Picking Up a General to Plow the Fields

Chapter 575: Finding Fault

The village elders couldn’t refuse and had no choice but to accept them, leaving with smiles.

After they left, Lian Ze looked bewildered.
“Sister, I think Uncle Zheng and the village elders were sincere in refusing, why did you ask me to give out the red envelopes?”

Lian Fang Zhou raised her eyebrows and smiled.
“Think about it yourself, you can’t ask me everything!”

Lian Ze scratched his head for a moment and then looked at Ah Jian eagerly for help.

Amused, Ah Jian spread his hands and shook his head.
“Don’t ask me, I don’t know either!”

“Sister, look! How can I know something even my brother-in-law doesn’t know?” Lian Ze said, his eyes bright.
“I have to ask my sister to teach me!”

Lian Fang Zhou sighed.
Smiling, she said: “It seems your experience is still too little! When you look at things, you must not only look at the moment but also the people involved! The elders were indeed sincere at the moment but older people put more emphasis on their own interests.
Don’t you know the temperament of our village elders? Even if they are sincere now, won’t they regret it later? Since we got to the last step, why stop there?”

Suddenly understanding, Lian Ze hurriedly nodded.
“I understand!” He smiled at her and said: “Sister, you are really smart.
I also think they would regret it later!”

Seeing that his expression was a little gloomy, Lian Fang Zhou smiled softly.
“Alright, don’t worry about it.
Everything should be done step by step and you are still young.
It’s not bad that you didn’t notice it right away.”

“What your sister said is true.” Ah Jian nodded.
“Your sister won’t leave immediately, just learn slowly.”

Lian Ze liked to hear these words.
The gloom between his brows disappeared immediately and he smiled.

–

When Lian Hai got home, he was in a rage.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became and he almost smashed one of his inkstones.

That Lian Fang Zhou! So deceiving! Some day he would—

Do what?

Startled, Lian Hai stood there in a daze, feeling a little desperate.

That’s right, their family just received a plaque bestowed by the emperor himself.
No matter how big an official he became in the future, he could not touch them! And his surname was also Lian.

He sighed, feeling depressed.
He couldn’t even muster up the energy to be angry, let alone to feed his earlier idea of sending his parents over to make a fuss.

But just because he came to this realization didn’t mean that his parents would.

The village was not so big and there was the sound of firecrackers and drum music, how could they not hear it?

If Madam Qiao wasn’t busy waiting to hear the gossip, she would have already run off to watch the excitement.

Although she didn’t go, she moved a stool to the door and sat doing her needlework, looking up from time to time.

When some people passed by, she struck up a conversation to ask them.

If Madam Qiao hadn’t asked, maybe they wouldn’t have come up to tell her, but since she opened her mouth, other were happy to talk.

When she heard the news, Madam Qiao was speechless.
Her face turned red and then white and she couldn’t sit still, hurrying back inside immediately.

Previously, she had hoped that someone would come by and talk about it but now she was terrified of meeting outsiders.

Thinking of the mocking and smug expressions of the sister-in-laws who had stopped to talk to her, as if they were laughing at her family for being blin, she felt extremely uncomfortable.

They had talked about imperial edicts, gold and silver, a mountain of silk, and even a farmhouse! How beautiful that must have been!

No matter how determined to be calm Madam Qiao was, she couldn’t help bleed with regret in her heart!

How could she have been so confused! How did they get her today, step by step?

But hearing that her son had also gone, Madam Qiao felt a little better.

By now, she felt that her son should be back so she went to look for him in his study.
She wanted to hear what he had to say!

But when he did speak, it was not what Madam Qiao imagined.

Lian Hai was already angry and aggrieved.
When his mother came to question him, it just gave him a chance to vent and complain about his grievances.

Madam Qiao was so distressed when she heard it! Gritting her teeth, she complained: “That Fang Zhou is so mean! It’s fine if she ignores your father and I.
No matter what, we did a lot of bad things.
But what’s wrong with you? She calls your cousin, I never expected her to be so shady behind your back! She tricked you out of such a great opportunity! What a pity, what a pity!”

Even though Madam Qiao had never read a book or seen much of the world, she still understood how important the emperor’s praise was!

Lian Hai’s face became even uglier after hearing his mother.

Lian Fang Zhou was simply ruining his future!

Madam Qiao complained for a while and then turned around and complained to Lian Li.

Her husband was more knowledgeable than her and was so shocked that he couldn’t speak for a long time, just panting angrily.

How dare they! Aren’t they also from the Lian family! The actually dared to monopolize such a great thing, did they think they were all dead?!

Coming to his senses, he raised his hand and slapped Madam Qiao twice, cursing: “You stupid woman! You’re so active going around from house to house every day, what are you doing staying home like a tortoise today? I’m sick and was sleeping, but what about you? Were you deaf? Or did you hear the commotion and decide to stay home? If you had gone out to take a look, you could have come and told me earlier! How would we have ended up like this?”

Madam Qiao had just been slapped twice and then saw Xiao Ya, the little vixen, appear, calling: “Don’t worry, master! Don’t get mad!” and “Be careful!”

Full of resentment, she pointed at Xiao Ya and cried angrily: “Why are you blaming me? Am I the only one who is deaf? This bitch wasn’t asleep and she didn’t say anything!”

“Madam, don’t wrong this concubine!” Xiao Ya cried pitifully, her eyes wide and innocent.
“This concubine was serving the master wholeheartedly, I didn’t have time to care about what was going on outside! Don’t say this concubine wasn’t paying attention, even if I heard something, it’s impossible for me to go out and watch.
I wouldn’t disturb the master’s matters for no reason! But Madam, why didn’t you go out to inquire if something was wrong?”

“You!” Madam Qiao trembled with anger.

“Shut up!” Lian Li gave Madam Qiao a cold, bitter look.
“Why are you still here? Get lost! You can’t do anything and you still have the nerve to pick on others! Get out, I don’t want to see you!”

Madam Qiao gave Xiao Ya a dark look and then turned around to leave.