The Chen family's old house.
Based on her continuous observation over the past few days, Grandma Chen has accurately grasped Chen Qingqing's daily routine.
After returning home from the sugar mill at 5 PM, I would go to the outhouse for about half an hour, then turn off the lights and rest. By 9 PM, I would be sound asleep.
Seeing Chen Qingqing's business growing bigger and bigger these days, Old Mrs. Chen was extremely envious.
I heard early this morning that Chen Qingqing went to the county town, and I was so jealous I wanted to die. I was extremely envious and resentful.
That brat! All she did was make some lousy sugar, what's so great about that? She even went to sell it in the county town!
That lousy stuff, all sweet and delicious, what's so great about it? Besides satisfying a craving, what else can it do? She wouldn't even want it if it were free...
Seeing her sitting there lost in thought, Old Chen couldn't help but joke, "Old woman, what are you dreaming about?"
Old Mrs. Chen snapped out of her reverie, wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth, and said irritably, "What good things could I possibly be thinking about? You wouldn't want me to think about other old men either!"
"Look at what you're saying. The old men in our village are either tall or short, lame or limping. The only one with good legs is Big Tall, but unfortunately he's hunched over."
Unlike me, I walk with my head held high and chest out, a real sprinter. What more could you want?
"Look at you, you're getting more and more frivolous at your age. Do you think everyone is like you, full of wicked thoughts? I was just thinking about our family's grand plan to make a fortune."
"Don't glare at me, I was just joking with you!" Old Chen quickly put on a smile. "Old woman, are you saying we should get started?"
Old Mrs. Chen nodded slightly, a cold smile appearing on her lips. "That's right, the time is ripe. We can't let Master Fan wait like a fool. We must make this happen as soon as possible. Once we have that pile of silver in our hands, our hard days will be over!"
"Yes, old woman, the first thing we'll do when we have money is build three tiled houses and buy a few acres of fertile land. Then our family will be the wealthiest household in Nanshan Village."
"You're such a country bumpkin who's never seen the world. Our family is so rich, we have to maintain a proper image. At the very least, we should build a large house with two courtyards."
Grandma Chen was so beautiful her mouth was agape.
Upon hearing this, Old Chen's eyes nearly popped out of his head in surprise. "Oh my, how big must that yard be? There's no way we can all fit it in!"
"You don't know anything! The third brother won't just be a scholar in the future; he might become an official. When he goes back to his hometown to visit relatives, he'll bring dozens of servants and attendants. We'll have to arrange food and lodging for them all!"
"Yes, yes, you've thought things through much further." Old Chen was secretly pleased and couldn't wait any longer. "Wife, when is the right time for us to make our move?"
Old Mrs. Chen paused for a moment, then said, "Go and call Ruolan here."
"Okay, I'll go right away." Old Man Chen agreed and turned to the west room to call Chen Ruolan over.
"Grandma, what do you need me for?"
"Ruolan, haven't you been asking me when we're going to make our move? Tonight, let's trap that brat."
Upon hearing this, Chen Ruolan was overjoyed. Ever since she plotted the poisonous scheme, she had been hoping and longing for it day and night, wishing she could immediately marry Chen Qingqing to Fan Tong as a concubine.
"Grandma, that's great! Now, what should we prepare?"
"There's nothing to prepare. The milk has already been prepared," Grandma Chen said with a smile. "Ruolan, you don't need to worry about this tonight. Just go to bed early."
Upon hearing this, Chen Ruolan's face showed some displeasure. She needed to see Chen Qingqing suffer torture and humiliation with her own eyes to vent her hatred.
"No, I can't be left out of this. I have to go with you."
Grandma Chen was in a dilemma. After all, such underhanded methods were a bit dishonorable. If her eldest granddaughter became curious and saw something crazy that she shouldn't have, it would be very embarrassing.
He wanted to refuse, but thinking of Chen Ruolan's spoiled nature, he had no choice but to nod in agreement.
"Alright, let's work together then."
Old Chen asked with some unease, "Old woman, is your idea really foolproof? Will anything go wrong?"
"Don't worry about it. Even if a god were to encounter this thing, he'd be nothing more than a turtle thrown into a vat of boiling oil, no doubt about it."
"That's good. I'm relieved to hear that."
"Alright, let's get ready quickly." Old Mrs. Chen narrowed her eyes, then revealed a sinister smile. "Old man, you go to Willow Village in a bit and have Matchmaker Zhao find Rich Man Fan. Let him enter the bridal chamber tonight, and have him sneak into our house after dark."
"Alright, I'll go right now." Old Chen agreed and got up to leave.
"Wait a minute, I haven't finished speaking yet, why are you in such a hurry?" Old Mrs. Chen called him back again. "There are some things we have to be careful about. It's always better to be cautious than to be timid. We should be careful with people like Master Fan. Remember to make sure they take the two hundred and fifty taels of silver with them. If he succeeds in reneges on the debt, we will suffer a great loss."
"Old woman, you've thought things through too thoroughly. I really hadn't considered that."
"With your brain, besides eating, sleeping, and covering yourself with a blanket when it's cold, what else can you think of? This family relies on my careful budgeting to keep the food and oil supply going. Having me is a blessing your Chen family has accumulated for eight generations. You should be content!"
Hearing Old Mrs. Chen's boastful words, Old Mr. Chen almost vomited. He couldn't help but mutter to himself that this old woman's skin was getting thicker and thicker. She even dared to say that she was thrifty. If it weren't for her running the household, the Chen family wouldn't have fallen from a wealthy family to the point of not being able to afford food.
Even though she was so poor, she would still occasionally trade eggs for sesame cakes, and then secretly eat them under the covers late at night when everyone was asleep.
She thought no one knew about her nasty habit of smacking her lips while eating, which could be heard from two miles away, but no one wanted to expose her.
No matter how unhappy Old Chen was inside, he dared not show it on his face, and instead wore a smile.
"Old woman, you're right. As they say, old ginger is spicier, young loach is slippery, and an old rabbit is hard for an eagle to catch. Our family is counting on you. You are our family's greatest contributor. Don't you like to eat big sesame cakes? When we have money, I'll buy you a whole bamboo basket of them so you can eat your fill."
Old Mrs. Chen blushed and said, "You old fool, you've never seen me eat sesame seed cakes before, so you say I love them."
"Oh, really." Old Chen realized he had let something slip and quickly laughed, "Then let's not buy any sesame cakes."
"Don't try to make conversation," Old Mrs. Chen said, giving him a disapproving look. "Go find Matchmaker Zhao quickly, and don't forget about the two hundred and fifty taels of silver."
"Alright, alright, I'll go right now. I promise I won't forget." Old Chen said, then turned and left...
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