Shen Ruoxi tentatively asked, "Can you give me some time? I will find my elder brother."
A husband and wife are best when they are the original match. Xu Mu asked with a bit of expectation, "Then how long should I wait?"
Shen Ruoxi hesitated and held up three fingers, "Three years. After three years, I will definitely be able to find my elder brother."
Xu Mu's expectation vanished in an instant, and she felt Shen Ruoxi was toying with her, feeling somewhat displeased. "If it were three months, fine, but three years? I can't wait that long?"
Shen Ruoxi said seriously, "I first need to find people to inquire about where my elder brother is. Inquiring costs money, and I also need to find a way to earn money. All of this takes time. If I promised three months, I would definitely be fooling you. Now that I say three years, I can definitely find him."
Xu Mu's eyes held a hint of scrutiny. "Since you don't know where your elder brother is, how can you be sure you can find him in three years?"
Shen Ruoxi replied, "People don't just vanish into thin air. If I inquire, I can always find out the location. Three years gives me a generous timeframe to avoid disappointing the person who is waiting."
Xu Mu waved her hand. "Shen Ruoxi, it's not that I don't believe you, but the time is simply too long. I cannot wait that long."
She truly couldn't find the Original Owner's elder brother ahead of time. Shen Ruoxi decided to play the emotional card. "Auntie, Sister-in-law has already given birth to Kang'er for our family, and now our family is slowly getting better. Do you really have the heart to watch flesh and blood be separated?"
Xu Mu's attitude was very firm. "The child is here. If Qinglan misses you, she can come back to visit. It's not like she can never return. Alright, stop trying to persuade me. I will not watch Qinglan live as a widow with no hope."
Shen Ruoxi thought for a moment and said directly, "Auntie, we cannot let you take Sister-in-law away. Name your conditions, and we will try our best to fulfill them. Is that okay?"
This is all the Original Owner's bad karma!
This is too difficult!
Xu Mu was somewhat satisfied with Shen Ruoxi's attitude. If Shen Ruoxi had driven Xu Qinglan out, she would have been truly angry.
She lowered her gaze and thought for a long time. "How about this: if your family can give me ten taels of silver, I won't take Qinglan away."
She could take the silver to give Qinglan something to rely on, so she wouldn't have to remarry. It was also a chance to see how the Shen family truly was and if they genuinely valued Qinglan.
Anything that could be solved with money wasn't a real problem. Shen Ruoxi said, "Fine, I'll go get the silver for you right now." She returned to her room and brought back the silver taels. "Auntie, here is ten taels of silver. Please take it."
Xu Mu opened the money bag and saw it was indeed ten taels of silver. She took out a small silver ingot and bit it; it was real.
She was filled with surprise and uncertainty. They produced ten taels of silver so easily. Was the Shen family just pretending to be poor?
"I've accepted your silver, and I'll keep my promise; I won't take your Sister-in-law away. You must treat your Sister-in-law well from now on, understood?"
Shen Ruoxi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. "Auntie, rest assured, we will treat Sister-in-law very well."
As she was speaking, in the kitchen—
Shen Ruohan opened the cloth bag, her eyes slowly widening. "There's meat!!"
Inside the cloth bag were two catties of hind leg meat, two catties of fat, several stalks of celery, one piece of tofu, one fish, and some seasoning. These items cost Shen Ruoxi 100 Favorability Points.
Shen Ruohao looked on in shock. "Did Shen Ruoxi strike it rich?"
Shen Ruohan took out the items from the cloth bag one by one; they were all rare things. She swallowed her saliva. "Are we going to cook and eat them?"
Shen Ruohao felt a bit annoyed that Shen Ruoxi always ordered him around. "Cook them and eat them. Give it all to her."
Shen Ruohan touched her face and gritted her teeth. "Okay."
The two of them started busying themselves in the kitchen.
Meanwhile, after settling things with Shen Ruoxi, Xu Mu left the house to find Xu Qinglan.
Xu Qinglan found her son and was leading him home when she ran into Xu Mu halfway there. "Mother, why are you here?"
Xu Mu led Xu Qinglan to a large tree. "Qinglan, do you want to come back with me to remarry?"
If Qinglan wanted to remarry, she would return the silver to Shen Ruoxi. Silver was good, but it wasn't as good as having someone who cared for her.
Xu Qinglan looked down at her frail son. "Mother, I don't want to go back. Kang'er needs Mother, and I believe Husband will return one day."
Xu Mu sighed. "Forget it, Mother won't force you. If you aren't living well at the Shen family's, come back to Mother anytime."
Xu Qinglan said guiltily, "Your daughter is unfilial, making Mother worry."
Xu Mu placed the money bag into Xu Qinglan's hand. "Take this money to have on hand and treat yourself well. Mother can't visit often, so you have to rely on yourself."
Xu Qinglan opened the money bag and was surprised. "Mother, where did so much money come from?"
Xu Mu hesitated for a moment, not saying it was from Shen Ruoxi, fearing Qinglan wouldn't accept it otherwise. "Don't ask. Take it."
Xu Qinglan returned the money to Xu Mu. "I can't take it. You take it back to spend yourself. I am living quite well here and don't need this much money."
Xu Mu grabbed Xu Qinglan's hand. "Take what Mother gives you. Qinglan, if you don't remarry, Mother won't force you, but you must take the money, or Mother won't feel at ease."
Xu Qinglan tugged her hand but couldn't pull it free. "Mother, then tell me where this money came from?"
Her maternal home wasn't wealthy; Mother couldn't possibly have this much money.
Xu Mu avoided Xu Qinglan's gaze and whispered, "Shen Ruoxi gave it to me. Qinglan, this is what their family owes you; it should be yours."
Xu Qinglan's heart skipped a beat. "Where did Shen Ruoxi get so much money?" Had she resorted to robbery?
Xu Mu confessed. "I don't know. Just now, I said either give me ten taels of silver, or I would take you home. She gave me ten taels of silver and asked me not to take you away."
Xu Qinglan's feelings became complicated. Shen Ruoxi actually offered ten taels of silver to keep her there; this was completely unlike her usual behavior. "Mother, did Shen Ruoxi say where this money came from?"
Xu Mu countered, "Isn't this your family's money?"
The family didn't have any money; not a single copper coin was left. Xu Qinglan didn't say anything to avoid worrying her mother. "I don't manage the family's money, so I don't know."
"No matter what, this money has been given to me, so it's mine." Xu Mu stuffed the money into Xu Qinglan's hand. "If you don't accept this money, then come home with Mother. I can't watch my daughter suffer anymore."
As she spoke, Xu Mu's eyes reddened. She felt too much heartache for her daughter. She had been married for three months, was just pregnant, and then her husband mysteriously disappeared. Now Kang'er was already two years old and had never met his own father.
Xu Qinglan said guiltily, "Mother, don't cry, don't cry. I'll take the money. I'll take it, and I won't let myself be wronged."
Xu Mu held her daughter's hand and said regretfully, "Qinglan, Mother is just like this. Back then, the Shen family was prosperous, so I agreed to let you marry in. I never expected this outcome."