Chapter 46 Reunion Banquet 3

Mrs. Ma was so angry that she threw down her chopsticks: "What are you saying, girl? Can't you even let people eat in peace? How can you talk back to your elders like that?"

A voice came from behind the screen: "Yun Chu, don't be so presumptuous. Your fourth aunt was just saying a few words of concern for the younger generation. How did you bring up the issue of us moving out? Anyone who didn't know better would think you're so arrogant that you want to kick your own uncle out."

It was the Fourth Master who spoke. Just as he finished speaking, the Second Master also chimed in, "Alright, Fourth Master, don't argue with a little girl. It's beneath your dignity as an uncle."

The group quickly labeled Lu Yun Chu as disrespectful to her elders, and the young girl shut her mouth and stopped talking, but her eyes couldn't help but redden.

Yu Qingci sighed inwardly, reached out and picked up the serving chopsticks, added a few dishes to the little girl's bowl, and Lu Yun Chu looked over with grateful eyes. The two sisters-in-law smiled at each other, both feeling each other's affection.

The second master spoke up again: "But sister-in-law, today is the first day my niece-in-law has entered the family. I think it would be better to tell the kitchen to add a few good dishes for lunch to celebrate, so that the children can have a change of pace. Fourth sister-in-law is right. While we are observing mourning, we can't expect the children to eat vegetarian food all the time."

Madam Ning acted as if she couldn't hear what these people were saying. She lowered her head, scooped a spoonful of glutinous rice and red date porridge from the porcelain bowl, and ate it before slowly saying, "Who starts eating fish and meat right after sending off a loved one? It's just asking for trouble."

Third Aunt glanced at her sister-in-law and said, "Alright, everyone, say less. After all, our eldest brother and Yunqi have only recently passed away. How can we eat without any restraint?"

My sister-in-law always said the household expenses were tight and there wasn't much savings. Now that my eldest brother is gone, isn't it up to her to decide how we live from now on? We're lucky if we can even get enough to eat, and you're still being picky. You really don't know the cost of living until you're in charge of the household.

After saying that, she gave Wei a meaningful look. Wei immediately took over the conversation and said, "We naturally know how hard it has been for our eldest sister-in-law. Over the years, she has worked really hard to manage the household and take care of the family's food, clothing and daily necessities. Now that the family has lost its pillar, who wouldn't feel bitter?"

"Actually, now that my nephew's wife is married into the family, I think my sister-in-law should let her manage the household affairs. I think she's young but beautiful and pretty, and clearly intelligent and capable. She'll definitely be able to manage our General's Mansion very well."

Madam Ma chimed in, "That's right. The day my niece-in-law's dowry was carried into our General's Mansion, wow, all the neighbors and friends around praised the Nanping Earl's Mansion for its generosity, giving their daughter a dowry of 106 loads!"

My goodness! In the past, we could only envy the lavish dowries of other wealthy families when their daughters married. But today, our family is having a grand wedding procession with a magnificent procession! It truly brings us honor!

Madam Wei: "Who says otherwise? My goodness, I remember two years ago when the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Pingyi was married off, the dowry was so grand that it was said to be a ten-mile-long procession. The dowry was only ninety loads. But our niece-in-law's dowry is even more than that of the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Pingyi. If it had been the second young lady of the Earl's Mansion who entered our family back then, how much would her dowry have been!"

Third Aunt glanced at the speechless Wei Shi: "What are you saying in front of your niece-in-law, Second Sister-in-law? With your niece-in-law's generous dowry, she is absolutely qualified to manage the household affairs of our mansion."

Once your niece-in-law takes over the household affairs, you won't have to worry about how to prepare the dowries for your nephews and nieces in the future, not to mention the family's future food, clothing and daily necessities.

From now on, our family's life will only get better and better; we'll never be reduced to eating coarse food again. Don't you agree, niece-in-law?

Several pairs of eyes turned to look at her, but Yu Qingci just chuckled and didn't say a word.

Lu Yun Chu's face turned cold again, and she said to her aunts, "Only those scoundrels and down-on-their-luck families are after a bride's dowry. My sister-in-law has only just entered the family, so Second Aunt, Fourth Aunt, and Third Aunt, don't scare her."

Madam Ma curled her lips and said, "You little girl, you know how to suck up to people. You know your sister-in-law has a generous dowry, so you're already trying to curry favor with her. Do you dare say you won't beg your sister-in-law for a dowry when you get married in the future?"

Lu Yun Chu blushed instantly: "I don't want to get married. I'll stay at home and take care of my mother."

Madam Ning's eyes reddened again. She looked at the group and said, "Say less. Qingci's dowry is her own and has nothing to do with us. None of you should even think about it. When Yun Chu gets married, apart from the dowry that should be given, I will never ask Qingci, as her daughter-in-law, to contribute anything more."

Third Aunt curled her lip in disdain: "Whether it comes out or not, we won't be able to see it in time, so why does Sister-in-law have to say such things in front of us?"

However, my niece-in-law's ten-mile-long dowry included a considerable amount of betrothal gifts from our General's Mansion. I know my sister-in-law collected a lot of good things and put them into the betrothal gifts; otherwise, she wouldn't be constantly complaining about being poor to us.”

Madam Ma exclaimed as if she had just realized something: "I was wondering why my sister-in-law was so stingy when the imperial court rewarded our general's mansion with so much wealth. It turns out she took all the good stuff to the Marquis of Nanping's mansion. This is just too unfair."

Lu Yun Chu slammed down her chopsticks, and Ma Shi glared at her disapprovingly, then pouted and remained silent.

Madam Ning: "That was the pension that the imperial court gave to my husband and son. They risked their lives to get it. How I want to use it is my business. How could you even be eyeing this?"

His words finally silenced everyone for a moment.

Third Aunt rolled her eyes and said, "Since the betrothal gifts have been given to my nephew's wife, they belong to her. However, we are talking about the household affairs right now. Since my nephew's wife has married into the family, she has to take on this responsibility. She will have to take it over sooner or later, so it's better to take it over sooner so that my sister-in-law can have a break. Sister-in-law, we are doing this for your own good."

Madam Ning simply ignored it. She was always gentle and rarely spoke harshly to her sisters-in-law, and she didn't know what to say in this situation.

Lu Yun Chu said, "Sister-in-law has only just entered the family and is not yet familiar with our household. How can she take over the management of the household affairs? Even if she does, you can forget about taking any money from her dowry."

Three pairs of eyes immediately glared at them, their faces clearly saying: Shut up!

After listening for a while, Yu Qingci finally understood. These people were all trying their best to bring up her dowry, which was obviously because they were envious. If they knew that in addition to the good things on the surface, she also had tens of thousands of taels of silver notes hidden in her trunk, they would probably try to rob her.

Yu Qingci feigned confusion and asked Lu Yun Chu in a low voice, "Didn't you say that Third Aunt had given birth to several sons for her husband's family? Why is she living at her parents' home? Could it be that something happened to her husband's family? I never heard anyone mention this before the marriage."