Zhulan didn’t eat at her parents’ house; she stayed for a while before going home. Her father had money, and her parents had both gained weight, so she had nothing to worry about. She just didn’t know when her second brother’s family would return. Yes, it was her second brother’s family; they lived with Wu He.

Zhulan had delivered the New Year’s gifts to her parents’ family ahead of schedule.

She also needed to prepare New Year’s gifts for Chen Daren’s family and He Daren’s family; returning home meant a lot of things to do.

In the yamen, He Daren whispered, “Lord Zhou’s face has been all smiles. If I didn’t know his wife was back, I’d be terrified.”

Lord Chen pursed his lips, “When Zhou Daren’s wife wasn’t back, my wife was acting strangely every day. Now that she’s back, shouldn’t she go and verify it herself?”

He Daren’s expression froze. He came from a farming family, and his father-in-law’s family was powerful; he was practically a live-in son-in-law. Chen Daren had a concubine and two maids, but he didn’t even dare to visit his own concubine. These days, he’d been having a hard time. His wife kept hinting that she wanted jewelry, but where would he get the money? His salary was all in her hands!

The most frustrating thing was that his wife always thought he had some secret stash of money, but he really didn’t. He wanted to save it, but he didn’t dare!

Chen Daren and He Daren sighed to each other, and then they both found Zhou Daren increasingly displeasing.

Zhou Shuren was disliked by everyone but was oblivious to it. He couldn’t wait to tell everyone how happy he was, “Chen Daren, He Daren, it’s my treat at the restaurant tonight!”

Chen Daren was speechless.

He Daren was speechless again.

No, they didn’t want to go, but they wanted to curse him out. Zhou Daren rarely treated people, so they couldn’t refuse!

When Zhulan returned home, Li Shi, heavily pregnant, followed Zhulan everywhere. “Aren’t you tired of following me with this belly?” Zhulan asked.

Li Shi’s short, plump hands tightly gripped the corner of her mother-in-law’s cloak. “Mother, I just want to follow you.”

Zhulan’s heart softened. She was the only one in the family who could indulge Li Shi. Li Shi felt uneasy when she wasn’t home, and being pregnant made her prone to overthinking. The more she thought, the more emotional she became, and she was more likely to cry. “Come on, follow me!”

Li Shi grinned. “Okay!”

Juan Hua looked up at Li Shi. She needed to figure out how to stay completely by the First Madam’s side. She knew perfectly well that the First Madam had completely secured the Mistress’s favor. Following the First Madam meant less reward, but fewer worries, and peace of mind!

Furthermore, with the Mistress backing the First Madam, no one would dare to neglect her. No matter how many servants appeared in the future, they would all treat her with respect.

Zhulan tallied the New Year’s gifts for each family. They needed to send a gift to Zheng Hong from the Zheng family as well. The total amount of New Year’s gifts for Zhou Shuren’s first year as an official was a considerable sum.

Fortunately, some rare vegetables and fruits had been brought back from the south, so she didn’t need to buy any more.

Li Shi, following her mother-in-law, was somewhat astonished. “Mother, are all these going to be sent away?”

Zhulan checked the gift list and replied, “Yes.”

Li Shi’s heart clenched when she heard how much money had been spent on vegetables and other items. She silently thought that every bite of vegetables cost money, and now several kilograms were being sent away. “Mother, will it be like this every year?”

Zhulan said quietly, “It will only get more.”

Unless Zhou Shuren was demoted or stripped of his official position for committing a crime, the amount of New Year’s gifts would only increase.

Li Shi was reluctant. “Mother, wouldn’t that cost a lot of money every year?”

Zhulan smiled. “This year, Lizhou City didn’t have a harvest, and the people are struggling financially. They don’t have much money. We didn’t celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival or the Mid-Autumn Festival, and we didn’t exchange gifts. Next year, we’ll have to exchange gifts for these festivals.”

Li Shi was good at math and quickly calculated the accounts. “Mother, I feel bad.”

Zhulan chuckled. She liked Li Shi’s straightforwardness and her frowning face. “You’re only thinking about giving gifts, forgetting that gift-giving is reciprocal. Let me tell you, Chen Daren’s family has a tea garden, and the tea is…”

“It must be on the return gift list. Master Chen’s family will definitely give us good tea in return. We won’t need to buy tea for next year,” Zhulan said, listing the possible return gifts for each household. Li Shi listened with her mouth agape. “Mother, how do you know so much?”

Zhulan tapped Li Shi’s forehead. “That’s called knowing yourself and your enemy. Do you think only I know? Our family’s situation isn’t a secret either.”

Li Shi felt frightened just thinking about it. Thinking of her husband, she thought it was better if he were a little slow. Li Shi felt it was better to be honest and dutiful than to be as shrewd as her father-in-law and mother-in-law, lest she die without even knowing how she died.

Zhulan returned to the courtyard, and Dong Shi came over with the account book. Dong Shi tried to ignore her sister-in-law; she was just a step too late, and her sister-in-law beat her to it. She wanted to go too, but it was too deliberate. “Mother, this is the expense for the sewing room when you went out.”

Zhulan didn’t look at the account book. She had set many rules for the accountant, making it difficult to falsify accounts in the Zhou family. “I’ve entrusted it to you, so there’s nothing to worry about. Take the account book back. There are still some days until the New Year. The New Year is for bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new, so everyone in the family should have two sets of clothes made.”

Dong Shi was pleased with her mother-in-law’s trust and asked with a smile, “Mother, what about the servants?”

Zhulan’s servants were required to have two sets of clothes each season. The servants wore cotton and linen fabrics, which weren’t expensive. Eight sets of clothes a year were a must. The servants were also a reflection of the Zhou family, so their clothes had to be appropriate.

Zhulan thought for a moment, “This is their first New Year this year, so the servants should all have two sets of new clothes.”

Dong Shi said, “Mother, I’ve noted it all down.”

Zhao Shi came over from the kitchen. Zhao Shi wanted to come earlier, but she needed to plan what to make for lunch, especially since her mother-in-law was back. The dishes couldn’t be careless; if her mother-in-law didn’t eat well, it meant her father-in-law would be unhappy.

Zhao Shi came in, “Mother, Chang Lian ate roasted whole lamb at Meng Ju’s house. Since you’re back, how about we have one for dinner too?”

From her observations over the years, she had noticed that her mother-in-law and father-in-law were increasingly fond of roasted lamb, so she suggested it, thinking her mother-in-law would like it.

Dong Shi was annoyed. Chang Lian had mentioned it to her, too; why hadn’t she remembered to mention it to her mother-in-law? Dong Shi lowered her head. Of her two sisters-in-law, the second sister-in-law was the most scheming.

(End of Chapter)

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