Chapter 580 - 574_1
The two daughters-in-law from the Li Family had returned, and naturally they had to invite Lin Yue into the house to eat fruit and chat. As soon as they entered, they saw a huge pile of items on the table, and because there wasn’t enough space, some were even stacked on the ground. The Li family’s matriarch was busy cooking and hadn’t had the chance to tidy up, so she merely picked out a few ingredients for the kitchen, leaving the rest in the pile.
Upon seeing the stacked items, Mrs. Wang and Mrs. Chen understood that these must have been brought by Lin Yue. So many fine goods, especially the several bolts of cloth, those were high-quality fine cotton, and there was even silk, items beyond the means of their peasant households to afford or use. No wonder the villagers said that Lin Youfu’s second daughter had grown wealthy. Now it seemed that Lin Yue’s marital home was indeed better off than the villagers had described, otherwise how could she afford to bring so many items at once.
Glancing over the fine bolts of cloth, Lin Quan’s wife focused on the several boxes of fragrant soap, her gaze lingering somewhat helplessly, thinking about how to persuade her mother-in-law to give her a couple more boxes to use. This soap was a fine item; that day in the city, she had spent over sixty coins on a small piece, and it was the cheapest kind at that. Compared to the exquisitely packaged soaps on the table, even just by appearance, they seemed several times better than what she had bought—truly precious items. There was also another porcelain bottle, which looked lovely; she wondered what was inside and really wanted to take it and open it to have a look, but it just wasn’t proper to do so with guests around.
Being women, Mrs. Chen harbored similar thoughts as Mrs. Li. Each had set their sights on items they favored and intended to ask their mother-in-law for some later. Hence, facing Lin Yue who had brought these gifts, they became even more enthusiastic.
The children, too, watched the table with gleaming eyes, especially seeing their two brothers holding delicious pastries and candies—treats they had never enjoyed before; it would have been odd if they hadn’t been attracted.
Mrs. Li, working in the kitchen, heard the chatter from outside and knew her daughters-in-law had returned. She initially thought it was her second daughter-in-law, but the lively voices suggested it wasn’t just one person, and she faintly heard her eldest daughter-in-law’s voice. Had they come back together? It was about time for her second daughter-in-law to return; if she hadn’t visited her relatives, she naturally wouldn’t have stayed in the city for lunch, as they couldn’t afford city restaurants. It was time for her to be back, but why had her eldest daughter-in-law returned so soon as well? Hadn’t she said she would stay a few days longer at her parental home? Mrs. Li felt puzzled and hastily set aside her work to go outside.
Speaking of Mrs. Li’s daughters-in-law, although they had no major faults, they did have some minor issues. The eldest daughter-in-law was a bit mercenary, always judging others by their social status, while the second one enjoyed comparisons and was competitive. Mrs. Li was afraid her daughters-in-law might snub Lin Yue.
Coming into the living room, Mrs. Li saw that both daughters-in-law were chatting and laughing with Lin Yue, with several kinds of pastries on the coffee table, likely brought back from the city by her second daughter-in-law. Mrs. Li was surprised at this behavior; normally, her daughters-in-law were not of a particularly good nature, and if not for her consistent discipline, who knew how many issues would have arisen. Now, they seemed to be making an extra effort to be hospitable, but glancing at the pile of goods on the table, Mrs. Li understood. Her daughters-in-law were coveting the wealth of Lin Yue’s husband’s family and were being ingratiating with that in mind.