Chapter 578 - 572张_1
"So much, all good things, how can they be worth nothing? I’ll take the vegetables and sweet potatoes, but please take the rest back. Your auntie appreciates your kindness, but these are valuable items, auntie can’t accept them." Since Li Family could keep Lin Yue’s dowry safe for so long, without anyone knowing and without embezzling a penny, it is clear that her character is good, and of course, she is unwilling to accept so many expensive things from Lin Yue for no reason.
However, Lin Yue did have a point, it was her first visit after getting married, and it was customary to bring gifts. Thus, Li Family could not refuse to accept anything, and took the least expensive items as a symbolic gesture. Even so, Li Family knew that vegetables were not cheap this season, with prices comparable to meat, and the more expensive ones cost even more than meat. If one were to buy them, it would cost a fortune in silver. Even though these vegetables were grown in Lin Yue’s own greenhouse, that didn’t mean they were worthless. They could still fetch money if sold. Li Family knew that Lin Yue said this so that she wouldn’t feel burdened by their acceptance, but she couldn’t share the same sentiment.
"Look at what auntie is saying; once these items are brought here, there isn’t any reason to take them back. None of this is that precious, it all just came out of our own storeroom. Auntie, you took care of me so much since I was a child, in my heart, you’re the same as grandma. Are you really going to reject this little token of my heart?" Lin Yue’s tone was full of grievance as she spoke, in a way that left her auntie no choice but to accept.
Lin Yue wasn’t someone who considered her own possessions as too plentiful, and no matter how wealthy, one shouldn’t waste extravagantly. Yet, she did have a stubborn streak. For those who tried every trick in the book to take advantage of her, she could be stingy. If she was displeased, they wouldn’t get a single benefit from her, but for those who were kind to her, she was always generous, never sparing of material things. Besides, while these items might be considered valuable to her auntie, they truly weren’t much to her.
"But these items are still too valuable, to say nothing of the rest, just the fabrics alone, so many bolts of it, not just quality cotton but also silk and satin. Just these could cost dozens of taels of silver, and there’s also the wine and the fragrant soap, none of it is cheap. I’ve seen the village chief’s wife buying fragrant soap in the city, such a tiny piece costing dozens of coins, and it wouldn’t last long. Moreover, the soap you brought, even the box it’s in looks so nice, and it’s much bigger in size. It’s obviously several times better than what the village chief’s wife bought from the city, the price must be anything but cheap, not to mention these western items; they’re something you find in big city shops and are said to be very expensive! All of these items, how much silver did they cost? Together, they must add up to a hundred taels of silver at least?" Auntie had never used such luxurious items, only heard and seen them, and although it was a guess, in her view, the value was definitely not less than she estimated.
When Lin Yue heard what her auntie said, she didn’t deny it. If one were to really consider the market price of these items, a hundred taels of silver would be considered cheap. A serious calculation might amount to two hundred taels. Of course, to her, except for the fabric, which was a gift from someone else, the other items cost about twenty taels of silver to produce. It truly wasn’t too much, and in her eyes, considering her auntie’s kindness, since it was her first visit after marriage, the amount was justified. Otherwise, she would feel she hadn’t honored her auntie’s affection properly.
Seeing that Lin Yue did not refute her, Li Family knew she had guessed correctly and was even less willing to accept so many valuable things from her niece. But Lin Yue, being sincere in wanting to give, naturally managed to persuade her auntie to accept in the end. Auntie was somewhat uneasy about it but felt truly consoled. She had taken care of Lin Yue without expecting anything in return, and Lin Yue cherishing that kinship was the greatest comfort to her.