Chapter 1020: Chapter 1020: Mediocre Competitors Peck at Each Other
Madam Li didnât want to go, but Madam Liang wasnât about to let her slack off here. Without a word, she dragged her into the kitchen.
Madam Li was furious, but there wasnât much she could do. She begrudgingly helped tend the fire, stewing in her own resentment.
But she didnât stew for long, as her curiosity about the house got the better of her. She opened her mouth to ask, "Third Sister-in-law, did you really buy that house? Where is it? How much did it cost?"
Madam Liang had been expecting her to ask and immediately started beaming with pride. She shook her head smugly, practically glowing with satisfaction. One hand pressed down the pot lid, while the other perched on her hip as she said, "Yep, bought it! And itâs hugeânearly twenty rooms altogether, bigger than both your house and mine combined in Shangshi Village. Tch tch, that houseâI fell in love with it at first sight."
As she spoke, she gestured with her hands for emphasis. "Iâve already decided. In the future, the main wifeâs quarter will be for me and my husband. The left wing room will be for Dabao. When he gets married, itâll be spacious enough for him and his wife. The right wing room, well, thatâll be Baoyaâs chamber. Even after sheâs married, weâll leave it for her so she can come visit anytime she wants."
"Oh, and weâve got a few standalone rooms too. For now, theyâre empty. But later, we might hire a couple of servants to help cook, clean, and keep the house tidy. That way, I wonât have to work so hard."
"Ah, life is sweet when you think about it. With a house this big, I finally feel like I have something to look forward to."
Madam Liang glanced sideways at Madam Li as she spoke, noticing the veins bulging on her hand gripping the fire poker. It seemed she was furious, which only made Madam Liang feel even more pleased.
"Oh, you were asking how much I spent, right? Well, it wasnât too muchâjust two hundred and fifty-five taels, thatâs all."
Madam Liâs head shot up in disbelief. "How much?"
"Two hundred and fifty-five taels." Madam Liang gave her a look of mock exasperation, as if Madam Liâs shock was amusingly provincial. "Originally, it was priced at two hundred and eighty. Honestly, I was thinking, I really love that house, so two hundred and eighty it isâI wouldnât mind spending an extra few dozen taels of silver, right? But Yu helped me haggle the price down."
Madam Li couldnât help but laugh out of sheer irritation. How could someone be this insufferable?
Since when did she become so generous, casually brushing off a figure as grand as two hundred taels of silver?
No, something was off. Sanzhu and his wife hadnât done any business or stumbled upon a treasureâwhere would they get so much money?
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Madam Li narrowed her eyes and set the fire poker aside. "Third Sister-in-law, you got that money by borrowing from Second Brotherâs family, didnât you?"
"Of course! Yu said buying the house was a very clever decision. Besides, my husband knows how to earn money, so Yu isnât worried about us paying it back. Sister-in-law, youâre different from me. You and Big Brother are just tied to that little patch of landâno matter how hard you work for the next twenty or thirty years, you wonât be able to save up that kind of money, will you? Youâd better not get any ideas about asking Yu for a loan, thoughâitâd be putting her in a tight spot."
"You..." Madam Li picked up the fire poker again, tempted to throw it and skewer Madam Liang with it.
Madam Liang let out a smug snort. Back in the day, she and her husband were always criticized for being lazyâit was always this Sister-in-law scorning them with sarcastic remarks. Now it was her turn. And honestlyâwhat a joy!
However, just as she was reveling in her moment, Madam Li unexpectedly started laughing. "Who says we canât save up that kind of money? Maybe I canât manage it on my own, but Iâve got two sons. Especially Daniuâheâs got real skills now. Didnât Yu buy those hundreds of acres of land and the manor? All that land is managed entirely by Daniu and his wife. Theyâre practically landlords already."
Madam Liang froze mid-motion, her hand hovering over the pot lid. "What did you say? That manor Yu bought is being managed by Daniu?"
Madam Li grinned triumphantly. "Oh, you didnât know that?"