Don't doubt it, this method really worked. How much is filial piety worth? In Old Madam Qiao's eyes, only real silver could hold sway. After hearing her son's solemn promises, Old Madam Qiao's mood immediately improved somewhat, and she began calculating eagerly.
Though Madam Qiao disliked Qiao Muniang, she was nonetheless covetous of the silver in that girl's hands. Qiao Muniang wasn't easy to deal with, not even a penny could be squeezed from her, so why not just let the third branch follow Qiao Muniang in business? Once they made silver, she still had her grip on her son, didn't she? In the end, wouldn't the silver end up in her hands anyway?
Old Madam Qiao's eyes flickered, and with a deliberate cough and an aggrieved expression, she addressed Qiao Yuanming, "You must remember the words you've spoken today. The fellow villagers are witnesses. If later on your family prospers but you neglect your parents, I'm telling you, the whole village won't stand by with cold eyes!"
