Old Mrs. Mu’s oblivious words made Old Mrs. Jin’s face change slightly.
But she still smiled and shook her head at Old Mrs. Mu: "Dear sister, I’m really sorry.
I just went to the backyard to check how much silver our family has left. Turns out, there’s nothing left, and I just rembered, last ti Da De went to the Capital, we spent fifty silver taels.
Now, our Jin family is going through a difficult ti, I’m afraid we can’t co up with these two silver taels."
"What? Can’t co up with it? Dear mother-in-law, you’re not joking, right? Your husband is a teacher in town and collects quite a bit of gifts every year. Just two asly silver taels and you can’t co up with it?" Old Mrs. Mu exclaid.
After finishing, Old Mrs. Mu kept looking back and forth at Old Mrs. Jin’s face.
The woman in front of her was adorned with gold and silver, yet claid she didn’t have two silver taels—who would believe such words?
"Dear sister, that’s not how it is, our whole Jin family is relying on Yinyin’s dad for work.
Even though we live in the village, we don’t farm! Unlike your family, who are self-sufficient, plowing in the fields."
To Old Mrs. Mu, these words from Old Mrs. Jin felt like a slap in her face.
Without further ado, she stopped being polite with Old Mrs. Jin.
"No problem, if you don’t want to shell out these two silver taels, that’s fine! Dan, go to the room and grab a pound of that tea for to take away.
Tea at ten silver taels per tael, a pound is worth a hundred silver taels, not bad!" Old Mrs. Mu shouted to Mu Dandan beside her.
"Grandma..." Mu Dandan called out.
In her heart, she was utterly resentful of Old Mrs. Mu, who even wanted the tea leaves, was there such a shaless person?
Old Mrs. Jin was taken aback; she hadn’t understood Old Mrs. Mu’s aning at all.
Talking about tea at ten silver taels per tael—was she referring to their family’s tea?
"Dandan, what’s going on here?" Old Mrs. Jin turned and asked Mu Dandan.
Mu Dandan, fearing that Old Mrs. Jin might spill the beans, thought for a mont and said to her, "Grandmother, do you actually have silver? If you do, give it to my grandma!"
Old Mrs. Jin certainly did have silver, but her daughter wouldn’t let her give it, so she couldn’t take it out even if she had it.
"Dandan, grandmother doesn’t have silver. Your grandma wants tea, just give it to her! Give it to her and let her leave!" said Old Mrs. Jin.
"Oh dear mother-in-law, what’s with letting leave; are you treating like a beggar?" Old Mrs. Mu exclaid, hands on hips, raising her voice abruptly.
It was only then that Old Mrs. Jin realized she spoke out in anger, saying whatever ca to mind right in front of Old Mrs. Mu.
Old Mrs. Jin managed a smile and explained, "Dear sister, don’t be upset. I was just joking around with Dandan earlier.
The midday al, I’ve already instructed my eldest daughter-in-law to prepare, so stay here and eat lunch today."
Old Mrs. Mu snorted coldly, ignored Old Mrs. Jin, and instead urged Mu Dandan to fetch the tea leaves.
Mu Dandan had no choice but to go to the backyard to seek advice from Mrs. Jin.
Upon hearing Mu Dandan’s words, Mrs. Jin was so furious she nearly grinded her silver teeth to pieces.
"Ugh! Truly shaless goods, even sucking the blood of my maiden family."
Cursing Old Mrs. Mu, she also inwardly cursed Mu Dade.
In this life, Jinyin’er tirelessly worked like a horse for Mu Dade, for the main family, yet he conspired with that vixen and threw her into prison.
All these grudges, Mrs. Jin rembered well, just waiting for Mu Dade to return, so she could let the whole world know Mu Dade stole the County Magistrate’s concubine!
"Mom, what should we do? Give the tea leaves or not?"
Mu Dandan asked.
The whole Jin family was particular; even tea leaves were good things.
Everyone sold tea leaves by the tael, no one did it by the pound, only her grandma, that bumpkin, would talk about tea leaves by the pound.
"Don’t give it. Head to Old Liang’s place; I recall they have a small tea garden with so rough tea. Get a pound of tea leaves from them, and give them twenty copper coins!"
With that, Mrs. Jin handed over twenty copper coins to Mu Dandan.
Mu Dandan joyfully headed off to buy tea leaves.
As for the front yard, ever since Old Mrs. Jin said she had no money to give, Old Mrs. Mu stopped being polite with her.
Anything that was brought out, if it could be eaten, she ate it; if it couldn’t be eaten, she packed it all in the bag she brought.
In no ti, fruits, snacks, and all sorts had filled up half a bag.
These were all to bring back to feed her daughter Xiangxiang.
At noon, Mrs. Jin still couldn’t co out, while the Jin family slaughtered an old hen to make soup.
They said it was to let Old Mrs. Mu have a taste; in reality, it was to show her who’s boss.
To let her know the Jin family’s life wasn’t any worse than Old Mu Family’s.
Old Mrs. Mu acted as if unbothered, not hurrying to leave even after lunch.
She plopped down in Jin family’s main room; the daughters-in-law and young kids dared not enter.
By evening, Old Mrs. Jin was worn out and had her eldest daughter-in-law ask Old Mrs. Mu when she planned to leave.
It turned out Old Mrs. Mu said she wasn’t leaving. The Jin family was living well.
Old Mrs. Jin was no fool; she heard the old woman’s implication and knew she was determined not to leave without getting silver.
Yet no one could outwit Old Mrs. Mu, so she gritted her teeth and handed over two taels of silver from the storeroom to her.
Old Mrs. Mu collected the silver, took the tea leaves, and packed the bag, heading back to Er Gui Village!
In the backyard, Mrs. Jin was on the verge of a ltdown, especially when she heard Old Mrs. Jin say they’d given up two silver taels.
"Mom, why did you give her the money? You know well she only ca for the money," Mrs. Jin scolded Old Mrs. Jin.
"Yinyin, there was no choice in this matter; your mother’s nothing but a rogue. The hen at noon, each of us barely got a sip of soup; the rest all found its way into her stomach.
Even the fruits and snacks I brought out, all ended up in her bag!" Old Mrs. Jin, as she spoke, wore a look of disgust, revealing just how much she loathed Old Mrs. Mu.
"Mom, now you finally understand the life I’ve been living? Back at Old Mu Family’s, she made empty the urine bucket, sothing I’d never done even in my own ho.
That old woman, just like you said, is a rogue, a thug, even Da De despises her!" Mrs. Jin was eager to vent, spilling all the words she’d never said before to Old Mrs. Jin.
Upon hearing this, Old Mrs. Jin felt heartbroken.
"Ah, I used to think Da De was soone worth entrusting for life, but it turns out he’s just indulged by his mother’s ways, nothing good!" Old Mrs. Jin sighed.
"Rest assured, Mom! The old woman is hard to control, but Da De is soone I still have the ability to control, as long as he dares to co back!"
——
Old Mrs. Mu humd a little tune, reached the town, rented two horse carriages, and returned to Old Mu Family.
Upon arriving ho, she naturally bragged to Mr. Mu about managing to squeeze two silver taels from the Jin family.
Mr. Mu hadn’t gone along, so he didn’t know what truly transpired.
But getting the money, after all, was a good thing.
However, the doubt in Old Mrs. Mu’s mind, she still shared with Mr. Mu.
"Old man, today in Jin Family Village, I saw a figure in passing, looked just like the eldest daughter-in-law!" Old Mrs. Mu said.
"The eldest daughter-in-law went to the Capital, didn’t she? You must have mistaken," Mr. Mu paused his pipe-smoking hand and replied.
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