Chapter Seven: The Departure

  "Mother, others believe in Buddhism and cultivate virtues, they have cultivated merits and also saved face. What have we cultivated? We can't even get a little bit of incense, how can we expect her to sincerely pray for us in front of the gods?" said Cheng Liu Niang.

  Mrs. Cheng was dizzy from being shaken by her daughter.

  "It's just snacks, they're a Taoist temple, not a snack shop, how can they always be making and selling snacks?" She said, "You're thinking too much."

  "Mother, seeing the subtle and knowing the grand," said Cheng Liu Niang, "She doesn't put us in her heart, she's not careful with us."

  Madam Cheng responded with approval.

  "I know, I know, I'll ask her." she said.

  Cheng Liu Niang finally walked away with a peace of mind, just as Madame Cheng was about to lie down and rest, the servant rushed in again, bowed down beside her ear and whispered a few words, Madame Cheng's face turned pale.

  "What's wrong with me being biased towards her?" she said, clenching the hand on her knee and gritting her teeth. "It was her mother's dowry that supported our whole family's livelihood, and I'm just making sure her daughter eats and drinks well, what's unfair about that?

  She gave a cold laugh.

  "If you want unfair treatment, go find a mother with a rich dowry." she said.

  My wife hung her head and said nothing.

  Between women, intimacy is seamless, but once estranged, even a tiny gap as small as a sesame seed becomes an insurmountable chasm.

  Who would have thought that Cheng's family, who were once as close as sisters, would become so estranged in just half a month that they didn't even want to see each other?

  Where shall I start?

  Starting from eating and drinking, after so many years of eating and drinking without any trouble, why is there trouble now?

  Then it's up to that daughter when she comes back.

  My wife sighed secretly, indeed it is. An inauspicious person, wherever he goes, chickens fly and dogs jump.

  "Go." Madame Cheng spoke again, interrupting the maids' wild thoughts. "Bring the example silver from Jiao Niang's place to my standard regulations."

  My wife was startled.

  "Madam, isn't this inappropriate?" someone hastily advised.

  "What's not suitable about it? She's an idiot and also a patient, everything she eats and uses needs to be carefully managed. Does someone else need to compare with an idiot?" said Mrs. Cheng Da. "This money is allocated from the income of the shop and the farm, what does it have to do with anyone else?"

  It's been so many years and I still think of him as a patient...

  His wife responded with a "yes", and didn't dare persuade him again. Both wives were holding back their breath, but it was impossible to suppress it any longer.

  "Madam, madam, the master says that someone from the Zhou family has arrived." A maid hurried over and said.

  Mrs. Cheng sighed and went on nagging endlessly.

  "It's not those four people from before, it's someone else from the Zhou family." said Yatou.

  Madam Cheng was taken aback.

  "It seems that the Zhou family is determined to take back those dowries." She said, with a mix of emotions in her heart, "Anyway, Jiao Niang is here for now. This dowry belongs to her, since she's surnamed Cheng, we can't give it to someone surnamed Zhou."

  She stood up and came over. The servant girl put on a cloak and went to Mr. Cheng's reception hall.

  Second Master Cheng and his wife were not present. Only Old Master Cheng was there to receive guests.

  How strange! Why didn't the couple come?

  "Want to take away Jiaoniang?" Mr. Cheng asked. Thought he had misheard.

  Isn't it about the dowry?

  Mrs. Cheng was surprised in her heart, or perhaps she thought of a new trick, but ultimately it was still for the dowry.

  "Yes." Cao Guan Shi said, finishing the tea in front of him in one gulp, without even speaking, he nodded at Ya Tou and signaled, "Good tea, another bowl."

  Cheng Da Lao Ye was speechless, if it wasn't for the note in his hand, he would have suspected that this person was the steward of the wealthy Zhou family from Shaanxi who had come to Beijing last time.

  Haven't you ever had tea? Since entering the door, no word has been said, and three bowls have already been drunk.

  The girl poured tea again and retreated to one side.

  "Yes." Cao Guan Shi took a temporary break from drinking, let out a sigh and said, "The anniversary of the old lady's death is approaching, the master and mistress remembered that the old lady was most concerned about Jiao Niangzi before she passed away. And now they heard that she has returned home, since she can travel such a long distance, it means her body must have fully recovered. So they want to invite her over to stay for a few days."

  Mr. Cheng and his wife exchanged a glance, both seeing questions and astonishment in each other's eyes.

  Would the old master and mistress of the Zhou family have such a heart?

  They looked at this matter again.

  "Not bad, not bad, bring another bowl." Cao Guan Sheng said to Ya Tou without looking at them.

  Cheng Da Lao Ye couldn't help but hum a sound from his nose.

  "It's like that, Master. The other side is in a hurry, so I'll be taking the young lady away today." Cao said while watching the maid pour tea.

  "Are you just taking her away for a few days?" asked Madame Cheng.

  Just say what you want to say, don't hide it anymore.

  Is it just taking people away, or is it taking both people and things together?

  "Oh, right, and also." Cao Guan Shi suddenly remembered something and said.

  Look, it's coming.

  The two Chengs immediately perked up and sat up straight, staring at this manager.

  That Cao suddenly stopped talking and looked strange.

  "Excuse me," he stuttered, "I need to use the restroom."

  Anyway, this time I've lost face all the way back home, whatever.

  Cheng Jia's old master was shocked, and Madame Cheng turned her head down with a bowed gaze.

  What kind of person is this who came from the family this week? It's no longer just rude as before, but also crude.

  Watching Cao Guan Shi follow the young servant away in disarray, Cheng Da Lao Ye let out an unhappy hum.

  "If they have the intention of taking people and things by force, then forget it." said Mrs. Cheng.

  "Can you grasp things if you grasp people?" said Mr. Cheng, "No matter where, they are all surnamed Cheng, since they are surnamed Cheng, they are our Cheng family members."

  Cheng's wife hurriedly looked outside when she heard her daughter mention Cheng Da.

  "What about Second Master?" she asked, "How can he not come for such a big matter? Besides, Jiao Niang is his daughter, it's better if he makes the decision, otherwise you and I will be kind in vain."

  Cheng Da Lao Ye frowned.

  He attaches great importance to brotherly harmony and cannot stand such absurd talk.

  "It's said that guests have arrived, and the matter of taking office has come down," he said. "Go ask, see if they can come here."

  The little servant ran off at the sound and soon came back with a pale face, trembling as he whispered a few words in Mr. Cheng's ear.

  Cheng Da's face suddenly changed color.

  "Really?" he shouted.

  "What's wrong?" Madame Cheng looked over in puzzlement, just about to ask, when Steward Cao returned conveniently.

  Cheng Da Lao Ye's face turned iron-green as he waved his hand and let the young servant go, expressing that people can leave but the dowry must stay.

  Cao Guan Shi was shocked and then let out a sigh of relief.

  What's most important now is to get people out of here as soon as possible. Who cares about material possessions and money at this point?

  Besides, having taken someone's daughter-in-law, he almost got himself killed in the process, and yet he still dares to calculate the dowry for someone else's mother. Cao Guan Shi feels that his mouth is getting dry again.

  This taste is better left for the Cheng family to enjoy themselves.