Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 177 Lesson_1

Chapter 177: Chapter 177 Lesson_1

Xue Han’s heart sank. During her last visit to the county office, her mother warned her to always be on guard around others. She understood that people wore different faces, with good and bad intertwined. The status of a person determined their viewpoint on the value of life, and the lives of those at the bottom were deemed worthless. "Strip Wang Ru of all her possessions, leaving only enough to send a message."

Zhulan’s eyes filled with satisfaction once more and she continued to ask, "Wang Xin and Wang Rong also have a considerable amount of silver coins, what should be done about them?"

Xue Han fell into silence for a few seconds. "Take it all."

Zhulan smiled. "If I were Shi Qing, I would leave the silver coins with these two sisters."

Xue Han was puzzled. "Why would Mother do that?"

Zhulan took a sip of her tea. "Because the three are now living together, yet Wang Ru clearly treats her sisters as maidservants. Besides that, Wang Ru’s reputation implicates her sisters, and the strife among them is already intense. Leaving Wang Xin and Wang Rong’s silver coins serves two purposes: it directly warns Wang Ru to recall exactly how much she took from them, and secondly, it accelerates the conflict between them. It threatens Wang Xin and Wang Rong with the constant risk of losing their money, leaving them with no choice but to be obedient. This way, we can buy their loyalty and have them monitor Wang Ru."

After all, if she were Shi Qing, that’s what she would do. Shi Qing was a victor in domestic scheming and wouldn’t fall short of her ideas.

Xue Han gasped. She had always thought physical harm was the most ruthless, but after listening to her mother, she realized that attacking the heart was far more vicious. She had learned a great lesson this day.

That evening, Zhou Shuren returned from the county and said to Zhulan after dinner, "The day after tomorrow, Mrs. Dong and Ms. Dong will be coming over for a visit. See to it that the house is tidied up, and if you need to prepare and buy any groceries in advance, write a list for me to bring back from the county tomorrow."

Zhulan was surprised. "Why would they come to visit us?"

It wasn’t a match, after all. The others were officials’ families who often declined invitations from many in the county. Moreover, their families had only just visited for the first time, and even if it was a return visit, half a month had gone by—wasn’t it a bit late?

On his way back, Zhou Shuren had been pondering the County Magistrate’s intentions and had come to understand quite a bit. "The elder daughter of the Dong family has become a widow. Her first marriage was an upward match, and life has been hard for her. If her husband hadn’t died, it would have been even worse. To break away from her husband’s family, the Dong family had to give up many benefits. The fact that the Dong family was willing to do so for a married-out daughter speaks well of their character. I guess after their elder daughter’s lessons, the Dong family is looking for a son-in-law they can control."

Zhulan commented, "You’ve certainly gathered ample information about the Dong family’s affairs."

Zhou Shuren replied, "None of this is a secret; I just hadn’t asked about it before. After my last trip to the county, I made the necessary inquiries."

Zhulan asked, "Has the Dong family also inquired thoroughly about us? Tell me, which of our sons has caught Mr. Dong’s eye?"

"That’s precisely why Mrs. Dong wishes to come in person to see for herself. As for which one has caught their attention, we’ll know in due course."

Zhulan said somberly, "I was thinking of waiting another two years to arrange a match, but now it seems impossible."

Zhou Shuren laughed. "Don’t think too highly of our sons. Chang Lian is selfish and slippery, Chang Zhi is inept in managing domestic affairs; it’s possible that the young lady might not fancy either of them!"

Zhulan thought it over and agreed. "Dong Chuchu is still a young girl, and the Dong family surely dotes on her. Her opinion will be very important."

Especially after the lesson learned from their elder daughter’s experience.

Zhulan and Zhou Shuren were not opposed to this. Putting themselves in the Dong family’s shoes, they had similarly considered Xue Han’s prospects back then. They could understand the concerns of fellow parents. Of course, there was also the reality that their opposition would have been futile due to the difference in status between the families.

Zhulan pondered the menu and took Zhou Shuren’s pen to write a list. Their family didn’t have the means of the Dong family to procure rare ingredients; all she could offer were dishes that Lady Li was confident in preparing. She had no wish to put on airs and risk leaving a bad impression if things backfired.

Zhulan handed the list to Zhou Shuren. "When you go to the county tomorrow, buy some spices and pastries, and don’t forget the wine; we don’t have any good wine at home. Everything to buy is on the list."

Zhou Shuren glanced at it. "Aren’t you buying any meat?"

Zhulan shook her head. "There will be fresh pork from the butcher’s family tomorrow; I’ll have Lady Li go early to purchase what’s needed for the marinating. We can also get fresh fish from the village, no need to buy from the county."

Zhou Shuren folded the list. "As long as you have it all figured out."

Zhulan added, "There’s no need to take the sons out of school the day after tomorrow; that would seem too calculated."

Zhou Shuren agreed, "No need to take them out of school."

Zhulan put on her shoes and stepped down. "I’m going to tell Lady Li what to buy tomorrow."

"Alright."

Zhulan found Lady Li in the kitchen. "Boiling water?"

Lady Li put down the fire poker. "With the onset of summer, the children suffer in the heat. Regular baths make them feel more comfortable. Mother, did you need something?"

Zhulan realized she had been neglectful. Her eldest grandson was no longer young, and the second grandson was growing up as well. The eldest son’s room was too small, and Yushuang was getting older, too. It was unfortunate that the Zhou family had no spare rooms. She would have to think about how to rearrange her grandsons’ living situation.

Zhulan gestured for Lady Li to sit. Seeing her mother-in-law’s kind expression, Lady Li felt at ease.

Zhulan said, "Tomorrow, the butcher will be slaughtering a pig. You’ll need to buy two pounds of pork belly, two pig knuckles, half a pig’s liver, and four pig’s feet to prepare."

Lady Li was surprised. "Mother, are we having guests over?"

Zhulan nodded. "Yes, after you’ve bought the meat, head over to the hunter’s family. They have raised rabbits—buy two to bring back."

Lady Li took note of everything. "Mother, when will the guests arrive tomorrow?"

"The guests will come the day after tomorrow. Your water is boiling; you can go ahead with your work, I’ll head back now."

Lady Li quickly tended to the fire. She wanted to ask who the dinner guest would be, but by the time she looked up, the mother-in-law had left. Lady Li pondered over who might be coming to visit, but after thinking it through, she couldn’t guess who it would be.

Zhulan returned to her room. "The grandsons are not so young anymore. They should move out of their parents’ room. What do you think about Yushuang moving in with Xue Han, Mingyun and Rongchuan sharing a room, and Ming Teng moving out next year? How does that sound?"