Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 97 - 53: Treating Illness_2

Chapter 97: Chapter 53: Treating Illness_2
Lian Shouxin’s words left the room in sudden silence.
"Mother, you take seventy taels of silver first, and I’ll get you a good Imperial Physician right now," Lian Shouxin said to Lady Zhou.
With every number Lian Shouxin uttered, Lady Zhou’s mouth twitched as if in pain, and now that he asked her to take out seventy taels of silver, it might as well have been a slice from her flesh. Lady Zhou abruptly sat up from her bed and slapped Lian Shouxin across the head.
Lian Shouxin did not dodge; he took the blow squarely, causing even Lian Manman to wince on his behalf.
"Wow, how strong Grandma’s slap was, looks like her illness has gotten better," in order not to let Lian Shouxin take this slap in vain, Lian Manman immediately applauded.
Lady Zhou’s flushed cheeks, wide-open eyes, and the hand she had swung were truly like a ferocious wind in a tiger’s roar.
"That’s great, Grandma got better so quickly," Lian Zhizhi and the others eagerly chimed in.
Enraged, Lady Zhou had struck Shouxin, ruining any pretense of illness, so she couldn’t very well lie down again; instead, she stood up, pointing and swearing at him.
"Seventy taels of silver? Do you think I run a mint? Is your wife made of silver or inlaid with gold? If you want money, you might as well sell these old bones of mine..."
"I’m not adding to the bill unduly; this is actually what our Lian Family owes. I’ve been too busy to mention it these past few days. Mother, it’s been a few days, and we should pay a visit, send over the money and gifts," Lian Shouxin negotiated with Lady Zhou.
"If you want to give, find a way yourself, I don’t have the money," Lady Zhou flatly refused.
"Mother, I’ve never asked you for anything else; I’ve never fought over food or clothing, but this money, no matter what, we need to come up with it for them," Shouxin said. Being an honest man, he was especially stubborn about things he believed in.
Lady Zhou pointed at Lian Shouxin with fury.
"Old Fourth, you’ve changed, you’ve gone bad; it’s that wife of yours who’s led you astray."
It would have been different if it were anyone else; Lian Shouxin never asked for money to spend, and now he was asking her for money, and such a large amount at that—it was particularly hard for Lady Zhou to accept.
"Mother, I’m seriously discussing with you to see how much money we can come up with. If we really don’t have any, then, then we can pawn things like we did before for my older brother, and I’ll earn and slowly pay it back," Lian Shouxin said with some difficulty.
"Pawn my ass!" Lady Zhou spat, "You’re talking light. What will you have to pay back with when the time comes? Are you willing to sell your son or your daughter? Isn’t it this whole family that’ll end up starving for you? I raised sons, expecting you to support me; now I have to give you money. What was the point of raising you so big? Get out of my sight."
"Grandma, why would you say that? My mother didn’t almost lose her life on purpose. Isn’t she part of the Lian Family? Aren’t we one family?" Lian Manman said.
"You all get out; does Lian Family have such prodigals?"
"Grandma, even prodigals are part of the Lian Family. Now that we owe money, you want to cast us out, but that’s not acceptable," Lian Manman said.
The mention of ’casting us out’ by Lian Manman, however, reminded Lady Zhou.
"Right, I can’t afford to raise you; you go divide the family property and live on your own. Seventy taels of silver—you pay it back yourselves!" Lady Zhou immediately said.
Lian Manman clenched her fists in silence; the words of separation had finally come from Lady Zhou’s mouth.
These days, Lian Manman realized something. Even if Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang harbored thoughts of separation in their hearts, it was extraordinarily difficult for them to raise the matter. Moreover, the societal context dictated that if they were the ones to propose the separation, they might end up with a reputation for being unfilial. But if someone else, especially Old Master Lian or Lady Zhou proposed it, then there would be no issue at all.
Lady Zhang had miscarried, she wouldn’t be able to work for over a month and needed good food and drinks to recover her health. It was just the beginning, and already people were showing reluctance. If they showed that they were no longer pushovers that could be easily bullied, even if they themselves didn’t mention separating, someone would surely insist on it.
Furthermore, now there was the hunger of seventy taels of silver to account for.
The hunger caused by the seventy taels of silver had not only cured Lady Zhou’s illness but also led her to propose the separation on her own initiative.
"Dad, Grandma is telling us to split the family," Lian Manman deliberately made a grieving face, "What can we use to pay back that money, we won’t separate."
"I’ve said we’re separating; even if you don’t want to, you have to divide and leave," Lady Zhou immediately said with triumph.
Lian Manman silently turned away her face; in the ability to provoke others, Lady Zhou and Lian Xiu were truly mother and daughter.