Transmigrated Farmgirl's Scheme to Get Rich - Chapter 201
Another Year
Everyone knew that Mrs. Lin was just trying to extort some money out of them. Since the separation of their families, she’d borrowed money using various excuses, but hadn’t even returned a single dollar.
Mrs. Zhong said, “You’ve taken that medicine for almost half a year, but it doesn’t seem to have had much of an effect. I think you should stop taking it!”
When Mrs. Lin heard that, her face fell, “Now you have both grandsons and granddaughters, you don’t care if our family ends here anymore. Your hearts are truly vicious.”
Mr. Zhong replied, “Children look for good families to be born into, I think it’d be more effective to do good deeds every day rather than take medicine.”
She turned around and left the courtyard, and the two elderlies sighed, “Why did we let her be married into the family? Our eldest daughter-in-law is kind and compassionate, and our youngest daughter-in-law is hard-working and capable. But she isn’t able to do anything except extort money out of us.”
In the front courtyard, Mo Yan reminded her eldest sister-in-law to take care of her sister. She replied, “Don’t worry, our village’s midwife Madam Wong is famous in the surrounding villages for being a good midwife. I’ll establish good relations with her in advance, so we’ll be able to call on her when the time arrives. The child won’t be born so soon, there’s still time.”
“It’s not enough to only look for a midwife, you need to look for a physician too. In case anything happens, we need to be prepared for it.”
In the village, women who gave birth only relied on midwives, and never looked for physicians as well. Mrs. Jiang said with difficulty, “But our village’s physician is male.”
Mo Yan replied, “Then we’ll keep an ear out for anywhere with a female physician. If we really can’t find a female physician, we’ll have to ask a male one to help out. After all, their lives are the most important!”
Mrs. Jiang nodded, and Mo Yan continued, “When the time comes, eldest sister-in-law, please ask someone to send me a message if possible.”
“When the baby is born, we naturally need to inform the natal family of the good news.”
“It’s fine if the childbirth goes smoothly, I’m talking about immediately before the baby is born; find me in Qianshui Town.”
Mo Ling couldn’t help but complain, “Initially I wasn’t even worried about the childbirth, but now you’ve made me anxious with all of your contingencies.”
Mrs. Jiang went to make food, and after the three ate together, Mo Yan went back.
Thinking of her sister’s heavily pregnant appearance, sorrow lanced through her heart, and she couldn’t help but let tears fall from her eyes as she travelled. When she returned to the workshop, Lu Junming saw that her eyes were red and asked, “What happened? Is your sister unwell?”
Mo Yan spat on the ground, “Shut your crow mouth, my sister’s incredibly healthy, and I even hired someone to take care of her. I just don’t know why, but I felt sad after seeing her pregnant.”
“Hey! Aren’t women getting pregnant a sign of fortune from the heavens? That’s something to be celebrated!”
“It’s something to be celebrated for men, but for women, it’s equivalent to walking into the gates of hell.”
“You’re not wrong, but no one can help with this kind of matter!”
“Do you know any female physicians?”
Lu Junming thought for a while before saying, “When I was in the Upper Valley, I knew a female physician. When my mother or Aunt Hongling’s bodies felt uncomfortable, they went to her for help.”
“She’s in the Upper Valley? It’s unfortunate she’s so far away!”
“Actually, when your sister is about to give birth, you can have that female physician travel over here if you pay her.”
“Then I’ll ask her after the New Year, I just don’t know if she’ll be willing to come!”
“That female physician doesn’t operate from a clinic, but just has an apothecary in her family and helps people with their illnesses from time to time. I’ll try to invite her over when the time comes.”
This winter, Mo Yan and Lu Junming’s days were more relaxed than in the past. The commercial firm’s operations had gone on the right tracks; imports were plentiful and business was good. Chuzi could already handle all of the work in the commercial firm, so Mo Yan promoted him to manager.
The new storefronts were managed by Cao Zhang. He had recovered from his illness, but his body was much weaker than in the past. The healthy glow on his face which had previously been there had dimmed significantly, and he looked more stable and serious.
Lu Jiao hadn’t continued pursuing him. She had probably realised that a forcibly seized fruit wasn’t sweet. [1]
On most days, when she was free, Mo Yan would stay in the workshop to chat with Chi Jie, and whenever Lu Junming wasn’t present, they would chat about the modern era.
To cruelly prevent them from conversing happily, Lu Junming proposed teaching Mo Yan to write. She had no problems with recognising characters, but she was genuinely awful at using a brush to write.
Lu Junming taught her patiently, so Mo Yan could only learn seriously. In one winter, she had become passable at writing all of the commonly-seen characters, only struggling with the particularly complex ones.
Lu Junming wrote her a copybook, and made her practice every day. Like this, the entire winter passed, and it was about to be the New Year again.
For most people, the New Year was a good thing. The poor could wear new clothes and eat good meat during these days. The wealthy held family gatherings, and Chi Jie’s family had sent a letter inviting him to return home for the New Year long in advance.
Zhao’er had also returned from Mr. Cao’s house to accompany his mother during the New Year. From Ms. Hua’s kitchen wafted the delectable fragrances of meat and steamed buns.
Mo Yan pasted a sign saying ‘No Rest over the New Year’ on the door of the storefronts. She thought that she’d only have the New Year’s Eve’s dinner with family, then leave on the first using the excuse that she was busy managing the storefronts.
In the afternoon of New Year’s Eve, she returned home with the items she had prepared. Ms. Liang looked at what she had brought with her and said indifferently, “You’ve returned. This year, there will only be the three of us, so the preparations are simpler.”
From what she implied, neither Mo Zenian nor eldest grandmother would be coming over for the New Year. That was a good thing, it’d be quieter.
There were four dishes and a soup on the dinner table, simple but pleasing to the appetite. Mo Yan didn’t think it was bad, but thought the food had lost its flavour because her sister wasn’t there.
“After the New Year, my sister’s giving birth.”
Ms. Liang nodded and replied, “She’ll give birth when the day comes! What else can you do?”
“I’m worried about her, and want to…”
“Those are the Zhong family’s matters, she has people to worry about her, you won’t be necessary. On the other hand, our family has major matters to worry about! We need to renovate the new house after the New Year, and host your brother’s wedding. Which one of these things are less important than your sister’s wedding?”
Mo Yan placed her chopsticks down and stood up, “I’m fully. The commercial firm doesn’t stop business over the New Year, so I’m returning to town early tomorrow morning.”
“You can go back to town, but leave behind the dividends from the workshop and commercial firms this year, the family needs them! When I asked in the past, you said you’d only get money at the end of the year, and the time has come! It’s New Year’s Eve.” [2]
“We built storefronts, imported southern goods and invested a lot this year. Besides, I didn’t have a large stake to begin with, so my dividends weren’t large. After deducting the amount I used, I don’t have much left.”
Ms. Liang slapped the table, “You’re always so busy and never care about family! You don’t get any money, so what do you work for! Stop working, stay at home and grow medicinal herbs.”
Mo Yan glared at her coldly, “Stop working? My sister’s dowry, including the carriage and various paraphernalia, cost a few dozen taels. If I stop working, would you have been able to spend that kind of money?”
“Stop trying to bully me for not knowing any of this, and guilt trip me with these sums. You’re trying to accuse me of something, but I only know that the family needs money!”
“I don’t have any! If you need it, let your son earn it. Which family has the youngest daughter earn money for the oldest brother to marry a wife?!”
“The village exchanges marriages! If there’s no money in the family, just swap a daughter for a son to have a wife! Now you’re just handing money over to the family, but you’re still being so obstinate, you insolent and rebellious thing!” [3]
Mo Yan went to put on her cape, then went out of the door.
Mo Ling’s carriage had already been sent back to her, in case there was an emergency. Chi Jie’s carriage had been driven back to the Upper Valley and Lu Junming didn’t return to the village today, so she would be walking back.
When she exited and passed the back courtyard, Mo Yan saw that her second grandma’s room was still lit. She decided against entering after hesitating for a while, as she was worried she’d have to repeat those words again.
P.S. I’m finally done with my exams! I hope some actual faceslapping finally happens for once and Ms. Liang gets to wallow in misery having lost her face entirely…or words to that effect as she falls into poverty and destitution.
[1] Metaphor which is…basically what it says on the tin.
[2] Ms. Liang only cares about extorting as much money from her ‘beloved’ daughter as physically possible.
[3] I’m fairly certain that’s what we call ‘gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss’.