Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 634 - 326 Various Thoughts_2

"It seems that your eldest uncle and second uncle are also in the Upper Room," Lady Zhang said quietly after listening for a moment.

"Mother, let me go and see," Lian Manman replied.

"Zhizhi, go back to the room and start rinsing the rice. I’ll go with Manman to the Upper Room," Lady Zhang said.

"Mother, don’t go. I’ll go and listen to see what’s going on, and if necessary, I’ll call Dad out," Lian Manman said. It was better not to let Lady Zhang intervene just yet, given the unclear situation in the Upper Room.

"That will work too. Come back and tell me if anything happens," Lady Zhang said, nodding.

Lian Manman then went into the Upper Room by herself.

Through the door curtain, Lian Manman could see everyone inside. Seated on the kang bed in order were Old Master Lian, Lady Zhou, Lian Xiuxiu, Lian Shouren, Lian Shouyi, Lian Jizu, and Lian Shouxin, with Wu Lang and Xiao Qi all sitting along the edge of the kang.

"...Trouble is all these women bring, one thing after another when they’re pregnant," Lian Shouyi was speaking, "How can you say that? This is Erlang’s first child, and Erlang, the good-for-nothing, is so anxious he could die, he cares so much, it irks me to watch, but as a father, it’s hard for me to say much, whether I speak too harshly or softly, it wouldn’t look good if it got out."

"You still have the nerve to say that, you were causing a commotion all of last night, keeping us from heaven to earth without a wink of sleep. I’ve seen plenty of childbirths, who eats a pile of medicines like that or calls in shamanic rituals? Just count how much, in less than a single day’s work, you’ve spent four or five hundred Wen Money. You haven’t run this house into the ground yet, have you? If you don’t chew us up, bones and all, you’re not satisfied, are you? You’re not my son; you’re a debt collector... Each one of you only knows to stretch out your hand for money from me, how much have you contributed to the family, you think I’m a money-printing machine?"

Lady Zhou sat on the kang bed, berating with a stern face.

Lian Shouyi was slippery, having pivoted to clear his own name with his previous words, but Lady Zhou scolded him just the same.

After a moment’s thought, Lian Manman realized that the conversation was inevitably revolving around money.

"Dad," Lian Manman lifted the curtain, but didn’t walk into the room, "I just went to feed the pigs, and the pigsty wall has collapsed again because of the pigs. They’re about to run out."

"What?" When Lian Shouxin heard that the pigs at home were about to escape, he immediately stood up and walked out.

After walking a few steps, Lian Shouxin stopped and turned back to look at Old Master Lian, still sitting on the kang.

"That’s urgent; go take care of it," Old Master Lian waved his hand at Lian Shouxin and then rested it on his own forehead.

Lian Manman could see that Old Master Lian had a worried look on his face.

"You all go out too. Do whatever you need to do and give me some peace," Old Master Lian then said.

Lian Shouxin came out with Wu Lang and Xiao Qi, and the others inside, Lian Shouren, Lian Shouyi, and Lian Jizu, followed suit, slowly standing up and heading out.

Lian Shouxin went straight to the pigsty downstairs.

The pigs were all lying quietly in the pigsty, only near the corner against the mountain wall, a stone that was already loose had rolled onto the ground.

Lian Shouxin looked at Lian Manman, said nothing, picked up the stone and put it back in place.

The family then returned to the West Wing Room.

"When it rains, it pours," Lian Shouxin began as he sat on his own kang bed, without waiting for his wife or children to ask, "Jizu needs money, and just now Erlang’s wife had trouble. Spending money like this, forget about the Upper Room, even a household several times wealthier couldn’t bear it."

"Dad, did Grandpa call you over to discuss the matter of money?" Lian Manman asked.

"Jizu urgently needs the money, Erlang’s wife has just spent four or five hundred Wen Money in an instant, and the illness hasn’t been cured yet. Just now, your second uncle was also asking your grandma for money to go to the temple to donate incense money for Erlang’s wife and child, your grandpa and grandma are worried sick..." Lian Shouxin said,

"Didn’t you say anything?" Lady Zhang asked.

"I just listened on the side without interrupting," Lian Shouxin said.

"Dad, didn’t you say you would provide money or something?" Lian Manman tentatively asked.

"How could I say that; it’s not the same thing," Lian Shouxin said solemnly, "It’s not about whether or not to lend money, it’s that... just thinking about it makes me anxious, your eldest uncle and your second uncle each have their own thoughts, I don’t want to say too much... it’s all worrying matters."

What Lian Manman was talking about was giving out money, whereas what Lian Shouxin referred to was lending money. Could this indicate that, financially speaking, Lian Shouxin had already drawn a clear mental boundary with the Upper Room? Even if he were to help, it would be in the form of a loan, not a gift.

This couldn’t be considered anything but progress.

Moreover, what was surprising was that Lian Shouxin wasn’t fooled by superficial matters; he saw the essence behind them. Lian Shouren’s family and Lian Shouyi’s family each had their own agendas. Having separated from the main household, if he were to get involved, it would only bring trouble and criticism.

"Even if someone truly came to me to borrow money, I would still have to discuss it with all of you," Lian Shouxin added, "We have family rules, and I remember them well."

"Dad, aren’t you afraid people will say you can’t stand up for Mom and our household?" Lian Manman asked with a smile.

"Let them talk," Lian Shouxin said, "To be honest, apart from your grandma and your eldest uncles, no one has really said that about me."

"That’s true," Lian Manman nodded.

Lady Zhang was very capable and had good relationships in the village. The couple hardly had private disputes and were even less likely to have disagreements in public. Within the family, some matters were handled by Lady Zhang and others by Lian Shouxin; so the issue of who ran the house was naturally not a topic of discussion.

"The house is in such disarray, his grandpa is worried sick. If they divided the household, there would be none of this," Lady Zhang said.

"Who dares to mention that!" Lian Shouxin exclaimed.

"Fourth brother, Dad is looking for you," the voice of Lian Xiuxiu came from outside the room.

**...**

Here is the second update, begging for pink. Ruoyan goes underwater to type, striving for a third update as much as possible. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)