CHAPTER 32: CHAPTER 32: FORCING THE SILVER

EDITOR: INSCHAIN

Mrs. Chen swept the room with her gaze and spoke decisively, "Today, I’m putting my words here, either get the silver or split the family, it’s your choice!"

"Otherwise, I’ll go to the county town to find Third Brother!"

Gu Yunjiao moved her lips, still wanting to stir up more trouble, but then heard Mr. Jiang’s voice, "Old woman, bring the silver!"

"Bring the silver now!"

The old man was angry, and even Mrs. Zhou dared not defy him. She stood up and gave Mrs. Chen a fierce look, as if she wasn’t going to get the silver but her life instead.

Soon, Mrs. Zhou came out and heavily knocked a ten-tael silver ingot on the table.

Gu Yunjiao was very disappointed, wondering why Mrs. Zhou compromised, why not hold out a bit longer; splitting the family would be great.

Mrs. Yang and Liu Family both stared intensely at the silver ingot.

Mrs. Chen noticed their gaze and felt nervous inside, hurriedly reaching out to grab the silver, "I’ll take care of the debt now."

Unable to hold back, Mrs. Yang murmured, "My Erlang is eighteen now, I’ve already found Matchmaker Qian, but don’t let it be that when the time comes, we find a good match but have no money for the betrothal gift."

Mrs. Zhou’s anger finally found an outlet, and she roared, spitting towards Mrs. Yang as she spoke, "Fool, eat your food, no one thinks you’re mute if you don’t speak!"

Gu Yunjiao quickly picked up her rice bowl and shifted backwards, fearing the spittle would splash into her bowl.

After a while, Mrs. Chen returned, sat down, and continued eating.

After the meal, Mrs. Chen and Gu Yunjiao tidied up the bowls and chopsticks and went into the kitchen. Mrs. Chen fished out an IOU from her bosom and handed it to Gu Yunjiao, "You can read, right? Help me check if this IOU is correct."

Gu Yunjiao glanced at it and nodded, "Mom, it’s correct."

Only then did Mrs. Chen throw the IOU into the stove to burn it, explaining to Gu Yunjiao, "It’s not that I don’t trust their family, but I’ve heard cases before where someone repaid the silver, and they gave a fake IOU, and since he couldn’t read, he thought it was real. Later, they came again with the IOU demanding money."

Gu Yunjiao nodded, "It’s right for Mom to be cautious."

As she washed the dishes, she spoke to Mrs. Chen, "Mom, there’s not much work in the field now, I plan to go to the county tomorrow."

She wanted to buy an iron pot and some meat, wondering if she could sneak to the back mountain to cook and eat on her own.

Mrs. Chen was puzzled, "Tomorrow isn’t market day, what are you going to the county town for?"

Gu Yunjiao paused, she had forgotten, it’s ancient times now, commerce and transportation are extremely underdeveloped, if it’s not market day, there are few people on the county’s few main streets, and the goods are limited.

Only during market days do people from ten miles around either bring their home-grown produce to sell or buy things, making the county town lively.

Especially on big market days, people from villages dozens of miles away would flock to the county town, truly bustling.

There’s a small market every ten days, and a big market once a month, and tomorrow is neither a small nor a big market.

Gu Yunjiao laughed, "I almost forgot."

"Then I’ll wait for the market day to go."

The big market day is just a few days away, it’s good to wait until then; now that the autumn harvest is over, it’s idle farming season, often the busiest time.

Just right to see if there’s anything fresh to buy.

Gu Yunjiao was thinking when suddenly she saw a thin young girl appear at the kitchen door, looking at her timidly.

Mrs. Chen raised an eyebrow, "Yingzi, why did you come? Something up?"

The young girl was very thin, making her eyes appear even larger; she nodded somewhat timidly.