot.

Wang didn't notice and continued the reckoning: "The other day, I went on an outing with a few sisters and saw a tailor whose work was simply exquisite."

"All the sisters were ordering clothes from him, so I ordered a full set too—spring, summer, autumn, and winter outfits—for only twenty-five taels of silver. What a bargain!"

Xie Liu: "..." (silent)

"What are you staring blankly for?" Wang grumbled when Xie Liu didn't respond. "It's your turn to report. Aren't we figuring out where the money went?"

Xie Liu finally spoke: "A few days ago, I was checking on the sweet potatoes in the field ridges. The sun was too fierce and blazing. I couldn't take it anymore, so I spent one copper on a bowl of coarse tea..."

"What?" Wang nearly jumped. "Not this again. Why do you go out buying tea to drink? Don't we have water at home?"

"Couldn't you have brought some water with you when you left?"

"What's the point of drinking that?"

"You're just wasting money on useless things!"

"You should have saved those coppers and bought me clothes or jewelry instead!"

The more Wang spoke, the angrier she got. The extra flesh on her face made her look even more ferocious: "I can see it now—I've been too lenient with you, and that's made you more and more reckless."

"Our family's monthly income is only twenty taels of silver. With you being so extravagant and wasteful, how could we ever save anything?"

"Never mind when we get old—we can't even manage now."

"It seems..."

Wang quickly made a decision: "I need to readjust your monthly allowance."