Qiao Zhen forcefully stuffed the brocade pouch into her hand. "Mother, he treats me very well. He won't care about a mere few dozen taels." She pointed to the gold hairpin in her hair. "These are all made of real gold. You don't need to worry about me."
Qiao's mother still refused, saying, "It's one thing for your husband's family to treat you very well, but it's another thing for you to use your husband's family's money to help your own family. Your parents are useless and can't support you, but we can't be a burden to you either."
"Mother!" Qiao Zhen looked at her mother, who treated the brocade pouch like a formidable enemy, and felt a headache coming on. Having taken over the original owner's body, she naturally had a responsibility. The original owner's parents had treated her with genuine kindness, and it was only right and proper for her to help them. "If you don't take it, I'll be angry! You treated me so well back then, and even now, you still treat me very well. How can I, your daughter, live a good life while you and Father toil?"
“My daughter has become successful, and I am relieved. But I will not take this money no matter what you say.” Qiao’s mother picked up the spatula and stirred the vegetables in the pot, ignoring Qiao Zhen.
Qiao Zhen had no other choice, so she turned around and went to find her father in the courtyard. "Father, please take this money. Use it to buy whatever the family needs."
When Qiao's mother saw Qiao Zhen taking the brocade pouch to Qiao's father, she put down the spatula and went over as well. "Husband, we can't take this money. If we take it, how will Zhen be able to hold her head up in her husband's family?"
Upon hearing this, Old Man Qiao also kept refusing, saying, "I can't accept it! I can't accept it!"
Qiao Zhen returned to the room feeling utterly dejected. She casually placed the brocade pouch on the low table, propped her elbow on the table, and sighed repeatedly.
Ye Shangzhou asked, "Is something troubling you?"
Qiao Zhen blurted out, "Yes, I just tried to give my parents some money, but they refused to accept it. They were afraid that if my family took money from my husband's family, I would feel even more ashamed."
Ye Shangzhou frowned. He could offer some ideas for fighting on the battlefield, but he was powerless when it came to this kind of thing, so he frowned and was annoyed.
Xiao Xunzi stood beside Ye Shangzhou with his back bent, "Madam, this servant has a way."
Qiao Zhen asked with droopy eyelids, "Tell me your solution."
"Just now I learned that your eldest sister-in-law has given birth to a daughter, who is not yet a month old. As her aunt, it is only right and proper for you to give her a gift."
Qiao Zhen's eyes lit up instantly. She got up and went out to carry the basket of persimmons into the house. "Little Xunzi, come here, this is a reward from your madam."
"Thank you, Madam." Xiao Xunzi replied, flattered, and quickly took the basket.
Qiao Zhen added, "Remember to leave the basket behind when you leave, don't take it with you."
Xiao Xunzi twitched his lips, and in the end could only bow and respond. But Ye Shangzhou was still inside, and he didn't dare to eat, so he could only put the basket elsewhere.
Ye Shangzhou pointed at the persimmon and asked expressionlessly, "What is that?"
Xiao Xunzi: "To answer your question, those are persimmons. The persimmon cakes that Madam loves to eat are made from these."
The original owner liked sweet pastries, and had a particular fondness for persimmon cakes, but Ye Shangzhou didn't like sweets, so Yi Shui Xuan rarely displayed those pastries anymore.
Ye Shangzhou raised his chin.
Xiao Xunzi picked up a relatively clean-looking persimmon and placed it on the low table. "These were just picked from the tree by the lady. If you would like to eat them, I will wash them with well water and bring you a bowl and spoon."
"No need." Ye Shangzhou reached out and picked up a persimmon from the low table, but an embarrassing thing happened. He used a bit too much force, and the already limp persimmon was crushed by him. The persimmon skin cracked, and the dark yellow juice and pulp inside flowed onto his hand.
Xiao Xunzi nervously wiped Ye Shangzhou's cuffs with a handkerchief, but a dark brown stain remained. He felt that he might lose his life today.
Ye Shangzhou frowned, tucked in the dark brown stain, and pulled his sleeve back. "It's nothing."
Xiao Xunzi quietly went out to fetch water and cleaned up the dirty place.
Qiao Zhen then took the brocade pouch and went to find her father and mother. "Father, Mother, this is a gift for my niece. I hope you will accept it. I just mentioned it to my husband, and he didn't say anything. You can take it. It will put my mind at ease when I leave this afternoon."
She then launched into another round of unreasonable and persistent pestering, until Old Man Qiao and his wife lost their patience. Only then did Old Man Qiao accept the brocade pouch, but his wife continued to nag and worry, fearing that this matter would drag Qiao Zhen down.
Qiao Zhen reassured them again, finally putting their minds at ease.
She went inside to chat with Ye Shangzhou, but her sharp eyes spotted some dark brown spots. She immediately tugged at Ye Shangzhou's sleeve, "How did this get dirty? It was perfectly clean when I went out."
Ye Shangzhou did not answer, but simply pulled his sleeve away from Qiao Zhen's hand, making it clear that he did not want to talk.
Qiao Zhen turned her gaze to Xiao Xunzi, "Xiao Xunzi, you wouldn't be hiding this from me too, would you?"
Xiao Xunzi was caught in a dilemma, unable to say anything or not. Finally, with a mournful face, she said, "Madam, the young master's sleeve is stained with persimmon juice."
Qiao Zhen looked at Ye Shangzhou's still expressionless face and said, "Bring in some salt water." As soon as Xiao Xunzi left, she couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Ye Shangzhou glanced at her, and Qiao Zhen immediately stopped laughing. She preemptively complained, "It's just some persimmon juice on my skin. It's easy to wipe off. Why are you making it look like you're ashamed?"
Xiao Xunzi brought in the salt water.
Qiao Zhen used a handkerchief dipped in salt water to wipe the dark brown area, then rubbed the fabric in that area a few times, and it was almost clean, but there were still faint traces left. "Perhaps I didn't put in enough salt, I'll change it when I get back."
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