CH 2.1

Nine hundred and sixty-eight taels!

It seemed that members of the Liu family were consuming the Ruan family’s cash.

The moment Liu Sheshi heard the words “Nine hundred and sixty-eight taels,” her mind became dizzy. If the maid beside her didn’t help her in time, she might faint on the ground.

“What interest? Do you think because I’m not your future mother-in-law, you can be so presumptuous?” Then she waved the maids behind her and shouted, “Come here! Hurry up and get the eldest lady out of the sick bed, and let her open her eyes and see clearly how her future daughter-in-law is disobeying the elders and being so rude! Let’s see how dare she let Chengji marry you after seeing your money-eating appearance!”

Ah Xing, who was standing beside Ruan Longing, said with a sneer, “Madam is ill, so she needs rest. How can she be bothered by such trivial matters?”

Liu Sheshi thought if she mentioned the first wife, Ruan Longling would be scared. But who would have thought that not even Ruan Longling, but people besides her, weren’t even scared? After that method didn’t work, Liu Sheshi thought to sell misery to gain sympathy. “Girl, why do you want to push each other so hard? Yes! Over the years, the few unsatisfactory descendants of our Liu family have used the name of the Ruan family. But when you suddenly ask for the money, how can we repay you? Isn’t this embarrassing?”

Hearing such disconcerting words, Ruan Longling let out an angry laugh. “Do you think no one knows about what you have done? Didn’t you sell a few acres recently? Where is that money?”

‘How could she know about that?’ Liu Sheshi began to panic.

Ruan Longlin: “Mrs. Liu, do you think I’m a fool?”

Liu Sheshi: “No…no. Really…really…I can’t afford it!”

The domineering appearance of Liu Sheshi collapsed instantly. Her complexion turned pale. She held her chest and cried, talking about the difficulty of running a family and the hardships of family life. The more she talked, the more sad she became. She managed to squeeze out some crocodile tears from her eyes because she wanted to gain sympathy. Anyone who saw this dramatic scene would be moved.

In the noisy courtyard, a gust of wind blew by, messing up the broken hair hanging from Ruan Longling’s temples and the hem of her skirt, like a lotus flower that came out of the mud and moved with the wind.

“Mrs. Liu, why bother with me here? Didn’t the property of the Liu family fall into the private accounts of you, the head of the house? As far as I know, you only sold dozens of acres of fertile land ten days ago for seven hundred and eighty taels of silver…So it will not be a problem to pay back nine hundred and sixty-eight taels, right?”

Ruan Longling was not just an ordinary boudoir girl who knew nothing about the world. Since she was a child, she had been doing business in the streets and alleys and had dealt with various types of people. Therefore, Mrs. Liu Sheshi’s little tricks could not fool her.

“Ah Xing, light the incense,” Ruan Longling ordered her maid, as her patience had worn out. “If Mrs. Liu can’t hand over the money within three sticks of incense, I will send someone to take the IOUs, beat the drums, and plead with the government. The magistrate will decide what to do with her. Maybe it will go to jail or exile. Anything doesn’t matter.”

[TL Notes: “Beating the drums” is a complaint method used in ancient China.]

Liu Sheshi was completely taken aback by Ruan Longling’s words, and she didn’t even have time to think about how Ruan Longling found out about her embezzlement of family wealth.

“You, you are crazy! Do you want to sue your future husband’s family to the government for a few taels of silver? You want to ruin my son’s future? And what about Chengji? Even if he is still in Beijing, he will also be affected by this lawsuit! Could it be that you even disregarded your old relationship with Chengji for the sake of money?” Liu Sheshi was angry to the death.

Two incense sticks were burned off, and Ruan Longling remained calm. Actually, she didn’t want to inform the government of this matter and destroy the official career of her fiancé, but she said these words just to deceive Liu Sheshi.

“Since Mrs. Liu knows the seriousness of this matter, Mrs. Liu might as well hurry up and hand over the money, so it will cause less trouble and not affect the future of Liu’s descendants.”

Liu Sheshi was so angry and didn’t want to give the money back, but she couldn’t think of another way. And she was afraid to make Ruan Longling angry because it would cost her son’s future.

Liu Sheshi gave up pretending, wiped away her tears, and stood up from the ground. She gave Ruan Longling a savage glance while her eyes were bloodshot, then she turned around, entered the inner room, took a tiny box from under the bed, opened it, and took all the money. After looking at the empty box in a daze, she felt like her heart was pierced by a knife. The more she thought about it, the more angry she became, and she felt the anger rushing from her chest. Driven by her anger, Liu Sheshi strode back to the courtyard and stopped in front of Ruan Longling.

“Your Ruan family women don’t have a single good thing!” Liu Sheshi pointed at Ruan Longling’s nose and cursed. “Ten years ago, your mother drove your father out of Yangzhou for money! Five years ago, in order to inherit the family property, you planned to make your brother die in floods! Today, under the name of collecting debt, you turned my Liu family upside down! You are such an ungrateful, vicious woman. How can you do your duty to look after your husband and children in the backyard of the inner house in the future? Since you like money so much, then don’t come into my Liu family’s house, and spend the rest of your life with money!” After Liu Sheshi finished cursing, she raised her hand and threw the stack of silver notes into the air, and then ran into the inner courtyard like a mad woman.