Picking Up a General to Plow the Fields

Chapter 545: What did your sister-in-law say?

“Mother? Why are you being so mysterious?” Madam Zhao followed her inside, smiling.

Seeing her look so casual, Aunt Zhang couldn’t help but sigh softly and say seriously: “It’s a serious matter, you need to listen clearly!”

Madam Zhao’s expression firmed immediately as Aunt Zhang continued: “Fang Zhou and the others will be here for dinner, so don’t talk nonsense to her! You can’t talk to her today and you are not allowed to talk to her tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, or in the future.
Do you understand me?”

“Mom! I’m not a child, why are you talking nonsense?” Madam Zhao had thought that this would be about a big deal so when she heard what Aunt Zhang said, she couldn’t help but relax and laugh.

“Hmph!” Aunt Zhang sneered.
Glancing at her sideways, she said slowly: “Yesterday, your sister-in-law came to visit.
She didn’t say anything to you?”

Madam Zhao immediately lowered her head.

Aunt Zhang sighed.
“It’s not that I’m gossiping.
Fang Zhou trusts San He and sees how smart and capable he is.
Otherwise, why would she entrust such a big business to him? Do you think this position is easy to get? If it goes wrong, if Lian Fang Zhou has something to complain about, will we be able to feel sorry for ourselves? Your brother and sister-in-law only see that we are living in a big house, they don’t think about San He’s responsibilities.”

She shook her head: “You’ve seen it when San He came back last time and stayed up all night to read account books.
Your eldest brother is a farmer, he can’t read a single word.
Can San He promote him? Not only San He is from our village, there are also three others working at the oil mill but all of them could read and had a little experience before.
We can’t help San He but we must not hold him back! Besides, he is not the only one who makes decisions at the oil mill.
If he wants to bring in someone who can’t do anything, isn’t that going to make people gossip? If your sister-in-law insists on pestering over this matter, don’t blame me for not being considerate of relatives! Now that our family is well off, I have nothing to say about your helping them from time to time but don’t implicate San He! Don’t forget you are the daughter-in-law of our Li family.”

Madam Zhao lowered her head when she heard this and couldn’t only say ‘yes’, then hurriedly added: “Mother, you’ve misunderstood! This, yesterday I explained this to my sister-in-law.
My brother’s wife is not an unreasonable person.
When she came, it was not to talk about this but about…”

She hesitated for a moment and then steeled her heart.
After all, if she didn’t go through her mother-in-law, she wouldn’t be able to do it.
And she already understood everything anyways! Laughing, she said: “My sister-in-law wants to go to Luosi mountain with my brother to help raise chickens and ducks.
Mother, they know how to do this, why can’t they help Fang Zhou? If you say something, she will definitely agree!”

“What?” Aunt Zhang looked at Madam Zhao strangely.
“Why did you sister-in-law suddenly think of this?”

Madam Zhao told the truth: “Her family is from a nearby village… when she went back to visit her parents, she went to visit Luosi mountain to take a look and felt that it was not bad.
It’s a familiar job, so…”

“So I thought!” Aunt Zhang smiled.
“Your sister-in-law is shrewd, she would never come up with such an idea for no reason.
But there are already workers there, is it possible for Lian Fang Zhou to fire them and hire your brother and sister-in-law?” Her expression darkened.
“Nonsense! Fang Zhou is not that kind of person! Even if she reluctantly agreed, others would poke the backs of our Li family.
Besides, I hear that it’s not ten or twenty birds on that mountain, but thousands! So many chickens and ducks are not easy to handle.
If they get sick, it’s not a trivial matter.
Your brother is too honest and your sister-in-law is too smart, they are not suitable.”

Too honest, too smart, but they weren’t suitable? Madam Zhao was confused and looked at Aunt Zhang with some doubts.

Just like her brother, so honest!

Aunt Zhang sighed in her heart and couldn’t only say: “Your brother is too honest, he won’t take the initiative to look for trouble.
I’m afraid that if something goes wrong, he won’t notice until it is too late.
As for your sister-in-law, didn’t I tell you that smart people have too many eyes? They are used to tricks and it’s easy for them to do something bad.”

Now Madam Zhao understood.
Her face flushed and she moved her lips but she couldn’t argue.
She knew very well that what her mother-in-law said was right.

“Don’t promise anything to your sister-in-law in the future.” Aunt Zhang sighed.
“If she comes to pester you again, just say that you don’t know anything.
Let her come to me.”

“Yes, mother…” Madam Zhao couldn’t only nod.

Look for her mother-in-law? Her sister-in-law would be looking in vain, she would never agree.

“Remember this, don’t be confused again.” Aunt Zhang warned.
“Don’t go looking for Fang Zhou behind my back! You should know you won’t be able to hide that kind of thing from me forever.”

This sentence blocked all of Madam Zhao’s small thoughts.
Taken aback, she hurriedly smiled: “Mother, where would I go talk to her? I, no matter how brave I am, I dare not go behind your back! Why would I do that? Besides, Fang Zhou would not necessarily agree to save my face!”

“You are still a sensible person!” Aunt Zhang laughed.
Her tone softened and she said: “Don’t blame me.
Ah, it’s not easy for us or for Fang Zhou, so don’t make things more difficult.
As for your brother and sister-in-law, I will still say the same thing.
Help if you can, I won’t argue.
Just remember that you and San He will still need money in the future.
After all, you are still young.
I have almost prepared Ah Juan’s dowry, so what do I need money for?”

Madam Zhao was convinced in her heart.
She lowered her head and agreed, unable to help blaming her sister-in-law for being selfish.
But—

“Mother.” Madam Zhao said suddenly, looking up at Aunt Zhang hesitantly.
“San He is a shopkeeper now and will only be promoted in the future.
He, will he… there are so many women outside, after all—”

“What did you say?!” Aunt Zhang’s expression darkened as she interrupted Madam Zhao sternly.
Staring at her coldly, she said: “You’ve never worried about this before and it’s impossible for you to say thing without reason.
Who taught you these kinds of words?”

“I…” Madam Zhao froze, suddenly a little guilty and flustered.
She was unable to speak.

After a long pause, she bit her lip and said stubbornly: “I’m not thinking nonsense.
He usually only comes home after a month or two outside.
I, why wouldn’t I worry?”

Aunt Zhang frowned.
“Nonsense! You might not know what kind of man your husband is, but I have a clear understanding of my own son! How could he do such a thing? Besides, didn’t he say to wait a year? When things are stable and not so busy, he will take you to the city to live together.
You, what are you thinking about all day long?” She glared.
“Did your sister-in-law instigate you?”

“I…” Madam Zhao lowered her head guiltily, not daring to look at Aunt Zhang.

Angry and annoyed, her mother-in-law snapped: “Your own sister-in-law, what the hell is she thinking! Don’t listen to such provoking words, does she have a grudge against our family? Why does she have to disturb our house and make our family restless? And you, you are also stupid! You believe her after just a few words!”

Sneering, she said: “I understand.
She must have told you to take care of them and help them find a good job.
If they have good life, you will have a backer and will have more confidence in your in-law’s family.
In case we wrong you in the future, they will help you out, right?”

Madam Zhao’s head lowered even further, wishing to bury into her chest.

Seeing that it was as she guessed, Aunt Zhang was so angry she couldn’t speak.

It took her a while to calm down.
Coldly, she said: “When your sister-in-law comes in the future, entertain her in the main room and don’t talk to her alone.
You have been married for three or four years! When did we make things difficult for you? What did we do to wrong you? Your sister-in-law is stretching her hands too far!”

Madam Zhao couldn’t help it, she burst into tears.
“Mother, I, I know I was wrong! I, I won’t listen to her! Mother, you, you, you must not be angry with me!”

Aunt Zhang felt a little dumbfounded.
She sighed.
“You are a family, why should I be angry with you? You just need to understand.
I will tell you, San He doesn’t have those kind of thoughts, so don’t be suspicious and pester him.
If you don’t trust him and secretly check him, it will be self-defeating.
Huh, don’t blame me for not reminding you! Men care about their face and he is charge of a business.
You can’t hurt his face and make people laugh!”

Madam Zhao agreed in a low voice.

“Okay, go wash your face and tidy up.” Aunt Zhang said.
“Check on the dishes and set the table with Ah Juan.
I think Fang Zhou and the others will be here soon.”

“Should we go and invite them?” Madam Zhao asked.

“No need.” Aunt Zhang shook her head.
“There is no need to be like that.
Fang Zhou and the others are not such people who like to put on airs!”

Turning, Aunt Zhang walked a few steps and then stopped.
Without looking back, she said: “Our family is small and I only want us to live in harmony.
There will never be such a thing as concubines.
If San He becomes confused one day, your father and I will naturally make decisions for you!”

These words touched Madam Zhao’s heart and a big stone fell off her chest, lifting her spirits.
Joyfylly, she said: “Thank you, mother!”

Aunt Zhang smiled and left.

Not long after, Lian Fang Zhou’s family arrived in a lively matter.
Aunt Zhang opened the door to welcome them with a smile.
“I said you should come later! Come in and sit down, the food will be ready soon.”

“We’re just a little early! It’s just enough time to pinch a little food and not help at all!” Lian Fang Zhou laughed.

The rest of the group laughed with her.

Lian Fang Qing sniffed the air and pulled on Aunt Zhang with a big smile: “Aunt Zhang, Aunt Zhang, what are you cooking? It smells so good!”

Aunt Zhang loved this little girl the most.
Holding her little hand, she laughed and said: “I made a lot of good things, you should eat more later!”

Lian Fang Qing nodded seriously and hummed.
Blinking her eyes innocently, she asked: “Aunt Zhang, if we can’t finish everything, can I take some back and eat it slowly?”

Everyone roared with laughter again and Lian Ze teased her, saying: “You’re so embarrassing!”

Aunt Zhang seemed to like this and smiled happily: “Yes, yes! Of course, Qing’er! If you like something, you can bring it back with you.”