The Wealthy Eldest Sister Rules Supreme

Upon arriving at the front door of her house, Zhuang Qingning saw Zhuang Yutian coming towards her.

“Uncle Yutian.” Zhuang Qingning greeted.

Upon seeing Zhuang Qingning returning, Zhuang Yutian quickened his pace and approached, “Just now, I was wondering whether you would be busy with the shop in town at this time and whether I would be able to find you. What a coincidence that you’re back.”

“Your aunt has been nagging me to bring you two some pouches. I’ve been running back and forth but kept forgetting. Your aunt gave me a good scolding, so I had to make sure to bring them back for you this time.”

“Here you go, two for each of you, so you can alternate their use. When new patterns become available in the shop, I’ll let your aunt pick some nice ones and bring them back for you.”

As Zhuang Yutian spoke, he stuffed the four pouches he held into the hands of Zhuang Qingning and Zhuang Qingsui.

The pouches were commonly used by young girls and were of colors most girls favored: bean green, smoky blue, peach red, water lotus red. The fabric was of moderate price and decent quality with embroidery of orchids or wintersweet designs.

“Thank you, Uncle Yutian.” Zhuang Qingning thanked him as she took the pouches, “Please convey our thanks to Aunt as well.”

“Sure.” Zhuang Yutian cracked a smile, then slightly lowered his voice, “How did your persuasion of my mother go these days?”

He referred to his plan of taking turns with his brother, Zhuang Yucheng, to accommodate Mrs. Wen in their homes.

Both brothers failed in persuading Mrs. Wen and received sharp scoldings instead. The brothers did not dare to press the matter further for fear of upsetting Mrs. Wen, so they hoped Zhuang Qingning could mediate.

“Well, I’ve talked to her several times, but she doesn’t seem keen.”

Zhuang Qingning replied frankly, “However, she does appreciate your filial intentions. She was quite pleased and even praised you a few times to me.”

Mrs. Wen typically had a sharp tongue, so it was rare for her to speak normally, let alone to praise them. Given their life-long experience, her praises were exceptionally uncommon.

Upon hearing this, Zhuang Yutian was quite delighted, even rubbing his hands together excitedly.

However, the idea that even though Mrs. Wen had praised them, she still had no inclination to live with them, disheartened Zhuang Yutian.

“Uncle Yutian, I feel that she has her own considerations.”

Zhuang Qingning said, “She understands her own temperament. It’s the accumulation of many years, and it’s impossible for her to change. She’s aware of your and Uncle Yucheng’s filial piety, and knows that both your wives are kind. A day or two living together wouldn’t bother her.”

“Ten days to half a month may require her to adapt, but she’ll get through it. However, if she were to live with you for three months to half a year, she’d likely feel uncomfortable. After one or two years, there might be grievances.”

“The moment filial piety becomes a reality, things might not go as well as imagined, especially when encountering disagreements. Quarrels might become a common occurrence.”

“She’s worried that if you live together, instead of a harmonious family she imagines, it would turn into a place where chickens and dogs stir at each other. You would feel uncomfortable, and she would feel unhappy.”

“So, I think, her plan is to stay here. You should visit home more often and take care of her. Normally, the tofu shop is always busy and I’d like to visit her two or three times a day. You don’t have to worry too much about her living condition. This way, you may feel more at ease and both sides can live more comfortably.”

“When the opportunity arises, I will suggest more often that she goes to visit the county town. Thus, if she could visit your home every month or two, it would allow you and your wife to show filial respect without drawing criticism from outsiders. It would also make her feel more at ease – this would be the best of both worlds.”

“Jianshan, what’s the name of this place?”

Upon hearing this, Zhuang Yutian fell silent and pondered for a long while.

“Your argument makes sense and this seems to be the most viable plan for now. It seems we can only proceed this way.”

“But we’ll have to impose on you more, Qingning. We need you to visit more often.”

“Isn’t that what I should do?” Zhuang Qingning laughed, “As I’ve told you before, when I didn’t have a source of income, she willingly rented the tofu shop to me. I’m deeply grateful for her. It’s only right that I look after her in return. In fact, if I were to put it more bluntly, I should be prepared to care for her in her twilight years.”

“Uncle Yutian, don’t worry so much. Let Uncle Yucheng and your wife both know this. I am truly glad to do this.”

Seeing Zhuang Qingning’s sincerity, Zhuang Yutian appreciated more deeply her sense of responsibility. Apart from thankfulness, a certain reverence appeared in his gaze towards Zhuang Qingning.

After all, everyone can talk about being grateful and returning kindness, but to actually do it is another matter.

Especially when it’s done so well.

After their talk, Zhuang Yutian, thinking it best to give Zhuang Qingning time to rest after her journey and to return to the county town before dark, decided to leave.

Before leaving, he reminded Zhuang Qingning to let him know if she needed any trendy materials in the future, and if she found time to visit the county town, to make sure to visit his home.

Zhuang Qingning agreed and after sending Zhuang Yutian off, she returned to the courtyard and started preparing the steamed pork ribs.

She’d bought a lot of ribs so she had plenty to cook. She used the two ends to make a rib soup, adding some fresh spring corn for a simple and appetizing dish. The middle parts of the ribs were chopped into small pieces and carefully prepared before being steamed into a savory, tender, and aromatic dish of steamed pork ribs.

Zhuang Qingning had intentionally bought a large amount of ribs. The meal she made was plentiful – more than enough for the two sisters – so she sent serving portions to Mrs. Wen and Zhuang Yonghe.

When Zhuang Qingning returned from Mrs. Wen’s, Zhuang Qingsui had just returned from Zhuang Yonghe’s house, carrying a bunch of freshly picked mugwort.

“The nights are full of mosquitoes. Auntie said this could be placed by the bed as a measure against them,” Zhuang Qingsui explained.

“That’s great.”

Zhuang Qingning had been troubled by mosquitoes recently.

In this era, there were no mosquito coils or repellent. Although she’d always attracted mosquitoes, modern technology had provided sufficient protection. However, these modern conveniences did not exist in the current times.

While hanging a mosquito net could prevent some mosquitoes, due to the increasingly hot weather, it would make the room suffocating and unbearable..