Chapter 1577 - 1566: Honest Fool

Chapter 1577: Chapter 1566: Honest Fool

"How can Scholar Li not teach well? He’s the youngest scholar in our county!" Niu Xue Mei’s third sister-in-law, Pang Guizhi, shouted hurriedly, "Brother-in-law, do you just not want to lend us money?"

Ye Qiu looked at her coldly: "That’s right, we’re not even doing well ourselves, why should we lend you money?"

"But Niu Wei and Niu Yan are your nephews. Won’t they be filial to you if they become successful in the future?"

"Forget it." Ye Qiu scoffed, "I don’t even plan to rely on my own nephews, why rely on my sister’s kids? When Xue Mei and I took our two kids to your house before, did your two sons ever give us a good face? I will never forget the scene where they threw mud at my daughters and called them freeloaders."

Pang Guizhi awkwardly explained: "Kids are immature, they’ll know to appreciate you as their aunt and uncle in the future."

"And where do kids learn such things? Isn’t it the adults teaching them?" Ye Qiu said very coldly, "Mother-in-law, the two sisters-in-law, from the time Xue Mei and I got married until now, today is the best attitude you’ve ever shown me, right? Would you have come if you hadn’t heard we have money? Let’s not pretend, because I’m not lending any money."

"You..." Zhao Xiufen pointed at him angrily, "What do you take us for? Do you two even have a conscience?"

"Oh?" Ye Qiu raised an eyebrow, "So you’re not here to borrow money? Then you’re here to see me, the patient? Mother-in-law, I don’t see you’ve brought anything while visiting the sick?"

His blunt words once again embarrassed Zhao Xiufen and her two daughters-in-law, who hadn’t expected Ye Qiu to ask like that. Normally, visiting someone else’s house, you’d bring something, not to mention your own son-in-law who had been seriously ill. But in the past, it was always Ye Qiu and Niu Xue Mei bringing things to the Niu Family, and the Niu Family had never come to the Ye Family, let alone bring anything.

According to Zhao Xiufen, a daughter married off is like water thrown away; only assisting her maternal family, never taking advantage. So she hadn’t even thought about bringing things. Who knew Ye Qiu would speak so plainly, indirectly accusing them of lacking etiquette.

Since when did this honest son-in-law dare to say such things to her? Dare to challenge her like this?

"Are you blaming me as a mother-in-law for not caring about you?" Zhao Xiufen said with a stern face, "Xue Mei, do you hate me as your mother too? You know how difficult things are at home, which parent doesn’t want their child to have a good life?"

"If it’s difficult, then don’t send the nephews to study anymore. It’s not necessarily fruitful, our county’s only produced one scholar in all these years, don’t have such unrealistic dreams, who doesn’t know that studying costs a lot, poor kids learn responsibility early, who says there has to be an academic path?" Ye Qiu interrupted, directly blocking Zhao Xiufen’s words.

"Because studying is the only way to change one’s fate." Zhao Xiufen said with a dark face.

"Not necessarily, going out to join the army might even make one a Great General!"

"That’s risking one’s life, why don’t you go?"

"Isn’t it because I’m afraid Xue Mei and the two daughters at home would be bullied or deceived? If I really left, who knows where someone might come by and use filial piety to extort money from her! We can barely feed ourselves, how can we assist others, mother-in-law, wouldn’t you say so?"

"Who are you insinuating with your words?" Zhao Xiufen was upset, directly laying it out, "Am I not just asking you two for a loan? It’s not like we’re not repaying, no need for such sarcasm."

"I’m just having a serious discussion with you, mother-in-law, who can you blame if you can’t listen? Which family sends four kids into school at once, when they’re only five years old and not understanding yet, isn’t that a waste of money? Why not first lend money to Xue Mei and me to build a house, rest assured, everyone knows my character, I’ll surely work hard to repay soon. You’ve seen my performance in recent years, in the future Xue Mei and I will definitely be filial to you and my father-in-law."

"I have sons, why would I need your filial piety?" Zhao Xiufen said disdainfully.

Ye Qiu retracted his fake smile and said seriously: "Mother-in-law, I also have daughters, and I definitely won’t let them suffer to support nephews who have no blood relation with me. I will certainly not lend you money."

"Are you set on severing ties with us?" Zhao Xiufen stood up and said.

"If mother-in-law thinks not lending money means severing ties, then yes." Ye Qiu sighed, looking guiltily at Niu Xue Mei.

Hearing such words, Niu Xue Mei couldn’t help but feel hurt, but after experiencing so much these days, she understood who truly cared for her, who was truly important to her.

Her mother was someone who wouldn’t get up without a profit, if she hadn’t known they sold their land and had money, she wouldn’t have come to visit them.

Lending money to nephews for their studies? Just like her husband said, is it necessary to have all the nephews study at the same time? How many farming families can afford that? Not to mention the little nephew Niu Yan is only five, and she’s pretty sure even if she lent the money to her maternal family, her mother wouldn’t let the nephews all study together, it’s merely an excuse to take the money. Once this money is lent, it can never be recovered.

"Xue Mei, do you feel the same as your husband? Do you want to be a woman without connections to her family? Who will stand up for you if you’re bullied in the future?" Zhao Xiufen threatened.

Niu Xue Mei said sadly: "Have you ever stood up for me? Mother, have you ever cared for or looked after me and the children whenever I went back to my parents’ house? You said yourself that once I’m married I should never bother my maternal family again, and I haven’t in the past, I won’t in the future either."

"You...you better not regret it." Zhao Xiufen said resentfully, "I’ve never seen a daughter as heartless as you."

"I’ve never seen parents as heartless as you and father-in-law, asking us to help with work but only coming to us when you need money, the rest of the time you wish to distance yourselves from us. Mother-in-law, Xue Mei and I aren’t fools, we have feelings too."

Zhao Xiufen’s face showed anger as she cursed: "No wonder you can’t have sons, be careful there’s no one to care for you in old age."

"No need for mother-in-law to worry about that, I’ve already fallen out with my parents and brothers, I’m even less concerned about mother-in-law." Ye Qiu stood up coughing, "Mother-in-law, no sugar water for you today, after all we’re poor and need to save up for building a house and old age!"

Zhao Xiufen, having spoken for so long and becoming parched, was even more resentful seeing there wasn’t even water to drink, and before leaving, she said: "If anything happens, don’t come to me, I don’t have a daughter or son-in-law like you."

Ye Qiu nodded, seeing her off: "Then don’t come find us for work at your house in future either."

After Zhao Xiufen and her party left, Niu Xue Mei shed painful tears. Ye Qiu patted her shoulder: "From now on, it’s just our own family. We both aren’t favored by our parents, in the future, we must be better to Cong Ying and Cong Zi, so they don’t suffer like us."

"Okay." Niu Xue Mei replied affirmatively while crying.