With just one tael of silver ingot, Madam Jin could no longer smile. "Aunt Liang's family is indeed quite wealthy. She can easily produce one tael of silver just by making a simple set of clothes. It seems that I, her sister-in-law, am not worthy of her."
Jin was eyeing the long jacket in balsam red, but she knew her limits. She had already spent one tael of silver on the fabric alone, and the jacket would cost at least two or three taels. Right now, she was living a very frugal life, and that good-for-nothing son of hers was still in debt. She truly had the will but not the money.
Liang Lao Er's wife didn't say anything either. Jin Shi had no money in her pocket and hadn't succeeded in trying to get close to him. "Sister-in-law Liang, you're busy. I'm going to go inside and sleep for a while."
He turned and slunk into the house, no longer coveting the balsam-red long jacket.
When Liang Lao Er's wife saw the row of fabrics drying on the rack, all of which were in pleasing colors, she thought, "Miao'er really understands my thoughts. These are the colors I wanted."
Sun Miao'er took down the dried cloth. "Aunt Liang, pick another one. I think these colors suit you well, and you don't like to be flashy. How about this chestnut purple?"
The chestnut purple color is rich and deep, unlike the plain brown or ochre. It exudes a grand and imposing aura. Sun Miao'er decided on this color after considering Aunt Liang's own features. The chestnut purple will be used to make the long jacket, and the bottom will be paired with a pleated skirt of the same color. The red will complement the skin, not only highlighting the fair skin to the extreme, but also making the wearer look energetic and spirited.
"I haven't tried this color yet. Is it too old-fashioned?" Liang Lao Er's wife touched the fabric. The texture was light and suitable for this season. It wouldn't be cumbersome for her to wear when doing farm work.
Sun Miao'er held the chestnut-purple cloth against Aunt Liang's wrist repeatedly, and tried several other kinds. After several attempts, chestnut purple was still the most suitable. "Aunt Liang, you're wrong about it looking old-fashioned. This isn't old-fashioned at all, it's elegant."
"Oh, I'm just a country woman, how could I possibly deserve such elegant words? These are words used to praise the ladies in the city." Hearing these sweet words, Liang Lao Er's wife felt that Sun Miao'er's little mouth was coated with honey. If it weren't for the difference in their generations, they would have almost become sisters.
Sun Miao'er laughed and said, "I went to the city and saw all the ladies on the street. None of them were as pretty as you, Auntie!"
Although Sun Miao'er was trying to make Aunt Liang happy, she wasn't lying. She genuinely felt that Aunt Liang was a generous and easygoing person who didn't care about trivial matters and trusted her unconditionally. She was truly grateful.
I must remember the kindness that helped me make this first deal.
"What your aunt said just now was really awful." After settling on the color scheme, Liang Lao Er's wife chatted with Sun Miao'er about everyday matters, and the first person she mentioned was Jin Shi.
Sun Miao'er frowned and sighed softly, "Aunt Liang, you don't know, my family only has my grandmother and me left to depend on each other. My aunt seems kind on the surface, but she is a black-hearted person behind the scenes. My grandmother has been sick for so long, but she didn't even call a doctor to come and take a look. It was me who took Xiaoman to find a doctor to treat my grandmother. My own brother, Xiaoning, was also sold by her to work in the wealthy man's house. To this day, she still has the indenture in her hands. This time, thanks to Aunt Liang's generosity, the business was completed, which solved our urgent problem. Miao'er will never forget Aunt Liang's kindness."
Liang Lao Er's wife was a straightforward person. After hearing Run Nian'er talk about the Sun family, she couldn't hide her indignation. "I really couldn't tell from her that Sun Lao Er's wife was so heartless. Your father and her husband are brothers, so why don't they just separate the family?"
“Miao’er does want to separate the family.” Seeing that her words had a slight effect, Sun Miao’er said, “But my aunt doesn’t agree. Now, I’m the one who has to plan for what my grandma, Xiaoman, and I eat, wear, and use.”
Aunt Liang nodded in sudden realization, "I understand now. She doesn't want to separate the family because she's eyeing your grandmother's medicinal herb field!"
“Aunt Liang is the most sensible one,” Sun Miao’er replied. “We don’t need her to take care of our food and clothing now, but once the family is divided, Grandma will definitely leave my father’s share of land to Xiao Ning. Then Aunt Liang will naturally get less. She might as well just wait it out until Grandma passes away and can no longer make decisions. Then all those medicinal herb lands will be in her hands.”
These days, what's the most valuable thing? Land. In the past, Jin Shi neglected those lands simply because she was lazy and averse to work. But she never had the intention of giving up the land. Once the old woman passed away, all the land would be in her hands. With this land, any piece of it would be worth a lot of money.
The second son of the Liang family looked sympathetic. "Isn't Xiaoman her own son? Why should you bear the blame?"
Xiaoman and Erya are good friends and often play at Liang Lao Er's house, so Liang Lao Er's family naturally keeps an eye on them.
“Xiaoman is a pitiful child. It’s true that his aunt is his mother, but she never cares about him. My second uncle is away from home all year round. Xiaoman was raised by my grandmother with me since he was a child. We have a deep bond. How could I just sit by and do nothing?”
Aunt Liang thought about Xiaoman she usually saw and thought that this was what she meant: "Xiaoman is smart and eloquent. I like him too. I was confused before. How come your aunt dresses so well and beautifully outside, but Xiaoman has been wearing the same clothes for a year or two without changing them? The child is growing, and his arms and trousers are much shorter than before!"
"To be honest, Auntie, I wouldn't have accepted your money if I weren't raising money to send Xiaoman to school. I still remember the kindness of Uncle Liang and you in giving me meat last time!" Sun Miao'er's gaze fell on the outside of Jin's house, where she could vaguely hear snoring coming from inside.
Aunt Liang felt extremely sorry for Xiaoman. "Here's what we'll do, niece. Use the remaining fabric to make a dress for Xiaoman. Consider it a gift from me!"
"Oh! Then I'll thank Aunt Liang on Xiaoman's behalf!" Sun Miao'er hurriedly thanked her. "Oh, by the way, Aunt Liang, my aunt said earlier that your family is from the same village as hers, both from Dahuai Village?"
Liang Lao Er's wife nodded, "That's right, but I married into Fushui Village first, so I don't know much about your aunt and your second uncle's marriage."
"Aunt Liang, what about my aunt's family?" Sun Miao'er was curious about what kind of family could produce such a heartless daughter.
Aunt Liang thought for a moment, her almond-shaped eyes widening. "The Jin family, my father and her father have some connection, I've heard about it. Her father used to work as a prostitute in a brothel in the city. Later, he brought a girl from the brothel back home, got married, and was often looked down upon in the village."
So that's what they do. Sun Miao'er sneered inwardly. It seems that her aunt was really marrying up by marrying into the Sun family. The Sun family has been a respectable family for generations, and they've married a girl from such a background.
No wonder Jin was so determined to sell her, yet she was still able to find a matchmaker; there must have been quite a few tricks involved.
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