Qiao Jingjing went to her mother's room as instructed.
Mrs. Joe already has her own room.
“Our family used to be a prestigious family in Luoyang. Although we have declined somewhat, we are not so shabby! Everyone has their own house!”
He Miaomiao and Qiao Manman had finished tidying up the house and were standing on either side of their elderly mother, as she had requested.
Posing.
As soon as Qiao Jingjing walked in, her mother asked, "I heard that Magistrate Liu rewarded our family with two catties of gold?"
Qiao Jingjing said yes.
Qiao's mother asked Qiao Jingjing to take out the gold and give it to her for safekeeping.
Qiao Jingjing hadn't spoken yet.
Her mother added:
“Before, without a matriarch, this household was in disarray! You two sisters were often laughed at by others. I heard about it all the way back this time.”
Let's not talk about the past! Before, there was nothing we could do; people laughed at you for being motherless children, and there was nothing we could do about it. But things are different now. Your mother is back, and from today onward, you are no longer motherless children.
The Qiao family is no longer the weak and incompetent family it once was.
"Your father will handle the matters in the front. I'll take care of the things in the backyard."
That's right.
My elderly mother is still healthy. She seems to have suffered a lot over the years, but she is not very old. I would guess she is in her early forties.
Qiao Jingjing nodded.
He Miaomiao nodded, and Qiao Manman followed suit.
The elderly mother has already urged Qiao Jingjing to go and get the gold again.
Qiao Jingjing then left.
After the elderly mother received the gold, she personally wrapped it in a brocade handkerchief and placed it under her pillow.
She turned around and gestured for Qiao Jingjing to stand closer to her: "Da Qiao, I have a few words to say to you."
Hearing this, He Miaomiao understood that it meant she and Xiao Qiao should back off.
He Miaomiao gave Qiao Manman a look.
The old mother said, "It's for you to hear, there's no need to avoid it."
So He Miaomiao gestured to Qiao Manman to stay where she was and stand up straight.
Listen to your mother's teachings.
"Back then, you were the eldest sister in the family. Everyone saw you as the eldest sister. You were always loud and boisterous, always managing and making a fuss. Well... as far as I know, you turned this family into a complete mess."
Fine, I won't hold it against you anymore. I'm back. From now on, you'd better listen to my teachings.
Everything at home, big or small, must be decided by me. It can't be that Da Qiao can do whatever she wants, or that she can criticize whomever she wants.
There's one more thing: your marriage.
Ugh! My head is about to explode these days. It turns out you weren't just causing trouble at Cao Mengde's residence, you were making a complete mess of things in Lujiang City too!
I'm back, and you can't act like this anymore.
Qiao Jingjing nodded whenever her mother said something.
When she was in school, her mother was just like that, very strict.
She understands.
She understands. As a mother, if you don't nag and don't take care of everything for your children, you're not a good mother.
"There's one more thing I need to teach you! As the eldest son in the family, it's only right that you do more things. As for your two younger brothers, from now on, stop ordering them around."
They are our sons! They are the pillars of our family. As for you, a girl, you will eventually get married, and once married, you are like water spilled from a cup.
You, a daughter, are calling my Qiao family's sons by their names. What face does this family have left? What kind of behavior is this?
These past two days, you and Xiao Qiao have been doing all the housework, and my daughter-in-law has been taking care of me.
Your two younger brothers will become officials in the future. If they like to study, let them study; if they want to go out and make friends, let them make friends. It's none of your business.”
As her mother spoke, Qiao Jingjing kept her head down.
This old mother is not only nagging, but also has a strong preference for sons over daughters.
Why!
Life has been tough.
But this was, after all, her mother from 1,800 years ago.
Arguing is pointless and might even get you slapped.
"That's enough. That's all I can think of today. We can talk about the rest tomorrow."
After saying that, Mrs. Qiao was about to drive her daughter and daughter-in-law out of the house.
Finally, she called the three of them back to her side.
"Tomorrow, we absolutely must go to the city and buy a few maids and old women. Look at our big house, we don't even have a single maid to do menial tasks, what kind of appearance is that?"
"As the lady of the house, do you think I don't have someone to serve me properly?"
The elderly mother picked at her fingers.
Two old nannies, putting on airs, plus two young maids running errands and relaying messages.
"I need at least four people to serve me!"
"Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao would each need at least two maids, their daughters-in-law would be young mistresses, and their sons would need a maid in their quarters... So, like me, there would be four daughters-in-law, and they'd all be younger."
Based on this calculation, Qiao Jingjing will need to go to the city tomorrow to buy at least 30 to 42 maids of all ages and backgrounds.
He left his elderly mother's room.
Qiao Manman personally escorted Qiao Jingjing back to her room.
She hadn't experienced this kind of pampered life for many years.
“Sister, Mother is right. If you want to have status, how can you do it without someone to serve you? But Mother probably doesn’t know the situation at home. Every grain of rice and every drop of water is hard-earned. Father has long since stopped receiving his salary, and the family has no savings. This year’s food is what you managed in the mulberry orchard last year.”
Seeing that Magistrate Liu had rewarded them with two catties of gold and the autumn harvest, their family's situation was somewhat better this year.
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