Chapter 401: The Son-in-law’s Filial Piety

Zhulan waited for her in-laws to go to the eldest brother's yard, then she got up and took Liuya to the kitchen. As they walked, she muttered to Xuehan, "The big goose we bought yesterday hasn't been stewed yet. It's time to stew it at noon. No, I have to go see what the kitchen bought today."

Ever since Zhou Shuren decided to send Zhao and Zhou Laoer to Chuanzhou, Zhulan took back the rights to the kitchen and handed it over to Xuehan.

Xue Han estimated the time and said, "The shopping people should be back by now."

Zhulan said, "Your sister-in-law's parents came here overnight."

If they had rested at night, they should have arrived in Lizhou City at night instead of in the morning. The couple did not travel with the convoy. In order to save money, they brought their four grandchildren with them. They only spent money on renting a carriage and sleeping outdoors.

Zhulan took Xuehan to the kitchen and came back with some shopping. The good thing about the border town is that Lizhou City will never be short of mutton. Today, they bought half a sheep, as well as chicken, duck, fish, etc. Zhulan counted out 18 dishes and gave instructions to the kitchen, "All the dishes are salty, and some are stewed. By the way, the staple food for lunch is steamed buns. What snacks did you buy today?"

Lixia, the eldest daughter-in-law of Steward Ding, said, "Madam, today we are buying snacks from Ruyi Shop."

When Zhulan heard about Ruyi Shop, she thought of Shi Qing. She didn't know whether Shi Qing passed the imperial examination and became a scholar this year.

Come to think of it, there was no Ruyi Shop in Lizhou City last year. It was newly opened this year. Zhulan said, "Keep one plate each for the second and third rooms and the young lady's courtyard, and send the rest to the first room."

Xue Han asked, "Mom, don't you and Dad want to eat?"

Zhulan, ".......I'm not going to eat today."

Could she say she had had enough?

There were still frozen pears in Zhulan's ice cellar. Zhulan asked Liuya to take some to the main room, as Li's parents must not have had breakfast.

In the courtyard of the main house, Li Xu watched the concubine showing off. It was already winter, and the concubine had turned out her cloak.

Li put them on one by one, "Mom, do you think they look good?"

Li Xu didn't even dare to reach out and touch it, "It looks good."

Li smiled and said, "This is what my mother-in-law gave me. Mother, this cloak costs over fifty taels!"

Li Xu quickly retracted her hand and shouted in a particularly loud voice, "What, just a cloak?"

This is not a cloak, these are several acres of paddy fields!

Li smiled and said, "Yes, mother, please stop asking me if I am doing well. Just look at my cape and my jewelry and you will know how well I am doing. Besides, mother told you that my mother-in-law has bought me a dowry, and I am also a wealthy person."

Li Xu knew that the daughter had made some money, but it was all the recipes she had made in the Zhou family. If it weren't for the support of her mother-in-law, the daughter really couldn't have made the recipes. It was reasonable for the daughter to give the money to her mother-in-law. Now, from what the daughter said, her mother-in-law didn't take a penny and put it all in the daughter's name. Li Xu sighed, "Your mother-in-law is really good to you."

Li Xu smiled and said, "Mom, my mother-in-law is nice to everyone."

Just don't cross your mother-in-law's bottom line. She's actually very easy to talk to.

At noon, Mrs. Li Xu did not change into the ready-made clothes bought for her by Zhou Lao Da. Given her family's situation, she did not feel that changing clothes would make her family richer. She packed up all the clothes so that she could wear them when she returned home. When she returned home, she could generously say that these were gifts from her son-in-law.

Li Xu was so happy looking at the sumptuous meal that she said politely, "Mother-in-law, you are too polite. We farmers can eat anything."

She was dazzled by the food on the table.

Zhulan took Li Xu's hand and sat down. "We are relatives, and you are distinguished guests. How can you be so casual? Come and try it to see if it suits your taste."

At the men's table, Rongchuan and Mingyun went to the academy to study, Changlian was at Mengju's house, and only Boss Zhou was at the table to entertain his father-in-law.

Zhulan really didn't know what her mother-in-law liked to eat, because the Li family's conditions did not allow Li Xu to have any preferences. Anyway, meat was the right dish. Only two of Zhulan's eighteen dishes were vegetarian.

Mrs. Li knew that her mother was embarrassed, so she personally picked up some food for her, "Mom, please eat more."

Zhulan smiled and said, "Mother-in-law, just treat this place as your own home. Don't be polite to me."

Li Xu didn't know what to eat. "You're welcome, you're welcome."

Zhulan was having a great time, but Zhao had no appetite to eat. Her mother-in-law had a completely different attitude towards her in-laws. When her mother came, her mother-in-law had never checked the kitchen herself. When she thought of what her mother had done, Zhao's face turned red again. She suddenly realized that she was a lot like her mother, and wondered if she was not liked by others either.

Now the third brother's wife and the eldest sister-in-law are getting close again. The third brother's wife hasn't been to the second house's yard for a long time. Zhao thought of what her daughter-in-law said and ate in silence. Fortunately, her mother-in-law gave her a chance.

At noon, all the steamed buns and rice were left on the men’s table. The four guys were big eaters. They usually had no oil in their stomachs, so they became big eaters when their stomachs were empty.

Mrs. Li Xu was a little embarrassed and glared at her grandchildren. Zhu Lan smiled and said, "It's a blessing to be able to eat."

In the afternoon, Li's parents took a rest. In the evening, Zhou Shuren came back and asked the chef to make a roasted whole lamb.

Zhou Shuren said enthusiastically, "We must stay a little longer this time. When I have my day off, I will take my in-laws to have a good look around Lizhou City."

Li Cong was so confused and dazed. In his eyes, the county magistrate was a very high-ranking official. He was stunned when he saw his relative coming back in an official uniform. Now he has not come back to his senses and can only agree in a daze.

Like Zhulan, Zhou Shuren likes the Li family very much. He thinks the four grandsons of the Li family are good and they really have the Li family's genes. They are all naive and witty. He and Zhulan feel at ease using them.

The Li family was warmly received by the Zhou family, and Mrs. Li Xu felt completely at ease.

The next morning, Zhulan did not rush to discuss the matter with the Li family, but took her mother-in-law out of the city to visit the orchard.

In the capital, the list of students taking the examination for scholars from all over the country was also sent to the capital. The emperor would not look at it every year, but this year he looked through the list from all over the country. To put it bluntly, the emperor just wanted to see how many people from Lizhou City took the exam and how many people passed the exam under Zhou Shuren's subsidy policy.

(End of this chapter)