Chapter 566 - 560_1
Madam Lin had little insight, and upon Lin Youfu’s analysis, she began to panic again, "Really? I thought the girl stayed behind to take care of Qingqing because she genuinely valued their sibling bond."
"No matter how deep the affection, she’s a daughter married off. If you keep causing trouble, see if she’ll stay! That second daughter is ruthless; she can even disown her parents and could turn her back on us at any moment if she gets angry. Use your head, treat her well. There’s only benefit in that. If you drive her away, you’ll see if I don’t deal with you!"
"I understand. I’ll go tidy up a room for her to stay in; isn’t that enough? She’s really like a debt collector. If Xiaoyue had been nicer, I wouldn’t be so upset. You don’t know, she didn’t even come herself to talk to me, sending a maid who was bossy and rude. It just infuriates me. That maid’s clothes are nicer than ours, and I’ve never seen Xiaoyue show us any filial piety, not even a bolt of cloth. It’s infuriating just thinking about it."
Madam Lin hadn’t always been so harsh towards Lin Yue. It was jealousy upon seeing Lin Yue’s newfound wealth, wanting benefits from her without losing face. For over a decade, she’d bossed her daughter around, so she used this attitude to coerce Lin Yue into compliance. Too bad Lin Yue wasn’t falling for that, a fact that infuriated Madam Lin even more.
Lin Youfu felt somewhat bitter hearing Madam Lin say this. Even a little maid dressed better than them, it was a real loss of face. It was clear that Xiaoyue no longer saw them as her parents, or else how could it be like this? Yet Lin Youfu had a clearer head than Madam Lin, knew he had to bear with it, as confronting Lin Yue now would surely backfire on them.
Although Lin Youfu understood, it didn’t please him. Unable to confront Lin Yue, he took out his frustrations on Madam Lin, glaring at her with a scowl, "I’ve told you before to treat Xiaoyue better, but you wouldn’t listen. What’s the use of your complaints now? If you want benefits from her, then stop sulking all the time. Xiaoyue is now wealthy and will not tolerate your attitude. I think she still holds a bit of affection for us, and even if she didn’t, just serving her well for Qingqing’s sake will ensure we won’t miss out on benefits. Everyone in the village who has worked for the Zhao Family knows Xiaoyue is generous. I heard that last year, their estate had a bountiful harvest and she gave twenty catties of sweet potato seeds to every household in Zhao Family Village. That’s prime stuff, sells for a good price elsewhere."
This was the first time Madam Lin heard about this from Lin Youfu. At first skeptical, and once assured he wasn’t joking, she couldn’t contain her frustration, "Such a thing happened? That girl must truly be well-off to be so extravagant. Twenty catties of sweet potato seeds to each family in Zhao Family Village—who have more households than us in Shanglin Village—how much silver that would waste! She’s indeed prodigal, yet while she gives away to those unrelated in Zhao Family Village, it never occurs to her to send some to her own family. What kind of daughter have I raised? It’s a curse!"
"That’s why I’ve been telling you to coddle her. With the Zhao Family so affluent, even a little from Xiaoyue’s hands would make our lives easier. Don’t be foolish enough to push the benefits away."