Granny Yang nodded in satisfaction. As long as she kept her eldest son firmly in her grasp, Luo Shi and that good-for-nothing wouldn't be able to cause any major trouble.
After fighting with the awful people for half a day, Shen Yunsheng was hungry. She planned to go back to her bedroom and get the leftover steamed buns from breakfast to fill her stomach.
"Grandma, I've just recovered and need to rest. I'm going back to my bedroom now."
"Okay! Go and rest."
After the old lady made her statement, Shen Yunsheng prepared to take his mother-in-law back to the bedroom.
"Mom, you've been taking care of me day and night these past few days and haven't had a good rest. You should go back and get some sleep."
Qiu pouted in dissatisfaction: "If your mother goes to rest, who will cook dinner tonight?"
Shen Yunsheng sneered: "Isn't there still Second Aunt?"
Qiu was so angry that she put on a stern face. Her mother-in-law had never asked her to cook, but this brat dared to ask her to cook.
Not wanting to offend her sister-in-law, Luo hesitated for a moment before smiling and saying, "Jingchuan's family, we're all one family. It doesn't matter who cooks. You should go and rest first."
Shen Yunsheng was very frustrated. She was fighting on the front lines, while her mother-in-law was eager to be her nanny.
Qiu said with a smug look, "Jingchuan's family, I haven't cooked for many years, and my skills have become rusty. I'm afraid of wasting food."
Shen Yunsheng: "Second Aunt, you can't let your skills go to waste like this. What will you do to take care of my second uncle after he becomes an official?"
Granny Yang strongly agreed with Shen Yunsheng's point of view. Her son was destined to become an official, while Qiu Shi was good for nothing and would only be a burden to her son.
"Wen Kai's family, you'll cook dinner tonight."
"Second Aunt, Grandma is doing this for your own good. If you can't do anything, you'll only be a burden to Second Uncle."
Shen Yunsheng was in a particularly good mood. As long as she could find the old lady's weakness, she could save her mother-in-law from housework.
The daughter-in-law defended Luo Shi, which made Luo Shi feel both happy and worried. The mother-in-law gave in because she was afraid that they would drag down the second branch of the family. Once the crisis was over, the mother-in-law would definitely turn around and punish them.
Shen Yunsheng ignored the angry Qiu Shi, greeted the old lady, and then pulled her mother-in-law back to the bedroom.
Qiu stared coldly at Shen Yunsheng's back, thinking, "That brat will get what's coming to her."
After turning her gaze away, Qiu looked at her mother-in-law with a sullen expression.
"Mother, are you really going to let your daughter-in-law pay for it?"
“You must pay this money. Your eldest brother has given all the money he earned to your second branch of the family. If Yun Sheng fights to the bitter end, it will not benefit you. Furthermore, if the family really splits up, you will not only have to pay taxes, but also perform corvée labor.”
Granny Yang sighed softly, "Even a cornered dog will jump over a wall, let alone a person."
Although she didn't want her second daughter-in-law to contribute money to the eldest son's family, this matter concerned the future of her second son and eldest grandson, so she had to take it seriously.
"Wen Kai's family, you go cook first, I'm going back to my room to rest for a while."
Granny Yang glanced indifferently at her daughter-in-law before turning and returning to the main room.
Seeing that there was no room for maneuver, Qiu had no choice but to go and cook.
Xiao Family Compound, East Wing
After returning to her bedroom, Shen Yunsheng divided the sorghum buns into two portions, and she and her mother-in-law each ate half.
“Jingchuan’s family, it’s all my fault for being useless and causing you to suffer.”
Mr. Luo sighed helplessly.
Seeing that no one was squatting in the corner outside the door, Shen Yunsheng lowered his voice and said, "Mother! Steward Zhou is a very good person. He said that as long as we pay back the money before the Mid-Autumn Festival, we won't have to pay interest."
Mrs. Luo stared at her daughter-in-law in disbelief: "You...you pawned the jade pendant to him, didn't you?"
Seeing that his mother-in-law was very agitated, Shen Yunsheng quickly comforted her: "Although I pawned the jade pendant to Steward Zhou, I can redeem it at any time."
Mrs. Luo couldn't help but shed tears. Ever since her daughter-in-law married into their family, she had never had a good day. If her son couldn't come back, wouldn't that ruin her daughter-in-law's life?
Seeing his mother-in-law's tears, Shen Yunsheng immediately took out the IOU.
“Mother! Actually, I’ve already gotten the IOU back. Once I’ve saved enough money, I’ll redeem the jade pendant.”
“You…you were too careless. If Steward Zhou doesn’t agree to redeem the jade pendant, you’ll lose it.”
The loan sharking issue was resolved, but Luo was not happy. She knew very well how important the jade pendant was to her daughter-in-law. If Steward Zhou changed his mind at the last minute, they would have no choice but to suffer in silence.
“Mother! Don’t worry, Steward Zhou wrote me a contract. As long as I raise enough money, he will return the jade pendant to me.”
Shen Yunsheng didn't want his mother-in-law to know about the ointment.
My mother-in-law is too kind; she's always about to let something slip.
Madam Luo breathed a sigh of relief: "With the contract, I'm relieved. Now that the usury issue is resolved, we don't need the second wife's money."
Shen Yunsheng smiled and took his mother-in-law's arm: "My silly mother, if we don't take the money from the second branch, how will we redeem the jade pendant? Besides, that money is rightfully ours. Over the years, all the money you and my father earned has gone to the second branch. If we don't separate the family, we will never be able to escape the fate of being exploited by the second branch."
Luo smiled bitterly; she dreamed of separating from the family, but her mother-in-law wouldn't allow it.
Seeing her mother-in-law's worried face, Shen Yunsheng gently comforted her, "Mother! Don't tell Grandma and Second Aunt about the loan sharking, otherwise, Grandma will take away the money we earn again."
"Don't worry! I won't tell them."
Luo understood her daughter-in-law's meaning. Once she helped her daughter-in-law redeem the jade pendant, she would save money for her youngest daughter's dowry.
The mother-in-law picked up the large, rough bowl and left the bedroom. Shen Yunsheng quickly instructed, "Mother! Don't help when my second aunt is cooking. Wait a few days, and I'll take you to the market."
Luo nodded in agreement. After she left the bedroom, Shen Yunsheng went to the bedside to fold the quilt.
Xiao Family Courtyard Kitchen
Shen Yunsheng was truly prescient. When Qiu saw Luo enter the kitchen, she immediately smiled obsequiously to curry favor.
"Sister-in-law, this is my first time cooking rice, and I don't know how much water to put in. Can you help me?"
"You can decide what to do yourself. I need to go back and take care of Yun Sheng."
Remembering her daughter-in-law's words, Luo immediately refused. When her sister-in-law first married into the family, she cooked every day to please her mother-in-law. Now, she says she can't cook? Nobody would believe her.
Qiu was embarrassed after being rejected.
Just as she was about to speak, Mrs. Luo left the kitchen.
"You just wait, you surnamed Luo."
Qiu raised her hand and dug into Luo's back in the air.
After returning to her daughter-in-law's bedroom, Luo helped her clean the room.
...
For the next four or five days, Qiu Shi cooked the meals. After eating, Shen Yunsheng and his mother-in-law would either stay in the bedroom or go for a walk.
On the morning of April 20th, the 63rd year of Taihe, Qiu had already gone on strike.
As soon as she got up, she ran to the old lady's bedroom and started chattering incessantly.
“Mother! It’s been four or five days already, and my sister-in-law and her mother-in-law are still holed up at home. It’s obvious they’re hoping we’ll help them pay off their debts.”
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