The pork butcher is smoother than a pig butcher!

Chapter 22 Luo's Sob Story
These people have said everything, good and bad.

Luo, a widow, raised her son, helped him study for the imperial examinations, and even got him a family.

Is he a living Bodhisattva?

For the past thirty years, she has only had one principle in doing things—to seek practical benefits.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have gone to such lengths to get her son to marry a daughter-in-law who wasn't very bright.

Are these people trying to morally blackmail her?

There was no door, and they wouldn't open the windows.

She admitted that her family did indeed benefit from the influence of Zuo Zongtang's clan studies.

But that also shows that her son has a talent for studying!

Before her son got married, the clothes she had washed could pile up into a mountain.

Why didn't the head of the main branch of the family give her any money to spend during those years?

She was certain that if she dared to lend ten taels of silver to any of her uncles or aunts...

The remaining two hundred and forty taels will definitely not last until tomorrow.

Anyway, she had already given all the banknotes to her daughter-in-law.

She truly did not have a single penny on her.

These people are putting her on the hot seat.

He was very impatient inside, but put on a poor and miserable appearance.

He replied while wiping away his tears:

"Third Uncle, my father-in-law does indeed give my daughter-in-law a dividend every year."

But my family of four—three adults and one child—depends on it for all our daily necessities, including firewood, rice, oil, and salt, all year round!

Even if I split a copper coin in half to spend, I still wouldn't save more than a few taels of silver!

Does anyone still remember the scene when my family was taken away that day?
I was terrified when the officers knocked my daughter-in-law unconscious!

Later, he took my son and my aunts to prison together, and they were even locked in the same cell!
Our house wasn't robbed last night, because I didn't have anything on me that anyone could steal!
At my age, I haven't even started saving for my retirement.

Luo is very good at playing the victim card.

As she spoke, she beat her chest and stamped her feet, crying with such genuine emotion.

It seemed that of all the Zuo clan members, her family was the one who had the hardest time.

As the audience watched her performance, their thoughts were led astray.

Luo was not wrong.

As is well known, she never took up laundry work again after she got her son married.

The year after her son got married, he gave her a grandson.

A scholar needs decent clothes to wear all year round, and a set of slightly better fabrics can cost several taels of silver.

Literati love to attend poetry gatherings, and I heard that you have to pay some kind of membership fee.

None of her family members earn money!
They all rely on the dowry that the mentally challenged wife brings to her husband's family to share and support them.

These people had traveled in mule carts for at least two hours yesterday.

Luo Shi made it through sheer willpower!
If someone really had several hundred taels of silver in their hands, who would be willing to endure the hardship of walking?
Most people remained silent.

Some people have different opinions:
"Hmph! Luo, you're a treacherous wretch! Let's not even talk about the money at home, but I remember your wealthy father-in-law came to see you off the day before yesterday!"

Mrs. Luo spread her hands: "When people give gifts, it's to their own daughter. Did you see me say a single word to him?"

The other party said sarcastically, "Who are you trying to fool? What he gave to your daughter-in-law is the same as what he gave to you."

Ms. Luo immediately protested her innocence:

"Auntie! You'll have to ask my daughter-in-law about this! It only counts if she agrees with what you're saying. If you ask me, you'd better not go to her. Let her keep some money to buy herself some peace a few more times."

Tsk tsk, fifty taels of silver to save a life!

Who would dare lend this money to buy their life?

For a time, everyone was truly at a loss with Luo.

Gan Minglan stood at a distance and watched her mother-in-law "sing, recite, act, and fight."

I licked it for a long time.

I just felt like I was missing a handful of sunflower seeds.

Seeing it live is quite interesting.

She simply doesn't have that kind of "talent." If someone actually asked her, she'd probably just stiffly reply, "No!"

Speaking of money, she still has a toothache.

She didn't feel as at ease spending the hard-earned money that her father earned from slaughtering pigs as the original owner of this body did.

The stolen goods we robbed yesterday cannot be openly used in front of these victims.

What's infuriating is that those people from the Thieves' Guild have their own silver notes, each worth a thousand taels.

Gan's father had told her this before.

Generally, silver notes with a face value of 500 taels or more have a "password" on them.

Don't be fooled by those two unimportant lines of poetry printed on it.

Each character in the text corresponds to a specific number or date.

If someone carrying a large amount of banknotes loses them, they can report the loss!
If any fool dares to take it to a money exchange to cash, they'll catch him red-handed!
Therefore, she kept several thousand taels of silver notes in her space.

The one I was using with peace of mind didn't even have one!
No, that's not right either; it was just an hour ago.

Only then did her mother-in-law give her all the family's belongings, in small denomination silver notes totaling two hundred and fifty taels.

Ultimately, we were just too poor!
Gan Minglan sighed again.

If the common people heard her true feelings, they would definitely spit on her.

In the State of Bei, a county magistrate of the seventh rank only received a monthly salary of ten shi of grain or five liang of silver.

Taking the prices in Daming Prefecture as an example:
One tael of silver can buy two bushels of rice.

You can also buy 60 jin of pork.

Or buy 50 jin of mutton.

You can buy 18 catties of top-quality cotton for just one tael of silver!
It can be said that in this dynasty, the purchasing power of one tael of silver was still quite strong.

The 250 taels of silver that Luo saved over five years exceeded the savings of more than 90% of ordinary people's households across the country.

Gan Minglan's illusion of poverty was still influenced by the high-priced services offered by the officials.

From today onwards, I will have to walk the 50 li (25 kilometers) every day.

Even though the officials had already cut the price of the mule carts in half, no one wanted to ride in them.

After three days, everyone had recovered from the horrific conditions of the Long March.

The officials' expressions grew increasingly impatient.

He would occasionally crack the whip in his hand.

Each day, only at lunchtime, everyone was given a small, mixed-grain steamed bun, about the size of a child's fist.

Those who couldn't bear the hunger had no choice but to buy things at the inn at their own expense.

This afternoon, the outdoor temperature felt like over 40 degrees Celsius.

The group moved forward mechanically, as if they were numb.

As they walked, the cousin-in-law, Ms. She, who was at the back of the group, suddenly collapsed.

Face down, back to the sky.

His whole body looked like it had been pulled out of the water, and his face was pale and bluish-white.

Zuo Chixia used all his strength, but he still couldn't pull his mother up.

He stood there shouting, "Help! Officials, please come and save my mother!"

The officials who were supposed to be at the rear to bring up the rear were all crammed into the mule carts, unwilling to move.

He called out several more times before one person finally got off the bus.

After just one glance, he hastily concluded: "Probably hungry, and also suffering from heatstroke!"

Then he went back to his car without looking back.

Official: Even if this woman were to die right now, let alone faint, there's nothing they could do.

This is the official road just outside Daming Prefecture, with no village in sight and no shop in sight.

They are not doctors either.

What else can we do besides making it cold?

Besides, that child's entire extended family is here, what business is it of theirs?

(End of this chapter)