CHAPTER 278: CHAPTER 269: AWKWARD

Three days later, Li Wenyuan brought Sun Manyu back home.

The Li Family greeted their son-in-law with smiles. Seeing the carriage filled with gifts and Sun Manyu dressed in newly made silk clothes, standing happily by the side, they knew she had been doing well these three days.

Mrs. Li smiled and asked Sun Manbo to help bring the things inside. After he had carried in two gourds of wine, he was about to grab some pastries from the carriage when Li Wenyuan stopped him. Sun Manbo looked over in confusion.

Li Wenyuan explained, "We’ll be visiting Yu Xueguan’s house in a while; the rest of these items are for him."

Sun Manbo’s face immediately fell. So, out of the whole carriage, only one thing was for their family?

Li Wenyuan noticed Sun Manbo’s displeasure but didn’t mind it. The reason he was willing to marry Sun Manyu was partly because she was beautiful and partly because she was Yu Xueguan’s cousin.

Otherwise, given his family’s circumstances, marrying a girl from a scholarly family would be more suitable. Sun Manyu, apart from being pretty, couldn’t recognize a single character, and they had no common topics to talk about.

Compared to his several sisters-in-law, the one he married was rather incompetent; she couldn’t read, so she wouldn’t be able to handle the household accounts or get involved in the business.

If Yu Xueguan could help him further his studies in mathematics, he would treat her well for Yu’s sake. Otherwise, he would have to find a second wife.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Li held two items in her hands, standing awkwardly after hearing Li Wenyuan’s words.

She didn’t know whether to put down the things in her hands or not.

Sun Manyu also realized from Li Wenyuan’s words that most of the things in the carriage were meant for Yu Xiaolian. She had been happy in the morning, thinking that Li Wenyuan valued her by preparing so many gifts for her return.

Though Sun Manyu wasn’t pleased, seeing Li Wenyuan constantly winking at her, she had no choice but to step forward and smile at Mrs. Li, saying, "Mother, Wenyuan knows my father loves to drink, so he specially got you two gourds of good wine. I told him that we brew our own wine and not to buy any, but he wouldn’t listen."

Upon hearing Sun Manyu’s words, Mrs. Li’s expression didn’t improve much. She tossed the two boxes of pastries she had in her hands back onto the carriage and turned to walk back into the house.

So, the three-day return only brought back two gourds of wine.

Before Sun Manyu’s return, Mrs. Li had been in the courtyard, boasting to a few in-laws about how wealthy the Li Family was and how good her son-in-law was.

To welcome Li Wenyuan, she had specially taken a leave. To show that they valued Li Wenyuan, she had even asked a few brothers and in-laws to stay home to support them.

But now, the wealthy son-in-law had only prepared two gourds of wine as a return gift. The boxes of pastries, pork, and fish on the carriage, though abundant, could only be looked at but not taken. The in-laws sneered at her, making Mrs. Li feel utterly embarrassed.

Mrs. Li was just a villager. Now that she was in a bad mood, she naturally didn’t concern herself with hosting etiquette, even if Li Wenyuan was a scholar.

Wouldn’t he still have to call her mother-in-law?

Mrs. Li huffed and went back inside. Li Wenyuan also noticed her displeasure. After hesitating for a moment, he took two boxes of pastries from the carriage and handed them to Sun Manyu, asking her to appease Mrs. Li.

Li Wenyuan, being a scholar, naturally understood etiquette. He admitted that the return gifts were a bit lacking, but it was all prepared by his mother. The intent was to teach the Sun Family a lesson, to make them realize that it wasn’t because they couldn’t afford gifts.

Look, we prepared so many gifts for Yu Xueguan, is it because we’re poor?

We have money; we prepared the modest gifts for you on purpose, so you know your worth.

Sun Dalin took the two gourds from Sun Manbo’s hands and placed them back on Li Wenyuan’s carriage, ignoring Li Wenyuan as he turned to call his sons, "Hurry to your aunt’s to work. Wasting half a day means each of you earns fifteen fewer coins; all our wages for the day could buy plenty of gourds of wine."

Upon hearing Sun Dalin’s pointed words, Li Wenyuan’s face turned red. He awkwardly stood by the carriage, unsure whether to enter the yard or leave.

Going in, no one welcomed him, and Sun Dalin waved his hand, leading his sons with hoes to weed in Yu Changhe’s field.

Going back, Sun Manyu went inside to pacify her mother. He couldn’t possibly leave his new wife at her parents’ and return alone.

With no choice, Li Wenyuan hardened his resolve and started bringing the items from the carriage into the house, trip after trip, all the while being scrutinized and pointed at by Sun Manyu’s aunts.

Li Wenyuan was now a bit annoyed with his mother for putting on such a front. When they sent the bridal gifts, they only gave a golden hairpin, which was already a hint, wasn’t it?

Why go to all this trouble?

The Sun Family wasn’t even playing along as his mother expected. Unhappy as they were, they didn’t just put up with it; they effectively shut him out.

Seeing Li Wenyuan bring the items into the house one by one, Mrs. Li’s expression slightly improved.

"Mother-in-law, the whole carriage is for you. As for the gifts for the Yu Family, I’ll ask my mother to prepare another set," Li Wenyuan said.

Seeing that Li Wenyuan conceded so far, Mrs. Li couldn’t keep arguing but didn’t put on a smile either. She casually invited Li Wenyuan to sit and asked her in-laws to help prepare a meal, leaving Li Wenyuan and Sun Manyu to stay for dinner.

After Mrs. Li went into the kitchen, Li Wenyuan and Sun Manyu started arguing inside the house.

Li Wenyuan said Mrs. Li was money-obsessed and didn’t understand etiquette; even if she was unhappy, she shouldn’t have embarrassed him in person, leaving him humiliated.

Sun Manyu, no pushover, questioned Li Wenyuan, asking if his mother advised him to prepare just two gourds of wine for her family.

What did the two gourds of wine mean? Mocking them? Looking down on them?

No wonder her sisters-in-law looked at her mockingly that morning; they knew all along. She, unaware, even went to thank her mother-in-law.

That old witch, when she returns, she absolutely must confront her!

While Li Wenyuan and Sun Manyu were quarreling unpleasantly, over in the kitchen, Mrs. Li put away the original preparations of fish and meat.

Not cooking!

What to make then?

Rice porridge, salted pickles!

Bah, they came to mock her. Since becoming a mother-in-law, she hadn’t been bullied by anyone.

When Sun Manyu saw Mrs. Li and a few aunts, after busying themselves in the kitchen, bringing out just a few plates of salted pickles, her dissatisfaction exploded.

"Mother, what do you mean by this? I finally came back, and you serve me this?"

Mrs. Li responded dryly, "Our family is poor; you know that, just make do with it."

"Didn’t we just bring back fish and meat? You don’t want us to eat it, you just..."

Mrs. Li pulled Sun Manyu by the arm, not minding Li Wenyuan’s presence, cutting her off, and said with intent, "Manyu, don’t let anyone bully you in your in-laws’ house. Always seek fairness; the way people treat you is the way you should treat them."