Chapter 133 - 127: Drawn_1
After the elderly lady got better, Qian Sangui wanted his parents to live with the third branch of the family, but Qian Dagui and his wife disagreed. Qian Dagui said he was afraid that others would criticize him for pushing the burden of his ailing parents onto the third branch and question his human decency. Lady Wang also virtuously expressed her willingness to continue housing the elderly couple in the main branch, stating that it was their duty to care for them.
While Eldest Qian spoke his sincere thoughts, Lady Wang still had some selfish motives. She figured that no matter whether the third or fourth branch prospered in the future, they would show filial piety to the elders, which would be the same as showing piety to the main branch.
The elderly lady had been taken back just a few days earlier, and Qian Sangui even had Huang Tie specially purchase a servant in the county to take care of her. Since Lady Wang did not accept the servant’s indenture contract, this servant — Auntie Lu — was still considered part of the third branch, which was responsible for providing her monthly salary and food expenses.
This point caused some dissatisfaction from Lady Wu. She argued that since the households were not lacking money, the cost of hiring someone and the food expenses should be shared by all branches.
Qian Sangui waved his hand and said, "They could’ve completely declined the servant, taking turns to tend to mother at the main branch would have sufficed."
Lady Wu said angrily, "As lazy as Lady Tang is, can she actually take good care of her mother-in-law?"
Qian Sangui replied, "Since you know what she’s like, why still let my mother suffer? My mother has toiled for her children all her life, especially fretting over me and Jinwa. I hope she can enjoy our prosperity."
Lady Wu listened and said nothing more. Afterwards, at the beginning of each month, she would proactively give Auntie Lu two hundred wen as monthly salary and also pay Lady Wang fifty wen for food expenses.
Both Qian Dagui and Lady Wang said it wasn’t necessary, but Lady Wu thought since the bulk of the money had already been given, there was no need to let others gossip over such a trivial difference and insisted on giving it to them.
These days, everyone in the family was busy, including Dashan and Monkey Brother, who went up the mountain daily, and White Wolf, who occasionally came down from the mountain. Only Yixiu and Benben, along with Tiaotiao, seemed to have nothing to do to the point of boredom.