Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 98 Grievance_1

Chapter 98: Chapter 98 Grievance_1

Zhulan finally had the time to take a good look at her eldest daughter, who resembled her grandmother both in looks and in her good nature. According to the original host’s memories, the grandmother had raised the eldest daughter for a few years, instilling a character that was gentle on the outside but resolute and opinionated on the inside. Unfortunately, the grandmother passed away too early to nurture her for long. However, even from a young age, she was very capable and had helped the original host a great deal.

Zhulan was very fond of her eldest daughter, who was perceptive and obedient. Importantly, she wasn’t jealous. Today, when Zhou Shuren used the Jade Pendant as a token of trust, she closely observed the reactions of the few children in the family.

The oldest son, knowing more, felt increasingly reassured, and Zhou Shuren kept providing guidance; the boy was growing more and more into the role of eldest son.

The second son was the most thoughtful and shrewd. Even without full disclosure, he had grasped much of the situation, though he showed nothing on his face.

The third son, still very young and quite selfish, never liked Rongchuan much, and his expression changed visibly.

The oldest child was very calm; that boy simply didn’t care much about money.

The eldest daughter wasn’t jealous but instead kept a watchful eye on Rongchuan, as if looking out for her younger sister!

In the bedroom, Zhou Shuren heard some noise and saw Zhulan pulling the eldest daughter inside, then quickly shut his eyes again. He wasn’t planning to go out and give up the space for the mother-daughter pair; he hadn’t drunk too much, but he was exhausted after talking all morning and didn’t want to move from the bed.

Zhulan, not noticing Zhou Shuren’s movements, gestured for the eldest daughter to sit down.

Seeing her father resting, Xue Mei said, "Mother, father is resting. You’ve been busy all day; you should take a break too. I’ll step out."

Zhulan stopped her, "It’s alright, your father sleeps heavily; we can talk without disturbing him."

Xue Mei truly wanted to chat with her mother, as they hadn’t spoken much that day. And then she thought about leaving when the ox-cart returned, so she ended up not leaving.

Zhulan was already on the kang, rummaging through the Money Box. This time, she experienced the original host mother’s feelings when providing for her daughter. She took out five taels of broken silver, put them in a purse, then took out two sets of children’s clothes and placed them in front of her daughter, "Take this money for your use. Your mother rushed to finish these clothes last night, I made them a bit larger, so if they don’t fit, you can adjust them when you get back."

Xue Mei’s eyes reddened, "Mother, the family has already given me quite a lot. I can’t take this money."

If it wasn’t to provide for her, why bother sending New Year’s gifts to the Jiang family at all? It was because they knew the conflicts at the Jiang family were because of her. This year they even gave more than before. Her mother was giving her support and thinking of her and the children.

Zhulan felt a sourness in her heart, "The money isn’t for you; it’s for my grandsons and granddaughters. They both looked thinner when they came over in the summer."

Xue Mei felt a surge of sadness and wanted to cry. She thought about the ten taels of silver they had saved, which wouldn’t leave the children destitute, but couldn’t bring herself to speak. The ten taels of silver were gone. This year, when her husband was to take the Scholar exams again, the family really couldn’t scrape together the money. The in-laws planned to sell their land. The sisters-in-law caused a commotion together, which lasted several days. Even borrowing money didn’t work out. In desperation, the eldest sister-in-law threatened suicide with her children. Her husband then gave up on the exams.

What could the in-laws do? In the end, they compromised. But she was not willing to give up. Her husband was talented and hardworking; she didn’t want all the efforts to be wasted. In the end, she not only gave up the ten taels of silver hidden away but also pawned the bridal hairpin her mother gave her to raise enough silver. It was a pity he missed passing the exams by a narrow margin. If it had not been for the disturbances at home affecting her husband, he would have surely passed this year.

Her husband failing the exams, the sisters-in-law scorned their family even more. The in-laws also lost hope. After the husband failed to pass, they stopped protecting their household. In previous years, the autumn harvest was a joint effort, but this year, most of the work fell on their family. Her husband, already underfed, grew even thinner by the end of autumn. The in-laws acted as if they hadn’t noticed. If she hadn’t encouraged him to try again, and he hadn’t wanted to earn back her dowry money to prove himself, he might have given up long ago.

Seeing her daughter in tears, Zhulan’s own eyes reddened. The girl had lost weight since July, with calluses all over her hands. Her son-in-law looked gaunt, and even with the second son recounting the changes in the eldest daughter’s family, seeing it with her own eyes was much more direct. Embracing her daughter, she said, "You’ve suffered, why didn’t you say anything? How come you’re so stubborn?"

Xue Mei wept harder; her usually resilient character was worn down by the constant oppression. She had never been mistreated at her parental home, but she truly faced hardships at her in-laws’. Both she and her husband weren’t just studying; they also worked in the fields, never neglecting any task. The decision to study was her in-laws’ idea, so why was it that all the blame fell on them in the end? Thinking of her starving son and daughter, she cried even harder.

Zhulan’s heart ached with every sob. The more she integrated with the Zhou family, the more she saw the Zhou children as her own. After hearing about her eldest daughter’s troubles from the second son the night before, she immediately made clothes for her grandsons. The money had been discussed and agreed upon with Zhou Shuren. Touching her daughter’s frail body made her heart ache even more, "Alright, stop crying, it breaks your mother’s heart."

Xue Mei had feared worrying her mother, who wasn’t in the best of health, and hadn’t dared to visit even once during the winter. But seeing her mother in better condition now, she let herself cry, choking back tears, "I’ll stop crying, don’t be upset, mother."

"Tell me about the changes in the Jiang family this year. Both your mother and I want to know."

Zhulan was startled and saw Zhou Shuren sitting up, "Did I wake you?"