Chapter 44: Updates about The Lus

In Zhang Cheng's house.

Zhang Jin noticed how sulky his parents looked as soon as he walked to the room.

"Father, I just saw the Lus coming to your room, what were they doing at our house?" Zhang Jin was curious.

"What else could it be, they want to borrow some money from us." Said Zhang Cheng.

Zhang Cheng's wife raised her volume, she looked sideways at Zhang Cheng and said, "Not a penny."

Zhang Jin shook his head, he knew the Lus' visit didn't bode well.

"They just want to borrow some money, I'm sure they will return the money." Zhang Cheng countered in a low voice.

His wife pulled a long face and said, "They don't need to borrow money from anyone, they have so many farmland, they can always trade some land! We are not well-off ourselves, we are in no position to lend money to them!"

Zhang Cheng lowered his head and said, "They are only borrowing money because they are about to hold a wedding ceremony."

"Don't listen to that nonsense, Lu Tong's fiancé offered them 20 tales of silver as her betrothal present, mind you, they sold Lu Lin for 10 taels as well. They are affluent, don't you worry about them!" Zhang Cheng's wife said bitterly.

Zhang Cheng smoked his pipe and said, "What do you mean by they sold Lu Lin?"

Zhang Cheng's wife snorted, "I'm just calling a spade a spade, Lu Lin is the only son in the Second Branch in that family, yet they still decided to marry him into Chen Xiao Mi's family! That is 'sell' and you know it!"

Zhang Cheng sighed, "But Lu Lin and Chen Xiao Mi are doing so well themselves."

"That's good karma for Lu Lin! That Grandma Lu didn't prepare anything for Lu Lin, Lu Lin was carried to Chen Xiao Mi's house on two door planks! But Grandma Lu dared sneak into Chen Xiao Mi's house and steal from them! I told you to stay away from them but you have actually lent money to them!"

"Father, how much did you lend them?" Zhang Jin asked with surprise.

"Not much."

Zhang Cheng's wife gnashed her teeth, "They wanted to borrow 5 taels! The nerve! I kept shooting your father warning looks, but he ignored me and lent them 2 taels! But Tang looked like she thought 2 taels was too little!"

Zhang Jin's heart gave a jolt, 'Chances are they won't pay us back ever!'

"Father, you will nag me when I buy a bun for my son, we are not doing so well ourselves, why satisfy their vanity when we cannot afford it?" Zhang Jin looked so upset.

Zhang Cheng felt so wronged that he was called out by his wife and his son at the same time, "But... but I'm doing this for Lu Cheng Yu, I hope he can pass the imperial examination at the county level and bring glory to our village."

Zhang Jin replied, "For the past few years, Tang has been saying that her son will pass the imperial examination at the county every year. But has he?"

"Maybe things will change after his wedding, maybe his new wife will bring good luck." Zhang Cheng said in a low voice.

Zhang Jin said in a serious tone, "Father, I work hard to make money and I ask you to keep the money for me because I'm a filial son, but I will take my money back if you lend money to them again."

Zhang Cheng felt so wronged, he was furious that no one in the family got him.

Zhang Jin turned around and said "I'm going to do some farm work now" before Zhang Cheng defended himself further more.

Grandma Lu asked Tang as soon as she set foot on the yard, "Have you got the money?"

Tang sighed, "Just 2 taels."

Grandma Lu frowned, "How come the Village Head is so cheap now?"

"The Village Head is nice, but his wife gave me a hard time."

Grandma Lu snorted, "That woman, so annoying, throwing her weight around like that!"

Tang sighed again, "I don't think 2 taels is enough."

"It looks like we have to trade some farmland for money."

Grandma Lu didn't feel too heartbroken about this, she was getting old, she had been overwhelmed by the farm work since the host Lu Lin's mother had passed away.