Chapter 205:
“You think whatever you say we’ll believe? We’re not that foolish.”
“Please take a look!”
Luo Zhi’er opened the chest and calmly and generously invited them to look.
Zhou Shi scrambled over on her hands and knees, reaching out her chicken-claw-like hands to rummage through it!
Inside, besides a few tattered books, a wedding dress, a quilt cover and bed sheet, and a few pieces of tattered clothes, there was nothing else of value!
Li Gui also grabbed a few handfuls. Seeing Li Zuzu and Zhao Zuzu shaking their heads at him, he immediately stopped his actions. “Hehe, I saw there were a few books here and was curious, so I took a look…”
The two had already seen his little moves clearly but didn’t call him out!
Zhou Shi: “Impossible! It must be that you, little wench, hid it, right?”
“Didn’t your father say before he died that he was giving you a large dowry? Luo Wenzhou’s parents were so envious back then!”
How could there be none? Old Li Tou, being so calculating, didn’t believe it either.
Xiao Chen Shi: “Hurry up and say, where did you hide it all?”
Luo Zhi’er sneered, her gaze shifting from Xiao Chen Shi to Zhou Shi and the others. “Father, Mother, leaving aside whether this dowry of mine should belong to me alone, with you having no right to covet it or take it to use…”
“What I want to make clear is that the dowry my father gave me, besides silver, includes this room and these furniture pieces he personally made, the bedside cabinet and dressing table that San Mao carried back initially… including this bed…”
Li Zuzu and Zhao Zuzu nodded. Though these furniture pieces had a somewhat classical style, they were all carved with flowers and extremely beautiful. Luo Zhi’er had protected them very well, and they were all made by Old Luo Tou’s hand.
This showed his love for his daughter. After so many years, it was also the first time they had seen these things!
At this point, Li Sanmao felt a bit embarrassed. These furniture pieces were indeed the ones he had personally carried back from Old Luo Tou’s home.
Back then, his father-in-law had already been slowly making them before passing away. After his father-in-law died, these were carried over from her home.
When they were carried over back then, Li Gui and Zhenzhu had coveted them and incited his mother to come take them away, but he had threatened them back with his fists!
There was also the wedding dress; what was laid and covered on the bed were all prepared in advance by his father-in-law. His wife couldn’t bear to use them and had specially kept them as a memento.
And he, as her husband, truly had nothing prepared, being dirt poor with not even a banquet arranged by his parents!
“Where’s the silver?”
“A total of ten taels of silver. I used part to buy a mule cart, part to buy sheep, bought a bed for Miaomiao, and when you all went to jail, Miaomiao and I needed to live, so I bought some rice flour and oil, vegetables, and spare clothing…”
Zhou Shi listened with heartache. This spendthrift woman.
“The rest, just one or two taels, is also in this bag of yours.”
Luo Zhi’er had explained all her property clearly.
Zhou Shi relentlessly cursed: “Spendthrift woman, we’ve only been gone less than twenty days and you’ve spent no less than ten taels. Does that dead girl Miaomiao need such a good bed? Where does this home have so much silver for you to squander?”
“Hmph! Hand over all this silver!”
She had thought she could get a dozen or so taels more, enough to fill the hole that Li Lei had swindled from her!
She should have gritted her teeth last time and directly split open this wooden chest with a knife to take it, then she couldn’t have squandered it!
With the silver lost right under her nose, Zhou Shi immediately regretted it deeply and beat her chest in frustration!
“As for the rest, remember to earn silver later and pay it back!”
“San Mao’s mother, not only are you trying to get something for nothing, but you also want her to pay you back the dowry her own father gave her? Have you ever thought about what you’ve prepared for this couple?”
Zhao Zuzu really couldn’t stand watching this unreasonable barbaric old woman anymore!
“Hmph! Once she enters my family door, everything becomes the Old Li Family’s. Anyway, she owes me.”
Li Zuzu said: “Alright, San Mao’s Wife has already explained clearly where the silver went. In my opinion, you shouldn’t have had those crooked ideas about the few taels her father gave her in the first place!”
Zhao Zuzu: “Here’s an idea! Since it was all spent on household expenses anyway, you should make it up. Give the silver in this small bag back to San Mao’s Wife!”
They felt it was something she had earned herself, so giving it back was only right.
“What! No way! This is my silver, and we haven’t divided the family yet! None of you think crooked thoughts!” Zhou Shi had already claimed it for herself! How could she give it back.
Luo Zhi’er gave a wry smile. “Thank you, two ancestors. I appreciate your kindness! As for paying it back, Mother only takes in, how could there be any giving out?”
Old Li Tou’s face alternated between pale and flushed, inwardly annoyed that Luo Zhi’er had told outsiders about the family’s affairs, making them a laughingstock and making them two elders look bad.
“Zhao Zuzu, Li Zuzu, it’s really trouble for you two to specially come over for our matter. Mother, however you speak about me and San Mao, we can endure it, but if you insult Miaomiao again, don’t blame me for not being polite!”
“What are you doing? Rebelling, and even threatening me?”
“That’s right!”
Luo Zhi’er said coldly.
“Two uncles, look, does Luo Zhi’er know hierarchy?”
Li Zuzu: “Hmph! I think San Mao’s Wife is right. You can’t just casually curse at little Miaomiao!”
Zhou Shi spat inwardly!
So what if she cursed her?
At this time, Li Zhengxin also arrived. Old Li Tou saw the arrival with a dark face standing coldly at the doorway looking at him, and immediately wanted to shrink his head into his pants waist.
“Hiding what? Now you know shame? What did I just say? Li Depai, does your whole family really not plan to live in the village anymore?”
Li Zhengxin had run over sweating profusely, mainly out of anger.
Seeing the mess all over the room, Li Zhengxin said angrily.
“No, Village Chief, we just… just… asked San Mao’s Wife to settle the accounts!”
“Heh! Ridiculous. Li Depai, are you taking my words as fart?”
Li Depai: “Ah, no, no!”
“There are plenty of people in the village waiting for your family’s farmland. If you really keep not distinguishing right from wrong and act recklessly, don’t blame me!”
“Village Chief, calm down, we’ve realized our mistake!”
“Hmph!”
Li Zhengxin snorted through his nostrils and flicked his sleeves. His words were just farts! He really didn’t want to see this hypocritical old man! Maybe just drive him out of the village!
“What, you were just here earlier?”
Zhao Zuzu asked.
“Hmph, yes… I came to tell them about Li Lei’s farmland matter. Because of this, Old Li Tou even beat San Mao severely, and this father-son pair even planned to kill Bill. Luckily I saw it!”
Speaking of Bill, Zhou Shi rubbed her sore waist and back and couldn’t help wanting to vomit again. Just like Li Gui, she was still trembling in fear. How could she have forgotten it in a moment of impulsiveness…
“What? That won’t do!”
The two ancestors looked grave.
“I just scolded them already. Before leaving the yard, they were still bowing and scraping in promise. Look, no sooner had I left than they started acting up again!”
“Sigh, who can trust such people? It seems we were also fooled by his pretense earlier… Not only did they not keep a low profile after being released with great difficulty, hiding their heads in shame, but they even dare to stir up trouble!”
Zhao Zuzu said indignantly.
Was this completely not taking them several elders seriously?
“Cough… forget it, Zhao old fellow!” Li Zuzu gave them a look. They knew this themselves; no need to say it. Li Gui was still there. Though he also looked down on him, better to wait until after this yard trial…
