Chapter 132:
Thinking rapidly
Li Daniu’s Mother was already red-eyed with jealousy.
Today when she was selling small vegetables, she deliberately looked around the market.
She didn’t see Luo Zhi’er’s figure.
With her size, she could be spotted at a glance, which meant she simply didn’t go to the market to sell.
She even said that Luo Zhi’er was restless with that appearance, running around wildly all day when her man wasn’t home, not knowing which paramour she was fooling around with!
From now on, she couldn’t let her be so free, strutting around with her tail up
Her mouth was faster than her brain,
“Yo! Did you sell out all that cartload of things this morning?”
“What did you sell? Where did you sell it? Was it to that man who came to the village in a horse carriage looking for you last time? Could it fetch so much silver?”
“Tell us, so we can make some pocket money too!”
“Daniu’s Mother, what are you doing? What people sell is their business. Who in the village would tell others about their money-making livelihood?”
Zheng Da Niang said.
“Would you be willing?”
Li Daniu’s Mother was furious inside, this meddlesome old Zheng woman.
“Yo, what benefits did this Luo Zhi’er give you that you’re so eager to speak up for her?”
“Heh! What you’re saying, I’m not the type to love taking petty advantages.”
Zheng Da Niang retorted.
Li Daniu’s Mother didn’t want to trade sharp words with the old Zheng woman!
She was thinking, last time Old Li Tou’s family collected acorn beans and always picked mushrooms; could it be that someone in town was buying these things?
Meanwhile, Zhao Er’s Wife and Aunt Huaihua were refuting Miaomiao,
“Miaomiao, lying at such a young age, what nonsense are you talking?”
“Could your mother have silver to buy a mule cart?”
Miaomiao’s little face turned red with anger.
Luo Zhi’er heard all their words in her ear and sneered,
“Miaomiao didn’t talk nonsense; this is the dowry my dad left me. I had no silver at Old Li Tou’s house, but at Old Luo Tou’s house, I’m not shortchanged!”
Luo Zhi’er said confidently.
No wonder she had silver to pay compensation.
No wonder the mother and daughter didn’t go hungry.
No wonder she had silver to buy a mule cart?
Luo Zhi’er had thought it over: no stealing, no robbing; since she bought it, there was no way to hide it, so she would be open and aboveboard.
Li Daniu’s Mother’s eyes were nearly bloodshot.
This little hussy, how could she spend money so lavishly? Wasting silver?
What was the mule for?
With money, she didn’t know to save it; a mule cost at least five or six taels, right?
Her family’s Da Niu’s marriage had been announced with a betrothal gift of two taels of silver for a long time, but no one paid attention.
This was one of the reasons it was hard for him to get a wife; she just wanted to marry one who didn’t cost money.
As long as she could lay eggs, manage the home properly, endure hardship, be easy to control, and serve her mother-in-law well!
Luo Zhi’er at Old Li Tou’s house, they had all seen her work with their own eyes.
To actually spend six taels, it felt like Luo Zhi’er had spent her money, which hurt deeply.
The more she thought, the more she felt these things should be hers; she as the mother-in-law was still wearing patched clothes!
This also strengthened her idea to quickly turn Luo Zhi’er into her family’s daughter-in-law.
Perfectly, Li Sanmao wasn’t home, squatting in jail! Heaven was helping her too!
On the way back to the village, the mood of everyone in Zhao Maogen’s cart was not good, including Zhao Maogen.
This Luo Zhi’er could afford a mule cart today, and tomorrow she could afford an ox cart; wouldn’t that surpass him?
Thinking about it, her heart felt so uncomfortable, tugging painfully; all along the way, her brows furrowed then relaxed, relaxed then tightened.
Of course, the matter of Luo Zhi’er buying a mule cart spread throughout the entire Zhao Li Village before the next day.
Chattering away, people said all sorts of things.
Saying her guts had fattened, daring to secretly stash silver
Saying Old Luo Tou was really good to this fat daughter, who knew how much dowry he left for this foster daughter.
Saying her Old Li family all went to big jail, and she still had the mind to go to town eating, drinking, and having fun, buying a mule cart!
Heartless!
Some said her silver’s source was unclear, unlikely to have been left by Old Luo Tou.
Who would leave so much money for a foster daughter?
A girl child isn’t worth much!
If Old Luo Tou really had silver, why didn’t he find a woman to warm his quilt and have his own?
There were also rebuttals; after all, Old Luo Tou doted on his daughter, and that was well-known in Luojia Village.
In short, there was still quite a bit of jealousy.
“This fat hussy Luo Zhi’er, what good fortune! Old Li family all old and young in jail, she got unconditional release, Old Luo Tou died and still left her dowry.”
“Look at that, more than the dowry we get from our own parents!”
After all, just one mule cart was five or six taels of silver, Zhao Er’s Wife said indignantly.
When she married, her parents had deducted all the bride price money given to Zhao Er’s side and used it as pension.
They gave her just two hollow fake cotton quilts and a few pairs of socks as dowry.
Thinking of the white eyes and torment from her mother-in-law over these years, she felt deeply aggrieved.
Fortunately, Zhao Er was barely okay to her; saying okay, right after she married over
Because she argued with her father-in-law, Zhao Er was instigated by him and slapped her!
It only changed after she gave birth to Zhao Zhao; otherwise, she wouldn’t have the motivation to stay in this family.
Zhao Er advised her, “Enough, comparing with others only makes you mad to death. You’re at this age, why compare with a young one?”
“You’re living life with me, the kids are this big, as long as I’m good to you!”
“I’m just upset; why can Luo Zhi’er with that character enjoy such things?”
“A few days ago she said her family had no vegetables when they needed them, no grain when they needed it; turns out she was fooling me!”
“Old Luo Tou just doted on his daughter; what can you do?”
“Besides, she’s not that close to you; no need to explain the family situation so clearly.”
Zhao Er reminded her.
“Zhao Er, I’m just saying a couple things to you, how come you’re speaking up for her inside and out?”
He didn’t know that Aunt Huaihua felt Luo Zhi’er was poor and petty, which made her feel bad; young wives all had to suffer for a few years after marrying, and she did.
Zhao Zhao’s wife Xiao Cui wasn’t so comfortable under her either.
How come Luo Zhi’er was completely different now?
“I’m just telling the truth!”
“Telling the truth, this is how your life will be!”
Zhao Er was half-dead with anger!
“Li Sanmao dotes on her, Old Luo Tou dotes on her, even dead he left silver for her to buy a mule cart? No way, her dad, let’s buy a mule cart too!”
“Ah, it’s not that easy; that’s five or six taels of silver, enough for a whole year’s expenses.”
“I’m old now, how come I can’t even ride a mere mule cart?”
“I’m a generation older than her, so I should live better than her, ten times better! Twenty times! Her dad, it’s all because you’re useless!”
Zhao Er was stunned, a ball of fire lodged in his heart.
“Hmph! Oldest Brother too; married so long and hasn’t let me enjoy any good fortune.”
“Only thinking of his wife and son on the warm kang, I’ve raised him for nothing!”
“When can I live in a grand house like the one I saw in the city last time? No, even a spacious green brick big tiled house like the Village Chief’s would do; I want to ride in a horse carriage this lifetime.”
“Not to mention, even Zhao Xiaomei lives in a big house now; I wonder if I have this good fortune?”
Seeing her talk more and more outrageously, Zhao Er flew into a rage: “Yes, I’m useless; then you take back the ten taels of silver bride price we sent to your family, couldn’t that buy a mule cart?”
“Want to live in a good house? Then go earn silver, go earn some and see if it’s that easy? All day comparing with those women in the village.”
With that, he stood up, hugged the bedding, and went out the bedroom door.
At the doorway, he turned around with glaring eyes and said: “Warning you, Huaihua, I still remember you badmouthing me as useless; if you dare talk nonsense about Zhao Zhao again, I’m not done with you!”
Zhao Er angrily went to the woodshed and made do for the night.
This was the first time in so many years he slept in the woodshed.
This matter was always the most humiliating and irreconcilable thing in Aunt Huaihua’s life.
Her maternal family didn’t support her and even came asking for handouts later, making it so hard for her to hold her head up in the Zhao family all these years.
Only after her mother-in-law and father-in-law passed did she finally turn things around a bit.
Eldest son Zhao Zhao heard his parents arguing; his wife Xiao Cui gave him a look, signaling him to go check the situation.
At the doorway, he happened to hear his mother say he was useless and couldn’t let her enjoy fortune, and his heart instantly cooled by half.
He didn’t go in and went straight back; Xiao Cui was on the kang coaxing little Xin to sleep and asked him, “Zhao Zhao, what’s wrong?”
After a long while, he couldn’t recover and forced a smile,
“Nothing, you and Xin Ge sleep first; I’ll go check on Dad.”
“Hey.”
He thought his parents raising him was like him raising his own Quan Ge’er and Xin Ge’er, selfless.
Mom having selfishness was understandable.
Sons and daughters-in-law being filial to her was only right; with his ability and family background, he felt letting them eat their fill, wear warm clothes, and have no worries about food and clothing was filial.
But the luxuries of the upper class were truly beyond his power; his worth was just that, born as a rural person farming the land.
Mom’s desire for money was never satisfied, always wanting to outdo others.
Seeing others with nice clothes, she wanted clothes; seeing nice bracelets, she wanted bracelets in a roundabout way; seeing big houses, she wanted a big house.
He was actually so tired; elders above, little ones below, his wife had to watch the children and do housework, no freedom to help him earn money!
Letting Mom ride mule carts, horse carriages, live in golden mansions—that fortune, even if it skinned him several layers, he was powerless.
Next door at Li Zheng Sen’s house.
“His dad, what do you think?”
Zhao Xiaomei frowned, still hung up on this matter.
Her family still hadn’t bought an ox cart yet; going to town was still riding Zhao Maogen’s ox cart.
Wei Zi had originally planned to buy one by year’s end to show off in the village.
Thinking of Zhou Shi’s envious, jealous, hateful gaze, she felt relieved; she really hadn’t expected her family to buy first?
Though it was a mule cart, it wasn’t cheap either!
