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

Chapter 389: Chapter 389 Knowing Oneself and the Enemy_1

Zhulan didn’t have dinner at her parents’ home; she simply sat for a while before returning to her own house. With Silver Coin in her father’s hands, both her parents had put on weight, leaving her with little to worry about regarding them. The only uncertainty was when her second brother’s family would return. Indeed, it was her second brother’s family who were living with Wu He.

Today, Zhulan had delivered the New Year’s gifts to her parental home ahead of time.

She also needed to prepare the New Year’s gifts for Mr. Chen’s family and Mr. He’s family; her return home was filled with tasks.

In the government office, Mr. He spoke in a hushed tone, ”Mr. Zhou” has been all smiles. If I didn’t know his wife had returned, I’d be seriously worried.”

Mr. Chen pursed his lips, ”If Mr. Zhou’s wife hadn’t returned, my wife would be moody every day. Now that she’s back, wouldn’t she want to pay a personal visit to confirm?”

Mr. He’s expression stiffened; he hailed from a scholarly farmer family, with his father-in-law’s household holding significant influence. He was no different from a son-in-law who had married into his wife’s family. While Mr. Chen had a concubine and two maids at his beck and call, he didn’t dare take a concubine himself. These days had been tough for him; his wife had been hinting at wanting jewelry, yet where could he find the silver coin? His salary was entirely controlled by his wife!

What troubled him most was that his wife always assumed he had private funds; however, he truly had none. He wanted to save, but he didn’t dare to do so!

Mr. Chen and Mr. He shared sighs before finding Mr. Zhou even more unpleasant to look at!

Zhou Shuren, oblivious to the annoyance he caused, couldn’t wait to tell everyone about his joy. ”Mr. Chen, Mr. He, I’m treating you to dinner at the restaurant today.”

Mr. Chen, ”....”

Mr. He, ”....”

No, they didn’t want to go, but they felt like cursing. It was rare for Mr. Zhou to offer to host, and they couldn’t refuse!

When Zhulan returned home, Lady Li, with her belly protruding, followed her wherever she went. Zhulan, ”...You don’t find it tiring to follow me with your belly so big?”

Lady Li, her short plump hands tightly clutching the corner of her mother-in-law’s cloak, said, ”Mother, I just want to be with you.”

Zhulan’s heart softened, softened further. In this home, she was the only one who could indulge Lady Li. Without her, Lady Li would feel uneasy. Being pregnant, Lady Li was prone to irrational thoughts, which, if persistent, led to mood swings and a tendency to cry, ”Follow me, then!”

Lady Li grinned from ear to ear, ”Alright!”

Juan Hua looked up at Lady Li, contemplating how she might secure a permanent place by the eldest lady’s side. She was well aware that the eldest lady had secured her position with the mistress. Staying close to the eldest lady meant receiving fewer rewards, but it also meant less headache. Moreover, it was peaceful! And with the mistress backing the eldest lady, no one dared slight her. No matter how many servants there would be in the future, they all would treat her with due respect.

Zhulan reviewed the list of New Year’s gifts for various households. The family of Zheng Hong also required a gift. When totaled, the gifts for Zhou Shuren’s first year in office amounted to a considerable sum of coins.

Fortunately, she had brought back some exotic vegetables and fruits from the south and didn’t need to go out and buy rarities anymore.

Lady Li, following her mother-in-law, was astounded. ”Mother, are all these meant to be given away?”

Zhulan, checking the list of gifts, replied while answering, ”Yes.”

Lady Li, having heard the steward discussing the expense of purchasing greens, felt a twinge in her heart each time. While eating the vegetables, she’d silently remind herself that every bite cost coins, and now she had to give away several pounds, ”Mother, will it be like this every year?”

Zhulan spoke wistfully, ”In the future, it will only increase.”

Unless Zhou Shuren was demoted or stripped of his office, the gifts were bound to grow more plentiful with each passing year.

Lady Li, reluctant to part with the funds, lamented, ”Mother, does that mean we will have to spend a good amount of silver coin every year?”

Zhulan laughed, ”This year, Prefecture City didn’t have a good autumn harvest, the common folk struggled and hadn’t much coin to spend. No celebrations or gift exchanges took place during the Dragon Boat Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival. Come next year, we will need to reciprocate during these festivals.”

Lady Li, whose head for numbers was second to none, quickly calculated the costs, ”Mother, my heart aches.”

Zhulan chuckled affectionately; she loved Lady Li’s straightforwardness and the scrunched-up look on her face, ”You only think about what’s being given away; you forget that gift-giving is reciprocal. Let me tell you, Mr. Chen’s family has a tea plantation; surely tea will be included on the list of their reciprocating gifts. Mr. Chen’s family will surely return the favor with fine tea. Next year, our household won’t need to buy tea....”

Zhulan went on detailing the possible reciprocated gifts from each household, which left Lady Li listening with her mouth agape, ”Mother, how do you know all this so clearly?”

Zhulan tapped Lady Li’s forehead, ”This is called ’know thyself, know thy enemy.’ You think only I am aware? The affairs of our household are hardly secret.”

Lady Li thought about it and felt frightened. Considering the head of the household, even being a bit dull might be a good thing. She believed she lacked her father-in-law and mother-in-law’s cunning and decided that it was better to stay honest, lest she not even know how she died.

When Zhulan returned to the courtyard, Lady Dong came with the ledger. Lady Dong tried her best to ignore her sister-in-law; she was just a step too late and had been preempted by her. She wanted to follow as well, but it would seem too deliberate, ”Mother, here is the expense report from the sewing room during your absence.”

Zhulan didn’t look at the ledger; she had established strict rules for the Accounting Room, making it difficult for anyone in the Zhou household to falsify accounts, ”I have no worries about what I left in your charge. Take the ledger back. With the New Year approaching, it’s time to welcome the new by discarding the old; let’s have two sets of clothes made for everyone in the house.”

Lady Dong happily accepted the trust of her mother-in-law and asked with a smile, ”Mother, what about the servants?”

In Zhulan’s household, she had decreed that each servant receive two sets of seasonal clothing. The garments, made of cotton and linen, were not expensive. Necessitating eight sets a year, the servants’ appearance was a reflection of the Zhou family’s image, and their attire had to be proper.

Zhulan thought for a moment, ”For this, the first New Year, the servants will have two new sets of clothes, too.”

Lady Dong responded, ”Mother, I’ve taken note.”

Lady Zhao approached from the kitchen. She had wanted to come earlier, but she had to arrange the midday meal, especially since her mother-in-law had returned. The quality of dishes couldn’t be neglected; the mother-in-law’s discontent meant the father-in-law would be displeased.

Lady Zhao entered, ”Mother, Chang Lian enjoyed a roast whole lamb at Graduate Meng’s house. Considering your return, how about we have one tonight as well?”

From her years of observation, she noted that the mother-in-law and father-in-law were increasingly fond of eating, which is why she made the suggestion, believing it would please her mother-in-law.

Lady Dong felt deflated; Chang Lian had also mentioned it to her, and she regretted not remembering to mention it to her mother-in-law. With her head lowered, reflexions on her two sisters-in-law weighed on her mind, with the second sister-in-law being the most cunning.