Sun snorted coldly, her face displeased. "Mother, if I may say something that a daughter-in-law shouldn't, we can't touch this money now. There are still some things to discuss. If you give the money to the third son now, what will you give him when Butcher Li comes to break off the engagement?"
Old Mrs. Chen paused, withdrew her hand, and put the silver back into the cloth bag.
Chen Zhancai was caught off guard and his heart clenched. What if his mother went back on her word?
She hurriedly interjected, "Second sister-in-law, what are you saying? Qing'er will have to marry him sooner or later, so why would she want to break off the engagement?"
Madam Sun raised an eyebrow. "Third brother, have you gone stupid from reading too much? The eldest son's family was kicked out by Mother and they even wrote a letter severing ties, so they're practically strangers now. You still want to sell Qing'er to Butcher Li? You're dreaming!"
Grandma Chen rolled her eyes at her, annoyed. "Just focus on your work. Is this something you should be worrying about?"
Sun was furious. She was clearly thinking of the family's best interests, but their words made it sound like she was meddling in other people's business. Her face immediately fell.
"Mom, I don't like hearing you say that. What do you mean I shouldn't worry? What if one day they come to the door demanding money? What will you do then?"
"Pah!" Old Mrs. Chen spat. "You dog mouth that can't utter a decent word. What does she need money for? Qing'er will get married sooner or later. Trust me, you won't go wrong. Just wait and enjoy the good life with Zhancai in the future."
Chen Zhanliang curled his lip upon hearing this, "Cuiqin, haven't you figured out what Mother and Third Brother mean? They deliberately gave Eldest Brother's family half a bag of rice bran, just so they would run out of food and then blackmail Eldest Brother into sending Qingya to the Li family. Just shut up and stop worrying about things that don't concern us."
Sun said with a sullen face, "What do you mean it doesn't matter? In my opinion, since the kinship has been severed, my elder brother's family would rather starve to death than come to the old house to beg for help."
You're still trying to blackmail her? Do you think that young girl is a pushover?
Yesterday, her mother made things difficult for her by not giving her pots and pans, but she still got to eat. Wu Baoan not only gave her pots and pans, but also half a sack of millet.
Old Mrs. Chen shuddered. "You're talking nonsense. These days, everyone treats their food like their lifeblood. Why would Wu Baoan give it to that brat?"
Sun snorted coldly, "They not only gave us half a bag of millet, but the village head's wife also said that Qing'er is no ordinary girl and will rise to prominence sooner or later. If we protect her now, we won't suffer any losses in the future."
Old Mrs. Chen laughed dismissively, as if she had heard the funniest joke in the world.
"That brat has no good fortune whatsoever. She's nothing without the Chen family. She thinks she can rise to prominence? I bet not only the eldest son's family are idiots, but even Mr. and Mrs. Wu are complete fools, believing a little girl's nonsense. They're utterly brainless..."
“Believe it or not, the village head’s wife told the villagers herself.” Sun said, glancing at Chen Zhancai, and continued, “Mother, I’m going to make this clear today: if you give all the money to the third son’s family, and if Butcher Li comes and you don’t have the money to return to him, you’ll have to marry Chen Ruolan to him to pay off the debt. Don’t even think about taking anything from the family.”
Old Mrs. Chen was trembling with anger. "Zhanliang, look at the good wife you married. She hasn't even been in charge of the household yet, and she's already lecturing her mother-in-law. She's really gone too far."
Chen Zhanliang remained unmoved. "Mother, I think Cuiqin is right. As the head of the family, you should treat everyone equally. I've accepted that you've favored the third son all these years, but you can't sell Qingya to let him go to school. You shouldn't give the money to the third son before the matter is even resolved. What if you can't deal with Butcher Li?"
Old Mrs. Chen slapped her thigh, about to burst into tears, when Chen Zhanliang said again, "Don't try to make a scene with your tears and threats of suicide. That trick works on my eldest brother, but it won't work on me. Let me make this clear: if you insist on giving the money to the third son, you won't be able to cover this hole later. Don't even think about harming our second branch of the family. I won't go to the palace to become a eunuch, and I won't allow you to have designs on my two sons."
Old Mrs. Chen's face turned pale, and she almost fainted. Pointing at Chen Zhanliang and Sun Shi, she cursed, "You two heartless bastards! You believe what outsiders say, but you treat your mother's words like farts. Would I do something I'm not sure of? I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice in my life, and I've crossed more bridges than you've walked roads. If you don't believe me, just wait and see if I'm right."
Old Chen puffed on his pipe, feeling uncertain. After separating his eldest son's family, he felt a void in his heart. He felt that the young girl had changed, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. She was still the same person, but the look in her eyes and the way she wielded the knife when she killed the chicken sent chills down his spine.
“Old woman, think carefully about what Zhanliang and his wife said. The third son’s studies are important, but our family still has to make a living.”
Chen Zhancai's heart tightened. "Father, Mother, I'm sure I'll pass the exam next spring. If we don't have money, how will your son manage? All these years of hard work have been for nothing."
Seeing her most beloved third son looking so wronged, Old Mrs. Chen's heart broke. She glared at him and waved her hand dismissively.
"Alright, all of you shut up. This is settled. The money must be given to the third brother. We'll talk about the rest later."
“I knew Mother loved me the most. When I pass the imperial examination and become a scholar, I will definitely take good care of you.”
"Alright, alright, I believe you, my son." Old Mrs. Chen nodded happily and winked at Chen Zhancai and his wife. "How about this, I'll give you the money tomorrow morning. You can go back to your room now."
Chen Zhancai understood immediately.
Old Chen sighed, tapped his pipe, and silently went inside.
The Chen Zhanliang couple wore gloomy faces and remained silent.
.........
The next morning,
Chen Qingqing had just finished breakfast and stepped out of her room...
Then I saw the Chen family members standing in the courtyard.
Mr. and Mrs. Chen Zhanliang were dejected.
Mr. and Mrs. Chen Zhancai looked smug.
Old Chen was carrying large and small bags of things onto the old oxcart outside the gate.
She knew without even guessing that Chen Zhancai had taken the money and gone to town to make a living.
This person is truly beyond help. He has failed the imperial examination for more than ten years, yet he complains about bad luck. He doesn't realize that he is simply not cut out for studying.
The young ones are ignorant, and the old ones are muddle-headed too, only thinking about wealth and glory, without even considering whether they have the fate to live up to it.
Forget it, it's best not to meddle in other people's business. Our own food supply won't last more than a few days.
The most urgent task is to find out if there are any quick ways to make money.
Touching the ring on my finger that I can't take off.
What is this used for?
It cannot be eaten, nor can it be sold.
I should have gotten that Aladdin lantern; maybe it could have really granted my three wishes.
She shook her head helplessly. There's no going back in life. She might as well go up the mountain and maybe she'll get lucky and find some ginseng.
......
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