After arriving in the capital, Su's mother felt that her life was not easy.
Although his son Su Xiao was young and promising, had entered the Hanlin Academy, and married the legitimate daughter of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, life in the capital was far from easy.
She always thought that coming to the capital was a privilege.
Life in the capital wasn't bitter, but there weren't many blessings to enjoy either.
After living in the small house for about two months, they finally moved.
The new house is located between the outer city and the inner city, and it is quite large. However, Su Xiao has to get up a little earlier every day to clock in.
The servants in the house were all brought by Jia Lan.
They basically only listened to Jia Lan.
Although Jia Lan was filial, he was not as filial as Ning Qiao'er in this respect.
She had heard that Jia Lan's dowry was quite generous. Indeed, how could the daughter of a high-ranking official be inferior to the daughter of a small landlord? However, she had never given her anything valuable, unlike Ning Qiao'er, who would send her rare and unusual things every now and then.
Most importantly, the cooks and cooks in the kitchen all listened to Jia Lan. She had mentioned what she wanted to eat several times, but they never paid any attention to it.
Unlike Ning Qiao'er, who could satisfy any food she wanted to eat, Ning Qiao'er would always make her request.
She even managed to get her hands on some rare dishes and snacks.
Not to mention rare items like brocade or glass, she could take whatever she wanted as long as she liked.
But now, apart from a monthly allowance of two qian of silver, she receives practically nothing.
Su Xiao, however, felt that this kind of life was wonderful.
With his mother by his side and his wife so charming and learned, she could chat with him about anything and everything, perfectly fulfilling his desire for a beautiful woman to keep him company.
The only thing I wasn't entirely satisfied with was that the cooks in the Jia family were not as good as the cooks who accompanied Ning Qiao'er in her dowry.
Over the years, he has never found a cook who could cook better than Aunt Wang.
Leaving the Ning family was his only regret.
However, he wasn't particularly fond of food. He had eaten all sorts of unpalatable things during his studies, so he wasn't too bothered by it, just a little regretful.
"My dear husband, please eat more. The braised duck is quite delicious today."
Jia Lan was quite satisfied with the cook.
When facing the Su family, she always felt a strange sense of superiority. "Mom, have you ever eaten braised duck before?"
I've probably never eaten it before!
Jia Lan thought to herself.
This braised duck was something only wealthy families in the capital ate.
"I've eaten it." Su Xiao shook her head, but her mother nodded. She seemed to miss it a little.
Have you eaten there?
"Mother, where did you eat this?" Su Xiao asked, also curious.
"It was made by Aunt Wang as part of Ning Qiao'er's dowry."
"How does it taste?" How delicious can a small, humble kitchen possibly be, even if it knows how to make braised duck?
"It tasted wonderful," Su's mother reminisced. "An indescribably delicious flavor."
"Is it really that delicious?"
Jia Lan occasionally had some doubts.
She was the only legitimate daughter in the Jia family, and her parents doted on her. All the good things in the house were reserved for her. She originally thought that the Su family would be easy to deal with, since they were just country bumpkins and couldn't possibly have much knowledge.
Unexpectedly, this old woman from the Su family turned out to be a bit difficult to deal with.
She seems quite knowledgeable.
They only pick the best things.
Trying to fool her with ordinary tricks will almost certainly fail. Most importantly, she has a lot of valuable things to offer.
She became somewhat curious about Ning Qiao'er, whom they were talking about.
She's just the wife of a small landowner in the countryside. How does she manage to get so many strange and unusual things?
Seeing that the atmosphere between the two was a bit awkward, Su Xiao quickly reached out and took Jia Lan's hand.
Jia Lan then gave him a sweet smile.
Seeing this, Su's mother became increasingly displeased.
What's this?
"Daughter-in-law, I'd like to eat a cream puff?"
Suddenly, Su's mother spoke up.
Jia Lan was about to agree when she suddenly froze. "What is this cream puff?"
"A kind of snack." Seeing that her mother seemed about to speak, Su Xiao quickly shook her head at her.
Why have I never heard of this before?
"It must have come from a minority group." It has a strong milky flavor. People in the Central Plains rarely use dairy products. It just seems the Ning family raises a flock of sheep.
"I see." Hearing Su Xiao's explanation, Jia Lan nodded, not wanting to delve into it further.
After the meal, Jia Lan instructed the maids to clean up, and Su Xiao then helped her mother back to her room.
He dismissed the two maids behind him and pulled Su's mother aside, saying, "Mother, have you been having any troubles lately?"
"Well, there's nothing particularly unpleasant about it." But there weren't many things that were going well either, Su's mother sighed.
"Mother, if that's the case, why do I see you always targeting Lan'er?" This house was Jia Lan's dowry, and even the servants inside were all Jia Lan's. Jia Lan was practically the real head of the household.
"I didn't target her," Su's mother shook her head, firmly denying it. It must be said, Su Xiao was very perceptive.
He could sense Su's mother's dislike for Jia Lan, and naturally he could also sense Jia Lan's disdain for Su's mother.
"Mother, please, for my sake, stop finding fault with Lan'er, okay?"
Seeing her son's exhausted face, Su's mother agreed.
After all, he was her most beloved son, and Su's mother couldn't bear to make things too difficult for him.
She truly regretted it.
I wish she hadn't come.
The food here isn't as good as it used to be, and the accommodations aren't as good either.
The pocket money I have is pitifully small.
Unfortunately, Jia Lan was still eyeing her private belongings.
I've been in the capital for quite a while now, but I've never had a chance to properly explore it.
Being short of money made her too embarrassed to go out.
Su Xiao immediately understood her mother's thoughts.
He looked troubled. “Mother, you know that my salary is not high. Basically, all the expenses in the mansion are covered by Jia Lan’s dowry. I really can’t bring myself to ask.”
"But—" Ning Qiao'er was the same way back then.
Back then, whenever she wanted to go out and play, Ning Qiao'er would always have someone bring her some money, ranging from ten taels to as much as a hundred taels.
As for clothing and jewelry.
As for clothes, Ning Qiao'er owns a clothing store where she can choose any fabric to make clothes.
She also knows some jewelry vendors who can help her buy the pieces she likes at very low prices.
Not to mention that the Ning family's estate frequently sends over vegetables and fruits.
"If I had known, I would have continued living with Ning Qiao'er."
"Mother, stop saying 'if only I had known' all along. It's too late to go back now."
As the son-in-law of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, he naturally held a special position within the Hanlin Academy. For one thing, whenever an official was transferred, his father-in-law would arrange for him to fill the vacancy.
All of this has to be done because of Jia Lan.
“I know you truly love me, so, Mother, please bear with it for now.” Su Xiao took out ten taels of silver from her sleeve. “Use this money first.”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
