Lin Yongnian glared at his eldest daughter-in-law, saying, “The second one is right, that’s his money. He can give it to whoever he wants, and she has no say in it.”

Lin Guodong slammed his hand on the table, “Lin Jianshe, who are you talking about?”

Lin Jianshe paused for a moment, then also slammed the table, “I’m talking about your wife!”

“I think you’re asking for a fight.”

“Try it and see.” The two brothers were ready to clash.

Lin Yongnian’s face turned ashen with anger, and he slapped the table so hard that it made a loud noise.

“I’m not dead yet. If you want to fight in front of me, you can both get out!”

The two brothers immediately stopped.

Lin Yongnian sternly scolded them, “Arguing over a small amount of money, turning brothers against each other—this is petty. I wonder who taught you this.”

He had never paid attention to his children before, so it must have been Li Shuping who taught them this.

“This isn’t just a small amount of money.” Zhang Jiao retorted quickly and mentally calculated, “It’s 668 yuan!”

Lin Yongnian frowned, “Where did the 668 come from?”

Zhang Jiao held up her fingers to explain, “My bride price was 488 less than Liu Qin’s, and the fare was 180 less. Together, that’s 668.”

“Dad, I’m not trying to argue about the bride price from before, but the difference between my bride price and the second daughter-in-law’s is too much. People will say I, Zhang Jiao, am not treated well by my in-laws, that I’m not as good as the second daughter-in-law, so my bride price was so much less.”

“My parents used to work in a shoe factory, and I worked in a cotton quilt factory. My conditions are only better than Liu Qin’s, not worse! If I don’t care, I’ll be admitting that I’m worse than Liu Qin, so I can’t just ignore it.”

“You’re really not as good.” Lin Jianshe muttered under his breath.

With that big round face of hers, flat nose—how could she compare to his Liu Qin?

Liu Qin angrily glared at Zhang Jiao, clearly offended by the comments about her parents and their temporary jobs.

“What did you say?” Lin Guodong heard it but didn’t catch the words clearly.

Lin Jianshe shook his head, “Nothing.”

Lin Yongnian listened and thought that the eldest daughter-in-law had a point.

If there was such a big difference in the bride price, others would surely gossip.

Anyone would feel uncomfortable about that.

“So, what do you want?” Lin Yongnian asked Zhang Jiao.

Zhang Jiao pursed her lips and took a deep breath. “I want the difference between my bride price and Liu Qin’s to be made up. The 800 yuan for the second son, I won’t bring it up.”

The 800 yuan for mom, that’s fine, it’s for everyone in the family anyway.

Lin Jianshe scoffed, “Who are you to say that?”

Zhang Jiao clapped her hands. “I’m saying this because your elder brother got his job on his own merit, without relying on the family, without spending any family money.”

Lin Jianshe replied, “I went to the countryside too! I worked in the countryside, while the eldest and Xiao Yu stayed in the city, enjoying life. My parents spent money and effort to get me a job, so that’s a fair compensation.”

He was the only one among the three siblings to go to the countryside.

Lin Guodong furrowed his brows, impatiently replying, “You went to the countryside because you didn’t pass high school and couldn’t find a job in the city. I got into the mechanical factory through my own interview, so I never needed to go to the countryside.”

Xiao Yu was still studying, and he was the only one who fit the criteria to go to the countryside.

Also, he didn’t even spend that many years in the countryside before the policy allowed young people to return to the city.

Compared to those who spent a decade or more in the countryside, he had it easy.

“Moreover, during those years in the countryside, mom had to send you money and things every few months. With the money and things she sent, even if you didn’t work, you could still eat and drink. Don’t pretend like you suffered in the countryside.” Lin Guodong mocked.

Lin Jianshe fell silent.

Since the family sent him money and supplies, he didn’t do much work in the countryside.

He didn’t have to work every day in the fields just to get a meal, like other young people.

Lin Yongnian was getting a headache from all the arguing and furrowed his brows, “Enough, stop talking.”

Lin Guodong closed his mouth.

Lin Yongnian looked at Zhang Jiao seriously and said, “Although your bride price was less than the second daughter-in-law’s, in your mother’s and my heart, both you and Liu Qin are the same. It’s not that we gave you less, it’s just that your family only wanted that much, and at that time, that amount was already considered high.”

“Since you brought this up, I will make it up to you.”

He would give the money, but he also needed to explain this logic to his eldest daughter-in-law.

When Zhang Jiao heard this, her expression softened a bit.

“However, as the eldest daughter-in-law of the Lin family, you must set an example, be kind to your brothers and sisters, and be more generous to the younger ones.”

Lin Yongnian hoped that his eldest daughter-in-law would take on her role as the eldest daughter-in-law seriously.

Zhang Jiao still respected her father-in-law’s words because he earned a high salary, higher than what both she and Lin Guodong earned combined.

“Dad, don’t worry, I will.” As long as the younger siblings respected her as the eldest daughter-in-law, she would be kind and generous to them.

Lin Yongnian nodded in satisfaction, “I don’t have much money right now. Once I finish paying the 800 yuan for your mom, I’ll give you 50 yuan a month until it’s all paid off.”

He didn’t have the money now, but as long as he could give it, he would.

“Groooowl—”

Lin Yongnian’s stomach growled loudly.

He was really hungry.

“Eldest daughter-in-law, the second daughter-in-law made dinner last night, so tonight you cook. Just make some noodles, something simple.”

“From now on, the grocery money will be split between the eldest and the second. If you can’t do it this month, I won’t pay for the groceries anymore.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Qin didn’t complain about fairness anymore.

After all, they were only paying for groceries this month.

If they kept complaining and upset their father-in-law, they wouldn’t have to pay for groceries in the future, which would be even worse.

One month’s grocery money was nothing compared to all the future months.

…

Old Madam Li finished washing the dishes and noticed a bottle of soy sauce on the counter.

She picked it up and was about to put it in the cupboard when she realized something was off.

Under the light, she saw that the soy sauce bottle was only half full.

“Hey, this Aunt Yuan seems like a kind elderly woman, but her hands are so dirty.”

When she lent the soy sauce, Old Madam Li had wondered if the other woman was trying to take advantage of her, but since she was the first to show her kindness, she still lent it.

Now she realized just how shameless the woman was.

People really do get bolder with time.

“Humph, I’ll find her tomorrow.”

She wasn’t going to let this slide.

It was late, and Zhang Jiao was still awake in bed, complaining to Lin Guodong about Liu Qin.

“She acts like she wants us to buy groceries. We have a supply store at the end of the alley. Buying groceries is so convenient. If she buys them, who knows what she’ll charge us?”

“Mm.” Lin Guodong replied with his eyes closed, too tired to respond.

“I don’t want to send Junjun to daycare tomorrow.”

Lin Guodong: “…”

Zhang Jiao didn’t get a response, so she pinched him, “Don’t sleep yet. What do you think about sending Junjun to mom’s place tomorrow?”

“Alright, send him. She has nothing to do anyway.” Lin Guodong rolled over.

Zhang Jiao pinched him again.

The child had just fallen asleep, and he didn’t even know how to take advantage of the opportunity.

All he did was sleep, and they hadn’t done anything in a long time.

He was useless.