Chapter 21: A Prodigal Son Returns, No Gold Can Buy Him Back

Wu Ping looked at him, still smiling, sighed repeatedly, and said, "A An, you must listen."

"This time Dad is really angry."

"Now my sister‑in‑law and I don't dare bring you up; the moment we do, Dad loses his temper."

"You must not do anything that makes Dad angry again."

Wu An nodded and said, "Brother, I understand."

Wu Ping's tone softened: "Just settle here for now; once Dad calms down, my sister‑in‑law and I will figure out a way to get you home."

Wu An shook his head: "Brother, you and my sister‑in‑law don't need to do anything; I don't want Dad to take his anger out on you two and have you get scolded as well."

"It's my fault that Dad got angry; as the saying goes, the one who ties the bell must untie it. I'll find a way to calm Dad and get his permission to go home."

"Oh, remember to tidy up the house; I could return home at any moment."

"Anytime?" Wu Ping said irritably, "What plan do you have?"

"Tell me what you have in mind; don't take matters into your own hands."

"Every time you act silently, what you do can scare people to death."

Wu An scratched his head: "This… I haven't figured it out yet."

Wu Ping suddenly thought of something and asked, "The fish you smashed at Dad last night, you threw it, right?"

Wu An nodded and said, "It was an accident; I didn't intend to smash Dad's fish."

Wu Ping said, "That can't be your way home, can it?"

"Don't do that again in the future."

"When Dad ate the fish, he clenched his teeth, as if he wanted to crush the bones and swallow them."

Wu An was at a loss, both laughing and crying.

Wu Ping pulled out a stack of cash, a mix of coins and bills, placed it on the bed, and said, "This is the private money my sister‑in‑law and I have."

"You're alone in the old house; you have to provide your own food and drink, and you can't manage without money."

"That fish from yesterday… give the money to them."

"Brother, I don't want the money." Wu An grabbed the cash and shoved it into Wu Ping's hand, saying, "I caught that fish myself yesterday."

"I'm genuinely working now; I can earn money."

The two of them tussled.

Wu An kept shouting, "Brother, I used to be foolish and made many mistakes; now I know I'm wrong."

"Dad kicked me out because I hit someone and took high‑interest loans. Once I resolve those two matters properly, Dad might calm down and let me return home."

"Anyway, you and my sister‑in‑law don't need to worry about it."

"Take this money back; I insist I can't accept it… brother…"

Before he could finish, Wu Ping tossed the money onto his bed; he grabbed it and shoved it back. The brothers wrestled, but his strength was less than Wu Ping's, and the unfavorable terrain gave Wu Ping the advantage.

Helplessly,

he could only lift the bamboo mat.

To sleep comfortably, he divided the money into several piles and spread them under the mat; when he ripped it up so forcefully, the bills fluttered in the air, filling the room in an instant.

Wu Ping stood dumbfounded, eyes wide open.

"This… this… where did all this money come from?" He snapped out of his shock, grabbed Wu An, and shouted excitedly, "Wu An, what did you do?"

Wu An forced a wry smile and said, "Brother, I earned this by fishing and chasing the sea."

"It's all clean."

"Let go… listen to me."

Wu Ping released his grip.

Wu An sat down and recounted in detail his fishing trip yesterday and his early‑morning sea chase, omitting the part about stealing fish and smashing his head.

Whether due to reincarnation or something else, the wound had already scabbed over; he removed the bandage last night, and unless you looked closely, you wouldn't see any injury.

Wu Ping asked, bewildered, "Are you serious?"

Wu An said, "Just go ask Lin Hu; you'll find out. If you're afraid I might collude with Lin Hu to cheat you, you can also go to the dock and investigate to see whether I'm telling the truth."

Wu Ping looked at the money covering the bed and said, "I… I believe it, I believe."

Indeed.

His younger brother had gotten into university; he's sharp, lying without a draft, telling lies that sound more convincing than the truth, never saying something that could be easily exposed.

Some of the money fell to the floor; he crouched, picked it up while laughing, and said, "A An, that's right, that's exactly how it should be."

Wu An nodded and said, "This money still isn't enough to repay the high‑interest loan; I'll need a few more days of work to make up the difference."

Wu Ping said, "I'll take you to find Dad."

"So Dad can make up the shortfall for you."

Wu An shook his head, saying, "No, brother, Dad's still angry; if we go now, he'll surely think I'm trying to cheat him out of money."

Wu Ping froze for a moment.

Wu An said earnestly, "I earned this money in just one day; it won't be long before I can make enough."

Then he led Wu Ping to the kitchen and said, "I kept some seafood; it's worthless, and I was wondering how to send it to the family for you."

"Perfect, you can take it away."

"I recall Dad likes blood clams; take them all. After the tide goes out this afternoon, I'll chase the sea again. Oh, don't tell him I gave them; I'm afraid he'll get angry and refuse to eat them."

While speaking, he fetched a plastic bag and packed everything inside.

Wu Ping took it with a smile, said a couple more words, and walked far away; looking at the money in his hand and the bag of seafood in his other hand, his steps became noticeably lighter.

He returned home.

Wu Ping placed the bag of seafood on the table and called Mei Yueqin to take a look.

Mei Yueqin saw so much seafood and asked, "How did you buy so much?"

"Wasn't it to have you go give money to the second son?"

"You wouldn't have not given the money and bought these, would you?"

When she first married into the Wu family, Wu An was only thirteen; in their eyes he was just a child, so they got used to calling him "the second son."

Don't look at Old Wu having a low position in the village; he's quite busy, aside from eating and sleeping, he's almost always running around the village, and doesn't even have time to manage Wu An.

The elder brother is like a father, the elder sister-in-law like a mother.

From when she married in until Wu An went to college these years, eating, drinking, washing clothes, tidying the house, inside and out, all that was her and Wu Ping busy with.

Sometimes she joked in private, saying that after marrying into the Wu family she herself had no children, yet she had first raised a big son; precisely because of that, later when Wu An went astray, she couldn't bear to just wash her hands of him.

Wu Ping took out the money and said, "I went to deliver it, but A An didn't want the money and instead gave me these seafood."

Mei Yueqin widened her eyes: "He gave you these?"

"Where did this seafood come from..."

Wu Ping hurriedly related what he had seen; Mei Yueqin was doubtful: "Looking at it this way, Dad kicked the second son out of the house, yet also made the second son repent?"

Wu Ping nodded: "Probably."

"This time Dad is really angry; he probably scared A An quite a bit."

Mei Yueqin, hearing this, was also pleased and said: "Then why not tell Dad about this situation..."

"Better not for now." Wu Ping shook his head and said: "What A An said is right; Dad is still angry."

"Let's see first, then talk."

"What if A An's enthusiasm is just a three-minute flare?"

"You'd better hope so." Mei Yueqin gave Wu Ping a punch, took the seafood and walked to the kitchen, saying: "Well then, while Dad's not home, I'll cook these seafood."

"You give a plate to the second son and send it over."