Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 154 Spare Key _1

Chapter 154: Chapter 154 Spare Key _1

Zhou Shuren then started making calculations. He was too old, but his sons were of the right age. It was necessary to make plans. An ancient famous teacher could save one from taking many wrong turns. Zhou Shuren knew his own limitations; his success in the imperial examination was not replicable. He had the advantage of modern viewpoints, but his sons did not. It would be better to seek guidance from a renowned teacher for them, while the only thing he could teach them was strategy.

By mid-April, Zhou Shuren had finally finished his social obligations and confirmed his itinerary to return home.

Zhulan entrusted the care of the courtyard to Lady Wu, who was supposed to have turned it over to Zhao Bo. Unfortunately, Zhao Bo had followed his clan to the capital to prepare for next year’s imperial examination.

Zhulan’s family’s quilts could not be taken back and needed to be aired out regularly, so in the end, she entrusted them to Lady Wu.

Now that Lady Wu had finished the tasks for Zhulan’s family, she no longer went to help out elsewhere. Life became easier for her, and recognizing the Zhou family as nobility, she happily agreed to look after things.

The day before returning home, Zhulan accepted Lady Wu’s invitation to visit the temple to pray. Zhou Shuren made a special arrangement for a carriage to take them there.

In ancient times, people were superstitious; temples were always filled with worshippers. Zhou Shuren and Ming Qing had offered incense but were not particularly impressed by the temple’s scenery, so they went out to enjoy the view instead.

Lady Wu was familiar with the temple and, after offering incense, pulled Zhulan along. "The master’s fortune-telling is very accurate; let’s draw a fortune stick," she suggested.

Zhulan’s spirits were lifted. Drawing lots was a common plot in novels, and she was quite curious about what it would reveal, but she decided not to participate. What if the prediction was accurate? She felt uneasy. Lady Wu drew a very auspicious lot, and the master sat very steadily. "What do you seek?"

Lady Wu said, "I wish to know about my eldest grandson’s future."

The master put down the slip of paper, "With the help of a noble person, past hardships are over, and the future is smooth sailing."

The master did not say everything; to have smooth official fortunes was common knowledge in the temple where many officials and their families visited. They had learned to speak only half the truth and keep the other half to themselves, as some words could bring misfortune if spoken out loud.

Chanting "Amitabha," Lady Wu inwardly praised the master’s accuracy and became even more convinced of the Zhou family’s noble influence on her own. "Thank you, master."

Zhulan was surprised. It seemed the master truly had ability, which made her even less daring to step forward. Lady Wu only left with Zhulan after confirming she would not seek a divination.

Zhulan reminded herself not to be curious about the master and not to seek fortunes. Although considered superstition in modern times, there were indeed skilled physiognomists in the ancient era, as she now realized. She warned herself not to get carried away and to maintain a low profile. In fact, she felt some respect yet distance from the temple!

With two carriages for the journey home, having lived nearly two months in Pingzhou, Zhulan had acquired many things. She arrived with five boxes but was returning with seven; Ming Qing also had an additional box.

Approaching May, the snow had melted making the roads more difficult to navigate due to the mud. Although the days were longer, it was already dark when Zhulan arrived home.

Returning home, she had not sent a letter ahead, and the family happened to be having dinner when she arrived.

As the carriages entered the courtyard, everyone came out. Zhou Shuren was just helping Zhulan alight from the carriage when Lady Li, ignoring her youngest son’s outstretched arms, tearfully turned to her mother-in-law instead. "Mother, you have finally come back."

She had finally understood how hard managing a household’s diet was. She didn’t envy the power the steward held; on the contrary, she felt like she was losing hair over it daily, counting the days for the mother-in-law’s return. Now that her mother-in-law was back, she didn’t have to worry about going bald!

With each step Zhulan took, Lady Li followed. If Zhou Shuren hadn’t frowned, Lady Li would have followed her all the way to the bedroom.

After changing her clothes, Lady Li immediately came over. "Mother, it must have been a tiring journey. What would you like to eat? I can prepare it right now."

Zhulan, indeed hungry as she hadn’t eaten much at noon, requested, "Get some wheat flour out, and make some Zha Jiang Mian (noodles with soybean paste)."

Lady Li hurriedly presented the spare key her husband had given her. "Mother, this is the key the head of the family gave me. While you were away, I opened the storeroom. Now that you are back, I am returning the key to you. You should take the wheat flour out for me; I’m not sure about the quantity."

She had been worried that her mother-in-law would not return on schedule, but even before she could worry about the food supply, her husband had produced a spare key, explaining it was left by the mother-in-law in case she didn’t return on the scheduled day. That was when she realized that the mother-in-law had control over everything at home even in her absence.

She thought, the mother-in-law must have had many contingencies in place. Once she received the key, she didn’t even dare to step out of the house for fear that the mother-in-law would return and reprimand her!

Zhulan didn’t take the key. "From now on, the keys are yours. I trust you. Go and take out the wheat flour," she said.

She had specifically had a spare key made before leaving home for Lady Li’s use. She no longer wanted to be bothered with food management. Planning three meals a day was indeed a headache. She had laid all the groundwork, so why would she allow Lady Li to refuse now!