Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent! Chapter 62 62 Private Room_1

62: Chapter 62: Private Room_1 62: Chapter 62: Private Room_1 After purchasing the ready-made clothes, we headed to the next shop.

The Zhou family wasn’t short on winter clothing, but Zhulan wanted to make a thick quilt for herself and another for Zhou Shuren.

The second child’s family was expecting a baby and would need a new quilt too; if one household got one, it wouldn’t be fair to neglect the others.

Plus, with Rongchuan included, alright, let’s make them for everyone!

For two people accustomed to modern warm winters, the memory of ancient winters was terrifying, especially with the heavy snowfall in the north, where road closures were mon.

In ancient times, aside from the privileged class, no one enjoyed the snowy landscape.

In modern times, Zhulan found even thermal underwear bothersome, but in ancient times, she was all about cotton clothing and thick cotton quilts!

With low agricultural productivity and poor yields, cotton was not cheap—one jin cost as much as a jin of pork.

Zhulan bought twenty jin in one go and some coarse cotton fabric to take home.

Zhulan wasn’t one to treat herself poorly, and she was confident in Zhou Shuren.

Living frugally and pinching pennies every day had been stressful, but now that she had a sense of their financial situation, she found it hard to stop shopping.

Elder Zhou’s heart ached; his face was as white as a sheet, and his fingers trembled.

“Father, mother, are you not frugal anymore?”

He never imagined that the thrifty old lady would begin squandering money as soon as she recovered from her illness.

Zhou Shuren felt he needed to give Elder Zhou an explanation, or else the elder might fall ill from worry.

“Elder Zhou, calculate how much we spent on buying the cow and on medical expenses.

Add today’s expenses, how much does it all add up to?”

Elder Zhou’s pupils contracted as he focused on the key point, nearly thirty taels.

When he realized, he exclaimed, “Father, are we this wealthy?”

Zhou Shuren, “We’re not exactly wealthy, but we do have some savings, and that’s the truth.

Elder Zhou, as the eldest son, I’m only telling you this, and you must not whisper it to your wife.”

No longer anxious, Elder Zhou was quite eager and assured, “Father, I understand.”

Zhou Shuren, “Then I am relieved.

Listen well, our family has over eighty taels of silver coins.

I’m not particularly skilled, and most of it is your mother’s dowry and subsidies from your grandmother.

Just keep it in mind.”

Elder Zhou, “….”

So his calculations were correct; he was calculating how much his father had earned, and the remainder was his mother’s money.

So, his father was currently spending his mother’s money?

So that’s the kind of man you are, father!

Zhou Shuren felt an itch in his hand; Zhulan mentioned that Lady Li had a tendency to mend her brain, and he thought it must have been Elder Zhou who passed it on!

Zhulan didn’t care about the conversation between father and son.

She went on with her planned purchases, buying two pottery jars, three large urns, five pottery bowls for serving food, three washbasins, and a large bathing tub which Zhulan had long been considering; she was fed up with simple washcloths.

Fortunately, the mother-in-law was particular about hygiene.

The household kept separate basins for washing the face and feet, or else Zhulan would have been unable to tolerate it any longer.

The ox cart was nearly full; anyone who didn’t know better would think someone was preparing a dowry!

Zhulan then bought various seasonings, particularly a good amount of salt since what they had at home had been used by Lady Li for pickling vegetables.

Lastly, she went to buy paper for the two sons who were studying.

Unable to afford the good stuff, she could only get the regular kind—at two wen per sheet, one hundred sheets cost two hundred wen.

As for Xuan paper, Zhulan didn’t dare think about it since it was too expensive.

Adding two new brushes, two hundred and twenty wen were spent.

With a cart full of items, the only money Zhulan had left from the silver coins she brought was thirty wen.

Passing by the meat stall, there was no need to save any money—she bought pork belly and a big bone, not a single coin remained.

Even if father had revealed some secrets, Elder Zhou’s heart still trembled.

He felt that after his mother’s recovery, she had bee more open-minded, willing not only to eat well but to spend freely too.

There was a hint of disfort in his heart; the savings his mother had put aside in the past were meant for them, brothers.

Now that she was spending freely, did she feel during her ill health that they had been unfilial and it saddened her?

Upon this realization, Elder Zhou began to introspect about his behavior over the past year; his plexion grew even worse.

The terrible thing about biases is that once someone, like Elder Zhou, believes he hasn’t done well, recalling any of it fills him with immense guilt.

“Mother, your son is unfilial; I have not fulfilled my duties as the eldest son.

Mother, is there anything else you want to buy?

I have thirty wen of private money on me!”

Zhulan, “….”

Oh, private money?

Elder Zhou, impressive!

Even under Lady Li’s supervision, you managed to save thirty wen; looks can be deceiving.

But, what is Elder Zhou fretting over?