Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 617 - 317: The Etiquette Controversy Part 2
""If she is willing to work at the shop, after this is all over, we’ll also give her a wage, which can get some fine food for Niuniu. This isn’t a difficult thing," Lady Zhang said, "That day, I made my intentions clear to her, but she just smiled and shook her head."
After Lady Zhang finished speaking, she let out a sigh.
"I don’t think she’s unwilling to come on her own account, it’s more about her family, her uncle Lian Shouxin, and her Jizu."
After chatting for a while, Lady Zhang and Lian Manman got out the gifts for Lady Zhao, and also those for Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou, intending to send them over before the Dragon Boat Festival.
In the evening, the whole family returned to the old house.
Lady Zhang handed over the gifts to Lian Shouxin to carry.
"Dad, you go ahead and deliver them. I’ll take the kids back to the room to cook," Lady Zhang said to Lian Shouxin.
"Dad, you have to make it clear to my grandpa and grandma which things were earned by Third Aunt," Lian Manman said as she caught sight of Lian Yeye coming out from the West Wing Room and quickly called out, "Yeye, come over here."
After calling Lian Yeye over, Lian Manman told her about the situation.
"If Third Aunt is there, you go together."
"Mom is doing the cooking; I’ll go with Fourth Uncle," Lian Yeye said, picked up the meat, and followed Lian Shouxin to the Upper Room.
Lady Zhang took Lian Zhizhi and Lian Manman back to the West Wing Room to scrub the pots, wash the rice, pick vegetables, and prepare dinner.
"Sister, hand me a clean basin," Lian Manman said while washing the rice and called for Lian Zhizhi.
Lian Zhizhi passed over a basin, and Lian Manman poured the second wash of the rice water into it.
"That should be enough for us to wash our faces tonight," Lian Manman said with a smile, looking at the basin filled with milky rice water.
"You’re not wrong, this rice water really does make the face cleaner and whiter," Lady Zhang said with a laugh after glancing at Lian Zhizhi and Lian Manman’s fair and flushed cheeks.
"Well, you have to be born with fair skin for it to work. If you’re naturally dark, no amount of washing will make a difference," Lian Manman laughed, "Mom, both my sister and I take after you."
"All you do is butter me up," Lady Zhang couldn’t help but laugh.
While the three of them were joking around, they heard Lady Zhou’s forceful yelling from the Upper Room.
"You’re like a beggar looking for handouts, you conscienceless thing, you drank my milk for three years, and you’ll never be able to repay that milk fee in your whole lifetime..."
Lady Zhang immediately stopped her work, a look of concern appearing on her face.
Lian Manman held her forehead; when it came to Lady Zhou, things were never going to go smooth. Even if it meant finding fault in an egg, she would manage to find some mistakes.
"I knew it, no matter what we do, your grandma never has a good expression. I thought if we didn’t go, just your dad would, she might treat him a little better, not like she treats us," Lady Zhang sighed, "Your grandma’s temper, she can’t go a day without arguing or scolding someone; it’s like she can’t live without it."
Should they leave Lian Shouxin to deal with it alone, or go over and see what’s happening?
Lian Manman thought for a moment, then handed the sorted rice to Lian Zhizhi.
"I’ll go have a look," Lian Manman said as she walked outside.
"Don’t argue with her, we can’t afford to lose face," Lady Zhang cautioned.
Entering the Upper Room, she saw Lady Zhou clapping her hands in anger, furiously scolding Lian Shouxin.
"...Do you think I don’t know how much the Wu Family sent you? They sent you ten pounds of pork, fine fabrics, and good wine. You’ve also sent no small amount back to the Wu Family; everyone in the village has seen it. You’re getting too big for your britches, even getting into conflicts with the Old Wang Family, exchanging gifts back and forth. You’ve even carried quite a few things over to the Old Zhang family, haven’t you? You had people keep it secret, not letting it get out. Pah! You, with no guts or backbone, you give to outsiders as if they were your parents, but you treat your own parents like nothing. I must have sinned in a past life to have birthed such an ungrateful child as you."
"You’re generous with outsiders, but when it comes to your own parents, you can’t bear to part with anything. You can give away such things. Aren’t you ashamed? I’ll go right out onto the street and tell everyone about this, and we’ll see how you can still hold your head high!"
Lady Zhou pointed at Lian Shouxin, threatening him fiercely.
"When did I ever give away so much to anyone? Wasn’t that all just an exchange of courtesies?" Lian Shouxin was suffocating with frustration from Lady Zhou’s scolding.
"Can’t you keep quiet for once?" the Old Master Lian sat on the kang, coughing repeatedly in anger, "You still think you’re in the right? Old Fourth has already given a lot, don’t be so insatiably greedy. You might be shameless, but the rest of us still have some dignity."
"Who is shameless, who is shameless? It’s your precious son who is shameless!" Lady Zhou retorted loudly. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂
Lian Manman took a deep breath. Before the family had split up, Lian Shouren from the Main Wife and his family used the household’s money to buy things during the festivals and they were all happy. Now that they had separated and were using their own hard-earned money to buy things for the Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou, Lady Zhou had such an attitude, only complaining that they weren’t giving enough.
Lian Manman stepped into the room and saw two strips of pork lying on the ground—it was indeed what Lian Shouxin had brought. She bent down and picked up the meat.
"My grandma doesn’t fancy the meat we bring, but we certainly consider it a treat. We come from a life where we could eat meat only once or twice a year. If grandma doesn’t want it, we do. Xiao Qi is really craving some meat," Lian Manman handed the meat to Lian Yeye, "Yeye, could you please take the meat to your Fourth Aunt? Clean it up, and we can still have it for dinner tonight. We’re not some rich family that throws meat on the ground."
Lian Yeye scampered over, took the pork from Lian Manman’s hand, and went outside.
Seeing Lian Yeye taking the pork away, Lady Zhou was both angry and heartbroken but couldn’t bring herself to call back Lian Yeye, so she just hit her chest in frustration.
"The world is turning upside down," she exclaimed.
Lian Manman paid no attention to Lady Zhou.
"Grandpa, Grandma, the Wu Family indeed sent us quite a few things. They value my sister and the marriage into our family. Some people in the village are jealous, their eyes practically turning red, but being envious won’t get them anything."
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Fourth update, another 12,000-word update today, seeking some pink encouragement.
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Recommended completed book by Ruoyan, "The Most Enchanting" fantasy version of My Barbaric Girlfriend, not even 500,000 words, a moderate length. The direct link is below, click to access directly.
Book Number:2184407
(To be continued. If you like this work, please feel free to visit qidian.com to cast your recommendation votes, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
