"What money do they want to manage?" asked Lady Zhang.

"They say they want Erlang to hand over his earnings to them," Luo Xiaoyan lowered her head and replied.

Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang exchanged a glance but remained silent for a moment. Lian Manman, standing nearby, instantly understood even more why Lian Shouyi and Lady He had moved so eagerly to Luo Family Village.

Lian Shouyi and Lady He planned to take over all of Erlang and Luo Xiaoyan’s family affairs. These two were truly in a hurry; they just arrived and started marking their territory.

No wonder Erlang and Luo Xiaoyan rushed over so anxiously.

Seeing Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang’s silence, Luo Xiaoyan felt somewhat unsure.

"...When we got married, it was all agreed upon. I’m... just saying another year, after my brother gets married, we’ll move out.... I’m not clinging to Erlang’s money because I’m after anything. I’m doing it for this family. My mother-in-law spends money lavishly, if the money’s in her hands, nothing will be saved. My father-in-law, he gambles, and if we give money to him, it’s as good as gone."

"They just got to our place, we still need to build a house, and he’s already asking around looking for someone to gamble with... Our family has never had anyone who gambles; we live proper lives. If my father-in-law and mother-in-law keep behaving that way in the future, I wouldn’t dare hand over the money to them. It’s not that I’m not being filial, I just want to live properly."

"No one in our old Lian Family has ever gambled. We don’t agree with it." Lian Shouxin said, "Erlang’s father, oh..."

"Not giving them the money is the right call," Lady Zhang affirmed her support for Luo Xiaoyan, "You keep it and live your life well. If you give it to them, it’ll just be wasted."

Lady Zhang’s support seemed to greatly relieve Luo Xiaoyan.

"...I just can’t let them manage the money. If they really have something to spend on, I’ll definitely cover it. If we need to borrow, I won’t shortchange the elders," Luo Xiaoyan assured.

"I support my second sister-in-law," Lian Manman said with a smile, "A family needs someone who plans well and lives properly to manage things, only then can the family thrive. Even if my second brother and sister-in-law want to be respectful to the elders, it doesn’t mean they have to obey them in everything. Listen if it’s right; if it’s not, following them would lead the family down the wrong path. That’s definitely not okay."

"I support my second sister-in-law taking charge," Lian Manman encouraged Luo Xiaoyan, smiling at her.

Luo Xiaoyan’s spine straightened with newfound confidence. Everyone has a sense of pride and hopes their value is recognized.

"The way your parents are now, we also don’t like it. But when we say something, they change for a couple of days and then go back to their old ways... Your parents weren’t like that before," Lian Shouxin said to Erlang.

"Fourth Aunt, Manman, I’m being blunt. My father-in-law and mother-in-law speak and act without any proper conduct," Luo Xiaoyan, emboldened by Lady Zhang and Lian Manman’s support, dared to voice her concerns.

Lady Zhang sighed while Lian Manman stifled a laugh. ’Improper conduct,’ that summed it up well. Lian Shouyi and Lady He were indeed two people without proper habits!

"In the past, it was Old Master who was in charge, always watching over them," Lady Zhang continued from where Lian Shouxin left off, "Those two, with someone good overseeing them, could certainly be better."

"Then from now on, my second brother and sister-in-law will just keep a closer eye on things. It surely won’t be worse than before," Lian Manman immediately chimed in.

Luo Xiaoyan’s eyes brightened.

"...We’re the younger generation..." Luo Xiaoyan still had some reservations.

"But you are the head of the household," Lian Manman quickly interjected, "Besides, even if you can ensure Erlang’s money doesn’t fall into their hands, if you ignore everything else and let the gambling and wasteful spending continue, if anything happens to the family, you can’t escape the blame."

Lian Manman’s words hit home for Luo Xiaoyan. She might endure Lian Shouyi and Lady He’s laziness and idleness, but she couldn’t tolerate Lian Shouyi’s gambling. On one hand, people who live properly disdain the ruinous habit of gambling, and on the other, if Lian Shouyi gambled and lost, incurring debts, the children would have to bear the repayment.

"...Advise and monitor them a bit. It’s not like you’re beating or scolding the elders. In Luo Family Village, you guys are locals; can’t you keep an eye on the two of them?" Lian Manman prompted Luo Xiaoyan, finally saying, "I’ll also talk to my dad, ask him to tell the people in our village to keep an eye out for you. If there’s something you don’t catch in time, they can tell you right away."

"In any case, you need to make firm decisions and pay more attention," Lian Manman advised Luo Xiaoyan.

"That’s fine. I’ll call the village head here and instruct him," Lian Shouxin said.

"Second sister-in-law, you can relax and take control. Everyone can distinguish right from wrong. Even if there are really some foolish people with something to say, if you can’t argue back, don’t we still have us?" Lian Manman reassured Luo Xiaoyan.

"Exactly, if you can indeed manage the two of them, you’ll be doing a great deed," Lady Zhang commented.

"I believe my second sister-in-law has the ability," Lian Manman added with a smile.

"Then, I’ll give it a try," Luo Xiaoyan said, a hint of a smile appearing on her face.

...

There will be an additional update later, requesting support with pink votes. We’re close to 550 pink votes, everyone work hard with Ruoyan O(∩_∩)O, doubling the pink votes means more power.

At 650 pink votes, there will be three updates, starry eyes. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations, monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)