Chapter 12 Wedding
"It's rare to see you back today," Song Yushu said, handing the basket to Zhou Chengyu and Zhou Chengzhu and telling them to go down and pack it.
"What are you talking about? Do you expect me to come back and tell you all this? You should explain to me why you bought so many poultry." Zhou Lao Er had been taking on side jobs lately, and he looked several years older. With a stern face, he immediately started questioning him.
"So what if they bought it? Let them make some money on the side. It's not like they used your money to buy it. What's there to say?" Song Yushu didn't think buying poultry was a big deal. Besides, Zhou Lao Er rarely cared about the three of them, so what was wrong with him this time?
"You're supposed to be from the second branch of the Zhou family, don't you know to consult me before buying these things? Chengli's marriage is coming up soon, and you're still spending money so extravagantly, is that appropriate?"
“His affairs are none of my business, the old lady takes care of them! Besides, don’t you still have your own father?”
Zhou Lao Er was speechless for a moment, after all, Song Yushu hadn't asked him for any money when buying poultry.
"Fine, since the Zhao family girl can help manage things after she marries in, let's just raise her!" Zhou Lao Er sighed, looking older than his peers despite being only in his thirties.
“No need. These are the animals I bought for Chengyu and Chengzhu to raise. I’ll sell them to give them some savings. Zhao Yuzhi doesn’t need to manage them.” Song Yushu didn’t want to benefit outsiders. In her eyes, Zhou Lao Er, Zhou Chengli, and Zhao Yuzhi were all outsiders, and the twin siblings were still under observation.
Seeing that she was completely unyielding, Zhou Lao Er had no choice but to hurry back to town before dark, which was exactly what Song Yushu wanted.
At the end of the month, the day of Zhou Chengli's wedding arrived in just two days.
The second branch of the Zhou family could no longer live a peaceful life, so Song Yushu had no choice but to temporarily suspend her stall business and go back to guard it.
Old Mrs. Zhou came over eight times a day, and every time she came, she would make sarcastic remarks about Song Yushu when she saw those pigs and goats, implying that she was a spendthrift. Qian Yue followed behind her, constantly fanning the flames.
"So many poultry, entrusted to two children to raise, your sister-in-law is really too carefree," Qian Yue stared at the piglets, unable to move her feet.
“We can raise them! We feed all the chickens and ducks in the backyard, and my brother and I can even raise sheep!” Zhou Chengzhu wasn’t stupid; she was wary of this aunt.
"What right does a little girl like you have to interrupt when adults are talking? I'm not saying this to be mean, but you should really keep an eye on Chengzhu, lest she end up like you, otherwise how will she ever get married?"
Qian Yue's words really embarrassed Zhou Chengzhu. After all, she was still a ten-year-old girl, and no matter how strong-willed she was, she couldn't stand the harshness in her words.
"Sister-in-law, you're almost forty years old, how come you're still spouting nonsense? You come here asking for this and that, anyone who doesn't know better would think you're a beggar begging for food!" Song Yushu said with a look of disgust.
"Pfft!" Zhou Chengzhu, who was holding back tears, burst out laughing.
"You! You, Wei family..."
"Shut up, all of you! I invited you here to arrange the marriage ceremony, not to start a fight!" Old Mrs. Zhou quickly shouted to stop them.
She realized that Song Yushu was now impervious to both soft and hard approaches, and no amount of scolding would bother her; in fact, it would only make her angrier. Therefore, in order to ensure the smooth completion of her grandson's marriage, Old Madam Zhou did not want the Zhou family to cause any more trouble during this period.
Seeing this, Song Yushu didn't provoke any trouble. After Zhou Chengli's wedding, she would go to town to sell braised meat, so they would meet less often.
Because Zhou Chengli was getting married, Old Mrs. Zhou specially invited the most famous chef in the surrounding area to cook the banquet, so as to make a good impression on her grandson.
Song Yushu wasn't truly stingy; he spent 500 coins to buy a bolt of cloth, which he would give to the female lead as a gift. He wouldn't let her spend another half a copper coin; he would simply say that he had spent all his money buying chickens, ducks, and pigs.
Zhou Chengli's wedding day was quite lively. Five tables were set up on the second branch of the family's side, and five tables were also set up at the Zhou family's old residence, which was already quite good.
Song Yushu got up early to greet the guests, her face almost frozen with a smile. After finally bringing the male lead back, she noticed that something was off about the atmosphere.
"Look at the Zhao family's dowry! They just packed a cloth bag and came over. There wasn't even a new quilt. They gave twenty taels of silver as a bride price! Zhao the Cripple really has no conscience!"
"They're not even afraid of losing face; they've received twenty taels, yet they're unwilling to spend a single tael on their daughter's dowry!"
The guests at the wedding banquet gathered around and gossiped. Zhou Chengli's initial excitement about the wedding vanished instantly, and he stiffly escorted the bride into the bridal chamber.
Zhao Yuzhi wasn't unaware of what was happening, but after paying off her father's gambling debts with the twenty taels, she didn't squander the money. If she hadn't racked her brains to squeeze half a tael of silver out of her father, she would have been penniless. With several younger siblings to feed, she had no choice but to abandon her plans to prepare a dowry.
It's alright. As long as this man's heart is still with me, what does my current predicament matter? I'm already a scholar's wife, and I'll be a provincial graduate's wife in the future. Thinking this, Zhao Yuzhi straightened her back again.
After the wedding, only a mess of dishes and chairs remained, and it took a long time to tidy up and restore everything to its original state.
The next morning, Song Yushu got up and saw Zhao Yuzhi making breakfast in the kitchen, but he didn't say anything.
It was a rare occasion for the two branches of the Zhou family to gather together for breakfast.
"Now that you've married Chengli, you're part of the Zhou family's second branch. Don't be shy. If you don't understand anything, just ask Chengzhu and Chengyu. After Chengli's marriage, he'll return to the academy, and I'll go to town to work as a carpenter."
As the head of the family, Zhou Lao Er naturally had to say a few words, but he didn't mention Song Yushu.
“I see that we have a lot of poultry at home. If Mother is too busy, she can leave it to me to feed them. Chengzhu and Chengyu are still young and I’m afraid they won’t know how to raise them properly.”
Although Zhao Yuzhi knew that Song Yushu had bought a lot of poultry, she did not expect that he had even raised pigs and sheep, and that there were flocks of chickens and ducks in the backyard. If they were raised to adulthood and sold, they would definitely make a fortune.
“We can handle these jobs!” Zhou Chengzhu originally had a good impression of Zhao Yuzhi, but she didn’t expect that her sister-in-law would try to take over their work as soon as she entered the house. She wasn’t stupid. If her sister-in-law interfered, wouldn’t she have to give her a share of her secret savings?
“Chengzhu, listen to your sister-in-law. She’s always been diligent, and she’ll have to manage the household in the future,” Zhou Chengli naturally sided with his wife. Besides, it would be great for him if Zhao Yuzhi could manage the household.
"It's no use talking to the two kids. I bought those poultry and gave them to raise. They'll get a share of the profits from selling them. You'd better not work for nothing."
Song Yushu could easily see through Zhao Yuzhi's intentions, but he didn't expect her to try to interfere in his affairs on her very first day in the family. Her behavior was far too unseemly.
"I just wanted to help with some of the housework, but I didn't expect Mother to react so strongly..." Zhao Yuzhi didn't expect Song Yushu to be so unpretentious in the Zhou family. She could only turn to look at Zhou Chengli.
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