Chapter 200 Subduing the Sun Family
"What did you say?!"
Mrs. Sun cried out in surprise, and the ducks in the backyard started quacking loudly.
Chunhua repeated what she had just said: "My aunt said that I should go and help with the work, and she will pay me eighteen coins a day. As long as my mother agrees, I can go tomorrow."
"Agreed, of course I agree!" Madam Sun beamed. "You're usually such a quiet girl, I didn't realize you were so capable. You've earned eighteen coins for the family without making a sound, isn't that much better than embroidering and selling handkerchiefs..."
It seems that keeping quiet has its advantages. First, her sister-in-law had her husband deliver goods, and then she had her daughter work there. Together, they made quite a bit of money each month.
From now on, whenever she sees her sister-in-law, she will definitely shut her mouth and work quietly.
As long as her sister-in-law sees that she has improved, she will definitely arrange work for her.
Mrs. Sun thought to herself with a smug satisfaction.
"I disagree!"
Grandma Zhao's voice suddenly rang out.
Madam Sun was startled and quickly said, "Mother, this is a great thing, why don't you agree?"
While sewing shoe soles, Old Mrs. Zhao said coldly, "Zhao Youcai and Chunhua, a father and daughter, are going to help the eldest son's family. One is moving goods outside, and the other is moving household items in the yard. In less than a month, won't the eldest son's family be completely emptied by your third son's family?"
Sun's eyes widened: "Mother, what are you saying? Zhao Youcai is good at everything except talking. He would never take anything from my sister-in-law's house! And Chunhua is even more so. She's so quiet. If she could steal anything, I would admire her for her ability!"
"Hmph! Of course I trust my son and my granddaughter, but I don't trust you!" Old Mrs. Zhao said mercilessly. "With you constantly nagging and instructing them, the father and daughter might go astray one day! Chunhua is almost of marriageable age, and I can't let people say that Chunhua has no manners. Chunhua, you'd better stay at home for the next six months!"
Sun was subjected to a barrage of insults, but she couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.
Because she did have a little scheme in mind, she would have an excuse to visit her sister-in-law's house from time to time whenever Chunhua went to work, and lend a hand with some easy chores. Her sister-in-law's house had so many delicious things, and she was drooling with envy. Her sister-in-law was always generous, so she would definitely give her some good food...
“Chunhua can go to work, but you, as her mother, are not allowed to go there! From now on, when Zhao Youcai goes to town to deliver goods, you are not allowed to hitch a ride on the oxcart. If you want to go to town, you have to walk!” the old lady said coldly. “If you can’t do it, this job will be given to someone else. Wang’s eldest daughter, Damai, is quite good… Erwang, go and tell Damai to come over.”
Zhao Dawang replied, "I'll go call them."
"Wait! Don't go!" Madam Sun grabbed Zhao Dawang, who was running out, and said awkwardly, "Mother, I'll do whatever you say."
Grandma Zhao glanced at her sideways: "Your words are like farts, do you think I would believe you?"
"Mother, if I can't do it, you can just find someone else, isn't that enough?" Sun had no choice but to submit to her mother-in-law's tyranny. "I know I was ignorant before, but that was before. I started to change a long time ago, but it's hard to change in a short time. Mother, please give me some time, okay?"
As she spoke, she shook the old lady's arm.
The old lady got goosebumps all over her body: "Alright, alright, there's still a ton of work to do in the yard, hurry up and get to work!"
The next morning, before dawn, Zhao Youcai got up.
He put on his best clothes and the new shoes the old lady had just made for him, and walked out the door feeling refreshed.
He went to Zhao Da's house first. Zhao Da had just gotten up and was washing his face. When he saw Zhao Youcai coming, he quickly sped up his work. After getting ready, the two of them led the oxcart to the old house where Cheng Wanwan used to live.
The Wang couple got up early and were sorting over 300 jin of pork offal and game before loading them onto an oxcart.
Since it was Zhao Youcai's first time delivering goods, someone had to take him to the oxcart for a handover before the cart slowly made its way to the door of Cheng Wanwan's new house.
The handover of the delivery was entrusted to Zhao Ergou.
He first went to Hekou Town to hand over the matter, and then went to Baiyun Town to sell cloth.
Fortunately, there was a trailer behind the oxcart, so loading it with braised food and a few hundred bolts of cloth wasn't too much of a problem.
However, the men couldn't ride in the cart; they had to walk behind the oxcart.
Cao Yingying went along as well.
She's lived in this village for so long; it's time for her to leave. She can't stay cooped up here forever.
Instead of waiting for her father to come to her rescue, she should take the initiative and seize control, otherwise this kind of thing will keep happening in the future.
The group of four walked from the misty morning until the sun rose.
The delivery went very smoothly.
After finishing, Zhao Ergou said embarrassedly, "Third Uncle, I still have to go to Baiyun Town to sell goods, so I'll have to trouble you to walk back."
Zhao Youcai waved his hand dismissively: "It's just walking, no big deal. I used to walk all the way to Huzhou! Alright, you go ahead and get busy. It'll probably take quite a while to sell all this cloth, don't delay!"
He told Zhao Ergou to hurry up and get busy, while he planned to stroll around the streets for a bit before heading back, as he needed to buy some oil, salt, and other necessities for his family.
He hadn't taken more than two steps when Manager Yang of Zuixianlou called out to him, "Brother Zhao, wait a minute, don't go."
Zhao Youcai quickly went over: "Shopkeeper, what's the matter?"
"Sister Zhao came over yesterday and asked me to help her buy a carriage. I thought it would take three days to decide, but I didn't expect to find a fine horse last night!"
Manager Yang instructed the waiter to bring the carriage over.
This is a reddish-brown horse with a long mane, looking spirited and full of vigor.
The carriages at the back weren't just simple wooden planks; the workmanship was rather exquisite, and the seats inside were cushioned.
"This horse is only three years old, in its prime, and easy to tame," Manager Yang said. "If the owner of this house hadn't fallen on hard times, he wouldn't have given up such a fine carriage. The horse and the carriage together cost twenty-two taels of silver, which will be deducted from the payment for the braised food."
Zhao Youcai had originally intended to stroke the horse's mane, but upon hearing the price of twenty-two taels of silver, he was immediately dumbfounded: "This...this is so expensive?!"
"The original owner asked for twenty-five taels of silver, but I shamelessly bargained and got it for only twenty-two taels." Manager Yang stuffed the riding crop into Zhao Youcai's hand. "You'll know if I lied to you once you get in the carriage and try it out."
If it weren't for the need to do long-term business with Sister Zhao, he would have kept the horse himself.
Holding the riding crop, Zhao Youcai stammered, "I...I don't know how to drive a carriage..."
Manager Yang stroked his chin. Zhao's wife was just a woman, and her eldest son was no more than eighteen years old. He guessed that no one in the family knew how to drive a carriage.
He said, "I'll have a servant teach you. We'll go to the open space outside the city to learn. I estimate you can learn it in half an hour."
"Can I...can I learn it?"
Zhao Youcai swallowed hard.
This is a horse-drawn carriage! Even the village head's family can't afford one. If it weren't for the county magistrate and his sons visiting the village, most people in Dahe Village probably would never have even seen a horse-drawn carriage!
My sister-in-law had quietly earned enough money to buy a carriage—twenty-two taels of silver!
Good heavens, this is a horse-drawn carriage! And he actually became the first person in Dahe Village to learn how to drive a horse-drawn carriage!
He made up his mind: from now on, he would definitely cling to his sister-in-law's coattails!
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