Lady Gu bent down to open the trunks, and although Lady Zhou remained seated on the edge of the kang bed, her eyes were already fixed on the box.
Lian Manman saw everything clearly from the side. She knew that Lady Zhou had a habit of secretly searching through the daughters-in-law’s chests and cabinets, but she had always turned a blind eye towards Lady Gu. There were probably two reasons for this: first, Lady Gu spent most of her ti living in the town, and second, Lian Shouren had the status of a Scholar and was hopeful of becoming an official, so Lady Zhou had always given Lady Gu, the "Scholar’s wife," so respect in anticipation of her possibly becoming a "Mada Official" in the future.
But now the situation had changed. Old Master Lian had revealed in a recent conversation that he had given up hope on Lian Shouren becoming an official. As Old Master Lian’s confidant, Lady Zhou must have been aware of his decision. Therefore, Lady Zhou no longer had any reason to hesitate when it ca to Lady Gu.
Additionally, with the issue of the high-interest loans, Lady Zhou loathed Lady Gu imnsely.
Now in Lady Zhou’s eyes, Lady Gu not only could not be seen as superior, but she was even less than the Lian Family’s other daughters-in-law. Lady Zhou was determined to assert her authority as a mother-in-law and give Lady Gu a hard ti.
Lady Gu opened several trunks but didn’t touch the two at the very edge.
"What’s in these that you don’t want to see?" Lady Zhou said displeased.
"No, Mother," Lady Gu hastily explained with a smile, "those belong to the master and , all opened. Those two..."
As she spoke, Lady Gu glanced at Lady Chiang and Lian Jizu.
"Those two are for Jizu and his wife’s things."
Since the daughters-in-law’s chests were to be opened, the granddaughter-in-law’s ones were obviously fair ga. Everyone in this room was her offspring, and there should be no secrets from her. Lady Zhou’s face darkened a few shades more—indeed, Lady Gu was the most cunning and difficult to deal with among the daughters-in-law. She could have just kept quiet and honestly opened all the trunks, but she had to point out those two belonged to Lady Chiang.
She was playing mind gas with her.
Lady Zhou was displeased, and Lady Chiang also felt sowhat uncomfortable, sensing that she was once again put in an awkward position. On one side was her aunt who was also her mother-in-law, and on the other was her grandmother-in-law.
"... just open them all," Lady Chiang said with her face turning red, stamring.
"There’s no need to look at Jizu and his wife’s things; just inspect yours," Lady Zhou said, ultimately giving face to her grandson and granddaughter-in-law.
"Take out everything that doesn’t suit our farr status," Lady Zhou told Lady Gu again.
Lady Gu then bent down again and began searching through the chests.
"So slow, what’s that hanging on your hand. It’s unappealing to look at," Lady Zhou scolded, then called Lian Manman and Lian Xiuxiu, "Xiuxiu, Manman, you two help her search."
Lian Xiuxiu responded and went over. Lian Manman also had no choice but to follow slowly. She had thought Lady Zhou only wanted her there for show, but she didn’t expect to be asked to lend a hand.
Standing beside Lady Gu, Lian Manman clearly saw the contents of the chests. They were filled with silk robes, fur coats, fur skirts, and there were two large fur cloaks.
"Eldest sister-in-law, how co you’ve acquired so many fine clothes," Lian Xiuxiu said out loud, the quickest to react.
"They’re all gifts from the Mada... To raise money, anything that could be sold was sold, but it didn’t seem right to sell what the Mada gave," Lady Gu hurriedly explained, "I don’t have many clothes left; your eldest brother’s clothes are nurous. These finer ones are for Mother, and there’s so for Huahua for you."
As she said this, Lady Gu began taking out clothes from the chest. A stone-green fur coat claid to be for Old Master Lian, a grey squirrel fur-coat in seasoned green for Lady Zhou, a stone-green fur skirt, a silver-grey squirrel fur-coat in silver-red for Lian Xiuxiu, a pink fur skirt, and another small pink cloak.
Lady Zhou showed no reaction, but Lian Xiuxiu’s face lit up with joy, touching the clothes and unable to let go.
"There’s this one for Manman," Lady Gu said, noticing Lian Manman by her side, handing her a green vest.
"I don’t want it," Lian Manman said indifferently, not reaching out to take it.
Lady Gu’s eyes flickered, and she quickly picked out a lotus-pink grey squirrel fur-coat and a fur skirt of the sa color, handing them both to Lian Manman.
"These were specially set aside for Manman. Have a look and see if they fit," she said, even shaking out the fur-coat to compare it against Lian Manman’s figure.
"Hmph," soone on the kang snorted.
When Lian Manman turned her head to look, she saw Lian Duoduo craning her neck to watch this way, her eyes wide with circles, her face full of annoyance. Lian Manman withdrew her gaze and then noticed Lady Gu secretly signaling to Lian Duoduo.
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