Hii readers, sorry for the late upload, there were some issues with the site our account nearly got banned due to five translators logging in simultaneously and uploading all at the same time from different computers for one translator account, thankfully, we managed toresolve it. Enjoy the rest of the bonanza.

Chapter Bonanza (6/10)

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Huo Ling celebrated his birthday and truly ate his fill.

So much so that the next day, the usually good-natured ger barely acknowledged him. He boiled water and bathed alone, complaining that Huo Ling had made him sweat so much he felt sticky and uncomfortable.

Huo Ling wanted to go in and help wash his back and hair, but predictably got shooed out. Clearly, his credibility with his husband was shot for the time being.

He scratched his nose awkwardly, pacing twice around the bathing hut. Dager, thinking he couldn’t get in, suddenly stood up and pushed the door open.

The doorframe rattled loudly, accompanied by Dager’s grunts. Yan Qi instinctively worried about him and wanted to ask what was going on, but then remembered Huo Ling was still outside—maybe they’d planned this.

If it were Huang Yae, he wouldn’t have thought twice, but Dager was definitely capable of this.

So he said nothing, continuing to wash his hair quietly.

When he emerged, both man and dog were indeed sitting obediently in the courtyard.

Wiping his hair, he walked over to Huo Ling and nudged his shoulder. “There’s still hot water. You should wash up, too.”

Huo Ling obediently went. After bathing, he felt refreshed all over.

As he spread his hair out to dry, he suggested to Yan Qi, “Next time, maybe we should bring a bathtub up. It’s more practical than the wooden basin. When it gets colder, we can add more water to the tub to keep it warmer.”

Bringing things up the mountain was difficult, and the bathtub took up space. The two had always used the wooden basin they bought when they got married. At first, Huo Ling’s thinking was simple— accustomed to a rough life, he’d thought a new wooden basin would suffice. Now, however, it felt too makeshift.

Yan Qi combed her hair with a wooden comb, plucking out stray strands and rolling them into a ball.

“Bath tubs aren’t cheap. How about… bringing the one we used down at the house?”

The tub they shared down the mountain had been prepared when Huo Ling’s mother was still alive. She’d given one to him and one to Huo Feng, saying they were meant for the new bride and groom.

Later, worried it might crack from lack of water if left unused too long, Huo Ling would occasionally pour water into it to keep it soaked.

“But what would we use when we go down the mountain? We can’t be without one at either end.”

Huo Ling replied, “It’s not that expensive. Old Man Mu’s place is cheaper than the town’s, and his craftsmanship is just as good. You can get one for less than two taels of silver. An item like this lasts a long time—it’s definitely worth the investment.”

Since money was mentioned, the two decided to count their silver. They’d been so busy earning it lately that they hadn’t taken the time to tally it up.

With their hair still damp, they couldn’t work properly. Sweating and then catching a breeze could easily make them catch a chill, so they took the opportunity to go inside and bring out the heavy money box.

There was also an extra cloth bundle locked in the cabinet. Unwrapping it revealed strings of copper coins that hadn’t been placed in the money box.

Clink, clink.

Scattered silver pieces and piles of copper coins were moved onto the kang table, releasing that distinctive cold, rusty scent of silver and copper.

“Should we count it all?”

Yan Qi asked Huo Ling.

“Yeah, let’s recount it. We never kept proper records before—better not make mistakes again.”

Neither of them could read, nor did they have a way to keep accounts. At most, they’d roughly count the money each time they returned from setting up their stall—never more than a few coins—before tucking it away.

Over time, they’d indeed forgotten the exact amount.

“Let’s count it this time and find a way to record it.”

Yan Qi scanned the room and spotted the sewing basket on the table, containing scraps of fabric. An idea struck him. “How about I embroider it onto the cloth? Use different symbols—that way, we’ll both understand.”

Huo Ling knew nothing of needlework. He used to carve marks into the wall with a knife, but later decided the messy scribbles looked unsightly and stopped. He didn’t spend much anyway, so he’d just toss any extra coins into the box.

Hearing Yan Qi’s suggestion, he agreed, “That’s a good idea.”

With the accounting method settled, the two began counting the money efficiently.

First came the savings Huo Ling had accumulated for himself. Most had been exchanged for silver ingots, while the loose coins had been spent.

Originally, there had been fifty taels. Over a dozen had been spent on the wedding, leaving thirty-six taels in whole and broken ingots.

Yan Qi kept this portion in a small cloth pouch, reserving it for major expenses only.

Huo Ling also mentioned that when they sold valuable goods in the future, some merchants or shops would pay directly in silver. He planned to keep that silver separate, not mixing it with the copper coins.

Beyond the thirty-six taels, their earnings primarily came from Yan Qi joining the household and the two of them jointly setting up market stalls.

Over the past three months, they mostly sold various wild vegetables. Last month saw the most trips down the mountain, yielding three or four taels at a minimum and up to five taels at best—like when they sold hazel grouse and wild rabbits, or during the peak season for tender thorn buds.

Some coins hadn’t been strung yet. They took out a roll of hemp rope, one threading the coins while the other pulled the rope taut.

Huo Ling glanced at the remaining ball of thread. “We’re running low on hemp rope at home. I’ll need to make some more when I get a chance.”

Hemp rope had many uses around the house—not just for tying things, but also for weaving straw sandals when the weather turned hot.

Walking through the mountains, Huo Ling wore out his straw sandals quickly. Yan Qi had just made him a new pair half a month ago.

He’d intended to say something to the ger, but when he looked up, he saw the ger counting with such intense focus. Worried his voice might interrupt and break his concentration, Huo Ling remained silent. Only after the hundredth coin was counted did he reach out and tie a knot in the string as a marker.

The strings of copper coins felt icy cold in his palm. Since one knot marked one hundred coins, five hundred coins formed a string. After counting them this way, he finally arrived at the total.

“It’s four taels and eight wen in total, with thirty-five wen remaining.”

To ensure precision, both emptied their pouches onto the table, laying out every last coin.

Huo Ling nodded. “About right. The past few months weren’t bountiful—hardly any profit from mountain goods. The real money comes from autumn through the snow season. Even if we don’t find any big game, we’ll easily make more than this each month.”

By this reckoning, twenty to thirty taels a year were a sure thing. With minimal expenses—barely buying grain, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar if they didn’t purchase anything extra for the household—ever since their marriage, Huo Feng had also relieved Huo Ling of the need to contribute to household expenses. He’d accepted them before because his food and clothing had been provided by his brother and sister-in-law—clothes, shoes, socks, and provisions for the mountains. Now with Ye Suping, many expenses were eliminated, leaving only a few meals during the two market days each month.

As Huo Feng put it, “How much can you really eat when you’re eating freely? It’s only right for us as your brother and sister-in-law to host you.”

Besides, had Huo Ling ever come home for a meal empty-handed?

The two brothers argued over this, but in the end, Huo Feng prevailed.

In other words, starting next year, the household would have one less expense, meaning more savings.

“Add these to the loose silver, and we’ve got about forty taels.”

Huo Ling told Yan Qi, “Once we start selling lingzhi and other catches, the income will increase. Let’s set aside these few extra taels for now.”

Besides planning to buy a bathtub, he also considered that if Yan Qi started a food business, they’d definitely need an extra cart, if nothing else.

Livestock could wait. If the business truly took off, they could buy them later.