Chapter 51: One Mountain Cannot Hold Two Tigers

Fang Yuan’s shout had a full effect. They were only halfway through the work, and money was already being paid out. Was there really such a good thing?

Everyone put down their tools. Fang Eldest Brother arrived with his brothers as well, all of them wearing expressions of disbelief. “They really paid?”

No one had expected this. Old Sun had been extremely difficult with money, yet here on Lu Chuan’s side, the manager actually paid part of it in advance.

Lu Chuan walked over to his elder brother-in-law and explained first. “Originally, this money and how it should be used was something I should have discussed with you, Eldest Brother. Fang Yuan got excited and shouted it out. The manager trusts us, so he gave us half the payment first, and that is also because of your reputation, Eldest Brother.”

That was truly what Lu Chuan thought, and he deliberately explained it to his elder brother, afraid that his brother-in-law would feel he did not respect him enough.

If Fang Yuan had not been holding the money, Lu Chuan would have already handed it over to his elder brother-in-law.

Fang Eldest Brother was very straightforward at this moment. “Discuss what? It is your matter, you decide.”

Lu Chuan knew very well how this job had come about. It was not something he could have done alone. Without his elder brother-in-law, it would not have been possible.

Lu Chuan quickly said, “Eldest Brother, how about this? At the end, we brothers will settle the total accounts together. First let’s pay everyone their wages.”

Everyone was gathered around them, so it was not convenient to talk in detail. Naturally, they should first show everyone the money and let them all be happy.

Fang Eldest Brother had no objections. Working with them and being able to see money so quickly also made him look good.

Lu Chuan took out a small notebook and settled accounts with everyone, calculating payments according to what had been agreed.

Earning two days of wages in one day made everyone happy. The work was tiring, but everyone said that strength comes back after it is used, so there was nothing to fear about hard work.

And the payment was so straightforward that none of them had expected it.

Then the Fang brothers suddenly had no money left. Why? Because they had not yet agreed on how to settle their own internal accounts.

Fang Eldest Brother’s idea was that they should be paid the same way as everyone else. If his brother-in-law felt uncomfortable, at most they could be given a little extra for night watch duty.

Lu Chuan definitely could not do it that way, and it was not convenient to argue outside.

In the end, he simply said there was no money left, and that solved it. There was no need to continue discussing how to split the money.

Behind him, Fang Yuan said to Lu Chuan, “Aren’t you short of money from school? Since Eldest Brother said to split it like that, then just do it that way.”

Lu Chuan patiently explained to Fang Yuan, “That is not how it works. Money must be clearly accounted for, even between brothers. Otherwise, brothers stop feeling like brothers, and relatives stop feeling like relatives. We are not trying to take advantage of this small amount. Listen to me on this.”

Fang Yuan nodded, indicating she would listen to him. “I do not take what belongs to others. I only take what is mine. But your money, I will hold it.”

Lu Chuan could not help but laugh. “I know.”

If money was not held by his wife, then who else would hold it?

Moreover, Fang Yuan really did not look like someone who was not greedy for money. Lu Chuan truly believed he had not been wrong about her. With this money being paid out today, she was probably already feeling distressed inside.

Over there, Fang Yuan said, “So much money. Once it leaves my hands, it really feels bad.”

Lu Chuan nodded. Fang Yuan was someone who only allowed money to come in, not go out. Even so, because she trusted him, she still repeatedly handed the money out.

For the couple, Fang Yuan’s feeling was excitement over money, while Lu Chuan’s feeling was about people and emotion.

Fang Eldest Brother’s side was also not peaceful. A few days ago, when drinking with Old Sun, although he had managed to persuade Old Sun to back off, Old Sun had also half influenced him.

Old Sun had said, “Fang Eldest Brother, are you really willing to work under a young man and listen to him giving orders?”

That Old Sun was truly not a good person. He had whispered to Fang Eldest Brother, “One mountain cannot hold two tigers, and you are Fang Tiger.”

At first Fang Eldest Brother had only listened casually. But today, seeing the money and the huge profit, his thoughts began to waver.

There was no reason to let others take money from existing resources while he only worked for others. Fang Eldest Brother wanted to be the one collecting money instead. What happened today clearly shook him.

Seeing the money distribution today, Third Brother and Fourth Brother were also unsettled. They had worked hard and worried a lot about this project. How the accounts should be settled required proper consideration.

If they counted themselves as part of the group and split equally with their brother-in-law, they felt it was not quite right. But if they did not split it, they also felt it was unfair since they had not done any less work.

Taking money felt uncomfortable. Not taking money also felt unbalanced.

The brothers advised Fang Eldest Brother to do it on his own instead, so they could split the money separately later. That would be simpler.

When facing hardship, brothers stood together. That was truly moving.

But when facing profit, things fell apart. That is human nature.

Money is a wonderful thing. Without it, life does not work. With it, it also causes trouble. Of course, everyone is working precisely for that kind of trouble.

The brothers argued about this in front of Fang Eldest Brother, insisting the money issue had to be settled properly or no one would feel at ease.

That night, the brothers finally clarified everything.

Lu Chuan was not the kind of person who would keep money in his hands without accounting for it.

Fang Eldest Brother said he had not done much in this matter and did not feel comfortable taking money. His sister and brother-in-law had even used their savings just to rent the construction mixer.

So he would not take part in this. He should only be paid regular wages.

However, in the future, he would definitely go independent. He did not say it out loud, but the brothers all understood it privately, even if Lu Chuan did not know.

Fang Eldest Brother also said that when he worked under Old Sun, it had been the same. He did not earn more than others. There was no reason that working for his own brother-in-law should suddenly mean taking money. That was not appropriate.

That was what Fang Eldest Brother said, but the expressions of the other brothers were clearly unhappy.

Lu Chuan spoke directly. Without the elder brothers-in-law, he would not have had the courage to take this job. Without them, he would not have had the ability to gather workers, nor the ability to take work from the contractor.

Lu Chuan said, “Eldest Brother, we are short of money. The elder brothers want to help us, and we understand that clearly, but this is not the way to help.”

Fang Eldest Brother said, “It is not as nice as you make it sound. We all know what is going on. I feel guilty taking this money.”

When he invested the initial capital, it was because he did not have the same vision he has now.

Lu Chuan remained straightforward. “Brother, listen to me. The six of us brothers split it equally.”

The eyes of Third Brother and Fourth Brother below immediately lit up.

Fang Eldest Brother was not simple minded. He thought that if they took this money, the Fang brothers would be placed a step lower in front of this brother-in-law in the future.

He laughed and said, “You are generous. Splitting it into six shares. You must not be so foolishly generous in the future. What about my sister’s life then?”

Lu Chuan did not dare say anything.

Fang Eldest Brother had raised the matter to another level. He looked toward Fang Yuan.

Rarely, Fang Yuan understood the meaning of that look. “I listen to him.”

The brothers all glared, then glared at Lu Chuan.

Lu Chuan understood immediately. This was not something he should decide. He should refuse his wife’s trust, so he quickly said, “We already discussed it.”

Fang Yuan glared back. Who said that? There had been no such discussion.

She had put in so much capital. Others had not contributed anything. If it was going to be split equally, then it should be split equally. This man did not know how to manage money.

In her opinion, paying Fang Eldest Brother wages would already be enough.

Truthfully, Fang Yuan’s thinking was even more extreme than Fang Eldest Brother’s group. She was even more aggressively money minded.

A wife’s characteristic, seeing money and wanting it immediately.