As soon as you enter Madam Cui's courtyard, you can hear the harmonious sounds of her children and grandchildren playing around her.
Hualien pursed her lips. Life has become like this, and this whole family still has the mind to be happy here?
"Oh, young master, the second young lady is here. What are you talking about that makes my sister so happy?"
As soon as she entered the house, Hualien greeted her with a smile, her glamorous makeup gone, replaced by a look of weariness and paleness.
Her voice sounded weak and feeble. Fu Feng Ruo Liu was being supported by the nanny beside her, and she looked somewhat sickly.
As soon as she entered, the old lady's smile faded. "Oh, it's my little sister. What brings you to my room today?"
Madam Zhou glanced at Hualien, her voice carrying a slightly sarcastic tone.
Hua Lien still had a smile on her face, seemingly oblivious to the old lady's ambiguous tone, and sat down next to Zhou Shi with a sigh.
"I just wanted to come and let my older sister know that I'm going to call a doctor. I've been feeling really unwell lately."
I don't know what happened, but suddenly I felt like all the strength had been drained from my body, and I felt very weak. As people get older, things just don't go as well." Hualian said, covering her mouth with her embroidered handkerchief and coughing lightly, looking sickly.
Zhou then looked at Hualian properly, frowned, and seemed somewhat displeased.
"What's wrong with his body? He was perfectly fine just a few days ago and went to the banquet in Hongcheng."
The old nanny beside Hualien sighed, "The concubine fell ill and grew increasingly haggard after returning from Hongcheng."
Perhaps due to the long journey and a moment of indulgence in the coolness, he ate a few extra mouthfuls of cold porridge at the banquet, and his body couldn't take it anymore.
"Just get a doctor and two doses of medicine, and everything should be fine. Don't worry, Madam."
Zhou pursed her lips, drooped her eyelids, and remained silent for a while before speaking.
"We've been living on a tight budget lately, cutting back on all expenses. Do you really need to come all the way here to discuss something as trivial as seeing a doctor and getting medicine?"
Zhou made herself quite clear. The implication was obvious: did you really need to go to the mansion's treasury to get money for such a small thing as medical expenses?
Hualien understood the implication in Zhou's words, but she still pretended to cry, squeezing out two tears and wiping them from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, looking troubled.
"Sister, you have no idea. At the banquet in Hongcheng this time, we spent a lot of money to buy gifts and presents to people."
Besides, one should always tidy oneself up before going out, otherwise one won't be presentable at the banquet, and isn't it also to avoid losing face for the Cui family?
So, in order to attend the Red City Banquet this time, I bought another set of clothes to suit the occasion.
I had a little money in my pocket, but I spent it all on this banquet. I'm really strapped for cash, so how could I afford to see a doctor? That's why I came to find you, sister.
Otherwise, why would I have swallowed my pride and come here?
Having said all that, it would be unreasonable for Zhou to refuse again. No matter how unhappy she was, she couldn't possibly be unable to afford even this small amount of money for medical treatment and medicine.
"Then, sister, go ask the steward for one tael of silver."
Hualien looked at Zhou Shi hesitantly and coughed twice.
"Sister, you know what's been happening in Jincheng lately. The price of medicinal herbs has increased dramatically. How can one or two taels of silver be enough to pay for medical treatment and medicine?"
The price of those medicinal herbs is outrageously high; you definitely can't get the medicine without paying at least two or three taels of silver.
Zhou's face was droopy, and her voice was quite deep, "Then go and get two ounces."
Hualien then curled the corners of her mouth into a smile, her eyes sparkling with laughter. She rolled her eyes and chuckled.
"Sister, I know that our household storeroom is in short supply lately, but I have heard something about it."
Zhou kept her eyelids drooping and didn't even glance at Hualian.
"What's up?"
"It's the He family. Didn't we hear they were heavily in debt and hadn't paid it off? Suddenly, that kid paid it all off!"
Where did this kid get such a large sum of money to pay off his debts?
The He family used to be very wealthy, but it was all taken away by a concubine who ran away.
But did the He family leave something for that child?
Or rather, what other hidden assets does the He family possess that haven't been entirely taken by this concubine?
Zhou opened her eyes wide and looked up at Hualien abruptly. "Who told you this? Is the information accurate? Did that child really pay back the money?"
Hualien patted Zhou's hand, a deep smile on her lips.
"Sister, it doesn't matter who said it. What matters is that the child really paid back the money. That's what we should be thinking about."
I think that child is pitiful now that he has no father or mother. He is still a member of the Cui family. Why don't you arrange for him to come back?
We can't let a stranger take care of us outside, can we? It would be more reassuring to have someone by our side taking care of us.
This also saves us from the gossips outside, who say that the Cui family is cold-blooded and heartless.
This won't sound good if people outside start gossiping about it.
It's just a matter of feeding one more mouth, and it also protects the reputation of our Cui family. It's a win-win situation, sister, what do you say?
Zhou smiled, and a hint of amusement finally appeared in her eyes.
“What you say is true, sister. Our Cui family is not a place that is ignorant of human feelings or cold-hearted.”
The child is also a member of the Cui family, and is now his maternal grandparents' family. He shouldn't be left to wander outside; he should be brought back.
I'll have someone arrange to bring the child back right away.
Hualien's smile deepened.
"Well then, I'll be at your residence, waiting to see the child." Once you're in the Cui family mansion, a place that eats people alive, no matter how much wealth you have, these poor devils will suck it all dry.
Don't even think about letting her live a good life outside.
Did you think that the end of the matter was over just because that little bitch died?
She wouldn't let this little brat have his way with pleasure.
Sooner or later he'll be dragged down to hell to keep that little bitch company, so mother and son can be reunited!
**
The An family, a large extended family, were eating at the dinner table. Qiao Qingnian glanced at Qiao Qiuniang, then ate his rice slowly, speaking gradually.
"I heard that you two paid off that outsider's debt? You two are living together, and the money is still in Lewa's hands? Letting a kid run the household?"
"I heard you repaid a thousand taels. You two are living a good life now, so you think such a large sum of money isn't money anymore, is that it?"
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