??Chapter 621: Chapter 622 Bring the Money_1
Chapter 621: Chapter 622 Bring the Money_1
“A hundred taels?” Muniang raised her eyebrows. Although she was accustod to living a life of luxury, she wasn’t foolish; in Tupo Village, seeing a doctor and getting treatnt would at most cost four or five silver taels. Using so rather good dicinal materials, Muniang herself had previously bought them for Mrs. Lin at a cost of nearly ten taels.
This hundred taels seed rather excessive.
Madam Liu coldly said, “I offered ten taels, and you considered it too little. I suggested that we go back to see the doctor for mother ourselves, but you wouldn’t allow it. Now you’re cursing
for being unfilial. Mrs. Ji, do you really take
for a fool?”
Mrs. Ji’s neck stiffened. Zhao’s illness provided a rare opportunity to ask for money, and naturally, she hoped to gain so extra benefits from it. Initially, she assud that since the Liu Family was accustod to wealth, they wouldn’t be so concerned about money. To her surprise, it seed the wealthier they got, the stingier they beca!
“Hey, with such a big family business, you’re not willing to fork out a hundred taels of silver to show respect to your parents. I’ve never seen such cold-hearted people like you! Your son is still studying and hoping to earn a title,” Mrs. Ji started to scold, hands on hips. “I’ll tell you, if word of this gets out, your son’s entire future will be ruined!”
Madam Liu glared at her and retorted, “We have never shortchanged the money ant for showing filial respect to our parents. We send a sum of money to the village every month, and didn’t we always give generous gifts during the holidays? What kind of trouble are you implying when you ‘let it out’? Are you suggesting that we, the younger siblings, haven’t shown respect to the senior branch of the family?”
Those words really struck Mrs. Ji to the core. Indeed, she was angered precisely because of that. Madam Liu had never failed to send silver coins to the Qiao Old House, but Mrs. Ji’s branch had never gotten a share. Moreover, since they had already separated to live on their own, any attempt to ask the old house for money always t with the parents’ tightfisted refusal; they were saving it for Yuanzhen’s future needs.
Mrs. Ji was seething with anger, unable to garner any benefits for herself. Just the day before, she had purposefully called her son and son-in-law to cause a scene at the old house—an act supposedly in righteous indignation but actually aid at seizing money. Old Mr. Qiao, being advanced in years, couldn’t withstand these younger folk, and it wasn’t until the neighbors couldn’t bear watching and stepped in to help the old couple that the silver was saved. Unfortunately, the altercation caused Madam Zhao to spit blood in anger.
And so, she had been bedridden since.
Upon hearing this news, Qiao Yuanshan was imdiately amused and eagerly went to the old house to admit his wrongs to his father, before “on their behalf” seeking Madam Liu in the prefectural city to demand money.
Mrs. Ji was self-aware enough to know that Qiao Muniang was not easy to deal with, and since she was fearless and shouldn’t be provoked, Mrs. Ji chose to squeeze the Qiao Yuanming branch, which she deed a softer target. As long as she could get the silver, everything else was trivial!
Mrs. Ji, seeing that Madam Liu was unyielding, simply shifted the focus of her attack, pointing at Qiao Yuanming as she yelled, “Your own mother is lying in bed unable to move! How can you remain indifferent? Are you just going to let your wicked wife do whatever she pleases? If you have even a shred of conscience, you’d bring out the money quickly. Otherwise, aren’t you afraid of being struck by lightning?”
Listening to all this, Qiao Yuanming was becoming anxious, but he wasn’t brainless. Madam Liu hadn’t refused to give money, it was just that Mrs. Ji made excessive demands, and Madam Liu didn’t want to indulge her. Mrs. Ji was clearly trying to create discord. While Madam Liu may not have shown the best attitude towards her in-laws, she certainly wasn’t completely negligent, as the monthly silver sent to the family was her doing.
“I, I, I will go back to the village myself when the ti cos, to find a doctor for mother—it’s also a good opportunity for
to see her,” Qiao Yuanming said.
Mrs. Ji ground her teeth, “I’d rather directly…”
Madam Liu’s face turned cold, “Big sister-in-law, if there’s nothing else, you’d better leave quickly. We will naturally go back to see about mother’s illness, and there’s no need for you to worry about finding a doctor!”
Watching Mrs. Ji and Qiao Lianhua still unmoved, Madam Liu bluntly said, “If you don’t leave now, I’ll call soone to drive you out. Don’t think I’m easy to bully!”
Mrs. Ji glared at her resentfully but she was sowhat frightened; after all, things had completely changed since they had co to the prefectural city, and Madam Liu was not one to make empty threats. And besides, there was Qiao Muniang, wasn’t there?
Even if Mrs. Ji realized that she had co off worse for wear and her trip had been in vain, she could only accept it. After all, Qiao Yuanming would be returning to the village, and she could find a way to target him alone then. She didn’t believe she wouldn’t be able to get the money. Clenching her teeth, Mrs. Ji finally led Qiao Lianhua out with her.
Before leaving, she didn’t forget to add, “Rember to go back and take care of mother’s illness, and do it quickly, or she may not hold out!”
Madam Liu, furious, plopped down on the edge of the kang: “The people from the main branch are simply intolerable. Do they think our parents’ illness won’t heal without our money? We’ve been giving our parents silver coin every month for years, I don’t believe they don’t even have money for a doctor!”
Qiao Yuanming glanced at Muniang, clearly at a loss for words that could explain everything and calm down his wife, leaving him no option but to look to Muniang for comfort.
Muniang then said, “What’s the point in getting angry over these people? You might as well have Uncle Three go to Tupo Village to check things himself later. You know the nature of the people from the main branch; they’re nothing but performing monkeys, not worth bothering about!”
Madam Liu huffed, “I suppose it’s been a long ti since I’ve been treated so poorly, I haven’t gotten over it yet. Let’s stop talking about them; it’s irritating. What brings you here specifically? Is there sothing important?”
Muniang laughed, “It’s nothing so important, just wanted you to help
see if there’s any suitable girl you could introduce to my big brother Zhao Jianghe.”
Madam Liu smiled and said, “So that’s it. Since you’ve ntioned it, of course, I’ll do my best to look. Actually, at Yuyang Embroidery House, we deal with won’s matters, and I’m familiar with the regular clients. There are a few girls who are quite nice!”
“Aunt, just don’t introduce soone from a too influential family; I’m afraid they might look down upon us.”
Madam Liu laughed, “With Jianghe’s conditions, who could look down on him? He cos from such a wealthy family, has good character and looks, and his younger brother is a sixteen-year-old scholar. Once this gets out, which girl in Qinghua City could possibly turn him down?”
“Aunt, you decide. Introduce a few with good character, and I’ll ask him directly about his preference. Once his marriage is settled, it will be easier to deal with his brother’s after,” Muniang said while winking at Madam Liu.
Madam Liu chuckled knowingly, clearly grasping what Muniang ant.
While the people inside the house were engaged in lively conversation, in an inconspicuous corner outside, Mrs. Ji and Qiao Lianhua were crouching and sneakily eavesdropping. Hearing such news, Qiao Lianhua’s eyes lit up with brightness.
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