The Abandoned Child Bride is a Koi

Chapter 33: Extravagant

　　Old man Shen spoke up: “Didn’t Shen Lin spend seven taels of silver to bring you back? You naturally owe Shen Lin money. If you owe Shen Lin money, you owe our Shen family money, and you owe us money. How dare you ask us for food money?”

　　Su Wan said calmly, “Grandpa Shen, what you said is wrong. Who told you that I owed Brother Shen seven taels of silver?”

　　Old man Shen’s face fell: “You still want to deny it? Everyone in Qingshi Village knows that Shen Lin spent seven taels of silver to bring you back.”

　　Su Wan smiled and said, “Grandpa Shen, you are wrong. Big Brother Shen did go to the clinic to see me, but he didn’t spend seven taels of silver. The doctor at the clinic heard that Big Brother Shen was willing to pay for my medicine because I helped Yaya. He said that he hadn’t seen a man as chivalrous as Big Brother Shen for a long time, so he didn’t ask Big Brother Shen for my medical expenses.”

　　Su Wan made up a lie. If Old Man Shen and Old Woman Shen thought that Shen Lin spent seven taels of silver on her, they would definitely pester her.

　　Su Wan continued, “You also know that Uncle Wang and Aunt Wang didn’t want me to go back to the Wang family. Brother Shen saw that I was homeless, so he brought me back.”

　　Old Man Shen and Mrs. Shen were stunned. Shen Lin brought Su Wan back without spending a penny. Having lived in the same village with Su Wan for so many years, Old Man Shen and Mrs. Shen also knew that Su Wan was capable of doing rough work. It was as if Shen Lin brought back a girl who could do rough work without spending a penny.

　　Old Woman Shen immediately grasped the crux of the matter and said, “Shen Lin has done you a favor, and you are still living in the Shen family’s house. You should naturally work hard for the Shen family to repay him. From now on, you can come to my house and work for half a day every day to repay him.”

　　Shen Lin couldn’t bear to listen any longer. He naturally knew the truth and the whole story of bringing Su Wan back from the clinic, so, no matter how much he respected his grandparents, he couldn’t let them continue talking nonsense like this.

　　Shen Lin said: “Grandfather and grandmother, it’s not what you think.”

　　Su Wan said, “What Grandma Shen said does make sense. I owe Brother Shen a favor, so I should repay him. I live in the Shen family’s house, so I should have an explanation.”

　　”I owe Big Brother Shen a favor. In the future, I will repay Big Brother Shen by giving him money instead of working for him. I don’t owe Grandpa Shen or Grandma Shen anything, so I don’t need to work for them. In the future, I will give Big Brother Shen the money I earn. If Big Brother Shen gives you money, it is none of my business. This is the first point.”

　　”Also, I am not living in this house for nothing. Brother Shen thought I was helpless and charged me six cents in rent, so I am not living in the Shen family for nothing.”

　　Old Woman Shen was about to spit out a mouthful of blood when asked about the six cents rent. Why didn’t Shen Lin, the prodigal son, ask for a little more?

　　Su Wan continued, “Also, I live in Brother Shen’s house, so I have to use the utensils and stoves here. I plan to take care of Brother Shen, Aunt Shen, and Yaya’s meals every day in exchange. I think it’s enough to take care of the meals of the three of them. If you have to take care of the meals of other members of the Shen family as well, then I don’t want to do this business.”

　　”So, whether it’s living in this house or using the stove, I don’t owe Brother Shen anything. As for Brother Shen’s favor, what I do is still my own business. After all, if you think about it carefully, I really don’t owe Brother Shen any money.”

　　”Since my accounts with Brother Shen are clear, my accounts with Grandpa Shen and Grandma Shen are also clear. I don’t owe you anything, so you two can’t eat and drink for free here. You two have to give me 110 coins.”

　　After saying that, Su Wan looked at Village Chief Wan again: “Village Chief, tell me if what I said makes sense or not.”

　　Village Chief Wan ate Su Wan’s ribs, so naturally he had to help Su Wan speak up: “I’ve listened for a while and I understand that you really don’t owe the Shen family anything. It’s impossible for the other people in the Shen family to eat and drink from you for free.”

　　Old Woman Shen and Old Man Shen have always regarded everything in Shen Lin’s house as theirs, including this meal. They never expected that this meal had nothing to do with Shen Lin, and even Shen Lin was eating Su Wan’s food.

　　Old Woman Shen looked at Shen Lin and said, “Shen Lin, you should pay Su Wan a hundred coins. If you are willing to pay for the meal for your grandparents, you are too filial.”

　　Su Wan was familiar with the plot of the original book. Even if Shen Lin was a smart man, he was poisoned by the feudal idea of filial piety. In the book, for the sake of filial piety, Shen Lin endured the abuse of his grandparents for many years. It was because of his grandparents and his uncle’s family who sucked his blood that Shen Lin lived in poverty for many years.

　　Many years later, Shen Lin figured out the truth that one should be kind to his parents and not be blindly filial to his family, so he made up his mind to get rid of the vampires like Old Man Shen and  Uncle Shen. Only then did he accumulate the initial capital for his business, and later he became rich step by step with his good character and intelligence.

　　Shen Lin’s inability to break free from filial piety is a stumbling block that prevents him from getting rich as soon as possible, so Su Wan must make Shen Lin see the truth and understand it as soon as possible.

　　Su Wan said to Mrs. Shen, “Grandma Shen, you asked Big Brother Shen to pay for your meals. Isn’t this sucking Big Brother Shen’s blood and eating Big Brother Shen’s flesh? Everyone in this village knows that since you, grandpa, and Uncle Shen emptied Big Brother Shen Lin’s house, Big Brother Shen Lin’s family has been so poor that they have to eat wild vegetables every day.”

　　”I see that you two elders and Uncle Shen’s family spend the money they get from Brother Shen’s family every month to eat a few meals of meat. What kind of life do you two elders live, what kind of life do Brother Shen’s family live, how can you still let him give you money?”

　　Old Woman Shen said: “It is natural to be filial to grandparents…”

　　Su Wan said, “Grandma Shen, please stop talking about filial piety. Even if you are filial, you should treat everyone equally. You gave all the good food and drinks to Uncle Shen’s children. Uncle Shen’s family is not only ungrateful to you, but they also always take money from you two elders. And when you two elders come to Brother Shen’s house, they only take in and never give out. There is no elder like you in the world.”

　　”Brother Shen works for you and often feeds you. If he is still unfilial after all this, then Uncle Shen’s family will be so unfilial that they will have to go to jail.”

　　”If you two elders still want to say that Big Brother Shen is unfilial, then we will go to the government office to investigate. If the government office really says that Big Brother Shen is unfilial, then Uncle Shen’s family will certainly not be able to escape. So, if you insist on forcing Big Brother Shen, who can’t even afford to eat, to pay for the meal, we will go to the government office to investigate, so that Big Brother Shen won’t have to bear the name of being unfilial and unable to raise his head.”

　　Old Woman Shen: “…”

　　She was extremely partial to the eldest son, and it was common for her to use the money she had plundered from the second son’s house to support the eldest son. It was also a fact that she used filial piety to force Shen Lin to do this and that.

　　Speaking of going to the yamen, Old Woman Shen was still a little afraid. Shen Lao Da had indeed never done anything filial to them. If the yamen really wanted to punish Shen Lin, then they would definitely have to punish Shen Lao Da’s family as well.

　　Su Wan’s words were so roundabout that she actually led Old Woman Shen into it. According to Su Wan, if Shen Lin had to pay for the meal, they would have to go to the yamen.

　　Old Woman Shen looked at Shen Lin pitifully again: “Lin’er, how can you be so cruel…”

　　Su Wan interrupted Old Woman Shen’s words: “Grandma Shen, I will never take Brother Shen’s money, but if you don’t give me the money, then I will definitely sue you.”

　　”I am an orphan with no one to rely on. You are eating and drinking for free from me. Isn’t this bullying me?”

　　Shen Lin stood aside without saying anything.

　　Su Wan was very satisfied with Shen Lin’s silence. It seemed that Shen Lin was not so foolishly filial. However, it was probably because Shen Lin really had no money. If he had money, Shen Lin would still be a filial and a good grandson.

　　Old Woman Shen looked at Su Wan and said, “Su Wan, your grandfather Shen and I are old and have no income. Life is really hard for us.”

　　Old Woman Shen started to play the victim.

　　In the book, Old Woman Shen always plays the victim to Shen Lin, and Shen Lin softens his heart again and again.

　　Humph, it’s much easier to deal with those who play the victim.

　　Su Wan wiped her eyes and choked up, “Grandma Shen, you are miserable, but I am even more miserable. It’s easy for you. After all, you still have two sons who give you gifts every now and then. You also have a house and more than ten acres of land.”

　　”By the way, didn’t you take five acres of land from Brother Shen Lin’s family two years ago? On weekdays, Brother Shen Lin helps you farm the land.”

　　”And I, with my no house and no land, earn a few cent by cooking for others, and you eat up half of it. Are you as miserable as I am?”

　　Even the village chief Wan, who always said “don’t come if you don’t have money”, was somewhat moved after hearing Su Wan’s words. Who could be more miserable than Su Wan?

　　Besides, Old Woman Shen is not miserable at all. The old men and women in Qingshi Village are living better than them.

　　After eating Su Wan’s spareribs and listening to Su Wan’s pity, Village Chief Wan decided to speak up for Su Wan: “Uncle Shen and Aunt Shen, you two should give the money to Su Wan. This girl has had a hard life, we can’t bully her.”

　　Old Woman Shen: “…”

　　Old Man Shen put down the leftovers he had just packed up: “Let’s put down what we packed up, and I’ll give you fifty cents.”

　　Su Wan’s tears were already falling: “Grandpa Shen, Grandma Shen, these are the meals I cooked for several meals, and now they have all been eaten by you two. These are your leftovers, how can I eat them?”

　　Village Chief Wan also chimed in: “That’s right, Uncle Shen and Aunt Shen, you two have already eaten, and your noses and saliva are oozing. They can’t eat anymore, so you two should just give the money to Miss Su Wan.”

　　Old man Shen glared at Shen Lin fiercely, and Shen Lin lowered his head even lower. His grandfather had just come to the house to ask for money half a month ago, and his mother’s medicine was almost finished. He had not yet found the money to buy the medicine. If he spent more money, he would really have to sell the house.

　　Even if Shen Lin wanted to pay the hundred-plus coins to Old Man Shen and Old Woman Shen, he didn’t have it. He couldn’t bring himself to ask Su Wan not to talk about his grandparents’ money. After all, their family ate Su Wan for free, and he couldn’t be so shameless as to ask Su Wan to let his grandparents eat for free as well.

　　Shen Lin blamed himself for his incompetence, but he really couldn’t take the initiative to do this. If he did, not only would he not be able to buy medicine for his mother, but his family would also be left with nothing.

　　How much money could Su Wan have? Besides, even if she had some, it was money she earned and had nothing to do with the Shen family.

　　Old Woman Shen felt as if her flesh had been cut. If they had to pay for the meal sooner or later, she and Old Man Shen would never eat it, let alone pack it up.

　　At this point, considering the emotional and political situation, both Old Woman Shen and Old Man Shen had to give Su Wan money.

　　Old Man Shen said reluctantly: “We don’t have that much money, so we’ll owe it to you for now and pay you back when we have it.”

　　Su Wan secretly laughed in her heart. Old Man Shen and Old Woman Shen had endless tricks up their sleeves. However, Su Wan still agreed. However, Su Wan still asked Old Man Shen and Mrs. Shen to sign the IOU, and Village Chief Wan had to be the guarantor.

　　Village Chief Wan was naturally unwilling to be the guarantor. Old Woman Shen and Old Man Shen were not ordinary people.

　　Village Chief Wan frowned and said, “Uncle Shen and Aunt Shen, this is not a lot of money. You two should just settle it. You have many grandchildren here, and you only make money and never spend it. Who would believe that you don’t have money?” Village Chief Wan’s tone was already full of impatience.

　　Village Chief Wan still had his own authority, and Old Man Shen and Old Woman Shen did not dare to confront Village Chief Wan. Old Man Shen reluctantly took out a string of money from his sleeve, counted out one hundred cents and gave them to Su Wan.

　　Su Wan took the silver and put it in her sleeve.

　　After paying the money, Old Man Shen and Mrs. Shen put on a sullen face, picked up the leftovers they had just packed up, and left Shen Lin’s house. Before leaving, the two of them glared at Shen Lin fiercely.

　　Shen Lin lowered his head, but still respectfully escorted Old Woman Shen and Old Man Shen to the gate.

　　Su Wan thought to herself, it seems that Shen Lin’s foolish filial piety is still stubborn, he must be made to realize it sooner.

　　Seeing her grandparents going back in defeat, Shen Yaya smiled.

　　Su Wan counted out ten coins and handed them to Village Chief Wan, saying, “Village Chief Wan, you have worked hard. I troubled you to come out here so late at night.”

　　Village Chief Wan accepted the ten cents while saying “it’s not necessary” and told Su Wan to come to him if she had any problems in the future.

　　Su Wan smiled and thanked Village Chief Wan.

　　Su Wan knew that Village Chief Wan was not a decent person. He would speak for whoever he received money from.

　　People like him are not fit to be village chief.

　　A kid like Village Chief Wan can’t make much waves, but he is just troublesome. Su Wan decided not to confront Village Chief Wan head-on for the time being. She would first spend a little money to tempt him to be greedy and foolish, so that he would not follow Old Man Shen and the Wang family to make things difficult for herself and Shen Lin.

　　Later, he will slowly pay the price for his injustice.