CHAPTER 347: CHAPTER 177: A COMPLETE REJECTION

The two were talking in the warm pavilion, Sang Wan began to express her grievances, "Preparing the New Year’s gifts for the Ren family elders is not a problem, but what if elder sister comes again to ask me about those friends of her husband’s New Year’s gifts, what should I do!"

Shi Yumei wouldn’t dare to boss around her mother and her own brother, but bossing around her "outsider" sister-in-law was justifiable. As long as she pressured Sang Wan into agreeing, Mrs. Wang and Shi Fengju couldn’t say anything.

Shi Fengju frowned, "Did elder sister not tell you to wait for her in the room? Let’s send someone to invite her over! I’ll speak with her myself! My brother-in-law is becoming more and more unreasonable, and elder sister too, how could she let him take advantage of our family like this!"

"That would be best! Even if brother-in-law is not good, he is still elder sister’s husband, if he insists, elder sister probably can’t do anything about it!" Sang Wan did not care about his complaints, after all, he could complain, but she simply couldn’t! She was only concerned that her troubles were finally going to be relieved, so she said to Liu Ya, "Send someone to the banana garden to invite elder aunt over," she glanced at Shi Fengju and said, "If elder aunt asks if the young master is here, just say he’s not."

Liu Ya glanced at Shi Fengju who didn’t say a word, answered "Yes," and left.

As expected, Shi Yumei asked whether Shi Fengju was here, and upon hearing he’s not, she immediately wrapped up in her cloak hurriedly bringing the maid along, worried that if she walked too slowly and didn’t finish speaking before her brother came back, that would be terrible!

Shi Yumei didn’t expect that upon entering the warm pavilion, she saw both Shi Fengju and Sang Wan.

"Why is younger brother also here!" Shi Yumei was startled and her face changed, then she glared angrily at Sang Wan, indicating her reproach as to why this was the case.

"Elder sister!" Shi Fengju smiled and invited her to sit down, saying, "I just came back from outside, when Miss Wan told me elder sister has something urgent, then as a brother, I naturally have to be concerned about elder sister! Elder sister, please speak freely!"

"Yes, elder sister, as long as Miss Wan is able to do it, she definitely will." Sang Wan also said.

How could she speak about it? Shi Yumei hesitated, and the smile on her face also strained.

"Elder sister," Shi Fengju’s face showed a hurt expression as he sadly said, "Is elder sister still annoyed with me for not giving her face this morning at mother’s place? Are you trying to be distant from me?"

"Not at all!" In a rush and heated moment, Shi Yumei couldn’t keep hiding it and blurted out, "Actually, it’s about this morning’s issue, younger brother, just help elder sister this one time! Your brother-in-law’s friends... your brother-in-law said, you can’t let people look down on him, not sending a New Year’s gift would make people think he disrespects them, and it would harm his reputation!"

Shi Fengju laughed, "Brother-in-law’s words don’t seem quite right, do they? Elder sister, think about it, you’ve sold all your property in Meng County, his friends should certainly know he is living temporarily in our house, right? Where does he get the income to buy New Year’s gifts? If he really sent gifts, people would laugh at him! They would laugh that he is putting up a front relying on his mother-in-law’s wealth, crushing the pride of a scholar, what kind of ability is that? This could actually harm his reputation!"

Shi Fengju sneered in his heart, ’Reputation’? Does he even have a reputation? His trip to Meng County before the fifteenth of August, the county town was buzzing with talk and he remembers it all too clearly! He was too embarrassed to listen or mention it, and yet he has gall to talk about ’reputation’!

Shi Yumei was stifled and had nothing to rebut. She surely couldn’t brag that her husband putting on airs with her natal family’s wealth is something to be proud of, could she?

"Younger brother," Shi Yumei forced a smile, "No matter what, we can’t lessen the relational exchanges between friends, otherwise, over time, the affection would fade! Well, consider it as if you lend me the money, and we will deduct it from our monthly silver allowance, how about that?"

Isn’t the monthly silver allowance also Shi family’s money? Shi Fengju didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, and Sang Wan couldn’t help but sympathize with Shi Yumei, feeling a sour tear for her - marrying a husband who knew no shame yet still proudly claimed high self-esteem, it was better to cut off all entanglements decisively!

"Elder sister," Shi Fengju seriously said, "What sort of friends are they? In times of peril and difficulty, those who stand by you without abandoning, actively lending a helping hand when needed, those are true friends! When you were in debt back then, which one of them helped you even a little? Instead, they unapologetically divided up your husband’s Four Treasures of the Study and books! Frequenting brothels, descending into taverns, renting venues for so-called poetry gatherings, those who had properties and businesses didn’t pay out but let elder sister’s husband keep tallying up debts. Elder sister, you haven’t forgotten these things, right? Such people, and you still keep thinking of treating them as friends? I think even ancestors aren’t worshipped like this! In my opinion, it’s these people who made brother-in-law turn out the way he is today, elder sister, you really need to come up with an idea to advise elder sister’s husband, don’t let him be muddled anymore! Cutting ties with these so-called ’friends’ will only do him good and no harm!"