“Eldest daughter-in-law, Mother thanks you.” Old Madam Su touched the hairpin in her hair, her eyes filled with warmth.
“In the future, I’ll earn money properly and buy you even more nice things.” Shen Yunzhi leaned against her shoulder. The faint scent of soap on Old Madam Su made her feel especially at peace.
Liu Lihua rubbed her hands awkwardly. “You two chat. I’ll go cook.”
“Wait, sister-in-law.” Shen Yunzhi handed her a pair of earrings. “I don’t know if you’ll like them.”
“For me?” Liu Lihua nearly fainted from happiness.
She had lived this long and had never worn silver earrings before.
“You don’t like them?”
“I like them! I really like them.” Liu Lihua practically wanted to hug Shen Yunzhi and plant a kiss on her face.
“Father, Second Uncle, I bought a few bolts of cloth. Let Mother and sister-in-law make each of you a new set of clothes.” Shen Yunzhi had arranged everything clearly.
She handed the remaining money to Old Master Su. “This is what I earned. We haven’t divided the family, so this money should be handed over.”
Compared to all the things she had taken from the Su family back to the Shen household in the past, this was nothing.
Old Master Su didn’t take it. “You earned it. Keep it.”
“Then take half, Father. I’ll keep the rest. There are many places at home that need money. Spend it where necessary.”
He finally stopped refusing. Clutching the money she gave him, his heart felt tight.
Looking at Liu Lihua’s delighted face, Shen Yunzhi added, “Do you want to send Qi-ge and Yan-ge to school?”
Liu Lihua had two sons and a daughter. The eldest was ten, the second seven, and the youngest — a girl — was five.
Both children had already reached school age. If she hadn’t squandered the Su family’s resources in the past, they could have been studying too.
“Their schooling isn’t urgent,” Liu Lihua said. She wanted them to study — but she didn’t want Shen Yunzhi paying for it.
Now that she and her husband were earning steady income, and not a small amount either, they could save for a couple of years and still make it.
“How is it not urgent?” Shen Yunzhi objected. “They’re all children of the Su family. How can Ci-ge go to school while Qi-ge and Yan-ge just stand by and watch?”
She had personally taught the two boys basic literacy. They were smart — quick learners who understood things after just one explanation.
Liu Lihua hesitated and looked toward the elders.
“Alright. Now that the family has money, sending the children to study is proper business,” Old Master Su decided.
“But if they go to school, who will handle the chores?” Liu Lihua still worried.
When the children were home, they were responsible for gathering false groundcherry. If they waited until after school to pick it, it would be too late.
“We’re already struggling to make enough to sell each day. We can’t handle everything ourselves,” Shen Yunzhi said, laying out her plan. “When we go to set up the stall, Father can stay home and purchase false groundcherry from villagers — two wen per jin. That way, we save time and can produce more.”
If you want to scale a business, you can’t personally handle every step. That was something Song Yinuo had taught her.
Old Master Su nodded. “We’ll do as the eldest daughter-in-law says.”
Just then, Su Jingci returned, unable to suppress the smile on his face.
“Mother, the teacher agreed to accept me!”
Shen Yunzhi beamed. “Good, good. Study well from now on. You don’t need to worry about family matters anymore.”
But after speaking, Su Jingci lowered his head again.
Shen Yunzhi frowned slightly. “Is there something else?”