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Some people are indeed peculiar, they never pay attention to what they have in their own hands, but instead focus on what others have that’s better. Chen Jue was such a person.
Once Chen Jue starts causing trouble, Mrs. Hu is bound to lose her temper.
Doesn’t Chen Ye care about his reputation? Let him see the greedy side of his wife and daughter and be ashamed. Let Chen Ming and Mrs. Wang also see that this isn’t just about a few pieces of satin, so they don’t casually promise to give in the future.
At the same time, this would allow him to better gauge who in the main household is worth associating with and who needs to be guarded against.
However, she dared not give the red satin that was originally meant for the Chen Lan. Even Chen Feng herself didn’t dare to make such bright-colored satin for now.
If there’s any leftover cloth after Chen Alan makes her clothes, she would have her make a short vest for Daya. The day the little Daya was beaten so pitifully by Mrs. Hu, it pained Chen Feng just to hear her cries.
Chen Feng also pulled out a piece of brown-yellow satin for herself and Mrs. Wang, and gave a piece of bright blue satin to Chen Ming, Chen Lu, and Dabao, with each person receiving enough for one outfit.
In truth, Chen Feng didn’t like the brown-yellow satin at all, it seemed too old-fashioned. However, the other types of satin couldn’t be brought out for use at present, and so she had no choice but to use this for a long skirt.
Except for the two pieces of satin she set aside for Dabao and herself, all the other pieces were taken to the old courtyard.
Chen Ming could see that Chen Feng was not very happy. He sighed and said, “Even our parents don’t want to give anything to Mrs. Hu… Ah, just for the sake of your elder brother’s face, let’s give it to her this once.”
Chen Feng pouted, “This once? What if she asks for more?”
Chen Ming replied, “We’ll just say there’s no more satin.”
Chen Feng added, “Because of her greed, we can’t even wear the satin we’ve earned ourselves. Do we have to keep it hidden away forever? And what if my mother and I wear a silver or gold hairpin in the future, and she asks for that? What if our family acquires more good things, or builds a bigger house, and she demands an even larger one?”
This was Mrs. Hu’s style.
Chen Ming opened his mouth, not knowing what to do. In the past, their family was poor, and there was nothing that Mrs. Hu valued. Now that their family had money, they couldn’t keep the silver hidden away forever. They had already buried almost ninety taels of silver under the bottom of their trunk, a sum he never dared to imagine before.
But they just didn’t dare to spend it now.
Even if they didn’t spend it now, in a few years, A’Lu would definitely need to build a big house when he got married. If Mrs. Hu insisted on getting money, what should he do?
Out of respect for his elder brother’s past kindness, he would even be willing to take out several tens of taels of silver to ensure his elder brother’s future comfort and reduce his toil. But he didn’t dare. As soon as he offered that money, Mrs. Hu would assume he might have even more money on hand and would find ways to endlessly demand more.
Chen Ming sighed helplessly and said, “You and Dabao have a good life now. You can buy things you like, buy some land, and build a big house. After all, you both have already set up your own households. Your elder brother’s wife has the nerve to ask for things from me, but she can’t ask for anything from my daughter who has already set up her own household. These pieces of satin are just something she wants. Those big things she wants from you, she can’t take away, and I can’t make decisions for you. As for our parents… Ah, let’s just leave things as they are for now.”
Chen Feng added, “I think respecting your elder brother doesn’t mean indulging Mrs. Hu, if she wants something, let her earn it.”
Chen Ming opened his mouth again but didn’t say anything. He also understood this reasoning and didn’t want to give in to Mrs. Hu. But the situation always seemed to develop to a point where he had to give in, even when he didn’t want to. Even someone as shrewd as Chen Shi was scared off by Mrs. Hu and didn’t dare to return to the village.
Chen Feng glanced at the conflicted Chen Ming and refrained from saying more. The conversation concluded there, as certain attitudes gradually evolve. Furthermore, the power of speech lies in the hands of those with influence, and their second household was still somewhat weak.
That evening, Chen Ming and Mrs. Wang went to the main household to deliver the satin, leaving Grandma Chen’s portion in the second household, which Mrs. Wang would handle. Before they left, Chen Feng issued a few more instructions.
Upon hearing from Chen Ming and Mrs. Wang that they come to deliver the satin to the main household, Chen Jue’s expression turned sour the moment she saw the satin. She complained that the piece wasn’t enough and demanded more, stating that two and a half feet of satin wasn’t sufficient to make a full outfit, only enough for a vest, shirt, or long skirt. Moreover, this color was too old-fashioned and unsuitable for a young lady’s clothing.
She spotted a two-foot piece of bright blue satin that Mrs. Gao was holding for Chen Daya. She wanted it, suggesting it could be used to make a little jacket, saying it would be a pity for a child to wear satin clothes.
Chen Gui’s face darkened, and Mrs. Gao clutched the satin tighter. Chen Ye and Grandma Chen scolded her a few times before she dared not continue to demand.
When she saw the crabapple red satin intended for Chen Lan, she became even more frantic, reaching out to grab it.
Chen Lan quickly dodged and swiftly locked the satin away in a box. She could compromise on other things, but she absolutely wouldn’t yield on this piece of red satin, as she loved it dearly. She envisioned herself wearing this gorgeous dress with a radiant smile next to her handsome husband when they visited their in-laws and relatives on the second day of her marriage.
Chen Jue, seeing Chen Lan lock the beautiful satin away, burst into tears, saying, “I like that red satin. I have fairer skin than my elder sister, and I would definitely look better wearing it.”
Grandma Chen, displeased, remarked, “A’Lan is getting married soon. She should be dressed more elegantly, and her husband will appreciate it. Finally, her cousin gave her a piece of nice fabric, and her sister doesn’t understand, competing with her. Even her mother indulges her.”
Chen Ye also sternly scolded, “You’re her sister, and you’re not even as good as A’Feng. A’Feng knows that A’Lan is getting married and would rather give it all to her even if she doesn’t wear any herself, and you still have the nerve to compete with your sister. You’ve really been spoiled by your mother.”
Chen Jue looked at the satin in her hands and felt that it wasn’t as beautiful as the red satin. She burst into tears, saying, “I like that red satin. My elder sister is too selfish, she’s already chosen someone, so why does she need to look so good?”
Chen Lan felt extremely wronged and tearfully said, “I’ve always given in to you since we were young. Am I being selfish? You should speak with a conscience.”
Chen Jue shouted, “If you’re not being selfish, then give me that piece of satin.” Seeing Chen Lan didn’t budge, she continued, “Hmph, you’re clearly selfish, but you’re making it sound nice.”
Chen Lan felt even more aggrieved and cried louder.
Chen Ye glared at Chen Jue and scolded her, “That satin is for your sister, and you’re not allowed to contest it. If you cause any more trouble, I’ll use the sole of my shoe to teach you a lesson.”
Normally, when she saw Chen Ye angry, Chen Jue wouldn’t dare to make a fuss. However, today, she really wanted that piece of satin, especially after boasting to Hu Cuicui that she could make at least two beautiful outfits from it. Now, not only did she not get two outfits, she didn’t even get the most beautiful piece of satin, and she felt resentful. Ignoring Chen Ye’s scolding, she stomped her feet and wailed.
Chen Ye was furious and took off his shoe to strike Chen Jue a few times before Chen Gui and Mrs. Hu pulled him away.
Chen Jue, after being hit, became even more upset and ran to the side, sobbing loudly.
Seeing her little daughter in such distress, Mrs. Hu was extremely pained and said to Mrs. Wang, “Sister-in-law, just give A’Jue a few more feet of satin. My A’Jue is at the age for marriage, and it’s easy to find a good family when she’s nicely dressed.”