Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!-Chapter 553 Borrowing Force _1

Zhou Shuren motioned for Jiang Ming to sit, "I came back on short notice, and there haven’t been many visitors to the residence, nor is there any good tea. This is just some tea leaves I bought recently; don’t disdain it if it doesn’t taste good."

He was accustomed to drinking tea. In modern times, he rarely drank tea, preferring the sweet taste of fruit juices, because he wanted that sweetness. The slightly bitter taste of tea was something he had had enough of during the years he grew up alone.

But having arrived in ancient times, he was no longer alone. He had a wife, a soulmate, and he was no longer lonely as he began to enjoy the taste of tea. Now that he also had a son and a complete family, he slowly learned to appreciate tea, tasting a new life through the tea leaves.

Jiang Ming’s hand paused with the teacup, "No one comes," was that a reminder he shouldn’t have come? Tugging at the corner of his mouth, he was older than Zhou Shuren, yet in just a few short years, he stood still while Zhou Shuren went from an old Scholar to the Prefect of Jinzhou.

The Prefect of Jinzhou, according to the unspoken rules of the court, was a sure path to the capital. The position was a stepping stone, just like the former Prefect of Jinzhou, the second son of the Anping Marquis Residence, who was now a Third-rank official.

And, Zhou Shuren was also the Emperor’s confidant. Even though he was only of the fourth rank, Princes greeted him respectfully. When he found out that yesterday Zhou Shuren had dined with several Princes, yes, and that arrogant Marquis Yao, his heart burned with fervor. Today, he couldn’t help but come after knowing that Zhou Shuren met with Marquis Anping.

Jiang Ming took a sip of his tea. Indeed, it wasn’t good tea, but it had a certain flavor, a profound meaning as he said, "The value of tea lies not in its price, but where one can drink it. I think in most people’s hearts, this tea would be considered good."

He was envious. He considered himself no less capable than Zhou Shuren, but after coming to the capital, he had never been recognized. He lived his life following the rules, but this wasn’t what he wanted. He was tired of the indifferent and dismissive looks, and there were many days he regretted returning to the capital.

Zhou Shuren watched Jiang Ming with a detached gaze, hence saying that the capital really could change a person. Jiang Ming’s residence had gained a beauty, was this not also a search for the feeling of being admired? In this way, Jiang Ming could feel as though he was the sky, rather than being disregarded by others outside.

Zhou Shuren pressed his brow, to put it bluntly, he still hadn’t protected his peace of mind. "I don’t consider the tea here to be good."

In order to protect his wife and son, he advanced step by step, very carefully. He truly didn’t feel that the tea of the Zhou Residence was anything special.

Jiang Ming relaxed quite a bit. He wasn’t here to talk about anything specific; he was clear on this. Zhou Shuren was a man with boundaries, so as long as he didn’t overstep, it would be sufficient to stay a bit longer. There were many in the capital who wanted to curry favor with Zhou Shuren. He didn’t need much, just a lift would do.

Jiang Ming poured himself another cup of tea. Hadn’t Zhou Shuren also borrowed his strength in the beginning?

Zhou Shuren watched Jiang Ming with an amused look, and didn’t speak. He thought somberly, the Jiang family had long since declined. In the entire Jiang clan, only Jiang Ming held an official post, and the clan members clung to Jiang Ming, becoming a burden. Jiang Ming had developed ambition, yet failed to realize that without support from the court or a powerful family backing him, how could he maintain his position with ease? Wasn’t he always borrowing Zhou Shuren’s strength?

If it weren’t for that, officials without a strong family and connections, especially at Jiang Ming’s age, would typically have been displaced to make room for others. freёnovelkiss.com

Zhou Shuren felt regret. He truly liked Jiang Muchen; the boy was good, and had been on the list for son-in-law candidates. Now, he could only remove him from the list, unless, Zhou Shuren glanced at Jiang Ming, he didn’t cross his boundaries. Once crossed, for these relatives, he wouldn’t be lenient.

He was always a selfish man; no one could bring danger to his wife and children. As for his step-son, he was protective as well! Let alone his wife and children who were the most important in his heart!

In the Jinzhou Residence, Zhulan received news from the Tao family; they had found a tutor. Zhulan instructed someone to inform Dong Yiyi, and to let Dong Yiyi know they would visit the Wang residence together tomorrow.

In the third house, Dong Yiyi, upon hearing the news, smiled joyfully and said to her sister, "We should really thank your mother-in-law generously."

Lady Dong wanted to say something but then hesitated, eventually it turned into a sigh, "Sister."

Dong Yiyi held her younger sister’s hand, "I know what you want to say, my dowry over the years has indeed filled many of the Jiang family’s financial holes, but my dowry was not small, rest assured, I have the Silver to support my husband."

Lady Dong didn’t believe it, hiring a tutor was not cheap, and the Zhou residence had several because they had the means. She had a mother-in-law who was good at managing Silver, and she had no idea how much Silver was stored in the residence, but she could calculate the family’s wealth—estates, shops, farmlands, houses; all these were Silver.

Moreover, there was an eunuch in the family who had the Emperor’s trust, and the rewards from the Emperor, gifts from officials, gifts from merchants; these all accumulated into wealth.

What about the eldest sister? Indeed, she took away a large portion of the family’s wealth back then, and she did manage and accumulate her own wealth, but she was very aware of the high expenses in the capital and the burden of the entire Jiang family clan.

Dong Yiyi felt embarrassed under her sister’s gaze. She never said it, but her husband’s social engagements also cost a considerable amount of Silver, "Don’t you trust me?"

Lady Dong smiled, "I do."

Dong Yiyi stood up, not wishing to stay with her sister any longer, feeling uncomfortable in her heart and envious, "I will go back to rest now; you should not overexert yourself either."

Lady Dong, "Mm."

After Dong Yiyi left the room and stood in the courtyard, it started snowing again. Looking back at the house, she felt envious indeed; her sister didn’t have to manage the household, had a good mother-in-law to rely on, and only needed to take care of her own small family. She also saw the ledgers sent by the Yang family, her sister’s dowry income, her brother-in-law’s own business income, and heard about her sister’s plans to continue acquiring family assets next year. The longer she stayed, the more envious she felt.

In the capital, Zhou Shuren was counting the time, it had been an hour already, he couldn’t bear it any longer. He finally didn’t have to toil and would absolutely lie down rather than sit if he could; he had already been sitting all morning, "My legs are not good as I get older, I can’t keep sitting."

Jiang Ming felt it was about time too, and stood up to leave, "You rest, I will be going back too. Oh, and Lady Dong interrupted your residence."

Zhou Shuren, however, was thinking that Lady Dadong shouldn’t stay at the Zhou residence any longer, and said with a smile, "Then I won’t see you out."

In the past, he was weak, as a Scholar and a Deputy Magistrate, there was no talk of seniority, but now not only was he an elder, his official position was also higher than Jiang Ming’s, so sending him off was out of the question.

Jiang Ming silently watched Zhou Shuren, knowing in his heart that after today, Zhou Shuren had distanced himself, but it wasn’t complete. The Zhou residence couldn’t let Chang Lian divorce his wife; there was the connection of Graduate Meng who had taken care of Chang Lian.

Without seeing Jiang Ming off, Zhou Shuren moved around the yard, looking up at the sky. This year’s winter snow seemed heavier, the snow was not heavy, flakes fluttering down, creating a rather poetic scene.

At the Yao residence, Yao Zheyu was called back with a cold expression, delighted that Master Zhou had outwitted his father yesterday and really not wanting to return.

Unfortunately, upon entering the main hall, he did not see his father, but his father’s concubine instead, who bore him a son and a daughter and was currently managing the Hou Residence.