Chapter 78: Chapter 77: The Money-losing Robbery
“Housekeeper, pack away these toys in the box and give the reward money.”
Tang Shunyan, looking generous, handed the box of toys to the housekeeper, cautious that Siwa might try to snatch them again.
“Yes, Young Master.” The housekeeper took out a small bag of money from his chest, intending to give it to Mrs. Li.
Ye Shiqi quickly took the money from the housekeeper’s hand and stored it in her space to disguise putting it in her own pocket.
Mrs. Lai was too slow to snatch it, and she felt a deep sense of regret, thinking that the bag of Silver must contain a lot. Moreover, she thought that it wouldn’t be too late to search for it after these people had left; what occupied her mind at that moment was Mrs. Li’s monthly salary.
“Mrs. Li, where is your monthly salary for working at the Tang Family?”
...
Mrs. Li had already received her monthly salary yesterday, and the Madam had given her some extra reward money. With so many people coming to Bushen Village this trip, it was inconvenient to let the driver stop in her own mother’s village.
Last time, it was just her visiting home alone, and she could have asked the coachman to stop anywhere, provided he agreed and they returned to the Tang Mansion within an appropriate time.
Today was different, with the young madam’s people and the housekeeper present; she could not inconvenience the coachman, and was afraid that stopping too often could attract thieves’ attention and harm the Young Master.
She missed her family, who she hadn’t seen in over two months, but she didn’t dare act rashly and kept her monthly salary separate from the Madam’s reward money.
“Mother-in-law, this is my salary for the month.”
Mrs. Lai’s face broke into a joyful smile; her plump body moved nimbly as she grabbed the money. She weighed the Silver in her hands for a moment before swiftly slipping it into her pocket.
She dared not display her money in front of so many guests; if someone from among these guests snatched the money, she would have no way to reclaim it.
Mrs. Lai was domineering at home and in the village, but when faced with the servants from a wealthy family, she was meek and filled with an inferiority complex.
These days, her son had made some money, which bolstered her confidence a bit, yet it was not enough for her to take a proud stance in front of the servants from a big household.
Xiu Zhi felt someone tug at her sleeve and turned to see Mei Zhi, the maid, pulling at her. She was at a loss as to why the maid Mei Zhi was tugging her sleeve.
Seeing Xiu Zhi’s cluelessness, Maid Mei Zhi, not wanting to act herself with the housekeeper watching, whispered in Xiu Zhi’s ear, “Xiu Zhi, Mrs. Li did not give her mother-in-law the reward money from the Madam.”
After hearing Maid Mei Zhi’s words, Xiu Zhi’s eyes darted around as she hatched a plan, and then cheerfully said:
“Elderly Madam, your daughter-in-law performs very well at the Tang Mansion, often receiving reward money from the Madam. Just yesterday, the Madam saved some money for Mrs. Li, who also has the Young Master’s trust. This time, she has brought many gifts for your family.”
Having just pocketed the money, Mrs. Lai’s smile faded, and she turned a fierce gaze upon Mrs. Li, saying sternly:
“So, Mrs. Li, you’ve been withholding the reward money for yourself. Had it not been for this young lady’s words, we’d still be in the dark. You went to serve at the Tang Mansion, but is it easy for us to care for the child day and night? Hand over the money now.”
“Mother… you’re being too much,” Hongji, who could not stand to see his mother berating his wife, knew that his wife’s actions aligned with his intentions. After all, he was the one caring for the child day and night, not his mother.
“Hongji… how can you side with her when Mrs. Li is being disobedient?” Mrs. Lai stomped her foot, her hefty body hopping about, but upon seeing so many people watching, she refrained from throwing a tantrum on the ground as she usually might.
“Mother-in-law, my husband and I have never saved any Silver; we don’t have a single copper coin between us. The reward money I have received, I intend to give to my husband, who looks after the children at home.”
Mrs. Li had foreseen that returning with the Young Master’s entourage would put her in a difficult position. The two maids who usually accompanied the Young Master often troubled her, and their repeated annoyances had long since wearied her.
Others had deep roots in the Tang Mansion, and as an outsider, she could neither shake their position nor punish them. She could only endure and endure again.
“My wife is right; we, as a couple, haven’t saved a single copper coin. The money I’ve earned from carving these past days, I’ve given to my mother, and so has my wife with her earnings. You shouldn’t pressure us too much, mother; we have several children to support.”
Hongji didn’t care that he was in front of others, nor that contradicting his mother could give him a reputation for being unfilial, yet he still defended his wife in front of these people.
“I don’t care, are you the ones raising the children? Isn’t everything they eat and use provided by the family’s funds?” Mrs. Lai had grown accustomed to being domineering and commanding in this household. Mrs. Li had always been obedient, and at this moment, when standing up to her authority in front of outsiders, she intended to assert dominance over her daughter-in-law even more.
Mrs. Li looked at her husband with difficulty, not wanting him to be put in a tough spot like a sandwich cookie and took out the reward money.
Mrs. Lai’s face revealed a smug smile, as if things were just the same as they had always been; when she made a scene, her children and daughters-in-law were sure to obey.
Mrs. Li took out the money, and Hongji shook his head, saddened. He knew his wife was compromising for his sake and felt useless; his wife was making concessions for him.
Xiu Zhi and the maid, Mei Zhi, also displayed smug smiles. They had always clashed with Mrs. Li, and seeing her distressed and unlucky brought them joy.
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The housekeeper watched thoughtfully while the guard, who was not yet married and free from such intricate concerns, did not.
Mrs. Pan simply shook her head. As an outsider, she had no place in these family affairs.
At this moment, Ye Shuzhi and Ye Shuzhen weren’t focusing on their mother or sister-in-law. Their gazes were fixated on the guard and the gifts he had brought.
Tang Shunyan blinked his eyes. He was still too young to understand the situation and only knew that his wet nurse was upset.
Siwa hugged his mother’s leg, comforting her in his own way.
Ye Shiqi, however, acted quickly, snatching the money from Mrs. Li’s hand and tucking it into her space.
Mrs. Li had been squatting, holding the two children. She hadn’t expected her young daughter to take the money from her hand and looked at her daughter, stunned.
This sudden change left everyone in the courtyard staring blankly at Mrs. Li and the little girl in her arms.
“Well, well, what a troublesome child, actually snatching money at such a young age. You’re learning bad habits early.”
Mrs. Lai was enraged, feeling her authority challenged by this little child in front of everyone.
She felt others were laughing at her, with even such a young child competing with her for money. What would become of her when the child grew up?
She reached out to hit Ye Shiqi.
“You can’t hit my little sister…” Tang Shunyan ran over to block her.
“Young Master, be careful…”
The voices of the maids, old women, housekeeper, and guard rose loudly in the courtyard.
Mrs. Lai dared not make a move, as her hand was caught by the guard and she couldn’t budge.
The housekeeper picked up Tang Shunyan, not letting the child come to any harm from those people.
Mrs. Li quickly grabbed the two children, hugging them and moving away further.
Ye Shiqi thought that Mrs. Lai would certainly not let her off, and that her grandmother must have also been fixated on the housekeeper’s reward money earlier.
She concentrated to check what kind of money was in the two packets of reward money?
Two different money bags, she took out the Silver from inside them and placed it in her space. The copper coins were still in the bags, and she willed the bag with the copper coins back into her pocket.