"We’re still tending our own fields, still peasants, and she’s already looking down on peasants. Who exactly is she secretly finding for Zhiniang?" the Eldest said indignantly, "Is she truly looking out for Zhiniang’s best interest, or is it for that extra bit of dowry? Then again, that Shi Family in the county city isn’t even willing to provide a dowry; they’re eager to take advantage without offering anything. I really can’t understand what she’s after."
Father Lu hung his head in shame.
"I ask you, do you think the marriage with the Zhou Family is a good match?"
Father Lu hastily replied, "Of course it is good."
"What’s good about it?"
Father Lu swallowed his saliva, hesitated for a long while before saying, "Their family has a good reputation, that child Zhou Wu is honest, and also diligent..."
The Eldest felt a pang in his chest and asked, "What else?"
"What else?" Father Lu racked his brains, "Also, that child Zhou Wu has a good character..."
The Eldest slammed the table hard and shouted, "They’ve already agreed to the betrothal, could their character be bad? I’ll tell you why I chose the Zhou Family!"
The Eldest raised his voice by three degrees, so much that not only Lu Gui standing at the door, but also Mother Lu inside the room could hear everything clearly, "Apart from what you mentioned, it’s also because the grandchildren of the Zhou Family are all studying in school! Not to talk about Dali Village, even in the town, how many families are there who can and are willing to send so many children to school at the same time?"
"And that young girl who came today, called Zhou Man, do you know her medical skills are even better than your son’s? She’s only studied for three years!"
Father Lu was startled, how could that be possible?
"The bit of medical skill our Lu Family has was acquired by your great-grandfather after nearly twenty years of effort and subsequently passed down for us descendants to make a living from. But you couldn’t learn it. Although Dalang has learned it, how much can he really use?"
Father Lu again hung his head in shame, and so did Lu Gui outside the house.
"By forming a marriage alliance with the Zhou Family, if Dalang has any medical cases he doesn’t understand, he can always ask for advice. At worst, when the child grows a bit older, he could also go to his aunt’s house to learn. Ultimately, medical skills are the foundation of our family’s livelihood."
The Eldest continued, "This craft has been passed down to us by our ancestors who learned it with great difficulty. We may not necessarily advance it, but at the very least, we cannot lose the foundation given by our ancestors."
Father Lu nodded repeatedly.
The anger the Eldest had accumulated finally abated somewhat, and he said, "So tell your wife to rein in her thoughts, stop constantly aiming to marry Zhiniang off to someone in the town or the county."
He snorted and said, "If those families she chose were really good, I would naturally be happy for Zhiniang to enjoy her fortune, but look at what kind of families she’s chosen?"
Father Lu hung his head in shame.
"You and Dalang have both accompanied me on medical visits, not just to the town, but to the county city as well. Haven’t you seen and heard what those people are like?" the Eldest said, "Even the most confident girl would lose a layer of skin if she married into those homes, and your daughter, with her gentle nature, do you intend to throw her into that kind of trouble?"
"You, as her father, don’t bother to worry about anything, just fuss over your fields, thinking if you don’t ask or speak out, this matter won’t concern you?" The Eldest’s anger rose again, and he said furiously, "Don’t forget, you’re her father! If you don’t ask or speak out, then you’re in the wrong!"
"Today, in front of guests, she’s capable of showing such a face, does she act like someone who can run a household, like a person who’s already a grandmother?" The crying inside the house had stopped, but the Eldest was still very angry, "Her daughter-in-law is even more sensible than she is. Go and tell her, if she makes a fuss again, she can go back to her parents’ home, and let Dalang’s wife take charge of the household."
The Eldest was so furious that his chest heaved, and Father Lu, worried, went to smooth things over for him, but the Eldest pushed his hand away, stood up, and said, "I’m not going to die just yet, I won’t be fulfilling your wishes that easily."
"Father, you’re really piercing my heart with these words."
The Eldest snorted coldly.
Old Zhou, walking on the road, also snorted coldly and said to Zhou Wulang, "Your mother-in-law is not easy to get along with, be careful when you visit her family."
Zhou Wulang also felt that his mother-in-law was difficult to deal with and sighed with worry. He asked, "Father, why didn’t you choose my mother-in-law? Didn’t you use to make choices when my brothers were discussing marriage?"
"Your wife is capable, so there’s less need to be picky," Old Zhou perked up thinking about Five securing a match with Lu’s young lady and said, "Your wife has been with the Eldest for a long time and has picked up some medical skills herself. I heard that most of the Lu Family’s medicinal materials are processed by her. So, you’ve got to be more attentive from now on, and you mustn’t bully your wife, understand?"
Thinking and not feeling reassured, he added a warning, "But don’t just listen to everything your wife says, especially when she’s following her mother’s advice."
Old Zhou covertly instructed him, "That’s when you need to take control of the household finances. Right, how much money have you saved up now?"
Zhou Wulang was vague, "Not much."
Old Zhou was slightly displeased but still said, "Right, the next time your wife asks you, you say the same thing."
Manbao, who was eavesdropping with rapt attention, couldn’t help it, "Father, why are you teaching Fifth Brother to be dishonest?"
"How is that teaching dishonesty? Father is just taking precautions," Old Zhou said, "We’ll see how things are after your wife has a child. We’ll see if she values you and your son more or her mother. It’d be better if I just keep hold of your money for you."
Zhou Wulang picked up his pace and said, "Father, I really haven’t saved up much."
Old Zhou hummed, "Never mind, I won’t hold onto it for you; you can just keep it with Manbao. When your wife is wholeheartedly with you, you can take the money back from Manbao."
Zhou Wulang hesitated and sneaked off to ask his mother, "Mother, what do you think?"
"Don’t listen to your father," Ms. Qian glared at him and said, "Since you’re married, naturally you should manage your money yourselves."
Old Zhou was about to speak when Ms. Qian shot him a glance, wordlessly warning him.
Old Zhou then kept quiet.
"Now that you’re a married man, there are many places where money will be needed. Whether it’s you or your wife holding the purse strings, you both need to be clear about your finances." Ms. Qian counseled him, "If you’re in charge, you need to tell her exactly how much money is on hand, where it’s earned from, and for large expenses, let her know in advance. It’s best to discuss these matters together."
"If your wife is managing the money, you also need to know what’s going on: how she’s spending it, and how much is left... What does it mean to be head of a household? If you’re not even aware of your family’s finances, what kind of household are you running?"
Zhou Wulang nodded repeatedly, thinking his mother’s advice made perfect sense.
Manbao also nodded along, feeling that her mother’s words were definitely better than her father’s.
Ms. Qian spoke earnestly, "Since you’re married, that little household of yours should be run by the two of you, and there should be no deceit or secrets. If even the smallest family unit operates like that, how can you manage the outside world?"