Mu Zhongli heard this and laughed, saying: "Second Brother’s family is indeed prosperous now, they can even afford to drink ginseng soup, unlike us poor folks who haven’t even seen what ginseng looks like!"
Mu Zhongqing explained: "The children saw that I was ill and my body was very weak, so they gritted their teeth and bought two small ginsengs to help me recover. It’s not like we are frivolously enjoying such good things!"
Ignoring the cold words of her eldest uncle, Cai Wei, as if she had not heard him, walked up to her father with the tray and handed him the bowl of medicine.
Mu Zhongqing took the medicine bowl, gave his daughter a gratified look, then drank it all down in one gulp with a frown. The bitterness made him scrunch up his face. Cai Wei quickly passed him the ginseng soup to rinse out the taste. Although the taste of the ginseng soup is not good, it was like heaven compared to the bitter medicine made with Huanglian.
Having finished the ginseng soup, Mu Zhongqing’s wrinkled face looked much better. Lady Du, as there were the Grandpa, eldest uncle and cousins around, signalled Cai Wei with her eyes to give Mu Zhongqing a handkerchief to wipe his mouth, so as not to appear frivolous.
Understanding, Cai Wei took a clean, soft, fine cotton handkerchief from her sleeve and handed it to her father. Mu Zhongqing took it, wiped his mouth, and then returned the handkerchief to his daughter’s tray. Only then did he turn back to continue speaking with the rest.
This set of actions, seen by Mu Zhongli, made him filled with both jealousy and resentment.
This pedantic poor scholar of a Second Brother, has actually managed to raise such a good daughter who is not only filial but also capable of making money. Initially their family, being down and out, was on the verge of begging. But with this girl, they are now able to command others and even enjoy ginseng soup. This made him green with envy.
Thinking of this, he said bitterly: "Second Brother is indeed lucky. He raised such a good daughter as Sister Wei. If there’s an ailing person at home, you will have ginseng soup to drink. Like those good-for-nothing kids that I am raising, let alone ginseng soup, even meat soup, they wouldn’t have a chance to drink!"
On the side, Mu Liankui heard this and knowingly said: "Ah! That’s exactly the point. If you raise a disappointing child, how can you expect to benefit from them? Like me, I’ve lived a lifetime and I still don’t know whether ginseng soup is sweet or bitter, sour or spicy."
The old man’s words may have seemed like he was sighing about his own fate, but in fact, he was making a pointed jab at Mu Zhongqing. He has a good daughter who can help him enjoy ginseng soup, but his own father doesn’t even know what ginseng soup tastes like.
Mu Zhongqing’s face stiffened as he glanced at his daughter, fearing she would get angry and do something drastic.
To his surprise, Cai Wei nonchalantly said: "If Grandfather wants to have ginseng soup, this is easy. When we return home for the New Year, I’ll bring a high-quality ginseng for you!"
Upon hearing this, Mu Liankui immediately squinted his eyes in delight, repeatedly saying: "Good, good, Wei’er is indeed Grandfather’s considerate good granddaughter!"
Cai Wei curled her lips and gave a cold laugh, and said: "Besides ginseng, what else does Grandfather want? Feel free to tell me. The silver in our home is all earned by me, and is right here with me. Telling my father and mother is useless. Unless I agree, no one has the right to touch the family’s silver."
With her harsh tone and condescending attitude, Cai Wei made Mu Liankui extremely embarrassed, yet he was helpless against her!
Last night, he had secretly negotiated with Mu Zhongqing and his wife about the items he wanted. They thought this couple was soft and easy to talk to. But the moment he brought it up, they unequivocally refused, leaving no room for negotiation.
Frustrated and helpless, the old man had to find another way. Thick-faced, he repeated the demands he had made to Mu Zhongqing and his wife earlier.