Lin Lishan saw her off and returned with a sigh, "Her personality is so fiery and she’s such a quick-tempered person. The girl is quite nice, very energetic." Zhou Jiao laughed and said, "She has a nickname, ’Blazing Wheels.’ No matter what she does, it’s always in a hurry, which has caused some amusing incidents. She’s a very kind person, extremely enthusiastic, her personality is similar to her mom’s. When you go to her house, both her mom and her are quick-tempered; it’s common to see them bickering, yet their mother-daughter relationship is very good." Thıs text ıs hosted at 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹•𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖•𝗇𝗲𝘁 Lin Lishan could imagine the scene. She handed a bowl of dessert to Zhou Jiao and started talking about the new courtyard and the separation. She was curious about why the Zhang Family insisted on waiting until next year to separate and move in. Since it’s already built, they should separate earlier and move in by the end of the year. Next year Zhou Jiao and her husband won’t have any time at all. Now, with her child’s father having bought a small courtyard in the county town, who can manage both places? In her opinion, there’s no need to build another courtyard in the village—who would come back to live there? In a couple of years, even the county courtyard will be uninhabited. Zhou Jiao shrugged helplessly; what could she do? However, she noticed her mother-in-law was considering moving the separation forward before the year ends. As for the village courtyard, she understood Zhang Guoqing’s idea. It would be their ancestral home in the future, and they could even grow some fruits, vegetables, and grains in the courtyard. As for when to separate, no matter how Mr. Zhang plans it, the couple will definitely tidy up the new courtyard before the year’s end. She didn’t plan to put new furniture there, preferring to move their current furniture and some odds and ends over temporarily. Next year there would be no time to come back and fuss with it. As for persuading the elder to agree to separate before the year’s end, that was Zhang Guoqing’s business. As the daughter-in-law, she resolutely decided not to meddle or speak up. Lin Lishan was content knowing that her daughter had it all figured out. Moving in earlier was good; the couple could live their lives however they wanted. She quietly reminded Zhou Jiao to make sure to create a basement in a discreet place. The dowry she prepared for her daughter should be retrieved from her mother’s place. With a few nieces and nephews getting married, who knows if her mother might use it for them? Seeing Zhou Jiao’s puzzled face, Lin Lishan said, "Your dowry is all with your grandmother. This time when I went back, I already told her to give it all to you when you visit Beijing. It’s better for you to go early and retrieve it early. Who knows if your cousins will take it for their marriages? That’s a careful collection from all over the country for you by your mom. As for the foreign-style house in Shanghai, I think you really need to plan a trip there. It’s been 6-7 years; your dad entrusted it to an old person to look after. What if something were to happen to that old person? The piano and other items there cost your dad a lot of money. Money can tempt people; the sooner you hide them, the better." "Mom, don’t scare me. Didn’t you already give the house? How is there still a dowry? Can’t you just retrieve it from Grandma yourself and hand it over to Dad? I also want to go to Shanghai to resolve that, fearing it might affect my dad in the future. But Ping’an will be just 2 months old by year-end, can I take him out?" Lin Lishan looked at her, bemused with her furrowed brow. Who else would complain about having too much stuff? "How did I give birth to such a silly child? Having money and items tucked away, afraid of having too much? There are both small and large items. Your grandmother dotes on your eldest cousin. What if she says it was used? How would I respond? You’re not in Beijing; if I go and take back what was promised to you, what would that count as? Among the small items, there are many jade pieces. Locally they’re not worth much, but in Beijing they’re rare. Some things your eldest aunt and youngest aunt aren’t even aware of; what if your grandmother gets confused? It’s not that I don’t trust your grandmother, but let’s settle it early to avoid difficult conversations later." Zhou Jiao looked at her worriedly, "Mom, did something happen when you went back to Grandma’s house this time? Is someone envious of us, or were you bullied? If you won’t say, I’ll find Dad." Lin Lishan touched the top of her head and sighed, "You’re so clever. I knew I couldn’t hide it from you. No one put me in a difficult situation; it’s just that some things I can’t make sense of. Your eldest aunt didn’t care about money matters while your uncle wasn’t back, maybe because their two kids are getting married. This time, your uncle sent his salary to your grandmother. Your eldest aunt wasn’t pleased and said some things behind the scenes. It would definitely have caused trouble if your second aunt weren’t in the Northwest. How much money are we talking about here? I’m worried that if she finds out about your belongings, it will cause waves. Even though your second aunt’s family is part of the Big Courtyard, they’re dirt poor. With four kids, it’s really tough. Your two cousins aren’t as sensible as you and enjoy material pursuits. You can’t test human nature. Retrieving your things early is good; they were yours to begin with."