Chapter 2: Blocking the Door for MoneyUpon hearing this, Mrs. Su’s expression darkened. She was beautiful and had once been a girl from a scholarly family, literate and well-educated. Marrying Lin Dazhuang, a rough man, was beneath her.If it hadn’t been for the misfortune that befell her family years ago, with her parents and elder brother gone, she would never have been reduced to marrying Lin Dazhuang, a hunter. Over the years, whenever she occasionally recalled her days in her maiden home, she always felt a lingering sense of injustice.With the birth of several children one after another, she had stopped dwelling on such thoughts. If Lin Dazhuang hadn’t met with an accident, she could have spent her whole life with him. Who would have thought he would lose his life trying to save a drowning village child?Without a man, she had no one to rely on. She had to plan more for herself. Granny Zhao was right—at her current age, she wasn’t too old. If she hurried and remarried, she might still be able to have another child, securing her footing in the Wang family in the future.“Don’t say any more of that. Your father is gone, but I still have to live. Stop blocking me. If we miss the auspicious hour, the Wang family will be displeased.” As she spoke, she reached out to push Lin Qinghe aside.Unexpectedly, Lin Qinghe stood firm in front of her, unmovable even when pushed. Mrs. Su couldn’t help but feel deflated. “What exactly do you want?”“Since you’re determined to remarry, I can’t stop you even if I try. Today, you’re marrying into the Wang family, and from then on, you’ll be a member of the Wang family. The Zhao Family’s money shouldn’t be taken to the Wang family.”Hearing this, Mrs. Su nearly jumped up. “What money? Your father never earned much, and with so many mouths to feed in the family, there was never any savings. Besides, after your father passed, we had to cover funeral expenses…”Lin Qinghe smiled faintly. “Don’t think I’m too young to understand. When my father was alive, he earned five taels of silver every month, and all of it was handed over to you to manage.”Five taels of silver every month—this was a solid fact. Mrs. Su had rarely paid attention to her since childhood. Lin Qinghe had practically grown up on Lin Dazhuang’s back, and he had doted on her the most. He never hid anything from her, including how much he earned each month. She knew it all too well.Seeing her settle accounts with her, Mrs. Su was furious. “The money was handed to me to manage, but it was spent every month. The clothes you wear, the food you eat—none of it comes for free!”“Even with expenses, you should have been able to save at least two taels each month. Don’t tell me we spent five taels every month on food and clothing.” Lin Qinghe continued calculating. “I’ve roughly estimated it. You should have at least a hundred taels of silver in your hands!”“Where would that much silver come from? You’re talking nonsense!” Mrs. Su was so angry she felt dizzy. When Lin Dazhuang was alive, he had never settled accounts with her. Moreover, she was loose-handed with money—whenever silver came into her hands, she always thought about how to spend it and never saved much. Now that Lin Qinghe was demanding money from her, how could she produce it?“If it’s not that much, then how much do you actually have?” Lin Qinghe gave her no time to react, asking quickly.“Only twenty taels of silver. There’s definitely not a hundred. Including the five taels from the Zhao Family, it’s only twenty-five taels in total. There’s nowhere near a hundred taels.” She repeated emphatically.Lin Qinghe clicked her tongue. Mrs. Su truly wasn’t someone who knew how to manage a household. Money in her hands could hardly be saved—she insisted on wearing fine fabrics for her clothes, eating refined grains, and complained that hunted game was too tough, buying pork several times a month. She never skimped on writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, and her embroidery threads had to be of the finest quality, yet none of the things she embroidered were ever sold.She silently calculated that an ordinary family could live on five taels of silver for a year, so twenty-five taels was actually quite a substantial sum."Leave the money behind. If you want to marry, then hurry up and go."Mrs. Su widened her eyes, staring at her in disbelief. "What would a child like you need money for? I’ll keep this money. If there’s ever a need for it in the future, I’ll take it out myself.""You might not have a say in future matters." Butcher Wang wasn’t an easy man to deal with. Once the money entered his household, it would be a miracle if it could ever be retrieved."What do you mean by that?""What I mean is, if you want to marry, hand over the Lin family’s money now. Otherwise, don’t step out of this door." Her tone was firm and unyielding.Outside the door, Granny Zhao urged again, "Have you two mother and daughter settled things? If you don’t leave soon, you’ll miss the auspicious hour. Marriage ceremonies depend on timing—delaying the auspicious hour is a serious matter!"Pressed for time, Mrs. Su gritted her teeth and glared at Lin Qinghe, who stood firmly in her way, her eyes filled with resentment. She took out a five-tael silver ingot from the purse she carried and threw it directly at her."You little debtor, take it!"Lin Qinghe deftly caught the silver ingot and looked at Mrs. Su."That’s all there is. Nothing more."Getting five taels was already quite good. She hadn’t expected Mrs. Su to actually hand over all twenty-five taels. With these five taels for emergencies, she could always find a way to get by. She felt a slight sense of relief."You said you only had twenty-five taels of silver, but that’s not all. Besides the silver, you have quite a few pieces of jewelry. I remember there’s a gold bracelet my father bought for you." So, her dowry was far from meager, and she had only managed to extract five taels from her."If you want to remarry, go ahead. I won’t stop you. But don’t take Qingmiao with you. I’ll take good care of her." She looked up at Mrs. Su and said, "Once you marry into the Wang family, you’ll be one of them. We siblings bear the Lin surname, so you don’t need to worry about us anymore. Just focus on living your own life well."Since she would be part of the Wang family, she shouldn’t meddle in the Lin family’s affairs, especially matters like their marriages. Without the Wang family’s interference, they would only fare better.Seeing her soften her tone, Mrs. Su stared at her blankly. "Are you worried I won’t care for you anymore? Don’t worry, I won’t abandon you. I’ll come back to see you in a couple of days and bring some food so you won’t go hungry."Hearing this, Lin Qinghe suddenly felt a wave of weariness."I said you don’t need to worry about us anymore. Just focus on living your own life well. I’ll take good care of my younger siblings and make sure they don’t go hungry.""Have you two settled things? We really can’t delay any longer. The auspicious hour has already arrived. If we don’t go now, the Wang family will grow anxious." Granny Zhao urged repeatedly outside the door."Coming, coming! Granny Zhao, I’m on my way out now." Mrs. Su hurriedly replied."Then I won't take Qingmiao with me. Qinghe, my child, your mother is leaving. Take good care of your younger siblings. I'll come back to see you in a couple of days. Don't worry, I won't abandon you."Lin Qinghe no longer tried to stop her, and she hurried away with quick, large strides.As for her words, Lin Qinghe thought about them for a moment but then dismissed them from her mind. Once she entered the Wang family's household, she would become one of them. With her temperament, it was impossible for her to have any say over Butcher Wang. Who could predict what would happen then? All her promises about looking after them were just empty words.

Eldest Sister of a Farming Family: Managing the Household, Farming and Opening Shops