Chapter 1461: Chapter 1464: Are You Out Of Your Mind_1
"Besides, those things all belong to my sister. She wouldn’t mind if I used them to make up for the shortfall, but my brother-in-law would be different. If he found out, that would not be good at all," said Ms. Zhang, whose careful consideration revealed her keen attention to detail as a woman.
However, she overlooked the relationship between Ye Zi’an and the Yang Family.
"It’s up to you, but let me tell you, my brother-in-law is not like that at all. He grew up with us since he was a child, and he’s practically my mentor. Not to mention two boxes of fabric, even if there were two more, he wouldn’t say a thing," Xiaxia countered.
Ms. Zhang, having heard this, said nothing. She had her convictions after all.
So, when she got back to the Yang Family home, Ms. Zhang really did go to Ms. Wang to tell her about the dowry issue. Ms. Wang didn’t quite know what to say when she saw her daughter-in-law.
She really wanted to say, "Are you out of your mind, girl? Your eldest sister-in-law already covered for you, so why are you coming to me to expose your own shortcoming?"
But when she heard that her daughter-in-law had already reclaimed what belonged to her from her natal family and intended to return those two boxes of clothing to Yang Chuxia, Ms. Wang was torn between laughter and tears. Her daughter-in-law was simply too straightforward.
When the Yang Family summoned Yang Chuxia over, she initially thought something was up, but when she learned it was about those two boxes of clothes, she was exasperated. And upon hearing that they were to be returned to her, she was speechless. Gifts once given were not meant to be taken back.
However, not wanting to upset Ms. Zhang, she grandly gestured for Yang Xiayun and her sisters to share the items among themselves.
"Tell me, Xiaxia, who does your sister-in-law remind you of?" As Ms. Zhang and Yang Qingrui, the young couple, retired to their room, Ms. Wang murmured.
"No matter whom she takes after, as long as she can hold her own, that’s all that matters. Look at her actions; she’s capable of handling affairs. That’s a good thing," Xiaxia replied. It was no small feat for someone like Ms. Zhang, who grew up in such an environment, to not be affected by her father’s stinginess and pettiness.
"You have a point," said Ms. Wang with a sigh, before suddenly adding, "Speaking of Mr. Zhang, how could he be such a character? It’s not like he was raised in a small household."
"Alas, given the mess that is the Zhang Family, growing up in such a household is worse than being raised in a small one."
This time, she had people inquire again and learned that Mr. Zhang had been bullied by his several older brothers since childhood. In addition to the first and third branch being the legitimate lines, the other two were illegitimate, and the illegitimate children’s lives were looked down upon from a young age, even worse than those of the servants. It wasn’t unusual for them to struggle for three meals a day. As for money, they would not even handle more than ten copper coins in a year. Only when they grew up did their living conditions gradually improve.
If a person grows up fearing poverty, once they have money, they cling to it desperately. The habit formed from childhood of being thrifty becomes miserliness when taken too far.
Since Yang Chuxia and her sons were departing for Shandong the next day, they had a family reunion dinner that evening at the Yang Family home.
By the time they returned to the Ye Family home, it was very late. They sent Yangyang to bed first and then called the household servants to instruct them in detail. They needed to watch out for people like Qian Xiaoqing of the Cao Family, and if anything was amiss in Yangshu Village, they were to send word at once. The next day, along with three little ones, she left Yangshu Village.
"Madam, it seems there’s a wedding up ahead; the road is blocked," someone reported. The road, wide enough for two carriages, was nevertheless congested with onlookers, making it impossible for them to pass.
"A wedding? This early?" Yang Chuxia looked at the sky; it was only 7 a.m. Was the bride really embarking on her journey at this hour?