Zhang Hulan smiled and said, "Aunt Xiang, I saw that you were still hungry, so I asked Hu Bing and Chun Hua to go back and cook for you."
"The rice I cooked was just enough for us to eat. You didn't tell us in advance, so I didn't cook your meal. Besides, we're almost done eating, so it's not good to let the elders eat the leftovers."
Zhang Hulan said "oh" and then said, "Oh... Could it be that Auntie knew that I moved into a new house today and came to give me a gift?"
Feng and Xiang Huairen were both stunned, thinking: What gift? Are we here to borrow money?
Feng looked unhappy.
Xiang Chunhua's face was not very good either. Although she was driven back last time, she was still her mother after all. Zhang Hulan did not give her any face, which made her feel very uncomfortable.
Zhang Hubing looked at Zhang Hulan and said, "Zhang Hulan, don't go too far."
Zhang Hulan glanced at Zhang Hubing, thinking that the couple had come to their senses and changed their ways. They had changed a little, but not much.
"How did I pass?" Zhang Hulan didn't give Zhang Hubing a good look either.
Zhang Hulan is just like that. She could be chatting and laughing while eating at the same table with you one second, and then turn hostile to you the next.
Zhang Hulan is a donkey who goes along with the flow. If you go along with her, everything will be fine. But if you act rudely and unreasonably with her, she will be even more unreasonable than you.
Xiang Huairen said at this time: "Mom, that's enough. We are not here to eat, let's talk about business."
Mrs. Feng then asked Xiang Chunhua, "Chunhua, have you told Hu Bing's sister about what I told you last time?"
Xiang Chunhua's face became even uglier. She knew that your mother's visit was not for good reasons.
Seeing Xiang Chunhua lowered her head and said nothing, Feng cursed, "Useless thing."
Then Feng looked at Zhang Hulan and said, "Sister Hu Bing, we came here to talk to you about something."
Zhang Hulan didn't say anything, and Feng continued, "I heard from Chunhua that you earned dozens of taels of silver. It's useless to keep this money, so why not lend it to my Huairen for his studies.
My Huairen is the only scholar in the nearby villages. When he passes the imperial examination and becomes a scholar, you will definitely benefit from him.”
Zhang Hulan looked at Feng as if she was an idiot. Was this old woman's brain filled with water or was her brain stuck in the door?
Zhang Hulan sneered, "Mother Chunhua, how do you know that my money is useless? Besides, what does it have to do with you whether my money is useful or not?"
Feng said, "Didn't I tell you that Huairen is the only scholar in the nearby villages? You can lend the money to Huairen for his studies. When he passes the imperial examination and becomes a scholar, you will also benefit from it."
"I'm just taking advantage of this?" Zhang Hulan's eyes sparkled, her expression exaggerated. "How high of an official is Mr. Xiucai?"
Feng was very pleased to see Zhang Hulan's expression. However, she did not know how high an official the scholar was, so she asked Xiang Huairen, "Huairen, how high an official is the scholar?"
Xiang Huairen frowned slightly, then said with a haughty look: "A scholar cannot be an official yet, but he is already qualified to work in the government. And after passing the examination for a scholar, he is eligible to take the examination for a juren."
"Oh..." Zhang Hulan dragged out the last syllable, "So the scholar is not an official..."
"Excuse me, are you a scholar now?"
Xiang Huairen frowned again and said, "Not yet. I should be able to pass the exam next year."
Zhang Hulan said again: "Oh... So you are not a scholar yet..."
Zhang Hulan's surprised expression suddenly turned into a sneer. "A scholar cannot be an official, and you are not even a scholar now, why are you pretending to be so high and mighty?"
"I'm relying on you? What kind of light do you have for me to rely on?"
"You can fool those stupid Zhang Hubing and Xiang Chunhua, but do you think I'm as stupid as them?"
Xiang Huairen's face turned red and white at what Zhang Hulan said.
Seeing this, Feng said sternly, "Sister Hu Bing, what do you mean? Do you look down on my Huairen?"
"I'm telling you, Huairen is really talented. He will definitely pass the exam to become a scholar next year."
"If you lend us the money now, it will be an investment, and there will be a big return in the future."
"You have to think it over carefully. If you lend the money to Huairen now, you will benefit from it when Huairen passes the imperial examination. Otherwise, don't even think about taking advantage of my Huairen in the future."
Zhang Hulan didn't know where this old woman got her confidence from. She admitted that she was disgusted.
"Hmm..."
Zhang Hulan made a vomiting expression, then sneered, "Investment? I think it's more like a waste of money. You don't even look at your own moral character, but you want to get something for nothing. The money I earned was earned through hard work, why should I lend it to you?"
"You want to take the exam for a scholar or a juren? You are already 25 years old and still a tongsheng. You have the nerve to say that you will pass the exam for a scholar next year."
"So what if you pass the exam next year? Do I need to rely on you?"
Feng and Xiang Huai were so angry that their faces turned black. Feng was about to scold her, but Zhang Hulan said, "Well, you are the brother-in-law of my stupid brother after all. I can lend you some money."
Hearing this, Feng's face immediately turned into a smile again.
But Zhang Hulan continued, "Since you are sure that you can pass the exam and become a scholar next year, how about this? I will lend you the silver, and you write me an IOU stating that you lend me thirty taels of silver, and you will pay me back sixty taels next year. As for whether I am taking advantage of you or not, forget it. I am not that lucky to take advantage of you. What do you think?"
Feng looked constipated. "Hu Bing's sister, you are too cruel, aren't you? Borrowing thirty taels and returning sixty taels? Why don't you just rob people?"
Xiang Huairen angrily said: "How dare you humiliate me?"
Zhang Hubing couldn't help but say, "Zhang Hulan, if you don't want to lend it to me, then don't lend it to me. Why are you saying all that?"
"In fact, you can consider helping Huairen. If he passes the exam and becomes a scholar, our family will also have face in the village."
Zhang Hulan glared at Zhang Hubing and said, "You have face? What face? You have to earn it yourself. Mountains will fall if you rely on them, and people will run away if you rely on them. It is better to rely on yourself than on anyone else."
"You are a brainless person, and you have been fooled by this family. They just treat you as a fool, and you are still rushing to help speak up?"
"You want face. If you train a soldier and your son passes the imperial examination, wouldn't that be more prestigious than if your brother-in-law passed the imperial examination?"
"Your son will take care of you in your old age. Will your brother-in-law take care of you in your old age?"
"You don't train your own son, but spend your money on others. I really don't know what's wrong with your brains?"
Zhang Huahu scolded Zhang Hubing and Xiang Chunhua so harshly that they couldn't even raise their heads and had nothing to refute Zhang Hulan.
Zhang Hulan was absolutely right. If her son could pass the imperial examination and become a scholar in the future, she would definitely be more proud.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
