Chen Xuan went home and first put the file bag containing the book list given to her by Mr. Rong into a drawer and locked it. Then, she changed into her usual sky blue, half-worn cotton cheongsam and went to the kitchen to cook dinner with Li.
Aunt Chen also figured out what a salon is this afternoon. She heard from the eldest aunt of the Wei family that it is a high-end banquet where important people talk and chat. I didn't expect that a half-mute like Chen Xuan could go to such a place. As for Chen Xuan, it's not that Aunt Chen looked down on her. Can she talk to strangers? Can she socialize? Even if she wears two nice clothes, she will just be a piece of wood if she goes there!
It’s true that fools have good luck!
Such a fool has such a blessing!
Second Aunt Chen was envious and jealous for the whole afternoon. Chen Xuan went home and just showed up at Old Lady Wei's place, then she had to go back to work. Wei Yin sat in the old lady's room drinking water. Second Aunt Chen asked Wei Yin about the salon in a shrill voice. After all, Wei Jin only knew a rough idea, and Wei Jin had never been to this place called a salon. Wei Yin didn't like to pay attention to people like Second Aunt Chen, but Second Aunt Chen was a guest after all, and she kept nagging without any tact, so Wei Yin picked out some of them and said, "They are all people in the cultural circle, mostly university professors, current scholars, newspaper editors, and writers."
"It's fine for Second Aunt to be a smart person, but our Xuan'er has never been to school since she was a child. Even if she goes there, can she get along with others?" Second Aunt Chen wished she could go in place of Chen Xuan.
Wei Yin didn't want to hear people belittling Chen Xuan like this, so she put down the water cup, her pretty face slightly gloomy, and her tone became heavier, "When my second brother goes there, of course he will bring my second sister-in-law with him. Things are different now. In the past, women mostly washed pots and cooked at home, but now many Western-style social events invite couples. My second sister-in-law didn't go to school in your house before, but now she comes to my house and has learned to read and speak foreign languages. How can she be the same as she was in your house before? Didn't you say when you first came that you couldn't recognize her. If you ask me, my second sister-in-law is just like the saying that gold will always shine. People like my second sister-in-law are kind-hearted and honest by nature. Maybe Uncle and Aunt Chen are blessing her in the underworld."
There was too much in Wei Yin's words, so even Aunt Chen, who considered herself smart, had to chew them over twice before she could understand what they meant.
The day after Sharon came back, Aunt Chen finally found a chance to be alone with Chen Xuan. Chen Xuan sat on the kang in the west room and lowered her head to listen to Aunt Chen complaining about her sufferings. From the poor harvest in the fields, to the fact that her elder sister was getting married and her elder brother was going to school, to how hard it was to make a living and how difficult it was at home. She also talked about the various difficulties in raising Chen Xuan over the years, such as when Chen Xuan was sick as a child, Aunt Chen stayed up all night to watch over her, and Uncle Chen carried her on his back and ran 20 miles to the county medicine store to get medicine. The effort and money she spent were really huge. Aunt Chen cried as she talked about these things, and she was so moved by herself. Chen Xuan didn't feel anything at all. She only remembered that when her elder sister was sick, Aunt Chen watched her all night long. As for Uncle Chen running 20 miles to the county medicine store to get medicine, he didn't carry her on his back, but carried her elder brother.
Chen Xuan didn't say anything. She just listened to what Aunt Chen wanted to say.
Seeing her speechless appearance, Second Aunt Chen got angry and reached out to push Chen Xuan, "Xuan'er, you have to be conscientious. Although you are not my child, you have grown up with your uncle and aunt since you were a child. Your uncle and aunt's home is your maternal home. Women still have to rely on their maternal home, don't you think? Who are we in our family? In the end, it's just you three sisters and brothers. Hey, you are in a good place now. Now that you are living a good life, shouldn't you help your brothers and sisters? Help our family?"
Chen Xuan remained silent.
Aunt Chen was anxious, "Why don't you say something!" She's not really mute, what's the point of keeping silent like this!
Chen Xuan finally spoke. She looked at Second Aunt Chen and said, "I don't have a penny in my husband's family. Second Aunt Chen also knows that you didn't give me any dowry. I don't have any money in my hands."
Aunt Chen had already started to scold Chen Xuan in her heart, and she even thought Chen Xuan was stupid. She had to instruct her, "You have no money, and you marry into the Wei family. The Wei family has two branches, the first and second branches, and you are now the young mistress of the second branch. You have to say something. Do you think the Wei family can watch your family get into trouble?"
Chen Xuan blinked, her eyelashes drooped, covering the expression in her eyes. Chen Xuan asked Aunt Chen in a low voice, "How should I ask for this? Now the old lady often says that I only gave two sets of clothes as a dowry for the 20 yuan betrothal gift. The old lady is very unhappy when she talks about this."
"The betrothal gift is for our family. How we buy it is our business! What does it have to do with the Wei family? Besides, there were a lot of things going on at home at the time, and there was also the unpaid medical money from your parents' previous medical treatment. It has been owed for many years! We had no money before, and the Wei family just happened to send the betrothal gift. Shouldn't we pay the money back first? The money is not used elsewhere, and it is the same whether it is used on you!" Aunt Chen's chattering completely shut Chen Xuan up.
Chen Xuan listened and nodded, "Oh, if that's the reason, I'll tell the old lady when I have time. The old lady is still reasonable."
"That's right. We're not asking for it for free. We're borrowing fifty dollars. Just get through this year, and when the year is good, we'll definitely pay you back." Aunt Chen didn't care what Chen Xuan meant. She assigned the task to Chen Xuan anyway, and added, "Aunt and uncle are counting on you, Xuan'er. You'll also enjoy our Xuan'er's blessing in the future." She was afraid of being unsafe, so she asked Chen Xuan, "When are you going to tell me?"
Chen Xuan was very happy and agreed immediately, "The old lady can't make the decision on borrowing money. I'll talk to the old man when he comes back in the evening."
Seeing that Chen Xuan had finally opened her spiritual awareness, Second Aunt Chen was finally satisfied. She took Chen Xuan's hand and praised her for being blessed.
Of course, Aunt Chen didn't know how Chen Xuan said this. If she knew, she would probably be so angry that she would die.
After dinner, Chen Xuan cleaned up with Li in the kitchen, washed her hands, and went to the old lady's room instead of returning to her own room. Uncle Chen and Aunt Chen knew that Chen Xuan was going to talk about borrowing money today, so they went back to the west wing early.
Li found the ox-horn comb that the old lady usually used and wanted to clean her hair. Wei Jin was still sitting on the kang with a dog-skin mattress on her legs and knitting a wool sweater. After Chen Xuan came in, she didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "I have something to tell the old lady and the grandfather. Sister, sister-in-law, can you step aside for a moment?"
Wei Jinshun asked, "What's so urgent?"
Chen Xuan kept silent. Wei Jin guessed three-quarters of what was going on as soon as he saw Chen Xuan's clam-shell mouth. As he went down to the kang, he said to her in an unfriendly tone, "You must remember whose rice and flour you are eating now." After that, he snorted, picked up his half-knitted woolen sweater, and went to Wei Yin's room in the partition.
Li put the comb back into the makeup box and went back to her room. As a result, when she left the room, she saw Wei Jinzheng eavesdropping behind the cotton curtain. Li shook her head and went out. Old Mrs. Wei also guessed that Chen Xuan came to borrow money, so her face was not very good and she asked with a gloomy face, "What's the matter?"
Old Master Wei always treated his daughters-in-law well. He pointed to the edge of the kang and said, "Sit down. If you have something to say, sit down and talk."
Chen Xuan sat down and first talked about the dowry. Chen Xuan said, "My parents passed away early, and I don't know how much they owed for medical treatment. Auntie said so, so I believe it."
"You believe in that!" Old Mrs. Wei interrupted Chen Xuan's words with an angry shout, slapped the edge of the kang, and said to her straight-faced, "Are you stupid? Your grandfather and your father also had two businesses in Beijing. Later, they died young. When they were sick, they spent a lot of money on doctors and medicine. But later, they saved up their family fortune and bought more than a hundred acres of land in your hometown. Otherwise, where did the land in your hometown come from? It was all earned by your grandfather and your father, you idiot! Where did the money for medicine that was owed for more than ten years come from! You really believe it!"
Old Master Wei reminded softly, "Keep your voice down."
Old Lady Wei knew that the Chen family lived in the west wing, so it was not good to speak loudly. But what Chen Xuan said was too irritating. Old Lady Wei lowered her voice and scolded her second daughter-in-law, "Look, when your eldest brother and sister-in-law got married, the family also gave a betrothal gift of 20 yuan. Your sister-in-law's dowry was gold and silver, so thick that you couldn't even put your hand into the box. Look at you, what do you have? Just two sets of tattered clothes. It's not that I'm speaking harshly, but you don't have a brother. You should have half of the hundred acres of land in your family. It's a new era, men and women are equal, you read books and newspapers all day, why are you not as progressive as an old lady like me!"
Old Madam Wei kept talking again. Old Master Wei had no way to deal with her and said to her, "Be quiet and listen to what A-Xuan has to say."
"What can she say? I think she has been fooled!" Old Mrs. Wei curled her lips, waved her hand, took a breath, and said to Chen Xuan, "Go ahead."
"Auntie told me a lot about her difficulties today and asked me to borrow money. She wanted to borrow fifty dollars." Seeing that Mrs. Wei was anxious, Chen Xuan said quickly, "I'll come over and tell the old man and the old lady, you must not lend me the money."
Mrs. Wei was about to start cursing, but she was choked by Chen Xuan's words and couldn't wake up for a while. Mrs. Wei picked her ears, got closer and asked Chen Xuan, "Did I hear it right?" How did this stupid person suddenly become smart? !
Chen Xuan said honestly, "I know life in the countryside. If it's hard to make a living with a hundred or eighty acres of land, other families will have even less chance of survival. Our hometown is not a wealthy place, but every year, the harvest is enough for food. Since I came here, the old lady and the grandfather have treated me very well, and Brother Nian has also treated me very well. If you feel sorry for me, don't lend me a penny. My uncle and aunt raised me, and I have been working since I can remember, so I have never eaten white rice. I won't ask the old lady for the fifty acres of land she mentioned, I will just regard it as their kindness in raising me over the years. It's not easy for our family to make money, and at the age of my grandfather, he has to go out in the wind and snow every day. In life, I have heard of helping people in emergencies but not helping the poor, but it's not reasonable to ask people to give money just because they have money. If I give it this time, there will be no end in the future. I came here to talk to the old lady and the grandfather about this."
After Chen Xuan left, Old Madam Wei whispered to the old man, "How did this girl suddenly understand?"
Old Master Wei said to his wife, "When has Ah Xuan ever been confused? I think this girl has always been quite clear-headed, just like her father."
"Good people don't live long." Mrs. Wei felt relieved because Chen Xuan didn't ask her family to lend money to the Chen couple. She couldn't help but sigh when she talked about Chen Xuan's parents, "Her father and mother were also very smart people back then. When she first came to our house, she was stupid and dumb, but now she has finally come to her senses and understood. Alas, she has a miserable life. If her parents were still alive, how could they have done such a thing?"
Old Master Wei said, "Tomorrow I'll give the second son and his wife ten dollars and send them away."
"Why do you want to take the money? Didn't you hear what Xuan said? I won't lend you a penny. I'll give it to you all at once, and you'll definitely have to pay it back next year."
"After all, they are Axuan's uncle and aunt, don't go too far." Old Master Wei didn't care about such a few dollars, especially since Chen Xuan understood everything and the young couple were in harmony. They could just turn a blind eye to everything.
"You are the only one who is so kind." Old Mrs. Wei muttered. She always listened to the old man in everything. After the old man said that, Mrs. Wei agreed no matter how reluctant she was.
Wei Jin just came in after lifting the curtain. She was eavesdropping on the whole thing. She went back to her room and continued knitting a sweater while sitting on the kang. She said, "I think, Dad, you might as well give the money to my second sister-in-law. Her uncle and aunt also brought half a bag of peanuts with them. You can just give the money to them and let them take it back. Who would see it?! Ask my second sister-in-law to buy some things, and then we can hire a cart for her uncle and aunt. When we bring back a full cart, no one would say that we treated her uncle and aunt badly."
"Ajin, this is a good idea." Old Mrs. Wei supported her daughter first.
Old Master Wei smiled and said, "Okay, let's do it this way."
Wei Jin thought that he had to remind Chen Xuan privately not to be so ruthless and really buy something worth ten dollars. For people like the Chen couple, either Wei Jin spoke harshly or gave them a mountain of gold, it would be like throwing meat buns at a dog, and it would never come back, and it would be a waste of money!
The author has something to say: ps: The first update is here~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It feels good to have manuscripts saved. The second update will be at 4 o'clock in the afternoon~~~~~~~~~~