"Was I the one who cast you aside? The division of the household assets was agreed upon by you as well. When we split things, the family certainly did not mistreat you; everything you were due was given. Now you come here to settle accounts—what exactly are you trying to achieve?" He Shi said, annoyed.

Zhao Shi chimed in from the side, "Qingshan’s wife, tell us, what are your thoughts on this?"

"Grandmother, everyone is here. I feel that Yu’er’s dowry is already more than sufficient. Look, you sent so many pieces of jewelry, and there’s quite a pile of fabric just on the table. Combined with the betrothal gifts from the Zhao family, it’s already a handsome sum. As for the money, the betrothal included ten taels of silver, and Mother added five. For a farmer’s daughter to marry out with this much, it is already quite grand. Why insist on making it seem as if we must have more than others?" Song Yue Mei stated.

Lin He chuckled softly. This Song Yue Mei truly knew how to list out all those items. Listening to it, one realized the haul was indeed substantial, yet not a single copper coin of it came from their own family's purse.

However, He Shi was quick on the uptake this time, sneering, "The items are plentiful, but what good are they to you? I’m too tired to argue with you. Stop with the lengthy talk. Are you giving the money or not? If you refuse, I’ll fetch Qingshan back. I’d like to ask Qingshan if he intends to abandon his only sister just because she is marrying."

With that, He Shi started out the door, intending to retrieve Qingshan. Song Yue Mei’s mind raced. She suspected the mother-in-law had overheard Qingshan’s earlier remarks. If He Shi brought Qingshan back, she would surely be expected to cover this cost entirely by herself. Song Yue Mei quickly called out to He Shi, forcing a smile, "Mother, look at you. I never said I wouldn’t give it. Why the rush? I’ll go back right now to fetch the money for you. Dong Yu, watch Mao Mao for me; I’ll be right back with the silver."

Dong Yu looked at Song Yue Mei with some confusion over this sudden change in demeanor, but she took Mao Mao. Song Yue Mei then walked toward her own courtyard alone, muttering under her breath, "Want me to pay this entire sum myself? Not a chance in hell."

Back in her own courtyard, Song Yue Mei didn't head toward her own room but walked directly into Dong Yu’s quarters. She searched Dong Yu’s cabinet and bedside for a long time without finding anything. Finally, Song Yue Mei discovered a small wooden box in Dong Yu’s desk drawer. Inside, there were nearly five taels of silver and some copper coins. A smile spread across Song Yue Mei’s face as she took all the money, leaving not a single coin for Dong Yu. Her thoughts raced: This little slut, hiding in the back and secretly laughing while watching me argue with Mother-in-law. Let’s see if you’re still laughing now.

Having secured the money, Song Yue Mei walked toward He Shi’s courtyard. Upon arrival, she handed the money over to He Shi quite readily. This surprised everyone present. Song Yue Mei had caused such a fuss over five taels of silver, yet now she was paying so swiftly—it was genuinely odd.

Everyone was somewhat relieved that Song Yue Mei had finally produced the money, but as He Shi was counting it, Dong Yu suddenly cried out, "Where did you get this money? Is this your own money?"

Song Yue Mei laughed. "If it isn't my money, whose is it? What a silly question. Do you think I just found money lying around?"

"No, I recognize this money. I specifically exchanged it into these small silver pieces. It’s exactly five taels of silver plus ninety-four copper coins. These silver pieces are clearly mine," Dong Yu said, growing anxious.

"What do you mean? Is only you allowed to have these silver pieces? No one else can?" Song Yue Mei maintained a light tone.

"Yes, Dong Yu, Yue Mei brought this money. Everyone saw it just now," He Shi interjected.

"Exactly! We were discussing adding to Yu’er’s dowry with some silver, and you start making such a fuss. Didn't you keep saying you didn’t have a single penny? Where did you get this much money? Are you perhaps trying to extort money from me for Yu’er’s dowry?" Song Yue Mei retorted.

He Shi looked displeased upon hearing Song Yue Mei's words. "Dong Yu, I thought you were a reasonable person. You are even more formidable than I thought. Didn't you say last time you didn't have a single coin? You don't go out to work, and your embroidery isn't good enough to sell for much. Where would you get this much money?"

At this point, Dong Yu was truly in a predicament where even jumping into the Yellow River wouldn't clear her name. This money was what Qingshan occasionally gave her secretly. She had been too frugal to use it, saving it up bit by bit. But when Qingshan gave her money, he strictly warned her never to tell anyone, lest Song Yue Mei discover it and stop giving her any in the future.

Song Yue Mei had, in fact, foreseen this very situation, which is why she dared to search Dong Yu’s room for money. She had already planned her next move: if Dong Yu dared to claim the money was hers, she would readily admit to taking it. After all, Dong Yu was merely a concubine. For her to search another woman's room was at worst damaging to her reputation, but not illegal. She figured they couldn't do much, and given that the money was likely given secretly by Qingshan, Dong Yu wouldn't dare speak up.

Dong Yu was indeed trapped by Song Yue Mei’s audacity and was on the verge of tears from distress. This money was her entire savings. Now that Song Yue Mei had taken it, she would have to beg Song Yue Mei for money whenever she needed it in the future. She truly didn't know how she would manage. Lin He, observing the interaction between Dong Yu and Song Yue Mei, could tell the money likely belonged to Dong Yu, but Song Yue Mei was clearly practicing the law of the jungle—a big fish eating a small fish—and swallowing the funds whole.

After all, Dong Yu had once worked as a maid in Zhao Shi’s household. Seeing Dong Yu’s distress, Zhao Shi felt a pang of sympathy and said, "Dong Yu, where did you keep your money? Perhaps you should go back and check if it’s still there. If not, then we can discuss it further."

Song Yue Mei glared at Dong Yu, silently warning her: Try claiming it’s yours. I dare you. I have ways to cover my tracks. Dong Yu finally couldn't hold back her tears and said, "Grandmother, there’s no need to look. Whether this money is mine or not, it’s going toward Yu’er’s dowry after all. It won't be given to someone else."

Everyone in the room, even a fool, understood the situation after hearing Dong Yu’s words. They looked at Song Yue Mei with a degree of silent condemnation. Although this silver matter was not theirs to adjudicate, Song Yue Mei’s ruthlessness in doing such a thing was apparent. In truth, everyone is the same: when faced with the strong and the weak, they will naturally sympathize with the latter. Dong Yu was clearly enduring humiliation and swallowing her grievances, thus cementing her image as the weaker party in this scenario.

Dong Yu handled this unfortunate incident quite well in the end. Although she lost those five taels of silver, everyone present knew it was her money. Moreover, Dong Yu’s concluding statement carried a notable dignity. Even Yu’er on the side said, "Little sister-in-law, thank you."

In contrast, Song Yue Mei had made a catastrophic miscalculation this time. She was smugly congratulating herself for saving five taels of silver, unconcerned with how others viewed her. As long as the money didn't come out of her pocket and her mother-in-law wasn't coming after her, she cared little for anyone’s opinion.