Chapter 197 - Chapter 197: Chapter One Hundred and Ninety-Seven: It Was Deliberate (2/2)

When Han Yu entered, Mrs. Yang had called him over and had him drink the leftover chicken soup. That’s also when he learned about the morning sickness.

“No, she won’t be upset. This isn’t your fault, Mother will understand.”

“That’s good then.” Su Wenyue didn’t truly care whether Mrs. Yang was angry or not; she only wanted to state her position to see Han Yu’s reaction.

Old Man Han and Mrs. Yang had not mentioned when they would leave, and Su Wenyue didn’t feel it appropriate to ask. However, her mother-in-law’s tendency to meddle was annoying. Since that incidence of morning sickness, Mrs. Yang hadn’t made chicken soup for Su Wenyue again but had taken control of the kitchen, claiming the servants were wasteful and asserting her authority over the kitchen affairs. Consequently, the quality of the meals had declined over the past two days.

“Fourth Daughter-in-law, no offense, but you’ve been too lenient with the servants. Look at the quality of the meals we’re having. If this continues, we’ll incur significant costs. Fourth child works hard day and night for his salary; you should learn to manage a household.” Mrs. Yang became somewhat agitated as she spoke, observing that the servants here ate much better than at home, not only having their fill of plain rice but also meat every day—quite the extravagance.

“Mother, the servants’ expenses are accounted for, and treating them too harshly isn’t right. How can they work diligently if they’re not well-fed?” Su Wenyue struggled to politely express her point without telling Mrs. Yang to back off directly.

“What nonsense,” retorted Mrs. Yang. “If they can’t work diligently, what use is there in keeping them? Besides, I think there are too many servants here. Even without their monthly payment, the cost of their upkeep alone is a substantial expense. It would be better to send the excess back to the Su Family. Practicality is key in daily life; what’s the use of maintaining appearances without spending money?”

Hearing Mrs. Yang’s lecturing tone, Su Wenyue felt irked but had to hold back her anger as the woman was her mother-in-law and respond calmly.

“Mother, the servants were specifically requested from my mother’s family by Husband himself; there is no reason to send them back.”

“Even so, we can’t just feed them for free. If it really comes to it, sell a few. We could get some silver for them, which would help our household. Besides, your parents love you; they wouldn’t mind how you handle this.” Mrs. Yang, essentially a farmer’s wife from the countryside, had limited perspective. She believed her intentions were correct—even if that meant taking control over her son and daughter-in-law, who to her, seemed clueless on how to run a household.

Mrs. Yang’s words did not escape the ears of others; the faces of Grandma Chen and the others darkened. They already disliked the meddlesome Old lady but had to bear with her as she was the Master’s birth mother, a master in their household. They couldn’t criticize their master, even if they were dissatisfied. They never expected her to suggest selling them!

“Mother, sell them? Husband is performing well in his official duties; we’re not in such a state that we need to sell people. If word got out, wouldn’t that be laughable? It would look as though our family couldn’t afford a few servants, affecting Husband’s

reputation among his colleagues. Being an official isn’t as simple as you think. Please don’t interfere with these matters!” Su Wenyue’s patience wore thin, her annoyance palpable. The Old lady was deliberately causing trouble. Couldn’t she just sit quietly and refrain from

meddling?