One Tael of Silver

"That's good!" Granny Sun smiled warmly, her wrinkled face radiating genuine joy. "Take care, Mr. Gu. Come again when you have time. Even if you don't have money, it's fine. A bowl of yang geng... this old woman can still afford to treat you."

Her words were exactly the same as those she'd said to Gu Ning'an years ago when inviting him to eat yang geng.

Gu Ning'an clasped his hands in gratitude. "Then I'll thank Granny Sun in advance."

"No need for formalities," Granny Sun replied, waving her hand and watching him walk away.

"Huh?"

As she gazed at the figure in the green robe walking into the distance, a flicker of clarity flashed through her clouded eyes. "That silhouette... I've definitely seen it before."

Just then, a loud voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Mother! There you are!"

Turning toward the sound, she saw a middle-aged man, about fifty years old, rushing toward her.

The man bore a striking resemblance to Granny Sun but had a shrewd, calculating expression. This was her son, Jin Wan.

Having finally found his mother, Jin Wan's worried expression eased. He glanced first at the green-robed figure disappearing down the street, then at the empty bowl and dishes on the wooden table nearby.

"Mother, did that man pay for his meal?"

Smack!

Granny Sun slapped her son on the shoulder and scolded him in a hushed tone. "Lower your voice! If the gentleman hears you, he'll think I'm gossiping about him!"

"Mr. Gu left the money beside the dishes. Go and collect the bowl and chopsticks."

"Mr. Gu?" Hearing the familiar surname and recalling the figure in the green robe, Jin Wan paused for a moment before heading toward the table.

"Mother! There's no money here—it's just a piece of blank paper!" Jin Wan exclaimed after just a glance.

"Keep your voice down! Keep it down!" Granny Sun hurried over to the table, waving her hands to quiet him.

When she saw the square-folded piece of white paper lying by the dishes, she was momentarily stunned.

Earlier, Gu Ning'an had said he'd left the money there, so she hadn't paid much attention.

After all, in her eyes, twenty copper coins weren't a significant amount. Gu Ning'an was both a regular customer and a scholar—he didn't seem like the type to play tricks for a free bowl of yang geng.

"No, I have to catch that scholar and bring him back!"

"Taking advantage of my mother? Does he even know who I, Jin Wan, am?"

With that, Jin Wan rolled up his sleeves, ready to chase after Gu Ning'an.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Granny Sun grabbed the hem of his clothes, nearly falling over as she struggled to stop him.

Seeing this, Jin Wan had no choice but to stop and help steady his mother.

Frowning deeply, his thick features quivered with frustration as he grumbled, "Mother, I told you not to set up your stall anymore, but you just wouldn't listen! Now look what's happened...

"First, that beggar Hu Chi eats for free—fine, I'll let that go since we can ask his grandfather for payment.

"But now this scholar runs off without paying? That's twenty copper coins gone just like that!"

Granny Sun let out a long sigh. "Forget it, forget it. He's a scholar—maybe he's facing hard times right now... He'll come back to pay when he has money in the future."

"In the future! In the future!" Jin Wan, suddenly reminded of something, grew even more irritated. "Wasn't it the same with that poor scholar years ago? He racked up nearly twenty meals on credit at your stall!"

"Then what happened? Now the person is long gone, and who knows if he sold that house to someone else a long time ago!"

Hearing this,

Granny Sun looked puzzled. "Really? How come I don't remember a thing?"

Seeing his mother like this, Jin Wan was both exasperated and helpless. "Forget it, just think of it as paying a price to avoid misfortune."

"But, Mother, you have to promise me, don't ever set up a stall again in the future."

"Just rest peacefully at home!"

Seeing the disappointment in her son's eyes, Granny Sun stayed silent for a moment before replying with a nod. Then she reached out to clean up the bowls, plates, and the folded piece of white paper on the table.

As soon as she picked up the paper, her expression changed. "There's something wrapped in this white paper."

Hearing this, Jin Wan quickly stepped closer, took the paper, and unfolded it in a few swift movements.

"Silver!" Jin Wan exclaimed in surprise as he held the finger-sized silver piece, weighing it lightly in his palm. "At least one tael!" [Usually, 1 tael of silver = 1,000 copper coins]

The fragment of silver gleamed alluringly under the sunlight.

"What... what should we do about this!" Granny Sun looked around anxiously. "Jin Wan, hurry and help me catch up with that gentleman! He gave too much!"

Jin Wan closed his hand over the silver piece and shushed her. "Mother, keep your voice down! This money was given to you by that gentleman; it's ours now."

"What's the point of chasing after him?"

"Besides, he's already gone. Where would I even start looking?"

Hearing this, Granny Sun's voice grew louder. "Nonsense! A bowl of yang geng costs exactly what it costs, no more, no less!"

Knowing how stubborn his mother was, Jin Wan was just about to change the subject when he noticed writing on the unfolded white paper.

"Mother, look!"

"There's writing on this paper!"

He pointed to the words and read them aloud, one character at a time:

"For previously owing nineteen bowls of yang geng, with today making it an even twenty, the total debt is settled with this one tael, including interest."

After reading, Jin Wan murmured, "Nineteen bowls of yang geng... nineteen... I remember now!"

"It's that poor scholar who lived in Ansi Courtyard more than twenty years ago!"

"No wonder the surname Gu felt so familiar—it's him!"

Granny Sun clutched her son's arm and shook it. "Son, what are you talking about? I don't understand a word!"

"Did the note left by Mr. Gu today mean that he owed us nineteen bowls of yang geng?"

"But even adding today's bowl, that's just 400 copper coins—not nearly worth one tael of silver!"

"And another thing, that Mr. Gu looked no older than twenty. How could he have eaten our yang geng over twenty years ago?"

"Twenty?" Jin Wan deliberately ignored his mother's first two questions and focused on the last. "That doesn't add up. If it's the same scholar named Gu, he should be in his forties by now... could it be his descendant?"

Granny Sun wanted to ask more questions, but Jin Wan cut her off. "Enough, Mother, don't worry about it. I'll get to the bottom of this. Let me help you pack up the stall first, and then I'll go inquire around Ansi Courtyard to see if I can find out."

Hearing this, Granny Sun nodded. "Alright, but if you do find that gentleman, make sure to return the extra money to him."

"Got it, Mother!"

"You're such a softie!"

Jin Wan grumbled, but his mind was already forming his own plans...

Note: Changed wen to copper coin