Chapter 490: The Difference is Too Big
After Laba Festival, the Yan family began to prepare for the New Year.
The eldest wife is the busiest. Yan Zhigao has to go to the government office, and Madam Li has to take care of household affairs and prepare New Year gifts for each family. It is difficult for them to have free time all day.
The second wife also had her own private property. In addition to Sun's dowry, she had seen that the rice fields and shops had made good profits in recent years, so she had gradually purchased some more fields and shops. At the end of the year, Sun would also check the accounts.
The third branch was the one with the least financial resources. Because Yan Wentao received dividends from the Liulichang this year, he would send money home every month, and the third branch also added some land and shops.
Seeing that her eldest son is becoming more and more promising, Mrs. Wu is now learning how to manage the shop.
Both Yan Zhigao and Madam Li turned a blind eye to the second and third wives' accumulation of wealth.
Now that the old lady is still alive, and with the brotherly bond that has grown between them since losing their father, Yan Zhigao will not abandon his two younger brothers. However, as the saying goes, a tree branches out, and the family will eventually be divided.
Although he would not suffer any loss to his two younger brothers at that time, if his two younger brothers had their own property, the eldest wife would be more relaxed, which would also be beneficial to them.
By mid-December, the only people in the Yan Mansion who were truly free were Yan Siyu and her daughter. Even the old lady was busy counting the gifts sent from all parties.
One morning, Yan Siyu brought Yang Xiujun to pay their respects to Old Lady Yan. When they entered the room, they saw a lot of things placed on the kang by the window.
"Mom, what is this?"
Old Madam Yan smiled and said, "Daohua sent it to me last night. She said that it was almost the end of the year and we would have guests coming over from time to time, so she asked me to give it to them as a reward."
As he spoke, he opened a box that was a foot long.
Most of the box was filled with silver nuggets, and a small part was filled with gold nuggets.
Old Lady Yan waved to Yang Xiujun, and when she came to her, she grabbed a handful of silver coins and put them in her purse, then handed them to her.
Yang Xiujun quickly looked at her mother: "Grandma."
Without waiting for Yan Siyu to speak, Old Lady Yan smiled and said, "Good child, put it away quickly. It's the end of the year now. You can use it for yourself or give it to others at a low price." Then, she took out a small box the size of a palm, filled it with gold and silver coins, and handed it to Yan Siyu.
Yan Siyu quickly refused: "Mother, I can't accept this."
Old Lady Yan pretended to be angry: "If you don't accept it, I will be angry. You see, I still have quite a few here, more than enough."
"Mom, it's your daughter's responsibility to honor you!" Yan Siyu's eyes were a little red, and her face was filled with embarrassment and guilt.
Old Madam Yan sighed and took her daughter's hand: "When our family was in trouble before, we couldn't help you. Now that our family is on the rise, we will naturally not leave you behind."
Yan Siyu said with a nasal voice: "Mom~"
Old Lady Yan: "Okay, take it. Our family is not what it used to be. There are many people coming and going at the end of the year. If they bring their children with them, you can't just give them nothing."
These gold and silver nuggets are cast into shapes such as peanuts, gold ingots, and the twelve zodiac animals. They are beautiful and meaningful, making them perfect for viewing.
Thinking of the five hundred taels of silver her mother-in-law gave her when she came home, Yan Siyu's ears turned red. At this moment, the silver in her hand was less than two hundred taels.
Old Mrs. Yan knew her daughter well, so she didn't say much to her. She just stuffed the box into her hands and then pulled Yang Xiuyun to look at other things.
"This piece of sheepskin is still in good condition. I can use it to make a pair of boots. They will be perfect for the New Year."
"And this piece of scarlet feather satin, use it to make clothes too."
Watching the old lady constantly stuffing things into her hands, Yang Xiujun didn't know whether to accept or refuse, so she could only look to her mother for help.
Yan Siyu quickly said, "Mom, Xiujun doesn't have any clothes to wear. Leave these to Yiyi."
Old Madam Yan smiled and said, "No need to keep any for her. That girl has no shortage of these things."
Yan Siyu: "Then give Yihuan a few."
Old Madam Yan frowned and said, "I can give my things to whoever they want." Then she placed a piece of lotus-colored silk in Yang Xiuyun's hands and said, "Good child, don't listen to your mother. Take it home and make some new clothes."
So, Yan Siyu had no choice but to nod to Yang Xiujun.
Yang Xiujun took the gift and bowed to the old lady: "Thank you for the gift, grandma."
Old Lady Yan quickly pulled them up and said with a smile, "That's right, keep it in peace. Seeing you all dressed up so beautifully makes me happy."
Knowing that the old lady was going to pack up and count her things, Yan Si and her daughter did not stay long. They sat for a while and then left.
On the way back, Yang Xiujun looked depressed.
Yan Siyu noticed it and asked, "Why, don't you like the things grandma gave you?"
Yang Xiujun said dejectedly, "It's not that I don't like her, it's just that Cousin Yiyi is only a few months older than me, but she's so much more capable and accomplished than me. My daughter feels so useless."
Yan Siyu stroked her daughter's hair and sighed, "Yiyi has her good points, and you have your own good points. People are different."
Yang Xiujun shook her head and said a little excitedly, "Mom, do you know? Yesterday I went to Daohuaxuan and saw my cousin Yiyi checking the account books. At first I thought she was helping my aunt, but later I found out that those account books were all for the farms, fields, and shops under her own name."
"Mom, you didn't see that. There are several stacks of account books, and each one is very thick. The abacus that cousin Yiyi uses to calculate the accounts is made of white jade."
"Not only that, but I went to look for Yi Huan and the others afterwards and discovered that they were also reconciling their accounts. They all had their own shops under their names."
"Mom, why do the cousins of the Yan family live so recklessly?"
Yan Siyu quickly pulled her daughter aside, patted her hand soothingly, and sighed, "I've heard your second aunt mention this before. Originally, the Yan family was the same as ours, but it was only after Yi Yi started clamoring to open a shop and buy a farm that the Yan family finally opened up."
"At first, your uncle and the others were not optimistic about her success. But Yiyi turned out to be quite capable. Not only did she have a good harvest, but her shop also sold well."
"With so many brothers and sisters in the family, comparisons are inevitable. Seeing that Yiyi is so well-off, Yihuan and the others also borrowed money from their parents and imitated Yiyi."
"Yiyi is also a person with a broad mind. When the sisters came to ask for advice on how to run the shop, she was very willing to share everything she knew. Yihuan and the other two are also smart and have actually managed to run the shop successfully."
"I haven't really asked about the store's specific situation. Is it good?"
Yang Xiujun nodded. "Let's not talk about cousin Yiyi. Look at the things she gave to grandma. Such a big box of gold and silver nuggets. It took a lot of silver just to make them. You can imagine how rich she is."
"The shop owned by Yi Huan and the other two is also very profitable. When I went there yesterday, I happened to see cousin Yi Shuang delivering something to Aunt Lin. Among them was a bulging bag of silver. I estimated that there were at least a hundred taels of silver."
Seeing the envy in her daughter's eyes, Yan Siyu sighed: "Girl, a situation like your uncle's family is rare in our family's backyard. Most ladies are the same as you."
The girl has her own assets before marriage. Even if wealthy families dote on their daughters, few of them are like her parents.
Yang Xiujun nodded gloomily: "I know, that's why I think that although cousin Yishuang is a concubine's daughter, because she was born in the Yan family, she is actually happier than the legitimate daughters of many families." At least she is much better off than the daughters of the Yang family.
The mother and daughter were so immersed in their own thoughts that they didn't notice Yan Yishuang at the corner.
Watching the two people walk by, Yan Yi's eyes flashed, and her mind couldn't help but think of the envious looks that other illegitimate girls cast on her at every banquet. Then she thought of what her aunt and cousin Xiuyun said today, and her expression was a little confused.
It turns out that in the eyes of others, she is so happy.
Maybe she should really be content.
"Let's go back."
"Miss, are we not going to Shuangxinyuan?"
"No, my aunt is still under house arrest. Although my mother agreed to let me visit her, we still shouldn't go too often."
Yan Yishuang was walking back to the yard, her thoughts a little wandering.
In the past, when her aunt was by her side, what she heard most was to grasp her father's favor. In the past two years, her aunt was under house arrest, and without her constant admonitions, she found that she was happier than before. At least now she can do many things she likes without having to think about seeking favor all the time.
(End of this chapter)
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