Chapter 25: Scheming to Buy Jiang Jinyao a House
Lin Guilan had been feeling uneasy for a while now, and not just at this moment. After all, the Jiang family’s behavior today had been unusually strange, and she sensed some significant conspiracy brewing behind the scenes. Now that Feng Shi had spoken up, Lin Guilan felt even more strongly that something was closing in on their family.
“Our Jinyao is engaged to Fan Xiang’e from Fan Shigui’s family in our village,” Feng Shi said with a smile. “Jinyao has been so picky these past two years, it’s been worrying me sick. But finally, we’ve managed to arrange a good marriage for him. The Fan family is well-off, and as the Old Master says, they’re a good match for our family. Xiang’e is a pretty girl, and this marriage is truly a joyous occasion for both families.”
“Oh? Congratulations to Fourth Brother then,” Jiang Qingshi said coldly.
Feng Shi cleared her throat lightly and glanced sideways at Lin Guilan, who was feeding Jiang Zhimiao. “There’s just one more thing. Although Fan Shigui is from Fanjiazhuang like us, his family has been doing well these past couple of years. They’ve opened two shops in town and bought a house there, planning to move to town soon. The Fan family only has Xiang’e as their daughter, and they have one request—they don’t want their daughter to live too far away after marriage. They hope to see her from time to time… As the saying goes, one should always strive for higher grounds. The Fan family hopes our Jiang family will also have a house in town so that Jinyao can live closer to them and it’ll be more convenient for managing the family business. But as you all know, our Jiang family hasn’t been doing well financially these past couple of years. Jinyao is your youngest brother, and you’ve all watched him grow up. So as his mother, I’m begging you all to contribute some money to help buy a house in town for him. There happens to be a family moving to the county seat who urgently needs to sell their house in town. The price isn’t too high, and it’s a good opportunity.”
Lin Guilan continued feeding her child without pause, but inwardly she sneered.
Just as expected—the weasel paying respects to the hen, with no good intentions! She had wondered why the Jiang family had suddenly changed their tune and insisted they come home for the New Year. So this was their scheme to make her bleed money!
“Mother makes a good point,” Cao Cuiying chimed in with a smile. “Our family doesn’t have much savings, but we’ve already contributed two strings of cash to help Fourth Brother buy the house.”
Seeing how smoothly Cao Cuiying picked up the conversation, Lin Guilan understood everything clearly. Cao Cuiying had obviously conspired with Feng Shi beforehand; otherwise, their vacant room wouldn’t have been given to the eldest brother’s family. Given Yuan Yuexian’s nature of never letting go once she got her teeth into something, there was no way Cao Cuiying could have prevailed over her so easily without Feng Shi’s support.
“Our second branch isn’t as well-off as the eldest brother’s family. Contributing one string of cash is already scraping the bottom of our savings,” Yuan Yuexian said sourly. “But our Second Brother cares deeply for his younger brother.”
Old Master Jiang couldn’t stand Yuan Yuexian, his coarse daughter-in-law, always feeling that she lowered the family’s standards. His face flushed red, but he restrained himself from speaking.
“As parents, your father and I naturally have to empty our savings to buy a house for our son. After all, what else do parents wish for but their children’s happiness? We’ve turned everything upside down and managed to gather five strings of cash in total. After careful calculation, we’re still short two strings. Third Son and Third Daughter-in-law, you’ll have to cover the remaining amount.”
Feng Shi deliberately put on a troubled expression as she looked at Jiang Qingshi and Lin Guilan.
Lin Guilan inwardly scoffed with amusement, but before she could speak, Jiang Qingshi took the lead: “Father, Mother, it’s only right that we contribute to Fourth Brother’s wedding, but you know as well as I do that I’m useless—I don’t earn a single coin normally. Our family relies solely on Guilan. We usually just eat coarse flour and bran-filled vegetables, barely enough to fill our stomachs. How could we possibly have money to help Fourth Brother buy a house?”
“You even bought an ox cart—how could you have no money?” Yuan Yuexian said sourly. “Third Brother, don’t pretend here. Everyone knows your wife is capable. She set up a stall at the ferry, and silver coins flowed into her pouch like a rushing stream. We might believe others claiming poverty, but who would believe your family?”
“That’s all hard-earned money Guilan sweated for,” Jiang Qingshi replied. “And since Second Sister-in-law knows our situation so well, you should also know that after winter came and snow made travel difficult, Guilan hasn’t gone out to sell anything. The ox cart is necessary for her stall, and even then, her elder brother paid for most of it. I’m good for nothing—Guilan covers my food and lodging, and I’m always taking advantage of her family’s generosity. If we make Guilan use her family’s money to subsidize the Jiang Family, wouldn’t it shame Father if word got out?”
After Jiang Qingshi finished, Old Master Jiang’s expression indeed changed. He was about to speak when Feng Shi shot him a warning look. Old Master Jiang coughed awkwardly twice and didn’t dare say anything.
“Since she married into the Jiang Family, why should you two distinguish between yours and hers?” Feng Shi smiled. “Didn’t we already give you another house to live in? You’ve become independent—how can you bear to watch your fourth brother remain unmarried and alone?”
“Mother calls that a house?” Jiang Qingshi feigned surprise. “Oh, now that Mother mentions it, I remember—that place with the pigpen was so dilapidated it was uninhabitable at first. We had to hire people to repair it, but bricks, tiles, and lumber cost money too. Guilan and I are still in debt. Since we’re all equally Father and Mother’s sons, why don’t you help us repay this debt?”
Jiang Zhimiao had initially been worried that if his mother fought alone, she’d be outnumbered. But his father had stepped up too, and with his father’s sharp tongue… ordinary people really couldn’t match him.
Feng Shi opened her mouth, stunned that Jiang Qingshi could turn the tables like this. Jiang Laosan used to be so honest and simple at home—when had he become like this? Where was the refinement of a scholar?
“However, as his elder brother, I truly can’t bear to see Yao-di unable to marry. After all, our whole family hopes for Yao-di’s happiness.”
Jiang Qingshi wore a pained, self-reproachful expression, as if blaming himself for being an incompetent older brother.
Feng Shi’s eyes lit up—it seemed there was still hope!
“Then let’s do this.” Jiang Qingshi looked at Feng Shi and spoke slowly, “I’ll give the house we currently live in to Yao. Yao is talented and graceful, far surpassing us brothers. The Fan family’s daughter must have taken a liking to Yao himself, not because he could buy her a house in town. For their marriage, having a place to live is enough. I’ve just finished renovating that house, and although these debts still rest on my shoulders… consider it my wedding gift as an elder brother to my younger brother! I’ll grit my teeth and bear it—in eight or ten years, I should be able to pay it off almost entirely.”
Author’s Note: