"Second Sister-in-law, I asked you to steam so eggs; why is there only one bowl?" Ye Qiu was about to head back to the house when a sharp female voice ca from inside.
"I... my mother only gave one egg yesterday, so I could only steam a small bowl." Old Second’s wife, Yao Xue i, replied hesitantly.
"Second Sister-in-law, now you’re pretending to be poor. Why didn’t you say you were out of money when you secretly sent money back to your parents’ ho?" Third Sister-in-law Zhou Qing sneered, making Yao Xue i’s face turn red with sha, bowing her head in embarrassnt.
"Aunt, the money was earned by my father, so what if my mother used it? Didn’t you use the money uncle earned?" A young girl’s defiant voice piped up, her pleasant voice filled with indignation.
"Such a sharp-tongued child at a young age. Didn’t your parents teach you to respect your elders?" Zhou Qing glared at Yang Xiudan, clearly dismissing her.
"Dandan, apologize to your third aunt," Yao Xue i quickly instructed.
"I won’t." Yang Xiudan was fuming. Why should she stay silent when her mother was being bullied like this? Besides, it was her father’s money; what business was it of theirs if her mother used it?
"Dandan!" Yao Xue i was getting anxious, scolding her daughter softly.
"I dare not let her apologize to . If word got out, the elder sister would say I was bickering with a child. Yes, I used the money, but that was my dowry. Yang Lao San didn’t bring any money ho. Besides, our households haven’t split yet. All the inco is distributed by the old lady. Your mother secretly using money to support her family is wrong." Zhou Qing gave the mother and daughter a contemptuous glance.
Hearing this only infuriated Yang Xiudan further. In what kind of absurd era are they living where even sons who are married haven’t split from the family? The first household and the third household not splitting isn’t an issue, but it’s the second household that suffers.
Her cousin from the first household studies, and the tuition alone takes up more than half of the family’s inco. Then her third uncle always shirks work, not bothering with the fields and being lazy all day, yet still demands good food and care. It’s only her parents who work tirelessly, and the money they earn goes to support the first and third households.
It’s infuriating that her parents are so honest and timid, thinking there’s nothing wrong with this. One day she’ll have to split the family to escape these parasites.
She had countless ways to make money in her head right now, but if the family doesn’t split, won’t all the money she earns just benefit the first and third households? Therefore, splitting the family is imperative.
But how should she split the family? The first obstacle was that partial grandmother who wouldn’t want her parents’ hard work given away for free, so she should start with the relationships between the first and third households.
If the first household insists on splitting the family, perhaps grandmother won’t have a choice! But the first household needs a reason for wanting to split the family!
Yao Xue i’s eyes darted about as she put her mind on the third uncle. What if he owed a lot of silver to others? The first household wouldn’t want to share the debt.
She smiled, already having a plan. Anyway, the third uncle never did anything right, and if he made a mistake, everyone would just think it was expected.
Ye Qiu saw her granddaughter smiling slyly at the door, not at all like a normal child.
She sighed deeply, choosing not to expose her. If she wanted to split the family, then so be it. She wouldn’t hinder the girl from seeking progress but also wouldn’t allow her to use the family as a stepping stone.
"Lao San, where did you go yesterday?" At the dining table, Ye Qiu suddenly asked.
"I didn’t do anything, Ma. Didn’t I say last month that I saw a hairpin at the silver shop? I’m working hard to earn money to buy it for you." Third Son Yang Yuxin replied with a cheeky grin.
"Enough. When have you ever not said you were buying sothing for , yet you never bring anything back?" Ye Qiu snorted lightly, but didn’t reprimand him, "Today, don’t go to the county. Co with to the village chief’s house."
Upon hearing he couldn’t go to the county, Yang Yuxin was a bit dissatisfied but obediently asked, "Ma, what’s at the village chief’s place?"
"Yuhe beca an arrest officer, right? Go say so nice things to the village chief and get on Yuhe’s good side for practice." Ye Qiu’s casual words were like a Heavenly Thunder stunning everyone into silence.
The eldest couple exchanged a glance without speaking, the second couple didn’t understand the implication at all, while their daughter rolled her eyes angrily and buried her head in her bowl.
Third Sister-in-law Zhou Qing was stunned for a mont but then ecstatic.
Yet her husband complained, "Why study that? It’s so tiring. I won’t go. Besides, Yuhe looks down on often. I don’t want to follow him; he’d just mock ."
"What nonsense are you talking?" Even before Ye Qiu could scold him, Zhou Qing was already restless, "Your mother is doing this for your good. Quickly thank your mother and then take a golden hairpin from my dowry to give to Aunt Li."
"Another golden hairpin? Isn’t that your most prized possession?" Yang Yuxin gasped, even more unwilling, "Last ti I took my brothers out for food, you were so stingy you wouldn’t even give a copper. Now you’re suddenly so generous?"
"Are you going or not?" Zhou Qing glared at him, secretly pinching his thigh, her eyes filled with a heavy threat.
Yang Yuxin instantly fell silent; his carefree lifestyle relied on this wife of his. Fine, I’ll go — who’s going to control how I do things later?
Ye Qiu could see what he was thinking, snorting coldly in her heart. Letting her youngest son undertake it only in na; she’d still be the one actually teaching, and he couldn’t just opt out on a whim.
Her chosen skill in this lifeti was the Level 8 Body Refining Technique. If the kids disobeyed, she would hit them. If one beating wasn’t effective, she’d give two. After enough beatings, they’d listen.
Ji Qiuyan watched her third sister-in-law’s delight with only envy, but what could she do? Her own family wasn’t as capable as her third sister-in-law’s family, but at least she had a promising son, destined to beco the top scorer in the future.
anwhile, Yang Xiudan was furious. Her eldest uncle had a cousin studying, and her third uncle might be getting a good job soon. Why should their second household work themselves to death and get nothing?
So she vented by stuffing her face with food. With the Yang Family’s status, only the studying Yang Shuchen ate refined rice; the rest had a mixture of refined and coarse rice. Unintentionally, she choked.
Zhou Qing laughed at her on the spot, making Yang Xiudan’s face flush red with hatred for the family.
"In the future, don’t specially cook refined rice for Shuchen anymore," Ye Qiu added calmly.
Eldest daughter-in-law Ji Qiuyan hurriedly replied, "Why, Ma? Shuchen is studying hard and needs the nourishnt. If Ma thinks Shuchen eats too much, then just cut mine and Yuhui’s refined rice; we can eat coarse rice."
Her words were spoken cleverly; everyone ate mixed rice, yet they’d be cooking two extra als of just coarse rice? It would make everyone else think she was such a stingy old lady! And how would the studying Shuchen feel?
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