Chapter 47: Paying Debts
He was a dandy young master who lived a life of drunkenness and sleeplessness all day long. How could he care about the monthly salary of his servants?
Does he look idle?
"A servant who does rough work like sweeping and dusting gets 500 yuan a month."
"The most respectable servant gets a full jackpot."
Young Master Sun glanced at Ah Xing, who understood what he meant and started to shout in a loud and clear voice.
Lu Mingchao nodded and said, "Huai Qian and his friends do rough work like feeding chickens, sweeping the yard, mowing the grass, picking eggs, and serving tea. That's 1,500 yuan a month."
"How is Mrs. Qi going to pay for this salary?"
Mrs. Qi was so angry that her teeth were chattering, and she wished she could rush up and strangle Lu Mingchao to death.
Xie Yan turned his head to look at Lu Mingchao, his eyes half filled with surprise and anger, and half filled with self-blame and regret.
He knew clearly that the Ming Dynasty would not make random inferences.
Therefore, while he was busy finding his feet, earning money to support his family, and delivering winter supplies to the north, Huai Qian and his friends were living as slaves under someone else's roof.
Mrs. Qi!
Qi Rui!
How dare they!
Xie Yan was out of breath, the corners of his eyes were red, and the veins on the back of his hand that was clamped on Mrs. Qi's shoulders were bulging.
Mrs. Qi cried out in pain, "Nonsense."
"I raised the Qian brothers to be very strong."
She finally understood. As soon as Lu Mingchao said those words, the villagers looked at her with disgust and hatred. Being kicked out of Changxi Village was a foregone conclusion. The silver that she had saved was the guarantee of her and Rui'er's survival, and she would never give it up.
"Back then, you were still a young lady in the capital, splashing dirty water on an old woman with your red lips and white teeth."
Lu Mingchao's expression remained unchanged and he handled the situation with ease.
Just as he was about to speak, a voice came from the crowd: "I can prove it."
Lu Mingchao raised his eyes and looked.
Feng Jinyu?
Thinking of the discord between the two, Lu Mingchao frowned slightly.
She remembered that Feng Jinyu was still thinking about slapping her back.
When Feng Jinyu spoke, everyone made way for her without any prior agreement.
Aunt Feng: What trouble is her sister-in-law going to make again?
She also hated Lu Mingchao, but she had to admit that she felt relieved after hearing what he said.
She also has a daughter.
Although she values her son more, her daughter is also a piece of her flesh and blood. How can she not worry and feel sorry for her?
Does it mean that from now on, all the young girls and wives in Changxi Village will wear kitchen knives on their waists?
There is no reason to guard against thieves for a thousand days!
Aunt Feng reached out and grabbed Feng Jinyu's sleeve, whispering, "Jinyu, sister-in-law knows that you hate Lu Mingchao, but we won't get involved in this matter."
"Listen to your sister-in-law."
"Whatever hatred or grudge you have, let's talk about it in private."
They are all beneficiaries of today's events, so how can they overturn Lu Ming Dynasty's stall?
Feng Jinyu glanced at his sister-in-law, sighed helplessly, and had to stay where he was.
The steps stopped, but the mouth was not idle.
"I can prove it!" Feng Jinyu emphasized again.
Aunt Feng felt numb all over.
Being associated with the ancestors of the Qi family at this time is like having your crotch stained with mud, isn't it?
"Prove what?" the old village chief asked coldly, leaning on his cane.
It's so cold today, and the wind is blowing, and it makes me feel cold to the bone.
According to him, such black sheep should be kicked out directly to avoid spoiling the whole barrel.
"I can prove that Lu Mingchao did not lie." Feng Jinyu spoke decisively.
Aunt Feng: !!!
Aunt Feng was almost choked to death by her own saliva.
Didn't her sister-in-law have a problem with Lu Mingchao? She even gossiped about Lu Mingchao's uncleanness before. During these days of being locked up at home, she cursed him every day and wanted to pay back the slap.
Now he actually stepped forward to testify for Lu Mingchao?
What the hell is going on.
Not only did Aunt Feng feel strange, everyone present was also surprised.
After all, what happened in the Lu family's courtyard that day had already spread throughout Changxi Village, and even the pattern on the hammer was spread vividly.
Lu Mingchao couldn't help but look at Feng Jinyu twice more.
I don’t know if it’s an illusion, but Feng Jinyu seems to have lost some weight.
Facing Lu Mingchao's clear yet doubtful eyes, Feng Jinyu felt inexplicably guilty.
“I remember it was about two and a half years ago.”
"When I went up the mountain to pick mushrooms and dig wild vegetables, I would pass by Grandma Qi's house. I happened to see Qi Rui scolding Qian Ge'er and forcing him to lie down and let her ride him like a horse."
"I asked a few more questions at the time, and Mrs. Qi said it was just a joke and not to be taken seriously."
"Also, there must be many women in the village who heard the crying of the child when they went up and down the mountain, while Mrs. Qi was chatting leisurely with passers-by."
"Sister-in-law, have you heard it too?"
Feng Jinyu grabbed Aunt Feng's wrist and asked anxiously.
Aunt Feng: She is not as spoiled as her sister-in-law at home, so she can only live in obedience.
"Maybe that's the case, but it's been so long that I can't remember clearly." Aunt Feng said vaguely.
There were quite a few young wives who agreed with Feng Jinyu's words.
Lu Mingchao raised his eyebrows, saving her the trouble of arguing with Mrs. Qi.
"Old village chief, you heard it too."
"Xie Yan gave money and goods to Mrs. Qi, which was essentially hiring her to look after the children."
"Not only did Mrs. Qi fail to fulfill her duties, she also treated the children like slaves, beating, scolding and bullying them at will."
"If it were a wealthy family, Mrs. Qi would be considered to be bullying her master. She would be beaten with a stick and then sold off."
Sun Ershao echoed, "That's true."
The Sun family is considered a wealthy family in Changhe County.
Young Master Sun felt at ease flattering himself, hoping that this murderous couple would show him some mercy.
The old village chief sighed in his heart, Xie Yan's bride is not an ordinary person.
His wife even said that the girl from the Lu family looked like a fairy in a painting, who was not interested in worldly matters.
Is this called not eating worldly fireworks?
It was obvious that the worldly affairs could not do anything to her.
"Xie Lu, tell me what you think."
Lu Mingchao raised his lips slightly, his eyebrows curved, "That money is too much for Mrs. Qi to handle. If I return it all, it will seem that I am unkind. So I will return half of it."
"Also, we have to discuss the fact that Huaiqian and the others have been made to work like slaves. If the monthly salary is an insult to Huaiqian and the others, then it should be regarded as compensation."
"No more, four ounces of silver."
Lu Mingchao suddenly changed the subject and said, "Xie Yan, do you still remember how much money you gave to my wife Qi?"
"Forget about the mountain products, just respect the old and love the young."
Xie Yan nodded and said, "When I first settled in Changxi Village, I left home in the early autumn and went into the mountains. I didn't return for several months. I gave Mrs. Qi thirty taels of silver."
"The following year, whenever I go out, I will give Mrs. Qi several hundred dollars every month. Not counting the miscellaneous money, it will definitely not be less than ten taels."
Lu Mingchao's eyes flickered. "Forty taels, return half, there are still twenty taels, plus compensation, the total is twenty-four taels."
"You must return it before Mrs. Qi moves out."
"Otherwise, I will go and beat the drum to protest injustice."
"It is only natural to pay back debts."
"It is only natural that grandchildren should pay off their grandfather's debts."
Is he interested in my brother-in-law?