CHAPTER 70
Wang’s father and mother agreed that it would be a great deal to buy the Shen family’s house now. The family had been planning to build a house, but it would definitely cost a lot of money. Buying Shen Lin’s house would save a lot of money than building a new one.
Wang’s parents originally planned to let Wang Luosheng talk to Su Wan to get a cheaper price, but Wang Luosheng was thinking about buying a house in the county town, and it was impossible for him to talk to Su Wan. So, Wang’s parents planned to talk to Su Wan themselves.
Su Wan had only found a house in the county town but had not bought it yet, so she was still living in the Shen family these days. Su Wan did business in Qingyun County during the day and would come back at night, so that night, Wang’s father and mother knocked on the Shen family’s door and came to look for Su Wan.
The entire Qingshi Village knew that Shen Lin had given the house deeds and land deeds to Su Wan and had gotten engaged to Su Wan, so naturally, the matter of selling the house was advocated by Su Wan.
After the Wang’s father and mother explained their purpose, Su Wan welcomed the two people into the front hall.
The Wang Mother looked at Shen Lin’s spacious house and the fine bricks and tiles and felt satisfied from the bottom of her heart. In the past, she envied Mrs. Shen for being able to live in such a good house. Now, she could also live in such a good house as Shen.
Mrs. Wang sat down and started to discuss with Su Wan, “Wan Wan, your uncle Wang, and I want to buy this house. Can you please give us a discount of three taels and give it at ten taels, for the sake of our past relationship?”
Su Wan smiled and shook her head. “Uncle Wang, Aunt Wang, you are joking. If you want to build a brick house like this again, you will have to pay at least 15 taels of silver. Now I asked for 13 taels, which is already very low.”
Mrs. Wang said, “Wanwan, look, I know that when Shen Lao Er built this house, he built it for a maximum of eight taels. You sold it for ten taels, and you made a lot of money. How can you ask for thirteen taels? You want so much, aren’t you afraid of being laughed at if you tell others about it?”
This house, which was built when Shen Lin’s father, Shen Laoer, was alive, did cost about eight taels of silver. Now the price of bricks and stones has risen, the price of land in the countryside has also risen, and the prices of labor and food have also risen. Therefore, building a brick and tile house like this now does cost a lot more money than before.
Su Wan thought to herself that the ancient society was indeed different from the 21st century. In the 21st century, housing prices in the city skyrocketed, and every inch of land was worth a lot of money. Houses in the countryside were not valuable. However, the ancient society was an agricultural society, and people were attached to their land. Only by having a house in the village could they settle down. Therefore, the houses in the village would not be worthless. Moreover, with the rise in various prices, the houses in the village would become more expensive. It would not be rare for people in the village to be able to change houses. As for whether they could sell them or not, it also depended on fate.
Just like Su Wan is asking for thirteen taels of silver now, there are indeed few people in the village who can come up with so much silver. Even if they can come up with it, it is saved for their son to get married. Buying such a brick and tile house is a bit extravagant.
However, even if there are not many buyers, Su Wan has no intention of lowering the price. The Shen family’s house is worth this price. She is not short of money anyway. If she really can’t sell it, she will first use her own money to buy the house in the county town and then fill in Shen Lin’s share after the house is sold.
Mrs. Wang now wants to buy the house with the price that Shen Laoer paid to build it. It’s like a person spent 100,000 yuan to buy a house, and after more than ten years the price increased to 500,000 yuan. Then someone comes to buy the house and says, “Please sell it to me for 200,000 yuan. Anyway, you only spent 100,000 yuan to buy it, and now you sell it for 200,000 yuan, so you still make a profit.”
Mrs. Wang’s behavior is shameless.
Su Wan drank tea but smiled without saying anything.
Mrs. Wang said, “Shen Lao Er only spent less than eight taels to build the house, but you want to sell it for thirteen taels. Isn’t this just like robbing people?”
Su Wan said, “Auntie, if you want to understand this as robbing money, then just treat it as robbing money. However, I only rob people who are willing to be robbed. Since Auntie doesn’t want to be robbed, please go back.”
Su Wan ordered them to leave, and Mrs. Wang knew that even if she bought it for thirteen taels, she would still be getting a bargain, so she said hastily, “No, no, no, since ten taels won’t work, eleven taels will do.”
Su Wan was still decisive. “Aunt, it’s thirteen taels; it can’t be any lower.”
Mrs. Wang was still testing him. “What about the twelve taels? Twelve taels, just sell it for twelve taels, Wanwan.”
“Aunt Wang, thirteen taels is already the lowest price. If you think thirteen taels is not appropriate, I will wait for the buyer who thinks thirteen taels is appropriate.”
Shen Lin has been busy in the kitchen. He will go to the academy in two days. If he starts studying, he will definitely not be able to share more things with his mother and Su Wan, so Shen Lin has been responsible for cooking at home for the past two days.
Mrs. Shen had always disliked dealing with Mrs. Wang, so she claimed to be sick and hid in the inner room without coming out.
Seeing Su Wan’s firm attitude, Mrs. Wang couldn’t help but soften her tone. “What about the twelve and a half taels? Sell it for twelve and a half taels, Wanwan.”
Su Wan smiled and shook her head. “Aunt, please don’t embarrass me.”
A hint of loneliness appeared on Mrs. Wang’s face.
Before, when Su Wan was Luosheng’s child bride, she was very obedient to her. She would do whatever she asked her to do and never dared to say no. But now, Su Wan is no longer a member of the Wang family, but she has repeatedly rejected her.
Before, Mrs. Wang looked down on Su Wan and did not regard her as a child bride in the family at all. She only treated her as a servant. However, she never expected that one should look at someone with new eyes after three days of absence. Su Wan is no longer the same Su Wan as before.
Come to think of it, this girl Su Wan is actually not stupid, and she does many things very skillfully. It’s just that I was blinded by greed at the beginning and only wanted to create a good reputation for Luoxue so that she could marry a good family, but I didn’t treat Su Wan well. Otherwise, Su Wan would be my daughter-in-law now, and the money earned by Su Wan from the Malatang shop she opened and the wild fruit candied haws she sold would belong to my family, right?
In fact, ever since Su Wan started making money from selling candied haws made from wild fruits, Mrs. Wang had been very regretful and hoped that Su Wan could return to the Wang family, continue to help with housework, and earn money. However, Su Wan was grateful to Shen Lin for bringing her back from Qingyun County and was unwilling to leave Shen Lin.
Mrs. Wang raised her eyes and saw Shen Lin busy in the kitchen.
Mrs. Wang couldn’t help but feel contempt. A gentleman should stay away from the kitchen, but Shen Lin was often busy in the kitchen.
An idea came to Mrs. Wang’s mind. She just didn’t believe that Su Wan really had no feelings for Luosheng at all.
Luosheng is handsome, talented and has a bright future. He is the dream man of all the women in Qingyun County, but Shen Lin is doing things that only women can do. Moreover, Su Wan is moving to the county this time and selling the house in the village, so Shen Lin can only move to the county with her. Su Wan has the Malatang stall to make a living, but Shen Lin can only be a gigolo. At that time, the only things he can do for Su Wan are washing clothes and cooking, which are things only women can do. Such a man is as cowardly as he can be.
Mrs. Wang said, “Wanwan, look, Shen Lin is not someone you can trust your whole life to. Look at what he does. It’s really shameful. How can a grown man cook in the kitchen? A man should go out to take exams and get a good reputation like Luosheng did. I know you chose Shen Lin because you think Luosheng doesn’t have you in his heart, but marriage is ultimately decided by parents and matchmakers. You have earned a lot of money for the Shen family, and you have repaid the favor. In my opinion, you should return to our Wang family.”
Su Wan was shocked that Mrs. Wang was so shameless that she could say such a thing.
Mrs. Wang continued, “You said thirteen taels, so it’s thirteen taels. I’ll buy this brick house. When the time comes, you can still live here. Wouldn’t it be nice for our family to live in harmony and happiness?”
Su Wan didn’t get angry but laughed, “How can we live happily together?”
Mrs. Wang said seriously, “Let’s live like before. Luosheng goes to school, his father works at the mill, and we two women stay at home to take care of the housework. Isn’t this a great life?”
“What about Luoxue? What does Luoxue do?” Su Wan asked.
Mrs. Wang blurted out, “Luoxue is still a child, what can she do? She can’t do anything.”
Su Wan smiled, “Auntie, you forgot that Luoxue is only one year younger than me. So, according to this statement, I am just a child. Why should Wang Luoxue do nothing while I have to do the housework?”
Mrs. Wang said, “Every daughter-in-law has to live like this. When the time comes, I will help you with more housework, and you can run the Malatang stall well.”
“Our Wang family is hundreds of times stronger than the Shen family. We have our own mill, his father and I are still alive, and Luoxue can take care of herself. Which of these is not stronger than the Shen family? Why do you have to suffer this injustice in the Shen family?”
“When the time comes, you can return to our Wang family. We have everything we need and we will live a great life.”
Su Wan had no intention of getting entangled with Mrs. Wang, but what Mrs. Wang said made her angry and funny. This Mrs. Wang was so stupid that the original owner had always taken her words as her guiding principle for many years until she was divorced.
“Aren’t those household chores supposed to be done by Aunt? Why is it that Aunt is helping me do them?”
“What Auntie means is that I have to take care of the Malatang stall and also the housework. I am not made of steel.”
“Auntie keeps saying that the Shen family is not as good as the Wang family, but in the Shen family, Auntie Shen and Big Brother Shen can do housework. They don’t think of themselves as helping me, but think that these chores are originally their own.”
“Aunt said that Shen Lin is not as cowardly as Wang Luosheng. Then I tell you, Shen Lin is a thousand times stronger than Wang Luosheng. If you don’t believe me, just wait and see.”
Su Wan really couldn’t stand Mrs. Wang’s words that belittled the Shen family and Shen Lin.
Shen Lin is a thousand times stronger than Wang Luosheng. This statement touched Mrs. Wang’s reverse scale, “Shen Lin is just a peasant in this life. How can he compare to Luosheng? Everyone knows that Luosheng will definitely pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi in the future. Which man in Qingyun County can compare with Luosheng?”
“I think you are blind to compare Shen Lin and Luosheng.” Mrs. Wang said, already standing up cursing. “If I don’t buy your house, who can you sell it to?”
Before leaving, Wang’s father also left a message, “The day my Luosheng passes the imperial examination, you will regret it.”
Su Wan smiled and said, “Goodbye.”
After returning home, Mrs. Wang was so angry that she went to the women she usually gossiped with to tell them about how cowardly Shen Lin was and how promising Wang Luosheng was. The villagers also said that Shen Lin used to be a good student, but he had not studied for three years. With this three-year gap, Shen Lin would never be able to catch up with Wang Luosheng.
Translator’s Note:- Hey guys, as a Christmas Gift I have decided to do mass release (10 chapters) of the novel which gets most votes in the poll posted on my Ko-fi page.
If you want mass release for this novel then vote for this novel in the poll.
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