Xia Wen did not tell Qiao Mei anything about having given Butler Xu an advance payment. The rent for the house and the car as well as the costs of some simple repairs to the property were all paid out of Butler Xu's own pocket. He even had to borrow part of the money.
Qiao Mei took out 1,500 dollars from her bag and handed it to Butler Xu. In addition to those expenses he had paid in advance, she gave him an additional 100 dollars as a tip. When in Rome, one had to do as the Romans do. Butler Xu had helped them out so much and was considerate enough to take care of all their needs. Qiao Mei still felt that the tip of 100 dollars was too little, but she could not afford more than that at this moment.
