"Aunt, that's the child's stuff, you can't take it!" The grandmother shouted as soon as she saw the aunt moving to take things, quickly holding her back.
Xiaoxiao saw that her newly bought items were about to be taken away, which wouldn't do at all since they were all essentials, and every single item was necessary. Her mind raced, what to do, what to do. Suddenly, spotting the cloth on the kang, she had a brainwave and said:
"Aunt, everything I bought today is something the house lacks, otherwise I wouldn't have bought them, right? Look, how about this, you take this bolt of cloth as a token of respect from a junior like me. You can go back and make a few new clothes; this is really high-quality fabric."
The aunt's eyes lit up at the sight of the fabric, its color bright and shiny. The fabrics worn by the village households weren't generally this varied; only the fabric of a wealthy family home would be , and she liked it very much. She still made a show of reluctance on her face, though she wasn't as aggressive as before, "All right then, consider it interest. But when do you plan to repay the five taels of silver? You need to provide a clear answer, it's been dragging on year after year!"
Only now did Xiaoxiao realize they owed five taels of silver. She thought that it would have been better not to buy anything blindly on her first day; however, it was too late for regrets. Her mind worked furiously. How long would it take for a family to earn five taels? With six laborers in the family, maybe working for two months would be enough. So she said, "Three months, in three months we will definitely pay back the money."
"Three months is too long, one month at most!"
"Okay, one month it is!" Xiaoxiao was committed now, thinking to herself to just send the aunt away as soon as possible. Otherwise, she feared the things she bought today would not be safe. If they couldn't repay in a month, they would deal with it then; if it really came down to it, they could use the furniture she bought to offset the debt!
"That's settled then, I'll be leaving. Your grandmother is still waiting for me to cook for her! Don't forget to visit your grandmother since you've just married into the family!" Taking the fabric, she left. He who accepts a favor is always under an obligation, and it wouldn't be right for her to take the meat as well!
"Aunt, rest assured, I will go see her tomorrow!"
At last, they saw the aunt off, and the grandmother just collapsed there. Xiaoxiao hurried over to help her, "Mother, what's wrong?"
"Daughter-in-law, it's five taels of silver! Our family can't repay that in a year, how will we manage in a month?" The grandmother said anxiously!
"Mother, don't we have six laborers in our family? Big brother, second brother, fourth brother, big sister-in-law, second sister-in-law, and me. We can all go work in town!"
"Little sister-in-law, it's already difficult to find work in winter, and it's even harder for us women. Female labor is even harder to come by, and even if we do, it pays less," sighed the big sister-in-law.
"I'm sorry, mother, I didn't know, I spoke without thinking again. Don't worry, if we can't repay the money, I'll sell the furniture I ordered to settle the debt."
"Child, you've been wronged. You even had to part with a bolt of cloth," said the grandmother, taking Xiaoxiao's hand and gently patting it!
"Mother, it's alright. We are family, after all. Don't be sad. There's always a way out. Cheer up! By the way, I bought meat today! I'll cook for you all tonight, and I guarantee you'll all love it!" Xiaoxiao cheerfully said, adept at comforting others.
The grandmother finally managed to smile. "Great! Mother's in for a treat today!" Yet, she thought to herself that her daughter-in-law really had a sweet mouth, knew how to cheer someone up, and was truly endearing!