CH 10

This matter is quite serious. 

Chen Ying can’t help but use Mi Xi’s language to strengthen his tone. He doesn’t care about spending money; other people may not know but he himself can’t not pay! This kind of ‘rich, handsome guy’ who ‘treats shopping like it’s nothing but doesn’t actually pay’— he really feels wronged!

Chen Ying takes out the wallet and shows her the bank card. “This kind of card is also money.” He wants to introduce basic financial knowledge to her. “I bought something just now. When you saw that I gave them the card, they deducted my money. Only after the money is deducted will the things be given to us.”

Mi Xi’s face becomes serious after hearing this. She stares at that card carefully. Chen Ying simply takes out all the cards in the wallet and shows them to her.

“It looks different.” Mi Xi takes it and looks at it carefully.

“Different cards and different banks. Um… I mean, different ‘bank’1.”

“Silver note card.”

“That’s right, it’s a ‘silver note’ card,” Chen Ying says. “Everything in the mall costs money. See, it’s okay to give these banknotes as payment.” He shows her the paper bills, lets her read them, then places them back into his wallet; takes back the cards, and puts them back in the wallet. “It’s okay to take the card and let them deduct the money in it, but it’s not free. I mean, things can’t be taken away without paying first.” 

She really shouldn’t think that one day she will go to the mall to get something for free and run away. Then he’ll have to go to the police station to bail her out.

Chen Ying roughly tells Mi Xi about the denominations of banknotes, the types of bank cards, and the personal ownership of bank cards. The money in the bank card is his own money, and the amount of money in it is limited. Some people have more, and some people have less. When people want to buy something, it doesn’t mean they can just take out any card and pay. 

He talks for a long time, and seeing Mi Xi’s expression, he knows that she doesn’t understand too much, but her face is serious and dignified. After he thinks about it, her knowledge of these common sense things is probably not as good as that of a five-year-old child.

Chen Ying decides to give up temporarily. He asks Mi Xi to fasten her seat belt and drives home.

Mi Xi is silent all the way, the excitement of buying a lot of things and eating delicious food is gone. She finally realizes a very serious matter: she owes people a lot of money.

Back home, Chen Ying expects that Mi Xi will unbox the mobile phone immediately and ask him to teach her how to play with it. She might not be interested in clothes and shoes that look ugly to her eyes, but she likes novelties like mobile phones.  When they were selecting mobile phones and phone cards earlier, she was saying that she wants to talk to Aunt Su when they get home and tell her that she also has a mobile phone now; and she also wants to talk to Mr. Yue Lao and tell him that she is doing well, so that he would not worry. 

At that time, she was so excited, but now that she has really returned home, she only took the items from the shopping bags but didn’t seem to intend opening them at all.

Chen Ying looks at his watch. At 8:23pm, he still has some time. If she doesn’t unbox it, then okay, he will unbox it. After teaching her, he’ll urge her to wash and go to bed so that he can then go out by himself.

He beckons Mixi to come and sit on the sofa beside him. He shows her how to unpack the mobile phone, telling her that this is the unit, this is the battery, this is the earphone, this is the phone card, and this is the charger. Put on the battery and the phone card, and then charge the phone first, so that you can make a call when it is charged. 

As he speaks and moves, Mi Xi watches. 

Chen Ying plugs in the charger, then looks at Mi Xi again, “Okay, tell me, what’s the matter?”

Mi Xi purses her lips, bites her lip again, finally makes up her mind, and asks, “Uncle, how much did you spend on clothes, mobile phones, food, and everything?”

Chen Ying is stunned. He doesn’t expect the little miss to think about this. “Well, not much.” He only glanced at those shopping receipts earlier and didn’t look at the prices, but he really wouldn’t care about how much it was and settle it with a little miss. When he brought her back with him, he knew that it would cost money to raise her, so he doesn’t care about it now.

“After all, there should be an account.” Mi Xi’s face is very serious, and when she becomes serious, she is quite imposing.

Chen Ying smiles. “I still have to count for you? Are you still planning to pay me back?”

Mi Xi nods seriously. “I dare not forget what my father has taught me since I was a child. I have no skills, and my uncle, aunt, and Mr. Yue Lao are bothered to take care of me. Although I don’t know what will happen in the future, but if I don’t die, I may be able to repay you one day. I would like to write down what I, Mi Xi, owe.”

‘If I don’t die’. Chen Ying is very uncomfortable hearing these words. “How old are you, why are you dying?”

“I have died once. Mr. Yue Lao from my hometown said that my parents have always hoped for a good home for me. Although he has been working hard, it is a pity that he failed to achieve it. Unexpectedly, misfortune happened. Our whole family went away, and my parents could not see me getting into the bridal sedan in their lifetime. Mr. Yue Lao hoped that I would cherish the added years of life and live a good life.

“I know that Mr. Yuelao was coaxing me, and he wanted me to agree to come here. But what he said was right: my Father and mother—” she pauses, and then says, “Before that happened, they were nagging all the time, and they spent a lot of effort trying to find a good family for me. My father said I couldn’t be a military commander so don’t think about it anymore, be serious about finding a good marriage. But after talking with several relatives, for some reason, things didn’t go well, either because of this or that reason. Some said that the horoscopes were incompatible, others thought that my martial arts made me too rough. One family talked with mine properly, but in the end, the son of the family eloped with the maidservant. There are also some matters that I don’t want to get into. 

“In short, it didn’t work out. From my fourteenth year to the seventeenth, my marriage matters dragged on. I know that many people also laughed at me. I was not afraid, but my parents lost face, and they felt sorry for me, and I also didn’t feel good.”

Mi Xi bites her lip, and then says, “After I died, I saw Mr. Yue Lao and he told me that all these happened because there was no one on the other end of my red thread. He advised me to come here, saying that he had made arrangements and someone would help me. He said he was not capable enough to let me marry a good man when I was in my hometown, but I still have a chance. 

“I didn’t want to come. Since I have died, I wanted to go with my parents, my younger siblings, and we will be family members in the underworld. But Mr. Yue Lao said he doesn’t know where the underworld is, and he said that I can’t see my family anymore; the fate of that life is over, and can’t be continued. He also said that I am different from others, and the Red Thread System gave him instructions: my life should not end, and the search for marriage should not end. 

“He said that he had searched for the souls of my parents and asked for their consent, so he came to talk to me. He said that the red thread sent me here, and if I find a destined person, I would be able to continue my life and get married. He asked me to be brave, let me try it. If I can achieve it in the end, it will also comfort the spirit of my parents.”

Chen Ying doesn’t know how to comfort her, he had never encountered such a thing. Moreover, Mi Xi, who acted like a child in the shopping mall just a few minutes ago, has said such serious words with an air of maturity—it makes him a little uncomfortable.

“Mr. Yue Lao said that there is a girl named Sue Xiaopei—well, it is Aunt Su. She and her husband also experienced a period of ups and downs in a different world back then, and now they are finally happy. He told me not to panic, saying that I would be able to do the same. I don’t know how I would, but I agreed.”

Chen Ying clears his throat and finally thinks of what he can say, “Don’t regret it, Mi Xi. Look forward.”

“I can’t regret it; there is no turning back. Besides, there really is no way back: I have already died. What else can I do?” Mi Xi raises her head, with determination on her small face. “Mr. Yue Lao is kind, uncles and aunt are kind—I shouldn’t be dejected.” 

“That’s good, that’s good.”

“If I am not dead, I will learn some skills and repay my uncles and aunt. I will earn money and silver, and return it to my uncle.”

“Yes, yes,” Chen Ying replies, but he can’t quite imagine Mi Xi being a strong woman in the workplace, earning money in the future. Pay him back? He’s really not counting on it.

“Then how much did those things cost?”

“I haven’t calculated yet, and I’ll have to spend money later too. I’ll just show you when I get a detailed account book.” 

“Okay, okay, I’ll be bothering uncle about this.” Mi Xi continues, “When it comes to ledgers, I also know how to do it. The accountant taught me, and I can also use an abacus.” There is a little pride in her tone.

“Not bad, really good.” Chen Ying wants to encourage her, but there’s really nothing to boast about. Knowing how to use an abacus in this time and age is really not a skill. “Let me teach you how to use the mobile phone first. After you have learned it, you can chat with people you know when you are bored.”

Mi Xi nods, and Chen Ying takes the mobile phone over, enters his number, and sets it as shortcut key 1. Next he enters Cheng Jiangyi’s number and sets the shortcut key 2. Thinking about it, he really has to ask Su Xiaopei’s phone number next time. Just save these two now—that should be enough for her.

“Look, every mobile phone has a number, which is digital. This is my number.” He dials it and shows it to Mi Xi.

“Number?” Mi Xi’s small face is unbelievably serious.

Chen Ying thinks that Mi Xi is nervous because she doesn’t understand these operations, so he comforts her. “It’s okay, it’s not a big deal if you press the wrong one. I’ve set it up for you. Look, press this, press 1, and you will find my number.” 

Chen Ying’s phone rings. “Look, my cell phone is ringing.” He gives Mi Xi her phone, and then picks up his own cell phone to answer the call.

“Hey, hello. Did you hear that?”

Mi Xi can’t help smiling and nods after hearing his voice through the phone.

Chen Ying hangs up the phone and continues to teach. “Just like before, press the 2 button to call Uncle Cheng. I don’t have your Aunt Su’s phone number, so I will just add it later. Alright, the teaching is over.” 

He hands the phone back to Mi Xi. “Call me to try.”

Mi Xi presses the button, and Chen Ying’s phone rings; he is satisfied. After rejecting the call, he dials Mi Xi himself, and then teaches her how to answer and hang up. Mi Xi tries twice as usual, and both attempts are successful. The little face finally shows a smile again, looking very happy indeed.

“Okay, do you have any questions?” Looking at his watch, it is almost time for him to go out.

“Yes.”

“Tell me.”

“Are these what you called ‘numbers’? Is this ‘one’ or ‘two’?” Mi Xi asks while pointing to the buttons.

Chen Ying is stunned for a moment. “You don’t know how to count?”

“I know how to count, and I can read the ledger and use the abacus.” Mi Xi can’t help raising her little chin.

“…” 

He finally realized a big problem. Arabic numerals are new to ancient girls!

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FOOTNOTE:

1Chen Ying uses a different word here that literally translates to ‘money farm’. Supposedly it refers to illegal foreign currency laundering but perhaps it has a different use in archaic language so Mi Xi would understand it differently.