Marrying a concubine and swallowing her dowry? The mistress turns around and marries a high-ranking

Chapter 273

Accompanying Qin Shaoze was another staff member from the military camp, the two of whom were quite familiar with each other.

Qin Shaoze came in and naturally instructed Yao Sujuan, "Sujuan, cook a few more good dishes. One of my colleagues is coming to our house for dinner today."

Yao Sujuan's face stiffened.

They just keep asking for more good dishes, where do they get the money?

She suppressed her emotions and said, "There's not much good food at home, and we don't have enough for daily necessities. Master, you need to give me some money. I'll go out and buy some right now."

Qin Shaoze frowned and said, "Not enough again? Didn't we just give you some a few days ago? Our lives are not what they used to be. You, the housekeeper, can't be so extravagant anymore. You have to be more frugal."

Yao Sujuan couldn't hold back any longer: "Then go and talk to the old lady. What are our family's conditions now? She still insists on drinking chicken soup every day, wearing silk clothes, and having the best tea. If we don't give it to her, she threatens to kill herself. All the little bit of household allowance you give her goes to her!"

Qin Shaoze frowned even more deeply.

"The old lady suffered a stroke and is now paralyzed on one side, so she can only lie in bed all day. It's already painful for her, so it's normal for her to ask for better treatment. You should be more understanding of her. As her daughter-in-law, isn't it your duty to make her mother-in-law's life more comfortable?"

Yao Sujuan: "......"

She felt a surge of anger welling up inside her, as if she were about to explode.

What is Qin Shaoze saying?

All she ever does is expect her to be considerate of others, as if everything she does is her duty? Is she some kind of deity? Can she conjure up money even when there's none, and provide her family with whatever they want?

Previously, when Qin Shaoze came home, she would complain to him, and he would try to smooth things over, offer a few words of comfort, and make a token remark about Old Mrs. Qin. Now, all he does is vent his dissatisfaction on her!

Yao Sujuan, who was always gentle and considerate in front of Qin Shaoze, could no longer maintain this demeanor and also lost her temper:

“Okay, sir, give me enough for household expenses. I will buy whatever the old lady wants. What kind of good dishes do you need? I will go and buy chicken, duck, beef and mutton now and ask the chef to cook them.”

Qin Shaoze sensed the sarcasm in her tone and his temper flared up immediately.

"Are you complaining that I'm not giving you enough money? Look around this town, how many families are worse off than us, and they still manage to live a good life? Instead of looking at your own problems, you're blaming everyone else! If you feel that following me is unfair to you, fine, then go back to Beiyi yourself!"

He is becoming increasingly disappointed in Yao Sujuan.

Originally, he chose Yao Sujuan to escape to Xiqi with him from Shen Lingjun and Yao Sujuan because he felt that Yao Sujuan was more gentle and virtuous and was more suitable to be a wife.

As it turned out, Yao Sujuan was not as capable as he had expected, and she made a mess of the household.

Old Mrs. Qin complained and cursed every day, Qin Xuanrui cried and threw tantrums every day, and Yao Sujuan would only say every few days that she didn't have enough money and ask him for money.

As expected, a concubine's daughter from a humble family is incompetent and doesn't know how to manage a household!

She could only try to please him with gentleness and consideration when everything was peaceful, but when things got tough, she couldn't hold on at all!

Yao Sujuan stared at Qin Shaoze in disbelief.

She was eight months pregnant with his child and had traveled a long way to Xiqi with him, yet he actually said something like that, telling her to go back to Beiyi by herself!

Does he have any conscience at all?!

With guests at home, Qin Shaoze didn't want to continue arguing with Yao Sujuan, so he impatiently took out a small piece of silver and gave it to her.

"Alright, go out and buy groceries, and hurry up and cook them. Then tidy yourself up, dress presentably, and then come out to meet the guests!"

He also found Yao Sujuan's current appearance quite distasteful.

She was only of average to above-average looks to begin with, and could be considered pretty when she dressed up carefully before. Now, she is eight months pregnant, with a big, round belly, her figure is severely deformed, and she is slovenly. She doesn't even comb her hair properly, and her clothes are covered in stains.

Even looking at him for a second makes me feel annoyed.

If he had a wife like that in front of his colleagues, wouldn't he lose all face?

Yao Sujuan remained silent, took the money without saying a word, and walked out.

Qin Shaoze chatted and drank with his colleagues. Soon after, Yao Sujuan returned and served several dishes, which were obviously bought directly from the restaurant in town.

Qin Shaoze was very dissatisfied.

She keeps saying she doesn't have enough money for household expenses, yet she still spends money to buy groceries at restaurants. Why can't she just buy some ingredients and cook for herself? Wouldn't that save a lot of money?

And I told her to dress herself up, but she still came out looking so unkempt! Does she just ignore what I say?!

But Qin Shaoze couldn't say anything in front of the guests, so he quickly sent Yao Sujuan away.

He continued drinking, eating, and chatting with his colleagues, who mentioned the battle between the Western Qi and the Northern Yi.

"...Alas, our army suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Tenghu Mountain. I fear we will be unable to launch a large-scale offensive for the next two or three years... That Lady Yongning of Beiyi, a mere woman, is truly formidable. I heard that she not only donated a large amount of grain to the Shen family army but also provided a formula for improving gunpowder. The firepower of Beiyi's munitions has increased dramatically, which is why they were able to defeat our army with fewer troops..."

Qin Shaoze could hardly believe his ears when he heard this.

"...Who? The Lady of Yongning Marquis? Which Yongning Marquis?"

A colleague said, puzzled, "Who else could it be but the Marquis of Yongning? There's only one Marquis of Yongning in Beiyi. He was quite famous on the border a couple of years ago, but I heard he died a few months ago."

Because Qin Shaoze did not hold a high position in the Western Qi army, he was not well-informed. This was the first time in a long time that he had heard news about himself from someone else.

He quickly seized the opportunity to ask, "What happened to the Yongning Marquis's residence?... I heard that the Yongning Marquis is suspected of treason and colluding with the enemy, and according to the law, his entire family should be executed. Since his wife has performed such a great service, has she been able to atone for her crime?"

His colleagues were increasingly bewildered: "Treason? No, we've never heard of the Marquis of Yongning being guilty of that crime. His wife didn't try to atone for her crime with any merits; she actually made great contributions and was even granted the title of Second-Rank Imperial Lady by the Northern Yi court. It's just a pity that her husband died and she became a widow. No matter how great her achievements and glory, she will have to guard the Marquis of Yongning's mansion alone from now on."