On the evening of the 24th, Mrs. Wang prepared Chen Ming's belongings for his trip to Dingzhou and handed a silver note to Chen Afu, representing the funds for purchasing a share in the wine shop.
Chen Afu did not accept the offer, nor did Chen Ming want him to.
Chen Ming said, "My name is on the shares, and the 250 taels of silver I accepted from Afu was a respectful gift from my daughter. As for how I use that silver, it's another matter."
Mrs. Wang's eyes welled up as she said, "If you think I shouldn't have taken that silver, I could return it."
Chen Ming had always believed that Chen Afu should not have convinced Wang to accept the silver, but he never made this explicit as he did not want to upset her. But half-heartedly, he tried to comfort her, "I am not upset with you. Think of this money as your dowry, use it as you wish. My daughter's gift to me is enough."
Mrs. Wang retorted, "Life would be much simpler without those coins, how could I possibly use them?"
