Chapter 53 Because of Old Man Su's...
Because of Old Man Su's shameless behavior, Qiu Yuruo was worried that Su Yunting would feel bad.
After returning home, she didn't mention Old Man Su again, worried that he might be reminded of those painful memories from his past life because of him.
If Qiu Yu didn't bring it up, Su Yunting took the initiative to talk to her about Old Man Su.
He said, "The old man had more than a hundred taels of savings. He must have borrowed money to buy two plum vases for two hundred taels."
In a few days, the debt collectors will come knocking, and they'll have no choice but to sell land to pay off their debts.
Since he could face it normally, Qiu Yuruo no longer avoided the topic and said what was on her mind: "They owe at most a hundred taels, which can be paid off by selling thirty acres of land. They also have thirty or forty acres under their control, which should be enough for their living expenses."
I really want them to experience living a life of uncertainty too, that would be satisfying!
Su Yunting said to her, "Don't worry, there's still a long way to go. Sometimes, family discord is more painful than financial hardship."
His certainty made Qiu Yuru a little suspicious that what happened to Old Man Su might have been a trap set by him.
If it were someone else, whether out of curiosity or suspicion, Qiu Yu Ruo wouldn't ask them.
However, Qiu Yuruo still decided to ask Su Yunting, since the two of them had agreed to ask each other directly if they had any doubts.
Qiu Yuruo then asked him, "Did you arrange what happened in their family?"
In her eyes, besides a strong thirst for knowledge, there was also a hint of expectation that she herself might not have realized.
Su Yunting: ...
Originally, he didn't want to tell her these things, after all, his scheming against the old man was, in detail, unbecoming of a gentleman.
But now that Yu Ruo had asked, the expectation in her eyes reminded Su Yunting of when he was still not fully awake and heard her talk about how to deal with the old man.
At that time, Su Yunting felt that his wife's actions were exactly what he wanted.
Now that I've told her the truth, how will she react?
He naturally hoped that she would feel the same way he did, that his actions pleased her.
But no matter how a person acts, deep down they all prefer those who act uprightly and honorably.
Su Yunting dared not easily draw a definitive conclusion about himself, but he couldn't help but hope to gain her approval.
Now that his wife had asked, Su Yunting stopped worrying and said, "Actually, I didn't do anything. I just treated my classmates to a meal when I first went to the county and chose a suitable place."
Most of the people who engage in shady dealings live in that area.
My being in a coma for more than half a year and then regaining consciousness was already quite a topic of discussion. In addition, my grandfather was unkind and my uncle seized the property, which led to a group of scholars gossiping about it in the restaurant lobby.
The news spread quickly, and those who used shady methods naturally learned that the old man had money under his control.
As for whether it will ultimately be the Thieves' Sect, the Ghost Sect, or some other sect that makes the move, it all depends on who acts the fastest.
Qiu Yuruo was a little confused: "How can you be so sure they will definitely make a move?"
Looking at the bewildered girl, Su Yunting explained to her, "Even if you're doing something unconventional, you still have to make a living in this world."
Whether it's theft or fraud, if someone who has done good deeds throughout their life is robbed, the public will hate the thief along with the victim.
If a bully in the neighborhood gets robbed, the people will call the thief a chivalrous thief.
The old man and his family, relying on their status as elders, bully us at home and seize our family business.
"Their family fortune wasn't earned by themselves. While their money might not be easy to steal, it's certainly easy to cheat them."
As soon as he said that, Qiu Yuruo understood.
Remembering his initial certainty that the old man's family would be in disharmony, she continued curiously, "How do you know they'll have family discord?"
This time, Su Yunting did not answer directly, but said, "The county magistrate thinks highly of me, so I should still discuss this matter with the clan chief."
Qiu Yuruo: "???"
Looking into her bewildered eyes, Su Yunting's mood, which had been gloomy because of seeing the old man, brightened again.
He couldn't help but pinch her cheek and said with a smile, "You'll see what happens next. If you don't understand, I'll tell you."
After he finished speaking, he said he would look at it slowly. Qiu Yuru saw him pick up a bag of tea he had bought from the county and go out to the clan chief's house.
...
In the end, Old Man Su pestered the clan chief to go with them to the county to report the case. The case was filed with the authorities, but when there would be a result was beyond his control.
There was progress, though, because every few days, constables would come to his house to tell him about the progress of the case.
When officials from the government arrive, they must be entertained.
However, there was progress, but no results were forthcoming.
They didn't catch the swindler who sold them the plum vases until the summer harvest was over.
Regardless of whether the case is closed or not, the money they borrowed is due.
Debtors blocked his door, leaving Old Man Su with no choice but to sell his land.
It took selling forty acres of land to finally pay off the principal and interest of the loan.
When Qiu Yuruo learned that she would have to sell forty acres of land, she truly understood the horror of usury.
In just three months, the interest has already reached half of the principal!
Because of the loan, the clan chief specially opened the ancestral hall and summoned the clan elders to give Old Man Su and Second Brother Su a good scolding.
The punishment of a beating was decided, and everyone in the Su family, regardless of gender, was notified to watch.
As Su Lao Er's son listened to the clan chief reprimanding his grandfather and father, and compared the family's current situation with that of the past, his respect for his grandfather and father had unknowingly changed.
When Qiu Yu was reminded by Su Yunting to go see Su Lao Er's son, she finally understood why he was so certain that Su Lao Tou's family would have problems in the future.
...
Old Man Su's matter made Qiu Yuru happy for several days. There was something even happier for her: after the summer harvest, she had ten more taels of silver in her savings!
However, after the summer harvest, married women have to return to their parents' home, and an issue that Qiu Yuruo had been avoiding has finally become unavoidable.
Su Yunting has been awake for several months. As the son-in-law of the Qiu family, he should accompany his wife back to her parents' home now that he is well.
Su Yunting had brought it up at first, but Qiu Yuruo only said she would go when she felt better.
Several months have passed, and if we don't take Su Yunting back to Qianqiao Village soon, some bad rumors will probably start to circulate.
Qiu Yuruo was initially unwilling to take Su Yunting back to her parents' home because she didn't feel a sense of belonging to the Qiu family. Anyway, she had already met Su Yunting with her closest uncle, so what did it matter whether others met him or not?
Several months have passed, and the two have become very close lovers. Whenever she thinks about how Su Yunting was once engaged to her cousin, she knows that if she takes him back to Qianqiao Village, people will gossip behind her back.
Even after all the neighbor's wives and married daughters had returned to their parents' homes, Qiu Yuruo still didn't mention going back to her parents' home.
Even if Su Yunting didn't understand her feelings at first, he does now.
He was just thinking about how to express his loyalty to his wife when Yun Che gave him a chance to speak.
When Yun Che returned from school, he asked Qiu Yuruo, "Sister-in-law, I saw that everyone else has gone back to their parents' home. When are you going back?"
After Yun Che asked, his younger sister chuckled and said, "My sister-in-law won't be taking us with her when she goes home this year."
Su Yunting's heart stirred, and he said to Qiu Yuruo, "How about we bring our younger siblings with us when we go back this year?"
Bringing your younger siblings along will create more conversation topics, avoid awkward situations, and let the people of Qianqiao Village see how much they value Yu Ruo.
When Qiu Yu met his gaze, she understood his thoughts.
Since we can't avoid it, this is the only way.
...
If Qiu Yu were to return to her parents' home, the Qiu family's neighbors would be more concerned than Old Man Qiu.
Finally, Qiu Yuruo returned. The Qiu family, including the eldest Qiu family, did not show up. Only the Qiu family, including the eldest Qiu family and the third Qiu family, came to the door to greet her.
The neighbors, on the contrary, all came out to see if the rumored scholar Su would come back with them.
The carriage stopped, and a boy of about thirteen or fourteen years old got off first. The neighbors all knew this boy; he was Qiu Yuruo's brother-in-law, Su Yunche.
Upon seeing Yun Che, Ersheng exclaimed, "Yun Che, you've finally arrived!"
Yun Che jumped out of the car and said to Ersheng with a smile, "I want to ask for leave, but my sister-in-law won't let me. She insists that I have to wait until my day off."
As Yun Che got out of the car, the people in the carriage came out one after another, the first of whom was Su Yunting, whom everyone had been looking forward to.
The villagers didn't know the adjective "a gentleman as handsome as jade." They just felt that Su Yunting was indeed worthy of passing the imperial examination at a young age, and his appearance was beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Su Yunting stepped out of the carriage, adopting the same demeanor he displayed when attending court in his previous life, and looked around.
The aura emanating from him was something that ordinary farmers like them could not withstand.
They felt an invisible pressure bearing down on them, and the discussions they were about to make didn't dare to utter a single word.
The driver had already set up the bench for Su Yunting to get out of the car. Old Man Qiu swallowed hard, just about to say something to welcome him, but unexpectedly, Su Yunting turned around and helped Qiu Yuruo, who was about to get out of the car.
When Qiu Yu came out of the carriage, there was no lively discussion as expected; instead, everyone seemed to suddenly become reserved.
She looked at Su Yunting, who was extending his hand to her.
The other person smiled back at her: If you don't want to listen to their idle gossip, just stop them from talking.
His smile instantly dissolved the feeling of alienation around him.
Qiu Yuruo was helped off the car by Su Yunting, and her two younger sisters also came out of the car and called Yun Che to take things out.
As Yun Che responded, the stagnant air finally began to move.
Old Qiu then warmly welcomed his grandson-in-law, who was visiting for the first time.
Su Yunting gave Old Man Qiu only a faint nod, and he simply nodded to Old Lady Zhou.
When facing Uncle Qiu again, he was courteous, humble and polite.
Uncle Qiu always felt nervous in front of his nephew-in-law, but today, seeing that the neighbors were too nervous to speak when facing Su Yunting, he felt much more at ease.
Uncle Qiu said to Su Yunting, "We're family, no need for so much formality. Come in and sit down."
Su Yunting replied, "Okay," but instead of following him directly, he lowered his head slightly, took Qiu Yuruo's hand, and led her inside.
There was no one in the courtyard; Qiu Laoda's family had all stayed inside the house and hadn't come out.
Back then, Uncle Qiu made a big fuss about dividing the family property, and the one most affected by Qiu Laoda's family, besides Qiu Laoda himself, was his daughter Qiu Yulin.
The impact on Qiu Laoda was economic.
Because Qiu Laoda and his son were scholars, the villagers worried that they might pass the exams again someday, so they held back some of their comments when they talked about them.
However, with Qiu Yulin, people didn't have as many reservations. In addition, since the family split up, Qiu Laoda's own life had become difficult, and he no longer pampered his daughter as much as before.
Qiu Yulin, who is already seventeen years old, has not only ruined her reputation, but her dowry is also much less than before, so she has not yet found a suitable husband.
She sat by the window and saw the handsome and extraordinary Su Yunting leading Qiu Yuruo, whom she had once looked down upon, into the room. At that moment, the string in her heart finally snapped, and she buried her face in her arms on the table and burst into tears.
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