The book is going to be heavily promoted next week, and from today until the promotion ends, we will have three to four updates daily. I ask all of you for your generous support; I, Si Ye He, thank you all in advance.) When Mrs. Zhao heard Mrs. Huang say that, a definite hesitation flickered in her heart. She knew exactly how much Er Niu valued these fields, and as a farmer’s wife, she also understood what crops meant to them. Moreover, her own husband didn't know that she and Mrs. He had come over this time. If things blew up, she wouldn't know how to clean up the mess.

But Mrs. Zhao felt she was, after all, a mother-in-law. Hearing Mrs. Huang’s words, she steeled herself and said, “Fine then, I’ll sit right here and wait for Er Niu to return. I’d like to see if Er Niu intends to disown his own mother.”

Mrs. He also sat to the side. She had learned her lesson this time; she had kept the matter of borrowing money from Da Jiang a secret as well. If Da Jiang found out she had come here to cause a scene, who knew how he would treat her? Thus, she remained quiet, letting Mrs. Zhao handle all the speaking.

She knew that if she had come to borrow money and acted too forcefully, Er Niu’s family might just kick her out without a second thought. But Mrs. Zhao was different; her status as an elder afforded her a certain respect that Er Niu and Mrs. Huang couldn't easily disregard.

The women in the courtyard remained frozen, speaking little, all waiting for Er Niu to return and see how he would handle the situation. Deep down, Mrs. Zhao was agonizing over the best way to broach the subject with Er Niu. Truthfully, she was siding with the eldest son in this matter, but she felt she had no choice.

After waiting for nearly fifteen minutes, Er Niu finally returned, followed by Chen'er and Xiao Bao. It seemed the two youngsters had summoned him back. As soon as Er Niu entered, he sensed the atmosphere in the courtyard was wrong. His mother sat to one side, silent, her face black as soot. His wife sat beside her, head bowed in a daze, while his elder sister-in-law remained expressionless.

Er Niu stepped into the courtyard and asked, “Mother, what’s wrong?”

Mrs. Zhao had calmed down somewhat during the wait, realizing that suggesting selling the fields to Mrs. Huang had indeed been too rash. Seeing Er Niu back, she pulled him aside into a room and explained Qing Shan’s predicament in a softer tone, concluding with a tone of consultation, “Er Niu, what do you think we should do about this?”

Er Niu had not expected Qing Shan to commit such an act, and he too felt troubled, uncertain of the course of action. He could only murmur blankly, “How could Qing Shan be so foolish to do such a thing? If this were reported to the magistrate, a charge of violating a respectable woman could easily lead to the death penalty.”

Mrs. Zhao sighed, “Yes, Qing Shan certainly deserves death. The last incident wasn't even settled, and now this happens again. But he is, after all, a descendant of our Lin family; we can’t just watch him go to his death.”

Seeing Er Niu remain silent, Mrs. Zhao continued after a moment, “Er Niu, ten taels of silver is no small sum. But it seems the eldest branch can’t gather it together. Can you see if you can lend him some? See how much you can spare, and then we can figure out the rest later.”

Mrs. Zhao had genuinely reflected on her actions. She knew her son was different from his wife, Mrs. Huang, who was usually timid and easily frightened by just a loud word from her mother-in-law. That was why Mrs. Zhao had adopted a more assertive approach earlier.

Her son, though usually honest and filial, could not be forced into doing something he was unwilling to do. If spoken to reasonably, he might help, but pressuring him would certainly breed resentment.

Indeed, Er Niu found his mother’s gentler approach easier to accept. However, the eldest branch already owed his family a significant amount of money. Borrowing like this, which was really just taking, seemed like something they never intended to repay—at least his sister-in-law certainly didn't. He wasn't sure how many more times his own family could lend money, but since this was his mother, he couldn't be too harsh. He replied tactfully, “Mother, my family isn’t wealthy either. This isn't the first time you’ve brought Sister-in-law here to borrow money. How much do you think my family can possibly spare?”

Mrs. Zhao was stunned by Er Niu’s response. It was true; the eldest son’s family kept coming to borrow money, and even a mountain of gold and silver couldn't sustain such demands. How many more times could they lend? She realized she had favored the eldest son too much, and Er Niu’s tone already carried a hint of displeasure. Realizing this, the words she was about to say died on her lips, and she simply sat aside without speaking further.

Even though Er Niu had spoken that way, he knew he couldn't refuse to help this time. But he needed a way to ensure that his sister-in-law’s family wouldn't treat his savings as if they were found money, coming to take it without even mentioning borrowing.

After a pause, Mrs. Zhao finally spoke again, “Er Niu, can your household really not come up with a solution?”

Er Niu said helplessly, “Mother, how much do you think I should lend, or rather, how much should I give? Every time Sister-in-law comes for money, she never even says the word ‘borrow.’”

Mrs. Zhao was at a loss. Seeing Er Niu growing slightly angry, she knew pushing further would eliminate any hope, and then Qing Shan would truly be doomed. Mrs. Zhao fell silent again. Eventually, the tension became unbearable for both of them. Mrs. Zhao spoke up, “Er Niu, how about this: consider it a loan from your father and me. When I have more funds in a while, I will repay you. Will that work?”

Hearing his mother say that, Er Niu knew he couldn't simply wash his hands of the matter. He thought for a moment and said, “Mother, fine. The money will still be considered a loan to the eldest branch, but I have one condition: they must write an IOU, and Sister-in-law must affix her thumbprint as confirmation that she is the one borrowing. It must also specify the repayment date, and you all must be present when it is written. Furthermore, you must guarantee me that this is the absolute last time Sister-in-law’s family borrows from us. Next time, no matter who pleads for them, I will not lend anything. By then, I hope Mother won't accuse me of disregarding fraternal bonds.”

Er Niu had pondered this for a long time to devise this solution. If the eldest branch failed to repay, he would have the IOU to use as leverage. This would also serve as a warning to the members of his elder brother’s household, letting them know that having outside debt prevents them from being lazy and spending carelessly.

Mrs. Zhao was somewhat startled by Er Niu’s stern tone; she had never seen him speak this way before. But she could only agree.

Er Niu nodded and said, “My family doesn't have ten taels of silver. All the money we have combined is only three taels. The rest, the eldest branch will have to figure out for themselves.”

Mrs. Zhao felt a surge of hope when Er Niu agreed to lend. Then she felt a little disappointed when he said he only had three taels, but Er Niu was willing to pitch in something, which was better than nothing. She nodded and said, “Alright then. You try your best to gather what you can, and I will try to gather some from the eldest and myself. We’ll see how much we can raise. If we are still short, we will consult with the Song family and see if the betrothal gifts can be reduced, since this matter isn't exactly honorable for their daughter either.”

Er Niu nodded and walked out to the courtyard with Mrs. Zhao. Mrs. He stared at them, her expression uncertain since Mrs. Zhao’s face betrayed no emotion. Watching Mrs. Zhao walk toward the edge of the courtyard, Mrs. He followed suit.

Er Niu called Mrs. Huang into the room and explained Qing Shan’s situation to her in full detail. Lin He, standing in the courtyard, managed to catch snippets of the conversation and guessed the general outline of events. Only then did she fully grasp why her grandmother and aunt had been so anxious about arranging a marriage for Qing Shan today—it was because of this mess.

Lin He thought Qing Shan was truly a troublemaker, constantly causing issues for the family, and always serious ones at that. Such a person deserved hate, and it wouldn’t be a shame if he died.

After Er Niu and Mrs. Huang finished clarifying the matter in the room, Mrs. Huang also lapsed into silence. She didn't mention her mother-in-law’s words from the courtyard to Er Niu, instead focusing on the fact that the last bit of silver their own household possessed would have to be handed over. Having been married to Er Niu for over a decade, Mrs. Huang could understand his thoughts from just a single gesture or look.

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