Seeing her third son's displeased expression, Old Mrs. Chen panicked, fearing that he might suffer any injustice.
Now that he has passed the imperial examination and become a scholar, bringing honor to the Chen family, it would be a grave mistake to upset him over the reward money, which could affect his performance in the provincial examination in the fall.
Old Mrs. Chen frowned, her eyes filled with guilt.
"My son, it's all my fault. I didn't make adequate preparations. Why don't we sell some grain now and then give out the reward money later?"
When Chen Zhanliang heard that he was going to sell grain again, his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
They have been eating rice bran rations for over a month, and now the cornmeal in the rations is dwindling to the point where it's almost inedible. If they sell what little grain they have left, they probably won't even be able to get rice bran rations anymore, let alone rice bran rations.
If it really comes to that, his wife will definitely make a scene.
Chen Zhanliang knew that this was not his wife's fault, but rather his parents' fault for spoiling their third son too much. But what could he do as a son?
He couldn't agree to continue selling grain; even if not for himself, he had to think about Erbao.
Thankfully, my older child brought food for my younger child every few days this winter; otherwise, they might have gotten incredibly thin.
Thinking of this, he immediately stopped her, "Mother, it's only March, the fields haven't been planted yet, what will we eat if we sell the grain?"
Old Mrs. Chen knew this all too well. She sighed helplessly, "Zhanliang, I know your concerns, but if your third brother passes the imperial examination and becomes a scholar, wouldn't it make our family look bad?"
"What's the point of saving face? It doesn't put food or drink at all. We can't suffer for the sake of saving face!"
“Yes, Zhanliang is right. Zhancai’s passing the imperial examination has already brought honor to the Chen family. It’s already a great achievement. Everyone in the village is envious. Why don’t we just forget about the reward money?” Old Man Chen chimed in.
"No, no, we can't let this happy occasion end like this." Old Mrs. Chen shook her head and waved her hands repeatedly. "Zhancai, how about we take out some of Ruolan's dowry money to tide us over? After we sell the grain in the fall, I'll pay you back, okay?"
Chen Zhancai had his own plans. He smiled slightly and said, "Mother, look at you, still being so formal with your son. Don't worry, I had Fengjiao make thorough preparations in advance, and the reward money has already been prepared."
As Chen Zhancai spoke, he waved to Liu Fengjiao, "Wife, give the money to your mother."
Liu Fengjiao smiled and took out a money pouch from her pocket, handing it to Old Lady Chen. "Mother, take these and use them first. Give them to us when you have more."
“My dear daughter-in-law, don’t worry, even if I have to sell the house and land, I will never take advantage of you in the slightest.”
Grandma Chen smiled as she took the money bag and glanced at it. She was both surprised and delighted. "Fengjiao, you've given too much. Take some back with you."
"Mother, take this and use it first. I know you're short on money lately. Zhancai passing the imperial examination is a great joy for our family. We should at least have a proper feast. That's why I brought back the only ten taels of silver we have."
Although Liu Fengjiao said those words, she was heartbroken. This money was truly their family's only savings.
Originally, Chen Ruolan had the betrothal money in her hands, but Chen Zhancai only knew how to eat, drink and have fun. Every few days he would ask for money to eat and drink with his classmates, and if she didn't give it to him, he would quarrel with her.
There was nothing she could do; she felt guilty towards Chen Zhancai because of Wang Qizhang's affair, so she could only let him indulge in his gluttonous eating.
Although Wang Qichang was old, he was as strong as an ox and had inexhaustible strength. Every few days, he would summon her and then he would harass her repeatedly, which made her legs go weak whenever she saw a man.
In order to get rid of Wang Qizhang's entanglement, he wanted to use money to break off the relationship and draw a clear line.
Wang Qizhang may look respectable, but he is extremely wicked. He took one hundred taels of silver from her and then shamelessly pestered her. He was a bottomless pit that could never be filled.
The two of them squandered the two hundred and fifty taels of silver.
These past few days I've been worried about getting rid of Chief Wang, but now that my husband has passed the imperial examination and become a scholar, with the status of a scholar's wife, Chief Wang probably won't dare to do anything to her anymore...
Grandma Chen held the money bag in her hand, nodding happily.
"Fengjiao, you're absolutely right. Zhancai has really embarrassed our family. We have to make a big fuss about it and let everyone see that our Chen family is about to turn things around."
Old Chen was beaming with joy. "Old woman, you're right. We should have a proper celebration and invite all the villagers who are on good terms with us, as well as distant relatives, to come together and celebrate properly."
“Look at you, you’re so petty. Can’t you be a little bigger-minded? Let me tell you, our Zhancai is a scholar now. Everyone is eager to get close to us. So we have to give them this opportunity. No matter how close or distant the villagers are, we have to invite them all.”
"Invite them all? That would cost so much money!" Old Chen exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise.
Grandma Chen frowned and glared at him. "You're really stupid. How much can it cost to treat people to a meal? Don't forget, they all brought gifts."
After her reminder, Old Chen suddenly realized, "Yes, how come I didn't think of that? We've contributed to so many families before: two eggs for the Zhao family, two catties of brown rice for the Sun family, a catty of fried cakes for the Li family, and three copper coins for the Wu family. These people all owe us a debt of gratitude. This time, we have to make them pay back what we owe them."
"You blockhead have finally come to your senses. Let me tell you, this time our family will only make a profit, not a loss."
"That's right, this is a golden opportunity for our family to make a fortune." As he spoke, a glint of shrewdness flashed in Old Chen's eyes. "Old woman, should we invite that brat?"
"Please, you absolutely must invite her, we can't do without her!"
Old Mrs. Chen remembered how Chen Qingqing had humiliated her when she stole bricks last time, and she held a grudge ever since. This time, she was determined to make her realize that she had offended someone she shouldn't have and gotten herself into big trouble.
Old Mrs. Chen curled her lips and said, "This time I'm going to show that heartless brat that our Chen family is about to have its day. I'm going to make her regret it, make her afraid, make her feel guilty, and make her come running to me for favors."
"Old woman, you're absolutely right. That brat is a real piece of work. We have to teach them a lesson this time." Old Chen said, but then looked troubled. "We have a good plan, but what if they don't come?"
"They have no choice but to come this time, whether they want to or not."
"What do you mean by that?" Old Chen was stunned.
Old Mrs. Chen sneered, "We don't need to get involved in this. Just leave it to Security Guard Wu."
"Give it to Wu Baoan? Can he handle this?"
"You're like a sow playing chess. Look at your stupid brain. Zhancai passed the imperial examination and became a scholar. That's an honor for the whole Nanshan Village. He's also proud of himself. It's his duty to help with the arrangements. Hurry up and go find Wu Baoan. I'll talk to him."
"Okay, okay, I'll go right away."
......
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