Chapter 39: Old lady, I really feel sorry for you

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation  Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Shi Qingluo approached Old Lady Xiao.

“Are you able to assure that the tofu will sell well in the future? In any case, we can’t be sure either. After all, these few days, the villagers came to exchange them because it was something new.”

Old Lady Xiao thought for a moment and said, “Even if we’re not sure, we can let your eldest uncle and third uncle manage it first.”

If they were unable to take charge of it for a long time, they could just leave the business anytime.

After all, they wouldn’t lose anything.

Shi Qingluo looked at Old Lady Xiao with a silly look on her face. “Is that my main point? Why are your reactions so slow?”

Old Lady Xiao didn’t reply. How could she blame her on this?

Shi Qingluo looked angry again.

“What I mean is, there’s clearly a mountain of gold in front of you, yet you guys don’t dig it up. Instead, you have to listen to someone’s instigation to keep an eye on our tofu production which doesn’t guarantee that it will generate profit. Isn’t it interesting?”

Old Lady Xiao also reacted. “You’re referring to my second son?”

Shi Qingluo nodded. “That’s right! He brought his mistress to the capital to enjoy his life, but he left you to suffer in the village. That’s unfilial.

“Old Lady, you were tricked by that woman who left a servant girl to serve you. Actually, what can you get?

“The power and money at the general’s residence are all controlled by that woman alone.”

She continued, “Old lady, I really feel bad for you.

“Raising a son who became general, but ended up benefiting outsiders.

“You should be overseeing the general’s residence. You should be the one in charge of that family, not an outsider.

“Our family still owes more than ten taels of foreign debt. What’s the point of you staring at us?

“Even if we have the money, it’s not the grandson’s turn to be filial to his grandparents.

“Not to mention, our agreement to break off our kinship was stamped and acknowledged by the officials.”

“We have to get up early and work hard to return more than ten taels of silver, but in the general’s residence, even a meal would cost more than that.”

Old Lady Xiao was stunned. “How can we eat so much in one meal?”

Shi Qingluo was speechless. “How is that not possible? They eat abalone captured from the deep sea, drink bird’s nests and eat shark fin. One meal costs more than ten taels of silver.”

She pointed at the flowers on the ground not far away. “Do you see that pot of purple chrysanthemum flowers?”

“Yes, this colour is quite special.” It was the first time Old Lady Xiao had seen purple chrysanthemum flowers.

Shi Qingluo emphasised, “Are the people admiring the colour? They were admiring its value.

“This is the flower from the Bai family’s young master in that county.

“He specially bought it from the capital. It cost several hundred taels.”

Old Lady Xiao said in disbelief, “What? A pot of flowers costs a few hundred taels of silver? You must be spouting nonsense.”

Mdm Wang and Mdm Wu did not believe her either. “How can a pot of cheap flowers cost a few hundred taels of silver?”

Shi Qingluo rolled her eyes. “That’s why I said that you guys don’t understand. Your horizons are too narrow.”

“If you guys go to the county and ask around, you’ll know that young master Bai’s purple chrysanthemum cost a few hundred taels of silver.

“There’s no need for me to lie to you guys. You’ll know once you ask around.”

At this moment, a young man behind Old Lady Xiao said, “Grandma, I heard about this when I went to the town last time. This is true.”

At that time, he found it hard to believe.

He even lamented that these rich families really knew how to up the game and be extravagant.

Old Lady Xiao widened her eyes. “This pot of cheap flowers can’t even be eaten. Why does it cost a few hundred taels?”

Shi Qingluo said, “Because of their faces! People play with status and show off.

“Think about it. The Bai family is just a merchant in town. A pot of flowers costs a few hundred taels. Your second son is a great general. What’s ten taels of silver for a meal?”

Old Lady Xiao felt that it made sense. “Are they so extravagant in the capital too? Previously they were complaining to me.”

They had originally wanted to follow him to the capital, but their second son said that it was very difficult for them to stay in the capital.

Even though it was the general’s residence, the expenses were very high, and they had to be frugal from time to time.

Shi Qingluo had a look of disbelief on her face. “You guys actually believe that?”

“I’ve asked Young Master Bai, and he said that the higher the status of the people in the capital, the more extravagant their lives would be.

“They’re wearing silk and satin, and they’re eating delicacies from all over the world. There’s a huge crowd of servants.”

She sighed. “Look at all of you. What are you guys wearing? Even the servants of the general’s residence don’t wear this material, yet you guys are actually wearing it happily.

“General Xiao was brought up by all of you. Why is it that while he enjoys the benefits of his status and endless silver, outsiders are also benefiting but not you?”

Mdm Wang and Mdm Wu agreed. “Right, why is that so!”

What gives that little hoof that entitlement to eat a meal that costs more than ten taels of silver.

Furthermore, he actually made clothes with materials that were a little costly for his servants. That was too much.

Old Lady Xiao’s expression also turned quite ugly.

It was obvious that she also felt disgusted. She was the one who raised him up.

How did he become a bastard?

When Shi Qingluo saw this, she continued to sow discord. “We are no longer related to the old residence. However, General Xiao and the old residence are not separated.

“That’s why he should take care of his parents, his siblings and nephews.

“He actually ran away just like that. That’s unfilial. If you guys are going to sue him, it’ll definitely be successful.”

Old Lady Xiao asked unhappily, “You want me to sue my son?”

Shi Qingluo was speechless.

The old lady’s brain was really short-circuited.

No wonder she had been tricked by Xinghong.

“I’m not asking you to sue him. I’m asking you to go directly to the general’s residence in the capital.

“If he and that woman don’t agree, you will threaten to sue them for being unfilial.

“You should treat your second son the way you treated my husband just now, it is definitely not wrong.

“Furthermore, it’s more useful to oversee them. After all, he has to fulfil his filial duties, but my husband doesn’t have to.

Old Lady Xiao was still hesitating. After all, she was a little afraid of her son, who was full of evil intent.

Seeing that she was moved, Shi Qingluo continued to say, “Old lady, even if you don’t think about yourself, you should think about your grandchildren!

“They aren’t as smart and talented as my husband. Since they have a second uncle who is an official, why don’t they put him into good use?

“Don’t tell me they want to be bumpkins for the rest of their lives?”

Her two grandsons were speechless.

They were smart too, but they just didn’t like to read.

However, when they heard the second sentence, they didn’t care about anything else. “Grandma, we don’t want to be bumpkins.”

These two were the eldest and second eldest grandsons of the old residence.

Xiao Hanzheng was originally the third grandson. After the separation, he asked the villagers to call him the Dalang (oldest son) and his younger brother, Xiaoyi, Erlang (second son).

It was also to deliberately separate from the old house.

Old Lady Xiao was stunned. Yes, how could her precious eldest grandson be a lackey?

“With Senior General Xiao’s current status, it’s absolutely easy to arrange jobs for your two sons and a few grandsons.

“Aren’t they not married yet? If they have a good job in the capital and have a general’s residence to support it, what kind of city girl they can’t marry? Why stay in the village to marry a village girl?

“Moreover, my mother was very filial to you back then, and she always served you well.

“Why should that woman not serve her mother-in-law like you after she entered the house? Who was she looking down on?

“So what if she becomes the wife of the general? You are still the general’s mother.

“The emperor aimed to rule the world with filial piety. As long as there is no separation of family, they must be filial to you and my ex-grandfather.”

Apart from wanting to kill her young husband’s family, the woman must have wanted to coax the troublemakers in the old residence to voluntarily choose not to seek refuge in the capital.

Since that was the case, she would package these troublemakers as her gifts.