Chapter 568 - 562_1
Xixi’s words were clearly meant to be overheard by Madam Zhou. She had never seen anyone quite like Madam Zhou—who had her own daughter return to her maternal home so she might ask her to save her son, yet wouldn’t even provide a room for them to stay in. Not only were her words unpleasant, but she genuinely acted as if they had nowhere else to go but here.
"Miss Xixi, what are you talking about? It’s rare for my sister-in-law to visit, and though the house is full, of course, I’ll make proper arrangements. There’s no need to mention room charges, nor to talk of troubling or not troubling us. As her brother-in-law, it’s my duty to do this. If I didn’t provide you with a place to stay, that would be the real rudeness," he said.
Madam Zhou didn’t care what Lin Genfa had to say. At the mention of room charges by Xixi, her eyes lit up, though she was somewhat displeased. Even a little maid by her daughter’s side spoke so boldly. But since room rent had been brought up, why should she let others benefit? She faced the embarrassment and opened the conversation for negotiation.
"Why should you stay at someone else’s home when we have extra rooms right here? I’ll clean one up for you right away. It’s much more comfortable to stay at home than outside. As for the room charge, I won’t ask for much from you—just whatever you’d pay someone else will do." Madam Zhou said this without feeling anything wrong with it. After all, it made sense; staying somewhere was just that, and giving the money to one’s own mother was better than to strangers.
It was astounding that she considered herself Lin Yue’s mother, charging room rent when her own daughter returned home. This was unheard of. Lin Genfa looked at Xixi, unsure what to say, and could only wait to see how Lin Yue would decide. After all, Madam Zhou was Lin Yue’s mother, and if Lin Genfa wanted to make living arrangements, he had to go through Madam Zhou first.
Xixi couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation, but remembering that her mistress had been upset earlier, she didn’t take her leave and instead spoke with a hint of sarcasm, "Madam, staying outside would indeed be more comfortable than here. At least if I spend money, the landlord will make proper arrangements. If Madam can assure me of that, I’ll ask my mistress for her opinion. Otherwise, let’s forget it, lest we spend money and still have to labor ourselves, which is double the trouble—who’s a fool here!"
Madam Zhou wasn’t even angry to hear Xixi speak like this. As long as the rent money made it into her hands, so what if she granted the maid some latitude? The household was indeed so poor that it echoed with emptiness, lacking even a single copper coin and still in debt.
"Of course, you bring me the rent, and I guarantee I’ll make the arrangements perfectly, ensuring it’s no worse than anywhere else," Madam Zhou said, reaching out her hand to Xixi for the money.
Xixi certainly wasn’t foolish enough to give the money to Madam Zhou right away, and it wasn’t her decision to make either. She had to see what her mistress wished for. Personally, she had no desire to stay here. "Just wait, I need to ask my mistress first to see if she agrees. This isn’t something I can decide on my own."
If they were to stay elsewhere, Xixi didn’t mind paying out of her own pocket even if it was only for one night—the expense was something she could afford. But if they were to stay at the Lin Family’s and still had to pay, she didn’t know what her mistress would think, so she had to ask first to ensure she wasn’t misinterpreting her mistress’s intentions and risk upsetting her again.