Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 51 - 31 Who Manages the Money_2
"Mother, I don’t have anything to do today, so I want to go with dad to town," said Lian Manman.
"Old Three is going to the blacksmith, what do you need to go for?" asked Lady Zhang.
"Mother, there are quite a few things that need fixing; if I go, I can also help carry stuff," Lady Zhang said.
"With so many things to do at home, if you leave, am I supposed to do them all?"
"Mother," Lady Zhao courageously interjected, "it’s my turn today. Yeye and I will be at home, just leave the household chores to us."
"So you’ve plotted this together?" Lady Zhou glanced at Lady Zhao, "No wonder you’ve been so bustling and attentive these past few days."
Lady Zhang was wronged by this remark, but she still smiled at Lady Zhou.
"Mother, I’ll go early and return early, and I won’t delay any work. Mother, the pair of shoe soles I was making for you ran out of thread. I still have to go buy some more," she said.
"I don’t care for your shoes; I don’t have money for you to waste," Lady Zhou immediately replied.
"Mother, I don’t need money, there’s still a little left from the last time I pawned my hairpin," Lady Zhang said.
"You all seem to be rich, so do this: bring me back two pairs of shoe uppers, too. Your sister hardly ever sees anything from you all year long; now that you have money, it’s up to your conscience," Lady Zhou said.
Lian Manman’s mouth fell open in shock.
"Mother, the money from the hairpin was spent on medicine for you and Manman, there’s only a few copper coins left..." Lady Zhang said with difficulty.
Lady Zhou’s eyes immediately widened with anger.
"Mother, alright, I will buy them, I promise," Lady Zhang had to say.
Lady Zhou huffed and said no more.
Lady Zhang could only stand there waiting, beneath the heated brick bed.
After a while, Lady Zhou finally spoke, "The legs are on your body; if I don’t let you go, are you not going to go?"
"Mother, then I’ll be going," Lady Zhang quickly said.
Lady Zhou had consented in such a strange way of speaking. It seemed typical of her; only Lian Manman still wasn’t used to it.
Lian Shouxin came to ask Lady Zhou for some money, and she counted a few copper coins from her purse and handed them to him.
"Mother, there are four scythes and three iron hoes to fix. The hoes need extra iron; I’m afraid this money isn’t enough," Lian Shouxin said, looking at the few copper coins.
"A poor family should pave its path with wealth; give Old Fourth a few more coins," Old Master Lian walked in and said.
"You make it sound easy, but our family is still in debt—where do we have the money to waste? We must save wherever we can!" While Lady Zhou said this, she still counted a few more copper coins and gave them to Lian Shouxin.
The family came out from the Upper Room. Lian Shouxin brought out the flatbed cart, tied the scythes and iron hoes with straw rope onto it, and told Lian Manman and Xiao Qi to sit on the cart. Lian Shouxin pushed the cart while Lady Zhang, Lian Zhizhi, and Wu Lang walked alongside it, and the family headed outside.
Lady Zhou came out from the Upper Room and immediately called for them to stop.
"The two of you going is enough; bringing a whole bunch of children with you, are you going to fight wolves?" Lady Zhou said.
"Granny, we’re going to cut grass and gather wild vegetables in the field," Lian Manman said, showing the basket to Lady Zhou.
Lady Zhou was unconvinced.
"Old Fourth, that money is counted; whatever is left, you must bring back to me. Our family can’t afford for you to be extravagant; us elders will be at home while you roam the town together, think about your conscience," Lady Zhou scolded, pointing at Lian Shouxin.
Lian Shouxin’s face reddened, and Lian Manman and the others quickly lowered their heads, treated like thieves by their own mother.
"Mother, rest assured, have I ever wasted money at random? I will find a witness for how much I spent this time," Lian Shouxin said, a bit angry, and no longer entertaining Lady Zhou, he pushed the cart and left.
Only after leaving the village did the family’s mood finally begin to lift. Lian Shouxin pushed the cart, not towards the town, but took a bypath heading towards the back mountain.
"I saw the other day, this time we can definitely make even more money," Xiao Qi said, smiling gleefully.
Today was the day agreed upon with Wang Youheng to deliver the second batch of "Bitter Missus" plants. Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang knew how difficult it was for the children to push the heavy goods to town. Conveniently, there were some farm tools at home that needed mending, so they decided to go together today. Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang came to help harvest the "Bitter Missus" plants and then take them to town.
Following the bypath into the mountains, they soon arrived at the spot. More than ten days had passed since the last harvest, and swathes of "Bitter Missus" plants had ripened, turning red. From a distance, it looked like an ocean of red.
"I really didn’t know there were so many here," Lian Shouxin said.
"Isn’t that so? And they can be sold for money!" said Lady Zhang.
"Dad, Mom, come help!" Lian Manman handed a basket to each of them, Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang.
With the help of the two adults, the harvesting went much quicker. In less than half a Chinese hour, all the mature "Bitter Missus" plants nearby—excluding those with poor appearance, underripe, or too small—were picked and stuffed into sacks. In the end, ten large sacks were filled to the brim, and the cart’s passage left deep ruts in the ground.
