Chapter 146 - 131: Grave with Clothes and Hats (Part 2)
Qian Manzhi’s marital life was not an easy one, especially since Lady Tang had initially demanded a higher bride price and provided a meager dowry, causing her in-laws to feel shortchanged. As a result, she often endured exploitation and bullying.
None of the three daughters of the second generation of the Qian family had an easy life after getting married. This time, within less than a month, the couple managed to earn over seven hundred wen money, which might improve their treatment by the in-laws.
Comparing their situation to her own dear mother’s, who was a widow lost in the countryside and somewhat simple-minded, yet fortunate enough to have kind and good-hearted in-laws that treated her like their own daughter, Yixiu felt her mother was truly blessed.
Qian Yixiu and her siblings first entered the room to pay their respects to Old man Qian and Old woman Qian. Old man Qian was quite kind to Qian Yixiu, not like Old woman Qian who only had eyes for Qian Yeejin.
While they were talking, Qian Xiang arrived, accompanied by her younger son Li Zhandong. Indeed, Li Zhandong bore a strong resemblance to the Qian family; the young lad was handsome, slim, with red lips and white teeth. After paying respects to his elders, he quickly took Qian Yishan and Qian Yeejin to Qian Yishan’s room to discuss scholarly matters.
Qian Xiang then held Old man Qian’s sleeve and wiped her tears; it had been nearly two years since she had seen her father.
After that, it was time to settle accounts.
There were twenty people who had worked on making sausages in the Qian’s Main Courtyard. Except for Qian Sigui and his wife, who worked a few days less, everyone else worked for twenty-eight days, earning thirteen wen per day, totaling three hundred and sixty wen money per person.
Qian Xiang handed the money to Qian Dagui, asking him to help distribute it. In addition, she gave an extra five hundred wen to the head household for not only providing the venue but also organizing and toiling in the work.
Lady Tang disagreed, arguing that while the sausages were made in the head household, the scraps and offcuts from sausage-making ended up in the stomachs of the head household’s members, effectively profiting them as they did not need to buy meat for a month. She also accused Lady Wang of favoring her own family by inviting them to earn money, whereas she herself had no opportunity to call more relatives from her side.
Lady Wang was infuriated and an argument ensued.
Amid the squabble between the two sisters-in-law, Old woman Qian firmly took the side of the head household. Twisting her mouth, she scolded Lady Tang, "You wasteful woman, always trying to take for your own family. If you rent outside, you still need to pay the rent. You’ve used this house to make sausages and earned this money, so it’s only right that they get a larger share."