The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 93 Borrowing Money

Chapter 93: Chapter 93 Borrowing Money

"We don’t have any money, where would we get money? Your thoughtless younger sister, the last time she came to the city, didn’t even give me the travel expenses when she left. Raised her for nothing..."

Qin Jinlian was unwilling to lend money, which was expected by the couple, but they still harbored a glimmer of hope.

"Mom, this isn’t just borrowing money for nothing, we’ll write an IOU, with interest, and guarantee to pay it back within a year, principal and interest included."

No matter how much the couple pleaded, Qin Jinlian stubbornly refused to lend money. Instead, right before they left, she even urged the couple to go to the city to find Shen Mingzhu.

Qin Jinlian’s refusal to lend money to the eldest son, Shen Jianguo, left him with nothing to say at the time, but he complained bitterly once they returned to their east room.

"When it came to dividing the household, you didn’t give a penny to Chaobei and his wife. Now, when they want to borrow some money for their business, you refuse as well. The heart of a mother like you is unjustly biased to an extreme!"

Qin Jinlian was filled with grievances, "Do you think I want it to be like this? Go outside and look, those who had extra children either hide away, too scared to return home, or they are fined until they’re penniless. Besides counting on the second son’s wife to have a baby, who else can I count on? You expect Mingzhu, that wretched girl, to do it? Ask her to take out money for her eldest brother’s fine, see if she’s willing?"

Qin Jinlian began to wipe away tears, "I hold onto the money not for anything but in hopes that you’ll be able to hold a grandson sooner. Am I wrong to plan for the well-being of the Shen family?"

Shen Jianguo was no longer buying her act, "Grandson, grandson, all you talk about is a grandson. What’s wrong with granddaughters? If it comes to it, I’ll just find a live-in son-in-law for Daya!"

"You say that like it’s easy..."

The eastern and western rooms were close to each other, and Yang Lizhen could hear the quarreling of the old couple clearly.

The next morning, at the breakfast table, just as Yang Lizhen had taken a bite of her noodle soup, she covered her mouth and ran outside.

"What’s wrong with her?"

While Shen Jianguo and Shen Xiangnan were still confused, Qin Jinlian put down her chopsticks and followed her daughter-in-law outside, both shocked and overjoyed.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law whispered in the courtyard for a while before coming back in. Qin Jinlian’s face was now full of smiles, while Yang Lizhen’s face was covered in shyness.

"...Lizhen must be pregnant!"

With the assurance of an experienced mother, Qin Jinlian was confident in her analysis, and both Shen Jianguo and Shen Xiangnan naturally shared in the happiness.

Yang Lizhen, touching her stomach, asked about the gold necklace.

Qin Jinlian readily agreed, "Don’t worry, I’ve prepared all the money, and we’ll go buy it tomorrow."

"Thank you, Mom."

Yang Lizhen smiled especially sweetly.

Outside the house, Shen Chaobei and Du Juan, who were about to come back and ask Qin Jinlian for a loan again, looked at each other in dismay and silently returned to their place.

Back in their northern room, the couple sat on the kang bed with crossed legs, neither one speaking a word.

Their daughter Daya played alone outside the house with a bamboo dragonfly, completely engrossed.

"Being a mother too, why is our mother’s heart so hard? Daya is her own granddaughter too, isn’t a granddaughter also part of the Shen family’s bloodline?" Du Juan eventually couldn’t hold back her tears.

Shen Chaobei was at a loss for words.

Apart from feeling cold inside, there was also a sense of self-reproach and shame for being unable to help while his wife cried.

"Mommy, don’t cry..."

Daya had run in at some point, clambering onto the kang bed using the wooden bench at its edge.

Du Juan bent down to lift her daughter onto the kang.

After Daya had settled into her mother’s embrace, she extended her tender little hands to wipe away the tears on her mom’s cheeks, her eyes like dark grapes, gradually brimming with tears, her tiny lips pouting as if she was about to cry the next second.

"Mommy, don’t cry..."

Fearing that her laughter would make her daughter cry, Du Juan wiped away her own tears and forced a smile, "I’m not crying, there’s just some sand in my eye..."

"Let me blow on it."

With that, Daya pursed her little lips to blow into Du Juan’s eyes.

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Du Juan nonchalantly let her daughter play the flute and reached out to grab a plastic comb, missing several teeth, and smoothed her daughter’s soft yellow hair.

Shen Chaobei watched his wife cajole their daughter, his eyes soft, but continued to discuss serious matters, "Otherwise, should I take another trip to the city and ask Mingzhu for some advice?"

Du Juan spoke indifferently, "Mingzhu has already helped enough; I’m too ashamed to ask her again."

Shen Chaobei then sighed.

In the afternoon, after Du Juan had eaten, she took the few eggs they had at home and prepared to return to her parents’ place to find a solution.

No sooner had Du Juan left the house than Qin Jinlian stood at the gate, looking out and muttering, "There still is a way. She’s just fixated on the money in my hands..."

It wasn’t until the sky was nearly dark that Du Juan hurried back.

"How did it go? Did you get the money?"

Shen Chaobei asked while handing her a glass of water.

Du Juan shook her head with a bitter smile, "After my father passed away, my mother relied on my eldest brother to survive. My sister-in-law is tight-fisted with money, and my elder brother can’t help either. My second and third brothers aren’t well-off."

In those times, in such poor rural areas, everyone had to tighten their belts to save every single penny, so they were reluctant to use it lightly, let alone lend it to a married-off younger sister.

The next day, as Du Juan was preparing to leave the house, Qin Jinlian and Yang Lizhen were also about to go out.

Yang Lizhen, quite young, was actually being attended to by her mother-in-law, Qin Jinlian, as though she were waiting on the Empress Dowager.

"You’re going to the city, aren’t you?" asked Qin Jinlian, feigning ignorance.

Having already developed a grudge against her mother-in-law, Du Juan, Du Juan no longer showed the respectful and ingratiating attitude of the past but responded coolly and walked off first.

Du Juan’s attitude made Qin Jinlian slightly uncomfortable. But on second thought, she was now living with her second son’s family, who would also take care of her in old age. Moreover, her daughter-in-law was about to give her a robust grandson soon.

With these thoughts, she instantly cast aside her discomfort and happily led Yang Lizhen to the town to buy a gold necklace.

——

"Mingzhu."

Seeing Du Juan standing outside the door, her expression uneasy, Shen Mingzhu wasn’t too surprised.

Perhaps having no expectations of Qin Jinlian, Shen Mingzhu was extraordinarily calm upon hearing that Qin Jinlian would rather buy Yang Lizhen a gold necklace than lend money to Shen Chaobei and his wife to manage their business.

Qin Jinlian’s refusal to lend money was partly out of favoritism, and partly her way of using it to gain leverage over Mingzhu.

If she lent the money to Shen Chaobei and his wife this time, next time Qin Jinlian would undoubtedly come asking her for money under various pretexts.

If she didn’t lend it, then there would be trouble.

The elder brother and his wife could borrow money, but not the mother when she asks?

"Sister-in-law, I can’t lend you the money, but don’t worry, I have a plan for you that will ensure you can borrow money..."

After hearing her plan, Du Juan got up and left with heartfelt gratitude.

Shen Mingzhu packed up several sets of old clothes that Pei Ziheng no longer wore and wrapped up some candies and pastries for Du Juan to bring back to Daya.

When she got home, Du Juan divided the candies and pastries given by Shen Mingzhu in half, intending to bring them to Qin Jinlian.

Although she held grievances and complaints against Qin Jinlian in her heart, Du Juan didn’t diminish the filial respect due to her mother-in-law and didn’t want to give people a reason to talk.

The afternoon weather was nice, with Qin Jinlian sitting in the courtyard, embroidering a small bellyband.

Yang Lizhen sat by her side, cracking melon seeds, with a fine gold chain around her neck catching the sunlight conspicuously. Du Juan found it hard to ignore.

"Mom, this is from Mingzhu. I’ve kept some for Daya to eat, the rest I’ve brought for you and Dad."

Qin Jinlian glanced at the items on the small table, scraped her needle on her head, and nonchalantly asked Du Juan if she had managed to borrow money.

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