My domineering ex-husband is living off his wife in ancient times.

Chapter 28 Iron Pixiu and Bloodsucking Worms

Xia Shi: ?

How could her mother-in-law not scold Cheng Shi but scold her instead?

She was clearly on the same side as the Zhao family!

Xia bit her lip and remained silent, looking at Zhao with eyes full of anger that dared not be expressed.

Zhao glared at him: "Why are you looking at me like that? Can't you see your husband is all sweaty? Go get a towel and wipe him down!"

Xia left, biting her lip, but Si Dalang told her not to worry about him, just take care of Si Daya and her parents-in-law.

They had just sat down and asked for three tables. The five members of the Xia family and the eldest branch of the Si family squeezed into one table; Cheng Ruoan, Si Shaoheng, and the four members of the second branch of the Si family, plus the three members of the fourth son's family, and Zhao Shi sat at another table.

The Cheng family helped Cheng Ruoan, along with Si Xin and Si Nian, to sit comfortably at a table.

Zhao hadn't eaten much dry food at noon, and now she was very hungry.

Her eyes darted around, and she turned to Si Shaoheng, crying out, "Sanlang, my stomach hurts, can you come and take a look..."

Si Shaoheng glanced at the surrounding environment, compared it with the map of the Great Xia Dynasty that he had asked Si Silang to buy at the bookstore, and estimated the distance.

"We are still more than 40 miles away from Huilan City, and it is impossible for us to make it into the city to find lodging in time."

"Brother, Mother-in-law, come and see. After we've rested, should we just spend the night in the wilderness, or find someone in a nearby village to stay with?"

He completely ignored his cheap mother, who was probably up to no good again.

Zhao:......

Is it really that difficult for her third son to go to the Cheng family and pay out of his own pocket to buy a few dishes of stir-fry to eat with tea and dry food?

Si Dalang and Cheng's mother moved to the table where Si Shaoheng and Cheng Ruoan were sitting, and looked at the map with Si Shaoheng.

The head of the Cheng family was his mother-in-law, while his elder brother had always been the one relaying messages between the Xia family and his mother.

Si Dalang couldn't understand the map, so he scratched his head and chuckled, "I'll just follow your arrangements, Third Brother. You choose, and I'll go and talk to my father-in-law's family after I've made my choice."

"Okay, mother-in-law, what do you think?"

Si Shaoheng turned to ask Cheng's mother.

Now that the three families are traveling together, Si Shaoheng can't handle everything by himself.

However, Cheng's mother focused intently on the map and looked around. After a few moments of contemplation, she said, "The nearby villages are all too far from the official road. Villages so close to the deep mountains and forests are mostly united yet xenophobic."

I was worried that with so much stuff in our group, if something happened to us in the village, we'd be completely helpless.

It would be better to set up a few shelters in the open, in a place with a good view, and make do for the night.

Si Shaoheng nodded. "That's what I think too."

Si Dalang: "You're right."

"Then I'll trouble you, elder brother, to communicate with the Xia family."

"no problem!"

Cheng Ruoan listened to the whole thing without saying anything, giving Si Shaoheng plenty of face.

At least others need to feel that, apart from spending money, Si Shaoheng is in charge of everything else in the Si family.

When Cheng Ruoan was bored, she saw Zhao Shi, who had just gotten off the table, helping her play with her child.

To be honest, she was actually quite satisfied with how Zhao had been fierce towards Xia.

Although Zhao was definitely plotting against her, as long as she didn't bully her like before, along with Xia, it was still acceptable.

She was in a good mood and asked Zhao to bring Si Xin and Si Nian to sit at the Cheng family's table.

Then he waved to the tea stall waiter and pointed to the table: "Shopkeeper, please prepare a few stir-fries for my mother-in-law and my mother's table."

Xia's eyes widened in surprise.

Why should they only get to sit on that table?!

But in the blink of an eye, Cheng Ruoan stood up on one leg and said, "This is a meal I'm treating my mother-in-law and my family to with my own dowry money. The rest of you don't need to complain that I didn't give you any."

Now that the three families are traveling together, we need to figure out how to cover our food and lodging expenses along the way.

Now that I am in charge of the Si family, and since the Si family members are the most numerous in the group, I presume to propose that anyone willing to eat, drink, and live with the Si family, regardless of age or gender, should pay me three taels of silver per person for unified arrangements.

After we move to our new place of residence, we'll make adjustments based on the difference, with refunds or additional payments as needed..."

"Three taels?!" Before Cheng Ruoan could finish speaking, Xia Shoucai, Xia's younger brother from the maternal family, exploded in anger.

The voice was high-pitched, like a rooster choking someone: "We peasants can't even save three ounces a year!"

Cheng, you're asking for three taels of silver per person right off the bat?

Asking me to pay money? Impossible, absolutely impossible! I don't have a single penny.

Xia remained silent, clearly acquiescing to Xia Shoucai's words.

Si Dalang walked over and grabbed him, saying, "Shoucai, what are you howling about?"

He lowered his voice and whispered, "Didn't we agree that no matter how much it cost on the road, your Xia family would pay half and I would pay the other half? What? You don't have a single penny left?"

Moreover, my third sister-in-law said that if there is an overpayment, she will refund the difference and make up the difference, and she will definitely calculate based on the overpayment.

"In the end, we definitely won't get three taels per person, so you'll only pay less than one tael per person."

Xia Shoucai clicked his tongue and said, "She wouldn't even spend twenty coins on a pot of tea for us!"

Do you believe she's so kind as to return the extra money to us?

No wonder you believed her. She could have just robbed us, but she still provided us with food, clothing, and lodging along the way. She really is a 'good person'.

He spoke the last three words in a sarcastic and loud voice.

Both Cheng's mother and eldest sister heard it, and their faces fell. After exchanging a glance, Cheng's mother stood up and stuffed a ten-tael silver ingot into Cheng Ruo'an's hand.

"Here, this is for the Cheng family's needs. No need to look for it now. We'll make up the difference once we get to the North!" After saying that, he glared at Xia Shoucai and returned to his table.

Cheng Ruoan knew that her mother and eldest sister were angry on her behalf, but they were afraid of putting her in a difficult position, so they held back their anger and directly spent money to slap the Xia family in the face.

She also learned that Xia Shoucai was now in charge of the Xia family.

A 22-year-old good-for-nothing man who is too lazy to even scratch lice or get out of bed spends 360 out of 365 days a year idling around, relying entirely on his parents and wife to farm and sell grain to support the family.

They still have the nerve to be in charge.

Cheng Ruoan narrowed her eyes, sizing up the dark, thin man who looked like a burnt bamboo pole, and sneered inwardly.

It seems that Xia Shoucai was willing to follow the Si family to the north to settle down because he planned to not spend a penny on the journey and rely entirely on the Si family for support.

well.

She was determined to become an iron Pixiu.

She wanted to see which leech could swarm onto her and suck her blood!

Cheng Ruoan's face turned cold, and she said seriously, "Since the Xia family members don't want to travel together, then husband, please take out everyone's household registration and travel permits and return them to the Xia family. Let's part ways here."

In addition, my husband gave the county magistrate twenty-seven taels of silver as a bribe in order to get the Qingshan County government to issue these travel permits, which came to one tael per person.

"Xia Shoucai, bring five taels of silver and take your family's household registration and travel permit."

Xia Shoucai was taken aback.

What's going on with the Cheng family?

Why don't you follow the routine?

Shouldn't she have smiled and said some conciliatory words to him, considering the bigger picture, and wait for him to suggest, "Since it's all about refunds for overpayments and additional payments for underpayments, let the Si family pay for it all first, and then we'll make up the difference once everyone has settled in the North?"

And then did Mrs. Cheng just smile and agree?

How can you just turn on someone like that on the spot?

And they want to charge each of them one tael of silver?!