Chapter 609: You take a piece, I take a piece, you take another piece, I take another piece

"Begging alms?"

Huo Xing’Er furrowed her brow. "Where did you beg? And from whom?"

At her question, Erhu’s heart tightened, and he grew nervous.

"From the Buddha!" Xiaosuisui replied in her clear, sweet voice, the smile on her small face radiant and endearing.

From Buddha?

Huo Xing’Er rubbed her temples, her gaze shifting to Erhu beside her.

"Explain. What exactly happened?"

Meeting Huo Xing’Er’s gaze, Erhu said nervously, "Well... we found it inside the Buddha statue in the Great Buddha’s Hall!"

Huo Xing’Er’s mouth fell open wide enough to fit an egg.

So that’s what it was!

After a long moment, Huo Xing’Er finally understood the reason behind Wangkong’s earth-shattering, heaven-shaking wails!

"Huh?" Erhu understood the implication in Huo Xing’Er’s words.

Xiaosuisui, however, paid no attention to what her Second Aunt was saying.

She was currently busy dividing the silver.

"One for you, one for me, another for you, another for me..."

Her voice was soft, but Huo Xing’Er and Erhu were still drawn to it.

"What are you doing? ’One for you, one for me.’ Are you dividing rice cakes?"

Huo Xing’Er squatted down, watching Xiaosuisui, finding her actions quite baffling.

"I’m dividing the silver! Brother Erhu and I agreed. He helps me take all the gold and silver from inside the Buddha, and we split it fifty-fifty."

"Inside the Buddha?"

Huo Xing’Er suddenly laughed. "Tell me, how did you two know there was so much gold and silver inside the Buddha’s golden statue?"

Xiaosuisui didn’t answer, still counting, "One for you, one for me, another for you, another for me..."

Erhu, however, replied, "Actually, we didn’t know there was so much gold and silver inside the Buddha’s golden statue. It all fell out when Celestial Thunder struck, damaging the roof of the Great Buddha’s Hall and the Buddha statue itself. It was a gift from the Buddha, bestowed upon us."

Huo Xing’Er guessed what had likely happened. Her precious niece probably saw someone kowtowing to the Buddha’s golden statue, and Xiaosuisui, being Xiaosuisui, had probably kowtowed as well. This must have attracted the Celestial Thunder that damaged the Great Buddha’s Hall, leading to the current situation.

Considering the misdeeds of Liao Kong and the Abbot of Qixia Temple over the past few days, Huo Xing’Er felt no pity at all for the money they had lost.

"What do you plan to do with all this silver?" Huo Xing’Er asked Xiaosuisui.

Still dividing, Xiaosuisui said, "I’ll give it to His Majesty, my adoptive father, for disaster relief!"

Huo Xing’Er gently stroked Xiaosuisui’s head.

Though the money was ill-gotten, she’s putting it to a righteous cause.

So, she didn’t intend to scold her.

Huo Xing’Er then turned her gaze to Erhu. "What about you? This is a considerable amount of gold and silver!"

Erhu’s mouth opened.

What does this lady mean...

"You... you don’t plan to take it all?"

Who could resist such a fortune? Suisui can keep her word because she’s a child, but this lady...

"Since my Suisui said she’d give it to you, it’s yours. No one else can take it away!"

"Ah... Oh!" Erhu stammered, pleasantly surprised. He rubbed his head, his smile endearingly simple.

"You’re young. You need to hide this money well. If others find out, it could bring you trouble!" Huo Xing’Er reminded Erhu while helping Xiaosuisui divide the silver.

"I don’t plan on keeping it a secret. I’m going to use this money so Grandpa Fang, Granny Wang, Big Niuniu, Little Niuniu, and the others in the courtyard can get a better place to live, buy some farmland, and lead normal lives!"

This large, dilapidated courtyard housed many unfortunate people. Among them, the most notable was Grandpa Fang, a veteran from the battlefield. For years, he had used his subsidies to help others in dire straits, and Erhu was the first person he had helped. If Grandpa Fang hadn’t taken him in, and if it weren’t for his connections, Erhu wouldn’t have been able to scrounge meals from many households and grow up safely.

"You’re a good child who knows how to repay kindness. You’ll definitely have a bright future. This is too much gold and silver to keep on you. I suggest you keep about one-third of your share. That should be enough to settle the people here. As for the remaining two-thirds, you can deposit it into the Ying Tai Ticket Office or invest it by buying shares in the Ying Tai Ticket Office!"

"The Ying Tai Ticket Office?" Erhu’s eyes widened, and he blinked in disbelief, thinking he had misheard.

"That’s right, the Ying Tai Ticket Office. With all your gold and silver, it amounts to at least several tens of thousands of taels. You probably can’t buy a major share, but a minor stake should yield enough annual dividends to support the people in this courtyard."

By the time Huo Xing’Er finished speaking, the gold and silver had been divided. Each share was roughly one hundred thousand taels.

"If I deposit it in the Ying Tai Ticket Office, the annual interest isn’t much. Investing would be good, but I don’t know the owner of the Ying Tai Ticket Office, so it’s impossible. Besides, they might not even be interested in such a small amount from me!"

When Erhu first heard Huo Xing’Er’s words, he was incredibly excited. However, after thinking it over, he couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

"You just need to tell me if you’re willing or not. If you want to invest in the Ying Tai Ticket Office, I can introduce you to its behind-the-scenes owner. However, you must agree to one condition!"

Hearing this, Erhu’s eyes widened, his bright eyes blinking rapidly. At that moment, Huo Xing’Er noticed that his expression bore a striking resemblance to Xiaosuisui’s at times.

Intrigued, Huo Xing’Er’s mind raced. She performed a quick divination with her fingers, her brow furrowing deeply as she carefully studied Erhu’s features. There was indeed a slight resemblance to Xiaosuisui. If they were related, and by blood... who exactly was this Erhu? Was he a lost descendant of the Ji Family? Or a lost blood relative from Li Suisui’s paternal side?

"Erhu, do you know your surname?"

Erhu shook his head. "I’m an orphan. Ever since I can remember, Grandpa Fang has taken care of me. I don’t know who my parents are, or what my real name is. Grandpa Fang said I was sturdy like a young tiger with two bright, dark eyes, so he named me Erhu."

After Erhu finished his story, Huo Xing’Er remained silent for a long while.

Xiaosuisui looked at her Second Aunt, then at Erhu, sensing a strange shift in the atmosphere. She gently tugged Huo Xing’Er’s sleeve. "Auntie, why are you asking Brother Erhu about his surname?"

Huo Xing’Er stroked Xiaosuisui’s head and chuckled softly. "It’s nothing, Auntie was just asking casually. Anyway, back to what we were saying. I can introduce you to the behind-the-scenes owner of the Ying Tai Ticket Office, but you have to agree to one condition."