Seeing that Madam Wu hesitated, Shen Yuchu quickly said, "Well, Lin Xuan put in a good word for our Yulong. After all, he's his superior, and they see each other every day. Besides, Yulong is Lin Xuan's brother-in-law; if family don't help each other out, who will? And believe it or not, his superior actually bought it."
Lü Chunhuan seemed to catch a glimmer of hope at that moment. "Really?"
Shen Yuchu nodded. "Otherwise, why would Lin Xuan have driven over here? Did my mother-in-law bring any gifts? She came completely empty-handed."
Lü Chunhuan thought about it, and realized Shen Chunfen really hadn't brought a single thing! In the past, whenever Shen Yuchu returned to her maiden home, she would always haul over sweet potatoes and carrots grown by Shen Chunfen. Otherwise, Lü Chunhuan would curse her out as an ungrateful wretch.
With that realization, Lü Chunhuan looked at Shen Yuchu. "No wonder she had the guts to talk to me in that tone today."
Shen Yuchu told her, "So you need to use your head from now on, and stop driving away such a wealthy daughter-in-law."
"Fine, fine. I'll go get some napa cabbage and wrap some dumplings for them."
Shen Yuchu's face darkened. "Forget about dumplings. Hurry up and get the family savings passbook, and withdraw three thousand yuan. Get the wedding quilts the Lin family gave me back then, and on top of that, have Shen Yuchu get dressed up and come with us right now."
This touched Lü Chunhuan's absolute lifeline. Hearing this, she immediately balked. "What for?"
Shen Yuchu said to her, "Mom, can't you tell what my real mother-in-law is like? With such a great match for in-laws, why aren't you telling your son to get dressed up and take these things to the city to visit them? Do you want someone else to beat you to it?"
Lü Chunhuan thought it made sense. "That's true! But it's our first time meeting, and we're taking this much money? This... this..."
"What is this-this?" Shen Yuchu interrupted. "Take this money and these things in exchange for living in a small western-style villa and driving a car. If your son plays his cards right, you'll be moving to the city to live the high life, living in a villa and riding in a car."
Lü Chunhuan narrowed her eyes sharply.
Shen Yuchu felt her promises still weren't grand or enticing enough. So she continued, "She is Lin Xuan's superior, after all. Who knows, Yulong might even get to work in the military in the future. A monthly allowance of five hundred yuan! You won't even be able to spend it all! And he'll get to drive a car just like Lin Xuan."
Lü Chunhuan was speechless. She hardened her heart, gritted her teeth, and said, "Fine! I'll take the money. Our family has five thousand yuan in total. Over the years, all the money your dad sent back has been with me."
Shen Yuchu's eyes darted around. "Then take it all out!"
"What?" Lü Chunhuan asked.
"Let their superior see that our family isn't trying to climb above our station. You'll be the mother-in-law of a city dweller, even more prestigious than my mother-in-law."
Lü Chunhuan's eyes lit up completely. "You wait right here! Mom's going to get it!"
Shen Yuchu remained silent.
Sure enough, Lü Chunhuan came back with the passbook and a stash of cash totaling over two hundred and thirty yuan, wrapped up tightly in a blue floral cloth as if terrified someone might see it. "Let's go, let's go withdraw the money!"
Shen Yuchu bit down on a spicy snack strip, strolling out with an utterly reluctant expression. "Mom, Sis, what are you doing? I was just one level away from beating it, what are you doing?"
"Buying you new clothes, getting you a wife—a city girl for a wife!" Lü Chunhuan declared.
"I was one level away! Are you guys out of your minds? Day in and day out, it's always 'get a wife, get a wife'! If you want one, you marry her, I need to clear my level!" Having his game interrupted made Shen Yuchu's brother extremely irritable. In his anger, he kicked over a nearby stool and glared with gnashed teeth at Shen Yuchu and Lü Chunhuan. "Do you guys just not want me to let me play games? So. Damn. Annoying..." His irritation level was off the charts.
Shen Yuchu snatched the blue cloth bundle right out of Lü Chunhuan's hands and whispered to Shen Yuchu, "I'll buy you a super-duper invincible game cartridge!"
Shen Yuchu's irritation vanished into thin air for no apparent reason. "Really?"
Shen Yuchu nodded. "Yes. Now come with us to the city."
"Deal!"
Shen Yuchu turned to Lü Chunhuan. "Just tell me the passbook PIN."
Lü Chunhuan hurried off to the side and whispered the password to Shen Yuchu.
Clutching the passbook tightly, Shen Yuchu said, "Then let's start moving the things. Once this is done, you'll officially be the mother-in-law of a city resident."
Lü Chunhuan smiled happily.
"Sis, what do you mean?" Shen Yuchu complained. "Didn't you say you were getting me a game cartridge?"
"What game cartridge do you need?" Lü Chunhuan snapped. "All you know how to do is play games. I swear..."
"Stop arguing and start moving, it's getting dark soon."
With that, Shen Yuchu walked out of the courtyard and called out to Shen Chunfen and Lin Hui by the car, "Come over and help move things."
Shen Chunfen was baffled, and Lin Hui didn't understand either.
However, when Lü Chunhuan carried out a set of wedding quilts, both Shen Chunfen and Lin Hui were left dumbfounded. When Shen Yuchu first married Lin Xuan, Lü Chunhuan wouldn't even let her have them after a fierce argument—yet now she was voluntarily carrying them out?
Shen Yuchu called out to Lin Xuan, "Open the trunk, hurry up!"
Lin Xuan blinked, said nothing, and popped the trunk.
Shen Yuchu told Shen Chunfen, "If you're not going to help, step aside."
Shen Chunfen was stunned too. Holding Lin Hui's child, she stepped aside alongside Madam Wu.
Lin Hui went to help Lü Chunhuan carry things out, while Shen Yuchu climbed straight into the car, captivated by how nice it was.
Before long, the six sets of wedding quilts were all loaded. Shen Yuchu went back and took the wedding basin, the wedding bucket, the towels, and even left no soap dish behind for Lü Chunhuan. Literally anything she could lay her hands on, she took. Finally, when the trunk couldn't hold anymore, she hauled out a vanity dresser as well.
The trunk lid wouldn't shut. Lin Xuan furrowed his brows and said, "Stop moving things, that's more than enough."
"This was given willingly by my mom," Shen Yuchu retorted. "We're taking as much as we can fit!"
Lin Xuan was speechless.
Realizing nothing more could possibly fit, Shen Yuchu finally gave up. "Alright, get in, let's go." Once inside the car, she told Lü Chunhuan, "Alright, go back home and wait for my news."
Lin Xuan remained silent.
Along the way, everyone harbored their own thoughts in silence. Only Shen Yuchu was bursting with excitement. "Sis, where are we going to buy the game cartridge? You should buy me a new game console too, that old machine isn't very good."
"Fine," Shen Yuchu replied. "Not only will I buy you a game console and cartridge, but I'll also get you new clothes, new shoes, and we'll even go take some photos while we're at it."
"Really? I want sneakers, the kind with white soles."
"Deal!" Shen Yuchu didn't even blink. Once they withdrew the money later, what was buying him a few little things like this?
When the group arrived at the bank to withdraw the money, Shen Yuchu cleared out Lü Chunhuan's passbook balance of 5,689.54 yuan, leaving a mere 0.04 yuan behind.