"Can you calm down for a moment? I feel like my head is spinning," Xia He watched him, pacing like a fly in a hot wok, his expression heavy, sometimes tinged with annoyance. She thought he was worrying about things that didn't concern him.
"Are you even part of the Zhang family? To see something like this and not try to advise your own mother-in-law, but instead tell me I'm an eyesore? Are you just going to stand by and watch the money mother worked so hard to get be tricked away by others, without us getting a single cent?" He looked at his wife with a strange expression, not understanding why she wasn't worried at all.
"You and I both know how mother's money came about. Honestly, if mother gave that money to us, I'd take it. If she doesn't, I might not even want it. For me, being able to learn a skill is wealth.
Although mother hasn't given you money lately, you've been learning by the shopkeeper's side every day. Even if we are driven out of Yang Wang's manor, we can still make a living with this skill outside, and not starve to death. That's the most crucial thing." Having experienced two famines, she knew that having one's own abilities was more important than anything. When danger struck, no amount of money could buy even a bit of food; one would still starve to death.
But it was different if one had skills. Didn't her mother, after only a few days with the young lord, catch his eye and bring their family here, even elevating their status in the manor, all because mother had true capabilities?
"Isn't that what I'm doing, learning diligently?" He Sheng looked at her impatiently, thinking this woman was short-sighted. Money in one's hand was real money. She didn't like it, but he did. He even considered their daughter. Sudian Novel Network.
Xia He frowned unconsciously at her husband's resentful look. Was it her imagination, or had he been quite humble and cautious when he first started learning business from others? But lately, had he become accustomed to flattery, getting a bit carried away, unsure of his own footing, speaking and acting impulsively, with an air of arrogance?
However, her husband was being watched over by his mother. She believed that anything she noticed, her mother-in-law would surely notice too. Seeing her husband's impatience with her, she knew that if his mother said these words, he would probably bow his head and humbly seek guidance, and later say that his mother's admonishment was excellent. This was the difference between people. She didn't want to be a wicked daughter-in-law, nor a wicked wife, so she could only endure and let others talk.
Wu Caiwei looked at He Sheng, who stood before her, outwardly calm but radiating pride. Before he could react, she picked up a nearby stick and struck his leg hard. He involuntarily knelt forward. Wu Caiwei didn't spare him, and continued to beat him with the stick, blow after blow.
"Mother, why are you hitting me? What did I do wrong?" He looked at her, utterly bewildered, his face showing a wronged expression. Back home, his mother always favored his elder and second brothers. At most, he had to do more chores, but no one had ever disciplined him. He never expected that now that life was better, she would take advantage of his recent involvement in his mother's affairs to seek personal revenge and teach him a lesson.
"How many times have I told you, you are just a member of the capital, with no roots, like duckweed on water. Instead of striving to create a happy life for yourself, you look at others with a critical eye. This attitude is fundamentally wrong. Before, you told me you didn't want to learn from the shopkeeper and wanted to be a great general under the young lord. I told you then that being a great general isn't easy. First, you need to be highly skilled in martial arts, and second, you need to be cunning.
Someone like you, who gets carried away after just one victory, while others might have intentionally set a trap. When you're off guard, they might launch a surprise attack, catching you unprepared, not only losing the city gates but also your own life, and implicating your wife and children." Wu Caiwei looked at him with a stern expression, making him understand the seriousness of the matter.
He Sheng was startled. Recalling his recent actions, he couldn't help but slap himself. He used to look down on people who became arrogant as soon as they achieved success. He never expected to become the person he most disliked. Today, enlightened by his mother, he was filled with regret.
Seeing that he had come to his senses, Wu Caiwei hit him a few more times and lectured him before letting him leave, limping. Such a He Sheng frightened Xia He, who quickly stepped forward to help him sit on the bed.
As soon as he sat down, he abruptly stood up, his backside throbbing with pain. Sitting down, he felt blood seeping out. His movements were too large, tearing his other wounds, causing him to grit his teeth in pain. However, he felt the beating was worth it. His mother was right; he couldn't get ahead too quickly. All he needed to do now was remember the heart method his mother taught him and try to use it within his body.
His mother had told him that the business world would better hone his intelligence. He hadn't believed it then, but reality had slapped him in the face. The flattery from the servants and merchants had almost made him lose his mind. Knowing the implications, he would be more cautious in the future, always keeping a watchful eye, and not trusting people too easily.
Apart from the gossip in the manor, Wu Caiwei felt her days were very leisurely and carefree. Xia He visited her daily, and she would visit Chen Renjie. As he stayed in the manor for longer periods, Wu Caiwei could feel the envious glances from the young girls, knowing it was because of Chen Renjie. She smiled helplessly.
In this life, her appearance was indeed a bit too ordinary, and she knew she would face their envious gazes. However, no matter how dissatisfied they were, they wouldn't dare to expose this matter. If Yang Hanye found out, he would surely order them to be given a bowl of medicine, and the matchmaker would sell them far away. If they became mute, how good a place could they be sold to? They certainly wouldn't have a good end.
"Father, Father, look who that is?" In a dilapidated alley not far away, Hai Sheng saw Wu Caiwei leisurely drinking tea by the window of a luxuriously decorated two-story building. Thinking he was mistaken, he quickly patted his father's shoulder, urging him to look closely.
Zhang Dashan followed his gaze and was shocked. Was that the person he had lived with for decades? Their features were identical, but her clothing and attire clearly indicated she was from a wealthy family. He couldn't associate her with her past self at all. But he had a feeling that person was indeed her.