Gu Chengyu returned to the inner room, had so milk, and fell asleep. Since the relatives and neighbors were already there, they had to stay for a al. Since no one left, the chatter grew lively again.
Mrs. Wang, seeing that the business was done, wanted to rest for a while in her daughter’s room, waiting for her in-laws’ al. She casually pulled He back to the room to have a little private talk. After closing the door and settling on the kang in the west wing, she started, "You silly girl, you didn’t even speak to your old mother just now. Look at your father-in-law, how much he spoils the children he’s had later! See how he spends money? Both you and your husband need to be more mindful! They had so many kids, and one of them is frail and often needs dicine from the town, how much family fortune could withstand such wasting? I’m worried for you!" As soon as Mrs. Wang sat on the kang, she started nagging.
"Mom, how can you bla ? My husband told last night not to interfere, otherwise he would really divorce and send ho. If I go ho, will you and my brother and his wife support ?" He was also feeling frustrated, her brother was not dependable, not doing any proper business. Last ti soone saw him drinking and eating at at a tavern in town, and when out of money, he would co ho to ask for it, not knowing what kind of business he was running. Her mother usually didn’t visit the Gu family without reason, and when she did, she didn’t care about He, always wanting sothing, constantly supporting her parents’ ho, which even her husband began to resent.
"You ungrateful girl, it’s said that daughters lean outward, marrying off and forgetting their mothers." Seeing her daughter getting angry, Mrs. Wang angrily took a swipe at her.
"Mom, I know what you’re saying, but our family hasn’t split up, and the mother-in-law manages the household so tightly that not a penny can be extracted. She only cares about the younger ones. In a few years, the older ones will be of marriage age, and the Fourth is chronically ill and needs constant dication, and the daughter is given whatever she asks for. Now, another little one has co along, and I see father-in-law is overprotective of him. He treats him so preciously, like afraid of breaking him or lting him. I just don’t know when this life will ever get better!" He quickly changed the subject when he saw her mother getting upset.
"Alas! You shouldn’t have been promised to their family in the first place; your mother-in-law is not your own, she’s just no good! I don’t know when you’ll be able to split the household. Once you do, you’ll be the master of your own ho, wouldn’t that be so much more enjoyable than enduring your mother-in-law’s tornt?"
"I know the benefits of splitting the household. But father-in-law would never agree to it. How can the family split with the elders around at ho?" At this thought, even He beca worried. There are two sons who will need to marry in the future, and the house needs to be rebuilt as it’s getting too cramped. At this rate, how much family wealth will be left later? And there’s also the fear that when the younger ones grow up, father-in-law suddenly decides to split the family, and we’d end up with nothing.
"If you don’t split the family, you’ll just end up working like a horse for those kids! You should talk to your husband, try to co up with sothing." Mrs. Wang advised her daughter that without splitting the family, she could never save money. Though she taught her daughter to squirrel away so private money, every ti she ca ho, her husband’s face would darken—it was all for lack of money, wasn’t it? Just then, another matter crossed her mind.
"I heard, on the day your Little Uncle was about to be born, that a wandering monk ca and even gave a piece of jade, what was that about? Did you see the jade? Is it valuable?" Mrs. Wang was perplexed.
He perked up as soon as she heard this, "Talking about this, it’s quite mysterious. That day mother-in-law was giving birth inside, and a monk ca wanting a drink of water. Father-in-law asked to get water and a couple of cornbreads, and who would have thought the monk said our Little Uncle would have great prospects in the future? I wasn’t there when it happened, but the child’s father told later. I forgot exactly what he said, but that was the gist of it. And then the monk gave a piece of jade, saying it was for our Little Uncle. In the end, the monk didn’t even drink the water or take the cornbread and just left. Who knows if it’s true? But I showed it to my husband, and he said it was worthless, just a broken piece of jade, and only half a piece at that."
He recounted this incident to her mother, then thought of sothing, "Mom, how do you know about this anyway?"
"How do I know? You didn’t know this news has spread around several nearby villages now. Who doesn’t know that the Gu family has a child expected to bring honor to the family? I’ll bet that your mother-in-law staged the whole thing! Think about it, all the farming kids here scrape a living from the fields, how could anyone bring glory and honor? I’m sure your mother-in-law has other plans." Mrs. Wang sneered, losing interest in the worthless jade. Her daughter might be foolish, but her son-in-law was not. If he said it was worthless, it likely was. After speaking, she cast a glance toward the main house outside the window.
"What? What could my mother-in-law possibly plan?" He was puzzled.
"Oh my silly girl, what else does it take to make it big? Studying!" Mrs. Wang rolled her eyes at her daughter, feeling that she was not as clever as herself.
"No way, can she even think of that? How much money does our family have? And with one needing dication, how could she dare think about such lofty dreams?" He stared wide-eyed, finding it incredible.
"Why not dare? What doesn’t she dare to dream? That vixen, back in the day..." Seeing her daughter’s bulging eyes, Mrs. Wang felt that her daughter should not know about those past events. If she really let it slip, Gu Changqing would not let her off.
He was now fully engrossed in the thought of sending Little Uncle to study and paid no mind to the half-spoken words of Mrs. Wang. "If she really dares, I’m the first to oppose it. Why should my husband and I slave away for this family while they reap the rewards and squander them like that? It’s like they’re sucking our blood dry!"
Just as He was getting extrely agitated, Gu Chengyi ca in through the door and saw Mrs. Wang on the kang outside, "Mom, are you here? I’m asking the child’s mother to go help in the kitchen. Her big sister-in-law can’t manage alone, and I have to entertain the guests."
Seeing the son-in-law co in, Mrs. Wang didn’t continue the topic. This son-in-law was clever, not as easy to fool as her daughter. Later, she had to find a ti when he wasn’t around to cajole so more money from her daughter. This ti Shan Gen lost money again in business, she’d better patch it up.
"Well, you both go on then! I’ll take a nap here, call when it’s ti to eat." "Okay, Mom, I’ll go out then." Seeing her husband enter, He realized that there were a lot of people today, and if she didn’t go help, her mother-in-law would surely complain afterward. Besides, there were a lot of dishes today, and the kitchen must have so good food again. She hurriedly got up to follow her husband out the door.
Gu Chengyi had long noticed his mother-in-law pull her wife into the room. Didn’t the mother-in-law always co to take a little sothing when she returned? His wife seed sharp, but in her heart, she was foolish. His brother-in-law claid to do business, but which ti did he not say he made losses? Who knows where the money went? Whenever money was lost, the mother-in-law would co to see her daughter, co and demand food and money. Thinking this, he gave his wife a warning glance, hoping she wouldn’t be foolish again.
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