Chapter 228 Let's check the accounts
Ji Ruyan's voice was calm and composed, without any sarcasm or ridicule.
Yet it evoked a sense of shame, like having one's face peeled off.
At least, many people won't seem to be in such a hurry and will plan to go home and talk about it later.
Bai scrambled to his feet and changed to a kneeling position.
"Young Master Xu, you be the judge! Which family's son and daughter-in-law don't hand over their earnings?"
"Alright, since you want me to judge, then I'll ask you: have you separated the family property?"
Bai suddenly shrank back: "We've separated."
"Now that the family has separated, the son and daughter-in-law can independently manage the finances. Why are you still clinging to them?"
"No, my son asked me to manage the household. My daughter-in-law is a bit of a scatterbrain, and my son is also a bit muddle-headed, so I've always been in charge of the household."
"Okay." Ji Ruyan turned to look at Aunt Ding and her daughter.
He remembered Aunt Ding; if he remembered correctly, she had taken on the job of herding cattle in the village.
"Your mother-in-law has finished speaking. Now tell me, your husband wants your mother-in-law to manage the household, and it seems you are unwilling. Tell me why you are unwilling?"
Even though Ji Ruyan's voice was calm and showed no intention of judgment.
But Aunt Ding felt that he was different from the casual way he used to act when she saw him.
It made her want to kneel down too.
He bent his knee, but Ji Ruyan stopped him.
"There's no need to kneel; kneeling doesn't necessarily make you right."
This was clearly a dig at Old Lady Bai, but unfortunately, Old Lady Bai was dull-witted and couldn't understand it.
Aunt Ding immediately said, "Young Master Xu, you don't know, we separated our family many years ago. My mother-in-law has a young son. Since the separation, my mother-in-law has been living with us."
It's common for the eldest son to support his parents in their old age. My brother-in-law didn't give us a single penny, and we accepted it.
As for the power to manage the household, my mother-in-law clung to it fiercely, threatening to hang herself every day because of it. My husband had no choice but to let her continue to manage it.
"We're the ones who will take care of her in her old age, yet we still have to put up with her attitude."
As Aunt Ding spoke, her eyes welled up with tears, and those who knew her family's situation began to speak up in her defense.
Aunt Ding has done all sorts of chores over the years, but she has never eaten well.
Not to mention that Old Lady Bai favored sons over daughters, treating her granddaughter Xiao Huan like a servant, summoning her at will and dismissing her at will.
"Why are you gossiping about other people's business!" Old Mrs. Bai glared fiercely at everyone.
"Girls are born to belong to another family. Do you treat your grandsons and granddaughters the same way? Huh? Who dares to say that your granddaughter is more valuable than your grandson?"
Yes, no one can deny that boys are indeed more valuable than girls, but it's just too much for Old Lady Bai to live and eat at the eldest son's house and treat his daughter like this!
Aunt Ding turned her head and said, "Young Master Xu, if my mother-in-law holds on tightly, I will tolerate it."
But later I found out that she was using the money to help her youngest son!
She took the money we earned to buy chicken legs for her grandson!
My daughter never got a single chicken leg from her!
Why? Why?!
Aunt Ding's voice was somewhat mournful.
Bai glared at him and scolded, "You petty wretch! What charity? It was just a chicken leg, and you're going to kill me? I've never seen anyone as stingy as you!"
"I'm so stingy... I'm so stingy, I'll go with your youngest son! Take out our money and give it to your youngest son to manage!" Aunt Ding started to lose control.
Bai started wailing again: "Did you hear that? Did you all hear that? Ding just wants to get rid of me. She's been like this for all these years..."
"Young master, please don't concern yourself with the squabbles and dog fights among these village women; they're not respectable."
"I'll handle this myself. You should go find Miss Lu," Gu Chengzhou said, leaning closer.
Ji Ruyan waved her hand, "How can it be considered chicken fighting and dog fighting? Don't you think it's the same as... when those people are fighting over things?"
In this world, it's all just a series of squabbles and fights, with no distinction between noble and lowly.
As the two were talking, Xiao Huan's father and her second uncle and his wife came running over after hearing the news.
Xiao Huan's father immediately criticized Ding, saying that she was being unreasonable and didn't know the occasion.
The younger brother and his wife were even better at putting on an act. One helped the old woman up, while the other complained about Ding, saying that it was all their fault for being so useless, otherwise their mother wouldn't have suffered this injustice.
Mr. Bai was so pleased that tears streamed down his face, and he praised her again.
What a touching scene of maternal love and filial piety!
Aunt Ding has now truly witnessed what it means to smell good from afar but smell bad up close.
I've raised this old man for so many years, and it's not worth a few words of nonsense from others!
“Young Master Xu, it’s alright, it’s alright. It was the child’s mother who was being unreasonable. We’ll go home now, we’ll go home now.” Xiao Huan’s father pulled Aunt Ding away.
Aunt Ding shoved him away.
She gritted her teeth in hatred, determined to make a big scene today and keep Xiao Huan's money!
"I'm not going home! I don't care about the pittances you earned; you can give them to whomever you want, but no one can have the money Xiaohuan earned!"
Xiao Huan angrily tried to speak, but was slapped by Ding.
"Don't say anything, just do your job."
Xiao Huan has a bright future ahead of her, and she'll find a good marriage in the future. She can't let that old man ruin it!
She's had enough of this life. Is this old man going to jump into the river?
Okay, she'll go with me!
In that case, no one can say that she drove her mother-in-law to her death!
"Sister-in-law, are you obsessed with money? Aren't we all family? Why are you making such a big deal out of every little thing?" the brother-in-law shouted angrily.
Bai said listlessly, "Second son, do you know how much suffering your mother has endured every day?"
Just as Xiao Huan's father was feeling embarrassed and about to scold Aunt Ding again, Ji Wuyan spoke up again.
“Weren’t we just talking about household management? Let’s continue. Ding, I can tell you’re unhappy with your mother-in-law’s management because she’s using your money to support your brother-in-law’s family, isn’t that right?”
"Yes! That's money my husband worked hard to earn. My daughter can't even eat meat a few times a year..."
Ji Ruyan raised her hand to interrupt Aunt Ding's nagging again.
"Have you calculated how much money you've handed over in total over the past few years?"
"I remember everything!" Ding replied angrily to Bai, clearly not having thought of anything else.
Xiao Huan, however, had already figured it out.
He immediately called out loudly, "Young master, please wait a moment, I'll go get the accounts my mother kept!"
Xiao Huan ran off in a flash.
"Hey, what are you going to do with that?" Xiao Huan's dad was still in a daze.
Bai stopped relying on her youngest son and stood up straight.
A pair of cloudy eyes rolled around incessantly.
"What's the point of taking that? Who knows what she wrote down? Does she think I'm embezzling her money? Eldest son, your wife thinks your mother is a thief! I don't want to live anymore..."
Ji Ruyan interrupted calmly: "Misunderstandings between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law should be clarified, otherwise it will affect harmony. Ding is dissatisfied with you managing the household because she is afraid that you will use the money you have worked hard to earn to subsidize your brother-in-law."
Of course, occasionally buying a chicken leg for your grandson doesn't count. As you said, he's your own grandson, so spending a little money on him is perfectly reasonable.
Don't be surprised by this, Ding.
If you, Bai, feel that your daughter-in-law has wronged you, then we'll check the accounts later to prove your innocence.
If your housekeeper is truly competent, rest assured, I will stand up for you and you will remain the housekeeper from now on.
If the accounts don't match, then your daughter-in-law isn't wrong about you; you're a thief!
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