Chapter 369: How can relying on others compare to relying on oneself?

"Elder sister-in-law, elder sister-in-law, how come I never heard you call her elder sister-in-law before?"

Zhang Guilian snorted, got up, and walked again toward where Li Ping and the others had gathered.

Before.

Du Guan hadn't never called Li Ping 'elder sister-in-law'—when she first married Du Guan, his mouth was sweeter than anyone's; not only her own family, even the Zhang Family Members would show extra respect, so how could he possibly not call Li Ping elder sister-in-law?

Until their business started to take off and their family began to prosper, fearing that the Zhang Family would take advantage of them, not to mention having them call Li Ping elder sister-in-law, even her elder brother couldn't be bothered to do so.

"You little brat, can you speak now? Do you have some improper thoughts about your uncle's Mountain God Token?"

Du Guan wore a fawning smile, full of flattery as he watched Zhang Guilian's retreating back; when she drew near where Li Ping and her group had gathered, he withdrew his gaze and turned to look at Du Wenxuan standing before him.

Du Wenxuan panicked, "Father, I don't know what you're talking about!"

"You don't know what I'm talking about?"

Du Guan gave Du Wenxuan a deep look; even if Du Wenxuan began to pretend, his acting was so poor that in Du Guan's eyes it was nothing but flaws—no matter how he acted, it was just covering his ears while stealing a bell, and he spoke expressionlessly:

"If you refuse to speak, I might not be able to give you the one hundred taels of silver you want!"

"Father, how can you do this…"

Du Wenxuan instantly flared with anger, wanting to lash out and accuse his father of being shameless, but seeing his father's expression, he knew that no matter what he said, it would be hard to change his father's mind, and he spoke resentfully:

"Father, my uncle's Mountain God Token is actually no big deal—just some trivial matters; you don't need to know!"

Du Guan sneered, "If you don't want to say it, I really can't hand over that one hundred taels of silver!"

Du Wenxuan's face flushed with anger; he really wanted to tell his father, "It's just a mere one hundred taels of silver, after all!"

He doesn't want it!

Waiting for him to steal—cough, cough—take his uncle's Mountain God Token and become the Mountain God of Lion Ridge, not to mention one hundred taels, even ten thousand taels of silver wouldn't catch his eye.

Too bad.

He had lived so many years that he had never even possessed ten taels of silver, let alone one hundred; at his wealthiest, he had only one tael on him.

That one hundred taels of silver—say he doesn't want it and he doesn't want it—but he still feels somewhat reluctant to part with it.

Du Guan watched Du Wenxuan torn between two choices, a smug smile curling at the corner of his mouth, and said, "Fine, you little brat, you've got backbone—never mind the one hundred taels of silver; you don't need to tell me your secret…"

"No, no, no… Father, can't I just tell you?"

Du Wenxuan hurriedly cut him off; he knew exactly what his father was up to when the words reached his father's lips.

A stubborn miser won't part with a single hair!

He didn't believe his father was just talking; maybe his father was using this affair to swindle him out of one hundred taels of silver.

Possibly.

From the start, his father had been reluctant to give him one hundred taels of silver, only agreeing reluctantly out of helplessness; if given the chance, his father would rather not give him the money at all.

Du Guan smiled narrowly and said, "Alright, go ahead and speak!"

"Father…"

Du Wenxuan was about to speak, ready to tell everything he knew about the Mountain God Token, but seeing his father's smug grin and recalling his father's deeds, he gave an embarrassed laugh and said:

"Father, how about this: you first give me the one hundred taels of silver, and then I'll tell you all the secrets I know!" He didn't dare gamble that after spilling everything he knew, his father wouldn't still find an excuse to pocket that one hundred taels; he needed to find a chance to reclaim every tael his father owed him, lest his father keep swindling him.

"You brat, you haven't even told me what you know, yet you want me to hand over the one hundred taels—who knows if you're trying to cheat me!"

Du Guan snorted, saw Du Wenxuan open his mouth, knew what he wanted to say, and spoke first:

"Besides, didn't I tell you? One hundred taels of silver isn't a small sum; my brain isn't addled—how could I possibly carry it around? If I lost it by accident, our family would have to live on the northwest wind for two or three years!"

"Father…"

Before Du Wenxuan could finish his sentence, Du Guan interrupted again: "How about this: I'll first check how much money I have on me, give you what I can, and the rest I'll give you when we get back—what do you think?"

Du Wenxuan really wanted to refuse, but looking at his father's demeanor and recalling his character, he knew that if he refused, not only would he risk losing the debt of one hundred taels, even the silver his father carried might be taken away; he reluctantly nodded.

Du Wenxuan casually untied a cloth pouch from his waist, tossed it over, and said, "All my worldly possessions are in here—you count it yourself, figure out how much you still owe me, and keep track!"

"Seven taels and thirty-five wen copper coins?"

Du Wenxuan caught the money pouch his father threw, counted it, confirmed the amount, and his face showed nothing but disappointment as he said, "Father, is this all you have?"

"Seven taels of silver is still too little; if you think it's not enough, you can give the money back to me!"

Du Guan snorted, reached out to take the money pouch from Du Wenxuan's hand, but seeing Du Wenxuan instinctively pull back, he then continued speaking:

"Alright, the deposit is given; the remaining debt I'll pay you when we get back—now you can tell me, what secret are you keeping from your father?"

This novel you have reached

"Father, lean your head over here!"

Du Wenxuan gestured with his hand.

"What is it, so mysterious?"

Du Guan leaned in, curious, to hear Du Wenxuan's whispered secret; upon hearing it, he almost gasped aloud.

Du Wenxuan hastily covered Du Guan's mouth, reminding him, "Father, what are you doing? Don't draw attention!"

Du Guan took a deep breath, his chest surging like a river overturning, hard to suppress his inner turmoil, he exhaled a heavy breath of turbid air, his voice still somewhat excited, he whispered low: "You brat, you're not lying to me—if you obtain the Mountain God Token, you can become the Mountain God?"

"Father, do you think I'd joke with you about something like this?"

Du Wenxuan countered.

"No wonder you brat just gave a silly laugh—turns out you knew about this!"

Du Guan snorted, lowering his voice: "You little brat, you wouldn't be scheming to take your uncle's Mountain God Token, would you?"

Du Wenxuan smiled but said nothing.

Du Guan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, to advise Du Wenxuan not to do something foolish, but the words died at his lips, and he whispered softly: "Do you need your father to lend you a hand?"

This little brat stealing his uncle's Mountain God Token, stealing his uncle's opportunity, could be called grossly rebellious; yet thinking of becoming the Mountain God and the benefits it would bring his family, relying on others' breath to get by—where could that compare to relying on oneself?

De Ben serving as the Mountain God of Lion Ridge, even if it could bring his family tremendous benefits, still couldn't compare to the advantages his family would gain if they themselves served as the Mountain God of Lion Ridge.

(End of chapter)