At this time, when her husband still relied on her natal family’s support, she never dared to be too excessive, for fear of falling out with her natal family.
Just like now, she still wanted to take advantage of her natal family’s generosity.
"Sister-in-law, I heard that the youngest niece received quite a number of gifts from the Tang Family’s Young Master. Just give one or two items to my son and my sister’s daughter!"
Mrs. Li had a bit of a smile before, but as her sister-in-law became more and more unreasonable, she reined in her smile:
"Don’t set your sights on my daughter’s belongings. If you have something else to say, consider whether you can afford the chickens and eggs yourself!"
Ye Shuying had not expected Mrs. Li, who always seemed so gentle and meek like a steamed bun, to turn her face so quickly. Shuying wanted to say more, but thinking about the cost of chickens and eggs, she held back from speaking further.
She swallowed her frustration, realizing that her sister-in-law was no longer the weak pushover she used to be.
"What are you two talking about?"
Mrs. Lai finally appeared; she could have chosen to stay out of sight, having handed the responsibility for the red envelopes and gifts to Mrs. Li.
But overhearing the conversation in the living room, she felt a tinge of jealousy as a mother, wondering when her daughters-in-law had become so harmonious.
The struggle between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law has existed since ancient times.
"Mother, we weren’t saying anything. We are just waiting for someone to bring back the chickens and eggs."
Though Ye Shuying was usually quite cunning and would have loved to see her sister-in-law and mother fight—finding it amusing—now was different. She needed her sister-in-law’s assistance with many matters and didn’t think she could get away with offending her like before.
"Why haven’t you two set off yet?"
Mrs. Lai, getting no information, began to hurry them along. Although she did not pay much attention to her daughter, she was still a little concerned about her daughter’s well-being after recently giving birth, troubled by the thought that her daughter’s in-laws might not have taken good care of her.
Especially in the case of giving birth to a daughter, Mrs. Lai knew very well how she herself treated her daughters-in-law, and it was likely that her daughter’s in-laws were not treating her well either.
Mrs. Lai harbored these worries deep inside but chose not to visit herself, believing that childbirth was an ordeal all women must endure. Whether they gave birth to a son or a daughter was a matter of luck and fate.
Mrs. Li was about to reply when she heard the sound of an ox cart entering the yard, along with the noise of chickens clucking.
"Mother, isn’t this the chicken and eggs sister-in-law prepared? Don’t worry yourself about it, just stay home and rest if you’re not coming!"
Ye Shuying said to her mother.
Mrs. Li, holding her son, stood up and said, "Wait, I’ll take out the things and come along."
Rather than handing her son over to her mother-in-law, she took him to the room where her daughters were studying and had the Maid hold him on the other side of the room.
This way, her daughters could glance at their brother while studying, which she found more reassuring than leaving him with her mother-in-law.
Mrs. Lai settled back into her Master Chair. Without having to do any work or carry her grandson, she relished the leisure of simply enjoying her time. She had never cared for her five granddaughters, only her daughter’s son, and that was back when the household was not as wealthy.
Now that her son had a son and there were workers to help out, Mrs. Lai felt she was getting old, and while she adored her grandson, she only played with him occasionally.
The ox cart was driven by a worker, with the chickens secured in two cages: one held six chickens; the other, two, along with two baskets of eggs.
The worker handled everything with care, naturally upon Madam’s orders—the gifts from their own family naturally required extra attention.
Mrs. Li moved two stools onto the ox cart, sat on one stool with two bundles of gifts in her hands.
Ye Shuying, who boarded the cart next, held her son and kept her eyes on the bundles in Mrs. Li’s hands as the cart started moving.
She lamented that her family had not been wealthy when she had her children. If she were to be pregnant now, she might also receive many gifts from her natal family!
As Ye Shuying thought about this, she grew even more eager to conceive a second child.
She feared that if one of her siblings got pregnant first, the family would assign all the farming work and burdensome tasks to her.
The Tang Family was no longer what it had been; she could not simply summon help for heavy labor as she used to.
Mrs. Li was well aware of Ye Shuying’s gaze but paid it no mind, letting her sister-in-law finish appraising the bundles before shifting her gaze back to the road.
"Sister-in-law, my brother really dotes on you. You eat, drink, and dress like a rich woman. I am both envious and jealous!"
These thoughts had been swirling in Ye Shuying’s mind for a long time, and she wasn’t the only one who felt this way; she often heard the village women saying the same.
Mrs. Li was no longer the pitiable person of the past; she had transformed into a wealthy lady. The fabric of her clothes was probably the finest available in the county.
Such clothes were beyond the reach of a farmer family, and even if they could wear such nice clothes, they wouldn’t have Mrs. Li’s beautiful skin to complement them.
Ye Shuying envied not only Mrs. Li’s fine clothes, bountiful food, and good living conditions but also her beautiful skin.
Although Ye Shuying was a few years younger, she looked older than her sister-in-law, with darker skin.