Chen Lan's question completely stumped the two of them.
Wenrou Niang said, "Didn't you say you asked someone to get it from the old Russians? I was wondering how you had such connections."
Chen Lan continued to bluff, "Do you know who I asked?"
Wenrou Niang shook her head. "How would I know?"
Chen Lan lowered her voice and said mysteriously, "My father-in-law!"
Chen Lan's words startled them both! The mother-in-law immediately put on a stern face and reprimanded her, "Don't talk nonsense. Superstition is not allowed now."
Chen Lan said with sincere earnestness, "It's true! Mother, don't rush, just listen to me first."
"Last night when I had a high fever, didn't I pass out for a while?"
The mother-in-law and Wenrou Niang simultaneously showed expressions of fear and nodded in unison. Wenrou Niang said with lingering fear, "I was scared to death then! Thinking about it now, I'm still terrified."
"When I passed out, I saw my father-in-law. He looked exactly like the picture I'd seen. At first, I didn't believe it was my father-in-law, but he told me many things that happened at home. He even knew the current situation of everyone in the family, and even knew that Jia Yao and Jia Hui weren't getting enough milk. That's when I believed him!"
"Father-in-law told me that it wasn't where I should be right now, that the children are still young and can't leave me, and that the family is at a critical juncture and I can't falter. He told me to quickly donate the land and shops, and he would help solve the children's food problem. He told me to leave there immediately and just wait at home."
"And look, I saw this milk powder and baby bottles this morning."
At this point, the mother-in-law and Wenrou Niang couldn't help but believe. The mother-in-law asked hesitantly in a low voice, "Well, is your father-in-law doing alright over there?"
I held back my laughter and nodded vigorously. "He seemed to be doing well. His clothes were new, and his face was clean."
"Then? Did your father-in-law say anything else to you?"
"Yes, he told me to help you, Mother, to support the family, to raise Jia Yao, Jia Hui, and my younger brother to adulthood, and to see you off in your old age."
Upon hearing this, the mother-in-law couldn't hold back her tears. She mumbled, "This man, with his stubborn mule temper, even in the afterlife, his temper doesn't change. He's worried about the family, worried about the children. Couldn't you have sent me a dream too?"
Chen Lan was speechless. So the mother-in-law was jealous!
Wenrou Niang quickly interjected, "Lan'er, what about our family's affairs? We still have a silver shop, a pawnshop, and a cloth store in the capital. Should we donate all of them too?" Wenrou Niang looked extremely anxious.
Chen Lan nodded firmly. "Yes! We must donate!"
"Then! Then! That! Lan'er..." Sū Dān Xiǎo Shuō Wǎng
Wenrou Niang's hands began to tremble slightly. She opened her mouth for a long time but couldn't utter a single word. Tears involuntarily dripped down her face.
After a long while, she managed to say, "Lan'er, what do we do? What will happen to my younger brother and me in the future?"
Chen Lan quickly walked to Wenrou Niang's side, took her hand, and said, "Mother, don't be afraid. You, your two younger brothers, and I are here. Leave everything to me. Don't worry, I'm here. I will take care of you in your old age and raise them to be successful. Relax, just relax!"
As Chen Lan was patiently comforting Wenrou Niang and gently wiping away her tears, there was a soft knock at the door. Wenrou Niang quickly wiped the tears from her face, tidied her slightly rumpled collar, and sat up gracefully.
Chen Lan got up and walked to the door. She saw it was the butler, Uncle De. Uncle De was around fifty years old, of medium build, neither fat nor thin, and looked refined. Unfamiliar people might mistake him for a teacher.
Chen Lan respectfully called out, "Uncle De, you're here!"