Chapter 103 Don't Care

Zhulan remembered that she and her son-in-law seldom talked. Today, Jiang Sheng came to visit her and talked to her for a few words. This was their second conversation. Zhulan was satisfied with her eldest son-in-law's appearance and stature. She had a sharp eye. Jiang Sheng had just changed the child's clothes very skillfully. He was a considerate parent and his thanks were sincere. Zhulan smiled, "Why are you being polite? Son-in-law is half my son. This is not only Xuemei's home, but also yours."

Jiang Sheng had mixed feelings. The better the Yue family treated him, the more he felt resigned. He had spent his wife's dowry on the scholar, and now he moved to the Yue family for the sake of his child. But there was no way his parents had abandoned him. The Yue family was the only one he could rely on now. He was even more grateful to the Yue family for loving his wife and being willing to help their family. He could only tell himself over and over again in his heart that he would never let his wife down and would win back her face.

Seeing that her daughter had settled the child, Zhulan whispered, "The child won't wake up for a while, go eat first, and I'll talk to you two after dinner."

Xuemei and her husband looked at each other and knew that they were going to talk about the Jiang family.

For dinner, we had the leftover meat and vegetables from lunch, freshly steamed mixed noodles as a staple, and millet porridge, which Zhulan had specially brought out when she passed away. The grandchildren had always been hungry and had weak stomachs, so they had to be nourished with millet porridge first.

After dinner, Li and Xuemei cleared the dishes. The others went back to study. The eldest and second oldest children also went back to their rooms. Zhulan went to check on the two children. The children had gotten up early in the morning and had been frightened for most of the day. They were sleeping soundly and could sleep for a while longer. Zhulan went back to the main room to wait for Xuemei to come.

Zhou Shuren sat on the kang while Jiang Sheng stood on the ground. He did not talk about the Jiang family, but instead tested Jiang Sheng's skills.

Jiang Sheng had beads of sweat on his forehead. His father-in-law had tested him in the past but he never put so much pressure on him. Today's test was not only difficult but also had to skip questions. He was afraid of making mistakes and was extremely nervous.

Zhou Shuren was satisfied. Jiang Sheng was indeed gifted and had a solid foundation. The lady's words were true. If it weren't for the Jiang family's trouble, Jiang Sheng would have been under great pressure this year.

Xuemei cleaned up the kitchen and looked at the children before coming over.

Zhu Lan motioned for the lady to sit next to her and said to Zhou Shuren, "Let's talk business first."

Zhou Shuren motioned for Jiang Sheng to sit down as well, and then he told them what he had said at the Jiang family, and the matter of the separation. After the two of them accepted it, Zhou Shuren continued, "The conflicts in the Jiang family cannot be resolved, so it is better to cut the Gordian knot. Almost all the debts due for the separation have been repaid, and the fundamental conflicts have been eliminated. There is no need to fight for life. You can live your own lives in the future. Without the troubles, Jiang Sheng can study with peace of mind."

Moreover, since they were not allocated land, the daughters-in-law did not have to work in the fields. The daughters-in-law of the Zhou family did not go to the fields, so the daughters-in-law should not work too hard. Women still need to take good care of themselves.

Zhu Lan continued, "This is all we can do to help you. It's up to you two to decide how you'll get by in the future."

Whether in ancient times or modern times, it is not good for the Yue family to interfere too much. This time they have their reasons and the Jiang family is at fault, and their son-in-law does need their help, but it is not right to interfere for a long time. The degree must be controlled well, and it must be made clear in advance, so as not to let the child rely on them for everything.

Jiang Sheng knew that his father-in-law and mother-in-law would make trouble when they went to Jiang's house. He was not a pedantic and bookish person. This year made him, who was already very clear-headed, see things more clearly. He felt guilty when his sister-in-law made trouble for his parents. Later, he failed the exam, but he endured it for his parents. However, his tolerance became more and more severe. His parents' indifference made him feel disappointed, but they did not split up the family. Labor occupied most of his time. If it were not for his wife's encouragement, he would have given up.

Now his parents-in-law not only stood up for him, but also solved the problem. He won't be bullied anymore in the future. A man shouldn't cry easily, and his eyes turned red. "Dad, Mom, I'm sorry to have caused you so much trouble. I'm an incompetent son-in-law."

Zhulan was choked by the two elders and forgot what she was about to say.

Xuemei was so happy that she shed tears. She wouldn't have to suffer in the future, and her father had found her a way to make money. That was great, great.

Zhou Shuren stared at Jiang Sheng with sharp eyes, "You are my son-in-law, it is my duty to consider you, live a good life in the future!"

Jiang Sheng was stunned. His father-in-law was scolding him, telling him that it was all because of Xuemei that he helped, and letting him know that he loved his wife and didn't feel uncomfortable with the scolding. "I understand, and I will never let you down in the future."

The first thing that came to Zhulan's mind was promotion, wealth and death of his wife. Now they were helping each other in times of need, but who knew what would happen in the future? She didn't believe in oaths.

Zhou Shuren didn't listen carefully. He believed that time will tell a person's true character. If he really let his daughter down, he would not be polite. "Okay, now you know what's going on, you can live in peace. Tomorrow I will go to the clan to get the pen, ink, paper and inkstone, so Jiang Sheng can copy the book. Your mother and I are tired all day, you can go back to look after the children!"

Xuemei saw that her parents looked tired, "Mom and Dad, let's go back."

Zhulan nodded, "By the way, don't let the child eat too much at night, or he will feel uncomfortable because of indigestion."

Xuemei: "Yes."

Zhulan waited for her daughter-in-law and son-in-law to go out, then went to the kang and spread the quilt. She was extremely tired today, so she quickly took off her clothes and got into the quilt. By the time Zhou Shuren changed his clothes and lay down, Zhulan had fallen asleep.

Zhou Shuren turned his head to look at the distance between their quilts and was very satisfied. The distance between them went from being separated by one person to not being separated anymore, and he fell asleep contentedly.

When Xuemei and her husband returned home, the child was still asleep.

Jiang Sheng was grateful to his father-in-law for giving him the job of copying books. He was thankful for his father-in-law's careful consideration for them, but he was also worried. "My father-in-law takes care of us, but copying books can bring in a lot of income. I wonder if my elder brother and younger brothers will think too much about it."

If Xuemei hadn't heard about the family situation from her eldest sister-in-law in the afternoon, she would have been worried. It was because she knew that her brothers would not keep an eye on the money from copying books. She knew her brothers well, and her eldest sister-in-law only knew the surface. Even if their parents didn't explain it, the brothers could guess something. They said with certainty, "No."

Jiang Sheng was surprised by his wife's affirmation, but thinking of the engagement jade pendant and the jewelry given by his mother-in-law to her daughter, he remained silent and didn't really care. It seemed that his parents had not asked enough questions from the beginning, and the Yue family had a solid foundation.

The two children woke up, and Jiang Sheng and his wife were all focused on them. Xuemei went to the kitchen to get some warm porridge with diced sausage in it, which her mother had specially asked her sister-in-law to prepare.