Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 117: Bustling_1

Chapter 117: Chapter 117: Bustling_1

Zhulan was indeed a bit tired and didn’t bother to organize the clothes in her bundle, setting it aside to wash them directly tomorrow. She also didn’t want to sort through the things she had brought back from Pingzhou, only wishing to rest for a while. She coughed and asked, "It’s been so long since I’ve lain on a comfortably warm kang, I’ll get some clean clothes out, do you want to change and lie down to rest too?"

Zhou Shuren’s complexion had improved a lot, he had been truly frightened just now. Within those few steps, many possibilities had flashed through his mind, pondering what to do if something had indeed happened to Zhulan. From the moment they had come together, they were inseparable. Fortunately, Zhulan was all right, "Okay."

Zhulan took out clean clothes, and she and Zhou Shuren didn’t avoid each other while changing, anyway, they were both wearing undergarments. However, Zhulan couldn’t help but glance at Zhou Shuren, realizing that she had long since let down her guard around him!

After changing clothes, they lay in the warm bed to rest, neither of them sleeping. Zhulan thought about how anxious Zhou Shuren had been for her, while Zhou Shuren thought about Zhulan.

When dinner was ready, two hours later, their third son and eldest son returned from studying, knowing that their eldest sister-in-law had caused trouble and their father had a dark look, neither dared to approach the main house.

After resting, Zhulan and Zhou Shuren’s complexions were much better. Since Zhulan hadn’t given any instructions and Lady Li had offended the eunuch, she didn’t dare to come and ask, but she wasn’t foolish enough not to know to please them. The staple was cornbread, served with sauerkraut stewed fish, and she had even made a bowl of dumpling soup with white flour.

Throughout the evening, Zhou Shuren hardly paid any attention to his two daughters-in-law. One of them would cry at the drop of a hat, and though it hadn’t bothered him before, now it did. The other would wail on a whim, and what if that scared Zhulan into a heart attack? The medical care in ancient times was limited!

With Zhou Shuren maintaining a stern face, not only did Lady Li and Zhao Bo stay silent, but the entire Zhou family didn’t dare to make a sound. Normally there would be some chatter at the dinner table, but today everyone was exceptionally well-behaved, no one even daring to make a clink with their chopsticks against the bowls, as Zhou Shuren emitted a vibe of "I’m not happy, don’t provoke me."

Zhulan was tired and particularly desired some peace and quiet, suddenly realizing how important it was to show a cold face when appropriate. Having shown too many cheerful expressions lately, the courage of the household had grown considerably.

After the meal, Lady Li and Zhao Bo carefully cleaned up the table.

Zhou Shuren unobtrusively watched Zhulan, who didn’t offer to help but exchanged a few words with Xue Han before following Zhou Shuren back to the bedroom.

When evening came, Zhou Shuren brought in hot water for Zhulan, who wiped her body and changed into new undergarments before he came in. In her heart, Zhulan felt the meticulous care Zhou Shuren took of her, having intended to chat for a bit, but the coziness of the warm bed was too comfortable; she fell asleep before Zhou Shuren had finished washing up.

Zhou Shuren stood on the floor for a while and, despite his stern expression, smiled. Their blankets were all piled up together. He was a tough-mouthed person indeed!

Early the next morning, Zhulan got up feeling refreshed, but seeing a pile of clothes, her good mood vanished. Today, she had to wash two large basins of clothes, sighing to herself for the nth time how she missed a fully automatic drying washing machine!

For breakfast, Zhulan took out some grain. Morning porridge was made of rice. Their third son and eldest son were studying in the clan school now, and with an hour’s rest at noon, they could come back for lunch without needing to bring buns or pastries, making breakfast much simpler.

After breakfast, Lady Li came to curry favor. "Mother, I see you have a pile of clothes to wash, let me wash them for you."

Zhulan, having arrived at the top of the food chain, didn’t have to do laundry before, it was always Lady Li and Zhao Bo who did it. But she had a bit of a cleanliness fetish; she didn’t like others touching her clothes, not even her own bed covers, "No need, first help me sort through the things I brought back."

Lady Li had noticed the two chests long ago but had been too afraid of displeasing the patriarch to say anything, only able to look on, "Alright, mother."

The two chests Zhulan brought back weren’t purchased by her; she bought intricate items, but the chests were prepared by Clan Leader Zhao Bo. Zhao Bo had helped with finding a shop to buy furniture and made a tidy profit. He already had a family fortune and hoped to establish good relations with Zhou Shuren. Zhou Shuren had given Silver for purchasing furniture, and Zhao Bo sent the prepared gifts to the inn.

Zhulan had no idea what was inside but looking inside one chest, she found two cloaks lined with rabbit fur, intended for Zhulan and Xue Han based on the colors. Rabbit fur wasn’t expensive, both items together could be worth three silver taels. There was also some fabric within.

In the second chest was meat, with packets of sauce-cured meat and some raw meat. Zhulan examined it closely, "Beef?"

Lady Li had never eaten beef but had seen many types of meat before, "Mother, it doesn’t seem like beef, it looks to me like deer meat, my father has hunted it before."

Zhulan thought it was a pity; she had thought it was beef. However, she also knew that roe deer meat was quite delicious. In ancient times, there were many wild animals, and no animal protection laws existed, so the variety of exotic meats eaten was exceptionally broad, unlike today where almost any edible thing has become a protected species. "Quite a generous gift, we’ll have dumplings stuffed with roe deer meat tonight."

Lady Li had been craving meat for a while, and since her mother left, she had only been left with about two pounds of meat. Moreover, since it was under the control of the Zhao family, she had been consuming it sparingly and had not had the chance to eat meat heartily for a long time. She reaffirmed her belief that the food was better when her mother was at home.

Zhulan took out the preserved meat that had been wrapped; it had frozen solid outside after a day and a night. Zhao Bo had returned the favor with eight wrapped packages, one pound each, plus over ten pounds of roe deer meat. Taking into account the two chests for returning the favor, the gifts were not light.

The two chests that Zhao Bo sent back were not the cheap goods bought by Zhou Shuren; the wood was of good quality, and both chests were small but finely crafted, with carvings.

Lady Li took a liking to the chests and couldn’t stop stroking them with her plump hands.

Zhulan, "...cleaning off the dust?"

With a thick skin, Lady Li did not sense the sarcasm, "Mother, these two chests are really beautiful."

Zhulan rolled her eyes inwardly and immediately assigned them, "Stop coveting them; I’m not giving either chest to anyone."

Lady Li withdrew her hands. If her mother had wanted to give the chests to someone else, she might have tried to argue her case, but since her mother said she wouldn’t give them to anyone, she didn’t dare to make a sound, "Mother, I’ll go cut the roe deer meat into small pieces."

Zhulan instructed her, "About one pound per piece."

"Alright."

Once Lady Li had divided the roe deer meat, Zhulan called Zhou Shuren over. Carrying a wrapped piece of preserved meat and a pound of roe deer meat, Zhou Shuren went to visit the Clan Leader.

Zhulan asked her eldest to follow and borrow an ox from the Clan Leader’s house, then go to the Yang family to deliver two wrapped packages of preserved meat and four pounds of roe deer meat, and also to send a package of preserved meat and a pound of roe deer meat to her eldest daughter’s family.

As for the hairpin, Zhulan wasn’t in a hurry to give it; she planned to wait until her daughter moved in to give it.

Afterward, she gave the cloak to Xue Han. Xue Han, still being a young girl, cherished it too much to wear it. She put it on and then didn’t want to take it off, even took a walk around the yard in it, but soon hurried to take it off and put it away.

Zhulan’s cloak was grey, and so was the rabbit fur. She preferred Xue Han’s light green cloak with white rabbit fur; she couldn’t look at it any longer, or she would feel envious!

Zhulan didn’t bother with Xue Han’s dirty clothes. She always taught Xue Han to take care of her own affairs, even as a mature girl, never letting Lady Li or Zhao Bo help.

Zhulan spent an entire day washing clothes. Doing laundry in ancient times was torturous. She, being the elder in her mother-in-law’s household, never ran out of hot water and didn’t suffer much with her hands. However, most other farming households largely left laundry to the daughters-in-law, with hot water hardly enough for a single pot; in the dead of winter, their hands often suffered frostbite to some degree.

Oh yes, the alternative history had soap, which Zhulan found surprisingly delightful-- at least there was no need for wood ash.

The tooth powder from this alternative history wasn’t too bad either. Although it was not as good as modern toothpaste, it was still decent. The Zhou family had always used tooth powder. After Zhulan transmigrated, she found out they only brushed their teeth in the morning and immediately set a new rule to brush morning and evening.

In the evening, while making dumplings, Zhulan heard the noise from Old Wang’s house during the day and remembered to ask Lady Li, "What happened at Old Wang’s house again?"