As soon as Shen Cheng finished speaking, Xu Shi chimed in, "Yes, if you had only thought of home, Xiao'e's marriage..."
To her surprise, Xu Shi actually started to cry. Shen Xiaoyan was stunned. What was this about?
Shen Xiaoyan remembered that the original body was sold to Zheng Wei for twenty taels of silver to be used as dowry for Xu Xiao'e. But she had been here for over two months. Why hadn't Xu Xiao'e gotten married yet?
Her eyes darted, and Shen Xiaoyan said, "Ah, Mother, if you hadn't said anything, I would have forgotten. When is Xiao'e sister's wedding banquet? We live far away, and no one informed us."
As soon as Shen Xiaoyan finished speaking, she saw Shen Cheng's face turn ashen.
Seeing this, Shen Xiaoyan felt even more certain that something was amiss. She then smiled and said, "What about Brother-in-law? Why isn't he accompanying Xiao'e back?"
Xu Shi's face turned bright red, and after a long moment, she managed to squeeze out, "Your sister... she hasn't been married yet. What Brother-in-law, no Brother-in-law. Xiaoyan, you shouldn't speak carelessly. What if it ruins your sister's reputation?"
Oh? No brother-in-law?
Shen Xiaoyan ignored Xu Shi and turned to look at Xu Xiao'e. She saw that Xu Xiao'e had already stood up, tears streaming down her face.
Seeing Shen Xiaoyan looking at her, Xu Xiao'e wiped her tears with a handkerchief and choked out, "Sister, Young Master Wu's parents dislike the meager dowry my sister is providing and have already married Young Master Wu to another woman in town."
Hearing Xu Xiao'e say this, Shen Xiaoyan immediately burst into laughter. Twenty taels of dowry were still considered too little?
Shen Xiaoyan spread her hands and said helplessly to Xu Xiao'e, "Xiao'e, I'm only worth twenty taels of silver. I can't be sold again, can I? I don't think anyone would buy me now, would they?"
The implication was that it had nothing to do with her if she didn't have a dowry, and she shouldn't play the victim in front of her.
Xu Xiao'e glanced at the striped watermelons and red gooseberries on the ground and said to Shen Xiaoyan, "It's just that, Sister, you've made money now. If you could be kind and help your sister."
"That's right, Xiaoyan, just help your sister. If she can marry into a good family, she will surely remember your kindness," Xu Shi quickly added from the side.
Shen Xiaoming and Zheng Wei, who had been writing in the house, also came out. Looking at the few people in the courtyard, Shen Xiaoming's face turned pale, while Zheng Wei frowned in disgust.
This family was truly clingy. Were they treating this place as their second Shen residence?
"What do you want?" Zheng Wei asked, walking up to Shen Xiaoyan's side.
Seeing Zheng Wei come out, Shen Cheng and the others were startled. They hadn't seen him earlier and assumed he wasn't home.
However, the group quickly regained their composure, and Xu Xiao'e spoke first.
She smiled and said to Zheng Wei, "Big Brother-in-law..."
Hearing the word "Brother-in-law," Zheng Wei's face darkened further, and his aura intensified, frightening Xu Xiao'e into silence.
"I've said it before, Shen Xiaoyan was bought by me, and Shen Xiaoming is much the same. You keep coming back, do you think I'm easy to bully?" Zheng Wei said, his gaze chillingly sweeping over the people present.
Shen Cheng's expression stiffened, and then he said, "You bought them, but they are still my daughter and son. It's only natural for them to be filial to me. If they dare to refuse me anything, they are unfilial, and they'll go to jail."
After speaking, Shen Cheng looked smugly at Shen Xiaoyan and the other two, convinced they would be intimidated.
"Then what do you want?" Zheng Wei asked coolly.
"It would have been better if you had said so earlier," Shen Cheng thought Zheng Wei had compromised. He put his hands behind his back, walked a few steps forward, and continued, "I'm not asking for much, just... a hundred taels of silver. Consider it this year's filial piety money. Next year's, we'll discuss it then."
Hearing Shen Cheng's words, Xu Shi's eyes lit up, and she quickly chimed in, "Xiaoyan, Xiaoming, look how good your father is to you. He's only asking for a hundred taels from the two of you. Oh, your father is just thinking of you, isn't he?"
After speaking, Xu Shi looked at Shen Xiaoyan, waiting for her agreement.
Shen Xiaoyan and Zheng Wei exchanged a glance, both thinking, Had these two lost their minds?
Just as Shen Xiaoyan was about to speak, Zheng Wei cut in first, "I don't care. Did you forget to take your medicine? If you're sick, don't wander around."
Shen Cheng and Xu Shi were instantly stunned. Had they heard Zheng Wei correctly? How dare he speak like that?
"Shen Xiaoyan, is this your husband? Listen to what he's saying. Come home with me. I'm not living with him anymore," Shen Cheng said, his face darkening.
Zheng Wei didn't panic and continued, "If you want to take your daughter and son back, I won't stop you. But first, give me sixty taels of silver."
"On what grounds?" Xu Shi asked.
"Buying Shen Xiaoyan cost twenty taels, and buying Shen Xiaoming cost thirty. They can't lift a shoulder pole, and I've raised them for free for months. You naturally have to pay. Do you think I'm doing charity?"
Zheng Wei's words made Shen Cheng and Xu Shi's faces turn purple. However, Xu Xiao'e said softly, "But if it weren't for Sister planting the red gooseberries and striped watermelons, how would you earn money?"
Xu Shi quickly added, "That's right. These striped watermelons and red gooseberries were brought by Shen Xiaoyan from our Shen family. I don't care about anything else; you must give us the money from the sales today, and the red gooseberries and striped watermelons in the ground also belong to us."
Shen Xiaoyan just wanted to put her hands to her forehead. They were truly speaking nonsense with their eyes open. They had such thick skin.
"I recall when Shen Xiaoyan first left with me, you were the one who helped pack her things. Would you let her leave with the seeds?" Zheng Wei raised an eyebrow at Xu Xiao'e.
Xu Xiao'e was rendered speechless by Zheng Wei's question. How could she have forgotten that?
"Besides, if you say the seeds are yours, then tell me, what do these seeds look like? Where did you get them? Why didn't you grow them yourself?"
Zheng Wei's string of questions left Shen Cheng and the others speechless.
Shen Xiaoyan stopped smiling and said, "Xiaoming, go find the village chief and all the reputable people in the village. Tell them that your big brother-in-law and I have something to discuss with them."
Shen Xiaoming didn't quite understand why his sister wanted to find the village chief, but he still obeyed and ran towards the village.
Shen Xiaoyan looked at Shen Cheng and said, "We've had enough of this back and forth. It's quite troublesome. Since we're here today, let's resolve everything together."
"Resolve? What do you want to resolve?" Xu Shi asked, startled.
Shen Xiaoyan was too lazy to argue with her and walked into the house. After a short while, she came out again, carrying two stools.
She went back and forth a few times, bringing out all the stools and wooden chairs that could seat people. There were four wooden chairs and four long wooden stools.
Seeing this, Shen Cheng and Xu Shi's expressions softened slightly. They thought that Shen Xiaoyan was bringing out chairs for them, which meant she had conceded.
If Shen Xiaoyan knew their current thoughts, she would have rolled her eyes fiercely. Don't flatter yourselves; she was bringing these out for the people who were about to arrive.