Chapter 402 Severing Ties with Sister-in-Law
Tao Laosan spent all fifty taels of silver, leaving not a single coin.
Aunt Tao was both angry and anxious. She turned around, went into the house, grabbed a stick, and swung it at him, yelling, "You good-for-nothing, you're more of a hindrance than a help! I'm going to beat you to death today!"
Tao Laosan immediately stood up and hid behind her, "Mother, what's wrong with you? That money was meant for me to spend! How could you hit me?!"
Aunt Tao, trembling, took a few deep breaths, picked up the pestle, and pointed it at him, saying, "That silver was given to us by Master He to take a concubine!"
Tao Laosan, hiding behind his own wall, poked his head out and said, "I know, it's money from selling my eldest sister."
Aunt Tao said angrily, "But your eldest sister isn't home right now, so we can only return the money to the He family!"
Tao Laosan scratched the back of his head, completely bewildered, and said, "Mother, why don't you just find my eldest sister and send her to Master He?"
Aunt Tao threw the pestle in her hand to the ground. "If I could find her, would I need to return the money?!"
Tao Laosan said in a serious tone, "What do you mean by 'can't be found'? She's your daughter, why don't you bring her back?"
Tao Meiyu came out of the house, crying as she said, "The Zhou family found out about us beating up my older sister and won't allow us to take her away from the Zhou family."
"Besides, my eldest sister has already arranged a marriage with the Zhou family, so she won't let us send her to the He family!"
Tao Laosan understood immediately. He stood up, patted his chest, and said, "I'll go to the Zhou family to demand her back. No matter what, she's still my eldest sister. They're not even married yet. How can they just keep my eldest sister at home? And even if they are married, they should at least give us a dowry first!"
Aunt Tao gradually calmed down upon hearing the words "betrothal gifts." "Yes, betrothal gifts. If the Zhou family wants to marry my daughter, they have to give me betrothal gifts."
Her face immediately lit up with a smile.
At this moment, Tao's second son came out of the house and said, "Mother, since they have given betrothal gifts, you also have to give a dowry. How much dowry have you left for my eldest sister over the years?"
Aunt Tao snorted coldly, "Dowry? She's been eating and wearing my clothes for so many years and she still wants a dowry! Dream on!"
Tao's second son's face darkened.
Aunt Tao turned and went into the house with a smile. While looking for her clothes, she said with a smile, "I'll go to the Zhou family to talk about the betrothal gifts. I can't just marry my daughter off for nothing."
Tao Meiyu pleaded pitifully, "Mother, is my eldest sister's marriage to the Zhou family really settled? Do I really have no chance of marrying into the Zhou family?"
Aunt Tao sighed and said, "Meiyu, you and that young master Zhou are not meant to be. Don't think about it anymore. I will find you a good marriage later."
As she spoke, she picked up a maroon dress and hurriedly changed into it.
Aunt Tao is not only shrewish, but also very shameless. Just a few days ago she was making a scene at the Zhou family's house, but now she's brazenly trying to go to the Zhou family to ask for betrothal gifts.
However, just as Aunt Tao stepped out, people from the Zhou family arrived.
The person who came was Du Wanchun. She came to propose marriage and also brought a letter severing ties with the family.
Aunt Tao was startled at first, then greeted him with a smile, "Manager Du, what's this?"
Du Wanchun had the people behind her carry in a red box. "I'm here to present a betrothal gift on behalf of my fifth brother."
Aunt Tao looked at the big red box and was overjoyed. "A betrothal gift! A betrothal gift is good!"
Du Wanchun then took out a letter severing ties from her bosom and placed it on top of the box. "Madam Tao, you must sign this before accepting the betrothal gifts."
Aunt Tao looked at the paper, her face full of doubt.
She didn't know many characters; she only recognized the character for "book."
What book is this?
"Yes, the letter of severance of kinship." The second son of the Tao family slowly walked out from inside.
He held the letter of severance in his hand, and before Aunt Tao could react, he signed his parents' names on it.
Aunt Tao reached out to snatch it, saying, "What severance letter?"
Tao's second son said with a stern face, "After accepting this betrothal gift and signing this letter of severance, my eldest sister will have no further connection with you, father, or our entire family."
"What do you mean by 'no longer having any connection'?" Aunt Tao asked, her eyes wide.
Tao's second son handed the signed letter of severance to Du Wanchun, saying, "Whether my eldest sister is poor or rich in the future, it has nothing to do with our family, and whether our family lives or dies, it has nothing to do with my eldest sister."
Aunt Tao frowned and complained to the second son of the Tao family, "How could you just sign the document like that? What if your eldest sister really becomes successful in the future?!"
Tao's second son said slowly, "Mother, if you can sell her for fifty taels of silver, don't expect her to come back and fulfill her filial duties to you!"
Aunt Tao retorted indignantly, "She was born of me, and I gave her life. Why can't she fulfill her filial duty?!"
Tao's second son gave his mother a mocking smile: "Mother, although you gave her a life, you almost beat her to death. Now that the Zhou family saved her life, it has nothing to do with you anymore."
Aunt Tao was speechless for a moment, and wanted to retort, but Tao Laosan came over and said, "Mother, forget it. We've already made a profit by getting such a good dowry for our eldest sister. Let's just pretend we don't have anything to do with her anymore. Otherwise, you'll have to give her a sum of money as a dowry after you accept the dowry."
Aunt Tao fell silent. After thinking it over in her mind, she gritted her teeth and replied, "Manager Du, please keep this letter of severance. We will have no further dealings with Tao Yaofang! Nor will we seek kinship with your Zhou family."
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