Chapter 123: Splashing

  Chapter 123: Splashing

  What is Aunt Qian doing crying loudly at her own doorstep?

  Qian Aunt has always been a straightforward person. When it comes to the Qian family's affairs, her husband never takes charge and neither does her eldest son take any responsibility. It's all taken care of by her.

  Because of her fiery personality, although the men in the Qian family appear weak, none of their neighbors dare to bully them.

  Mrs. Xu's face showed anger: "This woman is really ungrateful"

  Chao Sheng raised his head: "Grandma, what's going on?"

  "I haven't gone to bother her, but she came knocking on my door instead." Mrs. Xu put down the comb: "You stay inside and don't go out to catch a cold in the wind." Her first sentence was said with force, while the second one was spoken softly.

  Chao Sheng nodded slightly and watched as Mrs. Xu went out. She walked over to the window and opened it a crack.

  The gate was open and Qian Shu sat on the threshold of their house, disheveled and crying loudly.

  Mrs. Xu was not tall, thin and small, but standing there, she looked majestic: "You from the Qian family, what are you still making a fuss about? Let your man come out and talk."

  "My husband? My husbands are all going to be driven to death by you, oh heavens, old heaven, neighbors from all around, come and take a look..."

  Mrs. Xu hummed and beckoned, and Chao Sheng saw a little maid come out of the kitchen, carrying a stool. Mrs. Xu sat down slowly at the door and said, "Pour tea."

  Huh? Is this little girl our own?

  Chao Sheng may not remember that there was such a person at home, presumably brought by Mrs. Xu.

  That little girl was quick and nimble, and she went back into the house, brought out tea and presented it to Mrs. Xu.

  Mrs. Xu took a sip of tea, neither too quickly nor too slowly, and sat there watching after taking a mouthful.

  With Aunt Qian making such a fuss, people had already come out to watch the commotion. They were all neighbors and knew each other. Some asked: "What's wrong with Aunt Qian?"

  "Some said: 'Huh? The He family's people are back? This door has been locked for several years.'"

  "What's going on here?"

  Aunt Qian finally caught someone: "Oh, everyone quickly give me a fair evaluation! I'm almost being bullied to death by the He family - as soon as they came back, they asked me for people. When Chao Sheng's uncle passed away and left, I took care of that little girl for so many days, and our family's situation is not unknown to everyone, we were struggling to make ends meet ourselves. Her uncle said he would be back in three months, but it's been over half a year and there's no news from him, am I easy to deal with? I even helped find a way for their daughter to enter the palace as a servant, and my legs are tired and my mouth is worn out from this matter."

  "She slapped her thigh: 'Now it's fine, his family's girl is in the palace wearing gold and silver, eating well and drinking well. When your brother comes back, he still dares to ask me for people as if I'm a kidnapper who sold his niece! If you have the ability, go into the palace and bring your child back! What are you showing off to me? You have today's prosperity, but how come you didn't return that year? Who is the one with no conscience? You abandoned your own niece and didn't care if she lived or died. If it wasn't for me, she would have starved to death long ago... Oh my god... You're driving me to death!'"

  It was for this matter after all.

  Aunt Qian didn't see that she had already returned home? When she entered the door, it seemed like someone was peeking out from inside the Qian's house.

  Alright...

  Perhaps Aunt Qian had her own motives when she sent her into the palace back then...

  Although Chao Sheng has gone through so much hardship, he is finally back home now.

  This matter... it's better if you advise your uncle He Yong to just let things go and not bother with Auntie Qian anymore.

  After all, Uncle's departure is indeed a fact. Others don't have the obligation to support her for life...

  Mrs. Xu coughed and asked, "You really can talk, telling the whole story from beginning to end. Now I'll ask you, when my son He Yong left, he not only entrusted his niece to you, but also gave you 50 taels of silver. This 50 taels of silver is enough to raise her for half a year, let alone ten years. Why didn't you mention this 50 taels of silver?"

  The people around suddenly burst into laughter.

  Fifty taels

  What's the concept of 50 taels in these times? In ordinary years, it's just 8 or 10 cents per dou, and even in bad years, it's no more than 20 or 30. A small child like Chao Sheng can't eat that much rice. These 50 taels are indeed as Old Lady Wang said, enough to eat for ten years.

  "Who is this old woman? Where did she come from? Who knows who she is? You say give money and I'll give it to you? Do you have any proof? Just empty words, where's the silver? Your family's He Yong is so poor, if they can scrape together five cents at home that's already good"

  The tide rises without suspicion.

  He doesn't look like a person who would cheat others. If he says he's given it, then he must have given it.

  Is that Aunt Qian who spent this money?

  Mrs. Xu was not in a hurry at all: "You said I didn't give you money? I ask you, your husband Jianping had a serious illness two years ago and owed a large sum of debt, where did you get the money to repay it? A year later, your younger son got engaged and married the daughter of the Ma family across the street. I heard that you said the betrothal gift was generous, and the dowry brought by the girl's family didn't count for much. Where did you get the money for the betrothal?"

  Aunt Qian choked back a retort and said stiffly: "That was left by our family's Third Son's grandfather, what business is it of yours?"

  "Alright." Old Lady Xu said: "Let's not mention the money for now, and I won't ask you about my daughter's whereabouts. I only ask you, our house originally had two small rooms in the back and a small stable, how did they all become sealed off and separated from us when we returned, turning into your family's rooms?"

  Huh?

  The tide has not yet reached the house, and it's really unknown that the house behind one's own house has been occupied by someone?

  The people around him buzzed again.

  Someone then said: "Speaking of this, I also know. But I thought it was agreed between the two families to let the Qian family have the house..."

  "Stop talking nonsense!" Aunt Qian also jumped up from the ground: "That was originally our family's house."

  Mrs. Xu smiled: "You want to say that, it's up to you. But my family's land deed and house deed are all clearly written, tomorrow I'll invite the neighborhood head to send someone to the government office to clarify whose house this is. Also, when my nephew gave you 50 taels of silver, they were all marked with a seal, if we investigate, it won't be hard to find out what kind of silver you used to repay the debt and buy your dowry. You have reason, you can go to the public hall to say... Ah, I forgot," Mrs. Xu covered her tea cup: "Women can't appear in court, in my family, of course it's He Yong who will go, but in your family... is it your husband who will go or one of your sons? If a woman gets punished, such as being beaten with a board, wearing a cangue, or put in jail, it would be too shameful, can the men handle it?"

  "Qian Aunt was taken aback: 'You... don't talk nonsense'"

  Although his mouth was still hard, he had already run out of breath.

  She is guilty-minded.

  It's not just Chaosheng who can see it from inside the house, but also the onlookers outside are not fools, who can't see it?

  "Good grief, this is utterly conscienceless! They embezzled people's money, lured their daughters into the palace, and now they're going to occupy their houses..."

  "Qian Auntie really lives up to her surname 'Money', seeing money makes her eyes light up, is that what they mean by saying she's this kind of person?"

  "It's probably true."

  "Haha, now it's settled, she's going to report it, with the house deed as proof, this occupation of someone else's house and land..."

  The Qian family's door opened and someone came out to pull and support Qian Sao half way.

  Isn't this... the second son of the Rong family?

  He was very short when he was a kid, but now he has grown up a lot.

  Qian Aunt muttered to herself, seemingly still unhappy, but her feet moved very smoothly as she stepped down the stairs and followed her son into the house. With a loud bang, the Qian family's door closed heavily once again.

  Mrs. Xu stood up and said calmly to the crowd: "Everyone, my surname is Xu, He Yong is my nephew. From now on, we will live on the same street, and we will often meet each other. I hope everyone can take care of him and help him."

  Everyone also responded well, Mrs. Xu patted her clothes and entered the door, calling that little girl to close the door.

  Chao Sheng couldn't help but ask, as soon as Xu Bao entered the house: "Auntie, did my uncle give money to Auntie Yin at that time?"

  "That's for sure." Mrs. Xu said gritting her teeth: "I didn't want to take her in now, but when you came back, she went to her house and asked about your news. She has a guilty conscience and wants to be the first to accuse others. Bah! If I can forgive her, my surname Xu will be written upside down."

  It turns out...

  That's what happened back then.

  The fourth prince was indeed right.

  Money aunt indeed... with ulterior motives.

  And it's even worse than what the fourth prince had guessed.

  Embezzled money, sent her into the palace, and still wanted to occupy this house...

  She must have thought that He Yong had died abroad, and she couldn't bear to part with the silver in her hands. She felt that if she sent Chao Sheng into the palace, there would be no one left in the He family, and she didn't want things to turn out that way.

  She actually only occupied the house in the backyard, didn't she take over the entire He family?

  No, maybe she's thinking that as long as no one else from the He family comes back, it's just a matter of time.

  "Oh no, your hair is still wet!" Mrs. Xu suddenly became anxious: "Don't catch a cold, sit down quickly."

  Chao Sheng sat down, and Mrs. Xu took up the towel to wipe her again: "When the young lady was a child, she was calculated by her, this account must be settled."

  "Hmm..." Chao Sheng smiled, she wasn't too angry. With the reminder from the fourth prince earlier, she already had some idea: "Grandma, you were really fierce just now."

  Mrs. Xu laughed: "What's this? This kind of woman from the streets... Hmph, in the past, there was no need to waste words on her. A good beating would have killed her."

  Cháo shēng heard the two words "bǎn zi" and instinctively felt a bit uncomfortable.

  She also got hit by a board... but it was a palace board, ordered by the emperor.

  The scar seems to have completely disappeared.

  Luckily it's gone, otherwise grandma would definitely be heartbroken again.

  "She's also taken our house?"

  "Yes, Yūko had a horse in the back, you might be too young to remember."

  I don't know... Anyway, when Chao Sheng woke up here, there were no horses around.

  He probably rode off on his horse when He You went out.

  "If it weren't for the girl coming back now, this would be a joyful occasion. I'd have gone to find that woman and scolded her." Old Lady Xu said: "A person like that...hmmph..."

  Chao Sheng never doubted what Mrs. Xu said could be done.

  Look at her demeanor... which is like that of a poor woman? This momentum, this eloquence, even in the palace, as a housekeeper, would be more than enough.

  "Ah, I just saw a little girl..."

  "Oh, that's what I brought from the countryside, doesn't understand the rules, but is very obedient. These two days when I have time, I'll buy you two good ones to serve."

  Am I wrong?

  It's really hard for me to adapt to this change in identity all of a sudden.

  She used to serve others, now she wants others to serve her?

  "I don't use..."

  "That's all in the past." Mrs. Xu patted her on the shoulder: "Before, there was no way out, and you had to suffer... but it won't be like that anymore."

  Is it?

  The dazed and confused tide turned its head to look at the mirror.

  She also stared blankly at herself in the mirror.

  There are still many things I don't understand...

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