Chapter 37 Returning to Mom’s House – The Daily Gossip of a Sickly Younger Sister in the Courtyard

Chapter 37 Returning to Mom's House - The Daily Gossip of a Sickly Younger Sister in the Courtyard

The next day, Lin Qing got up for the first time ever at an early hour, though it wasn’t exactly dawn, it was still one or two hours earlier than her usual waking time.

After finishing breakfast, Lin Qing and Cen Xi prepared to return to her maternal home.

"Oh, Cen Gong, where are you two off to?" asked Mother Su.

"We're planning to go back to my maternal home," Lin Qing replied.

"Ah? Aren’t you attending Jiang Yang’s wedding banquet today?"

"Hehe, it just so happens that my niece is getting married today, so I need to go back and add to her dowry," Lin Qing laughed it off.

"Oh, I see, what a coincidence! I heard that the Jiang family has prepared quite a feast this time! Jiang Yang even went to the slaughterhouse early this morning to buy meat!" Mother Su teased, implying that the couple had missed a great chance to freeload.

Lin Qing smiled faintly. Isn’t that just our luck?

You attend the groom’s banquet, while we go to the bride’s side—definitely a coincidence!

Besides, having just scammed the Jiang family out of some money a few days ago, even if she didn’t return to her maternal home, the Jiang family might not have invited her to the banquet.

"Mother Su, we can’t chat anymore, we need to hurry back!"

"Alright, alright!"

Lin Qing and Cen Xi soon left the courtyard.

"Mom, what were you talking to them about?" Qin Xianglian came out of the house just in time to see Mother Su chatting with Cen Xi and Lin Qing.

"Nothing much, just saw them about to leave and asked. Isn’t the Jiang family hosting a banquet today? I was just wondering why they’re leaving now."

"Maybe they think the Jiang family won’t invite them, so they’re avoiding it themselves!"

"Hey, you might be right, you might be right, that could very well be the case!" Mother Su had already forgotten the reason Lin Qing gave about attending her niece’s wedding.

Cen Xi and Lin Qing rode their bikes back. When they arrived at the Lin family, Uncle Li and Aunt Li from the maternal side had already arrived.

"Sweetie, why are you and your son-in-law back so early?" Mother Lin immediately greeted them as soon as she saw Lin Qing and Cen Xi return.

"Mom! Don’t you want me to come back early to see you and dad?" Lin Qing said as she hugged her mother’s arm and started to act all sweet and clingy!

"Of course, of course, you can come back anytime you want." Mother Lin, looking at her sweet daughter acting coquettishly, felt much better, her face now lit up like a blooming flower.

"Mom, wait a moment, I need to give something to Lin Shu first, then I’ll chat with you." Lin Qing took a pillowcase from Cen Xi.

"Alright, go ahead!"

Cen Xi had been standing behind Lin Qing, watching the interaction between mother and daughter. After Lin Qing entered her former room, Mother Lin immediately called out to Cen Xi, "Cen, come on, you’re family, why are you just standing there? Come into the living room and have some tea!"

"Alright, I understand, Mom!"

After entering the living room, Cen Xi greeted Father Lin, Uncle Li, and Elder Brother Lin, "Dad, Uncle, Brother."

"Cen is here! Sit down!" Father Lin was quite enthusiastic towards his talented son-in-law.

"Alright!"

Before Lin Qing entered her and Lin Shu’s room, she saw Lin Shu sitting on the lower bunk. Unlike the red dress her mother had specially made for her when Lin Qing got married, Lin Shu was wearing an olive green military uniform.

Lin Shu also noticed Lin Qing entering the room and slightly furrowed her brows. Seeing Lin Qing reminded her of the stark contrast between them, filling her with resentment.

Yesterday, when she and her mother went out to prepare the dowry, she remembered that the wedding dress had not been prepared yet, so she asked her mother what she should wear.

"Just wear something clean. What else do you expect? We're not some rich family where you can wear whatever you fancy!"

"Mom!" Lin Shu's voice was full of twists and turns.

"Who are you yelling at?" Zhang Mei was already in a bad mood because they would be moving out in a couple of days.

Preparing Lin Shu's dowry was going to cost a lot of money, real cash! This was already upsetting enough, and now Lin Shu wanted new clothes? New clothes don't come cheap! A new outfit would set you back at least ten or twenty yuan. The entire dowry budget was only 33 yuan. If they spent most of it, how would they cover the rest of the dowry? Did Lin Shu expect her to foot the bill? No way!

"But Auntie had a red dress for her wedding!"

"That was your grandmother's doing. If you want one, go ask her! Or you can ask her to lend you your aunt's red dress."

Lin Shu felt uneasy, but after thinking it over, she realized new clothes were hard to come by. Even though they worked in a textile factory and had easier access to fabric than others, the factory had so many people that the fabric was just barely enough. They were slightly better off than others, but not by much. Lin Qing's red dress was something her grandmother had gone through a lot of trouble to get. Borrowing it wouldn't be such a bad idea!

"What did you say? You want to borrow your aunt's dress for your wedding?" Lin's mother looked at Lin Shu in surprise.

"Yes! After all, Auntie only wore that red dress once. It wouldn't hurt to borrow it." Lin Shu had already made up her mind, and she had even lowered herself to ask for the dress. Surely, that was acceptable?

Lin's mother looked at her pitiful expression and paused before saying, "That dress was tailored to your aunt's figure. She's so thin that it just fits her. You might not be able to wear it."

Lin Shu's face froze. She carefully compared her figure to Lin Qing's in her mind and realized it was true. She was more rounded and fuller, looking much plumper than Lin Qing's slender frame. She really couldn't fit into Lin Qing's clothes.

In the end, their plan fell through. Unwilling to wear old clothes for her wedding, Lin Shu nagged Zhang Mei into borrowing some military green fabric from a few neighbors and quickly made a green military uniform.

"Auntie, you're here?" Lin Shu said indifferently.

"Yes," Lin Qing replied, not feeling particularly warm either. "Here, this is for your dowry." She handed over two blue pillow towels.

Lin Shu took them and stared at Lin Qing for a few seconds. Seeing that Lin Qing had nothing else to offer, she slightly pursed her lips.

"What's wrong? Is there something on my face?" Lin Qing pretended not to notice and deliberately asked.

"Nothing," Lin Shu forced a smile. "Thank you, Auntie!"

"Alright, since the gift has been delivered, I'll head out now." Lin Qing didn't have much else to say to her and didn't linger in the room. She wanted to go out and chat with her mother as soon as possible.

After Lin Qing left, she casually closed the door behind her.

Lin Shu immediately dropped her smile, threw the pillow towels aside, and started muttering, "Still as stingy as ever. She married such a well-off man, and all she gave for the dowry was two pillow towels. At least she could have given something more valuable! Not even embarrassed to give such a cheap gift..."

Lin Qing had no idea what Lin Shu was thinking. With the gift delivered, her task was half done. The most important thing now was to talk to her mother. She couldn't waste any more time on Lin Shu.