Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 364 Filial Piety_1

Chapter 364: Chapter 364 Filial Piety_1

Zhou Shuren squinted his eyes, "Just buttering me up!"

Zhulan, "....."

She sympathized with Mr. Chen as he boasted.

Zhulan smiled, "I’ll tell you, I want to hold a tea party. We’ll do it during your time off, with tea gifted by the Emperor. I think it will be twice as effective when we talk about Mr. Chen’s storytelling event."

Zhou Shuren held Zhulan’s hand, "Then it’s settled."

The couple looked at each other and smiled, having agreed on how to get one over on Mr. Chen.

At night, the dishes at the Zhou residence became increasingly rich: six dishes in the evening, four meat dishes and two vegetables, and even the servants’ meals included one meat and one vegetable.

The servants, having eaten their fill and garnered some fat, all the skinny young servants and maids gained weight within a month.

The next morning, it was payday for the servants. The steward received one and a half taels per month, and the maids all received 800 coins. Er Yue also rose to one tael, and the three maids following Xing Hua were still young, not able to help much, receiving two hundred wen money each month, while the two maids following Xue Han got four hundred wen.

The older young servants who could all work received four hundred wen a month.

Lady Li and the other masters of the house also saw their monthly allowance increased—Zhou’s eldest son received three taels a month, Lady Li and Xue Han got two taels, and the grandchildren all received one tael.

Lady Li oversaw the distribution of the monthly allowances, and once it finished, she came to the main courtyard, "Mother, Li Qiu, who voluntarily sold herself, has asked for leave to go home."

Zhulan thought of Dong Zhi and Xiao Han, who also sold themselves voluntarily, and remembered that they had followed Steward Ding to Chuanzhou Province yesterday, so they couldn’t collect their pay today—they would have asked for leave too, "She took her pay home."

Lady Li, "Mother, didn’t you let the eldest hire Li Qiu’s family to watch the mountain? Li Qiu’s family should have some silver by now. Why do they still need Li Qiu’s silver?"

Zhulan fiddled with the abacus, "There are several in Li Qiu’s family who need to get married, and they need a lot of silver."

And no one would feel that having too much silver was a reason not to want more. It was also a good opportunity for her to see how long Li Qiu’s family would need her monthly pay, which would help her decide whether to continue employing Li Qiu’s family to watch the mountain.

After Zhulan had settled the accounts and Steward Ding was not at home and there was no rush to sell the shop, she said, "Come on, let’s go visit your grandparents."

Lady Li had been in Pingzhou City for a month now and, being in charge of the household, had little chance to go out. She cherished every opportunity she got, "Alright."

Zhulan took Lady Li and her daughter to the Yang residence, which was guarded by guards. Dismounting the carriage, they went straight to Mrs. Sun’s room.

Mrs. Sun was sitting by the window, "I said you’d definitely come today. Your father said you were too busy to come. I even made a bet with him, and I won."

Yang Dayong laughed, "Yes, you won."

Zhulan brought two sets of clothes, "The season is about to change, so I made two sets of clothes for father and mother. Could you put them on to see if they fit?"

Mrs. Sun said verbally, "You’re busy enough, you don’t need to make us any clothes."

But her hands earnestly felt the fabric, having never encountered such fine material in her lifetime.

Zhulan had chosen the finest materials. Now, not only could she afford to wear them, but her parents could too. She had bought a total of three bolts of fabric in Chuanzhou Province. They were best suited for the elderly in the summer, breathable and comfortable.

With a smile, Zhulan took the clothes and helped her parents change. After the change of clothes, her parents looked even more like the venerable lady and lord of the house. It wasn’t that Wu Chun wouldn’t buy for them, but the Yang family’s resources were well known to have been nearly spent, and they were now relying on Wu Chun’s official salary!

Wu Chun’s salary was not insignificant, but it was barely enough to support a large family and several servants. Now, they managed to get by without spending silver on grain.

Zhulan said, "We still have some fabric at home. When we go back, I’ll make another two sets of clothes for you so you can change."

Yang Dayong also treasured the clothes he wore, feeling moved that in his old age he hadn’t missed out on his daughter’s filial piety. They had consumed quite a bit of ginseng he brought with him, "Your business is growing, and you’ve spent quite a lot of silver recently. Future expenses will be even greater. Don’t spend money on us anymore. We have enough clothes. We’ll shamelessly accept this set of clothes you’ve made, but please don’t make any more for us."

Zhulan smiled, "Father, I sold the house in Pingzhou for one thousand three hundred taels, and I still have some silver left. Don’t worry about me. You and mother just wear it comfortably. This is also what Shuren wants."

Yang Dayong was astonished to hear this; was the house in Pingzhou City really worth that much? And to hear that it was the son-in-law’s idea, Yang Dayong beamed with joy. He had been worried about the son-in-law having objections.

On the way from the capital, his daughter had spent a lot of silver. In Pingzhou, every time his daughter went shopping, she would send provisions to the Yang residence. Now, the meat the Yangs ate had been sent by his daughter. Right, and the medicine for strengthening his and his wife’s health had been bought with his daughter’s silver.

He and Mrs. Sun were pleased their daughter always thought of them, but were worried about the son-in-law’s perspective, considering he was now a prefect and his status had changed. He had deliberately asked Wu Chun to inquire; the Deputy Magistrate’s family in Lizhou Province had three concubines, and the Circuit Intendant’s family had quite a few as well. He was afraid the son-in-law might have similar ideas.

Even with Wu Chun’s reassurances, his heart had been uneasy. Now, hearing that it was a gesture of respect from his son-in-law, he felt much more at ease.

Zhulan sat with her parents for a while and did not stay for a meal at the Yang residence. She returned home with her daughter and Lady Li.

Time flew by, and three days later, Steward Ding returned with Dong Zhi and Xiao Han. It took three days because the porcelain and flowers needed careful transport.

This trip had cost Zhulan a considerable amount of silver. The five tea sets alone had cost two hundred and forty taels, and the exquisite bowls and plates cost eighty taels—an entire carriage full of bowls and plates.

Zhulan also had numerous vases brought back, all meant for floral arrangements. Indeed, floral arrangement was practiced in this dynasty, and her tea-tasting event would incorporate it.

Zhulan, although she hadn’t specifically studied floral arrangement, had often seen her grandmother handling flowers. Plus, she had seen plenty of floral arrangement works and knew a bit about it.

This trip had cost Zhulan four hundred and fifty taels, and her heart ached at the expense. She told Steward Ding to take the two young servants to collect their wages and then go rest.

Zhulan called for Er Yue and told her to take Da Han to cut some bamboo and tree trunks to bring back.

When Zhou Shuren got home, he saw the assortment of bamboo and tree trunks and asked Zhulan, "What do you need these bamboo and tree trunks for?"