Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!

Chapter 197: Chapter 197 Still a Child_1

Chang Lian pinched the purse at his waist, which held only a hundred coins. That was what his father had given him when his parents had last gone to Pingzhou, plus what was left from the New Year’s red envelope. Over the past few months, he had spent only a few dozen coins, and even those he had lent to a classmate in need. He had learned much from his father; though he lacked the ability to bestow favors upon the Chang family like his father, he could help some poor folk with potential from outside the family. Otherwise, he wouldn’t part with a single coin.

Zhulan had waited half a day for Chang Lian to speak but to no avail. Watching as his fingers continuously pinched at the purse, she could even hear the clinking of copper coins, ”Do you want some silver coins?”

Chang Lian dared not ask his father for money, nor did he wish to borrow from Rongchuan—borrowing always meant having to repay. After much deliberation, the only option was to ask his mother. ”Mother, it’s only a month until the Mid-Autumn Festival, and it will be the first festival since my engagement to Chu Chu. I want to give Chu Chu a gift, but I don’t have enough silver coins. Can you give me two hundred coins?”

Zhulan felt that Chang Lian wasn’t telling the whole truth; she suspected that this boy had more on his mind than just giving his fiancée a Mid-Autumn Festival gift.

Looking at Chang Lian’s bulging purse, she was somewhat speechless. All the silver coins Zhou Shuren had given him, the lad hadn’t spent a single one and had even found a purse to hang on his waist, storing all the silver coins inside. She had never seen the purse deflate—this boy truly had the makings of a miser.

Seeing that his mother did not reply, Chang Lian no longer underestimated her. In his heart, aside from his father, his mother was the shrewdest person in the house. ”Mother, why are you looking at me like that?”

Zhulan withdrew her gaze and directed Chang Lian, ”Mother’s purse is on the kang cabinet in the room. Go fetch it.”

As soon as Chang Lian left, Lady Li dropped the vegetables in her hands and hurried over. ”Mother, I’ve picked all the vegetables.”

Zhulan barely suppressed the urge to roll her eyes, disdainfully retorting, ”Don’t think I didn’t notice you eavesdropping with your ears perked up. With your transparent scheming, even Ming Teng can’t be fooled, so how do you expect to deceive me?”

Lady Li, ”.....Mother, I’m not as bad as Ming Teng.”

Zhulan, speechless, ”You actually have the nerve to compare yourself to Ming Teng. How old are you, and how old is he? Alright, call your younger brother and sister over.”

Lady Li couldn’t bear to leave. Three hundred taels almost had been given as betrothal gifts, and according to the head of the household, it was for the benefit of the whole Chang family, so she let it go. But to spend another two hundred coins on a festival gift—and not even counting the usual presents received alongside family gifts—that was unacceptable. With so many festivals ahead, if they gave gifts each time, wouldn’t their branches of the family be at a disadvantage?

Chang Lian, holding his mother’s purse, watched his sister-in-law reluctantly look back every three steps as she left. He hadn’t thought about secretly asking for money; after all, there were plenty of opportunities to quietly ask. He used to think his sister-in-law had changed; just a few days ago, he was comforting her. Now that it came to her interests, she hadn’t changed at all. So much for warmth given away for nothing.

Zhulan handed over the purse, which didn’t hold many copper coins, just a few dozen. However, there were quite a few pieces of broken silver, which were one or two coins in size. She didn’t like to carry too many copper coins as they were heavy and tiring. She poured out two silver angle coins and handed them to Chang Lian, ”Take this.”

Chang Lian pinched the broken silver. Mother was indeed easier to talk to. If it were his father, he certainly wouldn’t indulge him. He was genuinely intimidated by his father and often thought that without his mother, they sons might as well not exist. In his heart, he prayed for his mother to live a hundred years, definitely to outlive his father.

Chang Lian put away the silver, ”Thank you, mother. I surely won’t spend the silver coins recklessly.”

Zhulan took out two more broken silver coins, each worth two, and looked up at Chang Lian, ”In this house, no one else would squander silver coins, and you certainly wouldn’t. Mother trusts you.”

Chang Lian was moved; only his mother would trust him like this. ”Mother, why do you trust me so much? I haven’t done well.”

Since the family had changed, he had also been quietly observing. Although he didn’t want to admit it, he realized that he didn’t match up to his older brothers in character. As for his younger brother, who was carefree and seemingly heartless, he actually had the heart of an innocent; he was the most upright person in the family. In comparison, he was selfish, self-centered, and amazed to find such trust from his mother. He felt a twinge in his nose.

Zhulan tied the purse, ”Because you have the potential to be a miser. You are such a penny-pincher that you wouldn’t spend a single coin. Of course, mother trusts that you won’t squander the silver coins.”

Chang Lian, ”....”

Ouch, my heartfelt emotion is gone!

Zhulan’s eyes were filled with laughter, ”This boy has started to act all grown-up since he got betrothed, but he’s overdone it, losing authenticity. He’s still a child at heart. Just look at how lively his expressions are now.”

Upon seeing the smile on his mother’s lips, Chang Lian’s frustration vanished, understanding she was teasing him. A different emotion swirled in his heart, ”Mother.”

Zhulan caught a rare glimpse of admiration in Chang Lian’s eyes. She and Zhou Shuren had been there for a year, and the boy, upon realizing that his family had become fair, mostly thought about competing for his own advantages. Later, when he understood how formidable she and Zhou Shuren were, he began to fear and learned to change. Up to now, he’d been constantly imitating Zhou Shuren, and indeed, he had improved a lot. However, the boy had always maintained a distance from her and Zhou Shuren. Rather than seeing them as parents, he saw them as people he wanted to surpass.

Zhulan’s heart relaxed; he was still just a child, after all. One’s nature isn’t formed in a single day. The child hadn’t been raised well from a young age; that was the fault of his biological parents. Now, with her and Zhou Shuren here, Chang Lian was changing day by day. He could be brought up well. Now that his emotions were rarely exposed, it was clear that Chang Lian needed parental love. She had only teased him once, and already Chang Lian yearned for motherly affection, which significantly moved Zhulan, making her reflect on the lack of care she and Zhou Shuren had shown towards Chang Lian.

Zhulan raised her hand to touch Chang Lian’s head, ”You’ve grown so much this past year. Wait until the Mid-Autumn Festival, Mother will make you a new set of clothes. Wearing it, my third son will be no less than any young master in the county. Don’t the books say that a young master is like jade? Chang Lian will also be a young master like jade.”

Chang Lian’s eyes reddened. As the fourth child in the family with many siblings, his parents paid him little attention. He had longed for that attention, wished for his mother to hold him and coax him. As he grew older, he’d stopped expecting it, thinking he didn’t care anymore. But it turned out he had always been yearning for it. His voice was nasal as he replied, ”Yes.”

Zhulan sighed to herself; in the modern world, he would be just a middle school student. Though maturing, he was still a child.

With a ’pfft’ sound, it resonated especially loud in the quiet courtyard.

Lady Li’s face flushed with embarrassment, ”Mother, I—I couldn’t help it; it wasn’t on purpose.”

Chang Lian’s face turned red with bashfulness; he knew his two sisters-in-law had witnessed his earlier moment. He turned and ran away quickly, feeling embarrassed.

Lady Li’s face grew even redder, ”Mother, I’m going back to my room.”

Madame Zhao snapped back to reality, finding the development somewhat unexpected. She wanted to laugh, but it didn’t seem right with Zhulan present, so she struggled to hold it in, her shoulders shaking.

Zhulan, on the other hand, had no such reservations and let out a laugh. Embarrassed, Lady Li fled without looking back, her short legs carrying her quickly, and with a bang, she closed the door behind her.

Suppressing her laughter, Zhulan handed two silver angles to Madame Zhao, ”This is the Silver Coin for your two houses for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Each house gets two silver coins. Take them to your eldest sister-in-law!”

Madame Zhao joyfully accepted the silver angles, understanding that Zhulan meant the money was specifically for their two houses to spend as they wished, with no oversight. It was an unexpected windfall. Her previous dissatisfaction with the third brother disappeared, ”Thank you, Mother.”

Zhulan waved her hand, sending Madame Zhao off to deliver the money to Lady Li. Once Madame Zhao had left, Zhulan stroked her chin, considering the family’s limited finances. If only they had more, she could contemplate giving monthly allowances. She felt for her purse and sighed deeply. They needed the Silver to buy land and save for future expenses; it was best to be frugal.

By evening, everyone knew Zhulan had distributed the Mid-Autumn Festival Silver Coin. Zhulan had wanted to explain that she gave to Chang Lian because he had a fiancee, and to the eldest because he had started a family. But as it turned out, no explanation was needed from Zhulan—Chang Zhi showed no reaction at all and went back to his studies after dinner.

Zhulan, ”....”

She began to feel some sympathy for her future daughter-in-law.

The next day, Zhulan looked at a somewhat sheepish Lady Li, ”Are you going to the county?”