《Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!》


 Chapter 1 - 1 1 26 to 36_1

    ?1: Chapter 1: 26 to 36_1 1: Chapter 1: 26 to 36_1 Yang Zhulan stared blankly at the ceiling beam, actually seeing nothing.


    It wasn¡¯t even dawn outside yet; had she not received those memories, she would have screamed by now.


    In the darkness, her hands twisted the quilt on her body, using it as an outlet for her frustration.


    She had spiritedly set out to save someone, but not only did she fail to rescue them, she ended up transmigrating herself¡ªa truly unique experience.


    The thought of the rescue made Yang Zhulan bite down hard on her back teeth.


    In the 19th year, affected by the El Ni?o phenomenon, severe winds, heavy rainfall, and hailstorms were frequent.


    The Capital had seen several strong winds.


    As she was returning to her residence on an errand, having just parked her car, she saw the roof tiles wobbling in the gust, about to fall off, just as a man emerged.


    Without thinking, she rushed into the building, bringing the man with her to take shelter, but unexpectedly, he ended up on top of her, missing the chance to hide, and pain was the only sensation before she lost consciousness.


    When Zhulan reached this point in her thoughts, she figured if she had transmigrated, that burning-hot man must not have been spared either.


    At that thought, she felt a twinge of sorrow.


    A muffled groan came from beside her, and Zhulan didn¡¯t dare to move.


    The person next to her was none other than the original body¡¯s husband.


    Once more, she cursed the man who had trapped her in this situation.


    It wasn¡¯t until the breathing beside her steadied that Zhulan let out a sigh of relief.


    She had read quite a few novels, especially those featuring ancient farming life, but she never imagined she¡¯d have a chance to experience it herself.


    What she resented most was that she didn¡¯t aspire to transmigrate into a high-status body, nor did she dream of becoming a rich young lady as a pay-to-win player.


    But to be tricked into becoming a mother without saying, and to age ten years overnight, going from twenty-six with neither marriage nor romance directly to motherhood was bad enough, but at thirty-six to also become a grandmother¡ªthat¡¯s right, a grandmother, and not just of one grandchild.


    The wicked ancient society, marrying off at just over ten years old¡ªhow was she, who had been a lifelong single dog, to bear it!


    Zhulan sighed, her thoughts turning to her parents.


    Although both had remarried and had their own children, they had been good to her.


    Her grandparents, fearing she would be wronged, had left her all their property when they passed away.


    She really didn¡¯t worry about her parents; instead, she was concerned about her maternal grandparents, knowing they¡¯d be devastated to hear the news.


    She couldn¡¯t help but tear up, thinking more than once that if she were to die, perhaps she could go back.


    But it was only a fleeting thought; with a massive section of rooftop falling from such a height, survival seemed improbable.


    The more she thought about it, the harder it was to hold back her tears, and she cried silently.


    After crying herself out, she didn¡¯t know when she fell asleep again.


    In the morning, she was awakened by the crowing of roosters and finally got a clearer view of the bedroom¡¯s general situation.


    On the kang bed, there were two wooden boxes laid side by side, covered with unused quilts.


    There was a kang table and a basket for sewing materials standing in the corner.


    Looking at the floor, there was nothing at all, not even the memories she had received could prevent the shock in her heart. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    According to the memories, her current family was living quite well by the village standards, but aside from being slightly cleaner, everything else was shabby.


    She couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine the state of poorer families, not to mention the rough and scratchy quilt¡ªit was simply unbearable for her, yet for most families here, finding one without patches would be a challenge.


    Zhulan reminisced about the silk duvets of the modern world; she actually managed to sleep under such conditions the night before, surely because she was exhausted from crying.


    There were sounds of feeding chickens outside, and people talking.


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.¡±


    The architecture of ancient villages didn¡¯t have a thing called soundproofing; in her room, it was like being at a live broadcast.


    Zhulan sighed.


    She didn¡¯t want to get up; to be precise, she didn¡¯t want to face the original body¡¯s children and family members.


    Even though she had suddenly topped the food chain, and even though the name of her new identity was the same as hers, she felt no joy.


    Her gaze became unfocused as she looked at the pitch-dark ceiling beam.


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    There was a movement from the person beside her, a contemplative hum as if he was about to wake up.


    Zhulan¡¯s mind went blank; how could she have forgotten about the original body¡¯s husband?


    Sensing that he was about to wake, she quickly closed her eyes.

 Chapter 2 - 2 2 Original Husband_1

    ?2: Chapter 2 Original Husband_1 2: Chapter 2 Original Husband_1 Zhulan tried her hardest to keep her eyes closed and feign sleep, her ears perked up, listening carefully to the movements around her.


    Despite being awake for quite a while without any noise, after waiting for a bit, she could distinctly feel someone staring at her intently as if trying to see flowers bloom from her gaze.


    Zhulan dared not move an inch, yet couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit odd.


    She¡¯d been married to her husband for over twenty years; no matter how strong their affection, it wouldn¡¯t warrant such intense scrutiny first thing in the morning.


    A knock at the door.


    ¡°Mother, are you up yet?


    It¡¯s time to make breakfast.¡±


    According to Zhulan¡¯s memories, this eldest daughter-in-law was greatly favored by her original self, since she shared a similar temperament to her sister-in-law.


    The only downside was her tendency for minor scheming.


    From Lady Li¡¯s cautious call, it was clear the original self¡¯s status in the family was unshakable.


    Now, Zhulan couldn¡¯t pretend to sleep even if she wanted to.


    She didn¡¯t want to be discovered as a different soul, didn¡¯t want to be burned as a demon.


    Bad death was worse than clinging to life!


    Doing her best to mimic the original owner¡¯s tone, ¡°I¡¯m up, I¡¯ll be out in a moment.¡±


    Upon hearing a response without showing anger, Lady Li grew bolder, crisply replying, ¡°Alright!¡±


    But then she muttered, ¡°Acting all lovey-dovey despite being grandparents already.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­..¡±


    Is she lacking in sense?


    Doesn¡¯t she know there¡¯s no soundproofing here?


    Could her muttering be any quieter?


    With a darkened face, it was likely not just the eldest daughter-in-law who harbored such thoughts.


    If only she had known to get up earlier, but regretting it now was too late.


    Stirred by irritation, Zhulan snapped open her eyes and sat up, only to be stunned.


    Her husband, who had clearly been awake just moments ago, had closed his eyes again.


    His furrowed brow revealed he was feigning sleep.


    Was it embarrassment from hearing their daughter-in-law¡¯s words?


    As Zhulan put on her gray coat, she observed her original husband.


    Ancient men favored beards.


    Thankfully, he didn¡¯t have a handlebar mustache. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His skin was somewhat dark, yet his features were well-proportioned.


    Upon estimating his height, he was over one meter seventy¡ªa tall stature given the generally short average height in ancient times.


    Zhulan didn¡¯t care whether her husband was pretending to sleep or not.


    She quickly put on her shoes and stepped down to the ground.


    She truly feared her gossipy eldest daughter-in-law couldn¡¯t keep her mouth shut.


    If the neighbors knew, it meant the whole village would know, and she couldn¡¯t afford that sort of embarrassment.


    Trying her best to act like her original self, Zhulan rubbed her face before going out.


    She saw the eldest daughter-in-law chatting with the neighbors in the yard and gave her a glare, ¡°Hurry and come take the grain to make breakfast.


    If you don¡¯t want to cook, I¡¯ll let the second daughter-in-law do it in the future.¡±


    Lady Li shrank her neck.


    How could she let the second daughter-in-law take over?


    Cooking was an easy, clean, and untiring task that even allowed sneaking bites.


    Eager to please, she quickly ran over, ¡°Mother, you look really radiant today.


    They say beauty outshines the flowers, and they must be speaking of you.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.¡±


    She shouldn¡¯t have allowed Lady Li to start this.


    Just look at the neighbor¡¯s knowing glances.


    It was too late to prevent this.


    Whatever Lady Li had spread around, jumping into the Yellow River wouldn¡¯t wash her clean now.


    Zhulan shot Lady Li a sharp look, ¡°Hurry up and make breakfast.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t stand the neighbors¡¯ stares any longer.


    Zhulan unlocked the storeroom and scooped a bowl of rice from the jar, also taking the usual amount of cornmeal needed for breakfast according to memory.


    She wanted rice porridge.


    Then, instead of returning to the bedroom, she sat down on a chair, recalling the original owner¡¯s memories.


    She needed to sort things out properly.


    The dynasty the original self lived in didn¡¯t exist in the annals of history.


    The new dynasty had been established only eleven years ago.


    The succession of dynasties, the unrest at the end of the previous dynasty, and the wars that raged for over a decade meant that, from birth, the original self never had a peaceful day.


    Even after the new dynasty was established, life didn¡¯t improve much.


    With the new dynasty¡¯s establishment, the eleven years of recuperation didn¡¯t bring prosperity back to the war-torn land.


    Even with reduced taxes, the common farmers were barely making ends meet.


    The original self was married off at fifteen, right at the start of a decade of war.


    It was the turmoil of war that gave her the chance to marry her husband, a fifteen-year-old scholar.


    Unfortunately, her husband¡¯s prime years coincided with the end of the previous dynasty, a time when demons seemed to run rampant, the imperial examinations were halted, and war lingered for ten years.


    By the time the new dynasty was founded, they had a string of children, and her husband was too old to harbor any ambitions, focusing all his hopes on their sons instead.

 Chapter 3 - 3 3 The Original Identity is a Wicked Old Woman_1

    ?3: Chapter 3 The Original Identity is a Wicked Old Woman_1 3: Chapter 3 The Original Identity is a Wicked Old Woman_1 Zhulan touched her chin; the original body was truly fertile.


    Despite the chaos of war for ten years, she didn¡¯t miss out on bearing children, having a total of six.


    Just one more and she could summon a squad of Super Calabash Brothers.


    In this family, the eldest was twenty-one, with a mind somewhat like the original body, not cut out for academics.


    His strength, however, was considerable, and though he had been beaten with sticks, he still knew the ¡°Three Character Classic,¡± the ¡°Hundred Family Surnames,¡± and the ¡°Thousand Character Classic.¡±


    The eldest had married at fifteen, taking Lady Li from a neighboring village as his wife.


    In six years of marriage, they had three children: a five-year-old grandson, a three-year-old grandson, and a one-year-old granddaughter.


    Carrying on the family lineage was important, which was also why Lady Li held herself so firmly.


    The second eldest was twenty years old, a tragic child sandwiched between an older brother by one year and a younger sister by one.


    He received less attention and was reticent by nature, taking after his deceased father, silent and uncomplaining.


    Even if he was more intelligent than the eldest, he didn¡¯t get much attention.


    Set in his ways, he too married early, taking Zhao as his wife, a bride exchanged for grain, which he had bartered for himself.


    They had a three-year-old granddaughter, and currently, Zhao was pregnant, expecting another child.


    Zhulan squinted her eyes; the second eldest was quiet, but his will was the strongest in the family.


    The third child was nineteen years old, the eldest daughter, who had already married off and had two children.


    Zhulan was silent; not only was she a grandmother, but also a grandmother-in-law.


    The fourth child was fourteen, quite clever, said to have taken after the deceased grandmother, and was currently studying at the village school.


    The fifth child was eleven, born in the newly established dynasty, another son, and with a penchant for academics.


    He was treasured and coddled, feared to be dropped when held, feared to melt when kept in the mouth, and he appeared indifferent, as if nothing mattered to him.


    The sixth child was a young daughter, seven years old, inheriting the best traits of both parents and spoiled with their doting affection.


    She was the darling of her parents.


    Zhulan¡¯s head ached as she thought; in modern times, one could live well on their own, without a whole family to feed.


    Now, she counted and, excluding the eldest daughter who had married out, there were thirteen members in the household, a large family.


    Already struggling with poor harvests, the last few years had been disaster years, and meals had to be carefully rationed.


    Zhulan stood up; she hadn¡¯t washed up yet.


    She performed her ablutions according to memory, and as she looked at her blurred reflection in the basin, she saw the original body was tall, nearly one meter sixty, but very thin.


    Constant childbearing had depleted her vitality, and if the births of the last three children hadn¡¯t been spaced out, the original owner of the body would have died young.


    Now that she had taken over, she wanted to live a long, long life and recover the lifespan of the modern era.


    After washing up, Zhulan encountered Zhao, the timid second daughter-in-law.


    Regardless of how the original body felt about her, she had never actually mistreated her.


    On the contrary, Zhao acted as if she dared not breathe too loudly around her, always looking as if she were about to cry.


    Every encounter with Zhao in the village led to rumors about the original body being a terrible mother-in-law, a cycle that only increased the original body¡¯s dislike for Zhao.


    But truly, the original body had done nothing more to Zhao than turn a cold shoulder and ignore her.


    Zhulan watched as Zhao clutched her belly as if she were about to collapse, and her stomach ached in empathy.


    This one must be a Black Lotus, skilled in the art of deception, not someone to provoke.


    Perhaps she could just avoid her!


    After avoiding the second daughter-in-law, Zhulan surveyed the courtyard.


    The courtyard was newly built after demolishing the old house, a decade old now, with the large number of children in mind during construction, providing additional rooms.


    The main house had two rooms, with three rooms on each side, plus the storerooms beside the main house.


    From a distance, it looked enviable, not a blue brick house, but it could be considered a landmark building of the village.


    Zhulan looked at the courtyard with narrowed eyes.


    Right now, she especially wanted to go back to the main house and rummage through the Money Box.


    As she pieced together her memories, she realized she had underestimated the original body! S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 4 - 4 4 Power of Discourse_1

    ?4: Chapter 4 Power of Discourse_1 4: Chapter 4 Power of Discourse_1 Unfortunately, with her original husband present in the bedroom, she dared not make any unusual movements.


    She could only suppress her thoughts and wait with a sigh to eat.


    Her children got up one after another, and Zhulan intentionally avoided them, unsure of how to interact, preferring to watch from a distance.


    Lady Li had prepared breakfast, and Zhulan sat in the original owner¡¯s seat with a wooden expression.


    Two tables were set, one for men and one for women.


    The only two dishes were pickles and radish soup.


    At the women¡¯s table, she had to allocate the staple food, seriously doubting how she, who knew nothing about farming, was going to survive in this ancient pastoral life.


    With that thought in mind, she felt that being a mother-in-law wasn¡¯t so bad either, at least there were people serving her and she had absolute authority when it came to speaking.


    The children looked longingly at the limited amount of rice porridge.


    Zhulan sighed and served each one a bowl.


    In this era, eating rice was a luxury.


    At the neighboring table, the eldest son, Zhou Changli, frowned, ¡°Mother, why hasn¡¯t father gotten up?


    Is he feeling unwell?¡±


    Zhulan then remembered, the original husband hadn¡¯t left the room at all.


    She frowned, knowing it was impossible for her to check on him, still not having figured out how to interact with the original husband.


    ¡°Eldest, you go and check on him!¡±


    Zhou Changli responded, ¡°Alright!¡±


    Zhulan, holding her bowl, had even less of an appetite.


    From her memories to the situation she observed, a divorce was impossible.


    In an ancient time with a strict hierarchical system and an unfamiliar environment, she really didn¡¯t know how to carry on daily life. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She sipped the rice porridge, which tasted genuinely good due to being green and unpolluted, and found her appetite slightly returning.


    Soon, Zhou Changli came back, ¡°Mother, father isn¡¯t feeling well and is resting for a while.¡±


    Zhulan breathed a sigh of relief, glad that she didn¡¯t have to interact with her original husband.


    She imitated the original owner¡¯s tone, ¡°Alright then, you all hurry up and eat.


    Those who need to go to the fields, go to the fields, and those who need to go to school, go to school.¡±


    No one else contested, in the countryside, it was normal to not feel well or catch a cold, so they were used to it.


    During breakfast, Zhulan only drank a bowl of porridge, her appetite was small due to the worries in her heart.


    Lady Li eyed the cornbread in front of her mother-in-law eagerly, her heart rejoicing.


    ¡°Mother, aren¡¯t you eating?¡±


    Zhulan twitched the corner of her mouth, the gaze on the food was as if she was staring at meat.


    She felt even more uncomfortable in her stomach as she noticed the second daughter-in-law Zhao¡¯s resentful and hesitant look.


    ¡°Eat, eat, you all stare at food as if there¡¯s no tomorrow.


    I won¡¯t eat it, so just leave it, and nobody else should think about it.¡±


    Lady Li closed her mouth, and Zhao also looked away.


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­..¡±


    Life really was unbearable!


    Out of sight, out of mind, she left the table with a cold face and didn¡¯t return to her room.


    Instead, she sat by the well, watching Zhao clean up the table after breakfast.


    Her somewhat restless heart felt a bit more at ease; at least she didn¡¯t have to do any chores.


    Zhulan sat there for a while.


    The eldest son took the second to the fields, and the younger ones went to school, leaving the yard quiet.


    She remained seated.


    ¡°Mother, what¡¯s wrong with you?


    Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Zhou Xuehan had been observing her mother all morning.


    Her usually spirited mother had been sighing and daydreaming all morning, which was very odd.


    She had not dared to approach, but after overhearing the soft discussions between her sisters-in-law, she couldn¡¯t help but come over and ask.


    Zhulan came back to her senses.


    She had been continuing to sort the memories in her head.


    She saw her mother¡¯s little girl, who was indeed beautiful, with hair long enough to be tied up into pigtails, a face still holding a bit of baby fat, and large, blinking eyes that were incredibly cute.


    However, Zhulan¡¯s heart was complicated.


    She motioned with her hand, ¡°Mother is just thinking about some things, there¡¯s nothing wrong.


    Come to mother¡¯s side.¡±


    Zhou Xuehan crisply agreed, her tone cheerful, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Zhulan was not so pleased.


    She had thought she had crossed over to a parallel time space, hence the unfamiliar dynasty.


    But sorting through her memories, she realized she had caught onto a trend and became a transmigrator!

 Chapter 5 - 5 5 Supplementing Bricks and Tiles_1

    ?5: Chapter 5 Supplementing Bricks and Tiles_1 5: Chapter 5 Supplementing Bricks and Tiles_1 It seems I¡¯ve transmigrated into a farming novel I read a long time ago.


    The title was something like ¡°The Villainess¡¯s Counterattack,¡± and the original body¡¯s youngest daughter was the original protagonist.


    I remember the plot.


    The original family was full of scumbags, constantly getting slapped in the face by the villainess¡¯s counterattacks, burning with their sense of existence.


    As I read it at that time, the more I read, the more I felt that the values promoted by the villainess¡¯s triumphant counterattack were twisted, so I stopped reading.


    It seemed to have been discontinued from what I remember.


    Zhulan calculated the timing, and it was perfect.


    The transmigrator who turns into the villainess had already arrived, coincidentally on the same day.


    What fate, but she had no intention of letting her whole family continue to burn for the sake of the villainess¡¯s counterattack.


    It would be best to keep her distance from the villainess in the future.


    Zhulan stroked her daughter¡¯s hair; oh, it was comfortable.


    She couldn¡¯t let her daughter fall victim to schemes.


    In the plot, her daughter ended up mistreated to the point that no one dared to marry her.


    I stopped following the story, but without thinking about it, I knew it couldn¡¯t have ended well.


    To be objective, although the original host¡¯s memories were a bit biased, it¡¯s not fair to say the entire family was scum.


    Aside from the daughter-in-law of the second son, who was painted in a particularly bad light, the others weren¡¯t praised but didn¡¯t descend to the level of complete trash either.


    Especially regarding original host being vilified as an evil mother-in-law, part of it was due to the second son¡¯s wife, and the other part was the result of jealousy from the village gossips.


    After all, a daughter-in-law will eventually become a mother-in-law, and since the original body was genuinely kind to her, and on top of that, she gave birth to several sons and lived in a large house in the village, she indeed became an object of envy and jealousy.


    The original host was also aware of this.


    Although she detested the second son¡¯s wife, she knew that the root of the problem wasn¡¯t entirely with the daughter-in-law.


    From an observer¡¯s perspective, Zhulan felt the original host certainly had her faults, but it was unjust to label her as scum.


    In troubled times, not being fierce only meant being bullied.


    The more Zhulan understood, the more she realized that the depiction in the novel was too simplistic.


    She had not merely transmigrated into a book but into a real world, where every person has their own thoughts.


    Zhou Xuehan frowned, ¡°Mother, my hair is coming undone.¡±


    Zhulan let go somewhat guiltily.


    There used to be a cat at her grandmother¡¯s house that she petted so often that now, without thinking, she had gotten carried away, ¡°Alright, no need to stay with mother, go and play!¡± S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhou Xuehan stood up happily, ¡°I¡¯m going to play with Sanya.¡±


    Zhulan thought for a moment; the name sounded familiar.


    It was the name of the villainess before she had changed it, ¡°Ahem, don¡¯t go.


    I remember Sanya just got beaten and is probably having a hard time even getting out of bed.¡±


    Zhou Xuehan pursed her lips and stealthily touched her coin purse, where there was half a piece of cake, ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll just go and come back really quick.¡±


    With that, she ran out, and Zhulan couldn¡¯t stop her even if she had tried.


    So this was the start of the plot.


    After Sanya was beaten, Wang Ru transmigrated, inherited Sanya¡¯s memories, met Xuehan and thought Xuehan was showing off, taking it to heart.


    She even ate the corn cake Xuehan gave her with a sense of entitlement, harboring resentment while accepting help from Xuehan.


    Zhulan was speechless.


    If Wang Ru had been strong and kept her distance from Xuehan, she could have respected her.


    But to take advantage while harboring resentment, not giving credit where it¡¯s due, that¡¯s just plain wrong.


    Especially after realizing that Xuehan was the protagonist, she shamelessly competed with Xuehan for opportunities.


    All the while consoling herself that Xuehan owed Sanya.


    Zhulan didn¡¯t understand at all what a seven-year-old child could owe.


    In any case, just to avoid being portrayed negatively, the protagonist slung all the blame on Xuehan, distorting moral values.


    Upon reflection, it seemed Wang Ru¡¯s memories, received from Sanya, were biased.


    Xuehan was an object of jealousy in the village, let alone in Sanya¡¯s family, which was severely patriarchal.


    Sanya surely felt envious, and who knows, perhaps she had been harboring hatred early on.


    Zhulan had a headache for not being able to stop her.


    Her daughter had gone and made an impression, probably already maximizing the hate meter.


    There was a loud clang that startled Zhulan.


    She dashed into the main room where the original body¡¯s husband, Zhou Shuren, had fallen to the ground, moaning in pain.


    Zhulan quickly helped him up, and upon touching his forehead, she found it was burning hot.


    He was running a high fever, which was alarming because typhoid could be deadly in ancient times.

 Chapter 6 - 6 6 The Grueling Ancient Transportation_1

    ?6: Chapter 6: The Grueling Ancient Transportation_1 6: Chapter 6: The Grueling Ancient Transportation_1 Zhulan called out, ¡°Eldest son¡¯s wife, eldest son¡¯s wife.¡±


    Lady Li was slacking off inside the house.


    Hearing her mother-in-law¡¯s shout, she jumped in fright, almost tumbling off the kang bed.


    Clutching her child, she asked, ¡°Mother, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Zhulan, supporting her husband as he lay on the kang, said to Lady Li, ¡°Go call back the eldest and the second sons.


    Tell them to borrow an ox cart from Lizheng¡¯s home to take your father into town to see a doctor.¡±


    Only then did Lady Li notice her suffering father-in-law.


    She hurriedly ran off.


    Zhulan stood up to fetch water, wringing out a cloth to wipe her husband¡¯s forehead, trying to cool him down.


    The second son¡¯s wife, Lady Zhao, arrived late, standing in the doorway, already in tears, looking as if she were at a funeral.


    This irritated Zhulan so much she snapped, ¡°If you can¡¯t help, then go back to your room.


    Stop crying; it¡¯s bad luck.¡±


    Zhulan hadn¡¯t controlled her volume when she shouted, and Lady Zhao, wiping away tears, left. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhulan couldn¡¯t be bothered to roll her eyes, her reputation as a mean mother-in-law surely growing louder.


    Zhulan¡¯s entire focus was on the condition of her original husband.


    Her heart couldn¡¯t be more conflicted.


    If her original husband didn¡¯t pull through, a part of her would feel relieved, but she couldn¡¯t get past the guilt; it was a living, breathing life.


    After changing the cloth several times, her husband¡¯s forehead was less hot.


    He murmured, ¡°Water, water.¡±


    Zhulan quickly switched the cloth and went to the hall to pour water.


    Fortunately, it was Li Qiu now, not as hot as summer.


    The teapot¡¯s water, heated that morning, was now cool enough.


    She carefully fed him a bowl of water and only relaxed when she saw her husband settle down a bit.


    She hurriedly climbed onto the kang, took out the keys, and found the Money Box, now no time to worry about wealth.


    She took out a few pieces of broken silver and counted several dozen copper coins, quickly locking it up again.


    She had experience caring for the sick; when her grandparents were hospitalized and her father was busy, it was always she who kept vigil.


    She took out the blankets she had brought, and when everything was ready, the eldest and the second sons arrived with the ox cart.


    The cart was lined with straw, which was then covered with blankets.


    Zhulan directed them to build up the straw walls higher on both sides to block the wind.


    After ensuring nothing was left behind, she handed Lady Li the food for noon and evening, locked the door, and then got onto the cart.


    Riding in ancient carts was torturous.


    The country lanes were full of potholes, and the wheels had no suspension.


    The constant jolting was unbearable, even for someone not prone to motion sickness.


    Zhulan felt nauseated by the bumpy ride, which took almost half an hour to reach the county city.


    Zhoujia Village was considered close to the county city.


    Zhulan dared not think how long it would¡¯ve taken if it were farther away.


    Curiously observing her surroundings, Zhulan realized that what she remembered and what she was seeing was different.


    Based on geographic location, where Zhulan resided was actually quite close to the capital.


    If they went any closer by cart, it would still take almost half a month.


    The transportation in ancient times was truly torturous.


    The county city was bustling.


    This wasn¡¯t the ancient city one toured as a tourist; it was the real ancient times.


    The book revolved around a heroine¡¯s rise against adversity.


    To facilitate the protagonist, the setting allowed women to establish their own households, seek divorces, and go out.


    Along the way, Zhulan noticed many women on the streets¡ªladies, matrons, and those running stalls.


    She was pleased; she disliked the low status of women.


    There were two medical clinics in the county.


    Zhulan didn¡¯t skimp and chose the best one.


    Perhaps it was the change of the season, but there were quite a few patients.


    Zhulan watched over her husband while the eldest son queued up.


    Because her maternal grandfather owned a medicinal cuisine shop and knew some traditional medicine, she had developed great admiration for traditional Chinese medicine through what she heard and saw.


    It was a pity she had no talent for it; after more than twenty years, she only remembered a few recipes for health cultivation, and that was solely for her grandparents¡¯ sake.


    The second son came running over, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s father¡¯s turn.¡±


    Zhulan helped her husband up; his head was no longer so hot, which gave her some relief.


    Once she had him lying down inside, she grew anxious again.


    The doctor stroked his beard for a long time without saying anything, which was maddening.


    The doctor released his pulse-taking hand, ¡°Overthinking combined with catching a cold, making it more severe.


    It¡¯s nothing serious.


    I¡¯ll write a prescription for three days¡¯ worth of medicine.


    Go home, brew it, and drink it.


    Return for a follow-up in three days.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.¡±


    Overthinking?


    Zhulan didn¡¯t recall her family having anything to worry about.

 Chapter 7 - 7 7 Stop Bashing Her, Okay_1

    ?7: Chapter 7 Stop Bashing Her, Okay_1 7: Chapter 7 Stop Bashing Her, Okay_1 Zhulan gestured to her two sons to look after her husband while she followed the doctor out and sat in front of him as he wrote out the prescription.


    Then she thought of herself, her body had become severely weakened from consecutive childbirths; otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have ended up here.


    When the doctor finished writing the prescription, she spoke up, ¡°Doctor, please take a look at me too, I feel weak all over, my lower back hurts, I sweat profusely, and I have no strength at all.¡±


    Zhulan wasn¡¯t lying; she felt it when she got up in the morning.


    Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t need her sons¡¯ help to support her husband at all, as she remembered being quite able on her own.


    The doctor stroked his beard, ¡°Stretch out your hand.¡±


    Zhulan became even more anxious, fearing that there was something seriously wrong with her body.


    She had just come to accept her new identity; it couldn¡¯t be that she was now in bad health, which would truly be a death sentence.


    The doctor released her hand, ¡°Your body is extremely depleted and you have overworked yourself, but fortunately, you have a good foundation.


    However, you need to slowly recover and replenish your vitality, which will not be cheap nor quick.


    Should I prescribe something for you?¡±


    Zhulan looked at her grey cloth clothes, the kind she wore for housework, which she didn¡¯t even bother to change before rushing out.


    Indeed, she didn¡¯t look like someone who could afford treatment.


    In ancient rural areas, very few families were willing to afford the recuperation, especially the elderly.


    But Zhulan thought of the original owner¡¯s memories and felt confident, ¡°Please do so, I can afford it.¡±


    The doctor was surprised for a moment but didn¡¯t ask any further questions.


    He promptly wrote a prescription for three days¡¯ worth of treatment, ¡°Come back after three days so I can check your pulse and see how you¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thank you, doctor.¡±


    Luckily, Zhulan had brought enough money.


    Her husband¡¯s medicine was cheap; three days¡¯ worth was less than one hundred coins. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hers, however, was expensive; three days¡¯ worth was one liang.


    No wonder the doctor had confirmed it several times.


    This was just for three days, and a month¡¯s treatment would cost nearly ten liang; her heart trembled at the thought.


    It was past noon when Zhulan had her eldest son buy some meat-stuffed buns.


    After feeling her thin arm and seeing her husband¡¯s gaunt appearance, she decided to buy four jin of fatty pork and added two large bones, spending a total of forty-two coins.


    After this single outing and paying for the Lizheng¡¯s cart hire, she had spent one liang one hundred sixty coins.


    Zhulan felt sentimental; whether in the modern age or ancient times, seeking medical care was always expensive.


    When she returned home, her husband had still not regained consciousness.


    Zhulan, concerned about money and not feeling much joy, looked even paler due to the jostling of the journey.


    Just as she reached her house, news spread through the village that Zhou Shuren was on his deathbed.


    Zhulan took out a pottery jar to prepare the medicine, while entrusting the pork to her eldest daughter-in-law.


    Her skills were limited to those from her modern life ¨C mainly takeout and restaurant dining ¨C she only knew how to make simple dishes and certainly not something as complex as rendering fat from pork.


    In total, she bought twelve meat buns, at two coins each.


    Zhulan ate one, saved two for her sons at school, left one for her young daughter who was out, and distributed the rest among her eldest and second sons¡ªeight buns for four people in the family.


    As Zhulan had just started to boil the medicine, the second son¡¯s wife came to her with a bun, trembling, ¡°Mother, this is for you to eat.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­¡±


    She was perplexed; sharing buns had scared Lady Zhao half to death.


    Lady Li, who was cutting the pork, glanced over, ¡°Mother, the boys haven¡¯t had enough to eat yet!¡±


    Zhulan gave her eldest daughter-in-law a sidelong glance.


    The original owner truly liked her bold and spicy nature, but she was also sneaky.


    With a weary look, Zhulan spoke tersely to Lady Zhao, ¡°Eat it if it¡¯s given to you, and don¡¯t bother me.


    Hurry up and get out.¡±


    Lady Zhao¡¯s eyes reddened as she started to sniffle, ¡°Mother, you¡¯re really kind.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­¡±


    If you truly think I¡¯m kind, then please stop crying.


    Stop blackening my name, okay?

 Chapter 8 - 8 8 Stop Drawing Aggro_1

    ?8: Chapter 8 Stop Drawing Aggro_1 8: Chapter 8 Stop Drawing Aggro_1 ¡°Mom, Mom.¡±


    Zhulan heard her little girl and quickly wiped her hands, ¡°What¡¯s this, why are you crying?


    Tell Mom who¡¯s been bullying you.¡±


    Xue Han¡¯s little face was streaked with tears, ¡°Mrs.


    Wu and the others said that Dad is not going to make it, hic.¡±


    Zhulan busily patted her daughter¡¯s back, the little girl was crying so hard she was hiccupping, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to those idle gossips, your dad is doing fine!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Zhulan smiled, ¡°Really, Mom is brewing medicine for him right now!¡±


    ¡°Then I will go see Dad.¡±


    Zhulan hurriedly followed, then paused.


    It had only been a day, yet she accepted everything so naturally, really taking herself for a mother.


    Entering the room, Xue Han cautiously touched her husband¡¯s head and sniffed, ¡°Dad, get well soon.¡±


    Zhulan stroked her daughter¡¯s hair, feeling warmth in her heart.


    The original text had made no small effort to vilify this child, but upon actual contact, the child had a kind heart and was filial, ¡°Don¡¯t disturb your dad now, come, Mom has saved a meat bun for you.¡±


    Swallowing her saliva, Xue Han stopped crying and looked longingly at the meat bun, then at her father, who was still unconscious on the kang bed, and shook her head ¡°Dad¡¯s sick, give it to Dad to eat.¡±


    Zhulan¡¯s heart melted completely and she gave it to her daughter, ¡°Your dad is sick and can¡¯t eat anything too greasy, so you eat it!¡±


    Only then did Xue Han take it, her eyes bending, ¡°Thank you, Mom.


    Have you eaten?¡±


    ¡°Sweetie, Mom has eaten, now you eat.¡±


    Xue Han was about to leave with the bun when Zhulan quickly stopped her, ¡°Don¡¯t give the bun to Third Sister, just eat it yourself.¡±


    Xue Han blinked, ¡°Mom, Third Sister was beaten so badly she can¡¯t get off the kang.


    If it weren¡¯t for my corn cakes, the Wang family wouldn¡¯t have had anything to feed her.¡±


    Zhulan listened, her heart aching with discomfort.


    So, it seemed like Xue Han had at least saved Third Sister¡¯s, no, Wang Ru¡¯s life.


    Why was she not remembered for the good later on?


    ¡°Mom knows you have a good heart, but there has to be a limit, right?


    Giving her corn cakes won¡¯t attract attention, but giving her a meat bun won¡¯t even reach her mouth before she might get beaten again.


    Think about it, will Third Sister be able to keep it?¡±


    Xue Han thought for a bit, ¡°The corn cakes were eaten secretly this morning.


    I was even questioned by Granny Wang when I left.


    Mom, I¡¯ll listen to you, I won¡¯t go.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my good girl.


    Go on then.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Zhulan was pleased her daughter hadn¡¯t attracted any hatred and hadn¡¯t wasted food on an ungrateful person, she couldn¡¯t help but hum a song.


    Then she jumped, startled¡ªher original husband had opened his eyes at some point and was staring straight at her with a somewhat unsettling gaze.


    Zhulan felt timid, ¡°Awake, are you?


    I¡¯ll go make your medicine right now.¡±


    Saying this, she ran out quickly, calling out to her eldest daughter-in-law, ¡°Your dad¡¯s awake, hurry up and boil some hot water to make some rice porridge.¡±


    Lady Li was startled and bit her tongue while sneaking a bite, her speech a bit slurred, ¡°Okay, okay, Mom.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­¡±


    She silently repeated to herself three times that they were just making a fuss because they were poor before she calmed down.


    She really couldn¡¯t stand the sight of Lady Li sneaking food.


    Zhulan sat on a little stool, staring at the clay pot, her mind uneasy.


    Her husband¡¯s behavior was very strange.


    According to the original memories, they were a couple since their youth and had weathered storms together, their love as solid as iron.


    But today, her husband¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t seem right, not like those of a husband toward his wife, more like a stranger¡¯s.


    This thought gave Zhulan a fright, and she grew increasingly uneasy.


    Could he have discovered she wasn¡¯t the original owner of this body?


    Then she thought again that can¡¯t be right.


    She hadn¡¯t had any contact with her husband since morning, the only time being when he was still unconscious.


    Recalling carefully, it seemed her husband had been acting strange since morning.


    And there was what the doctor had said about him having many worries¡ªit set her mind racing with speculations, and once the thoughts started, she couldn¡¯t calm them. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lady Li shouted, ¡°Mom, the rice porridge is ready.¡±


    ¡°I know, make sure you control your mouth.


    If I catch you stealing food again, you¡¯ll see how I¡¯ll deal with you.


    Got it?¡±


    ¡°Got it, Mom.¡±

 Chapter 9 - 9 9 Talking About the Owed Life_1

    ?9: Chapter 9 Talking About the Owed Life_1 9: Chapter 9 Talking About the Owed Life_1 Zhulan¡¯s medicine was ready, and she poured it out before scooping up a bowl of rice porridge.


    After washing the only spoon in the house, a suspicion crept into her mind as she carried the medicine and porridge back to the main room.


    Upon entering, Zhulan noticed shoes on the ground, an indication that someone had gotten up, likely to use the bathroom.


    The thought of the bathroom made her feel nauseous; she had never used a rural outhouse before.


    Public restrooms were a rarity for her, and in ancient times, feces were collected.


    With a pit next to the outhouses and having just endured summer, the smell was pungent and overwhelming.


    She tried to stop thinking about it, as it only made her feel worse.


    ¡°Awake?¡±


    Unfortunately, there was no answer; the person on the kang bed still had their eyes closed.


    Zhulan didn¡¯t take it to heart.


    Instead, her suspicions continued to grow as she slowly blew on the cooling rice porridge.


    Finally, she spoke up, ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten in nearly a day.


    Get up and eat something to pad your stomach before you drink the medicine.¡±


    The eyes of the person on the kang fluttered but they remained silent, not opening their eyes, though the grumbling of their stomach was particularly loud.


    Zhulan, seeing her husband¡¯s ears turn red and with a curling smile, brought the spoon to his lips, ¡°It¡¯s cooled down, drink!¡±


    The person on the kang could no longer feign sleep and opened their eyes, pursing their lips and staring at the spoon, then at the bowl.


    Zhulan said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s been washed with hot water.¡±


    Zhou Shuren¡¯s eyes flickered as he hummed an acknowledgment and drank the porridge from the spoon.


    Then he said, ¡°I can drink by myself.¡±


    Zhulan was relieved she didn¡¯t have to attend to someone else, so she passed the bowl to him.


    Her mood was genuinely good right now; she suspected that the man with her had also transmigrated.


    As for who it might be, it had to be the man who had played her.


    She guessed that he¡¯d realized she wasn¡¯t the original owner of the body, probably because she let her guard down while humming happily.


    She felt more at ease now and even had the mood to watch him eat porridge.


    Lady Li called out from outside, ¡°Mother, the lard is rendered.


    What should we cook for dinner?¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Zhulan remembered that since this was a novel and it was set in a fictional dynasty, vegetables were plentiful, even chili peppers which were only introduced in the late Ming dynasty were available.


    Thankfully it was fictional, because she had a strong preference for spicy food, which she couldn¡¯t indulge in right now as she needed to nourish her body, ¡°Let¡¯s stew some cabbage, add plenty of oil to replenish our needs, and put some cracklings in tonight¡¯s pancakes.¡±


    Lady Li replied cheerfully, ¡°Got it, mother.¡±


    Zhulan thought that she, like her mother-in-law, also wanted to be a good mother-in-law.


    She¡¯d never made life difficult for her daughter-in-law.


    Although she managed the household expenses, she wasn¡¯t miserly and didn¡¯t watch their every move.


    Thinking of her own mother-in-law, Zhulan¡¯s gaze flickered.


    The raspy voice became a bit smoother, ¡°Is there any more?¡± Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhulan looked at the nearly empty bowl, ¡°Yes, just wait.¡±


    As she went to get more porridge, Zhulan glanced at the oil jar and the cracklings, nodding in satisfaction.


    Lady Li was good with measurements.


    When she returned to the bedroom, the bowl of medicine was empty.


    Zhulan raised her eyebrows and handed him the bowl, ¡°There¡¯s more porridge in the clay jar, enough for you to eat.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Zhulan watched the man with his head down eating porridge and let out a light chuckle, ¡°You¡¯re not scared that I might have poisoned the medicine, yet you drink so readily.¡±


    Zhou Shuren stiffened.


    He hadn¡¯t considered that possibility.


    From the moment she had left and come back in, he knew he couldn¡¯t hide anything¡ªthe truth must have slipped out.


    He hadn¡¯t figured out how to broach the topic and hadn¡¯t thought that a secret known by one is a secret but a secret known by two is not.


    He wondered if she would really poison him.


    But then he felt reassured and continued to eat his porridge.


    After finishing and feeling something in his stomach, he felt stronger and looked up, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    Zhulan arched an eyebrow.


    She had been deliberate with her words.


    A stranger had come into her home, and it was only natural to probe and prepare herself, knowing what kind of person she was dealing with.


    The fact that he hadn¡¯t reacted angrily gave her some confidence in trusting him, ¡°Now, can we talk about the life you owe me?¡±

 Chapter 10 - 10 10 Six of one, half a dozen of the other _1

    ?10: Chapter 10 Six of one, half a dozen of the other _1 10: Chapter 10 Six of one, half a dozen of the other _1 Zhou Shuren choked and couldn¡¯t stop coughing, because he felt guilty, how could he not feel guilty?


    He had been wondering who had traveled with him to the ancient times, pondering over it as he lay there, realizing that the most likely person was the kind-hearted girl who had offered him help.


    Yet, facing the girl only made him feel more guilty. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She had helped him out of kindness, and instead, he had dragged her into trouble.


    Indeed, he owed her his life.


    Zhulan, seeing Zhou Shuren¡¯s reaction, didn¡¯t hurry him.


    Zhou Shuren caught his breath and lifted his head.


    He hadn¡¯t dared to look closely this morning, but now he took a careful look at the original body¡¯s wife.


    Her complexion was pale, her hair a bit yellow, and their gazes met.


    The eyes were different, brighter now, a clever glint in them that made him relax and smile.


    Zhulan knew she was being assessed and kept her cool, raising an eyebrow to ask, ¡°What are you laughing at?¡±


    Zhou Shuren replied with a smile in his eyes, ¡°You¡¯re quite good.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.¡±


    Zhou Shuren saw Zhulan¡¯s face fall and quickly changed the subject, ¡°You¡¯re right, I indeed owe you my life.¡±


    Zhulan gritted her teeth, ¡°Do you know how much you¡¯ve put me through?


    Back in modern times, I was twenty-six, without a boyfriend, unmarried, with my own house and savings, living a carefree life.


    Now I¡¯m ten years older, with a worn-out body, and I have to manage a whole household.


    The point is, I don¡¯t know how to farm, I¡¯ve never lived in the countryside, I¡¯m completely in the dark.¡±


    Zhou Shuren felt a bit uncomfortable, stroking the quilt.


    He didn¡¯t know how to farm either, even though he had the memories of the original body, he still wasn¡¯t the original person.


    Zhulan took one look at him and understood immediately.


    Right, they were both in the same boat.


    Puckering her lips in frustration, she thought that she couldn¡¯t divorce, so the two of them were tied together.


    She narrowed her eyes, ¡°You owe me, so you¡¯re responsible for the rest of my life.


    There¡¯s no chance of separation.¡±


    Zhou Shuren was stunned.


    He hadn¡¯t considered the possibility of divorce when his wife was swapped, feeling uncomfortable with the idea, yet knowing it was unrealistic ¡ª this was ancient times, not the present where divorce is as casual as drinking water.


    Besides, he was the head of the family, his wife hadn¡¯t erred, and his conscience wouldn¡¯t permit a divorce.


    Now that he knew the original wife had been replaced, he was pleased inside.


    At least she wasn¡¯t a stranger, and even if he had changed, he wouldn¡¯t be treated as a monster.


    Moreover, both coming from the modern world, he did owe her a life, making their relationship the closest by default.


    And two people in a strange environment were always better than one.


    As husband and wife, they could cover for each other and, knowing each other well, could support one another.


    When facing issues, they had someone to discuss with, a much better scenario than fighting alone.


    Zhou Shuren thought for a while, and his tone became more cheerful, ¡°That goes without saying.¡±


    Zhulan huffed, ¡°And no taking concubines either.¡±


    He had dragged her to ancient times; he could dream on about taking concubines and living the easy life.


    She wasn¡¯t very lenient; since she was trapped by the original body, the one who dragged her along had to stay put as well!


    Zhou Shuren was speechless.


    He hadn¡¯t thought about taking concubines, no, he hadn¡¯t thought about women at all, ¡°Rest assured, I¡¯m not interested in that.¡±


    Zhulan quickly added, ¡°And don¡¯t you dare lay a finger on me.¡±


    Zhou Shuren, ¡°¡­..Right.¡±


    Zhulan wasn¡¯t a fool.


    She knew verbal agreements didn¡¯t mean much, but it was important to set things straight and establish boundaries for each other.


    Zhulan and he spoke in hushed tones, not wanting to be heard, ¡°Now we¡¯re grasshoppers on the same rope, partners for the latter half of our lives, so let¡¯s introduce ourselves properly.


    You first.¡±


    Zhou Shuren cleared his throat lightly, took a breath, and then began, ¡°My name¡¯s Zhou Shuren, just like the original guy, twenty-seven this year.


    Grew up in an orphanage, got double degrees in Chinese literature and archaeology, and was a PhD.


    Before traversing time, I was involved in archaeological excavations, fell ill from overwork, and just couldn¡¯t keep up, thinking of going to the hospital.


    You know the rest.¡±

 Chapter 11 - 11 11 Confidence Ah_1

    ?11: Chapter 11 Confidence Ah_1 11: Chapter 11 Confidence Ah_1 Zhulan was stunned for a moment.


    She hadn¡¯t expected him to be such a high-achieving student¡ªspecializing in Chinese literature and archaeology, no less.


    In ancient times, that was like having a cheat code, considering the high status scholars held among the four classes of society!


    Zhulan fell silent, then upon reflection, she wondered if Zhou Shuren, being tied to her in this manner, could be construed as her own golden finger¡ªa cheat of sorts.


    With that thought, Zhulan found Zhou Shuren much more agreeable.


    Zhou Shuren, who had grown up in an orphanage, had learned to read people¡¯s expressions from a young age and could tell Zhulan was in a good mood.


    He breathed a sigh of relief¡ªat least his future teammate seemed to be in good spirits.


    ¡°What about you?¡± he asked.


    Zhulan replied, ¡°You already know my age.


    My name is the same as the original body¡¯s, Yang Zhulan.


    In college, I studied business management, and in modern times, I was a deputy general manager in a company.¡±


    Zhou Shuren understood.


    To be a deputy general manager at such a young age indicated that she came from a well-off family.


    From his observations, he could infer her family¡¯s wealth, but now it seemed it was more than just wealthy¡ªher family owned mines!


    Seeing Zhou Shuren fall silent, Zhulan instantly knew why.


    She had met children from orphanages before.


    Even the most accomplished among them harbored feelings unlike those who came from intact families.


    More commonly, they all shared a sense of inferiority.


    Despite Zhou Shuren¡¯s high education, he too was using his accomplishments to cover up his own insecurities.


    Zhulan felt it was better to be clear.


    ¡°What¡¯s past is past.


    Here, we have new identities and a new beginning.


    I¡¯m a person with strong principles.


    Due to my parents¡¯ divorce, I¡¯ve been independent since I was young.


    You can rest assured that in this ancient setting, I might not always be able to help in major ways, but at the very least, I won¡¯t hold you back.¡±


    Zhou Shuren¡¯s eyes flickered.


    He understood the message she was conveying¡ªneither was spoiled or ignorant of hardship.


    Her childhood, marred by divorce, and his, lacking parents, put them on equal footing, and neither had it better than the other.


    The knots in his heart untangled in an instant.


    Instead, he felt elated.


    No one wanted their teammate to be a liability.


    He considered himself to be intelligent and certainly did not want to be dragged down by a fool.


    The current arrangement seemed just right, and he felt reassured. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He then shared his own plans.


    ¡°I know nothing about farming and won¡¯t be much help in that regard.


    But in the seventh year of Emperor Dezong of Tang, there was a Top scorer in the imperial examination who was seventy-one years old.


    I¡¯m only thirty-seven¡ªI can definitely give it a shot.


    If I¡¯m lucky enough to earn you a decree, you won¡¯t have to be cooped up in the countryside.¡±


    Zhulan raised an eyebrow.


    Zhou Shuren was really confident in himself, aiming straight for a decree.


    She wasn¡¯t familiar with the decree system of this fictional era.


    Well, she didn¡¯t really understand history, either, but a decree would at least mean holding an official position, wouldn¡¯t it?


    Zhou Shuren was just a student¡ªan aspiring scholar¡ªwho had several stages before he could reach that point!


    Zhou Shuren had confidence in his abilities, even in this unfamiliar dynasty, but he had yet to explain the specifics.


    He coughed a few times, unable to help himself.


    After all, he was ill and talking too much had made his throat uncomfortable.


    Zhulan quickly stood up, poured a bowl of water, and handed it to him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the imperial examination for now.


    What matters most at this moment is to get well soon.


    Your health is your capital.


    I¡¯m not trying to douse your aspirations, but with your poor constitution, enduring the taxing imperial examination won¡¯t be easy.¡±


    Zhou Shuren¡¯s hand, holding the bowl, stiffened.


    His original body really wasn¡¯t in good shape.


    After all, he was of student lineage and, even when working in the fields, he wasn¡¯t like the strong farmhands.


    Plus, ancient scholars rarely exercised.


    Approaching forty, he wasn¡¯t getting any younger, and in ancient times, living to be sixty was considered a long life.


    He didn¡¯t want to die young.


    ¡°I¡¯ll exercise after I recover,¡± he said.


    Zhulan hummed in response, then smacked her forehead, remembering something important she had forgotten.

 Chapter 12 - 12 12 Godly Teammate_1

    ?12: Chapter 12: Godly Teammate_1 12: Chapter 12: Godly Teammate_1 Zhou Shuren saw Zhulan¡¯s annoyance, hummed in confusion, but ultimately didn¡¯t speak up, his throat uncomfortable.


    His eyes signaled, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    In a soft voice, Zhulan shared the background of her time travel.


    Now that she had a divine teammate, she thought it would be easier to distance herself from the supporting female role and change her fate, right?


    Although she hadn¡¯t finished reading, but still having some foresight, these pieces of information were very important.


    Zhou Shuren¡¯s mouth twitched.


    He also read novels, but they were all about immortals and the like; he had never read those targeted at female readers.


    Although he hadn¡¯t read them, he roughly understood them: the main characters¡¯ invincible aura, trouble-attracting physique, surrounded by problems everywhere¡ªthese were all established laws!


    He had never imagined that his own little girl was the original female lead, with the whole family being cannon fodder.


    After pondering for a while, he said, ¡°When I get better, I will stay home and study diligently, pick the books back up, and strive to pass the Scholar exam as soon as possible, so I can at least officially participate in the imperial examination.¡±


    Zhulan laughed, ¡°From what you¡¯re saying, I take it you¡¯re not sure you could pass on the first try either?¡±


    Zhou Shuren rolled his eyes, ¡°Do you think the Scholar exam is easy?


    Do you know that on average, there are only four or five spots in each county, with so many people stuck as students for life!¡±


    Zhulan was surprised, ¡°Is it really that difficult?¡±


    Zhou Shuren nodded, ¡°Difficult?


    The Scholar exam consists of three rounds¡ªcounty, prefecture, and academy¡ªand each round has four to five tests, including eight-legged essays, poetry, policy discussions, and so on.


    Just memorizing it is a few hundred thousand words.


    Tell me, isn¡¯t that hard?¡±


    Zhulan gasped sharply, taking in a breath of cold air.


    Hundreds of thousands of words of pure classical Chinese!


    For her, exams on classical Chinese were all about rote memorization.


    She had never really understood it, and now she could remember very little from her studies.


    So, passing the Scholar exams was this difficult¡ªseeing how casually scholars appeared on TV dramas, she thought it was easy!


    Zhulan instantly lost quite a bit of confidence and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Have you studied all the content for the test?


    Do you still remember it?¡±


    Zhou Shuren put on a straight face, naturally not admitting that it was impossible to remember everything; his brain wasn¡¯t a computer.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I need to buckle down and study.


    Didn¡¯t Kangxi have a set of books that you should memorize up to a hundred and twenty times?


    I think it¡¯s a good practice, and it suits me well right now.¡±


    Zhulan couldn¡¯t help shuddering; let alone a hundred and twenty times, she would grow impatient just reading it once.


    Suddenly, she found Zhou Shuren more agreeable¡ªhe was also struggling for her sake.


    ¡°I fully support your studies.


    Just let me know what books you need, and I¡¯ll give you the Silver Coin.¡±


    Speaking of money, Zhulan stood a bit taller¡ªshe controlled the economic power of the household!


    This economic power was something even her original husband didn¡¯t fully grasp. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The original husband had good character but was not adaptable, sometimes a bit dense.


    After his wife passed away, he handed the family finances directly to Zhulan.


    Zhulan, recalling the original body¡¯s memory of the family finances, felt even more confident.


    Zhou Shuren saw the changing expressions on Zhulan¡¯s face and couldn¡¯t help but recall the original body¡¯s memory.


    He had not known about the family¡¯s financial situation, only that it was somewhat better than in the villages, but not by much.


    However, judging by Zhulan¡¯s demeanor, their financial standing wasn¡¯t as simple as it appeared on the surface.


    Zhou Shuren said, ¡°Buying books will cost quite a bit of money.


    They say ¡®poor Scholar¡¯ for a reason; supporting one entails significant expenses.


    Apart from writing materials like brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone, the books are the major expense, along with examination fees and accommodation costs.


    My memory of our family¡¯s financial situation is limited.


    Share with me what you know so I can have an idea of whether we need to start thinking of ways to earn money first.¡±


    Zhulan was pleased that Zhou Shuren asked directly without beating around the bush, showing at least some trust between them.


    She cleared her throat, ready to discuss the family¡¯s financial status, when Lady Li arrived, ¡°Mother, dinner is ready.¡±

 Chapter 13 - 13 13 Little Tricks_1

    ?13: Chapter 13 Little Tricks_1 13: Chapter 13 Little Tricks_1 Zhulan got startled and hastily straightened up, imitating her predecessor¡¯s angry demeanor, ¡°What are you yelling for, it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t hear.¡±


    Lady Li hurriedly bowed her head, but she was thinking to herself how truly affectionate the elderly couple was.


    Just moments ago they were nearly face-to-face, and her cheeks flushed with an uncontrollable flush, inwardly nagging endlessly, but she softly said, ¡°Mother, I was wrong.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­¡±


    As if she hadn¡¯t seen those flickering eyes!


    As if she didn¡¯t know how she was being schemed against in their minds!


    Zhou Shuren coughed, ¡°Are the eldest and the others back yet?¡±


    Lady Li, surprised, looked up.


    The eunuch was intervening for the first time, he never used to speak with them before, she grew somewhat uneasy, ¡°Husband and the others just, just got back.¡±


    Zhou Shuren, being ill, wasn¡¯t as vigilant as before; he inadvertently spoke up to smooth over the situation but realized his mistake as soon as he began to speak.


    Typically, his original persona was more reserved and taciturn and rarely spoke with his daughters-in-law, he closed his eyes, ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Lady Li grew increasingly uneasy, wondering if he needed to speak to her husband about something.


    Why had he lain down and stopped talking?


    She hurried to look after her mother-in-law.


    Zhulan had gotten off the bed, regaining the original body¡¯s sensations, and neatly tucked Zhou Shuren¡¯s blanket, saying to him, ¡°You¡¯ve taken your medicine and eaten some porridge, you should sleep for a while, I¡¯ll come back after I¡¯ve eaten.¡±


    Zhou Shuren understood, she was telling him to rest now, and they could talk about everything later in the evening, ¡°Alright.¡±


    With a stern face, Zhulan held a bowl, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to set out the food?


    What are you standing around for?¡±


    Hearing the familiar tone, Lady Li smiled; it seemed everything was alright, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Without closing the door, the air circulated well in the room.


    As she reached the hall, her two sons who were studying in the neighboring village had just returned.


    Zhulan found it hard to mimic the original¡¯s enthusiasm, but still asked, ¡°Was studying tough today?¡±


    The fourth son, Zhou Changlian, the shrewdest one in the house, asked anxiously, ¡°Mother, what did the doctor say about Father¡¯s illness?


    Is he alright?¡±


    Even the shrewdest was frightened by his father¡¯s illness; he hadn¡¯t become a Scholar nor married yet.


    If his father passed, how could he continue studying?


    His elder brother had already started his own Chang family¡ªwould he be willing to support him?


    Even if they hadn¡¯t divided the family property, it would be tough for his mother to manage the household.


    As soon as he had heard the news upon entering the village, his concern was genuine.


    Zhulan was silent; she could see the anxiety in her two sons just from their breathing.


    They had run home the moment they entered the village.


    However, having experienced the workplace, she was adept at understanding people, and while she didn¡¯t wish to speculate maliciously, Changlian¡¯s concern was only for himself.


    As for Changzhi, the younger and less thoughtful, he was genuinely worried for their father.


    Changlian glared, his heart skipping a beat, ¡°Mother, why aren¡¯t you saying anything!¡±


    Changzhi¡¯s expression relaxed as he carefully surveyed the house, ¡°Brother, Father¡¯s going to be fine.¡± Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Changlian was taken aback, ¡°How do you know?


    We came back together.¡±


    Changzhi lifted his chin with a hint of pride, ¡°If Father were truly ill, there wouldn¡¯t be meat cooking in the house and Mother wouldn¡¯t be so calm.¡±


    He had smelled the scent of meat and couldn¡¯t help but swallow.


    Zhulan took another look at her younger son.


    He was indeed clever, ¡°Alright, your father is fine.


    He¡¯s taken his medicine and gone to sleep.


    You both should wash your hands and eat.¡±


    Changlian¡¯s face lit up with a smile; it was good that all was well, ¡°It¡¯s good that all is well.¡±


    Changzhi said, ¡°I¡¯ll go see Father first.¡±


    Changlian paused then changed his expression, inwardly cursing that Changzhi was sly, ¡°Mother, I won¡¯t be at ease until I see with my own eyes.


    I¡¯ll wash my hands and eat after I¡¯ve seen him.¡±


    Inside, Zhulan rolled her eyes; if she had been the original, she might have been fooled, but alas, she wasn¡¯t, and such trifling tricks were not enough to impress her.


    She waved them off nonchalantly, ¡°Go on.¡±


    As the two sons entered the room, Zhulan fell silent.


    Changlian was fourteen, an age where one could start a family in ancient times, and considering everyone¡¯s different abilities, Changlian¡¯s situation was not unlike the second son¡¯s.


    Had it not been for Changlian¡¯s cunning strategies for his own benefit, he would likely have had as little presence in the household as Changzhi.

 Chapter 14 - 14 14 Counting Money_1

    ?14: Chapter 14 Counting Money_1 14: Chapter 14 Counting Money_1 In ancient times, like in the original host¡¯s family, it was rare to have three meals a day; most people only ate twice a day, especially since the new dynasty had not been established for long, and families that could fill their bellies were already considered wealthy.


    The original host had not intended to be so ostentatious, but circumstances were special, with a pregnant woman in the house, and the original host¡¯s own health being not very good.


    The barefoot doctor in the village had seen her several times and said she needed to nourish herself.


    She was too reluctant to buy tonics or meat, so she figured having three meals a day would be nourishing enough without making them hungry.


    Plus, all her grandchildren were young, and she adored them, so she changed to three meals a day.


    In fact, it had been less than a month since they started, but unfortunately, the original host¡¯s health did not recover, and then she arrived.


    At dinner, men at one table could only be seen with their chopsticks moving rapidly; women with their children did not show any restraint either.


    Zhulan enjoyed her meal as well; in modern times, it was difficult to find purely natural and unpolluted food, but in ancient times it was much easier, even cabbage tasted sweet and delicious.


    The staple food was still rationed.


    Although they ate three times a day, it was not about eating to fullness, but ensuring they were seventy percent full.


    However, tonight they could reach ninety percent.


    Lady Li¡¯s cabbage dish was indeed generous, and with the leftover rice porridge given to the grandchildren, the adults got to eat a bit more.


    Zhulan, who had to save room in her stomach for medicine, put down her chopsticks first.


    She was fond of children, and having been there for a day, she had not dared to come closer in the morning.


    Now that she felt reassured with Zhou Shuren around, she took the time to carefully observe her grandsons and granddaughter.


    Eldest grandson Zhou Mingyun was at that bratty age, being restless even while eating; second grandson Zhou Mingteng had a rambunctiously cute look.


    Eldest granddaughter Zhou Yushuang was very compliant, not daring to raise her head while eating, and her only standout quality was her cleanliness.


    ¡°Yushuang, come to Grandma,¡± Zhulan called out.


    Zhao¡¯s heart skipped, and she quickly grabbed her daughter, ¡°Mother, are you calling Yushuang for something?¡±


    Influenced by her mother¡¯s tone, Yushuang, the little girl, trembled with fear.


    If not for biting her lip tightly, she might have been scared to tears.


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.¡±


    She really wanted to swear.


    What had she said?


    She just wanted some closeness with her granddaughter, yet she managed to scare this mother and daughter badly, which somewhat depressed her.


    Lady Li scraped together the last of the dishes and pushed her youngest son forward, ¡°Mother, Ming Teng has been talking about missing you all day!¡±


    Second grandson, Zhou Mingteng, was little and knew that Grandma treated him well.


    Having not seen Grandma for a day, he threw himself at her, ¡°Grandma, Grandma.¡±


    Zhulan couldn¡¯t resist the affectionate call¡ªit was too cute. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She picked up Ming Teng, ¡°Let Grandma give you a kiss.¡±


    The child disliked the tickling and giggled.


    The sound of his laughter lifted Zhulan¡¯s depressed spirits.


    Lady Li watched her sister-in-law with disdain in her eyes.


    She really looked down on the family of the second son, but she was also pleased.


    The worse off they were, the less Mother would like them, and the more she would favor the eldest son¡¯s family.


    Zhao bit her lip and lowered her head, her eyes reddening.


    Zhulan caught a glimpse of this out of the corner of her eye and was completely speechless at the wife of the second son.


    Then she saw Yushuang¡¯s tears falling too, and silently recited the Three Character Classic in her heart.


    What a good child had been spoiled by Zhao.


    She instructed Lady Li, ¡°Hurry and clean up the table.¡±


    As she spoke, Zhulan put down her grandson, pried Zhao¡¯s hands away, and picked up Yushuang, ¡°Alright, no more crying.¡±


    Lady Li was surprised; this was the first time this year that the mother-in-law had held the girl.


    She didn¡¯t dare to think too much, ¡°Yes, Mother.¡±


    Zhulan, while focusing on Yushuang, was also sizing up everyone in the room.


    Fortunately, all were just surprised and didn¡¯t think much of it.


    She thought to herself that being at the top of the food chain did have its benefits¡ªat the very least, she didn¡¯t need to look at anyone¡¯s face and no one dared to make a peep about what she wanted to do.


    After pacifying the child, Zhulan set her down.


    There would be time in the future; she couldn¡¯t expect to change everything all at once.


    After taking her medicine, her sons all went back to their respective rooms, and only then did she return to the bedroom.


    Zhou Shuren had already awakened.


    He saw that the oil lamp was lit and, despite the poor lighting, could see Zhulan taking out the Money Box.


    He became more alert, ¡°Counting our savings?¡±


    With a smile on her face, Zhulan replied, ¡°Yes, but you¡¯ll have to wait.


    I need to find everything first.¡±


    Counting money was indeed a delightful task!

 Chapter 15 - 15 15 Family Background_1

    ?15: Chapter 15 Family Background_1 15: Chapter 15 Family Background_1 Zhou Shuren sat up to watch as Zhulan rummaged around the room, scraping a corner of the kang to pull out a cloth bundle and groping about the wall clay to find another, with more on the floor and even on the beams.


    Reaching onto the kang cabinet, the entire room was a mess to behold, riddled with holes everywhere.


    Even a rat¡¯s lair wouldn¡¯t have as many nooks for hiding money.


    By the time Zhulan finished searching and was gasping for air, exhausted, it was clear why she had stopped working at the start of the year.


    It wasn¡¯t long before her back was soaked with sweat, and her legs were trembling and too weak to stand on, making her lean on the kang to catch her breath.


    Zhou Shuren spoke with concern, as he remembered his wife¡¯s frail health, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Zhulan waved her hand, ¡°I¡¯m fine, but there¡¯s still a ceramic jar in the room that I couldn¡¯t fetch.


    It¡¯s filled with copper coins, neatly strung together in ropes of five taels.


    I¡¯ve managed to pull everything else out.¡±


    As she spoke, she climbed onto the kang, her shoes scraping against the edge.


    Looking at the pile of cloth bundles seemed to give her new strength.


    Zhou Shuren¡¯s gaze lingered on them, ¡°All of this is?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is all the cash on hand from the house.


    The end of the dynasty was chaotic, as was the early period of the new one.


    The person who lived in this body may have lacked great wisdom, but was very cautious.


    We have no silver notes at home, just real currency like silver,¡± she explained.


    Zhou Shuren thought to himself that it was no surprise there was a lack of cleverness ¨C hiding everything in one room¡¯s digging holes.


    Catching on to the key point, he paused, ¡°You mean, the money in this house could be equal to silver notes?¡±


    Wow, there was really a fair amount of money in the house.


    In his memory, there were no small denominations like one, five, or ten taels of silver notes ¨C the smallest amount started at fifty taels, all large denominations.


    In the original owner¡¯s memory, so much money had been spent on building a house and acquiring estate properties when the dynasty was established ¨C almost twenty mu of land, with ten mu of paddy fields and ten mu of dry land, that he thought the family fortune had been exhausted.


    Luckily, the early days of the new dynasty came with a three-year tax exemption, making their lives a bit better.


    But with many children at home and the costs of schooling, plus the expenses of taking daughters-in-law, the original owner had thought that if their home had ten or more taels of silver after a few years of good harvests, it would be quite good.


    But now, listening to Zhulan and looking at the cloth bundles and the Money Box, he couldn¡¯t help but think about the original owner¡¯s mother ¨C what a capable woman!


    At any rate, he didn¡¯t believe the original owner¡¯s wife had these skills.


    Zhulan counted the eight cloth bundles, then opened the Money Box first, tipping its contents out, ¡°Here are the land deeds for twenty mu, the house deed, fifteen taels of silver, one thousand three hundred and thirty-five copper coins, and slightly more than one tael of silver coin left over from today.


    These are all the contents of the Money Box.¡±


    Zhou Shuren nodded; the money in the Money Box roughly matched the original owner¡¯s estimates. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His eyes moved to the cloth bundles, ¡°And these?¡±


    Zhulan put the items back into the Money Box and began to open the cloth bundles, which were in three different colors and showed marks of rodent bites.


    She was disgusted at the thought of rats, having never seen real ones before, and if it weren¡¯t for the support of the silver coin, she wouldn¡¯t have touched them.


    As Zhulan unwrapped them, both of them could clearly see that each grey cloth bundle contained ten taels of silver, totaling to thirty taels in the three grey bundles.


    There were two red bundles, each blinding them with their contents ¨C oh my, gold!


    No one nowadays would keep so many Gold Ingots together like that, would they?


    Each bundle contained five one-tael Gold Ingots, equalling to ten taels of gold.


    One tael of gold was worth ten taels of silver, which meant a hundred taels of silver in conversion.


    Zhulan steadied herself, these were the five largest bundles, which required digging into the wall.


    The remaining three were smaller, with two taken down from the beams and one dug up from the floor.


    Zhou Shuren looked at the remaining three bundles with anticipation.


    As Zhulan opened them one by one, one contained two pairs of Silver Bangles, several pairs of silver earrings, and a few Silver Hairpins.


    Another held a pair of Golden Dragon and Phoenix Bangles, two rings, and several small gold studs.


    The last bundle contained a Jade Pendant made of fine mutton-fat jade.

 Chapter 16 - 16 16 The Original Grandma_1

    ?16: Chapter 16 The Original Grandma_1 16: Chapter 16 The Original Grandma_1 Zhulan picked up the jade pendant, which was what she had been most concerned about.


    This was no ordinary object¡ªit was the very item that the old lady had entrusted her to keep safe before she died, and it was the most valuable of all.


    Zhou Shuren also looked at the jade pendant, furrowing his brows.


    There shouldn¡¯t be such a pendant in this family¡ªit clearly belonged to a household of significant wealth.


    ¡°Where did this come from?¡± he asked.


    Zhulan¡¯s mouth twitched slightly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either.


    The old lady was too sick to explain everything before she passed away.¡±


    Now, recalling that time, the old lady had not finished speaking before she took her last breath, surely she must have felt unwilling to let go.


    Zhou Shuren had a memory of his mother with her eyes wide open, full of reluctance.


    Analyzing the situation, he said, ¡°This thing could either spell trouble or have significance.


    Didn¡¯t you say it was mentioned in a novel?


    Is it mentioned there?¡±


    Zhulan pondered, ¡°Not really.


    The story doesn¡¯t talk much about this family, mainly portraying them as extraordinary characters.


    The old lady isn¡¯t mentioned at all in the book.


    But whether it¡¯s meaningful or a curse, we have to keep it safe.¡±


    Zhou Shuren tried to remember again.


    He didn¡¯t have many memories of his mother, but those he did remember painted her as a capable and decisive person, especially during turbulent times.


    She was the one supporting the family, which likely was why they had survived intact.


    Sadly, the old lady didn¡¯t live to enjoy the good fortune; she had died a year before the new dynasty was established. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhou Shuren felt a pang of sorrow at the thought, while Zhulan had already counted the silver coins.


    ¡°We have a total of over one hundred and fifty taels of silver at home, and these pieces of jewelry were prepared by the old lady.


    They¡¯re easy to take with us and hide if needed, can be used as emergency funds or exchanged for money, and, during peaceful times, can be used as a dowry for the daughter.¡±


    At this point, Zhulan couldn¡¯t help but admire her mother-in-law¡¯s foresight and meticulous planning.


    Zhou Shuren didn¡¯t know whether it was because he had become Zhou Shuren or because of the original occupant¡¯s emotions, but he felt stifled.


    ¡°However, even though we have quite a bit of silver, it¡¯s still not enough to cover the expenses of the imperial examination.


    Just taking the test to become a scholar costs a lot, not to mention anything above that.¡±


    Zhulan looked at Zhou Shuren and thought they really were two peas in a pod.


    If they didn¡¯t make things clear today, there would be misunderstandings later on.


    Their relationship was already unstable¡ªhaving a thorn in her side would be no good for her.


    After observing him, she could tell that this man had decent intentions; his eyes couldn¡¯t lie.


    ¡°There¡¯s more,¡± she said.


    Zhou Shuren suspected he had misheard.


    ¡°What did you say?


    I didn¡¯t catch that clearly.¡±


    Zhulan replied, ¡°I said our family¡¯s assets aren¡¯t limited to these.


    There¡¯s more, but we can¡¯t take it out right now.¡±


    Zhou Shuren suddenly looked up.


    ¡°In my memory, your family wasn¡¯t wealthy, and neither was this one.


    Even with my mother¡¯s abilities, the turmoil has cost us a lot.


    Having saved up this much is already remarkable.


    Are you saying we have more than this?¡±


    Zhulan coughed and pointed at herself, ¡°You¡¯ve forgotten that the original occupant was skilled in martial arts, which is why your mother approved of me and allowed our marriage.¡±


    Zhou Shuren was no fool.


    After thinking it over, he hissed, ¡°War spoils?¡±


    Zhulan replied, ¡°You could say that.


    During the war, when uprisings were common everywhere and bandits were rife, many took advantage of the chaos to plunder.


    Do you remember, from your memories, that when our home ran out of grain, you and I went back to my parents¡¯ house and ended up following my father into the mountains to hide from soldiers and bandits?¡±


    Zhou Shuren did remember; the original occupant had been frightened and had come down with a high fever, delirious.


    ¡°Indeed, that happened.¡±


    Zhulan continued, ¡°With the husband ill and no medicine, the original occupant was desperate.


    She begged her father and brother to come down the mountain, and they unexpectedly encountered ¡®thieves falling out with each other.¡¯ A group of ten or so soldiers was up against twenty or so bandits.


    In the end, only two bandits survived.


    Since my father and brother saw a few faces, they decided to eliminate the injured ones instead of sparing any.


    Otherwise, letting them go could have brought endless calamity, maybe even leading to our family¡¯s annihilation.¡±


    Zhou Shuren understood, ¡°So your father took the treasures?¡±

 Chapter 17 - 17 17 The Foolish and the Brave_1

    ?17: Chapter 17 The Foolish and the Brave_1 17: Chapter 17 The Foolish and the Brave_1 Zhulan nodded, ¡°I didn¡¯t plan to take it at first, but I couldn¡¯t bear to leave it behind.


    However, taking everything would be asking for trouble, so I only took some from each bundle.


    I took mostly silver taels, as the original body had a woman¡¯s love for jewelry and took quite a few pieces on the sly.


    It was also fortunate we were far from the village, otherwise it would¡¯ve truly brought disaster upon them.¡±


    Zhou Shuren¡¯s mouth twitched.


    His wife¡¯s original incarnation was quite foolhardy, to say nothing of her parents.


    It was fortunate that they had some leftover wealth after double-crossing each other, or discovering his in-laws would have been just a matter of time.


    But they¡¯d been left with no choice, either be silenced permanently, or be remembered and have your entire family wiped out.


    Zhulan also felt a twinge of unease, ¡°Later on, I heard some news that the soldiers came back accusing the bandits of the deed.


    They even wiped out a few bandit lairs and looted the area¡¯s wealthy homes to near nothing before never returning.¡±


    Zhou Shuren pointed to the family¡¯s wealth, ¡°Did you exchange the jewelry you brought?¡±


    Zhulan laughed out loud, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me.


    The original body indeed brought back jewelry and was scolded by mother-in-law.


    Mother-in-law only took the silver, telling her to hide the rest until after the chaos ended, to take them out later.


    Unfortunately, mother-in-law passed away.


    The original body, holding it in her heart, never dared to fetch it, she really did listen to mother-in-law¡¯s words.


    Even after mother-in-law¡¯s death, she didn¡¯t dare tell her husband.


    Mother-in-law said not to tell, so she didn¡¯t.¡±


    Zhou Shuren also laughed, ¡°The original master of this body is a blessed one, with a mother supporting him from above and an obedient daughter-in-law below.¡±


    Zhulan rolled her eyes inwardly, obedient to mother-in-law rather than to him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t flatter yourself too much,¡± she said, lowering her voice, ¡°I¡¯m planning to dig up the things tomorrow and re-hide the ones in the house.


    It¡¯s not safe to keep everything in the house; a single thief could take it all.


    It¡¯s better to have several hiding places.¡±


    Zhou Shuren agreed, looking around at all the holes in the room filled with silver coins.


    He felt uneasy too, ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhulan only put the jewelry back on the beam for now and planned to hide the rest tomorrow.


    For today, she placed everything in the kang cabinet.


    After busying herself, she was too exhausted to move and didn¡¯t want to get up once she laid down.


    Zhou Shuren frowned, it was better to have a teammate who could live for a long time.


    ¡°Your body needs to be well-nourished and taken care of.¡±


    Zhulan moved a little, ¡°Hmm, I will take good care of myself and strive to live up to seventy ¡®people who can live for a long time¡¯.¡±


    Eighty was too much to hope for, but seventy wasn¡¯t too bad.


    It wasn¡¯t that she lacked confidence in herself, but rather in the medical conditions of the ancient world!


    Zhou Shuren swallowed the words at the tip of his tongue as the person beside him fell asleep from exhaustion.


    He chuckled softly; he had suddenly become a grandfather with a three-generation leap and now had another person by his side.


    He thought he would be unable to sleep alone due to habit, but soon he too drifted off.


    The next morning, Zhulan woke up early.


    She really didn¡¯t dare to be woken by her daughter-in-law, fearing any rumors might spread.


    She wanted to change her situation and got dressed to go out into the fields.


    Before leaving, she casually touched Zhou Shuren¡¯s forehead to check for fever.


    Reassured, she swiftly left the house.


    Zhou Shuren opened his eyes, waking up instantly at the slightest motion.


    He touched his forehead and a warm feeling flickered in his eyes.


    For so many years, this was the first time someone had shown concern for him.


    Zhulan was the earliest to rise, with the daughter-in-law still asleep.


    Thinking of the hidden jewelry, she headed straight for the old tree at the back of the house.


    The items had been buried there for over a decade, and they weren¡¯t easy to dig up, something that couldn¡¯t be done in haste.


    Even with high walls around the yard, she couldn¡¯t hide the activity from her family.


    Everyone thought they weren¡¯t wealthy, so the household was calm.


    If they saw the jewelry, the scheming would increase.


    It seemed there was no rush to act.


    With this in mind, she didn¡¯t bother to look any further.


    She went to the toilet on her way and then fetched the grains for breakfast.


    She had just started to cook the medicine when Lady Li came out the door.


    ¡°Mother, you¡¯re up?¡±


    The tone was one of surprise, and the eldest daughter-in-law felt troubled too.


    The original body had been unhealthy and hadn¡¯t been able to rise early, having to replenish her brain and endure the envy and hatred of the village women!


    Zhulan didn¡¯t dwell on the troublesome thoughts and hummed a response, ¡°I¡¯ve taken out the grains.


    I¡¯m preparing medicine, and you¡¯ll make breakfast.


    We¡¯ll have rice porridge this morning.¡±


    Lady Li¡¯s eyes widened, exclaiming, ¡°Rice porridge for the whole family?¡±

 Chapter 18 - 18 18 Entering the Pace of the Plot_1

    ?18: Chapter 18 Entering the Pace of the Plot_1 18: Chapter 18 Entering the Pace of the Plot_1 ¡°Sure, I¡¯m sticking corn cakes, frying some shredded cabbage.¡±


    Lady Li, upon hearing it was indeed rice porridge, promptly agreed with delight and swiftly set about starting the fire to cook.


    Zhulan¡¯s heart ached.


    Their family owned ten mu of paddy fields, which had lower taxes than dry fields.


    Plus, rice was more expensive in the North than in the South, leaving the family with very little rice for the year, the rest being converted into money.


    Despite not being frivolous with the ample family savings, the original host wasn¡¯t particularly clever.


    However, with a good mother-in-law¡¯s guidance and experience through wartime, she understood the essence of concealing one¡¯s abilities and wealth.


    Soon enough, the second daughter-in-law, Zhao¡¯s, got up and entered the kitchen with her head down.


    Zhulan couldn¡¯t be bothered to look anymore.


    The kitchen was filled with the sound of Lady Li giving orders to Zhao¡¯s.


    Zhulan looked at the jars but her mind was preoccupied with Zhao¡¯s six-month pregnant belly, calculating the days until she¡¯d give birth.


    A few months more and it would be winter.


    Winter babies were hard to raise, especially under the poor conditions of the past.


    She thought, ¡®Yes, we need to find a good midwife in advance.¡¯ With the autumn harvest approaching, household affairs were plentiful.


    Breakfast was soon ready, and everyone got up one after another.


    Zhou Shuren also got up to wash and groom.


    Zhulan glanced at him before looking away.


    Initially, she was concerned whether Zhou Shuren¡¯s fa?ade wasn¡¯t convincing, but one look told her she had worried over nothing.


    The original husband, who sought to assert his authority over his sons, naturally had a reserved and reticent demeanor, which suited the pretense perfectly.


    In the morning, the cakes served with plain porridge and the clear green of the shredded cabbage were simple yet appetizing, especially since the cabbage was fried in lard, which smelled delicious.


    Zhou Shuren adapted well to his role, reaching for his bowl first, ¡°Time to eat.¡±


    Once the head of the family had moved, Zhulan had also served the porridge.


    The second one to pick up chopsticks, she said, ¡°Time to eat.¡±


    In those days people lived just to fill their stomachs.


    With food being scarce, little was said at meals; the whole house filled with the sound of slurping porridge.


    No one would foolishly ask why they were having plain porridge that morning; they were all focused on getting an extra bowl down.


    Zhulan and Zhou Shuren caught each other¡¯s eyes.


    Without conversation, they seemed to have reached a good understanding.


    Neither of them thought about making big changes right away.


    Change had to come slowly.


    They hadn¡¯t forgotten about the presence of the third girl, Wang Ru.


    After the meal, Zhou Shuren talked with his sons about the farm, reminding the younger ones to study hard and diligently.


    Once the sons left, the act also came to an end.


    Having taken his medication, he returned to his room to lie down.


    Zhulan also took her tonic and was pondering where it would be best to hide money when Lady Li approached her, ¡°Mother, the little sister hid half a corn cake and went to Wang¡¯s again.


    It¡¯s not that I want to say this, but those people at Wang¡¯s are ingrates.


    It would be better for the little sister to keep her distance.¡±


    Zhulan recalled that Lady Li never mixed with the Wangs and had never held a favorable view of them. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Wangs did indeed have a problematic reputation, unlike her own family, which was subject to rumors.


    The Wangs were genuinely of questionable character, ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Lady Li was inwardly delighted.


    In the past, her mother-in-law would find her annoying, but today she was listened to, and even more, she wasn¡¯t scolded.


    Climbing on this, she said, ¡°Mother, shouldn¡¯t we prepare the big bones?


    Shall we eat them for lunch?¡±


    She had been thinking about it all night, tossing and turning, unable to sleep, the thought nagging on her mind!


    Zhulan gave Lady Li a sidelong glance.


    This one needed to be kept in check, lest she get too comfortable and climb over your head with time.


    Zhulan had no intention of changing her position in the eyes of her daughters-in-law.


    In the tone of the original host, she replied, ¡°Eat, eat, all you think about is eating all day.


    Go back and look after the children.¡±


    Lady Li, unfazed and feeling rather content, even smiled, ¡°Yes, alright, mother.¡±


    Her voice was sweet as honey, laced with eight pluses.


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­..¡±


    Before Zhulan found a good place to hide the money, the young girl Xue Han rushed back hurriedly.


    Seeing Zhulan, she got frightened, ¡°Mother.¡±


    Zhulan waved her over, ¡°Why are you rushing back like that?


    Is something the matter?¡±


    Xue Han pursed her lips but said nothing.


    Zhulan, however, was recalling plotlines from the story.


    This was the rhythm of entering into the storyline, yet she had a toothache!

 Chapter 19 - 19 19 The Hardships of Ancient Women_1

    ?19: Chapter 19: The Hardships of Ancient Women_1 19: Chapter 19: The Hardships of Ancient Women_1 Xue Han did not expect to run into her mother.


    She had planned to sneak into the kitchen.


    Despite her seemingly brave disposition, she was afraid of her mother, ¡°Mother.¡±


    Alright, that meant she didn¡¯t want to talk.


    Zhulan touched her daughter¡¯s hair, which was so soft, ¡°Did you go to the kitchen to sneak some pastries for the third little one, right?¡±


    Xue Han replied without giving it too much thought, ¡°Pork scraps.¡±


    Zhulan chuckled internally, her daughter was aiming higher.


    Indeed, had she and Zhou Shuren not arrived, the couple would not have fallen ill and gone to town, nor would they have bought meat.


    Originally, the theft was pastries, but this time she changed it to pork scraps.


    Xue Han knew she had unwittingly spoken the truth.


    Her somewhat chubby little hands covered her mouth.


    Seeing her mother¡¯s expressionless face, she felt scared and tentatively tugged at her mother¡¯s sleeve, ¡°Mother, please don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    Zhulan found her heart melting, yet her face remained expressionless, ¡°Do you know what you did wrong?¡±


    It was the first time Xue Han had seen Zhulan so stern.


    Her eyes turned red, and tears streamed down, ¡°I, I shouldn¡¯t have stolen food.¡±


    Despite her young age, she understood the importance of food.


    Zhulan thought to herself that her original husband was a scholar, and there were two scholars in the family.


    They never slacked on the children¡¯s education.


    A family¡¯s conduct was critical, especially in ancient times where aspiring officials cherished their reputations utmostly.


    The children in the family, despite their different personalities, knew the bottom line of propriety, integrity, humility, and shame.


    Stealing, especially, was absolutely unacceptable, particularly for girls.


    Even if it was taking from one¡¯s own family, ancient times were exceedingly harsh on women.


    A woman¡¯s reputation was more valuable than anything else.


    Zhulan was angry inside.


    Xue Han was not the one who dared to steal.


    In the original story, it was all Wang Ru¡¯s doing, acting pitiable and coaxing others into sympathy.


    Her eyes sparkled.


    What a good opportunity for Xue Han to see Wang Ru¡¯s true character, and not using it would be as foolish as walking into a wall.


    Zhulan did not coddle her daughter, instead becoming even more stern, ¡°You still have the nerve to cry?


    Do you no longer care about your reputation?


    How did we teach you?


    Do you want to bring shame upon our family and have people poke our spines?¡±


    With each word, Xue Han trembled more from fear.


    She was literate and understood manners, ¡°Mother, I was wrong.


    I really didn¡¯t know it was so serious, Mother.¡± Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhulan watched her little girl crying so hard she hiccuped.


    Feeling pity yet remaining resolute for the sake of their family¡¯s fate, she asked, ¡°Will you dare to do it again in the future?¡±


    Xue Han continued to hiccup.


    Where would she find the courage?


    ¡°I dare not.


    I dare not.¡±


    Only then did Zhulan take a handkerchief to wipe the child¡¯s face.


    After scolding came the comforting, ¡°Mother¡¯s Babe is an obedient and kind-hearted child.


    I don¡¯t believe it was Babe¡¯s idea.


    The third little one asked you to come back and take it, right?¡±


    Xue Han kept silent out of loyalty.


    She knew her mother disliked the third little one.


    Zhulan almost laughed.


    She knew the storyline, after all.


    Planting a kiss on her daughter¡¯s cheek, she said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it for me to know.


    My daughter isn¡¯t someone without principles.


    You know Mother doesn¡¯t like the third one, but do you understand why?¡±


    Xue Han really didn¡¯t know.


    Her mother had always said the third one¡¯s family was not good.


    Zhulan explained patiently, ¡°Whether one is educated or not, stealing is wrong, especially for girls.


    If the third one said you stole food, your reputation would be ruined.


    Even if the family tried to cover it up, you would still be tainted in everyone¡¯s eyes.


    If your reputation is damaged, what should you do?¡±


    Fear spread through Xue Han.


    This was not just fear; it was dread.


    In the village, there was a girl with a bad reputation who ended up hanging herself after being jilted.


    But for the sake of her friend, she still attempted to defend, ¡°The third one wouldn¡¯t do that.¡±


    Zhulan scoffed internally.


    How could she not?


    Once Wang Ru was well, she let slip to her friends, and soon the whole village knew.


    The Zhou family tried to smooth things over, but couldn¡¯t contain Wang Ru¡¯s loose tongue.


    Xue Han¡¯s reputation was indeed affected.


    Zhulan held her daughter¡¯s face, looking into her eyes, ¡°Babe, your stepmother thought we could wait another two years, but today I realized we cannot wait.


    Mother wants to tell you that the most difficult thing to understand in this world is the human heart.


    If you don¡¯t believe what Mother says about the third one, then you should test her yourself.


    How about Mother and you do it together?¡±

 Chapter 20 - 20 20 The Demon King_1

    ?20: Chapter 20 The Demon King_1 20: Chapter 20 The Demon King_1 Xue Han wasn¡¯t stupid; she simply didn¡¯t want to think badly of her little friend.


    Her heart was swaying back and forth.


    Zhulan stood up and went to the kitchen.


    There were two pancakes left from the morning, but no vegetables.


    Looking at the meager scraps of meat, and feeling little generosity, she, both in the books and in the original body¡¯s memory, had never thought highly of the Wang family.


    So, she took out a corn pancake.


    Xue Han was a bit puzzled.


    ¡°Mom?¡±


    Zhulan took her daughter¡¯s hand, ¡°Mom will go with you to deliver it.¡±


    Xue Han opened her mouth but ultimately didn¡¯t make a sound.


    Doubts arose in her mind, and although she felt an unpleasant taste in her heart, she wanted to go have a look.


    The Wang family lived not far from the Zhou family, yet not close either, just down the street.


    The Wang family had a considerable number of members¡ªeight children in one generation.


    Two had died in the turmoil of war, leaving six behind: one daughter and five sons.


    The eldest grandson of the Wang family had already married, and the great-grandsons were out and about.


    Wang Zhang¡¯s wife was sixteen years older than her!


    Zhulan recalled carefully and shivered. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wang Zhang¡¯s wife had the real capacity to bear children; she had given birth to eight and even in her fifties, she cursed without drawing a breath.


    She still had the energy to beat her granddaughters.


    Thinking about it, the original body had the continuous burden of bearing children, but the root cause was the births during times of chaos.


    Several times, her confinement period was not properly observed, causing trouble.


    The original body had looked down upon Wang Zhang¡¯s wife, who then found faults with her.


    A significant part of the original body¡¯s bad reputation could be attributed to Wang Zhang¡¯s wife¡¯s efforts, and the reasons were numerous.


    Wang Zhang¡¯s wife had turned from a daughter-in-law into a mother-in-law and suffered a lot since she married into the Wang family, especially after giving birth to two daughters in a row.


    Life became even tougher, compounded by an inconsiderate and weak husband.


    The happiness of the original body was just too dazzling in comparison.


    Moreover, Wang Zhang¡¯s wife had a daughter the same age as the original body.


    That year, she had proactively approached the Zhou family, hoping to marry Zhou Shuren.


    The original body¡¯s mother-in-law did not give her face and directly peeled off Wang Zhang¡¯s wife¡¯s facade, leaving her disgraced, which only deepened her resentment.


    When the original body got married, Wang Zhang¡¯s wife targeted her, but the mother-in-law was formidable.


    Wang Zhang¡¯s wife was suppressed by her own mother-in-law, so she didn¡¯t dare to make trouble.


    Later, when the original body¡¯s mother-in-law passed away, so did Wang Zhang¡¯s mother-in-law, and Wang Zhang¡¯s wife finally turned the tables.


    With no one above her anymore, she wreaked havoc in the village.


    She became a notorious shrew in all the nearby villages, not just harsh on the villagers, but on her own children as well.


    Out of six children, five were sons, and even sons weren¡¯t valuable anymore.


    Ultimately, it was the sons who didn¡¯t cause trouble, yet the anger of being forced to bear sons was taken out on the daughters-in-law and granddaughters, especially since Wang family¡¯s fourth son had given birth to three daughters.


    He had injured his body while birthing the third daughter and hadn¡¯t conceived in seven years.


    As Zhulan walked, she remembered¡ªunless she was mistaken, Wang family¡¯s fourth son¡¯s wife was pregnant again, already three months along.


    The original text indicated that she miscarried at six months.


    Yes, that was it, she miscarried, and that miscarriage was somewhat mysterious.


    The couple from the fourth branch of the Wang family were very protective, to the point where even Wang Zhang¡¯s wife stopped bothering them.


    Zhulan let out a light, amused chuckle.


    Xue Han, puzzled, looked up.


    ¡°Mom, what are you laughing at?¡±


    Zhulan didn¡¯t explain but took note, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Xue Han responded with an ¡°Oh.¡± Suddenly, she felt that her mother had become mysterious.


    Yes, mysterious.


    Her mother used to be easy to read¡ªhappy when happy, unhappy when not.


    Anyway, she felt that her mother had become much more formidable.


    When they reached the gate of the Wang family¡¯s house, Zhulan sized it up.


    Even with the memories, it wasn¡¯t the same as seeing with her own eyes.


    The Wang family had many sons, and plenty of grandsons.


    Originally without much property, they constructed buildings made of clay.


    One big family hadn¡¯t split yet, so the house hadn¡¯t stopped being extended, with both the main house and side houses seeing plenty of additions.


    The entire yard didn¡¯t need a wall anymore; it looked cramped and close-knit.


    Chickens flew all over the yard.


    Used to the cleanliness of the Zhou family, Zhulan felt nauseated.


    Yes, nauseated.


    Not only was there chicken droppings everywhere, but she also saw several spots of human waste, likely from the children who hadn¡¯t been cleaned up.


    Zhulan almost lost the courage to lift her foot, and she looked down at her daughter.


    Xue Han, a clean child, must really consider the third daughter a friend to endure coming to the Wang family.


    The mischievous little one headed for the main house, and Wang Zhang¡¯s wife soon came out.


    ¡°Well, what kind of wind has blown today?¡±

 Chapter 21 - 21 21 Fighting_1

    ?21: Chapter 21 Fighting_1 21: Chapter 21 Fighting_1 Zhulan didn¡¯t look at Wang Zhang¡¯s wife; instead, she fixed her gaze on the three- or four-year-old child squatting in the yard, defecating.


    Her stomach churned, and she couldn¡¯t help but take a step back, and also pulled her daughter back with her.


    Seeing Zhulan trying to suppress her disgust, Wang Zhang¡¯s wife was furious, ¡°Yang Zhulan, what do you mean by this, coming here to start trouble?¡±


    Zhulan shifted her focus to Wang Zhang¡¯s wife¡¯s face, and finally felt a bit less nauseous.


    She observed her closely; they say looks reflect the heart, but it obviously wasn¡¯t accurate here.


    Wang Zhang¡¯s wife looked exceptionally plump, with a demeanor that seemed fortunate and kind.


    If looks truly reflected the person within, her countenance should be mean.


    Wang Zhang¡¯s wife rolled up her sleeves, clearly looking for a fight, and charged over in one breath, her hands reaching to scratch.


    Zhulan had taken two doses of medicine and felt much better, strong enough to grab Wang Zhang¡¯s wife¡¯s arm.


    She saw the excitement in Wang Zhang¡¯s wife¡¯s eyes; she had wanted to beat her up for a long time.


    It seemed everyone in the village knew of her original health issues!


    In the past, when she was healthy and strong, with fighting ability, Wang Zhang¡¯s wife would only dare to talk behind her back.


    If she found trouble face to face, she would be beaten.


    Now that she wasn¡¯t well and lacked strength, Wang Zhang¡¯s wife saw an opportunity for revenge.


    Wang Zhang¡¯s wife turned pale with pain, feeling like her wrist was no longer her own, ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to be dying?¡±


    Zhulan got angry.


    It was one thing to curse her in one¡¯s heart without knowledge, but to do so openly was unacceptable.


    Her face darkened, ¡°Disappointed?


    Let me tell you, even if you die, I won¡¯t.¡±


    Wang Zhang¡¯s wife became fearful; when Yang Zhulan wasn¡¯t sick, she¡¯d really hit her if she got a hold of something.


    And now her ribs hurt again, ¡°You, you, let go.¡±


    Zhulan didn¡¯t let go, nonchalantly pinching her arm.


    Noticing people gathering around, Zhulan patted her daughter¡¯s shoulder.


    The intelligent little girl understood and slipped into the yard when no one was paying attention. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wang Zhang¡¯s wife¡¯s face was sweating from the pain, and she started to lose feeling in her wrist, ¡°Let go of me now, hurry up and let go!¡±


    Zhulan was never one to win people over with virtue; she had been bullied enough during her parents¡¯ divorce.


    She wasn¡¯t one to endure; she¡¯d bully right back.


    Wang Zhang¡¯s wife started the fight, so paying her back with interest was only fair.


    Smack¡ªa slap landed on her face.


    Onlookers were stunned for a second, then felt a familiar sensation; Yang Zhulan must be feeling much better.


    They instinctively shrank their necks in fear.


    Wang Zhang¡¯s wife let out a shriek, the sound painful to Zhulan¡¯s eardrums, ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Saying so, Zhulan released her grip, and as if she had touched something filthy, wiped her hand.


    Wang Zhang¡¯s wife¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, the provocation too much for her, ¡°I¡¯m going to fight you to the death.¡±


    Zhulan¡¯s mouth curved into a hook, there¡¯s no reason not to hit someone who¡¯s asking for it.


    Xue Han wasn¡¯t afraid her mother would be at a disadvantage at all; her mother was formidable.


    Her eyes fixated only on Sanniang.


    Wang Ru pinched her bun, full of resentment.


    Fortunately, her best friend was there, with no meat scraps, just a lousy bun.


    She genuinely craved meat, driven by her memories and hunger until she literally drooled, ¡°Xue Han, I can smell meat on the bun.


    I may be a poor bargain, but I¡¯ve never had meat during New Year¡¯s.


    I¡¯m envious of you; meat must taste wonderful.¡±


    Xue Han felt uncomfortable.


    She had given a bun, and Sanniang hadn¡¯t said thank you, just kept mentioning meat over and over.


    She hung her head, ¡°My family only gets meat occasionally.¡±


    Sanniang¡¯s eyes darted around, ¡°Your mother loves you, and since you are the long-awaited daughter, it wouldn¡¯t matter if you took some.¡±


    Xue Han no longer wanted to stay.


    Sanniang had changed, becoming greedy, and was treating her like a fool.


    The first time might have been unintentional, but what about the second time?


    She wasn¡¯t stupid; she was very smart, just unwilling to consider it.


    She stood up at the doorway, and upon seeing the excitement in Sanniang¡¯s eyes, she smiled, ¡°I too am literate and understand propriety.


    It¡¯s not right to take things without permission.


    I¡¯ll tell my mother when I get home.


    This bun was brought to you by both my mother and me.


    Sanniang, harboring thoughts of stealing isn¡¯t good.


    A girl¡¯s reputation is too important.


    Take care of yourself.¡±


    Xue Han didn¡¯t give Sanniang a chance to speak, feeling awful as she ran out.


    Zhulan spotted her daughter at a glance, knowing everything had gone to plan and the bun hadn¡¯t been wasted.


    She took her daughter¡¯s hand, ¡°Let¡¯s go home with mom.¡±


    Seeing that her mother wasn¡¯t injured and looked like a victorious general, Xue Han¡¯s gloom lifted, and she cheerfully agreed, ¡°Yeah.¡±

 Chapter 22 - 22 22 Unpleasantness_1

    ?22: Chapter 22 Unpleasantness_1 22: Chapter 22 Unpleasantness_1 Walking home, Lady Li was rushing over at breakneck speed, her face deathly pale, ¡°Mother, you weren¡¯t taken advantage of, were you?¡±


    Lady Li was truly frightened.


    This year, Mother-in-law couldn¡¯t do any heavy work; she had no strength at all.


    How could she win against Wang Zhang¡¯s wife?


    If something really happened to Mother-in-law, would the eunuch not have to follow her in death?


    She had thought about living separately and getting by on her own.


    But she wasn¡¯t foolish.


    With two younger brothers-in-law yet to be married and a younger sister-in-law waiting to be wed, plus the children being so young, all of these required money.


    If the in-laws were gone, everything would fall on her and her husband¡¯s shoulders.


    With too many dependents, they would surely be worked to death.


    On the contrary, with parents-in-law to lean on, all she needed to do was obey.


    Besides, even if the parents-in-law were partial, they wouldn¡¯t be too biased.


    With Mother-in-law around, life was easy.


    Wang Zhang¡¯s wife dared to hit Mother-in-law, effectively blocking her source of wealth and threatening her life¡ªhow could this be tolerated?


    Zhulan looked at Lady Li¡¯s bloodshot eyes, moved in a moment of uncalm thought.


    But knowing that Lady Li had many ulterior motives, the feeling of being touched faded, ¡°Could I possibly suffer any disadvantage?¡±


    Lady Li stiffened.


    The mother-in-law really had not suffered a disadvantage.


    After a fight, her complexion actually seemed more rosy, which was frustrating.


    She wished no harm upon her mother-in-law, nor did she want her to be in good health.


    If her mother-in-law¡¯s health deteriorated and she could hang on for a few more years, once her younger brothers-in-law got married and her mother-in-law passed away, she could then split the family and live a less burdensome life.


    Now that Mother-in-law¡¯s health had improved, when would she be able to live an easier life?


    Zhulan couldn¡¯t be bothered to look at Lady Li anymore.


    If you have thoughts, keep them in your heart!


    It¡¯s not like those with deep schemes have their thoughts written all over their faces.


    No wonder the original body would often shout at Lady Li.


    Looking at her made Zhulan feel like shouting too, ¡°Are you not going home?


    What are you standing there for?¡±


    Lady Li shivered, ¡°Ah, going home, Mother, please take it slow.¡±


    Wuu wuu, why had the mother-in-law¡¯s health suddenly gotten better?


    She cursed Wang Zhang¡¯s wife, certain that it was her unwillingness to pass away before Wang Zhang¡¯s wife that had stimulated this improvement.


    The rage made her teeth itch with hatred, ¡®Old Mother will remember this.¡¯


    Upon returning home, Zhulan sat in a chair to rest.


    She had been keeping up appearances, but in reality, she had long since run out of strength.


    Medicinal tonics were not magic pills that could bring instant recovery; otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have all ended up outpowering Wang Zhang¡¯s wife with such little strength left.


    Xue Han was a thoughtful girl, full of concern, ¡°Mother, are you alright?¡±


    Zhulan had indeed run out of strength, and her entire body was soaked with sweat, ¡°Mother is fine, just needs to rest a bit.¡±


    Xue Han was consumed with guilt.


    If it were not for her, Mother wouldn¡¯t have gotten into a fight.


    Thinking of her mother¡¯s frail state, her eyes reddened, ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Lady Li, on the other hand, rejoiced.


    The mother-in-law¡¯s condition hadn¡¯t improved, and so she wailed, ¡°Mother ah!¡±


    Her voice was naturally loud, and shifting through several pitches, resembled mourning.


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.¡±


    This vexing nuisance!


    Zhou Shuren was frightened out of his wits and hurried into the main room, his face marked by urgency.


    Seeing Zhulan¡¯s pale face, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, where do you feel uncomfortable?¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lady Li was certain that her mother-in-law was in poor shape, ¡°Father, Mother.¡±


    Zhou Shuren became irritated, finding the noise bothersome, ¡°Shut your mouth.¡±


    Lady Li was terrified, immediately closing her mouth, wishing she could shrink into a corner.


    The eunuch had always kept a stern face, but he had never lost his temper.


    His fury was frightening.


    Zhulan was taken aback.


    Zhou Shuren¡¯s concern was genuine, and warmth spread in her heart.


    With a feeble smile, she said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, just a bit weak.


    I¡¯ll be okay after some rest.¡±


    Zhou Shuren examined her carefully before he felt reassured, his lifted heart gradually settling back down.


    Since they had arrived together and become husband and wife, with the memories of her original self, it inevitably had some impact on her.


    The original¡¯s relationship with his wife had been truly good; after stepping into this identity, they were no longer just team members who were strangers to each other.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you go back to rest.¡±


    Zhulan truly wanted to lie down, yet she said, ¡°Wait a moment.¡±

 Chapter 23 - 23 23 Plan_1

    ?23: Chapter 23 Plan_1 23: Chapter 23 Plan_1 Zhou Shuren patiently supported her, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lady Li was the most flustered, and in a gentle voice said, ¡°Mother-in-law.¡±


    Zhulan was also panicked, realizing that taking medicine alone wouldn¡¯t suffice and that she still needed nutrition, she didn¡¯t want to die young, ¡°Later, catch last year¡¯s hen and kill it.¡±


    Lady Li questioned whether she had heard wrong, her voice rising like that of a startled groundhog, ¡°Kill a chicken?¡±


    Zhulan clutched her chest thankfully without heart problems; otherwise, she would have passed away too soon, and said with a cold face, ¡°Yes, kill the chicken.


    Stew it tonight, and at noon, stew a big bone.


    After I rest for a while, I¡¯ll give you dough to make dumpling soup with the bone broth.¡±


    Lady Li became even more anxious, was this no longer living each day at a time?


    What had startled the mother-in-law today?


    ¡°Mother, the hen is just right for laying eggs!¡±


    Zhulan went silent; the Zhou family¡¯s chickens were indeed laying well, and the plan was to eat last year¡¯s hens during Zhao¡¯s confinement and the New Year¡ªthey really didn¡¯t want to slaughter their own, but buying chickens to eat was even less acceptable, as it would show off their wealth and draw envy.


    Zhou Shuren, ¡°Kill it.¡±


    Lady Li dared not say more, feeling chilled by today¡¯s eunuch, ¡°Okay, Father, I will go now.¡±


    She ran off as fast as one escaping for their lives, very efficiently.


    Zhou Shuren, looking down at his daughter with big eyes looking at him somewhat timidly, softened his heart and stroked his daughter¡¯s hair, ¡°Go help your sister-in-law watch your niece.


    We¡¯ll have chicken meat tonight.¡±


    Xue Han smiled, her father was still the loving man he always was; he hadn¡¯t changed, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Zhulan lay back down on the kang bed, which was covered with a mattress to avoid the cold since her body couldn¡¯t withstand it.


    Zhou Shuren also got onto the kang but didn¡¯t lie down, leaning against the wall instead, which felt cold on his back, ¡°We¡¯re in the north, and winters were naturally cold in ancient times.


    I¡¯m thinking of renovating the house, redoing both the kang and the heated wall, and relaying the floors, so they don¡¯t get dirty when it snows or rains.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Heated walls and fire pits existed in the Han Dynasty; they were simply rebuilding, which was not improper.


    She also wanted to live comfortably, and regarding the floor, she agreed even more¡ªa modern person used to cleanliness truly couldn¡¯t accept dirt roads, especially indoors.


    Zhulan continued, ¡°Don¡¯t just renovate our own house; fix the children¡¯s as well.


    Our poor health combined with Zhao¡¯s impending childbirth is a sufficient and not excessive reason.¡±


    Zhou Shuren paused, as he hadn¡¯t been as immersed in this role as Zhulan; he only thought of himself and Zhulan, not their children, ¡°Yes, your wish is my command, we¡¯ll do it after the check-up, so we don¡¯t get delayed by the autumn harvest and the increasingly cool days leading into winter.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Seeing that Zhulan¡¯s eyelids were fighting a battle and she remained silent, he soon heard even breathing¡ªthe signs of sleep¡ªand feeling sleepy himself, he lay down to rest too.


    Zhulan had a good sleep and felt energetic.


    Sitting up, she saw Zhou Shuren still asleep, so she got off the kang, not hearing the voices of the older children¡ªit wasn¡¯t noon yet!


    The d*mn ancient times, where time was hard to gauge¡ªshe had to rely solely on her past life¡¯s memory and thought about buying an hourglass; otherwise, timing became even more elusive.


    The kitchen was filled with the smell of bone broth, which had been stewing for quite some time, making Zhulan hungry.


    Lady Li was baking flatbreads and said obsequiously, ¡°Madam, you¡¯ve awoken.¡±


    Zhulan hummed a response, took a large bowl, and returned with a bowl of dough, ¡°For making the dumplings.¡±


    Lady Li inhaled sharply, feeling pained by the waste, ¡°A whole bowl of white flour, Mother¡ªit¡¯s too much.¡±


    ¡°Are you the steward or am I the steward?


    Just cook the food.¡±


    Lady Li kept silent, obediently taking the large bowl.


    Zhulan sniffed the bone broth again; Lady Li had many little problems, but her cooking skills were really good¡ªan advantage. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She also looked at the well-prepared chicken; it was quite fatty, with lots of chicken fat.


    The thought of noodles cooked in chicken oil made her even hungrier.


    A sobbing sound came from outside the house.


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­..¡±


    She couldn¡¯t understand why there was crying again¡ªthese days truly wore on her spirit!

 Chapter 24 - 24 24 Not on the Same Frequency_1

    ?24: Chapter 24 Not on the Same Frequency_1 24: Chapter 24 Not on the Same Frequency_1 Lady Li listened with even greater annoyance.


    Ever since Zhao Shi entered the family, she had been weeping and wearing a mournful face, quick to tears.


    She was like a harbinger of doom, irritating to the heart.


    In irritation, Lady Li shouted, ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Zhao Shi quieted down, finally stopping her crying by the window and instead quietly letting the tears flow.


    Zhulan noticed that Lady Li was satisfied.


    As long as she had some peace and quiet, that was all that mattered.


    She had no intention of going out to check on Zhao Shi.


    Their ways of thinking were on completely different wavelengths.


    To be precise, the whole family and she were not on the same wavelength.


    Zhao Shi felt extremely heartbroken when she realized she wasn¡¯t recognized.


    Thinking of the little chicken that was slaughtered made her even more upset.


    It was supposed to be saved for her postpartum nourishment, according to what her mother-in-law had promised.


    Now that it was gone, it meant there was nothing for her to eat.


    The sense of injustice overwhelmed her, and upon thinking of her tragic family background, she could not stop her tears.


    Zhulan snuck a peek and couldn¡¯t help admiring Zhao Shi¡¯s capacity for tears, estimating that she had been crying for a quarter of an hour.


    Her tear ducts were prodigiously developed!


    Lady Li finished cooking the meal and looked at the dough ball soup, licking her lips, ¡°Mother, the meal is ready.¡±


    Zhulan responded, ¡°Call Zhao Shi to serve the meal.


    Eldest and Second should be returning soon.¡±


    Lady Li, who had been craving, was already hungry, ¡°Alright, Mother.¡±


    Zhulan went to call Zhou Shuren.


    After shouting his name twice, Zhou Shuren finally woke up.


    He looked well-rested, and his complexion had greatly improved.


    Zhou Shuren was also observing Zhulan and smiled when he saw her face had regained some color, ¡°Have Eldest and Second returned?¡±


    Zhulan helped Zhou Shuren up, ¡°Not yet, but they should be back soon.¡± sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhou Shuren stretched his limbs, ¡°Has the Wang family caused any trouble?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re the kind who bully the weak and fear the strong.


    They wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    Zhou Shuren laughed.


    Eldest and Second were not meant for academic pursuits; they had been trained in martial arts by their wife when they were young, and years of toiling in the fields had given them strong physiques.


    Handling several opponents was no problem for them, and the Wang family, having been beaten up, truly did not dare to cause trouble.


    The two of them chatted and laughed as they entered the main room, and Eldest and Second had also returned.


    A basin of dough ball soup was waiting to be divided by Zhulan.


    She separated it into two equal portions.


    Having arranged the portions, she first served a bowl to each of her grandson and daughter-in-law.


    As for Zhou Shuren¡¯s table, Zhulan did not wait upon them.


    Zhou Shuren served himself a bowl and, looking at his two bewildered sons, said, ¡°Serve yourselves.¡±


    Eldest, Zhou Changli, with a stiff neck, turned back, ¡°Mother, what day is it today?¡±


    Zhulan had no intention of explaining, ¡°Eat if you want.


    If not, leave it be.¡±


    Eldest, Zhou Changli, closed his mouth.


    Having prepared the food, why not eat it?


    Fearing that he wouldn¡¯t be allowed to, he quickly served himself a bowl but did not dare to take more than a modest amount, comparing it to what his father took.


    Second, Zhou Changyi, followed closely behind, smiling innocently.


    Zhou Shuren was already starving, ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    Zhulan, who had gotten up early in the morning and fought a fight, felt relieved only after drinking a few sips of the dough ball soup.


    The pure, unpolluted soup was delicious and left a lingering taste in her mouth.


    Xue Han saw her mother finish a bowl and was about to serve herself another, and stared blankly, ¡°Mother, wasn¡¯t that supposed to be for Third and Fourth brothers?¡±


    Zhulan¡¯s hand froze.


    In ancient times, technology was lacking, white flour was precious, and white water dough balls were a rarity, let alone soup with bones.


    Looking at the remaining soup in the bottom of the basin, she truly hadn¡¯t intended to save any.


    Yet, she could not help but save some, especially since both daughter-in-laws had already had a bowl, and these were boys who studied as well.


    However, she couldn¡¯t break character; the excitement of the day was a bit too much.


    Zhou Shuren put down his bowl, ¡°We¡¯ve saved some at the main table.¡±


    Zhulan turned to see Zhou Shuren put down his bowl and start eating a pancake instead.


    Neither son dared to touch the soup in the basin; it was one of those frustrating days that made her want to curse.


    Zhou Shuren defused the situation, and Zhulan looked at the basin in front of her.


    There was enough for two small bowls.


    Everyone had already been served once, so serving anyone more would show favoritism.


    She split the remainder between herself and Zhou Shuren, who said nothing but felt a pleasant warmth inside.


    He slowly picked up his bowl and continued to drink.


    Someone shouted from outside the main gate, ¡°Auntie, Auntie.¡±

 Chapter 25 - 25 25 Be Honest_1

    ?25: Chapter 25 Be Honest_1 25: Chapter 25 Be Honest_1 Zhulan was momentarily stunned before realizing the call was for her.


    She only had memories, no sound impression¡ªshe really didn¡¯t know who the voice belonged to.


    She hurried down to see who it was, only to find Yang Wuchun, the eldest son of her older brother Yang Zhushan, who was already twenty-three.


    ¡°Wu Chun, it¡¯s you!


    What brings you here?¡±


    After tying the ox, Yang Wuchun began unloading items from the oxcart.


    ¡°Auntie, didn¡¯t I go down south to be a courier?


    While I was there, I came across a cloth shop clearing out last year¡¯s fabric.


    Remembering that our third brother, Wu Dong, is sixteen and should be discussing marriage, I bought extra and Mother asked me to bring some to you.¡±


    Zhulan looked at the sizable bundle.


    Had she misunderstood something?


    Still unloading from the oxcart, Wu Chun continued, ¡°Mother is worried about your poor health and sent a basket of eggs for you to get better¡ªshe told me to remind you not to be reluctant to eat them.¡±


    Zhulan listened in a daze, her heart aching with a bit of jealousy towards her predecessor.


    Her own modern parents didn¡¯t neglect her, but they simply wouldn¡¯t be considerate in every aspect like this.


    Looking again at the items laid out on the ground, there was quite a lot, mostly things to eat¡ªall good for nourishing the body.


    Zhou Shuren patted Zhulan¡¯s hand and smiled as he stepped forward, ¡°Wu Chun, stop busying yourself and come in for a meal.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°Right, come in for food.


    We made dumpling soup for lunch!¡±


    Taken aback by the hospitality, Wu Chun wiped his sweat and didn¡¯t stand on ceremony, ¡°I¡¯ll go wash my face.¡±


    Zhulan hurriedly called out to Lady Li, ¡°Go fry some eggs.¡±


    Lady Li finally looked up from the cloth and asked softly, ¡°Mother, how many should I fry?¡±


    Zhulan hesitated, how would she know how many eggs make a plate when she can¡¯t cook?


    While trying to recall comprehensive memories, it seemed that she had never fried eggs before; this was tricky¡ªtoo few would be embarrassing.


    Zhou Shuren twitched the corner of his mouth and signaled her eight times; Zhulan, ¡°Eight.¡±


    Lady Li was nearly bulging her eyes out.


    Eight?


    Not daring to say a word against her mother-in-law, she briskly went to cook.


    Back in the main room, Zhou Shuren personally served Wu Chun some dumpling soup.


    ¡°Dumpling soup for lunch, and stewed hen for dinner.


    You must stay tonight so we two can share a drink.¡±


    Wu Chun was taken aback, carefully accepting the bowl.


    For the first time, he found his uncle approachable.


    Had he been away too long, or was it the way he returned that changed the reception?


    He preferred the distant uncle he had known before.


    Now, feeling unease, he cautiously responded, ¡°I¡¯ll head back after the meal. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Grandfather is expecting me!¡±


    Zhou Shuren¡¯s enthusiasm waned as he resumed his previous demeanor, thinking it best to maintain his public image, ¡°Mm, give my regards to the old master when you return.¡±


    Wu Chun instantly relaxed.


    This was the uncle he knew, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Zhulan observed with authenticity, ¡°¡­..¡±


    This time she really dared not shatter the public image; these people were all too familiar with them as a couple.


    Being trapped by her outward persona was truly uncomfortable.


    Suppressing her irritation, Zhulan inquired carefully about her family¡¯s situation back home.


    Once she learned everything was fine and had no more topics, Lady Li brought the eggs.


    She took Lady Li to prepare a return gift.


    There wasn¡¯t anything particularly rare at home to give back.


    It was the thought that mattered.


    Zhulan chose some of the best vegetables and picked some, then filled half a jar with the pickles Lady Li had recently made; Lady Li¡¯s pickles were tasty enough to be a respectable gift.


    Zhulan still felt the return gift was too modest and couldn¡¯t help counting the days, hoping that Wang Ru would stir up some trouble soon.


    The novel was rich with a variety of vegetables, all for the sake of Wang Ru¡ªa gastronomic internet celebrity who not only knew how to eat but also how to cook in ancient times.


    Just the thought could make one drool.


    Lady Li was proud of her cooking skills.


    Seeing her mother-in-law using the pickles as a gift again, she straightened up, ¡°Mother, since it¡¯s already autumn, shouldn¡¯t we start pickling the other vegetables?¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­..Yes.¡±


    Lucky she had her memories, or else she¡¯d be panicked.


    She didn¡¯t understand a thing!


    Returning to the courtyard, Zhulan was stunned.


    The novel mainly revolved around the Wang family, while the Zhou family only received brief mentions.


    But significant events would be touched upon.


    Looking up at the sky, her face turned a bit pale.

 Chapter 26 - 26 26 A Human Life_1

    ?26: Chapter 26: A Human Life_1 26: Chapter 26: A Human Life_1 Lady Li saw the pale face of her mother-in-law and hurried forward to support her, ¡°Mother, what¡¯s wrong?


    Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Zhulan shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.


    I just see that it¡¯s going to rain heavily soon, and I¡¯m worried about the third and fourth brothers.


    They didn¡¯t even bring an umbrella.¡±


    Lady Li felt an unpleasant sensation in her heart.


    The closeness they shared over noodle soup at noon was gone.


    In the end, her mother-in-law was only concerned about her two youngest sons.


    Lady Li¡¯s care was in vain.


    Zhulan was unaware of her eldest daughter-in-law¡¯s inner turmoil.


    She was preoccupied with the plot.


    Today marked the beginning of the Zhou family¡¯s decline.


    The original text had merely mentioned it in passing.


    Wu Chun ultimately didn¡¯t make the trip.


    Two hours later, a torrential downpour unleashed a flash flood.


    Because they had an oxcart, he went to pick up the two children who were studying.


    As fate would have it, the bridge to the neighboring village collapsed during the storm, the ox was swept away, and Wu Chun, trying to save the ox, was accidentally caught in the current.


    By the time he was found, he was lifeless, his head bloodied and battered.


    The original body had a good relationship with her natal family, being the only daughter.


    The Zhou family wasn¡¯t just respected for their scholarship; it was also because the Yang family had some martial skills and were renowned for having many sons.


    The original body¡¯s brother had made a name for himself during the chaos of war, becoming someone no one within miles dared to provoke.


    The Zhou family also inadvertently earned the label of not being easy to provoke.


    However, the death of the eldest grandson, Yang Wuchun, created an irreparable rift between the two families.


    Subsequently, the reputation of the original body¡¯s family worsened, and they faced an unending string of vexing issues, growing increasingly distant from the Yang family until they moved away.


    Yes, they moved away.


    Zhulan furrowed her brows.


    The novel sparingly mentioned the Yang family, probably because it served the purpose of the female supporting character, hence deliberately writing off Yang Wuchun, ultimately facilitating the departure of the Yang family.


    Otherwise, as the only daughter of the Yang family, how could the old master and the old lady bear to leave?


    With the Yang family¡¯s connections, it would have been difficult for Wang Ru to harm the Zhou family.


    Zhulan estimated the time, two hours in the modern-day for one Chinese hour.


    The oxcart would reach the neighboring village in twenty minutes, so two hours should be enough.


    To change the fate of an entire family, she had to alter the destiny of Yang Wuchun.


    Besides, this was no longer fiction but reality.


    Even if it had nothing to do with the plot, she couldn¡¯t stand by while a life was lost.


    Zhulan briskly moved the vegetables she had loaded onto the cart back down.


    Lady Li was stunned, ¡°Mother, what are you doing?¡±


    Zhulan had no time to pay attention to Lady Li.


    She shouted towards the house, ¡°Wu Chun, lend me the oxcart.¡±


    Wu Chun quickly responded, ¡°Lend?


    There¡¯s no need for such formalities, Auntie.


    Use it as you wish.¡±


    Zhulan then called the second eldest son, who had finished eating.


    It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to call the eldest, but relatives had come to the house, and the eldest couldn¡¯t leave.


    He had to stay and entertain them.


    That was the importance and status of the eldest son.¡±


    Zhou Shuren, trusting Zhulan, knew she wouldn¡¯t waste efforts needlessly, said to the stunned second son, ¡°Listen to your mother and go pick up your brothers.¡±


    The second son, who had been worried about his father¡¯s reaction, was surprised to find his father¡¯s support, making him even more bewildered for a moment.


    Despite their parents¡¯ harmonious relationship, when it came to educating the sons, their mother never interfered, especially regarding their studies, which they always left to their father.


    He knew all too well how seriously his father took education, having experienced it deeply himself.


    He and his elder brother weren¡¯t suited for studying and had suffered their fair share of beatings to avoid it.


    Today, with their mother intervening to pick up his younger brothers for no significant reason, and his father not only supporting the idea but also not angry?


    He felt rather dazed.


    The eldest, Zhou Changli, kicked his brother, ¡°Get going already.¡±


    Aren¡¯t you seeing our father¡¯s stern face?


    The second son, Zhou Changyi, glanced at his father, shuddered, and quickly ran out.


    Zhulan reminded the second son who was about to leave, ¡°Pick up your brothers and come back quickly.¡±


    Zhou Changyi had now experienced his mother¡¯s authority firsthand.


    Even their father listened to her, ¡°Understood, Mother.¡±


    Zhou Changyi, driving the oxcart, recalled his memories.


    It seemed not that his mother feared his father, but rather that she had never bothered to ask.


    He had always thought his mother was afraid, but now it seemed he had thought too much. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His mother simply didn¡¯t care to meddle.


    He elevated her standing in his heart once more.


    In the Zhou household, it wasn¡¯t just Zhou Changyi who thought this way.


    Everyone placed Zhulan in the highest regard!

 Chapter 27 - 27 27 Submitting to the Brain Circuit_1

    ?27: Chapter 27: Submitting to the Brain Circuit_1 27: Chapter 27: Submitting to the Brain Circuit_1 Zhulan didn¡¯t return to the courtyard until the ox cart had traveled far away, her heart settled and her complexion improved, knowing that Wu Chun couldn¡¯t leave, she pondered what to cook for dinner.


    She counted out twenty copper coins from her purse, ¡°Go to Butcher Sun¡¯s house and buy a pound of pork belly; if there are pig¡¯s feet available, buy two pig¡¯s feet as well.


    If there aren¡¯t any pig¡¯s feet, then just buy the meat.¡±


    Lady Li had just elevated her position as the mother-in-law to the highest peak, naturally not daring to criticize her mother-in-law¡¯s word, and since buying meat benefited everyone, she wouldn¡¯t foolishly question it, ¡°Alright, Mother.¡±


    After all, Zhou Family Village was a large village within a ten-mile radius and also a gathering place for the Zhou clan members.


    Twenty years ago, two-thirds of the village bore the surname Zhou.


    Due to the war and chaos at the end of the dynasty, Zhou Family Village welcomed many new settlers, and that was when the variety of surnames began to increase.


    Thus, peddlers frequented Zhou Family Village¡¯s streets and alleys, and the village boasted high-quality amenities, including butchers selling meat, albeit at half a coin more expensive per pound than in the county city.


    However, traveling to the city required riding an ox cart, so those buying one or two pounds of meat would typically do so within the village itself.


    The village also had a tofu workshop¡ªyes, a tofu workshop.


    Don¡¯t underestimate the wisdom of ancient people; tofu had already existed since the Han Dynasty.


    Zhulan craved tofu and soy milk as well, thinking how a cup of soy milk every day was really good for health.


    Lady Li returned quickly with a joyful expression, ¡°Mother, there are pig¡¯s feet today.¡±


    Zhulan swallowed, craving braised pig¡¯s feet with lotus seeds, ¡°Good, good, we¡¯ll stew the pig¡¯s feet tonight.


    You start preparing them.¡±


    Lady Li wasn¡¯t foolish either, and seeing the situation, she knew Yang Wuchun wouldn¡¯t be leaving, ¡°Mother, how shall I prepare the pork belly?¡±


    Zhulan really wanted stir-fried pork with hot peppers, but she thought of the grandchildren at home; they were too young, ¡°Stew the pork belly with potatoes, and cut the meat into smaller pieces.¡±


    Lady Li planned to add more potatoes so she could eat a bit more herself, ¡°What about the old hen?¡±


    ¡°We have a large clay pot at home, half of the hen for making soup, and chop the rest into small pieces.


    Weren¡¯t mushrooms gathered a few days ago?


    Stew them with the mushrooms.


    Fry some cabbage as well, and oh, keep the rendered chicken fat.¡±


    Lady Li¡¯s mouth watered nonstop.


    The day¡¯s feast was almost like New Year¡¯s, and she felt a bit of sourness in her heart, but thinking about the big bundle of fabrics, she felt balanced, ¡°Alright, Mother.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get a half bowl of wheat flour to mix with the cornmeal and steam some cornmeal buns.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Zhulan wasn¡¯t being recklessly extravagant, for the room storing food was indeed not short on supplies.


    Those who had lived through war loved not just coins but food even more, having betrayed their innate hamster-like tendencies.


    The original host was only accustomed to keeping a low profile, which was why the family¡¯s food supply seemed just enough.


    In reality, eating rice and wheat flour every meal wasn¡¯t practical, but having them once or twice a month was not a problem at all.


    These were all hidden tightly by the original host, not to mention there was plenty of cornmeal.


    The original wasn¡¯t particularly clever, just saved up little by little over the years.


    The new replaced the old without any spoiling due to carelessness.


    Zhulan took out the wheat flour, and the children had finished their meals too.


    She called for Zhao, ¡°Clear the table and wash the bowls; come help me cut the cloth later.¡±


    Zhulan truly did not want to ask for Zhao¡¯s help, but with Lady Li busy and only the memories of the original body to go by, not the original¡¯s skills, she couldn¡¯t gauge the clothing sizes for adults and children.


    Afraid to give herself away, she had no choice but to rely on Zhao.


    Speaking of the two daughters-in-law, put aside their faults, both had real skills¡ªthe older one excelled in cooking and the younger one in needlework, also skilled in embroidery, reportedly learned from her late mother.


    However, she hadn¡¯t learned for long before the need to flee arose.


    The original host could make clothes just fine, but couldn¡¯t embroider.


    Don¡¯t expect someone trained in martial arts to pick up an embroidery needle.


    Zhao responded lightly, her mood seemingly lifted and no longer sullen, happy at the thought that Mother was showing favor to her.


    She had never been asked to help before and couldn¡¯t help but felt teary-eyed, on the verge of crying!


    Zhulan had no idea that she had almost brought her second daughter-in-law to tears again and was just blankly looking at the bundle of fabric.


    It seemed like too much¡ªshe might have lacked the concept of making clothes, being from the modern era, but she understood quantities.


    The piles of fabric could probably supply the entire family with new clothing and still have some left over.


    Zhao came over quickly, with the faintest of murmurs, ¡°Mother.¡±


    Zhulan sorted the fabrics by color, ¡°There¡¯s plenty of fabric that came in.


    Measure for each of the children¡¯s clothing and cut out what¡¯s needed.¡± Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhao swiftly cut the fabrics for the children of the eldest son¡¯s household, then hesitated again with the scissors in hand.


    Zhulan knew what was on Zhao¡¯s mind, feeling annoyed.


    The original wasn¡¯t biased, so why did she become a wicked grandmother in Zhao¡¯s eyes?


    Look around the nearby villages¡ªher granddaughter, especially Yushuang, the oldest, really was blessed.


    She had clothes without patching; there weren¡¯t any patches at all.


    Upset, she snapped with a harsh tone, ¡°Hurry up and cut, what are you dawdling for?¡±


    Zhao wasn¡¯t scared but instead felt quite happy.


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.¡±


    She was utterly baffled by Zhao¡¯s train of thought!

 Chapter 28 - 28 28 In the Palm of the Hand_1

    ?28: Chapter 28 In the Palm of the Hand_1 28: Chapter 28 In the Palm of the Hand_1 Everyone received a piece of fabric to make clothes, and there was still plenty left over.


    Zhulan eyed the light-colored fabric intended for the little girl with envy; she wished she could make one for herself, but unfortunately, she could no longer do that.


    As a grandmother, daring to wear such clothes out in public would be considered improper, and she would be subjected to gossip, affecting the reputation of the entire Zhou family¡¯s women.


    Zhulan looked at the dark fabric in her hands, her heart aching so much she felt it hurt to breathe.


    ¡°Damn the ancient times,¡± she thought.


    Lady Zhao was overjoyed since her mother-in-law also gave her fabric.


    Now she would have new clothes to wear.


    Her mother-in-law did favor her.


    ¡°Mother,¡± she said.


    Upon hearing the whining tone, Zhulan shuddered, truly intimidated by Lady Zhao.


    She quickly grabbed a piece of fine cotton cloth, ¡°Cut this into five parts.¡±


    Lady Zhao held back her tears, and Zhulan let out a sigh of relief after the cutting was done.


    She truly admired Lady Zhao, who could divide it into five equal parts without even using a ruler.


    Such tactile skill was not something ordinary people possessed.


    Zhulan took out a piece, ¡°This is for making undergarments for Yushuang and the unborn child.


    There, you can take your family¡¯s fabric and go home to sew.¡±


    She really didn¡¯t want to stay with Lady Zhao anymore, fearing it would impact her own sanity.


    Lady Zhao, holding the fabric, seemed like she wanted to say something but stopped herself.


    Zhulan ignored her with a cold face throughout, and when Lady Zhao finally left, Zhulan sighed with relief.


    Afterward, she organized the fabric for her eldest son¡¯s family.


    Looking at the leftover pieces, she felt frustrated.


    Although the original body knew how to make simple clothing, just having the memory wasn¡¯t enough for her to actually know how to do it.


    Her two young sons would be considered just kids in the modern age, one in middle school and the other in elementary school, but in ancient times, they were treated as adults.


    At their age, it would be inappropriate for their sister-in-law to make their clothes.


    The ancient times were very particular about avoiding any impropriety; any negligence was seen as a family¡¯s moral failing, so she had to do it herself.


    Just having the memories wasn¡¯t enough even to cut the fabric, let alone make the clothes.


    Zhulan felt even more distressed when she thought about making clothes for herself and Zhou Shuren!


    ¡°Mother, Mother,¡± a voice called out.


    Zhulan¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up.


    Oh, right, she had a daughter.


    ¡°What is it, Xue Han?¡±


    Xue Han ran in, ¡°Second brother brought back third brother and fourth brother.


    Father said to ask Mother to take some dough and make dumpling soup for third brother and fourth brother.¡±


    After speaking, she licked her lips; the dumpling soup at noon had been so delicious.


    Zhulan then remembered that only her home had three meals a day.


    The two sons who were studying would go hungry at midday.


    The two boys didn¡¯t mind; they were used to hunger anyway.


    The original body, being a mother, felt heartache over this.


    She would have liked to prepare a small separate meal for them, but her husband had disagreed.


    According to his view, hunger sharpened the mind; studying was not about enjoying oneself.


    And so, despite three meals a day at home, the two studying boys were hungry every day!


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­..¡±


    Xue Han noticed her mother was distracted, ¡°Mother?¡±


    Zhulan smiled, ¡°I will get the dough.


    Can you help Mother sort out the fabric, Xue Han?¡±


    Xue Han¡¯s eyes sparkled with joy, ¡°Yes, Mother.¡±


    Zhulan handed the fabric for her eldest son¡¯s family to Lady Li in the kitchen, ¡°This is for your family. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Go make some new clothes for everyone in your family.¡±


    Lady Li had been eyeing Lady Zhao.


    Seeing Lady Zhao receive fabric had scratched at her heart like a cat¡¯s claws.


    Assessing that her piece was larger than what Lady Zhao had received, Lady Li smiled sweetly, ¡°Thank you, Mother.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯m going to fetch the dough.


    You make dumpling soup for the third and fourth sons, just add an egg if there¡¯s no more bone broth,¡± said Zhulan.


    Lady Li, having received a favor, readily agreed without any sourness.


    Zhulan was truly striving for absolute fairness, and as for dividing the family, she had never considered it; Zhou Shuren was preparing for the imperial examinations, and family harmony was essential.


    Without dividing the family, everyone was kept under control, reducing the chances of chaos.


    But if they were to split, no one would be in charge, and who knew what trouble might arise!


    Zhulan didn¡¯t have much confidence in her two daughters-in-law!

 Chapter 29 - 29 29 Try Your Best to Bluff_1

    ?29: Chapter 29: Try Your Best to Bluff_1 29: Chapter 29: Try Your Best to Bluff_1 Zhulan did not go to the main house, maintaining her persona.


    She took the dough and eggs and turned back to her room.


    Lady Li would bring the dumpling soup when it was ready.


    Zhulan increasingly felt that becoming a mother-in-law directly wouldn¡¯t be too bad.


    Back in her room, Zhulan saw her daughter feeling the pieces of fabric, smiling like the big bad wolf.


    ¡°Does Babe like these fabrics?¡±


    The little girl earnestly nodded, ¡°Mom, these fabrics feel so nice and smooth, better than what they sell in the county town.¡±


    Zhulan agreed.


    The fabrics from the south were indeed better than those from the north, and her daughter had a good eye.


    ¡°Babe has been learning needlework for over a year now, Mom will entrust your brothers¡¯ fabrics to you.¡±


    The little girl waved her hands in panic, ¡°Mom, I can¡¯t do it, I won¡¯t succeed.¡±


    Zhulan understood the girl¡¯s thoughts.


    It was normal in ancient times to patch and mend clothes for years, the girl did not dare waste the fabric.


    Zhulan remembered that her progenitor had presentable clothing not just because of favorable conditions, but mainly due to her family¡¯s connections.


    Her eldest nephew, who worked as a courier, would always buy some when he found a good deal, especially fabrics from his trips to the south.


    That¡¯s why her progenitor never lacked fabric.


    But this was only the case in her progenitor¡¯s family.


    Most families in the village could not afford to make even a single set of clothes in a year; a piece of fabric was considered a decent gift for visiting relatives and friends.


    Zhulan hugged her daughter, ¡°Mom believes you can do it, Babe.


    You are the most skillful child Mom has ever seen.¡±


    The little girl felt somewhat elated by the praise.


    Zhulan persisted, ¡°Mom really looks forward to wearing clothes made by Babe, they must be the best Mom has ever worn.¡±


    The little girl had never faced such a situation, her head heated up in the moment, ¡°Mom, leave the clothes to me!¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhulan didn¡¯t feel the slightest bit of guilt for encouraging the little girl, ¡°These two pieces are for your third and fourth brothers.


    Take them and let your sister-in-law guide you.


    Don¡¯t worry, with your sister-in-law here, learn well before making clothes for Mom.


    Mom¡¯s not in a hurry.¡±


    Xue Han, ¡°¡­.¡±


    She felt like her mom didn¡¯t have much confidence in her either.


    She also felt a bit sorry for her two brothers!


    Zhulan looked at the light-colored fabric intended for her daughter, feeling a pinch of conscience, ¡°Your sister-in-law will make your clothes for you.


    Her craftsmanship is excellent.


    Mom wants Babe to look beautiful.¡±


    Xue Han, ¡°¡­.Right.¡±


    Zhulan sent her daughter away and tidied up the fabric, ready to take a nap.


    She didn¡¯t know how long she had slept when the sound of rain woke her up.


    When she opened her eyes, she was face to face with Zhou Shuren, a little dazed by their closeness.


    Zhou Shuren opened his eyes too, ¡°Awake?¡±


    Zhulan sat up, ¡°When did you come back?


    Where¡¯s Wu Chun?¡±


    Zhou Shuren had sat for too long at noon and was too tired to move.


    ¡°He¡¯s chatting in third brother¡¯s room.¡±


    Zhulan hummed in agreement, listening to the rain worriedly.


    The book only mentioned a rainstorm, but this rain was pattering down like it was pouring.


    Zhou Shuren, ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with this rain.¡±


    Definitely!


    Zhulan didn¡¯t hide it either and shared the plot details with Zhou Shuren, ¡°I¡¯m glad I remember.¡±


    Zhou Shuren¡¯s eyes were especially bright, ¡°Now that the plot has changed, it means this is a real world, where everything can be altered.¡±


    Zhulan smiled too, ¡°Right.¡±


    Having arrived in ancient times, the heavy burden that had weighed on their hearts was finally moved aside.


    They had been fearing the protagonist¡¯s halo, but now they felt much lighter.


    Houses in ancient times were dim to begin with; with the rainstorm outside, visibility was low, not to mention inside the house¡ªit was as if it were night, and the sound of the rain was unsettling.


    Zhulan said pensively, ¡°Fortunately, we repaired the roof this spring, otherwise, it would definitely be leaking.¡±


    Zhou Shuren also felt relieved, ¡°We¡¯ll be staying in this yard for a year or two.


    Let¡¯s change the roof to tile in a few days!¡±


    Zhou Shuren laughed, ¡°This rainstorm really gives us a good reason.¡±


    Zhulan laughed as well, her thoughts wandering to the Wang family, and her laughter grew even more joyous.

 Chapter 30 - 30 30 Continue to Bluff_1

    ?30: Chapter 30 Continue to Bluff_1 30: Chapter 30 Continue to Bluff_1 The downpour lasted for over half an hour before coming to an end, and with each autumn rain, a noticeable chill set in¡ªthe air grew distinctly colder once the rain had stopped.


    Zhulan felt cold even under her blankets, but thankfully their home had a special shed for firewood and thatch, so not everything got soaked when it leaked.


    Unable to bear the cold any longer, she sat up.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to stoke the kang bed-stove and also simmer the medicinal soup.¡±


    Zhou Shuren wanted to offer his help but had to maintain his persona.


    ¡°You have worked hard.¡±


    Zhulan smiled.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s quite interesting.


    When I first arrived, I didn¡¯t even know how to start a fire, but now I¡¯m pretty good at it after fumbling and recalling memories.¡±


    The more Zhou Shuren learned about her, the more he realized that Zhulan had an admirable temperament.


    It¡¯s not easy for anyone to be so adaptable.


    Watching her rush out, he felt that his modern life lacked the homeliness and warmth of the present, and he quite liked the feeling.


    After lighting the kang and warming up for a while, Zhulan felt comfortable.


    Pushing open the door, she noticed some puddles in the yard, but luckily not many, thanks to the Zhou family¡¯s house being on higher ground and water flowing downwards.


    That¡¯s why the Wang family was out of luck¡ªtheir house sat in a low-lying area of the street, and their roof had not been repaired for a long time.


    She distinctly remembered from the original text that the Wang family¡¯s home leaked, and fixing it cost quite a sum!


    Zhulan had a vivid memory of how Wang Zhang¡¯s wife scrimped and saved from each room¡¯s repair funds.


    The room where the supporting character Wang Ru lived didn¡¯t have any private money at all and definitely had the worst leaks, sparking Wang Ru¡¯s determination to earn her own money.


    Zhulan patted her stomach.


    Hmm, delicious food would soon be on its way.


    Seeing that the rain had stopped, Zhou family¡¯s eldest and second sons naturally came out to clear the puddles in the yard, while Lady Li began to prepare dinner.


    When dinner was ready, and despite the overcast sky, they extravagantly lit two oil lamps.


    Four dishes and a soup plus Lady Li¡¯s pickled vegetables made six dishes in total, four of which were meat dishes.


    Everyone looked at the meat dishes as they were laid on the table.


    At mealtime, the children were over the moon.


    The five-year-old eldest grandson Zhou Mingyun swallowed a piece of chicken and asked with a hopeful tone, ¡°Grandma, can we eat meat every day in the future?¡±


    The little guy was sharp.


    He noticed within two days that grandma¡¯s words were law¡ªif she said to kill a chicken, then a chicken would be killed.


    There was no doubt in asking grandma.


    Zhulan was amused.


    The tiger-headed round-faced eldest grandson was truly endearing, and the eldest child was far from timid.


    ¡°Mingyun wants to eat meat every day?¡±


    The little guy nodded earnestly.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Zhulan spoke with a touch of difficulty, ¡°Grandma isn¡¯t capable of that.¡±


    The little guy¡¯s eyes dimmed briefly, but Zhulan went on, ¡°However, Grandma believes in Mingyun¡¯s abilities.


    Grandma will wait for Mingyun to be successful and treat Grandma to meat meals every day.¡±


    Xue Han, ¡°¡­..¡±


    Why did that sound so familiar to her?


    With the recent praises, the little guy was brimming with confidence, patting his small chest, ¡°Granny, Mingyun will definitely be capable.¡± S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhulan¡¯s smile was warm, ¡°Good.¡±


    The little guy thought for a moment, ¡°Granny, Mingyun is still little.


    I need to eat more meat to grow taller, and I need to be tall to have abilities.


    Can I have a few more pieces?¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.¡±


    Heh, what a clever little guy.


    Kids in ancient times couldn¡¯t be simply judged by their age!


    Xue Han couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter, and seeing her son so happy, Lady Li laughed along.


    Zhulan picked a few more pieces of chicken from the soup and distributed them to the children.


    Having been treated to good food for the past two days, the children surrounded Zhulan after the meal, calling her ¡®grandma¡¯ this and ¡®grandma¡¯ that, even the granddaughter Yushuang dared to get close.


    Children are indeed the most sensitive, always aware of who treats them well.


    The next morning, Yang Wuchun left without breakfast.


    If it weren¡¯t for the bridge being washed out by the torrential rain, he would have already returned home as soon as the rain stopped yesterday.


    Today, as the water level had dropped, he rushed back to check on things.


    Due to the rainstorm, the eldest and second sons did not go to the fields, and the third and fourth sons didn¡¯t need to attend school, making it a rare occasion when the whole Zhou family was home during the day.


    With time to spare, Zhulan went to see how Zhao¡¯s wife made clothes.


    Although she wasn¡¯t initially keen to learn, underclothes needed to be self-made.


    With the memory of her former self, she felt some confidence and believed she could learn well with time.


    ¡°Xue Han, Xue Han, are you home?¡±

 Chapter 31 - 31 31 Promissory Note for a Loan

    ?31: Chapter 31: Promissory Note for a Loan 31: Chapter 31: Promissory Note for a Loan Zhulan first heard the noise and glanced at her daughter, engrossed in her needlework.


    She realized the little girl truly had a talent for sewing.


    Just yesterday, Mrs.


    Zhao had given her some pointers, and today she had already gotten the hang of it, even doing it with a certain style.


    The noise outside grew louder; Xue Han almost pricked her hand when she heard it.


    Zhulan took the needle and thread, ¡°Mom will do the rest.


    It might be one of the girls from the neighborhood looking for you, go on!¡±


    Xue Han was surprised, how could her mother not recognize San Ya¡¯s voice?


    But then again, San Ya never dared to come to their house or get close to her mother, so it was normal that her mother wasn¡¯t familiar with her voice.


    However, San Ya had changed- her once mosquito-like voice was now clear and crisp, as if gaining some confidence had also increased her volume.


    Zhulan didn¡¯t notice her daughter¡¯s expression and started sewing directly.


    After sitting down for a while and recalling the memories of her previous self, she discovered that she too had some talent.


    She quickly tried a few stitches, found her rhythm, and her eyes shone with surprise; her talent was even better than she had imagined.


    She suddenly found the art of sewing quite interesting.


    Finally, Mrs.


    Zhao had some tact, praising her with a well-measured compliment, ¡°Mother, your sewing is really good.¡±


    Zhulan raised an eyebrow, huh, her second daughter-in-law rarely spoke so nicely.


    Mrs. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhao saw her young sister-in-law come back, ¡°Little sister.¡±


    Zhulan looked up, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go out to play?¡±


    Xue Han sat on the edge of the bed, lips pursed, not saying a word.


    Zhulan could tell something was wrong; the little girl rarely threw tantrums, ¡°Were you bullied?¡±


    ¡°Mother, it was San Ya just now.


    She asked to borrow Silver Coin, and I said we needed a written agreement.


    She got upset and ran off.¡±


    Zhulan smiled with relief, the little girl had learned her lesson from past losses.


    This time she seemed even clearer about San Ya¡¯s feelings of discomfort!


    Xue Han didn¡¯t wait for her mother¡¯s comfort and explained herself, ¡°San Ya asked for a hundred coins right off the bat, and that¡¯s all my private savings!


    It¡¯s normal to have a written agreement when lending money.


    Why should she be angry?


    A hundred coins is not a small amount.¡±


    Mrs.


    Zhao interjected sharply, ¡°Be a thousand times kind to someone, they won¡¯t be grateful, but one displeasure and they hold a grudge for a lifetime.¡±


    Zhulan and Xue Han were dumbfounded, unable to believe that these were Mrs.


    Zhao¡¯s words.


    Mrs.


    Zhao¡¯s face reddened with embarrassment; she too had seen tough times when fleeing disaster.


    Her mother had told her these words, and she remembered them well because of the anxious quiver in her voice, ¡°Mother, did I say something wrong?¡±


    Zhulan felt a tingling on her scalp.


    She thought Mrs.


    Zhao had changed a bit, but she was still a crybaby.


    They say Miss Lin can cry a river, but Zhulan felt she was nothing compared to Mrs.


    Zhao, who could cry whether happy, sad, upset, or frustrated.


    Zhulan was really scared, ¡°Yes, right, Mother has some things to do, I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    With that, Zhulan slipped away, her steps particularly spry.


    Xue Han snickered, she had discovered her mother¡¯s secret; her mother must dislike her sister-in-law because she was afraid of her tears!


    Zhulan went out and saw Zhou Shuren sitting in the main room weaving willow strips, looking a bit foolish, ¡°You know how to weave this?¡±


    Zhou Shuren didn¡¯t look up and replied, ¡°When I was a kid, the city was developing.


    The orphanage hadn¡¯t been demolished, and there was a small river nearby.


    To have a good meal, I followed the older kids to make fish traps.


    It¡¯s been many years since I¡¯ve made one, but not bad, the skill is still there.¡±


    Zhulan sat down beside him, his skill was more than alright, neatly woven.


    She had always liked art made through weaving in the modern era, ¡°Are you making this to go catch fish?¡±


    Zhou Shuren nodded, ¡°Yes, fish soup is good for the health.¡±


    Zhulan stared at Zhou Shuren; was he actually planning to catch fish for her because he heard her mentioning tonic and didn¡¯t dare to buy chicken?


    Was she being narcissistic?


    After a while without a word from Zhulan, Zhou Shuren asked, ¡°The person who came just now was the San Ya you talked about, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, did you hear her?¡±


    ¡°I did.


    There wasn¡¯t any part about borrowing money in your memories, was there?¡±


    Zhulan leaned back lazily in her chair, ¡°It¡¯s fine with Wu Chun, we haven¡¯t visited the Yang family, and it¡¯s reasonable for San Ya to come to borrow money.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t surprised at all, only even more contemptuous of Wang Ru, who exploited Xue Han without hesitation, taking it completely for granted.


    Zhou Shuren, holding the finished fish trap, said, ¡°Shall we go out for a walk?¡±


    Zhulan¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Sure!¡±

 Chapter 32 - 32 32 A Single Tree Does Not Make a Forest_1

    ?32: Chapter 32 A Single Tree Does Not Make a Forest_1 32: Chapter 32 A Single Tree Does Not Make a Forest_1 Human settlements are inseparable from water sources, and Zhou¡¯s village was no different.


    The source of water in Zhou¡¯s village was abundant, with plenty of small fish and shrimps.


    Zhulan, standing by the stream, could stir the water grass and find a nest of small river shrimps.


    Zhou Shuren set up his fishing basket, ¡°Small river shrimps have high requirements for water quality, it¡¯s rare to see them nowadays.¡±


    Zhulan lamented, ¡°It¡¯s caused by environmental pollution.¡±


    Zhou Shuren felt a craving, ¡°There are plenty of small river shrimps here, let¡¯s have Big Brother come over to catch some later, chives stir-fried with river shrimps are a perfect match.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Zhulan said, ¡°From what you say, you must be good at cooking!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been cooking for myself since I left the orphanage.


    At first, it wasn¡¯t tasty, but gradually, as I got the hang of the word ¡®moderation,¡¯ the food I made became edible.¡±


    Zhulan¡¯s mouth twitched slightly; moderation had also tormented her, ¡°Then you¡¯re quite impressive.


    I can¡¯t cook and haven¡¯t had your perseverance; I never got better at it.¡±


    ¡°I had no choice; cooking for myself saved money.


    Later, when I had money, it became a habit, and I even found cooking quite interesting.¡±


    Zhulan reflected on herself; this was the difference between having an alternative and not.


    If Zhou Shuren didn¡¯t learn to cook, he would either starve or eat unpalatable food, whereas she always had a backup plan, there would be restaurants, and she had money anyway.


    Zhou Shuren tilted his head, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    Zhulan smiled, ¡°Just realized some truths.


    Adversity leads to growth, comfort without movement leads to decline.¡±


    Zhou Shuren¡¯s eyes gleamed with a smile; his anticipation for his teammate had grown, ¡°It¡¯s quite chilly today; let¡¯s go back!¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    On the way home passing by Wang¡¯s house, from afar, they could hear the scolding of Wang Zhang¡¯s wife and, intermittently, cries for mercy.


    There was already a crowd gathered at the doorstep of Wang¡¯s house for the spectacle.


    Zhulan was surprised; this scene wasn¡¯t in the plot, but then she laughed softly, ¡°Wang Zhang¡¯s wife can¡¯t feast on the troubles of Zhou¡¯s family, so she uses her energy to torment her own family instead.¡±


    Zhou Shuren understood, ¡°Since Wu Chun¡¯s fate has changed, everything that follows can no longer be deduced from the plot; it can only serve as a reference.¡±


    ¡°I understand, let¡¯s go around.¡±


    Zhou Shuren turned his head, ¡°You¡¯re not going to watch the drama?¡±


    Zhulan rolled her eyes, ¡°The main character¡¯s drama is not interesting; I¡¯ve even stopped my girl from getting involved to avoid garnering hatred.


    Why would I join in?¡±


    ¡°Smart.¡±


    Zhulan¡¯s lips curled up, finding Zhou Shuren¡¯s company quite interesting, ¡°Let¡¯s hurry, we¡¯ll be able to eat small river shrimps at noon.¡±


    When Zhulan got home, she didn¡¯t see Lady Li; knowing her love for gossip, Lady Li must be at Wang¡¯s house, ¡°I¡¯m going to cut the chives.¡±


    Zhou Shuren pulled Zhulan aside, lowering his voice, ¡°Do we have much flour at home?¡± S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhulan, ¡°Hm?


    Why do you ask?¡±


    Zhou Shuren whispered, ¡°It¡¯s not good for the third and fourth to be hungry all the time.


    The original host didn¡¯t think this through; one can¡¯t concentrate when hungry.


    If there isn¡¯t much flour, we should buy some.


    If there¡¯s enough, we could mix some wheat flour with cornmeal in the morning and steam some buns to take with them, simple vegetable fillings would do.¡±


    Zhulan knew, this was Zhou Shuren¡¯s experiential advice.


    But she wondered, ¡°Do you have high hopes for these two kids?¡±


    Zhou Shuren nodded, ¡°The third has many ideas, which could lead to success if applied correctly.


    The fourth is truly good material for studying, intelligent indeed.¡±


    Zhulan understood that these were Zhou Shuren¡¯s opinions, not memories left by the original host, ¡°Alright, I got it; we have enough flour at home.¡±


    The smile in Zhou Shuren¡¯s eyes deepened; this was tacit understanding, no need for explicit words to convey meaning.


    He knew all too well the importance of support, and if it weren¡¯t for the inefficacy of the eldest and the second, who couldn¡¯t be guided, he would have liked to make use of all the males in the family.


    Zhulan went to the backyard to cut chives and also pondered about the fillings for tomorrow¡¯s buns; the third and fourth could eat spicy food, so chili with cabbage would be good.


    She then thought of kimchi but dared not suggest it, it would have to wait for Wang Ru.


    ¡°Mom, Mom.¡±


    ¡°What are you yelling for?


    Calling a lost soul?¡±

 Chapter 33 - 33 33 Chicken Fly Dog Jump_1

    ?33: Chapter 33 Chicken Fly Dog Jump_1 33: Chapter 33 Chicken Fly Dog Jump_1 Lady Li became timid, but couldn¡¯t suppress her gossipy nature, ¡°Mother, there¡¯s quite a commotion at the Wang family.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.¡±


    She just couldn¡¯t stand this about Lady Li, always rushing towards any commotion.


    Seeing that her mother-in-law wasn¡¯t paying any attention to her, Lady Li, who was quite keen, quickly took over the chives, ¡°Mother, let me pick them.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Zhulan also reached out to help.


    Even though she had become the original person, she couldn¡¯t just do nothing.


    She had helped her grandmother pick them in modern times, and Zhulan was quite fast at it, intentionally ignoring Lady Li all the while.


    Lady Li, feeling stifled, asked, ¡°Mother, are we frying the chives with eggs at noon?¡±


    ¡°Wait for the eldest to return.


    We¡¯ll fry chives with river shrimp.¡±


    Lady Li¡¯s hand paused.


    The river shrimp were small and didn¡¯t have much meat, and cooking them well would use up too much oil.


    Usually, the children would catch them to feed the chickens, and few households would cook them, but when well prepared, they were indeed delicious.


    However, the recent meals had been too lavish.


    She moved her mouth but didn¡¯t dare to speak up, remembering the last time the grandmother had scolded her for it.


    It suddenly dawned on Lady Li.


    Mother had been much kinder to Lady Zhao lately, even going to the second son¡¯s room today.


    Mother was sending her a message, wasn¡¯t she?


    She was saying that the house had two daughters-in-law, and if she didn¡¯t behave, someone else would.


    A cold sweat broke out on her back as she carefully recalled recent events.


    She had been getting a little too above herself lately, and it scared her!


    Zhulan waited a long time without hearing Lady Li speak again, and when she glanced over, Lady Li was crouching like a quail, ¡°¡­.¡±


    What was she concocting in her mind this time?


    The two of them picked chives quickly.


    Zhulan cut quite a lot, with half for river shrimp at noon and the other half for eggs in the evening.


    Zhulan saw Lady Li pursing her lips, looking like she absolutely couldn¡¯t speak and mustn¡¯t speak, her hands twisting together.


    It was really hard for this woman to hold back her words, and it was distressing to watch.


    ¡°Alright, go ahead and speak!¡± Zhulan said.


    With a grin, Lady Li spoke now that her mother-in-law had given her permission, ¡°Mother, Wang Ru¡¯s third daughter is something else, who knew she was so capable?


    We can¡¯t let our sister-in-law associate with that girl in the future.


    She¡¯s got a wicked streak.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.Hmm¡±


    As Lady Li spoke, she gestured with her hands, ¡°That girl dared to ask Wang Zhang¡¯s wife for money.


    When she refused, it caused a scene, angering Wang Zhang¡¯s wife who chased her around the yard trying to beat her.


    The third daughter even dared to dodge.


    Lady Sun protected her the whole time, crying and making a fuss.


    But then when the third daughter shouted that Lady Sun was pregnant, it was then that Wang¡¯s fourth son finally stood up for his wife and child, infuriating Wang Zhang¡¯s wife nearly to death.¡±


    Zhulan¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    Wang Ru was not to be underestimated.


    The original text didn¡¯t have her using her mother for a scene, and now with Wang Zhang¡¯s wife looking for trouble, Wang Ru had started using Lady Sun.


    So, Wang Ru had seen Lady Sun¡¯s pregnancy coming and was using Lady Sun¡¯s unborn child for her own benefit.


    Didn¡¯t she ever think that Lady Sun was already in poor health and might miscarry if something went wrong?


    Could Wang Ru really ensure Lady Sun¡¯s safety?


    At the end of the day, Wang Ru was selfish, always first seeking her own benefit, and incidentally probing the entire Wang family¡¯s weaknesses.


    When reading the novel, Zhulan felt that Wang Ru had skewed morals, but reality was even more direct than fiction.


    Zhulan warned Lady Li, ¡°Keep your distance from the Wang family in the future.


    If I find out you¡¯re joining their commotion, you¡¯ll see how I deal with you.¡±


    Lady Li shuddered.


    Her mother-in-law had just admonished her and issued a stern warning.


    Truly frightened, she promptly vowed, ¡°Mother, from now on I¡¯ll do whatever you ask of me.


    I promise to listen to you.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Seeing her mother-in-law¡¯s improved expression, Lady Li let out a sigh of relief but couldn¡¯t suppress her gossipy urge, ¡°Mother, I must tell you, Wang¡¯s fourth son stood his ground this time.


    He even managed to get ten coins from Wang Zhang¡¯s wife!¡±


    Zhulan guessed as much.


    In ancient times, the importance of males over females was much more pronounced, and the stigma of not having male heirs had long weighed down on Wang¡¯s fourth son, even causing him emotional distress.


    His hopes were all pinned on the unborn child. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She said pensively, ¡°In the future, the Wang family will be in chaos.¡±


    Lady Li, ¡°Mother, the Wang family has always been in chaos!¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.¡±

 Chapter 34 - 34 34 Resentment_1

    ?34: Chapter 34 Resentment_1 34: Chapter 34 Resentment_1 Early the next morning, the steamed buns with two kinds of fillings, the porridge made from boiled cornmeal, a large basin of egg soup, complemented by the crisp greenness of pickled cucumber¡ªit was all a pretty decent breakfast, even by modern standards.


    In a few days, the whole family had gotten used to it, and this time, no one was questioning anything.


    As soon as the table was set, everyone bowed their heads and ate.


    After the meal, Zhulan gave the ready-made buns to her third and fourth sons, who were going to school, ¡°Two for each, have them around noon to fill your stomachs.¡±


    The third son, Zhou Changlian, didn¡¯t take them, and instead whispered, ¡°Mom, Dad is going to be angry, put them back quickly before he sees and scolds you.¡±


    Zhulan¡¯s smile grew deeper.


    This kid truly was selfish, but not mean-spirited, and still possessed some conscience.


    The fourth son, Zhou Changzhi, kept watch for her, ¡°Mom, you better take them back, we¡¯re not hungry.¡±


    Zhulan stuffed the buns into her sons¡¯ arms anyway, ¡°This is what your dad instructed, from now on he¡¯ll give you some every day.


    Hurry up, don¡¯t be late for school.¡±


    This time Chang Lian believed her, nobody was foolish enough to prefer hunger.


    Feeling a warmth inside, he had to admit that feeling resentful during this period was inevitable.


    The family ate three meals a day while they had only two, and it was uncomfortable to be so hungry.


    As for the high cost of schooling, his two older brothers had also incurred expenses, so it¡¯s not like his situation was special.


    Zhulan looked at her third son, still so young and unable to control his expressions.


    With resentment in his heart, and at such a rebellious age, no wonder he had only thought of himself.


    After sending off her two sons, Zhulan asked the eldest to borrow a cart.


    She then turned around and recounted the third son¡¯s reaction.


    Zhou Shuren put down the book he was holding, ¡°I saw it coming the day before yesterday.


    Raising children is a science.


    We¡¯ll try to treat them all fairly in the future.¡±


    Zhulan thought to herself, thankfully, she had such a partner.


    Zhou Shuren¡¯s tact was indeed deeper than hers, and fortunately, they had been honest with each other from the start, building mutual trust.


    Otherwise, life would have been impossible.


    This time, with proper preparation and a thickly spread cart, the ride was much less bumpy and far more comfortable, at least it didn¡¯t cause nausea.


    It was the same clinic as before, and the doctor remembered Zhulan¡¯s family well, particularly Zhulan herself.


    It was rare to see someone dressed modestly yet willing to spend silver on their health.


    The doctor first saw Zhou Shuren, ¡°You¡¯re recovering well.


    Take three doses of the prescribed medicine to consolidate.


    The rest will heal gradually.¡±


    Zhou Shuren felt his body was pretty worn, ¡°Doctor, could you prescribe me some tonic soup to strengthen my body?¡±


    The doctor paused while writing the prescription.


    This couple truly valued their lives, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Then came Zhulan¡¯s turn, the doctor stroking his beard, ¡°Not a bad result.¡±


    Zhulan also received a prescription for seven doses of medicine.


    Including Zhou Shuren¡¯s prescription, it was a hefty expense this time¡ªcosting nearly three taels of silver.


    Luckily, they had sent the two boys away.


    Otherwise, who knows what the sons would have thought?


    How much silver the family possessed was unknown to the eldest and the second son.


    They all assumed it was around ten or so taels, and now, spending more than three taels in one go¡ªjust the beginning of future expenses¡ªcould even make dutiful sons lose heart.


    Zhulan and Zhou Shuren prefer hiding the truth than to take the risk.


    After leaving the clinic, they went straight to the grain shop.


    Zhulan primarily bought millet to cook porridge, which is good for the stomach but not cheap. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Millet was scarce and cost nearly eight coins per pound, almost catching up with the price of pork.


    She also purchased a lot of salt and soy sauce, planning to pickle vegetables when she returned.


    Lastly, thinking of the children at home, she bought some sugar blocks.


    There was no need for other purchases as the house was not lacking anything else.


    Back home, Zhou Shuren took the eldest son to collect the fish traps, bringing back a basin brimming with fish.


    Zhulan¡¯s face beamed, ¡°That¡¯s an awful lot.¡±


    Zhou Shuren, ¡°Indeed, tonight let¡¯s fry some small fish and buy some tofu to make fish soup.¡±


    Zhulan understood that he was thinking of the two sons in school.


    But there was strategy involved too, letting them feel remembered and valued.


    Clever indeed, ¡°Alright, and the rest, we¡¯ll keep?¡±

 Chapter 35 - 35 35_1 Profound Meaning_1

    ?35: Chapter 35_1 Profound Meaning_1 35: Chapter 35_1 Profound Meaning_1 Zhou Shuren had experience, ¡°The leftovers should be well taken care of and dried while the weather is still good to keep for winter.


    Have Eldest and Second catch more little river shrimp, dry them, and they¡¯ll make a good soup to drink in winter.¡±


    Zhulan naturally agreed.


    Unlike the modern times where greens aren¡¯t scarce in winter, in ancient times, most of the winter diet consisted of difficult-to-endure pickled vegetables.


    Zhou Shuren was full of energy.


    In the modern era, he forced himself to study in order to live a good life and never had a moment of rest; now in the ancient times, he finally relaxed and, with the memories of hoarding food from his childhood, was particularly enthusiastic about fishing.


    In the evening, there were fried small fish in lard, tofu fish soup, braised crucian carp, main dish of millet porridge, and cornmeal pancakes.


    Zhulan listened as Zhou Shuren said, ¡°The fish we caught this morning weren¡¯t eaten for lunch; we were waiting for everyone to gather and have a good meal together.


    Alright, I won¡¯t say much more.


    Just look at how my eldest grandson Mingyun is salivating.¡±


    Eldest grandson Mingyun didn¡¯t expect to be called out, his face flushed with shyness, too embarrassed to act spoiled with his grandfather; he could only cry out, ¡°Granny.¡±


    Zhou Shuren chuckled happily, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s eat.¡±


    Zhulan¡¯s gaze was always on Chang Lian and Chang Zhi.


    The joy on their faces couldn¡¯t be hidden. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhou Shuren¡¯s tactics were much deeper than hers; she didn¡¯t even have to point it out, and her two sons already felt valued.


    After the meal, Zhou Shuren said, ¡°We don¡¯t need to work in the fields these few days and have some free time on our hands; let¡¯s rework the Kang and fire wall at home.¡±


    Eldest son Zhou Changli frowned, ¡°Dad, the three of us can¡¯t finish it in just a few days.¡±


    It was nearly harvest time, the family had considerable land, and currently, the main labor force was just him and Second.


    In previous years, they also had Mom, but this year Mom wasn¡¯t well, and the two of them really didn¡¯t have that much time to work on the Kang.


    Zhou Shuren said, ¡°The village won¡¯t be busy these days; you can find some people to help out.


    Five coins per day without meals, and two days should be enough.¡±


    He then addressed the third and fourth sons, ¡°Go back later and tidy up the books and clothes in your room; don¡¯t touch them tomorrow.¡±


    Books were too precious.


    Third and Fourth responded, ¡°Got it, Dad.¡±


    Second son Zhou Changyi asked the crucial question, ¡°Dad, how many people should we hire?¡±


    Zhou Shuren had no experience in this area and asked in return, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Second was more resourceful and decisive than Eldest.


    Zhou Changyi was somewhat excited; he had never been asked before and hurriedly showcased his thoughts, ¡°If it¡¯s for two days, then three people will suffice, but if we want to finish in one day, we¡¯ll need five.¡±


    Zhou Shuren sighed internally, realizing there was still an oversight, ¡°If it¡¯s all completed in one day, where will people stay after the Kang are remade?¡±


    Especially for the last Kang to be worked on, by the time it dried, would people even have a place to sleep?


    Zhou Changyi pursed his lips, pondered for a moment, then his eyes lit up, ¡°First, Dad and Mom¡¯s, then mine; by evening it should be dry enough.


    The younger brothers¡¯ can follow, with the third at least halfway dry.


    The two youngest brothers can make do for one night, and finally, Sister¡¯s.


    If it¡¯s not dry, she can stay with Mom and Dad for one night.¡±


    Zhou Shuren smiled; the boy indeed had a nimble mind, ¡°Your idea is good, but this time when reworking the fire wall I don¡¯t plan on using clay bricks anymore; we¡¯re switching to green bricks instead.


    Hauling the bricks back and forth is also laborious, so let¡¯s split the work over two days.¡±


    Zhou Changli protested, ¡°Dad, green bricks will cost quite a bit of money!¡±


    Zhou Shuren didn¡¯t think of his eldest son as being petty.


    It was normal for the eldest to be more considerate, ¡°Money shouldn¡¯t be saved like this.


    Green bricks heat up quickly, and in winter, it will make things less harsh for both the adults and the children.¡±


    Eldest and Second looked at each other; their minds clicked¡ªDad must be worried about Mom suffering, so they said nothing further.


    Zhulan waited for Zhou Shuren to return and had dug out the jar holding the copper coins, ¡°Later tonight, I¡¯ll go hide the silver.¡±


    Places that she considered safe for hiding had been deliberated for several days¡ªabsolutely secure.


    The following day the weather was exceptionally kind and in their favor.


    After breakfast, Zhou Shuren and Eldest went to buy green bricks while Second went to find helpers.


    Zhulan hadn¡¯t expected that Wang Ru¡¯s father, Old Wang Si, would come; the Zhou and Wang families had never interacted with each other.


    Lady Li exclaimed in surprise, ¡°Wang Si sure has grown bold, he isn¡¯t afraid of being torn apart by the Wang Zhang couple?¡±


    Zhao whispered, ¡°For his son.¡±


    Zhulan gave Zhao a sideways glance, feeling deeply that the original body had always underestimated her.


    Despite appearing to have a timid nature, weak and tearful, her mind was incredibly sharp and she always hit the nail on the head.


    Under their watchful gaze, Old Wang Si felt very uneasy, afraid of being turned away from the work and becoming extremely anxious, ¡°Auntie, Aunt.¡±


    Second son Zhou Changyi, worried his mother would refuse, hurriedly signaled her with his eyes, ¡°Mom.¡±


    Zhulan, not as naive as the original host, knew full well what was going on.


    Second was bringing Old Wang Si into the picture for a good reason.

 Chapter 36 - 36 36 Exposed_1

    ?36: Chapter 36 Exposed_1 36: Chapter 36 Exposed_1 Zhulan withdrew her gaze and turned to the backyard.


    Today, she needed to pickle the vegetables, which wasn¡¯t a small task.


    The backyard was filled with cabbages, and with no vegetables to eat in winter, they usually pickled two large vats, but Zhulan had made calculations, ¡°This year, pickling one vat will be enough.¡±


    Lady Li didn¡¯t want to eat salted vegetables all winter long, and having pickled vegetables would offer a variety of flavors, ¡°Mother, we¡¯ve always had two vats, one won¡¯t be enough.¡±


    ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing.


    This year we¡¯re just pickling one vat.


    This afternoon, we¡¯ll chop all the remaining cabbages and store them in the cellar, and we also should sun dry more hot peppers this year.¡±


    Zhulan was thinking about the spicy pickled cabbage; she was waiting for Wang Ru to prepare it.


    Naturally, she wanted to keep more cabbages¡ªhmm, she thought, perhaps they could buy some more cabbages to bring back.


    Lady Li wanted to speak several times but swallowed her words, comforting herself that listening to her mother-in-law was never wrong.


    She was determined to be the most obedient daughter-in-law and not give Zhao Shi any advantage.


    Before long, Zhou Changyi, the second son, came to the backyard and whispered to Zhulan, ¡°Mother, Wang Lao Si has made a scene now that he¡¯s back from work.


    He¡¯s become so assertive, Wang Zhang Shi must be fuming.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.¡±


    She realized that she couldn¡¯t view her sons based solely on the original host¡¯s memories.


    After truly interacting with them, the second son was not only shrewd but also a deceitful insider, quietly setting traps that others would thank him for, his simple-looking face incredibly deceptive.


    Zhou Changyi thought his mother had become wise.


    The look in his eyes was different, as if he¡¯d been exposed.


    After being praised by his father, he¡¯d become a bit lost and was starting to float on air; he feared that his mother would speak loudly and attract attention.


    He knew she couldn¡¯t keep things to herself, ¡°Mother.¡±


    Zhulan finally understood that in the original story the sons were minor characters, but the second son¡¯s family had the least impact.


    With one partner being transparent and the other being clever and calculating, it would be odd if they didn¡¯t live well.


    She patted her second son¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Go back to work!¡±


    Zhou Changyi stiffened, dumbly looking at his mother.


    He didn¡¯t expect her to understand the hints he was throwing.


    He thought she didn¡¯t chase Wang Lao Si away out of laziness.


    Only now did he discover that his mother not only understood but also saw right through his meaningful looks!


    He thought he had seen through everyone else in the family, but the continuous reality checks, first from his father and now from his mother, proved the old saying correct: Your father will always be your father, and your mother will always be your mother.


    In the past, they were just too lazy to bother with him.


    He wouldn¡¯t dare to underestimate his parents again.


    Zhulan looked pleased at the cautiousness of her second son.


    To deal with someone like him, one had to be stronger and more perceptive.


    While pickling vegetables, Zhulan helped by breaking off the cabbage leaves, while Lady Li did most of the work.


    Lady Li had her own secrets to pickling delicious vegetables, and among the few families that Zhulan had tasted from in the original body¡¯s memory, Lady Li¡¯s pickled vegetables were the best.


    Zhulan looked at the vat full of pickled vegetables and thought of various pickled vegetable delicacies, ¡°Once the pickled vegetables are ready, we¡¯ll buy two pounds of pork to make stuffed buns with pickled cabbage and meat.¡±


    The children heard this and were even more enthusiastic about picking the spoiled cabbage leaves to feed the pigs.


    Lady Li looked up at the sky to gauge the time, ¡°Mother, what are we having for lunch?¡±


    Zhulan glanced at the well-sorted, unspoiled cabbage leaves, ¡°Cabbage stewed with potatoes, and let¡¯s make a cabbage and egg soup.¡±


    Afterward, Zhulan went into the house to start a fire, her room had already been tidied and, after warming it all afternoon, it would be ready to be lived in by evening.


    At lunchtime, Zhulan¡¯s family always had three meals, and helpers who came to work continued working.


    No one from the Zhou family offered charity by calling people to eat.


    What was agreed upon was clear: no meals were to be provided.


    Zhulan finished eating first and looked at Wang Lao Si, who was working hard. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When Wang Lao Si got home and learned, Wang Ru would probably think their family cold-hearted again, but Zhulan didn¡¯t care.


    As long as her daughter was the original female protagonist, she would always be a thorn in Wang Ru¡¯s side.


    In the afternoon, Zhulan and Lady Li chopped cabbages, pulled up radishes, and picked hot peppers.


    They also plucked the good pepper leaves, as none will go to waste when pickling salty vegetables.


    The Zhou family¡¯s cellar was large, and even after harvesting the backyard¡¯s vegetables, there was still plenty of space left.


    Having kept the fire burning all day, Zhulan mused after dinner, ¡°After finishing up tomorrow, I¡¯ll have the eldest and the second borrow a bullock cart to collect some firewood from the mountain.


    We¡¯re running low on firewood.¡±


    Zhou Shuren took up the conversation, ¡°Winter is drawing near, and we should collect more while the weather is still warm.¡±


    The eldest son, ¡°Understood, Father, Mother.¡±


    Zhulan had no intention of going up the mountain; she was recuperating.


    Lady Li felt there wasn¡¯t much work left at home, ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll go with Aunt Wu to pick mushrooms tomorrow, it will be the last harvest of the year.¡±


    ¡°Okay, you go,¡± Zhulan agreed.


    Lady Li beamed with joy, feeling suffocated over the past days, and finally, she would have a chance to gossip with Aunt Wu.


    The next morning, not only did Wang Lao Si come to work, but Wang Ru also came along.


    Zhulan, ¡°Here to see Xue Han, hmm?¡±

 Chapter 37 - 37 37 Keep Smiling and Refuse_1

    ?37: Chapter 37: Keep Smiling and Refuse_1 37: Chapter 37: Keep Smiling and Refuse_1 Wang Ru marched in boldly without a hint of fear, her voice crisp, ¡°Grandma Zhou, I came to see you.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.¡±


    By today¡¯s standard, Wang Ru is three years older than her!


    Lady Li spoke first, ¡°So it¡¯s Third Girl, isn¡¯t it?


    Had it not been for your dark and skinny figure and the shabby clothes that are hard to look at, I would have hardly recognized you.


    You¡¯ve become so much bolder in just a few days, and look, even your tongue has sweetened.¡±


    Zhulan kept a straight face.


    Lady Li¡¯s mouth was nothing special either, no wonder she bore the brunt of Wang Ru¡¯s venom; her words were full of spite.


    Wang Ru was angry inside.


    The people of the Zhou family were outrageous and cold-hearted; they didn¡¯t even bother to call her father for meals yesterday, showing no sign of humanity.


    If Zhulan knew what Wang Ru was thinking, she would have just laughed.


    Each household had a fixed allowance of food.


    In those days, unless there was a special friendship, very few people were so kind as to save an extra meal.


    Zhulan halted Lady Li, who was on the verge of stirring up more animosity, ¡°Lady Li, weren¡¯t you supposed to pickle some garlic and eggplants?


    Hurry up and get to it.¡±


    Lady Li was curious about what Third Girl wanted with her mother, but she dared not disobey her, so she meandered slowly towards the backyard.


    Zhulan couldn¡¯t care less if Lady Li eavesdropped and turned to ask Wang Ru, ¡°Do you need something from me?¡±


    The attitude was not at all friendly, just cold and distant, very much in line with the relations between the two families.


    Wang Ru smiled sweetly, albeit presumptuously, ¡°Grandma Zhou, could you and Grandpa Zhou take me with you the next time you go to the county town?¡±


    Zhulan was secretly pleased.


    Here it comes, here comes the spicy cabbage, but she replied, ¡°You¡¯re old enough to understand the relationship between our two families.


    If I take you with us, your granny will surely cause a fuss.¡±


    She was not the original main character; in the story, the original character took pity on Wang Ru and quickly agreed.


    However, Wang Ru didn¡¯t remember the Zhou family¡¯s kindness, and she wasn¡¯t as blind to the relationship between the two families as the original third girl.


    Wang Ru came with a clear intent, possibly wanting Wang Zhang¡¯s anger directed at them.


    Zhulan had no intention of indulging her.


    Wang Ru felt that Aunt Zhou was different from the woman she remembered, but considering Third Girl had little contact with her, she didn¡¯t ponder it much.


    Biting the corner of her mouth, she looked pitifully, ¡°Grandma Zhou, I will go sneakily, and I¡¯ll make sure granny never finds out.¡±


    Zhulan didn¡¯t believe such nonsense.


    If she really took Wang Ru with her, Wang Ru would be afraid of Wang Zhang beating her and surely cast the blame on her, so she kept her smile and refused, ¡°Third Girl, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, but your granny and I are enemies.


    Here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do, have your granny come and talk to me, and I will give you a ride.¡±


    Wang Ru wanted to curse.


    The ball was kicked back to her.


    How could Wang Zhang ever agree?


    She would rather chain Wang Ru at home to work.


    Holding back tears in her eyes, ¡°Grandma Zhou, you know how my granny is.


    If I told her, she would definitely beat me.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m afraid your granny would come and beat me too.


    Grandma Zhou is not in good health; I can¡¯t fight against someone as fierce as your granny.¡±


    Wang Ru, ¡°¡­..¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Don¡¯t think she didn¡¯t know that just a few days ago, Grandma Zhou beat Wang Zhang, but she couldn¡¯t say it out loud and was dying of frustration.


    Zhulan saw out of the corner of her eye that Lady Li was smirking and shot her a glare, ¡°You good-for-nothing wretch, doing nothing but lazing around instead of working.¡±


    Turning back to Wang Ru, she said, ¡°Grandma Zhou needs to watch your aunt work.


    If you want to go to the county town, have your granny come to me.¡±


    Saying so, Zhulan pretended to chase after Lady Li.


    Wang Ru, gnashing her teeth with hatred, realized the Zhou family was a dead end.


    She would have to look for another way out.


    As for walking to the county town herself, she never considered it; the ancient world was not like the present, and the mountains really did have wolves.


    Zhulan arrived at the backyard, where Lady Li was picking tiny eggplants from the plant, ¡°Mother, you¡¯re really impressive.¡±


    Zhulan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, ¡°¡­.Why am I impressive?¡±


    Lady Li gestured, ¡°I just think you¡¯re impressive.


    You refuse people with such gentle words; it¡¯s just so impressive.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.¡±


    She thought she might have misunderstood Lady Li, almost thinking Lady Li was pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger.


    But it turns out Lady Li was still Lady Li, the only one not so clever in the family.


    Toward someone not so clever, Zhulan felt she could afford a little more generosity!

 Chapter 38 - 38 38 Flowers Secret Past_1

    ?38: Chapter 38 Flower¡¯s Secret Past_1 38: Chapter 38 Flower¡¯s Secret Past_1 The Zhou family¡¯s kang and the fire wall, after being rebuilt, received unanimous praise from the household.


    Especially the fire wall that conducted heat quickly, raising the indoor temperature significantly warmer than before.


    Lady Li didn¡¯t miss any chance to show off, bringing quite a few people home to take a look, which truly annoyed Zhulan.


    Eventually, Zhulan managed to send Lady Li off mushroom-picking and firewood-gathering to stop the boasting, finally bringing some peace to the house.


    Zhulan strongly insisted on gathering more firewood this year.


    After the firewood shed was filled to the brim, two more piles of firewood were stacked in the yard, a bit away from the house.


    Zhulan was reluctantly satisfied but couldn¡¯t help yearning for coal.


    It was only after Zhou Shuren¡¯s explanation did she learn that coal had been discovered long ago, during the Xihan and Southern and Northern Dynasties, with mining techniques already in existence.


    In Zhou Shuren¡¯s memories, this fictitious dynasty hadn¡¯t changed much, and coal was regulated.


    Ordinary households shouldn¡¯t even think about it; unauthorized mining was a crime.


    Zhulan also considered charcoal, but she could barely afford it.


    With the household firewood supply secured, autumn harvest began.


    The Zhou family had ten mu of paddy fields and ten mu of dry land, one of the largest landholders in the village, meaning a considerable amount of work.


    After dinner, the family discussed how to tackle the tasks.


    Zhulan felt embarrassed to stay idle at home, having spent a considerable amount of money to recover her health.


    It wouldn¡¯t do to avoid work.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go too tomorrow.


    Leave the second brother¡¯s wife at home to cook.¡± sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhou Shuren disagreed, ¡°You haven¡¯t fully recovered, and you¡¯re finally showing signs of getting better.


    Stay at home and rest; I have plans.¡±


    Eldest son, ¡°¡­.¡±


    Second son, ¡°¡­.¡±


    They really wanted to say that their father truly favored their mother.


    Mother was strong and had always been the main worker in the past years.


    She really had recovered quite a bit and wasn¡¯t that weak.


    But none dared speak out, fearing a scolding for being unfilial since the old man was protective of their mother.


    Zhulan panicked; staying at home would mean she had to cook, something she truly couldn¡¯t do.


    The memory of her original self was that of a poor cook, and with no usable reference from those memories, she frantically sent Zhou Shuren some eye signals.


    Zhou Shuren had already thought it through, ¡°There¡¯s no shortage of surplus labor in the village.


    Tomorrow morning, send the second brother to find four people; we¡¯ll pay each six coins and include lunch.


    Counting eldest brother and the six grown-ups, the work should be neatly done in four days.¡±


    Zhou Changli, the eldest son, couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°Father, it would cost twenty-four coins a day for four people, which adds up to ninety-six coins in four days.


    Including the cost of four meals, you¡¯d need one hundred and twenty coins.


    That¡¯s not economical, Father.


    My brother and I can do the work ourselves; there¡¯s no need to hire help.¡±


    Zhou Shuren raised a hand, ¡°That¡¯s not how you calculate it.


    Recently, wild boars have been coming down from the mountains often.


    Finishing the harvest early could also help reduce the losses, which if dragged out for a few days, could exceed one hundred and twenty coins.¡±


    That shut the eldest Zhou up, and the second Zhou was very pleased, as his father had entrusted him with finding help, showing increasing trust in him.


    That evening back in their room, Zhulan pondered on their family finances with a sense of urgency, ¡°We¡¯ve been spending quite a bit lately, and the cost of nurturing health will only increase.


    Plus, both our sons and your studies are major expenses.


    We can¡¯t keep eating into our savings.


    Do you have any ideas?¡±


    She was truly out of options.


    Wang Ru had managed to improve her lot through cooking in another novel, but Zhulan didn¡¯t dare let Lady Li cook what she had already eaten.


    As for hunting, the original body indeed knew martial arts, but she wasn¡¯t skilled enough for hunting to be a reliable source of income.


    As for needlework, it wasn¡¯t even worth considering, so they had to rely on Zhou Shuren.


    Zhou Shuren hadn¡¯t actually considered earning money before and fell into deep thought.


    ¡°Let me think about it.¡±


    Zhulan¡¯s eyes brightened, and she clapped her hands, ¡°I¡¯ve read in novels about making money by copying books.


    How about you try that?¡±


    Zhou Shuren was at a loss for words, ¡°The entire county has a population of over ten thousand, and the proportion of scholars is very low.


    Most of them are from poor families; they generally borrow books to study and seldom buy them.


    Bookshops don¡¯t hire people to copy books; this way won¡¯t work.¡±


    Zhulan was really clueless but now she was curious, ¡°All the books we have at home, were they all copied from borrowed ones?¡±

 Chapter 39 - 39 39 Attracting Enmity Value_1

    ?39: Chapter 39: Attracting Enmity Value_1 39: Chapter 39: Attracting Enmity Value_1 Zhou Shuren was astonished, ¡°You have no memory?¡±


    Zhulan shook her head, ¡°The original body doesn¡¯t have these memories, I think it didn¡¯t pay much attention to these things.¡±


    Zhou Shuren recalled the original wife¡¯s lack of attentiveness and laughed, ¡°A portion is handed down from ancestors, a very small part was copied by the original body.


    The Zhou family ancestors had produced Graduates.


    The collection of books grew little by little.


    The father and grandfather of the original body were also scholars.


    It¡¯s just a pity that they lacked talent and left their scholarly ambitions to the original body.


    During the late dynasty when chaos arose, fearing the turmoil would cause the loss of books, the Zhou family copied their books again.


    That¡¯s why we have so many books at home.¡±


    Zhulan said admiringly, ¡°That was visionary!¡±


    ¡°Indeed, very insightful, except that we still had too few books for scholarly examinations and had to buy more.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°When all is said and done, it¡¯s all about money.


    I¡¯m truly at my wit¡¯s end.


    With my understanding of ancient times being nil, I can only rely on you.¡±


    Zhou Shuren tapped his finger on his palm, ¡°Scholar, Farmer, Artisan, Merchant¡ªengaging in trade is out of the question.


    Without having separated from the family and with three scholars at home, we absolutely can¡¯t bear the stigma of being merchants.


    For now, the safest thing is to buy land and shops to rent out.¡±


    Zhulan¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°Buying land produces little profit and won¡¯t earn much money, and in case of a disaster year, we could lose everything.


    Renting out shops isn¡¯t bad, but the little over a hundred taels we have at home isn¡¯t enough.


    Even if we bought a shop, it would be a small one, and the annual rent wouldn¡¯t cover the expenses.¡±


    Zhou Shuren sighed, ¡°In ancient times, making money without engaging in commerce is difficult!¡±


    Zhulan thought of the treasures she had hidden away, ¡°If not, we could sell the jewelry that¡¯s been hidden away.


    Gather enough starting capital to buy shops or estates.


    That would make a decent amount of money over a year, should be enough for the scholarly examinations and other expenses!


    What do you think?¡±


    The more she thought about it, the more feasible it seemed!


    Zhou Shuren felt like he was living off a woman, something he hoped to become the one Zhulan could depend on.


    As he carefully considered what he could do, he suddenly smiled, ¡°Wu Chun mentioned that there¡¯s an armed escort to Jiangnan after the autumn harvest.


    I¡¯m thinking of following it.¡±


    Zhulan struggled to keep up with Zhou Shuren¡¯s pace, ¡°What are you going to do there?¡±


    Zhou Shuren pointed to his head, ¡°You¡¯ve forgotten my specialty?


    Archaeology.


    Since it¡¯s archaeology, naturally I can appraise the authenticity of items.


    I have a real talent for this.


    The economy is more developed in the south, and there are many wealthy people.


    To keep up appearances or for bribery, merchants will buy antiques and calligraphy.


    But the south is rife with counterfeits.


    I intend to go there to see if I can find underestimated items or help people with appraisals.


    Just a few successful deals could earn a significant amount of Silver Coin.


    When I¡¯ve saved enough start-up capital, I¡¯ll come back and buy shops or estates for steady income.¡±


    Zhulan, envious of Zhou Shuren¡¯s profession, couldn¡¯t help but burst his bubble, ¡°Don¡¯t get too ahead of yourself, thinking only of the best scenario.


    What if you don¡¯t find any bargains?


    What if no one comes to you for appraisals?¡±


    Zhou Shuren smiled with profound meaning, ¡°I thought you had gained a certain understanding of me by now.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.¡± S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Indeed, she had gained a deep understanding.


    This man was incredibly shrewd and could sweet-talk anyone with ease.


    She really had nothing to worry about.


    Zhulan no longer needed to worry about money, and feeling the tension lift, she became drowsy and yawned, ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for you to make money and support us.


    I¡¯m going to sleep.¡±


    Zhou Shuren¡¯s smile deepened, as he had always been self-sufficient in modern times, ensuring his family never went hungry.


    Now that someone was waiting for him to provide, he felt a tingling sensation, mixed with a sense of satisfaction, ¡°Alright, wait for me to make money and support you.¡±


    Zhulan didn¡¯t realize at all that Zhou Shuren only mentioned supporting her, not the family, and she fell asleep in a daze.


    After breakfast, the second eldest went out to find help.


    Each family in Zhou Village had many children but not enough land, so there were quite a few people idle after the autumn harvest.


    With just one trip, the second eldest managed to gather four people.


    Zhulan immediately noticed Wang Laosi and was truly surprised.


    From her memories, most of the work during the autumn harvest at the Wang family was done by Wang Laosi, ¡°Did your mother let you go out to work?¡±


    Wang Laosi scratched his head awkwardly, ¡°The little bit of land we have at home is enough for the girls to handle.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.¡±


    Wang Laosi had thoroughly enraged Madame Wang Zhang this time.


    This autumn harvest would definitely just be for Wang Laosi¡¯s family, without him, only the three daughters would be left.


    With ten acres of land in the Wang family, adults would be busy for a while, not to mention three young girls.


    Was this indirectly increasing Wang Ru¡¯s level of hatred?


    Even if the plot was deviating, the Zhou family was still firmly pulling on Wang Ru¡¯s strings of enmity!

 Chapter 40 - 40 40 Resentment_1

    ?40: Chapter 40 Resentment_1 40: Chapter 40 Resentment_1 Zhulan had never seen the autumn harvest before.


    In modern times, she would at best glance at mechanized, fast, and labor-saving farming on the news.


    She was very curious about how it was done in ancient times and wanted to see it for herself.


    Besides, she gradually got used to her body; many minor details of her original life had become blurry.


    Fortunately, she remembered all the people and significant events clearly.


    Zhulan asked Zhou Shuren, ¡°Do you want to go see?¡±


    Zhou Shuren hadn¡¯t planned on going.


    He wasn¡¯t curious at all.


    There were farmlands near the orphanage he had seen before, but then he looked into Zhulan¡¯s shining eyes, swallowed back his words, and put down the book he was holding, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Zhulan took out the grain they would use for lunch and handed it over to Lady Li.


    She also counted out a few coins for Lady Li to buy tofu and meat, then set off to the fields with Zhou Shuren.


    Zhou¡¯s village was in the north, where the leaves had turned yellow, making the scenery on the hills particularly beautiful.


    Only Zhulan and her husband were free to appreciate it, as the villagers were all busy with the tense harvest in the fields!


    Zhou¡¯s land was easy to find as it was all in one piece.


    Six adult men worked with exceptional efficiency.


    They had already harvested two acres of rice, and the wild chickens, which loved eating the rice grains, were startled into flight as the rice was cut.


    Zhulan had never eaten wild chicken, ¡°All these wild chickens, we could just catch a few.¡±


    The taste of the natural ecology must be good!


    Zhou Shuren had experience setting traps, ¡°Want to eat?¡± sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Of course, I do.


    You say that nothing tastes good in the modern world with everything available.


    Here in ancient times, everything I see makes me crave, and I even dream of meat.¡±


    She had dreamt about gnawing on pig¡¯s feet several times, waking up with drool on her pillow.


    It wasn¡¯t until she had Zhao make her a pillowcase that she managed to keep this from Zhou Shuren.


    Zhou Shuren said, ¡°There are quite a few wild chickens here.


    I¡¯ll come back this afternoon and make some traps to see if I can catch any.¡±


    ¡°You have this skill?¡±


    ¡°I practiced with pigeons and sparrows.¡±


    Zhulan believed in Zhou Shuren¡¯s skills and was already thinking about how to cook the wild chickens.


    As she scanned the expanse of rice fields, she noticed Wang Ru and a few other girls and remembered that the Wang family¡¯s land was next to the Zhous, making it difficult for the two families not to clash.


    Three girls were laboriously cutting the rice.


    Wang Ru, who had never done farm work, hadn¡¯t cut much and kept glancing hatefully at Wang¡¯s fourth son.


    This was far from the original story where Wang¡¯s fourth son¡¯s family was supposed to be loving.


    Now that the Zhou family no longer distracted Madame Wang, her focus was solely on Wang¡¯s fourth son¡¯s family, pushing him to the point of intense resistance.


    If a son was indeed born, Wang Ru and her sisters would only have their fate sealed to be sold.


    Zhulan muttered, ¡°No wonder!¡±


    Zhou Shuren, with his sharp hearing, asked, ¡°No wonder what?¡±


    Pulling Zhou Shuren to start walking back, Zhulan whispered as they walked, ¡°In the original text, I always felt that the accident with Madame Sun¡¯s child was strange.


    When I first arrived, I suspected it, and now I¡¯m almost certain that Wang Ru orchestrated it.


    Wang Ru feared that if Wang¡¯s fourth son truly had a son, she wouldn¡¯t be able to control him anymore, so she took drastic measures.¡±


    Zhou Shuren paused in his steps, looked back at Wang Ru with her deep grudge, and said, ¡°There will be trouble in the Wang family tonight.¡±


    Zhulan was stunned, ¡°You mean something will happen to Madame Sun?¡±


    Zhou Shuren said, ¡°Wang¡¯s fourth son and his wife are so preoccupied with having a son they completely disregard their daughters¡¯ wellbeing.


    Wang Ru can¡¯t bear it anymore.¡±


    Zhulan shivered.


    As someone brought up under the red flag, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to harm another, and Wang Ru had reshaped her understanding.


    ¡°She truly is ruthless, stopping at nothing to achieve her goals.


    That unborn child is still a life.¡±


    Zhou Shuren patted Zhulan¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    Zhulan felt conflicted, ¡°Should we¡­¡±


    She swallowed the rest of her words.


    How could she be indifferent, yet how could she not?


    If Wang¡¯s fourth son and his wife treated all their children equally, the child could be born safely.


    The fault lay in their disregard for their daughters.


    Without change from Wang¡¯s fourth son and his wife, the child would not be born, as the other branches of the Wang family, except for Madame Wang, would rather the child not be born at all.


    Zhou Shuren saw the change in Zhulan and was pleased.


    He didn¡¯t fear a kind heart, but a malicious one ¨C that truly scared people.


    He squeezed her hand, ¡°We can¡¯t help with this.


    The root cause lies with Wang¡¯s fourth son and his wife; they bear most of the responsibility.¡±

 Chapter 41 - 41 41 A Divine Turn_1

    ?41: Chapter 41 A Divine Turn_1 41: Chapter 41 A Divine Turn_1 Zhulan thought it through and felt relieved, smiling, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    At noon, the Zhou family made cabbage stewed with tofu and pork stewed with potatoes; they kept some for the household and delivered the rest to those working in the fields.


    Zhou Changzhi had hired four people who were honest and didn¡¯t cut corners, working tirelessly on the paddy fields, they had harvested and hauled back over half of the rice, piling it up neatly, waiting for the complete harvest before threshing it all together.


    By dinner time, the Wang family was in an uproar, with wailing cries that could be heard by half the village; Zhulan lost her appetite and sighed internally, knowing that the child was doomed not to be born.


    Zhou Shuren kept his eyes on Zhulan, not because he was heartless, but because there was nothing they could do; this was a problem originating from the family itself.


    Dinner ended hastily, and the Wang family¡¯s crying stopped.


    Zhulan had an extremely restless night until Zhou Shuren, who had been paying close attention, finally pulled her into his arms and gently patted her back.


    Only then did Zhulan find some peace as Zhou Shuren chuckled softly and closed his eyes.


    The next morning, Zhulan got up and didn¡¯t see Zhou Shuren; she paused for a moment before remembering he had gone to check the snares.


    After washing up, Zhou Shuren returned with the four sons, all wearing delighted expressions.


    The eldest son, Zhou Changzhi, exclaimed, ¡°Mom, Dad caught pheasants!


    There are five pheasants, and even a rabbit.¡±


    Zhulan rarely saw the usually serious Changzhi so lively, and she also noticed the catch¡ªtwo male pheasants, three females, and a plump grey rabbit.


    ¡°Pheasants are that easy to catch?


    Five in one night?¡±


    Zhou Shuren explained, ¡°Pheasants have been in the rice fields these past days, not perceiving the danger, so it was easier to catch them.


    Tonight might not be so successful.¡±


    The eldest son expressed his regret, ¡°Some snares were taken away; otherwise, we could have caught more.¡±


    The third son, Zhou Changlian, who was at the age of growing tall, was fixated on the food, ¡°Mom, can we stew two pheasants tonight for a good feast?¡±


    Zhulan was very pleased, as pheasants didn¡¯t cost money.


    She smiled and agreed, ¡°Let¡¯s kill the pheasants.


    We¡¯ll keep the rabbit for now, and take it with us when we visit your grandparents in a while.¡±


    Zhou Changzhi was troubled, feeling it was too much, ¡°Mom, five is way too many.¡±


    Zhulan weighed the pheasants in her hand, touching them; although plump, they weren¡¯t as big as domestic chickens and didn¡¯t have much meat on them.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too much; we¡¯ll do as Chang Lian said and have enough to eat today, to fatten up for the autumn.¡±


    Zhou Changlian straightened his back with pride; he could also make suggestions and felt valued, ¡°Thank you, Mom.¡±


    Zhulan chuckled, realizing that children indeed hoped to be valued.


    After breakfast, the three workers arrived.


    As the food in the Zhou household was good, they entered the courtyard enthusiastically calling Zhulan ¡°Auntie¡± in thanks for the generous meals, which included meat in the dishes.


    Zhulan heard from Zhou Changzhi that at noon they had only eaten half of their meals and had taken the rest home¡ªsuch was the poverty they faced.


    Wang Laosi was missing, someone from the Wang family, whose commotions had spread throughout the village.


    The other three workers were contemplating introducing their own relatives when Wang Laosi showed up.


    Zhulan was surprised but still politely inquired, ¡°Is your wife alright?¡±


    Wang Laosi, who hadn¡¯t slept well, was still very anxious, ¡°Actually, I should thank Uncle and Auntie.


    The child was saved.¡±


    Zhulan was puzzled, ¡°How can you thank us? S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    We didn¡¯t do much to help.¡±


    Wang Laosi gratefully said, ¡°I earned some coin by working at Auntie¡¯s place in the past few days, which allowed me to buy fetus-protecting medicine, and that saved the child.¡±


    Wang Laosi felt a deep resentment¡ªhis mother had stubbornly refused to use the money, thinking the child was already lost.


    Thankfully, driven by his unwillingness to give up and having some money on hand, the child was saved.


    Zhulan was somewhat stunned by this miraculous twist, ¡°Saving the child is good news.


    Both of you should be more careful in the future.¡±


    After a pause, she followed her heart and spoke out, ¡°You have a good amount of land at home, and the daughters are at a significant loss; after all, they are your children, and you should be more concerned about them.¡±


    This was especially true for the eldest daughter, who worked the hardest and looked like a child of less than ten even though she was in her teens.


    Wang Laosi now felt a new kind of hatred¡ªhatred toward his mother and his brothers who had been making sarcastic remarks, ¡°Today, none of the daughters are working; it¡¯s the brothers working in the fields.¡±


    Zhulan and Zhou Shuren exchanged looks; Wang Laosi had changed, yet it was uncertain whether it was for better or worse.

 Chapter 42 - 42 42 Difficulties are Increasing_1

    ?42: Chapter 42 Difficulties are Increasing_1 42: Chapter 42 Difficulties are Increasing_1 In the days of the autumn harvest, the evening meals were too good, and the weight of the Zhou family members soared, even the eldest and second sons who worked in the fields put on fat, but the most noticeable was Lady Li.


    She, already a food lover, didn¡¯t skimp on trapping wild chickens during the harvest.


    Zhulan was generous, and Lady Li really outdid herself, with the result that she became even plumper.


    Her facial features, which were not very distinct to begin with, resembled a pancake with her newfound roundness.


    Zhulan usually didn¡¯t look at Lady Li¡¯s face, especially when she smiled with her eyes squinted, which was just too comical.


    Lady Li, on the other hand, didn¡¯t see it that way.


    She was proud of her cheeks and always boasted about her ¡°blessed¡± visage.


    The autumn harvest ended quickly.


    Bags of rice grain were neatly stacked, waiting for the village harvest to conclude so they could be collected as tax.


    Many wild chickens were trapped during the harvest, a craft that others in the village had learned as well, making this year¡¯s harvest particularly lively.


    Although Zhulan craved meat, eating chicken continuously had satiated her, and in the end, Zhou Shuren, having tasted cured duck, decided to apply the same technique to the leftover wild chickens, turning them into cured wild chicken.


    As for why they didn¡¯t raise the wild chickens, the birds were too temperamental and would die from sheer frustration if tied up, offering no chance to be domesticated.


    After the harvest, the eldest and second sons went to the fields to gather corn stalks for kindling.


    Zhulan also prepared gifts and counted the days until she could return to her paternal home, inquiring about the specific date for the armed escort so she could get Zhou Shuren¡¯s luggage ready.


    She didn¡¯t have time to worry about Lady Li, who was always hanging around the host family, and she was content to have some peace and quiet from her chatter.


    Really, constant nagging is unbearable.


    Just as Zhulan thought of Lady Li, she ran back, her hair somewhat disheveled.


    ¡°Chased by a dog?


    What kind of state is that to return in?¡±


    Originally, Zhulan thought Lady Li was the only one lacking in intelligence, and she was willing to be lenient, but no matter how nicely you spoke, it seemed like something was lost in translation.


    Day after day, you were so anxious, almost ready to kowtow and apologize, and several times the neighbors saw you, thoroughly mocking you.


    The reputation for kindness that was so hard to build vanished in an instant. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Angry, Zhulan finally understood that Lady Li was destined to need discipline.


    See, scold her, and she actually smiles and takes it cheerfully.


    Lady Li wasn¡¯t the least bit intimidated and tidied her hair.


    Her mother-in-law¡¯s scowl could not suppress her excitement, ¡°Mother, the third daughter from Old Wang¡¯s family made a fortune, and the Xu family, they say, heard the jingle of a bundle of copper coins¡ªthey must amount to several taels!¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­..


    I suppose the whole village knows by now!¡±


    They would not get involved anymore; Wang Ru¡¯s road to success was becoming increasingly difficult.


    It started with Old Wang changing his ways, and now with this money-making venture.


    Originally, it was not known outside of Yan village that Wang Ru made money, because the outspoken were tight-lipped, but now that it¡¯s the Xu family talking, don¡¯t expect much discretion from them.


    They tend to spill the beans just like Lady Li¡ªthey¡¯re cut from the same cloth.


    Lady Li felt her mother-in-law was missing the point, ¡°Mother, the third daughter made money, a lot of money.¡±


    This was something Zhulan agreed with.


    All year round, their twenty-acre farm couldn¡¯t make ten taels of silver, but according to the original text, Wang Ru made ten taels of silver, all from selling ten recipes on how to make kimchi.


    It was sold that cheaply; one couldn¡¯t expect there to be a concept of copyright in ancient times, and if not for the fresh ingredients for kimchi, any recipe would hardly fetch a hundred Da Qian.


    Zhulan quietly recalled in her mind the dishes¡ªkimchi stewed with pork belly, fried kimchi¡ªand thought, once the restaurant that bought Wang Ru¡¯s recipes made them, her family could also try it out.


    Seeing her mother lost in thought again, Lady Li had to gently call out, ¡°Mother, Mother.¡±


    Zhulan came back to her senses.


    She didn¡¯t care about the reaction Wang Ru¡¯s earnings caused.


    She only cared about the kimchi and saw an opportunity to make a little money on the side; after all, the Zhou family was always drawing ire, and with so many ¡®lice¡¯, one more wouldn¡¯t hurt, ¡°Go call your brothers back.¡±


    Lady Li was a bit confused, but her mother-in-law had already turned to go back inside, drumming up worries about what serious matter this could be, and she hurried off.


    Despite being rather plump, Lady Li was surprisingly agile.


    Zhulan went back inside to find money, her eyes gleaming, ¡°I¡¯ll have your brothers bring in extra cabbage to sell.


    We¡¯ll also make a profit riding this money-making wind.¡±


    Zhou Shuren frowned, ¡°Don¡¯t rush it.


    Let¡¯s wait until it explodes in Wang¡¯s family that the kimchi is made from cabbage.¡±


    Zhulan slapped her forehead, ¡°Right, you¡¯re right.


    Later, let¡¯s have Lady Li go and find out.


    She¡¯s good at that.¡±


    Saying so, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    Having someone like Lady Li in the house was truly indispensable.

 Chapter 43 - 43 43 Deep and Unfathomable_1

    ?43: Chapter 43 Deep and Unfathomable_1 43: Chapter 43 Deep and Unfathomable_1 Zhou family¡¯s eldest and second eldest returned swiftly, Zhou¡¯s eldest barely had time to wipe his sweat, ¡°Mother, what has happened at home?¡±


    Zhulan was embarrassed, since the Wang family hadn¡¯t caused a stir, she couldn¡¯t mention the cabbage-buying incident, and found it hard to explain for the moment.


    Zhou Shuren¡¯s smile grew even broader, for since arriving in ancient times, Zhulan had never made a mistake.


    This was the first time he had seen her looking embarrassed.


    He coughed once, ¡°Your mother has been thinking about buying a cow, so she urgently wanted you to come back to discuss it.¡±


    Zhou¡¯s second son looked up quickly at Dad and almost rolled his eyes.


    Buying cows was also Dad¡¯s idea, he was obviously helping Mom out of a tight spot!


    Zhou¡¯s eldest, not the smartest one, also wore a wooden expression.


    Dad, could you find a more convincing reason?


    Even saying Mom missed them would have worked!


    Zhulan¡¯s cheeks reddened slightly and, avoiding her sons¡¯ meaningful gazes, she said to Lady Li, ¡°You go and find out exactly how Third Girl made her money.¡±


    Lady Li loved this kind of task and didn¡¯t feel the least bit tricked.


    She took off running, afraid she would miss out if she arrived too late, and vanished in the blink of an eye.


    Zhou¡¯s eldest dryly said, ¡°¡­..Mother, in the future, if there¡¯s anything to be done, let Lady Li run the errands.


    She¡¯s quick.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­..Right.¡±


    Zhou Shuren took his two sons back to the house.


    He wasn¡¯t only helping Zhulan out of a bind; he had been mulling over the cow purchase for a long time.


    Borrowing was not a solution, it cost a lot of money each time, and according to their family¡¯s usage of cows, it made more sense to purchase one.


    Especially a mother cow with a calf, which, if raised well, could recoup the investment by the following year.


    Zhulan didn¡¯t follow them inside and waited for Lady Li, who returned promptly.


    She had made several trips without pausing for breath, ¡°Mother, spicy pickled cabbage.


    It¡¯s spicy pickled cabbage that Third Girl made with white cabbage.


    It¡¯s spicy and appetizing, and I tasted a bite.


    It¡¯s delicious.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.Did everyone try it, or did you taste it yourself?¡±


    Don¡¯t go making enemies on your own!


    Lady Li, savoring the flavor, ¡°Everyone tried it.


    I was too late though.


    If I could have had one more bite, I would have known what was in it.


    Sadly, Wang¡¯s wife Zhang snatched it away.¡±


    Zhulan believed that Lady Li could figure it out because spicy pickled cabbage wasn¡¯t very technically demanding.


    Soon enough, skilled chefs would be able to make it.


    It wasn¡¯t a sustainable business.


    She turned and entered the house, ¡°Third Girl has come up with spicy pickled cabbage.


    Lady Li says it¡¯s very tasty.


    Third Girl also made quite a bit of money from it.


    That shows spicy pickled cabbage is popular.


    We should take advantage of the situation before others catch on.


    Eldest and second, go to the nearby villages and buy up all the cabbages you can find.


    The price of cabbages will rise within a day.¡±


    Zhou¡¯s second son was quick-witted, ¡°Mother, Big Brother and I will go right now.¡±


    Zhou Shuren said, ¡°This is just a quick way to make money by beating the clock.


    Remember, once the price of cabbage exceeds one coin per jin, don¡¯t buy it anymore.


    The money earned this time will be half given to the bride¡¯s family, and the other half will be split between you two to keep for yourselves.¡±


    Zhou¡¯s eldest didn¡¯t voice any objections.


    Everyone wanted some personal money in their hands, and to refuse such legitimate personal money would be foolish.


    Zhulan looked at Lady Li, who kept inching closer to her, ¡°Speak directly if you have something to say.¡±


    Lady Li grinned ingratiatingly, ¡°Mother, can my family do anything?¡±


    Zhulan¡¯s family, no matter how capable, couldn¡¯t take on everything.


    There were many villages nearby, ¡°You go back and tell them.¡±


    Lady Li¡¯s eyes turned red, although Mother often scolded her, she was extremely good to her, never blaming her for backstabbing, ¡°Mother, you¡¯re so good.¡±


    Zhulan shuddered, ¡°Quick, stop acting like Zhao¡¯s wife, put away your crocodile tears.¡±


    Was she hoping to not be blackened enough?


    It¡¯s scary to watch!


    Zhou Shuren called back his two sons who were about to leave with the money, ¡°By the way, tell your uncles¡¯ families.


    They may not make a fortune, but they can afford to eat better.¡± sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhou¡¯s eldest, ¡°Understood, Dad.¡±


    When Lady Li returned, she brought back unsettling news, ¡°Mother, I saw several families in the village going to buy cabbages.¡±


    Zhulan thought to herself, never underestimate the ancients; there are indeed many clever people.


    That¡¯s the trouble with villages; basically, nothing remains a secret.


    Soon after the village began buying cabbages, in just one day, the price had soared to one coin per jin, quadrupling from previous years.


    With Zhou Shuren¡¯s foresight and the fact that Zhulan¡¯s family had acted earliest, their cost was the lowest¡ªtwo silver taels.


    After accounting for damaged leaves, they sold the cabbages for ten silver taels, netting a profit of seven taels overnight.


    Since spicy pickled cabbage wasn¡¯t highly technical, its price couldn¡¯t soar.


    The Shang family bought cabbages at one coin and two coins.


    Once the price of cabbages exceeded one coin, factoring in damages, they actually came out at a loss.


    Zhou Shuren¡¯s brilliant calculations had opened his sons¡¯ eyes, and they grew increasingly in awe of their father¡¯s depth and no longer dared entertain any minor schemes of their own.


    Zhulan divided the silver between her two sons and, out of happiness, gave ten coins to each of her three sons, the eldest, and the youngest daughter.


    Lady Li, with money in hand, was no longer preoccupied with cabbages.


    Instead, she began experimenting with seasonings, tormenting quite a bit of chili powder all day long.


    As dinner time approached, Zhulan took some food and asked Lady Li to start cooking, but then Wang Ru arrived, looking like she had sneaked out with straw still on her.


    Xue Han held deep resentment towards Wang Ru, her face expressionless, ¡°Mother, Third Girl is looking for you.¡±


    Zhulan knew perfectly well it wouldn¡¯t be good news.


    Just because the Zhou family was the first to sell cabbages, God knows how much Wang Ru resented them in her heart!

 Chapter 44 - 44 44 Dark Heart_1

    ?44: Chapter 44 Dark Heart_1 44: Chapter 44 Dark Heart_1 Wang Ru pinched the center of her palm, feeling as if her heart were scorched by fire.


    Ever since she¡¯d arrived in the ancient past, nothing had gone smoothly for her.


    She had read novels where time-traveling women were always the protagonists, but in her case, it had been a series of misfortunes.


    She couldn¡¯t just wait for her fate to change; after much deliberation, she¡¯d set her sights on the Zhou family.


    Wang Ru pinched herself, bringing tears to her eyes, which, combined with her pitifully disheveled face, made a sorrowful sight, ¡°Grandma Zhou, my grandmother fears you, and you¡¯re the only one in the village who can save me.


    Please, take pity on me and save me.


    My grandmother wants to beat me to death.¡±


    Zhulan tugged at the corner of her mouth, not fooled by Wang Ru¡¯s act.


    She could play the game just as well, ¡°Stop your crying, child.


    Although Wang Zhangshi is worse than a beast, she would not dare to actually kill someone.


    To kill a person would not only require her life in return but also tarnish the entire Wang family¡¯s reputation.


    For the sake of their reputation, Wang Zhangshi wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    Despite Wang Zhangshi¡¯s propensity for beating and scolding the young maids, she would indeed stop short of killing.


    The grandsons of the Wang family were about to marry, and several of the granddaughters were set to wed people as well.


    Even if Wang Zhangshi were to act like a devil, she would not blatantly kill someone.


    Wang Ru swiftly glanced at Yang Shi.


    Was this the talk of someone with a simple mind? S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Feeling a sinking in her heart, she dropped to her knees, ¡°Grandma Zhou, my grandmother may not dare to beat me to death, but she dares to starve me.


    As long as no one finds out, nobody can do anything about it.


    You have a kind heart, please save me.¡±


    Zhulan¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Now that Wang Ru had kneeled before her, she would become the person Wang Ru hated most.


    Once Wang Ru came into wealth, she certainly wouldn¡¯t want to face Zhulan whom she had knelt before.


    Feeling blocked and suffocated, Zhulan, though she did not instigate conflict, couldn¡¯t keep others from provoking her.


    Her face grew cold as she pulled Wang Ru to her feet, ¡°Look at you, speaking such foolishness.


    The whole village knows that you, Third Miss, have the ability to make a lot of money now.


    Your grandmother is the shrewdest of all; she wouldn¡¯t starve you.


    Look how pathetic you¡¯ve become, scaring yourself silly!¡±


    Zhulan quickly interrupted Wang Ru, calling out to the second brother who was splitting firewood, ¡°Second Brother, quickly go fetch Wang Laosi.


    How can he be such a father, letting his daughter become so frightened?¡±


    Zhou Er, who had been listening for a while, feared his mother might soften and agree to the request.


    Dropping the axe, he said, ¡°I¡¯m on it.¡±


    Wang Ru, being dragged along, seethed with resentment.


    She had come to realize that the honest-looking members of the Zhou family were all concealing their cunning.


    With this in mind, she felt no guilt about her own scheming, ¡°Grandma Zhou, Xue Han is my friend, and you are her mother, and the kindest of all.


    You also know that I¡¯ve made money.


    If you help me, I¡¯ll share the formula with you and we can work together.


    The Zhou family can take seventy percent; I¡¯ll be happy with just thirty.¡±


    Zhulan scoffed, thinking being your friend was a curse for eight generations.


    Releasing Wang Ru, she said indifferently, ¡°Third Miss, our Zhou family has three scholars.


    We don¡¯t involve ourselves in business.


    There¡¯s an order to society: Scholar, Farmer, Artisan, Merchant.


    It¡¯s no fault of yours for not understanding, Grandma Zhou doesn¡¯t blame you, but you mustn¡¯t talk nonsense like this in the future.¡±


    Zhou Shuren had learned the laws of the fictional dynasty, which he had not failed to explain to Zhulan.


    In this fabricated era, it was clearly stated that merchants and their offspring were ineligible for the imperial examinations unless they donated ninety percent of their wealth and returned to their hometowns to engage in farming for three generations.


    Farmers who sold produce from their own fields did not count as merchants.


    For instance, even if a landowner¡¯s family nominally ran a grain store, they weren¡¯t considered merchants because the store sold produce directly from their own land without any additional processing.


    Zhulan¡¯s household might have handled some cabbages, but that too didn¡¯t count as trade, as the cabbages were harvested from their own land.


    In rural areas, it was common to sell vegetables, grains, and poultry.


    As long as one did not seek profits year-round, it was not considered a defining trait of a merchant.


    However, year-round business operations for the sake of profit were indicative of a merchant, no matter how small the scale.


    Even street peddlers, despite low costs, were merchants, who garnered no respect.


    The stringency around the imperial examinations had a clear origin.


    It stemmed from the Emperor¡¯s wartime adversity caused by merchants, whose profit-driven actions indirectly led to the deaths of many soldiers.


    Additionally, during the late periods of the previous dynasty, the emergence of merchants buying official positions and amassing wealth exacerbated chaos and widespread suffering, leading to a crackdown on merchants when the new dynasty was established.


    This illustrated the Emperor¡¯s deep disdain for merchants, not only imposing heavy taxes but constantly oppressing them.


    In the new dynasty, the edicts from above were even more stringent, clarifying many boundaries and dissuading families with scholars from even brushing up against trade.


    Zhulan did not believe Wang Ru was unaware of this; she knew full well that Wang Ru had been inquiring about it recently.


    The woman had a dark heart, aiming to cut off the Zhou family¡¯s scholarly pursuits altogether!


    ¡°Mom, Mom, I did it, haha, Mom.¡±

 Chapter 45 - 45 45 Cute Lady Li_1

    ?45: Chapter 45 Cute Lady Li_1 45: Chapter 45 Cute Lady Li_1 Zhulan was stunned by Lady Li¡¯s talent, which was better than she had expected.


    In just one day, she had figured it out.


    Having read the original recipe, Zhulan knew that Wang Ru¡¯s kimchi not only had sugar and chili powder added to it but she couldn¡¯t remember the rest, so she wasn¡¯t able to help Lady Li.


    Lady Li took a bite and realized her talent could produce a great chef with the right guidance!


    ¡°Look how happy you are, get yourself cleaned up,¡± Zhulan chided cheerfully.


    Lady Li was too busy being pleased with herself, her clothes stained with chili juice and looking quite disheveled.


    She laughed foolishly, ¡°I¡¯ll clean up in a bit, haha, I actually made it!¡±


    Zhulan was happy for Lady Li, finding her foolish appearance rather endearing, her voice softened considerably, ¡°I know, I know.¡±


    Wang Ru felt a pang of anxiety.


    She was very confident in the kimchi she made, believing nobody could replicate its taste, which is why she thought it could fetch a good price.


    Curious, she probed, ¡°Auntie, what did you manage to make?¡±


    Zhulan looked at Wang Ru with meaningful eyes, ¡°Lady Li, why don¡¯t you ask Xue Han if you got it right?¡±


    Lady Li¡¯s eyes sparkled as she turned to Xue Han, brimming with pride, ¡°Xue Han, did you use sorbitol in your kimchi?¡±


    Xue Han¡¯s face stiffened; indeed, she had added sorbitol.


    Lady Li continued, ¡°Xue Han is very smart.


    Not only did she add sorbitol to the seasoning, but she also used radish water, masking the radish flavor with garlic and ginger.¡±


    Zhulan saw Xue Han¡¯s shocked expression juxtaposed with Lady Li¡¯s look of self-assumed mastery and couldn¡¯t help but find Lady Li adorable.


    Oh dear, why did she find Lady Li so cute?


    Lady Li went on, ¡°These two ingredients are not key; the essential part is that you added small river shrimps to the seasoning, right?


    You ground up the shrimp flesh after removing the shells, not wanting anyone to know.


    Unexpected, isn¡¯t it?


    I tasted shrimp in the first bite, I just couldn¡¯t detect the radish water.¡±


    Wang Ru wanted to spit blood.


    She thought the Zhou family was out to get her.


    She intentionally made the seasoning indistinct to mask the ingredients, yet Lady Li had detected them.


    Grinding her teeth, she retorted, ¡°Auntie, your taste is off.¡±


    Lady Li paused, responding earnestly, ¡°Impossible, the seasoning I perfected is definitely what I tasted, mother.¡±


    Zhulan was charmed by Lady Li¡¯s eagerness to affirm, ¡°Mother believes you.


    If Xue Han denies it, it¡¯s just to keep the recipe secret.


    Once you¡¯ve made it, we¡¯ll know whether it¡¯s right or not.¡±


    Lady Li, completely unaware that she was cutting off Wang Ru¡¯s financial path with her revelation and oblivious to the enmity she was stirring, arrogantly said, ¡°Once I¡¯ve made it, we¡¯ll see what you have to say then.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.¡±


    This enmity she was racking up¡­


    in the future, she¡¯d have to protect Lady Li a bit more.


    But Xue Han had just tried to outsmart the Zhou family and had her face slapped hard. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Oh, the refreshing autumn air does wonders for the spirit!


    Tasting bitterness with a tinge of sweetness in her mouth, Wang Ru¡¯s mind heated with frustration, ¡°Even if Auntie figures it out, the Zhou family can¡¯t very well start doing business, can they?¡±


    Zhulan uttered an ¡°Oh,¡± ¡°So Xue Han already knew, hence her earlier suggestion for our family to run the business.


    That¡¯s condemnable.¡±


    Wang Ru was quick to feign innocence, ¡°I only found out from Grandma Zhou.


    Did I say something wrong?¡±


    Zhulan internally scoffed at Wang Ru¡¯s act, ¡°Xue Han better remember this time and not make the same mistake again.¡±


    Wang Ru dared not underestimate any member of the Zhou family anymore.


    Thinking Zhou Xuehan, who seemed so easy to deceive, had stopped seeking her out after two encounters with Yang¡¯s shrewdness, she realized that no one in the Zhou family was simple-minded.


    Her heart was heavy as she lowered her head, ¡°I won¡¯t let slip again.¡±


    Lady Li scornfully picked up the conversation, ¡°I thought Xue Han had smartened up and wouldn¡¯t be foolish again, but it seems she¡¯s still a fool.


    Our family might not be in business, but my maternal family can, of course.


    Given that my maternal family aren¡¯t the sharpest tools in the shed and own so little land, it¡¯s better for them to have a merchant in the family.


    Once my little uncle takes office, my maternal family will have even more support.


    Even with a low status, no one would dare to mess with us.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.¡±


    Calling Lady Li a fool might be apt as she wasn¡¯t the brightest, but in matters involving herself, she was indeed astute, her mind clearer about calculations than anyone else¡¯s!

 Chapter 46 - 46 46 The Circle Cant Go Back Anymore_1

    ?46: Chapter 46 The Circle Can¡¯t Go Back Anymore_1 46: Chapter 46 The Circle Can¡¯t Go Back Anymore_1 Lady Li¡¯s voice was loud, and Lady Zheng from next door heard the commotion.


    She went to the base of the wall and, stepping on stumps, climbed up, saying, ¡°Niece, isn¡¯t your family doing any business?


    Tell your aunt all about it.¡±


    Zhulan watched the person-high wall with numb emptiness, contemplating that once Zhou Shuren went down south to Jiangnan, she would have her eldest and second brother raise the wall higher, to keep Lady Zheng from peering into her household¡¯s affairs every day for no reason.


    Thinking about it upset her.


    When the conversation concerned herself, Lady Li¡¯s mouth tightened, ¡°Aunt, you heard wrong.


    I was talking about Third Girl going into business.¡±


    Lady Zheng, drawn by the mention of Third Girl, had sustained the village¡¯s number one gossip fever, ¡°Oh!


    If Third Girl¡¯s doing business, she should give your aunt¡¯s family a leg up.


    We don¡¯t run a business; remember your aunt when you¡¯re hiring.¡±


    Zhulan hadn¡¯t been there long, but she dared not underestimate the ancients.


    People of every dynasty had their own survival instincts, especially those of the lower class; they knew best what was taboo to those above them.


    Lady Zheng had come into her family as a child bride, taking her husband¡¯s last name directly.


    The youngest son of the Zheng family, at eight, had attended school for two years with no great ambition for the civil exams, but he still hoped to pass them and reap their benefits as a Scholar.


    Naturally, he couldn¡¯t run a business himself and being a laborer was also off-limits, as his family had its own land.


    There were plenty in the village who worked odd jobs, so this wasn¡¯t a problem.


    As for the Zheng family arranging a marriage for their youngest son with Third Girl to improve their life, that was impossible.


    At this point, it¡¯s important to mention the rules regarding the relatives of businessmen taking the civil examinations.


    The son-in-law of a businessman was not allowed to take the exams or hold official positions, cutting off the possibility of minor officials marrying into the Shang family for money.


    There were no such restrictions for concubines¡ªafter all, the children of businessmen were of lower status, and even if a son was born from a businessman¡¯s concubine, he would be looked down upon.


    In ancient times, one¡¯s status followed them throughout life.


    Anyone trying to rise above it would face constant suppression without resources.


    Such success stories were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.


    Of course, businessmen could use their daughters to marry non-businessmen and invest in their grandsons, but few reputable families were willing to take a merchant¡¯s daughter as their principal wife¡ªthe likelihood was low.


    Businessmen¡¯s own brothers were also ineligible for the civil exams.


    If one brother developed ambitious aspirations, it could ruin the path to a bright future and turn brothers into enemies.


    Those who turned to business halfway through faced numerous obstacles.


    Of course, the world runs on profit, and with businesses controlling the economy, there were many loopholes in the rules.


    The Emperor understood the cunning of the human heart and didn¡¯t seek to suppress it too severely, fearing backlash.


    As long as the suppression served its leading purpose, it was sufficient!


    With the establishment of a dynasty, everyone in a household with someone pursuing education was fully aware of these rules to avoid ruining the family¡¯s prospects and dragging the whole clan down.


    Zhulan frowned.


    If the male lead held an official title, how could he take a liking to Wang Ru?


    Wang Ru¡¯s venture into making spicy pickled cabbage was just a foray.


    Later, when she left the Wang family without receiving any land or expressing a desire to buy any, she had headed straight to the city and fully became a merchant.


    Since the male lead was a legitimate son, his sense of family honor would be deep-seated.


    She thought the novel had plot holes that were probably too great to close.


    Sensing that her mother-in-law was zoning out again, Lady Li, as the first daughter-in-law, could only remind her constantly, ¡°Mother, Wang Laosi has come.¡±


    Zhulan uttered an ¡®ah¡¯ sound, just now realizing that Wang Laosi had arrived at some point. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Laosi, I¡¯m not criticizing you, but now that Third Girl is skilled, you should pay more attention.


    Look how frightened the child is, scared of meeting an unknown end.


    A tiger wouldn¡¯t eat its own cubs; be more protective and take her back quickly instead of scaring her further.¡±


    Wang Laosi¡¯s face burned hot.


    Auntie Zhou hadn¡¯t said anything ugly, so why did he feel that her soft words tore at people¡¯s dignity even more?


    ¡°Auntie, I¡¯m heading back now.


    I¡¯ll thank you properly another day.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°Please don¡¯t.


    I¡¯m not in good health and want to live a few more days.


    I don¡¯t want to get involved with your Wang family¡¯s affairs.


    From now on, keep a close eye on your child and your mother!¡±


    ¡°Understood, Auntie.¡±


    Wang Laosi left with wounded pride, dragging Third Girl by her clothes as they slinked away.


    Zhulan snorted.


    Wang Laosi hadn¡¯t changed for the better, his temper had grown as he sought control¡ªit¡¯s no wonder Wang Ru sought out other partners.


    Zhulan noticed Zhou Er looking at her, she looked down at herself, ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±


    Zhou Er shook his head, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong.¡±


    It was just that mother had refreshed his understanding; he no longer had to worry about her being deceived.


    His mother was more discerning than he was.

 Chapter 47 - 47 47 Redundant _1

    ?47: Chapter 47 Redundant _1 47: Chapter 47 Redundant _1 Another two days slipped by.


    A whole day was lost to making pickles and buying an ox, and the next was spent with Lady Li and Elder Brother Zhou returning to the Li family home.


    On the third day, Zhulan and Zhou Shuren finally took Elder Brother Zhou, the little girl, and the eldest grandson Mingyun to the Yang family.


    In ancient times, when leaving home it was usually the eldest son or second son who took charge of the household.


    Even if the eldest son was not up to the task, there was always the eldest grandson.


    This highlighted the benefits of being the eldest son or grandson.


    For peasant families, driven by poverty, typically adhered to monogamy, the position of the eldest son and grandson was absolutely pivotal.


    Zhou Shuren acknowledged the traditional practice for the eldest son and grandson.


    A home without rules is like a circle without corners.


    The eldest son was the embodiment of rules, the ruler to prevent family calamities.


    Even though Elder Brother Zhou was not clever, Zhou Shuren wouldn¡¯t bypass him.


    If Elder Brother Zhou was incapable, he¡¯d simply take the eldest grandson with him.


    Zhou Shuren shared everything he knew with Zhulan, and even though she had no scholarly knowledge of ancient times, it all seemed very sensible to her.


    She had nothing to object to; it was good enough that Zhou Shuren had a plan.


    The Yang family lived in Sunja Village, a distance away from the Zhou family village.


    Many villages in ancient times were settlements of kin, often named after surnames.


    It¡¯s these kinship groups that gave the county magistrate without powerful backing a headache, for they were untouchable, often having at least one or two accomplished individuals.


    The Yang surname wasn¡¯t dominant in Sunja Village, but no one dared to provoke them.


    The Yang family was martially inclined.


    Zhulan¡¯s father, when young, traveled everywhere as an armed escort.


    It was during the chaotic end of the previous dynasty.


    He made many sworn brothers, but later was wounded, retired, and honestly returned to village life as a farmer.


    When the new dynasty was established, he continued farming without any transgressions, up until it was clear that his grandson was a promising martial student and through connections, sent him to an Armed Escort Agency.


    Others the father knew during the chaos ended up joining the military or engaging in various trades.


    With such a network spanning all walks of life, many who recognized the Yang family didn¡¯t wish to provoke them.


    The last thing they wanted was to be beaten to a pulp ¡ª after all, in ancient times without surveillance, it was hard to catch someone red-handed.


    This was precisely why Wang Ru was especially wary of the Yang family.


    And let¡¯s not idealize the Yang family too much; even the original owner of the body Zhulan occupied had seen bloodshed.


    Forced though it might have been, it was clear that the Yang family was not to be trifled with at heart.


    Each time she thought about it, Zhulan felt quite fortunate to have ended up in a decent situation, with a strong family to support her.


    Indeed, she didn¡¯t envy those who rose against the odds, surrounded by a nest of scoundrels¡ªit was simply too distressing to contemplate.


    The Yang family had branched off into separate households, and Zhulan¡¯s two brothers each had their own homes.


    Zhulan went directly to her elder brother¡¯s place, where her parents had chosen to live.


    When the ox cart arrived, Zhou Shuren got out first and helped Zhulan down, ¡°Be careful, there are stones underfoot.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°I know.¡±


    Zhou Shuren¡¯s lips curved in a smile.


    Zhulan surely hadn¡¯t noticed that their interactions were becoming more casual, akin to a genuinely married couple.


    He didn¡¯t regret those nightly conversations with Zhulan.


    Indeed, conversation truly could speed up understanding and bring people closer!


    Xue Han couldn¡¯t be bothered to roll her eyes, knowing her father wouldn¡¯t see her.


    She could only stretch out her hands for Elder Brother Zhou to take her down.


    Elder Brother Zhou pinched his little sister¡¯s chubby cheeks, feeling a pang of sorrow.


    He felt like their presence was superfluous.


    Zhulan took a couple of steps, then turned back and called out, ¡°Elder Brother, don¡¯t forget to grab our things.¡±


    Elder Brother Zhou, ¡°¡­.¡±


    Thank goodness Mother hadn¡¯t forgotten about him!


    Zhulan continued towards the courtyard.


    The Yang family was definitely a leading household in Sunja Village, with their spacious home made of blue bricks and paths of the same material in the courtyard.


    No one in Sunja Village begrudged them; they all knew that the Yangs had earned their keep with their lives.


    When Madam Yang heard the sounds of her daughter, she hurried out to meet her, ¡°I knew it!


    The magpies have been chirping all morning; it must be because my girl is coming home.


    Quick, come inside and warm up.¡±


    Zhulan felt a bit out of place when her hand was eagerly grasped by her mother.


    In her modern life, she wasn¡¯t close to her mother and was used to being independent.


    Suddenly, receiving this caring attentiveness made her feel a bit panicked, but she managed to compose herself and call out, ¡°Mother.¡±


    As Madam Yang held her daughter¡¯s warm hand, tears began to fall.


    ¡°Wu Chun told me you were much better, but I didn¡¯t believe it until I confirmed with Chang Li.


    I was worried but now I can finally believe it, my daughter is better, better indeed.¡±


    No more worries about a parent living the nightmare of burying a child; at last, she could sleep peacefully.


    Zhulan felt a tinge of envy for the original owner of her body, ¡°Mother, please don¡¯t cry, you¡¯re about to make me shed golden tears.¡±


    Madam Yang wiped the tears from her eyes, ¡°Alright, alright, no more crying.


    My girl is better; there are no tears.¡±


    Madam Zhou teased, ¡°Mother, look at Brother-in-law, he¡¯s been glancing over here the whole time, obviously concerned. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If you make his wife cry, Brother-in-law will get worried.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.¡±


    She almost believed everything her sister-in-law said with that convincing tone!

 Chapter 48 - 48 48 Patching up the Daughter_1

    ?48: Chapter 48 Patching up the Daughter_1 48: Chapter 48 Patching up the Daughter_1 Zhulan¡¯s eldest sister-in-law was from Zhou¡¯s Village, and it was her who had introduced Zhulan to Zhou Shuren.


    Plus, with relatives from the same village, the Zhou Clan and Zhulan were very close.


    Before coming, Zhulan had done her homework and spoke quite casually, ¡°Mom, look at sister-in-law, she¡¯s still teasing me even though she¡¯s a grandmother.¡±


    Mrs.


    Sun slapped her eldest daughter-in-law¡¯s hand, ¡°Don¡¯t bully Zhulan, I¡¯m watching you!¡±


    Mrs.


    Zhou held her chest, ¡°People from eight or ten villages envy me for having a good mother-in-law who treats me like her own daughter.


    Now that this little sister-in-law has arrived, my status as the dear daughter is threatened.¡±


    Mrs.


    Sun glared at her eldest daughter-in-law, ¡°Being a grandmother and still so mischievous.¡±


    Although the words were scolding, the attitude was very affectionate.


    Zhulan¡¯s eyes curved in a smile.


    She genuinely envied the original body having such a good family.


    Don¡¯t look at it as just a warrior¡¯s straightforward thinking; to them, good is good and bad is bad, liking you wholeheartedly and sincerely without any falsehood.


    Mrs.


    Sun was not only concerned about her daughter¡¯s health but also worried about her, ¡°Your second daughter-in-law is about to give birth, don¡¯t give the gossips a chance to speak ill of you by showing them a cold face, if you can¡¯t provoke them, just avoid.¡±


    It was indeed distressing to mention it, both of her daughter¡¯s daughters-in-law were not very good, one was dumb and the other feeble; her daughter didn¡¯t inherit her ability to judge people at all.


    Zhulan knew that the original body¡¯s mother disapproved of the two daughters-in-law who had besmirched her reputation, ¡°Mom, I know what I¡¯m doing, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Mrs.


    Sun looked at her daughter in amazement; she was different this time from before, as if she had become wise.


    Mrs.


    Sun felt delighted and didn¡¯t think much of it, assuming that having experienced a serious illness had brought enlightenment, ¡°Good, good, if you understand, then I won¡¯t worry.¡±


    Within the Yang family, Zhulan only had three children, and her legacy wasn¡¯t flourishing.


    In contrast, each family of her grandsons had four children, three boys and one girl, with all the boys belonging to the ¡®Wu¡¯ generation.


    The eldest son, Yang Zhumu, named his four children after the four seasons, removing ¡®Wu¡¯ for the girl, who was the second child, Yang Xia.


    The second son, Yang Zhulin, chose names like mountain, river, lake, and sea, with the third child, the girl, being named Yang Hu.


    Zhulan¡¯s two elder brothers were older than her, and aside from the youngest son, both families had gotten married.


    In a short while, Yang Zhulin¡¯s entire family arrived, and both rooms were packed with people.


    Zhulan¡¯s head buzzed.


    Her own family wasn¡¯t small, but the Yangs were even more numerous.


    Modern distant relatives aren¡¯t as close as neighbors, and kinships have gradually grown distant.


    Except for a few large households during the New Year, it¡¯s particularly quiet.


    Zhulan thought she had gotten used to the Zhou family¡¯s crowd, but she hadn¡¯t, with everyone talking around her.


    Ugh, she longed for some peace.


    Mrs.


    Sun was always watching her daughter and felt a pang of concern seeing her pale face, ¡°Are you feeling all right?¡±


    Zhulan couldn¡¯t say that there were too many people, which would be ungrateful¡ªin ancient times, having many people care about you was a blessing.


    She lied instead, ¡°My body is a bit tired from the ox cart ride, and my back is a bit uncomfortable, but it¡¯s nothing, Mom.¡±


    Mrs.


    Sun was heartbroken, as her daughter had not had a proper confinement period and always had a lingering illness.


    She started to shoo people away, ¡°Eldest daughter-in-law, take the Qi Clan to prepare lunch.


    Everyone else, go chat in another room and let your aunt lie down for a bit.¡±


    Zhulan felt embarrassed, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Mrs.


    Sun thought her daughter was just being stubborn and ignored Zhulan¡¯s words as everyone from the Yang family, knowing about Zhulan¡¯s poor health, efficiently dispersed.


    Everyone in the outer room could clearly hear Mrs.


    Sun¡¯s words, and upon seeing Zhou Shuren looking at her expectantly, she smiled, ¡°Your sister-in-law was right, your son-in-law cares about you.¡±


    Zhulan didn¡¯t take it seriously; she and Zhou Shuren were teammates.


    But when she needed to show shyness, she still had to pretend, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m an adult now, you shouldn¡¯t tease me.¡±


    Mrs.


    Sun took pride in finding a good match for her daughter, and seeing her daughter and son-in-law in a loving marriage made her happy, ¡°Alright, Mom won¡¯t say anything, I won¡¯t say anything.¡±


    As she spoke, Mrs.


    Sun closed the door, leaving only the two of them in the room. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She mysteriously got onto the bed with a look of having something precious to share.


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­..¡±


    She never expected to encounter a plot from a novel where a mother dotes on her daughter, and she had to say, she was quite excited.

 Chapter 49 - 49 49 Take Notes in the Little Notebook_1

    ?49: Chapter 49 Take Notes in the Little Notebook_1 49: Chapter 49 Take Notes in the Little Notebook_1 Zhulan gazed eagerly at her mother¡¯s movements, it was clearly something precious stored away.


    When the red cloth was taken out, Zhulan could not discern what it was, ¡°Mother, what are you holding?¡±


    Madame Sun carefully unfolded the red cloth, ¡°This is a wild ginseng your father found while trapping pheasants in the mountains, one large and one small.


    The larger one was sold to benefit your elder brothers, while the smaller one, your father and I agreed, should be for you.


    It may not look thick or big, but it¡¯s twenty years old.


    In our area, which is not deep in the primeval forest, it¡¯s very rare to find such old wild ginseng.


    Take it back with you and nourish yourself well.¡±


    Zhulan¡¯s eyes teared up.


    The tonics she prepared contained ginseng roots, very small ones whose age was indeterminable, making a single dose quite expensive.


    This single root was at least worth twenty taels.


    Ginseng was also cultivated in ancient times, with records from the Jin Dynasty.


    However, ginseng is difficult to grow, and it continues to be a scarce commodity, with wild ginseng being even more costly.


    Zhulan knew all this from what her maternal grandfather had told her, her familiarity with ginseng was extensive because she used it often in medicinal dishes.


    Zhulan pushed the red cloth back, ¡°Mother, please take the ginseng back.


    Your daughter does not lack ginseng for nourishment, I already have ginseng in the tonics I¡¯m taking.¡±


    Upon saying this, she explained the situation with the tonics.


    Madame Sun did not take the ginseng back, ¡°Keep the ginseng and let the doctor incorporate it into your prescriptions, so you can save some silver coins.


    The two scholars in your family have large expenses, listen to your mother.¡±


    Zhulan moved her lips, overwhelmed by her mother¡¯s kindness, but inside she felt guilty.


    She wasn¡¯t the original person; the best she could do was to live well on behalf of the original soul, to change the Zhou family to be more filial to their parents, ¡°Thank you, mother.¡±


    Madame Sun breathed a sigh of relief.


    A mother would undoubtedly notice her daughter¡¯s growing distance, but it only made her heart ache more, thinking her daughter was distancing herself to spare her mother from eventual grief, and this thought evoked even more sorrow.


    The Yang family¡¯s lunch was sumptuous, as the family practiced martial arts and meat was abundant. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The table was laden with meat dishes, which Zhulan ate until her belly was full.


    It wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t restrain herself, but rather her insistent mother made sure she ate more than enough.


    On the return trip, the ox cart was loaded with many items, making Zhulan¡¯s face flush with embarrassment.


    To Zhou Shuren beside her, who was sobering up, she said, ¡°Why do I feel like we¡¯re here to take advantage of them?¡±


    Zhou Shuren, who didn¡¯t flush when he drank, had eyes that seemed to smile, ¡°In the past, the Yue family also frequently sent things to our home.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.¡±


    This was the truth.


    Being the weakest branch in her original family, the weakest child received the most indulgence.


    Even after circumstances improved, the impression on the elders changed little, and the original soul was consistently provided for.


    Zhulan felt the need to repair her image, which must be salvaged, ¡°As the head of the household, you must earn more money.


    I¡¯m counting on you.¡±


    Zhou Shuren nodded, ¡°Wait for me to come back, and I¡¯ll surely convince your parents we have money.¡±


    Zhulan believed in Zhou Shuren, her eyes shining, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Xue Han, seeing her parents exchange glances until their faces reddened, quickly covered her elder nephew¡¯s eyes, ¡°No peeking at things you shouldn¡¯t see, close your eyes now.¡±


    Zhou Mingyun, baffled, ¡°Auntie, why should I close my eyes?¡±


    Craning his neck and shouting, Zhou Elder trembled with shoulders shaking, as he had just felt sour from his parents¡¯ affection, but now he felt the urge to laugh.


    Zhou Shuren glanced at his daughter, closing his eyes feeling drained.


    In his loneliness in the modern world, he knew what he longed for in his heart.


    He genuinely enjoyed the sensation of living a simple life, and he was fortunate to have a seamless bond with the exceptional Zhulan.


    With a single outcry, the carefully led ambiance was lost.


    These obstructions, umm, it was about time the young girl learned arithmetic, the eldest grandson could start copying the Three Character Classic after mastering it, and the eldest should also find some work to stay busy!


    Aside from Zhulan, the other three in the ox cart inexplicably felt the autumn chill becoming more intense.


    Zhulan truly felt it was nothing, because she and Zhou Shuren were tied to one another, the most trustworthy allies.


    Watching her daughter make playful gestures, Zhulan maintained a solitary sense of awakening, keeping a smile on her face.


    The ox cart rumbled slowly and it took nearly two hours before they approached Zhou village.


    Zhulan, hugging her daughter and grandson, nearly fell asleep to the swaying when suddenly the cart stopped.


    Zhou Shuren was the first to open his eyes, and Zhulan, noticing they had not reached home, asked, ¡°What happened, eldest?¡±


    Zhou Elder jumped down from the ox cart, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s Zhang Datie¡¯s eldest son.


    The child is suffering from a severe fever.¡±


    Zhou Elder touched the child and jumped back in fright, the child¡¯s body burning hot.


    Zhulan took a moment to remember who it was.


    Before she could say anything, Xue Han could no longer bear it in her heart, ¡°Mother, please save him.¡±

 Chapter 50 - 50 50 The Most Miserable Child_1

    ?50: Chapter 50 The Most Miserable Child_1 50: Chapter 50 The Most Miserable Child_1 Zhulan, a step slower to react than her daughter, finally said, ¡°Old Zhou, bring him up here quickly.¡± Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Old Zhou unwrapped the firewood from the child¡¯s body and casually tossed it onto the ox cart before he picked up the child, muttering, ¡°What a sin!¡±


    Zhulan, not minding the child¡¯s tattered clothes, touched his forehead, which was even hotter than Zhou Shuren had initially felt¡ªsuch a fever could turn a child into an idiot if not treated, ¡°Hurry, back home.¡±


    They needed to cool him down first; heading straight to the doctor wouldn¡¯t help since there were no specific medicines in ancient times, and brewing medicine took time¡ªshe feared it might be too late and cause damage.


    Fortunately, they were close to home.


    Upon arrival, Zhulan signaled Xue Han to fetch water and indicated Old Zhou to carry the child to the main house.


    Zhou Shuren instructed his second eldest son who came to meet them, ¡°First, take the things down from the cart, then go to the county to fetch the doctor.¡±


    Zhou¡¯s second eldest son had his own calculations; fetching a doctor would cost quite a sum, and everyone was a bit selfish, caring mostly for their own family.


    He couldn¡¯t quite understand his father anymore and could only agree, ¡°Yes, father.¡±


    Zhou Shuren went into the main house, ¡°Take some silver and give it to the second son to invite the doctor.


    This child is too weak to withstand much more.¡±


    Zhulan applied a cool compress to the child¡¯s forehead and felt his emaciated body, a bitter feeling in her heart, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Old Zhou stood at the door, very hesitant, ¡°Father, should we notify Zhang Datie¡¯s family?¡±


    Zhou Shuren pondered, ¡°Zhang Datie¡¯s wife is quite unreasonable.


    When you go over, don¡¯t say that our family saved the child; to avoid them claiming it was us who caused the injury and cause a ruckus at our home, just say the child spooked the ox, which threw Xue Han off, and ask the Zhang family for money.


    Then, tell them the child has a high fever and might become an idiot.¡±


    Old Zhou, ¡°¡­..Understood.¡±


    He realized his father thought of everything thoroughly, but he felt he was missing something deep in the meaning, as if something was being overlooked!


    Zhou Shuren then turned to his daughter, who was waiting outside for news, ¡°Later, let your mother tie up your arm as a disguise.


    Keep up the act for a while.¡±


    Xue Han, listening from outside, blinked, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, father, I¡¯ll make it very convincing.¡±


    Zhou Shuren was very fond of his clever daughter, ¡°Mhm.¡±


    Zhulan signaled Zhou Shuren to keep cooling the child down, tore a piece of dark cloth to wrap around her daughter¡¯s arm, dirtied her clothes, tousled her hair, and smeared her face.


    She then suggested sniffing some ginger and crying a bit.


    Zhulan was very satisfied; it was much simpler than modern makeup techniques.


    Afterward, she gave the silver to Zhou¡¯s second eldest son, reminding him not to rush and to be safe before returning to the house.


    Zhou Shuren got to work and gestured for Zhulan to sit down, ¡°This child is pitiful, never treated as a human by his own parents.¡±


    With her original memories, Zhulan knew Zhang Datie was a relative within the five degrees of kinship of the Wang Zhang family.


    He was sold into slavery as a child.


    Later, his leg was somehow broken, he was released from his indenture, and he returned to his ancestral home with his wife and children.


    Zhang Datie had four daughters, two of whom, it was said, were sold into slavery upon their return, leaving two daughters and a son with him.


    After returning, he became an enemy to his biological parents, bought land, built a house, and had two more sons.


    Thus, his eldest son became worthless.


    Zhang Datie and his wife made the four-year-old eldest son work harder than the maids in their house; he had a worse life than the third daughter and was the most pitiful child in the village.


    Some in the village, unable to stand by, tried to help, but Zhang Datie¡¯s wife would create scenes, claiming anyone willing to help should pay and take the child as their own son.


    Otherwise, they should mind their own business.


    Zhang Datie¡¯s wife was also particularly fond of extortion, swindling many families.


    The village grew reluctant to get involved, at most secretly providing the child with some food.


    The original owner of Zhulan¡¯s body had also provided help, but she despised Zhang Datie¡¯s wife, Mrs.


    Zhu, and always did it behind her back.


    Zhou Shuren handed a washcloth to Zhulan, ¡°Thinking about this child?¡±


    Zhulan nodded, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a miracle he¡¯s survived this long.¡±


    Zhou Shuren, having spent time in an orphanage, had seen many abused children.


    Many scars on the child¡¯s body were from beatings, ¡°Sigh, what a sin!¡±

 Chapter 51 - 51 51 Another Overlord_1

    ?51: Chapter 51 Another Overlord_1 51: Chapter 51 Another Overlord_1 Zhulan, hearing the noise outside, pursed her lips, ¡°Zhang Datie¡¯s family has come; I¡¯ll handle it.


    The Zhu family is a lost cause, incapable of reason.¡±


    Zhou Shuren, well aware of his own lack of martial prowess, was still concerned even though he knew Zhulan was much better, ¡°Be careful not to get hurt, too.¡±


    ¡°Mm-hmm, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Zhulan went out and casually picked up a stick from the door, as thick as a grown man¡¯s arm.


    Seeing someone from the Zhu family scratching and clawing at Elder Zhou, her anger shot to the roof.


    She had developed a sense of belonging to the Zhou family and instinctively protected her own.


    Wielding the stick, she swung, hitting Mrs.


    Zhu on her buttocks with a thud that was not just loud but exceptionally painful.


    With a shriek, Mrs.


    Zhu jumped up in pain and before she could start making a scene, the second blow landed.


    Zhulan measured her strikes, aiming only at the buttocks.


    After two hits, Mrs.


    Zhu, terrified, ran around the courtyard screaming, ¡°Murder, it¡¯s murder!¡±


    An unusual crowd had gathered outside the Zhou residence, and although many were present, none came forward to help.


    Mrs.


    Zhu had offended too many, and there were even cheers for Zhulan¡¯s actions.


    Zhang Datie, limping, was completely dumbfounded.


    Accustomed to his wife¡¯s usually prevailing demeanor, this was the first time he saw her driven to flee for her life, too frightened to intervene with Elder Zhou looking fiercely on!


    Despite Zhulan¡¯s recovery, she couldn¡¯t maintain the pace after three sticks, and Mrs.


    Zhu outran her.


    Zhulan didn¡¯t pursue but snorted coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t think this is over.


    When my daughter fell from the cart and injured her arm, I didn¡¯t come to you.


    Now you dare to beat on our door.


    Do you think I¡¯m dead?¡±


    Mrs.


    Zhu was so angry she felt like her chest would explode, but she swallowed her words back down when she heard this.


    She considered it an excuse, but recalling Yang¡¯s fierce reputation, she believed it.


    Could it be true that her arm was broken?


    Her pupils shrank, just like how Zhang Datie¡¯s leg had broken and left him lame!


    Xue Han, hearing the tumult, approached the doorway, the clever girl playing her part.


    Tears streamed down her cheeks, ¡°Mom, sob sob, it hurts so much¡ªwhen is the doctor coming?¡±


    Zhang Datie, seeing the suspended arm, regretted everything, his forehead beginning to sweat, ¡°Auntie, whoever caused the trouble should settle it.¡±


    Zhulan, lips pursed, fixed her cold gaze on Zhang Datie.


    From the original host¡¯s memories, she knew just how despicable he was; Mrs.


    Zhu was merely his puppet, ¡°Ha, easy for you to say.


    Isn¡¯t Da Qian your own child?¡±


    How much this couple loved money¡ªthey¡¯d even named their child Da Qian!


    Mrs.


    Zhu stopped caring about her sore buttocks.


    They couldn¡¯t afford the price if they broke the precious treasure of the Zhou family, ¡°He¡¯s not our child; he has nothing to do with our family.


    Da Tie, say something!¡±


    Zhang Datie was also afraid of damaging Zhou¡¯s precious treasure.


    What if the Zhou family became desperate for revenge?


    But he still couldn¡¯t accept it; he had already negotiated a good price to sell the boy as a slave. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What if Zhou¡¯s treasure wasn¡¯t badly hurt after all?


    Zhulan furrowed her brows; she found it quite odd.


    In ancient times, many undervalued daughters, but almost none neglected their eldest sons unless there were dirty family secrets in large households.


    In rural areas, where there was no luxury of concubines, the eldest son was the pillar.


    Mrs.


    Zhu¡¯s tone was too firm.


    Could it be that the child wasn¡¯t theirs?


    Zhulan carefully recalled that the original text never mentioned Da Qian.


    The novel was too one-sided.


    After all, this was the real world, where every single person was real.


    Without a response from the head of the household, Mrs.


    Zhu, exasperated, tugged at Zhang Datie, ¡°Quick, say something.¡±


    Zhang Datie forced a smile, ¡°Auntie, we¡¯ve been here so long and haven¡¯t seen the child.


    Where has he gone?¡±


    Zhulan scoffed, ¡°He¡¯s inside the house.


    Go have a look.


    He¡¯s nearly burned silly.


    And just so you know, none of you are getting away with this.¡±


    Zhang Datie hesitated but quickly entered the main house.


    Zhulan blocked Mrs.


    Zhu.


    With Zhou Shuren inside, what if she took advantage of his simple nature and caused him harm?


    Zhang Datie returned swiftly, ¡°Auntie, if Da Qian caused trouble, then find him to settle it.


    Da Qian is ten; he should take responsibility.¡±


    After speaking, he grabbed his wife and ran off, showing no sign of his usual limp during the escape.


    Zhulan didn¡¯t chase after them, turning to the onlookers, ¡°The show¡¯s over.


    Did you want to come in for tea too?¡±


    The crowd scattered, well aware that Yang¡¯s health had improved and that she was not to be trifled with¡ªthe village tyrant.


    Zhulan returned to the room, no longer needing to act, and sat down, exhausted, ¡°What¡¯s your plan for making the effort to keep him?¡±

 Chapter 52 - 52 52 In a Daze_1

    ?52: Chapter 52 In a Daze_1 52: Chapter 52 In a Daze_1 Zhou Shuren noticed that Da Qian, who was lying down, showed signs of waking up, but after waiting a while, there was no movement.


    His eyes deepened, and he half-jokingly said, ¡°Let¡¯s pick him up to be a boy raised by his maternal grandparents.¡±


    Zhulan almost spit out the water in her mouth.


    If Zhou Shuren had not traveled through time, it would have been more likely, but the current Zhou Shuren would definitely not do that.


    Seeing Zhou Shuren making eye signals, Zhulan smiled.


    Da Qian¡¯s ears turned red when he woke up!


    Zhulan blinked, ¡°A son-in-law is half a son, a boy raised by his maternal grandparents is almost like a real son, taking him as a boy raised by his maternal grandparents is good; we won¡¯t have to worry about the daughter being bullied in the future.¡±


    Da Qian¡¯s ears turned red, and his whole body blushed.


    He agonized over whether or not to open his eyes.


    He recognized the voice of the speaker, the good person of the Zhou family.


    In the village, people said Grandmother Zhou was a wicked old woman, but he knew it was not true, Grandmother Zhou was kind-hearted.


    He never thought that Grandmother Zhou¡¯s family would save him.


    Remembering what Xue Han said before he fainted, his heart felt warm.


    The most beautiful girl in the village, it¡¯s just that he was not worthy of her, not even if Grandfather Zhou mentioned that he could be a boy raised by his maternal grandparents¡ª he did not take it to heart, for he perceived the joke, and his heart was filled with a sad gray hue.


    He was not foolish; on the contrary, he was very clever.


    He knew his father was going to sell him, so he purposely bathed in the cold river water.


    He did not want to become a slave, no matter how arduous life was, he would not desire it.


    He had endured until ten years old; in a few more years, he would be able to fend for himself.


    As a slave, he would not own his life or death.


    If he really encountered a despicable master, he would be doomed.


    Zhulan saw that Da Qian calmed down quickly.


    Lying there silently and motionless, the original body was too simple a person, unable to see through even a ten-year-old child, only seeing him as pitiful.


    This child¡¯s parents were not even considered human for being able to survive, and to stabilize himself like this was interesting.


    No wonder Zhou Shuren took a liking to him.


    Zhou Shuren saw Zhulan looking towards him and smiled with a nod. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Da Qian was still immersed in his own world.


    He really did not want to wake up, did not want to return to ¡®that home¡¯, but he couldn¡¯t cause trouble for the Zhou family.


    With numbness in his heart, he opened his eyes and anxiously yet cautiously asked, ¡°Grandfather Zhou, were you the one who saved me?¡±


    Zhou Shuren nodded inwardly, acting quite authentically, ¡°It was your Grandmother Zhou who brought you back.¡±


    Da Qian hurriedly got up, ¡°Thank you, Grandmother Zhou.¡±


    Zhulan thought to herself how great the acting was, the expressions were spot on, ¡°Lie down quickly, your Grandfather Zhou will tell you what happened.


    I¡¯ll go prepare dinner.¡±


    However, Da Qian dared not lie down.


    He knew too well his parents¡¯ shamelessness.


    He did not want to push away those who were kind to him.


    Over the years, only the Zhou family had secretly been good to him, others either avoided him or bullied him.


    He hastily said, ¡°I need to go home.¡±


    Zhou Shuren pressed his thin shoulders, ¡°Your parents came by and said they don¡¯t want you anymore.


    Rest assured, just lie down!¡±


    To survive, Da Qian had always been good at disguising himself, but at this moment, he fell apart, ¡°How is that possible?


    They don¡¯t want the broker¡¯s money?¡±


    Finally, Zhulan understood why Zhang Datie insisted on seeing Da Qian.


    It was to confirm whether Da Qian could recover or not¡ª truly ruthless.


    She felt pity for Da Qian and her voice became gentler, ¡°Good child, don¡¯t think about it for now.¡±


    The amusement in Zhou Shuren¡¯s eyes deepened.


    This child¡¯s illness was intentional.


    Very good, he was hard on himself, ¡°Listen to your Grandmother Zhou and rest for now.


    You need not worry about the rest.¡±


    Da Qian was completely bewildered.


    What did he mean by not worrying about it?


    Was he still in a dream?


    Or was he dead?


    He pinched himself hard.


    It truly hurt; not a dream, it really seemed a bit foggy.


    Zhulan felt a sourness in her heart as she turned and walked out, just as Lady Li came back.


    Zhulan knew that Lady Li had gone to her maiden home, ¡°You¡¯re back.¡±


    Lady Li¡¯s eyes lit up seeing her mother-in-law, ¡°Mother, you¡¯re back!


    Mother, my mother-in-law had me bring back a small hen to stew for you.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­..The old lady is too polite.¡±


    She felt a bit scared.


    They had brought back quite a few things to express their gratitude yesterday.


    Why again today?


    Lady Li was very pleased, ¡°Mother, shall we kill the chicken today?¡±


    Zhulan hesitated a bit before nodding.


    Seeing Lady Li taking a knife out of the kitchen and going out, Zhulan finally walked over, ¡°Why is your mother-in-law thinking of sending me a hen, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Lady Li made swift work; the chicken¡¯s neck was broken before it could even react.


    Lowering the chicken, Lady Li first twisted her body, then put on a determined expression.


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.¡±


    With so much buildup, she was frightened!


    Lady Li¡¯s eyes reddened, ¡°Mother, I only now realize that you are the best mother-in-law.


    I shouldn¡¯t have spread rumors everywhere, shouldn¡¯t have cursed you at my maiden home, should not have cursed you.


    My mother-in-law said that for an daughter-in-law who is constantly concerned about her maiden family, you don¡¯t blame me.


    A mother-in-law like you is almost extinct, telling me to treat you like my own mother in the future.¡±


    Zhulan clutched at her chest, ¡°¡­.¡±


    This troubling issue, had the original body been present, might have killed her from rage.

 Chapter 53 - 53 53 Sending You Up the Rankings_1

    ?53: Chapter 53: Sending You Up the Rankings_1 53: Chapter 53: Sending You Up the Rankings_1 Lady Li¡¯s volume combined with the chicken¡¯s last struggling sounds meant that Lady Zheng, trying to eavesdrop by climbing over the wall, couldn¡¯t catch the details.


    She only saw the sight of Lady Li with red-rimmed eyes looking aggrieved, ¡°Lady Li, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡± S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her curiosity for gossip was brimming.


    Lady Li dabbed her tears, ¡°Aunt, it¡¯s nothing much.


    I just hope my mother-in-law lives a long and healthy life; I will make sure to take care of her meticulously morning and night in the future.


    I even brought a hen from my parents¡¯ home to nourish her!¡±


    Zhulan felt a sting in her heart and silently prayed, ¡°Lady Li, please stop speaking.


    Enough with the scrupulous dedication, can¡¯t you stop slandering me for a moment?¡±


    Lady Zheng¡¯s eyes were as bright as 800-watt bulbs, ¡°Sister-in-law, no offense, but daughters-in-law who go as far as taking hens from their parents¡¯ home to show filial piety to their mothers-in-law are rare.


    Be content with what you have, don¡¯t mistreat people all the time.


    Our humble family has no use for such formal respect; a person should be content with their lot.¡±


    Zhulan maintained a smile but glared fiercely at Lady Li, who was about to explain.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t explain.


    If you aren¡¯t cultured, don¡¯t spout refined nonsense.


    The more you explain, the worse it gets.


    Deep breaths¡­


    in a few days, I¡¯ll have to raise the wall to two meters high,¡± she said.


    Lady Li shivered, her intuition frightfully accurate.


    She knew she had angered her mother-in-law and was confused about how her supposedly pleasing words had taken an unpleasant turn.


    ¡°Mother.¡±


    Zhulan couldn¡¯t be bothered with Lady Li anymore and didn¡¯t want to salvage the image of a wicked mother-in-law either.


    People only want to hear what they wish to and see what they choose to, their minds filled with selective filters and assumptions; she was too exhausted to explain it all, her smile strained, ¡°Little sister-in-law, I can¡¯t compare to you.


    You¡¯re the best in the village, cooking yourself because you don¡¯t want to bother your daughter-in-law, washing clothes yourself, not only allowing everyone to have their secret stash of money but also giving pocket money to your daughters-in-law every now and then, as much as five coins per person a month!¡±


    Lady Zheng was confused, with a face full of ¡®what are you talking about?


    I can¡¯t understand a word?¡¯


    Zhulan didn¡¯t keep her voice down; the neighbors weren¡¯t far, and some were already gathered at the gate, watching the drama unfold, eager for a scene.


    ¡°I can¡¯t quite reach your level of generosity, little sister-in-law, but don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure to spread the word.


    I know you¡¯re too modest to brag, but we¡¯re neighbors, and I¡¯m well aware of your kindness.


    Rest assured, I¡¯ll relay this to your in-laws so they can properly thank you,¡± she said.


    Finally, Lady Zheng caught on, her face filled with disbelief.


    ¡°Is this really Zhulan?¡±


    Zhulan scoffed, tired of being underestimated.


    She had long wanted to deal with Lady Zheng but hadn¡¯t found the time, ¡°Look how surprised you are.


    I know everything.


    Your dearest wish is for all the village mothers-in-law to learn from you, and you can be sure we all will.¡±


    With that, Zhulan took out ten coins from her purse, counted five, and gave them to Lady Li, ¡°Lady Zheng, you truly are the best mother-in-law.


    As for me, I wouldn¡¯t presume to surpass you.


    From today, I will learn from you, Lady Zheng, and give you and Lady Zhao five coins each month.


    However, since I¡¯m not in good health and my cooking isn¡¯t up to standard, I won¡¯t be spoiling our stomachs with my food.


    You, being our family¡¯s top chef, will still be responsible for our meals.¡±


    Lady Li was confused, not understanding her mother-in-law.


    However, knowing better than to refuse free money, she happily clutched the coins, ¡°Mother, you¡¯re truly good-hearted.¡±


    Zhulan smiled, ¡°Yes, you can take these five coins to your little sister-in-law.¡±


    Lady Li left cheerfully, and Zhulan was pleased to see her ¡®pig teammate¡¯ gone!


    Lady Zheng¡¯s hands trembled as she pointed at Zhulan, ¡°You, you¡­¡±


    Feeling rather satisfied with her retort and seeing the pit she had dug, Zhulan knew she would no longer be the most hated woman in the village.


    Lady Zheng would firmly hold that title from now on.


    The village mothers-in-law would despise her.


    Zhulan was delighted, ¡°Little sister-in-law, you seem terribly happy.


    Be careful not to shake so much you fall.¡±


    Whoops, Lady Zheng had fallen off the wall.


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.¡±


    As the onlookers dispersed, Zhulan realized that Zhou Lao Er and the others were leading cattle in, having been previously blocked by the crowd at the gate.


    Zhulan was overjoyed, ¡°Lao Er has come back, and as soon as Da Qian wakes up, we¡¯re just waiting for the doctor!¡±


    Zhou Lao Er looked at his mother with warmth in his eyes.


    He had always wondered who to take after, his father or his mother, and finally realized that following his mother made him every bit as shrewd.


    He felt a particular kinship with her and said, ¡°Alright, Mother, don¡¯t you overwork yourself.


    You should take a rest too.¡±


    Zhulan was a bit puzzled.


    What happened to Lao Er¡¯s reserved nature?


    What happened to keeping emotions in check?

 Chapter 54 - 54 54 The Obedient Daughter-in-Law_1

    ?54: Chapter 54 The Obedient Daughter-in-Law_1 54: Chapter 54 The Obedient Daughter-in-Law_1 The doctor¡¯s mouth twitched; he had too strong an impression of this farmer¡¯s wife.


    Who would have thought, ¡®Don¡¯t judge a book by its cover¡¯ also applies to having such techniques!


    Zhulan, upon recognizing the familiar doctor, who had treated Zhou Shuren and prescribed medicine to improve her own health, had an immense trust in the doctor¡¯s medical skills.


    She was exceedingly polite and warm, ¡°So it was you whom the second brother invited, you¡¯ve had a long journey, please come in quickly.¡±


    The doctor stroked his beard and nodded slowly before leisurely entering the main room.


    Zhulan did not follow him in.


    Seeing Lady Li followed by a teary Zhao Shi made her scalp tingle, so she briskly turned and went to the granary.


    Zhao Shi forgot to wipe her tears as she whimpered, ¡°Mother¡±


    Whimpering, the mother still showed her no favor; she clearly saw her but briskly turned and walked away.


    It must have been an incidental inclusion of those five coins!


    Lady Li watched her sister-in-law¡¯s incessant tears, thinking how well she could cry, and automatically reasoned out the mother¡¯s behavior.


    Considering herself as the daughter-in-law who understood mother the best, she offered an explanation, ¡°Mother is embarrassed.¡±


    Zhao Shi was somewhat incredulous, ¡°Really?¡±


    Lady Li nodded emphatically, ¡°Really, so sister-in-law, you return to your room and continue making clothes.


    Mother knows your gratitude.¡±


    Zhao Shi felt her sister-in-law¡¯s words somewhat credible.


    She had previously misjudged her; the sister-in-law wasn¡¯t a pushover idiot; she was clever beyond measure.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back.¡±


    Lady Li waved her off, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Just go, don¡¯t compete with her for mother¡¯s attention.


    Zhulan had just taken out the evening¡¯s food when she overheard this conversation, feeling utterly exhausted.


    Life still had to go on.


    She waited until Zhao Shi went back to her room before carrying out the food.


    Lady Li quickly took it over, seeing the millet, ¡°Mother, are we making millet porridge for dinner?¡±


    Zhulan considered the menu internally, ¡°Yes, the staple will be millet porridge and cornmeal cakes mixed with white flour.


    Half a hen will be used for chicken soup, and the other half for a mushroom stew.


    We¡¯ll also make a dish of stir-fried chili with eggs.¡±


    Running a household certainly isn¡¯t easy, even meal preparation must consider everyone in the family.


    The third son and the eldest son both love spicy food; if no spicy dish is cooked, they end up washing peppers to eat with their meal.


    The original host didn¡¯t manage balance, but since her arrival, she had been striving for it.


    Don¡¯t underestimate the importance of food; it¡¯s the minor comforts that warm the heart.


    Within just a few days, the third son, Chang Lian, was no longer calculating at every turn, and he had become much more amiable.


    Lady Li noted down everything.


    Zhulan took out a ceramic jar, first decocting the medicine for nourishment, the other jar waiting for the second son to send the doctor back to the county town, so she could cook the medicine that had been prescribed.


    While boiling water, Lady Li asked, ¡°Mother, I just saw the second son sending the doctor away.


    Is father feeling unwell?¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhulan then remembered that Lady Li wasn¡¯t home and had no idea what had happened; she thought Zhao Shi would have mentioned it.


    Recalling that Zhao Shi never talked unnecessarily, and recognizing another merit in her, Zhulan didn¡¯t keep it secret and revealed the issue with Da Qian.


    Lady Li impulsively wanted to say they should send Da Qian away quickly as he was a big trouble, but when the words reached her lips, she sealed them in.


    She intended to be the daughter-in-law who listened to her mother-in-law, and she asked no further.


    Zhulan gestured for Lady Li to keep an eye on the ceramic jar and went back to the main room to ask Zhou Shuren, ¡°What did the doctor say?¡±


    Zhou Shuren replied with relief, ¡°Typhoid isn¡¯t much of an issue, but the problems with the body are more serious.


    Fortunately, I had a few years of foundation from my youth.


    It¡¯s not too late for anything, but I need to take good care of myself.


    I won¡¯t recover in a few years, and I shouldn¡¯t think of doing physical labor in the future, as it could affect my lifespan.¡±


    The doctor¡¯s exact words were that, fortunately, the illness was discovered early.


    If the torment had gone on for a few more years, the boy wouldn¡¯t have lived past thirty.


    Zhulan breathed a sigh of relief, thankful internally that Zhang Datie had been kind to his eldest son when there wasn¡¯t a second son around, otherwise, Da Qian would have long since been tormented to death.


    She reached out tenderly and stroked Da Qian¡¯s dry hair, ¡°Then you just focus on getting better.¡±


    Da Qian lay still, not daring to move, clutching the blanket tightly with both hands.


    For the first time in many years, someone touched his hair gently, and his eyes reddened, but he couldn¡¯t utter words of thanks.


    He had nothing to offer, and his gratitude was worth too little.

 Chapter 55 - 55 55 Unfaithful and Unfilial People_1

    ?55: Chapter 55 Unfaithful and Unfilial People_1 55: Chapter 55 Unfaithful and Unfilial People_1 He could only keep in his heart the kindness of Grandma Zhou and Grandpa Zhou, remembering how much he owed Grandpa Zhou and Grandma Zhou.


    He had no ability to pay back the money now, but when he was capable in the future, he promised to repay them.


    Zhulan was afraid Da Qian was thinking too much and didn¡¯t even ask how much Silver Coin was spent, but she said instead, ¡°We should deal with Da Qian¡¯s matter sooner rather than later.


    Let¡¯s go to Zhang Datie¡¯s house and settle everything, to avoid any more complications.¡±


    The Zhou family had called for a doctor, and in the village where no secret could be kept, everyone knew it was for Xue Han.


    They knew the Zhou family wouldn¡¯t stand by and watch someone die, but they still feared that Zhang Datie might persist in wanting to sell Da Qian, which could lead to uncertainties.


    Zhou Shuren stood up, ¡°Find a piece of cloth that can make a full set of clothes.


    We¡¯ll go to the Clan Leader¡¯s house first, and ask the Clan Leader to join us and resolve everything once and for all.¡±


    Zhulan understood.


    Zhou Shuren intended not only to separate Da Qian from Zhang Datie¡¯s family but also to break off all ties completely, so that Da Qian would have nothing to do with Zhang Datie¡¯s family and wouldn¡¯t have to worry about being entangled with them any longer.


    Speaking of the Zhou Clan, Zhou Shuren¡¯s branch was independent.


    His ancestors were not originally local Zhou¡¯s but had come from elsewhere to settle down.


    A family couldn¡¯t exist without a Clan, and slowly, they integrated with the local Zhou¡¯s, but without much closeness.


    By the time of Zhou Shuren¡¯s father¡¯s generation, relations had become even worse, with very little interaction.


    The reason was that Zhou Shuren¡¯s father was the only child and in poor health.


    The Clan had been hoping that Zhou Shuren¡¯s father would pass away early, but events turned when Zhulan¡¯s mother-in-law came along.


    She not only bore Zhou Shuren but helped Zhou Shuren¡¯s father survive until Zhou Shuren had married and had children of his own.


    The Clan ended up empty-handed, and Zhou Shuren¡¯s family saw the limit of their shame.


    They interacted even less with the Zhou¡¯s.


    Currently, none of the Zhou family¡¯s children attended the Clan school, leaving little more than a semblance of kinship between them and the rest of the Clan.


    Zhulan found some decent fabric.


    When the Zhou family needed to handle matters with the Clan, they didn¡¯t beat around the bush; they always brought benefits directly.


    It was simpler for everyone that way.


    Zhou Shuren took the fabric and said to Da Qian, ¡°Can you hold on a bit longer?¡±


    Another big scene still needed to be played out.


    Da Qian had a particularly good head on his shoulders.


    Without Grandpa Zhou saying much, he knew what Grandpa Zhou wanted to do.


    His previously still heart throbbed with force.


    Could he really break away from that family?


    Zhou Shuren flicked Da Qian¡¯s forehead and chided, ¡°What are you thinking about?


    You¡¯re furrowing your brow like an old man.¡±


    Da Qian, so tense that breathing became difficult, had once thought that when Grandpa Zhou said his parents didn¡¯t want him and that Grandpa Zhou would take care of it, it was just to comfort him.


    He hadn¡¯t expected it to be true.


    With teary eyes, he asked, ¡°Should I change my surname to Zhou?¡±


    Zhou Shuren was taken aback; he truly hadn¡¯t considered changing the child¡¯s surname.


    Your surname is for life; it¡¯s not something that can be changed so easily.


    After joking about a ¡®boy raised by his maternal grandparents,¡¯ he indeed thought it over carefully.


    Da Qian didn¡¯t receive a reply right away, and the heat in his heart gradually cooled.


    He had misunderstood; Grandpa Zhou didn¡¯t intend to adopt him.


    His head slowly drooped, ¡°It¡¯s good enough to be separated from them. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thank you, Grandpa Zhou.¡±


    He had really hoped too much, his eyes red, truly wishing from the bottom of his heart to have parents who cared for him.


    Zhulan, unable to bear it, embraced the frail child and glared at Zhou Shuren, Look what you¡¯ve done.


    Zhou Shuren was somewhat at a loss for laughter and tears.


    He was to blame for not explaining clearly and for not considering the child¡¯s inner longing and fragility.


    He really needed to make things clear, ¡°Da Qian, changing your surname is out of the question.


    We are not of the same Clan, and adoption is not possible.


    The Zhang Clan would not allow it.


    Moreover, changing one¡¯s surname is a betrayal of the Clan.


    You are a smart child, and I cannot bear to bury your talent.


    I hope you will pursue the imperial examination.


    Remember, no matter the reason, a person who betrays his Clan by changing surname is seen as disloyal and unfilial.


    Do you understand?¡±


    Da Qian had secretly listened to lessons at the Zhou Clan school before and understood some of these principles, ¡°Da Qian understands.¡±


    Zhou Shuren appreciated Da Qian¡¯s intelligence and insight.


    Such promising youths were rare indeed.


    His original self had seen the child secretly practicing writing and had even taken exams.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve perked up a bit, let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 56 - 56 56 Disrupting the Plan_1

    ?56: Chapter 56 Disrupting the Plan_1 56: Chapter 56 Disrupting the Plan_1 Zhulan and Zhou Shuren took the opportunity while dinner was not yet ready, letting the eldest carry Da Qian, and a group of people went to the Clan Leader Zhou¡¯s house first.


    Clan Leader Zhou was a clever man.


    Seeing the group and not asking what they were there for, he knew they were headed to Zhang Datie¡¯s house and promptly followed without a word.


    He also sent his son to invite the Clan Leader of the Zhangs and the Zhang elders.


    Zhulan had memories of interacting with the Clan Leader¡¯s family.


    In reality, the Zhou family and the Zhou Clan were familiar strangers, which explained why, in the novels when trouble befell the Zhou family, no one from the Zhou Clan came forward to help.


    Zhang Datie lived at the edge of the village.


    Zhulan¡¯s group and the Clan Leader Zhang¡¯s group arrived at Zhang¡¯s house together.


    The news had already spread throughout the village, but Clan Leader Zhang hadn¡¯t expected Zhou Shuren to bring along Clan Leader Zhou.


    They met quietly at the entrance and went straight into the courtyard without exchanging words.


    Zhang Datie and his wife had fully intended to deny responsibility, but upon seeing the money that the Zhou eldest was carrying, panic set in.


    The Clan Leader was here; they were certainly expected to compensate!


    The Zhou Clan Leader found a place to sit down first and silently glanced at Zhou Shuren.


    His presence was merely symbolic, and he gave the opportunity to speak to Zhou Shuren.


    Zhou Shuren, with a cold expression, had Scholar Zhou put down Da Qian.


    Da Qian, his fever somewhat abated, had no strength, his face devoid of color, and his eyes tightly closed, looking ready to collapse at any moment.


    Mrs.


    Zhang shrieked, ¡°We have no money.


    Whoever caused the trouble should be the one to pay.¡±


    Zhulan pointed at Da Qian, ¡°Da Qian is just a kid and has not a penny.


    We¡¯re holding you two accountable.


    The doctor has seen him; having injured his tendons and bones, he will need careful tending for a hundred days.


    Less talk, hand over twenty taels of silver.¡±


    If not for the fear that exaggerating the severity of the injuries might tarnish her daughter¡¯s reputation, Zhulan would have been harsher and demanded more silver.


    Although they were surely going to move away, they feared enemies might come in the future to take their daughter as a bondmaid, so it was better to be cautious.


    Mrs.


    Zhang clutched her chest, so pained she couldn¡¯t breathe, ¡°Twenty taels?


    Why don¡¯t you just rob us?¡±


    Zhou Shuren¡¯s eardrums ached, unwilling to waste time on Mrs.


    Zhang¡¯s babbling.


    He stared at Zhang Datie coldly, ¡°You too, don¡¯t think of writing off your debt with the child.


    Da Qian, being burned like this, was just seen by the doctor lately.


    Getting him healed will cost five taels of silver, and he won¡¯t be able to do heavy work afterward, or it will affect his lifespan.


    Today, out of consideration that we live in the same village, I¡¯ve brought both family clan leaders here to mediate.


    If you refuse, tomorrow my wife¡¯s family will come to have a slow talk with you.¡±


    Zhang Datie, ¡°¡­.¡±


    He was not afraid of the Zhou family, for it was no secret that the Zhou family was not close to the Zhou Clan in the village, but he did fear the Yang family.


    He had once been a slave and knew how little the lives of the lower classes were valued, and was also well aware of the various underhanded means that existed.


    The Yang family had too many discreet friends, which frightened him!


    The Zhou Clan Leader looked at Zhou Shuren in surprise.


    Ah, the once straightforward Zhou Shuren had learned to threaten others?


    He had gone astray!


    Stroking his beard, he thought, being straightforward is not as scary as having a scheming mind.


    Looking away, he realized that he should not be so indifferent in the future.


    After giving it some thought, Clan Leader Zhou said to Clan Leader Zhang, ¡°Our two clans have had marriage ties for a long time, with most members related to one another. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    None of us want to fall out over this, but the Zhang family must give Zhou Shuren an explanation.


    How about this: the Zhang family gives five taels of silver to get the child¡¯s illness treated, and after the child recovers, they can slowly repay the remainder of the debt to Zhou Shuren¡¯s family.


    With this arrangement, the matter would be considered settled.


    What do you think?¡±


    Zhulan privately thought that the man was cunning; Zhou Shuren had not even made a move, but the Clan Leader had already guessed his intentions.


    Indeed, no ordinary person becomes a Clan Leader.


    Clan Leader Zhang took a moment to regain his composure, his mouth twitching in confirmation that this request came from Clan Leader Zhou.


    What was happening today?


    Yet, he pondered whether the Zhou family and Zhou Clan had reconciled.


    If that was true, then they could no longer be bullied.


    The Zhou Clan had produced two Scholars in recent years while the Zhang family had only produced one student.


    He envied the Zhou Clan¡¯s numbers and began to consider his options.


    Zhang Datie rolled his eyes around.


    He was clever; if not, he wouldn¡¯t have just broken a leg back then but would have lost his life instead.


    Upon hearing Clan Leader Zhou¡¯s words, he instantly understood Zhou Shuren¡¯s primary objective was to take the child.


    Zhou Shuren had planned for all contingencies, but didn¡¯t anticipate that Clan Leader Zhou would stop being merely a token presence and start helping.


    Considering the Zhou Clan¡¯s stronger position, the Clan Leader spoke straight to the point.


    Watching Zhang Datie¡¯s restless gaze, Zhou Shuren sneered inwardly.


    With the change in dynamics, he no longer needed to scheme; Zhang Datie, no matter how shrewd, would have to hold back now.


    Zhang Datie thought in circles but couldn¡¯t understand what was so good about Da Qian.


    The only thing he could come up with was that maybe the Zhou family¡¯s girl was severely injured, so they intended to make Da Qian take full responsibility as a boy raised for the matrimonial home.


    Believing he had grasped the crux of the matter, he declared, ¡°I disagree.


    I have raised my child with hard labor; why should I give him away to the Zhou family for free?¡±


    Zhou Shuren ignored Zhang Datie and looked at Clan Leader Zhou, signaling that it was now his move.


    Clan Leader Zhou got the message.


    He did not feel that his brash intervention had disrupted Zhou Shuren¡¯s plans.


    Believing in his own instincts, he felt that Zhou Shuren had changed.


    If he did not take action now, he might completely miss the chance to benefit from Zhou Shuren¡¯s success.


    Conversely, this could also be an opportunity to improve relations.


    He indicated that Zhou Shuren should leave it to him.

 Chapter 57 - 57 57 Thick-skinned_1

    ?57: Chapter 57 Thick-skinned_1 57: Chapter 57 Thick-skinned_1 Zhulan served as the backdrop, taking in everyone¡¯s expressions in the hall, not even sparing Madame Zhu a glance.


    Just look, since the Clan Leader spoke up, Madame Zhu had wisely kept silent the whole time.


    This person was truly shameless, yet he had his own way of surviving!


    No one should be underestimated!


    There was no need for the Clan Leader to say anything to Zhang Datie.


    He just looked at Clan Leader Zhang and said, ¡°We all know what happened, and how Da Qian grew up is no secret either.


    Zhou Shuren was kind-hearted and couldn¡¯t bear to see the child die young, but even with kindness, he shouldn¡¯t have to take on burdens for nothing.


    The money Zhang Datie used for the child¡¯s treatment, five taels of silver, is not much.¡±


    He didn¡¯t mention the twenty taels because he knew from the way Zhou Shuren and his wife calmly went to him that Xue Han must be fine.


    He even suspected that the couple had deliberately laid a trap, by pretending not to care.


    If that was the case, he would need to spend more time with Zhou Shuren in the future.


    Clan Leader Zhang and Zhang Datie thought similarly, both assuming Da Qian was a boy raised by his maternal grandparents.


    But Clan Leader Zhang thought further ahead, believing Zhou Shuren had planned for both outcomes.


    If Zhulan¡¯s hand didn¡¯t heal well, Da Qian would become the boy raised by his maternal grandparents.


    If it did heal, then Zhang Datie would become a permanent worker in the future.


    He felt sorry for the child, Da Qian, ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±


    Zhulan was deeply moved.


    This was a case where different statuses called for different approaches.


    According to her and Zhou Shuren¡¯s methods, this issue could have dragged on, but it got solved quickly as soon as they had made their arrangements.


    If it was like this in a single village, let alone in the county or even the capital, in those ancient times when imperial power reigned supreme, power was far more tangible.


    So Zhou Shuren had better strive in the imperial examinations.


    Otherwise, no matter how much silver the family earns, it is like a baby holding a gold ingot, easy to lose and could lead to an early demise.


    Zhang Datie, though resentful, didn¡¯t dare to speak up anymore.


    No matter what he thought, he wouldn¡¯t dare to confront the family.


    ¡°Hand over the money.¡±


    Madame Zhu glared.


    Five taels of silver¡ªthat was the price for selling Da Qian.


    But with her husband warning her, she didn¡¯t dare to retort and furiously glared at Da Qian before going back inside to get the money.


    Zhulan could see right through Zhang Datie¡¯s thoughts.


    They didn¡¯t take Da Qian, and Zhang Datie didn¡¯t think much of it, instead considering it a nuisance.


    But as soon as they expressed interest in Da Qian, Zhang Datie became discontented, believing Da Qian held more value.


    That is human nature.


    Zhang Datie adjusted himself and clasped his fists towards Zhou Shuren, ¡°I entrust Da Qian to Uncle Zhou¡¯s care from now on.¡±


    Upon further thought, he felt quite good about it.


    If Da Qian truly became a boy raised by his maternal grandparents, his family wouldn¡¯t need to support him, and in the future, they might even be able to take advantage of the Zhou family. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhou Shuren didn¡¯t need to guess Zhang Datie¡¯s thoughts.


    He pulled out a deed already drafted at the Zhou residence¡ªthree copies.


    ¡°This is the deed for Da Qian to sever ties with Zhang Datie¡¯s family and live independently, in triplicate.


    Whatever Da Qian does in the future, he will have no relation to Zhang Datie¡¯s family, and Zhang Datie¡¯s family must not entangle with Da Qian anymore.¡±


    Zhang Datie¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Uncle Zhou, this is not right.


    Da Qian, no matter what, is still my son.¡±


    How could he take any benefits if the relationship had been severed?


    Zhou Shuren¡¯s smile was half mocking.


    ¡°When you planned to sell Da Qian, you never thought that he was your son.


    When you saw that Da Qian was about to die, you even said you didn¡¯t have such a son.¡±


    Clan Leader Zhang¡¯s face darkened.


    There were clan rules to follow, and selling one¡¯s son was absolutely forbidden.


    ¡°Zhang Datie.¡±


    Zhang Datie cowered.


    How did the Zhou family find out?


    He¡¯d made sure to find someone in secret and had even concocted a story about the child getting lost in the mountains.


    He could mistreat Da Qian without interference from the family, but selling one¡¯s son was strictly off-limits.


    After all, his father had been cast out by the family for doing just that.


    He shivered, ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    Zhou Shuren held a pen and inkpad.


    ¡°You can write your name.


    Write it!¡±


    Zhang Datie, fearing the Zhou family had evidence and, despite his reluctance, ended up signing the deed.


    Clan Leader Zhou took the pen and briskly wrote down his name as well.


    With names signed in the hall, one copy was to be given to the Lizheng, one to Clan Leader Zhang, and one kept for themselves.


    Seeing Zhulan snatch the money from Madame Zhou, she signaled her eldest to carry Da Qian on his back.


    As they reached the doorway, Zhou Shuren paused and said, ¡°Da Qian has a new name now, Zhang Rongchuan.


    I hope in the future, Da Qian¡¯s heart can be as vast as the ocean that embraces all rivers, and not be troubled by the hardships of his youth.¡±


    He then addressed Clan Leader Zhang, ¡°Uncle, my apologies for today¡¯s troubles.


    I will personally visit tomorrow to pay my respects.¡±


    Knowing it was about the child¡¯s new name and the separation, and considering the Zhou family¡¯s usual generosity, Clan Leader Zhang smiled warmly, ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll be waiting at home.¡±


    Clan Leader Zhou gazed deeply at Zhou Shuren, his choice of name also a message letting go of the past, to show that Zhou Shuren too had an expansive heart.


    He smiled, ¡°We¡¯ll be on our way.¡±


    Zhou Shuren was obliged to owe a favor, ¡°Thank you for your help today, Clan Leader.¡±


    Clan Leader Zhou¡¯s smile was all warmth, ¡°It¡¯s what family should do.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.¡±


    To be a Clan Leader, not only must one¡¯s mind be sharp, but one¡¯s skin must also be thick!

 Chapter 58 - 58 58 Mutual Harm_1

    ?58: Chapter 58: Mutual Harm_1 58: Chapter 58: Mutual Harm_1 The trip to the Zhang family went exceptionally smoothly; dinner wasn¡¯t even ready when they got home, but the two sons who were studying had already returned.


    Zhou Changlian saw that Da Qian had been brought back home and his face was full of disdain, ¡°Dad, why did you bring him back?¡±


    Even though he knew his sister wasn¡¯t hurt, he didn¡¯t want Da Qian to stay at home.


    Looking after the sick costs silver, food and drink cost silver, and now he couldn¡¯t do any work, every penny that Da Qian used from the home took away from his own resources.


    Zhulan thought to herself that her third son still needed reformation, his vision was short-sighted.


    But she couldn¡¯t expect too much from a teenager; she understood that much herself.


    Zhou Shuren wasn¡¯t angry, gestured for the eldest son to carry the child back to the main house, then beckoned the two sons who were studying to go to the youngest son¡¯s room for a private talk.


    As for the eldest and the second, Zhou Shuren planned to talk to them after dinner, because the level of the conversation differed.


    The two younger sons would discuss their studies, while the two older ones would discuss the household matters, which couldn¡¯t be mixed.


    About fifteen minutes later, Zhou Changzhi returned, driving the ox cart, bringing back the prescribed herbal medicine.


    Zhou Changzhi felt sorry for the ox, ¡°Today, it must¡¯ve been exhausted.¡±


    While saying that, he carefully stroked the ox¡¯s belly, which was carrying a calf; that was money too.


    Zhulan also felt pity for the ox they bought for ten taels of silver, ¡°Later, give it an extra feed of two corn cobs.¡±


    Zhou Changzhi said, ¡°Alright, mom.¡±


    Zhulan turned around but suddenly paused.


    In modern times, money to her was just numbers, but in ancient times, she had to calculate before spending every penny.


    She was becoming more and more down and out, which was unacceptable.


    One must have ambition.


    She definitely had to give Zhou Shuren more encouragement tonight; whether they would have a good year depended on Zhou Shuren!


    With this thought, Zhulan smiled to herself, regular encouragement and motivation in the days ahead were essential!


    Dinner was ready; Da Qian, no, Zhang Rongchuan now, Rongchuan first drank a bowl of millet porridge with chicken strips, then took the herbal medicine and fell asleep.


    After all, Rongchuan was ten years old.


    Even if Zhulan was of grandmother¡¯s age in ancient times, she couldn¡¯t let a ten-year-old kid stay in the main room, even if a ten-year-old looked as little as a seven-year-old.


    Zhulan settled Rongchuan in a room that her eldest daughter, Xue Mei, would use when returning to her mother¡¯s house.


    The kang bed had been freshly laid out a few days ago, and after being dried, it was neither damp nor chilly.


    Once it was heated, it would be warm.


    Fortunately, the Zhou family had ample resources.


    They had extra bedding, and the original owner was clean and hardworking.


    Not only was it refreshing to bring them out on good days, but they were almost like new.


    After settling Rongchuan, the whole Zhulan family finally had their dinner.


    There wasn¡¯t a rule about not talking during meals or remaining silent when sleeping in the countryside.


    During dinner, they discussed the trip to Jiangnan.


    The four sons of the Zhou family were dumbfounded.


    The old man, who had spent his life being steady, how come he turned capricious now that he was a grandfather?


    Zhou Changzhi was concerned about his father¡¯s health, as he had just been ill, ¡°Dad, traveling with the escort and going on a long journey, I¡¯m afraid your body won¡¯t be able to handle it.¡±


    The second son was rolling his eyes, feeling that they should go out and see the world, ¡°I¡¯m not at ease if dad goes by himself.


    I¡¯ll accompany him, and I can take care of dad.¡±


    Zhou Changlian started grinding his teeth; take that, Zhou Changzhi, stealing his words.


    He deeply felt that Zhou Changzhi had changed.


    Previously seldom speaking out, now he went straight for the key points whenever he opened his mouth, and that upset him, ¡°Dad, my sister-in-law can¡¯t be without my second brother since she¡¯s about to give birth.


    I¡¯ll accompany you.


    I can¡¯t just study without practical experience; it would be good to go out and broaden my horizons.¡±


    Pat himself on the back for his cleverness!


    Zhou Changzhi looked left and right, wondering why he suddenly felt that the household had become more lively, and their scheming had spiked.


    Frowning, he hadn¡¯t heard his parents praise him for being the smartest in a long time, and felt his status was under threat as he looked around, ¡°Dad, the teacher said that third brother is not focused, never completing his dictations.


    If he has time, he should concentrate on memorizing, to avoid making mistakes in the exams and suffer losses.


    But the opportunity to go to Jiangnan is rare.


    Dad, I¡¯ll go with you.


    The teacher said I have good writing skills.


    I can write travel notes to bring back for third brother to learn from as well.¡±


    Zhou Changlian, ¡°¡­.¡±


    Thanks a lot.


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­..¡±


    Huh, except for the eldest, who had a normal IQ, the other three were as tricky as a hornet¡¯s nest.


    The dinner gave off the air of court intrigue.


    Zhou Shuren, however, had shining eyes. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just a few days of his teaching had such an effect.


    Not bad, not bad.


    But then he said, ¡°The eldest will look after the house.


    The second will help out and not be bullied by outsiders.


    Starting tomorrow, the third and fourth will read and recite a hundred times, and I will test them upon return.


    Alright, let¡¯s eat.¡±


    A hundred and twenty times was too much; he had tried it himself, and it was deadly.


    A hundred times should suffice.


    Besides Zhou Changzhi, who held his tongue, the other three showed faces of distress.


    Dad, you could¡¯ve just said you had made up your mind in the beginning, making them step on each other¡¯s toes.


    The three brothers exchanged glances, acknowledging that the older should care for the younger ones.


    Zhou Changzhi smiled warmly, ¡°Dad, I will definitely make sure the third and fourth concentrate on their studies, and not a single recitation will be missed.¡±


    Have you two enjoy tripping up your elder brother?


    Very well, let¡¯s hurt each other!

 Chapter 59 - 59 59 Spoiling You_1

    ?59: Chapter 59 Spoiling You_1 59: Chapter 59 Spoiling You_1 Zhou Laosan paused.


    He had a younger brother too.


    ¡°Father, Laosi¡¯s writing is excellent.


    Why not have him write an essay about family matters every day?


    That way, when you return, you can be fully briefed on household affairs.¡±


    Zhou Shuren smiled with his eyes curved, realizing that his sons had considerable untapped potential.


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    Zhou Changzhi, ¡°¡­..¡±


    Picking on him because he¡¯s the youngest, huh?


    Sniffle, he really doesn¡¯t have a younger brother!


    Zhulan had to stifle her laughter several times, her lips tugging into a smile, as she observed the women¡¯s table where Lady Li couldn¡¯t care less about the men¡¯s business and was intent on getting more meat for her sons and daughters.


    Lady Zhao, however, sneaked a few glances, eating meat like a thief, each time sneaking a peek at Zhulan.


    Zhulan pretended not to notice, and Lady Zhao looked thoroughly satisfied, clearly enjoying herself!


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­..¡±


    She should get a good look at her grandsons and granddaughters¡ªto cleanse her eyes!


    At dinner, whether it was the sulky eldest son or Zhou Laosan grinding his teeth inwardly, no one let their mood interfere with their meal.


    They all relished the meat from the large hen!


    After supper, Zhulan warmed some water to check on Rongchuan, who had broken into a sweat.


    She wrung out a towel to clean him off, covered him with the blanket again, and then returned to the main room.


    Zhou Shuren was discussing Rongchuan with his eldest and second sons when Zhulan, alone in the room, took out some fabric and began cutting it, planning to make clothes for Rongchuan.


    Zhulan was quite confident.


    She truly had a gift for needlework and, with her memory, making clothes was not a problem.


    Though she had discovered her hidden ¡°Skills,¡± she had no intention of delving deeper into learning.


    It was enough to know how to make clothes, as embroidery was too draining on the eyes.


    She needed to take good care of them¡ªafter all, there were no reading glasses in ancient times, and eyes were very important.


    Zhou Shuren came back late, and Zhulan had already finished making the pants and was about to start on the shirt.


    ¡°Why are you back so late?¡±


    Zhou Shuren, while taking off his shoes, replied, ¡°I was watching Laosan and Laosan¡¯s reading, then I went to check on Rongchuan.


    Are those for Rongchuan?¡±


    Zhulan nodded.


    ¡°The child¡¯s clothes are practically in tatters.


    They hardly keep him warm, and they¡¯re not even decent anymore.


    He¡¯ll have nothing to wear when he gets up tomorrow, so I must finish them tonight.¡±


    Zhou Shuren wasn¡¯t too happy.


    It was the first time Zhulan made outerwear in the ancient times, and it wasn¡¯t for him.


    Hmph, she hadn¡¯t even made underwear for him.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need several presentable outfits for Jiangnan.


    After all, ¡®clothes make the man just as a saddle makes the horse.¡¯ You can¡¯t skimp on this.¡±


    Zhulan cut off the thread with her teeth.


    ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t say it, I know that.


    You have to dress well to impress people, er, to be respected.¡±


    Zhou Shuren laughed.


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Buy ready-made outer garments.


    The underwear is up to you.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­..Fine.¡±


    Underwear, indeed.


    The original body¡¯s undergarments were a sorry tale.


    After she learned needlework, she made two sets of underwear and pajamas for herself, feeling a bit guilty about it.


    She hadn¡¯t made any for Zhou Shuren, and even being buddies, it was a bit awkward.


    Now her mind was full of thoughts on things like underpants!


    Yet, indeed, such things really should be made by a wife!


    Zhou Shuren hadn¡¯t misread the blush on Zhulan¡¯s face, and instantly he felt much better.


    The next morning, Rongchuan¡¯s fever had broken, but being weak, he was bound to relapse.


    Zhulan gave him the clothes and pants she had made, which weren¡¯t very thick.


    He should wear them inside the house first, and when they bought cotton, she would make him warmer clothing.


    Today, Zhou Shuren and Zhulan planned to go to the county to get clothes for him and some household items.


    A round trip would take just one morning, with Zhou Er keeping an eye on the house.


    Just as they were ready to leave, they were stopped by Wang Laosan who came with Wang Ru, followed by two large jars.


    Wang Laosan seemed anxious.


    ¡°Uncle, you¡¯re going out?¡±


    Zhou Shuren nodded.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Wang Laosan smiled sheepishly.


    ¡°I was actually hoping to borrow your ox cart.


    Could you possibly give us a lift to the county?¡±


    Zhulan was not pleased.


    Last time, Wang Laosan said he would make amends later, but he never showed up again.


    It was one thing for her to refuse, but another for him to not keep his promise.


    It showed that Wang Laosan wasn¡¯t a man of his word.


    Today he was clearly just looking to take advantage of their lack of money to rent an ox cart by seeking a favor from them.


    Zhulan almost laughed out loud, her smile not quite reaching her eyes.


    ¡°Laosi, I thought you were here to make amends.


    I didn¡¯t expect that wasn¡¯t the case!¡±


    Why should she let him unabashedly borrow their ox cart without any reserve?


    She wouldn¡¯t indulge him!

 Chapter 60 - 60 60 Opportunity_1

    ?60: Chapter 60 Opportunity_1 60: Chapter 60 Opportunity_1 Old Wang Fourth only remembered his need to apologize, his face instantly flushing red as he stammered, ¡°Auntie, the family has been really busy lately.¡±


    Zhulan eyed the two large jars, which contained freshly pickled spicy cabbage.


    Observing the father and daughter, it was clear Old Wang Fourth had made it himself, which made her wonder¡ªMadame Wang not creating a scene at the temple was scientifically improbable!


    Wang Ru¡¯s heart tightened.


    She hadn¡¯t wanted to come to the Zhou family to borrow a cart.


    It was just that they were short on cash; the money to buy ingredients this time came from selling her mother¡¯s last pair of silver earrings.


    She admitted they were here to take advantage of the situation, ¡°Grandma Zhou, my grandmother won¡¯t let our family sit at the table for meals.


    My mother needs nourishment as she¡¯s carrying my brother, and we need to eat and drink as well.


    These past days, we¡¯ve been relying on my mother¡¯s dowry jewelry.


    We really had no other choice.


    Dad wanted to come and apologize too, but he felt bad about coming empty-handed.


    He¡¯s always had it on his mind.¡±


    Old Wang Fourth, realizing his daughter had a quick mind, nodded repeatedly, ¡°Auntie, our family really had no other choice.


    The whole family is waiting for food.¡±


    Zhulan was truly reluctant to get involved.


    Wang Ru¡¯s words sounded nice, yet it was obvious she knew Madame Wang wouldn¡¯t dare cause trouble.


    Zhulan hated being used.


    Just as she was about to refuse, Zhou Shuren intervened, ¡°We¡¯re all from the same village.


    Forget about the apology, come on and hurry up!¡±


    Zhulan turned back, not understanding Zhou Shuren¡¯s move but he reassured her with a pat on her hand.


    Zhulan remained silent, after all, as she got to know him more, she understood that the only thing Zhou Shuren knew how to calculate were his own schemes to trap people.


    Old Wang Fourth sighed in relief, quickly loading the jars into the cart before lifting his daughter aboard, ¡°Thank you, uncle and aunt.¡±


    Zhou Shuren signaled the eldest to drive the ox cart, which slowly ambled out of the village.


    With the road empty, Zhou Shuren casually asked, ¡°Old Fourth, your mother didn¡¯t stop you?¡±


    Old Wang Fourth¡¯s face darkened as he couldn¡¯t hold back his grievance, ¡°Uncle, my mother doesn¡¯t treat me like her son.


    She won¡¯t even give us grain when my wife is pregnant.


    She wants to starve our whole family.


    We managed to survive, and our hopes are in those two jars.


    My mother, leading the whole family, wanted to smash the jars to force us to reveal the recipe.


    She¡¯s counting on the fact that we don¡¯t have a single coin.


    Without the recipe, we can¡¯t even leave the house.


    How can she be so heartless?¡±


    Zhulan¡¯s ears perked up, surprised.


    Madame Wang¡¯s intelligence had soared¡ªa series of forced moves pushing one into a desperate situation.


    This move was clever!


    Zhou Shuren glanced at Wang Ru, who was looking down, ¡°Did you give the recipe away?¡±


    Old Wang Fourth¡¯s lips were not as sealed, ¡°In any case¡ª¡±


    But he was cut off immediately by Wang Ru, who, with eyes reddened, interjected, ¡°My dad had no choice¡ªthe family is waiting to eat.


    Dad said that in the future, everyone will do their own business.¡±


    Once she had silver in hand, she would definitely leave the family.


    Damn old hag.


    Zhulan chuckled inwardly.


    Old Wang Fourth was about to say that, anyway, the Li family already knew the recipe.


    A secret between two people wasn¡¯t a secret anymore. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As more people learned the recipe, it would soon be common knowledge and lose its value.


    Wang Ru was playing a good game.


    In revenge for Lady Li discovering the recipe, she benefited the Wang family enough to keep them from bothering Old Wang Fourth¡¯s family, all the while¡ªZhulan narrowed her eyes¡ªWang Ru planned to first sell the recipe for a sum of money, since it would inevitably become common knowledge.


    Better to let her own family reap the maximum benefit.


    This girl was ruthless.


    Zhulan and Zhou Shuren exchanged looks, both arriving at the same conclusion and growing increasingly wary.


    Seeing that no one else was speaking, Wang Ru lowered her head, the corners of her mouth turning up.


    She had heard the Li family made a lot of the spicy cabbage, thinking to exploit her recipe to make a fortune.


    Dream on, she was the only one who would make big money.


    Zhulan, wary of Wang Ru and leaning on Zhou Shuren, thought about something she remembered from a novel.


    At the beginning, Wang Ru didn¡¯t realize Xue Han was the protagonist because she had seen many novels.


    With novels spanning so many years, especially the early farming stories, later ones tended to have similar plots, and many characters and incidents became blurred.


    Human memory was prone to forgetting, and Xue Han¡¯s name was not unusual.


    Wang Ru hadn¡¯t thought of transmigration novels, only of transmigration fantasy.


    Zhulan recalled carefully the moment Wang Ru would realize Xue Han was the protagonist¡ªit would be after the first heavy snowfall of the year.

 Chapter 61 - 61 61 Misplaced Concerns_1

    ?61: Chapter 61: Misplaced Concerns_1 61: Chapter 61: Misplaced Concerns_1 Due to its geographical location, there were many merchants from the south and the north in the county.


    Wang Ru saved an illegitimate son who was almost killed by his stepmother.


    After learning his name, she found it familiar.


    This illegitimate son was a fierce one; not only did he kill his father¡¯s legitimate son, but he also got involved in the fight for inheritance, ultimately losing and dying as one of the villains in the story.


    Only then did Wang Ru realize she had traveled into a book, knowing that Xue Han was the female protagonist who would start to target and trap Xue Han and the Zhou family after the new year.


    Zhulan had a toothache and was filled with regret, feeling as if she couldn¡¯t breathe properly.


    She was first angry at the novel for not explaining who became the Emperor at the beginning, and then angry at herself for not insisting on finishing it before.


    Even if she fell into a trap, she could have followed the plot to figure out who claimed the throne!


    Zhulan held her chest, regretting that it was too late.


    Zhou Shuren was very worried about the changes in Zhulan, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?


    Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Zhulan, afraid of being found out by Wang Ru, said, ¡°The jolting made me a bit nauseous.


    I ate too much breakfast and shouldn¡¯t have had an extra bowl of egg cake.¡±


    Indeed, it was that luxurious.


    In the morning, they had beaten six eggs to steam four big bowls of egg cake; with two big bowls per table, each person got a small bowl.


    She had to thank her generous maternal family.


    Zhulan had thoroughly reaped the autumn harvest, bringing back fifty eggs, two pounds of dates, ten pounds of millet, two pounds of pastries, half a pound of honey, and ten pounds of pine nuts from her maternal home, all for nourishing her health.


    Since they already had plenty of eggs at home and didn¡¯t sell them, and with an addition of fifty more, the whole family benefited.


    Zhulan didn¡¯t realize at all that she had drawn envy.


    On the ox cart, Wang Ru and her father were starving; they had run out of food the night before.


    Zhou Shuren glared at Zhou Laoda, ¡°Aren¡¯t you seeing your mother in discomfort?


    Drive the cart properly.¡±


    Zhou Laoda, ¡°¡­.¡±


    He felt wronged.


    The cow had given birth to a calf, and yesterday was exhausting.


    Today he didn¡¯t dare push them, so the ox cart was very slow!


    Zhulan, feeling guilty for Zhou Laoda taking the blame, soon felt righteous again.


    It was only right for a son to carry the burden for his mother, but ultimately, she had a conscience, ¡°Don¡¯t blame Laoda, I¡¯m much better and just wanted to eat everything and overate.¡±


    Zhou Shuren pursed his lips, ¡± Eating too much cornmeal isn¡¯t nourishing after all.


    We¡¯ll keep more fine grains this year and stop eating coarse grains from now on.¡±


    Wang Ru clenched her palm in jealousy.


    She didn¡¯t even have the worst wild vegetable pancakes to eat, and here they were, talking about eating only fine grains from now on right in front of her; it was enough to set her chest on fire with rage.


    Great, the couple had perfectly maximized the resentment, and then, they spent the whole journey to the county talking about food.


    By the time they reached the county, Wang Laosi couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and hurried away with Wang Ru after thanking them.


    Zhou Laoda was unhappy, ¡°We kindly gave them a ride, why do they leave with a scowl?¡±


    Zhulan and Zhou Shuren looked up at the sky; the weather was truly nice today!


    At first, they didn¡¯t pay attention to the growing hostility, but then they did it on purpose, not wanting to give Wang Laosi and his daughter a free ride back to the village.


    Zhou Shuren patted Zhou Laoda¡¯s head, ¡°Stop grumbling and hurry to the ready-made clothes shop.¡±


    Zhou Laoda, ¡°¡­..Alright.¡±


    Why did he feel like his parents were looking at him as if they were looking at a foolish son?


    It must be his imagination!


    The county might not be large, but as an important transportation hub, it was very prosperous, and the ready-made clothes shop was quite upscale.


    You could even find the styles popular in the south, though the prices weren¡¯t very pleasing.


    When they left the house, Zhulan took twenty-two taels of silver with her.


    Zhou Shuren needed to look the part for appraising antiques, dressing both like someone from an extensive family background and yet not too destitute¡ªthis was more convincing to shrewd merchants.


    Buying clothes was easy; three sets in total, two for going out to fool people and one ordinary scholar outfit.


    That cost them eighteen taels!


    Zhou Laoda, pained at the heart, squatted at the shop entrance.


    He couldn¡¯t bear the expense, not noticing that the family had just spent ten taels to buy a cow, and now his parents had blown another eighteen, exceeding his calculations of the family¡¯s savings!


    Zhulan¡¯s face was wooden.


    Her eldest son was missing the point.


    She had brought him along without avoiding him this time because she wanted to disclose a part of their wealth.


    Zhou Shuren¡¯s mouth twitched. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He would definitely keep his eldest grandson close in the future!

 Chapter 62 - 62 62 Private Room_1

    ?62: Chapter 62: Private Room_1 62: Chapter 62: Private Room_1 After purchasing the ready-made clothes, we headed to the next shop.


    The Zhou family wasn¡¯t short on winter clothing, but Zhulan wanted to make a thick quilt for herself and another for Zhou Shuren.


    The second child¡¯s family was expecting a baby and would need a new quilt too; if one household got one, it wouldn¡¯t be fair to neglect the others.


    Plus, with Rongchuan included, alright, let¡¯s make them for everyone!


    For two people accustomed to modern warm winters, the memory of ancient winters was terrifying, especially with the heavy snowfall in the north, where road closures were common.


    In ancient times, aside from the privileged class, no one enjoyed the snowy landscape.


    In modern times, Zhulan found even thermal underwear bothersome, but in ancient times, she was all about cotton clothing and thick cotton quilts!


    With low agricultural productivity and poor yields, cotton was not cheap¡ªone jin cost as much as a jin of pork.


    Zhulan bought twenty jin in one go and some coarse cotton fabric to take home.


    Zhulan wasn¡¯t one to treat herself poorly, and she was confident in Zhou Shuren.


    Living frugally and pinching pennies every day had been stressful, but now that she had a sense of their financial situation, she found it hard to stop shopping.


    Elder Zhou¡¯s heart ached; his face was as white as a sheet, and his fingers trembled.


    ¡°Father, mother, are you not frugal anymore?¡±


    He never imagined that the thrifty old lady would begin squandering money as soon as she recovered from her illness.


    Zhou Shuren felt he needed to give Elder Zhou an explanation, or else the elder might fall ill from worry.


    ¡°Elder Zhou, calculate how much we spent on buying the cow and on medical expenses.


    Add today¡¯s expenses, how much does it all add up to?¡±


    Elder Zhou¡¯s pupils contracted as he focused on the key point, nearly thirty taels.


    When he realized, he exclaimed, ¡°Father, are we this wealthy?¡±


    Zhou Shuren, ¡°We¡¯re not exactly wealthy, but we do have some savings, and that¡¯s the truth.


    Elder Zhou, as the eldest son, I¡¯m only telling you this, and you must not whisper it to your wife.¡±


    No longer anxious, Elder Zhou was quite eager and assured, ¡°Father, I understand.¡±


    Zhou Shuren, ¡°Then I am relieved.


    Listen well, our family has over eighty taels of silver coins.


    I¡¯m not particularly skilled, and most of it is your mother¡¯s dowry and subsidies from your grandmother.


    Just keep it in mind.¡±


    Elder Zhou, ¡°¡­.¡±


    So his calculations were correct; he was calculating how much his father had earned, and the remainder was his mother¡¯s money.


    So, his father was currently spending his mother¡¯s money?


    So that¡¯s the kind of man you are, father!


    Zhou Shuren felt an itch in his hand; Zhulan mentioned that Lady Li had a tendency to mend her brain, and he thought it must have been Elder Zhou who passed it on!


    Zhulan didn¡¯t care about the conversation between father and son.


    She went on with her planned purchases, buying two pottery jars, three large urns, five pottery bowls for serving food, three washbasins, and a large bathing tub which Zhulan had long been considering; she was fed up with simple washcloths.


    Fortunately, the mother-in-law was particular about hygiene.


    The household kept separate basins for washing the face and feet, or else Zhulan would have been unable to tolerate it any longer. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The ox cart was nearly full; anyone who didn¡¯t know better would think someone was preparing a dowry!


    Zhulan then bought various seasonings, particularly a good amount of salt since what they had at home had been used by Lady Li for pickling vegetables.


    Lastly, she went to buy paper for the two sons who were studying.


    Unable to afford the good stuff, she could only get the regular kind¡ªat two wen per sheet, one hundred sheets cost two hundred wen.


    As for Xuan paper, Zhulan didn¡¯t dare think about it since it was too expensive.


    Adding two new brushes, two hundred and twenty wen were spent.


    With a cart full of items, the only money Zhulan had left from the silver coins she brought was thirty wen.


    Passing by the meat stall, there was no need to save any money¡ªshe bought pork belly and a big bone, not a single coin remained.


    Even if father had revealed some secrets, Elder Zhou¡¯s heart still trembled.


    He felt that after his mother¡¯s recovery, she had become more open-minded, willing not only to eat well but to spend freely too.


    There was a hint of discomfort in his heart; the savings his mother had put aside in the past were meant for them, brothers.


    Now that she was spending freely, did she feel during her ill health that they had been unfilial and it saddened her?


    Upon this realization, Elder Zhou began to introspect about his behavior over the past year; his complexion grew even worse.


    The terrible thing about biases is that once someone, like Elder Zhou, believes he hasn¡¯t done well, recalling any of it fills him with immense guilt.


    ¡°Mother, your son is unfilial; I have not fulfilled my duties as the eldest son.


    Mother, is there anything else you want to buy?


    I have thirty wen of private money on me!¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.¡±


    Oh, private money?


    Elder Zhou, impressive!


    Even under Lady Li¡¯s supervision, you managed to save thirty wen; looks can be deceiving.


    But, what is Elder Zhou fretting over?

 Chapter 63 - 63 63 Sweet Burden_1

    ?63: Chapter 63 Sweet Burden_1 63: Chapter 63 Sweet Burden_1 Zhulan¡¯s complexion wasn¡¯t great.


    Why did both halves of this couple have the problem of wild imagination?


    Upon seeing his mother¡¯s unpleasant expression, Zhou Laoda became even more anxious, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s all because your son is unfilial.


    You fell ill, and your son didn¡¯t take good care of you.


    Your son is unfilial.¡±


    Zhulan waved her hand, feeling weary, ¡°It¡¯s not related to you, just focus on driving your carriage.¡±


    At that moment, Zhulan looked at Zhou Shuren with a sigh, ¡°Private savings?¡±


    Zhou Shuren stiffened.


    He indeed had private savings and had always forgotten to mention them, primarily because they weren¡¯t many coins, so he didn¡¯t take it seriously.


    But now, he felt that the problem was serious, ¡°Let me explain.¡±


    Zhou Laoda shrunk like a quail, ¡°¡­..¡±


    He had let down his father again.


    He was unfilial!


    Zhulan didn¡¯t want to talk about it outside and leaned against the bathing tub, closing her eyes to signal they would talk about it after going home.


    Zhou Shuren glared at Zhou Laoda, who had been sneaking peeks, ¡°A bunch of pig teammates, both of them!¡±


    The return journey was slower with a cart full of goods.


    It was noon by the time they reached home, and there was a crowd of men, women, and children at the normally quiet village entrance.


    Zhulan pressed her forehead, overwhelmed.


    With a cart full of items, she didn¡¯t know how the rumors about her had started.


    Now it was too late to take a detour.


    Especially upon seeing Madam Zheng, Zhulan knew Madam Zheng hated her.


    Because of her, Madam Zheng had become the common enemy of the village¡¯s mothers-in-law.


    Despite gaining favor from the younger daughters-in-law, Madam Zheng wouldn¡¯t be pleased.


    The better the daughters-in-law¡¯s lives in the village, the harder Madam Zheng¡¯s life became.


    To her, Zhulan was enemy number one.


    As expected, Madam Zheng started shouting from a distance, ¡°Sister-in-law, did you go to the county to prepare for your daughter¡¯s dowry?


    But isn¡¯t that a mistake?


    With a boy raised by his maternal grandparents and the son-in-law coming through the door, saving on your daughter¡¯s dowry should be the way.¡±


    Unfortunately for her, Zhulan wasn¡¯t angry at all, she didn¡¯t flare up but remained smiling, ¡°What I¡¯m buying is for household use.


    Sister-in-law, are your eyes failing you?


    Oh my, you haven¡¯t been making shoes, have you?


    Sister-in-law, you truly are a good mother-in-law.


    Now you won¡¯t even let your daughter-in-law lift a finger to make shoes.


    I¡¯m ashamed in comparison, I wouldn¡¯t want to keep sister-in-law from spoiling her daughter-in-law, I must hurry home to eat the lunch prepared by my daughter-in-law.¡± sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Madam Zheng watched the ox cart leave, stunned¡ªit wasn¡¯t going the way she had expected.


    The Zhou family¡¯s youngest daughter was raised like a landlord¡¯s daughter; judging by her own standards, she always thought that Madame Yang wanted to use her daughter to climb the social ladder.


    Zhu¡¯s family from Zhang Tie¡¯s side said he was a boy raised by his maternal grandparents, which others found hard to believe.


    It wouldn¡¯t be possible for any of the Zhou family¡¯s four sons to be married into the wife¡¯s family.


    Madam Zheng¡¯s intention was just to disgust Madame Yang, then relying on Madame Yang¡¯s direct nature, she wanted to fabricate some truth about the boy raised by his maternal grandparents to infuriate Madame Yang with a mix of truth and falsity.


    But Madame Yang didn¡¯t get angry.


    Instead, Madam Zheng was the one who ended up frustrated, and after being discredited by Madame Yang again, she saw black spots dancing before her eyes and quickly returned home in disgrace.


    Zhulan truly didn¡¯t take it to heart.


    Even if the rumors turned out to be true, she and Zhou Shuren were willing to accept them, especially after observing each other, they took the jest seriously and unanimously agreed that childhood sweethearts were far more reliable than the male protagonists!


    Alright, the two of them had a thing for cleanliness, especially since they knew about Wang Ru¡¯s counterattack¡ªshe took over Xue Han¡¯s position as the official match, leaving the male lead ousted from the role of the son-in-law!


    Both of them were aware of the situation.


    They were not in a hurry about formalities; they had their own plans and wouldn¡¯t damage their daughter¡¯s reputation.


    After reaching home and having lunch, they distributed the goods in the cart.


    Luckily, most were for household use, and the two daughters-in-law didn¡¯t have time to feel sorry; instead, they were happy about the allocated cotton and rough cloth.


    Zhou Laoda lifted his head to observe the sky, deeply feeling the weight of the eldest¡¯s responsibilities, while also harboring a guilty pleasure known only to himself within the family.


    How melancholic he felt, ¡°The sweet burden!¡±


    Zhulan nearly choked on the water she had in her mouth, coughing it out as she stared at her eldest son in disbelief, ¡°What did you just say?


    Mother didn¡¯t hear clearly!¡±


    Zhou Laoda¡¯s face turned red, and he stuttered, ¡°The burden that¡¯s sweet as honey.¡±


    Why was his mother by his side?


    Zhulan covered her mouth to stifle her laughter.


    Her eldest son had a knack for humor; it was killing her.


    Seeing the imminent laughter in his mother¡¯s eyes, Zhou Laoda fled as if his butt were on fire, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m going to chop some firewood!¡±


    Zhulan couldn¡¯t hold back and laughed out loud, which even drew Zhou Shuren out, ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    Zhulan finally composed herself after a while but didn¡¯t share the joke.


    She felt it was necessary to save some face for her misstep of an eldest son.


    After all, face was very important for the eldest son, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.


    However, husband, we still haven¡¯t resolved the issue about your private savings!¡±


    Zhou Shuren, ¡°¡­.Let¡¯s talk inside.¡±

 Chapter 64 - 64 64 Dividing the Family_1

    ?64: Chapter 64: Dividing the Family_1 64: Chapter 64: Dividing the Family_1 Back in the bedroom, Zhulan saw the silver coins on the kang table and counted them with her fingers, ¡°There are actually three hundred wen.¡±


    Zhou Shuren touched his nose, despite it not being his doing, he felt somewhat guilty, ¡°The original owner had saved up this private stash over half a lifetime.


    I thought it wasn¡¯t much so I didn¡¯t mention it, it really wasn¡¯t intentional.¡±


    Zhulan said with a meaningful tone, ¡°Do all married men like to hide private money?¡±


    ¡°I definitely won¡¯t.¡±


    Zhou Shuren felt his survival instincts were particularly strong; he noticed his reaction was swift and his attitude firm and resolute.


    Zhulan had a fleeting moment of deep thought, in this lifetime, she was the only wife Zhou Shuren could have.


    Was Zhou Shuren making this promise to her?


    Zhulan quickly grabbed the silver coins, ¡°Ah, the second brother¡¯s family is waiting for me to make cotton-padded clothes.


    You read your book; I¡¯m going over there first.¡±


    Zhou Shuren, in a good mood, picked up a book, the corners of his mouth involuntarily curled upwards.


    It¡¯s good to have a reaction; he feared for those so thick-skinned that even a needle wouldn¡¯t penetrate!


    Once Zhulan walked out of the courtyard, she calmed down.


    Zhou Shuren must have made that quick promise because he was worried about their trust in each other.


    With this thought, she scolded herself.


    In the afternoon, Zhulan went to make cotton-padded clothes and quilts with her daughter and Lady Zhao.


    Fortunately, Lady Zhao was focused on her work, which allowed Zhulan to settle down and stay; otherwise, she would have run off early.


    As it got darker inside, Zhulan¡¯s neck started to feel stiff.


    She moved it around, planning to continue making clothes the next day.


    In ancient times, Zhulan still couldn¡¯t adapt to the indoor lighting.


    Without glass and with small windows for warmth, plus thick window paper, one could imagine the dimness inside.


    They had to light oil lamps before it got dark outside, but the brightness of the oil lamps was not high, which made reading and sewing particularly tiring for the eyes.


    Zhulan folded the cotton-padded jacket and paused before realizing, ¡°Where did Lady Li go?¡±


    She¡¯s at home.


    These past few days, to keep her position as the eldest daughter-in-law, Lady Li surely would¡¯ve been circling around her.


    She knew she felt like something was off!


    Xue Han raised her head, ¡°Mother, when I arrived, I saw sister-in-law going out.¡±


    She left the rest unsaid, knowing her mother could guess.


    Zhulan just remembered what she had forgotten, ¡°Right, why did all the women gather at the village entrance today?¡±


    Oh right, Zhou Family Village¡¯s gossip hub was indeed the village entrance.


    She still didn¡¯t understand why they insisted on gathering at the entrance, where there was nothing to shelter them from wind or sunlight.


    Xue Han, pretending to be injured and not able to go outside, shook her head in ignorance.


    Lady Zhao put away her needlework, ¡°Wang Laosi and his daughter came back with big and small packages.


    The village is abuzz with how much money Wang Laosi made.¡±


    Zhulan, who had enjoyed shopping, had indeed forgotten about the father and daughter.


    As for how much they made, she wasn¡¯t concerned since it had nothing to do with the Zhou family.


    It was time to make dinner, and Lady Li came back, still not finished with her excitement, and upon seeing Zhulan brewing medicine, she first felt guilty and then excited, ¡°Mother, the Wang family is causing a ruckus over dividing their household!¡±


    Zhulan wasn¡¯t relying on novels anymore; her life had changed completely.


    She accepted the plot twist of the early family division with equanimity, ¡°Did they divide?¡±


    Lady Li glanced at the staple food and dishes that her mother had taken out, knowing what to do for dinner.


    A piece of pork belly was divided into three parts: one with chili, another with potatoes, and the last one, with the most fat, was to be fried.


    The staple foods were pancake and millet porridge.


    While starting to wash the vegetables, Lady Li gossiped, ¡°They haven¡¯t divided yet, but it will happen soon.


    Wang Zhang¡¯s wife has used all her tactics: crying, making scenes, and even threatening to hang herself, but Wang Laosi is determined to divide the household.¡±


    Zhulan ignored the particular regret in Lady Li¡¯s voice, ¡°What did Wang Laosi buy?¡±


    Lady Li said, ¡°He bought twenty catties of rice and fine flour, and bought quite a bit of meat, reportedly about five catties, as well as a lot of cotton and fabric.¡±


    Zhulan calculated in her mind: Two jars of pickled cabbage amounted to just thirty catties.


    The pickled cabbage could at most sell for four wen per cattie, and the restaurant wouldn¡¯t pay more than the price of meat.


    What Wang Laosi¡¯s family bought far exceeded the income from the pickled cabbage.


    The recipe must have been sold.


    Once Wang Zhang¡¯s wife got to work, it wouldn¡¯t take long before the recipe became widely known.


    The price of pickled cabbage would decrease, and restaurants with the recipe wouldn¡¯t buy from outside anymore. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Li family had made quite a bit and needed to sell it quickly or they would definitely lose money.


    Wang Ru had made a quick deal, but had cheated both the Li family and Wang Zhang¡¯s wife.


    Zhulan wanted to break down the analysis for Lady Li, but then swallowed her words back.


    She¡¯d leave that to the eldest to discuss when he went back to his father-in-law¡¯s home.


    After dinner, Zhulan informed Zhou Shuren about the recipe.


    Zhou Shuren called the eldest, and also summoned the second, suggesting they all go to the Li family together.

 Chapter 65 - 65 65 Dark History_1

    ?65: Chapter 65 Dark History_1 65: Chapter 65 Dark History_1 Zhou Laoda came back a bit late, and Zhulan had some experience estimating the time; her eldest son would return around seven in the evening, taking about two hours for the trip.


    There was a knock on the door, and Zhou Laoda stood at the entrance, ¡°Dad, I have something to discuss.¡± S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhou Shuren put on his shoes and stepped down to the ground; father and son spoke outside for a while, and then Zhou Laoda went back to rest.


    Zhulan asked, ¡°What did the Li family say?¡±


    She knew that Zhou Shuren had given some advice; if the eldest son came back to knock on the door, he probably had something to discuss.


    Zhou Shuren was somewhat dissatisfied with his eldest son¡¯s inability to keep things to himself, and mentally noted another point against him, planning to toughen him up after coming back from the south, ¡°Lady Li¡¯s father learned I¡¯m heading to the south, and he wants to join me on the journey.¡±


    Zhulan greatly admired Lady Li, who was a capable mother-in-law, managing a nest of not-so-smart family members well, all thanks to her.


    Recalling how Lady Li always complained and how depressed she would become after scolding her relatives, then going to scold the late Li patriarch at his grave, Zhulan was speechless.


    The Li family¡¯s genes were really formidable; the daughters-in-law of the Li family were quite clever.


    Zhou Shuren heard laughter, ¡°What are you laughing at?¡±


    Instead of explaining, Zhulan said, ¡°Lady Li is truly astute.


    She thought to sell the pickled cabbage recipe to the south for maximum profit after you suggested selling it to the Armed Escort Agency!¡±


    Zhou Shuren had a good impression of Lady Li, ¡°It¡¯s not easy for the elderly lady, well into her sixties.


    She¡¯s also worried about how long she has left and wants to take this opportunity to toughen up her son-in-law.¡±


    Zhulan stopped laughing, feeling a poignant sadness, ¡°Lady Li really worries so much, burdened with too many concerns, practically afraid to die.


    At the end of the day, he¡¯s your relative, so please look out for him.¡±


    Zhou Shuren smiled, ¡°I¡¯ve got it in mind.¡±


    Zhulan had grown accustomed to early nights since arriving in ancient times, and would become sleepy when the time came, ¡°It¡¯s getting late; let¡¯s sleep now!¡±


    Zhou Shuren replied and blew out the oil lamp.


    The next day, after lunch, Zhou Shuren took Zhou Laoda to Zhulan¡¯s maternal home; the Li family¡¯s sale of pickled cabbage to the Armed Escort Agency required the Yang family¡¯s assistance.


    Zhulan had no intention of telling Lady Li, who couldn¡¯t keep a secret to save her life.


    Not only would she keep it from her, but she also had to stop Lady Li from visiting her maternal home.


    Wang Ru¡¯s scheming against Lady Li¡¯s family was also a way to vent on Lady Li by trying to extract the pickling recipe, and perhaps out of jealousy for Lady Li¡¯s talent.


    Whatever the case, since Lady Li was a member of the Zhou family, Zhulan was protective.


    She waited to see Wang Ru¡¯s calculations fall flat, anticipating the expression on her face to be priceless.


    At lunchtime, Lady Li, having had her fill of excitement, returned home contentedly, ¡°Mother, the Wang family has split.¡±


    Zhulan was quite curious about the circumstances, ¡°How did Wang Zhangshi divide the family?¡±


    After witnessing Wang Zhangshi¡¯s ruthlessness, Lady Li was even more convinced not to offend her mother-in-law, expressing some sympathy, ¡°Wang Lao Si¡¯s family left with nothing but themselves; they weren¡¯t allowed to take a single item with them, and even the things they bought yesterday were confiscated by Wang Zhangshi.¡±


    With a shudder, she patted her chest, thankful not to be burdened with such a mother-in-law; to land a mother-in-law like her own must mean she¡¯d been fortunate in her past life ¨C she instantly felt like a great philanthropist and dreamed that being kind for five lifetimes should be attainable if not ten.


    Zhulan hissed in disbelief, ¡°Harsher than what¡¯s written in novels,¡± disregarding Lady Li¡¯s sudden self-satisfaction, and asked urgently, ¡°With Wang Lao Si¡¯s family driven out, where are they living now?¡±


    Lady Li knew, ¡°They rented the mud house behind our place.¡±


    Zhulan¡¯s expectations were dashed; she had truly hoped Wang Ru would show some ambition and move with Wang Lao Si¡¯s family to live in the county town, away from them.


    But instead, they were now even closer.


    She waved her hand dismissively, ¡°Go cook.¡±


    Having shared the gossip, Lady Li felt cheerful, ¡°Alright, mother.¡±


    For lunch, with Zhou Shuren and the eldest son not at home and no need to separate tables for eating, they were about to start the meal when Sunshi and Wang Lao Si arrived, looking for Zhou Lao Er.


    Zhulan glared at her second son.


    It was this fellow who gave Wang Lao Si false impressions, and now look, they had come knocking on their door.


    Zhou Lao Er was regretting it terribly too.


    Having never failed at tricking others, he had unwittingly tricked himself on Wang Lao Si¡¯s account, creating a blunder, ¡°Wang Lao Si has separated from his family, why has he come here?¡±


    Wang Lao Si, after years of suppression, had become especially sensitive upon gaining insight.


    He knew he had offended the Zhou family several times, realizing that even Zhou Lao Er, another honest fellow, had taken issue with him.


    But considering that Zhou Lao Er was as inconspicuous at home as he was, Wang Lao Si overlooked it, ¡°We¡¯re buddies, friends.


    I didn¡¯t see you when I split from the family, so I made a special trip to tell you.¡±


    Zhou Lao Er, ¡°¡­..¡±


    Who¡¯s your friend?


    Don¡¯t scare him!


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­..¡±


    She hadn¡¯t misunderstood; Wang Lao Si held a grudge against her.


    Even if subtle, the dissatisfaction in his eyes was aimed at her!

 Chapter 66 - 66 66 Showing off Wealth_1

    ?66: Chapter 66 Showing off Wealth_1 66: Chapter 66 Showing off Wealth_1 Zhoulao Er regretted it, especially regretting dealing with Wang Lao Si.


    Wang Lao Si was the kind of person you shouldn¡¯t get involved with, his tone becoming colder, ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    Wang Lao Si frowned, somewhat puzzled as to why Zhoulao Er didn¡¯t feel envious.


    They were the same sort of existence after all.


    He emphasized again, ¡°I¡¯ve split from the family and now live comfortably on my own.


    My daughter isn¡¯t mistreated anymore, and I even have silver coins.¡±


    So, you should be envious and then actively seek to split the family too!


    Zhoulao Er, ¡°¡­.¡±


    He was frightened, realizing it was this type of Wang Lao Si who was trying to sow discord.


    Wasn¡¯t this framing him!


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­..¡±


    She scoffed.


    Wang Lao Si hadn¡¯t changed¡ªhis true nature had always been like this.


    His tone was so proud it was hard to ignore, and she also understood why he was dissatisfied with her.


    He had lumped her together with Wang Zhang¡¯s wife, infuriating her¡ªshe was supposed to be the model mother-in-law!


    Zhulan¡¯s face turned cold.


    To think he had the nerve to show up at her doorstep to stir up trouble, ¡°Lao Si, instead of wasting time trying to incite Chang Yi to envy your independence, you should go back and enjoy your own life.


    And don¡¯t let having a little money make you forget your own name.


    Also, don¡¯t flatter yourself into thinking you¡¯re Chang Yi¡¯s friend.


    He just pitied you, but instead, your response was ungratefulness.


    Having a ¡®friend¡¯ like you would be an absolute curse.¡±


    Wang Lao Si¡¯s face turned white with anger.


    He was now the head of a household, and to have his face slapped on his own visit made his blood boil, ¡°I¡¯m just like you, Zhoulao Er¡ªneglected by father and uncared for by mother.


    I know you¡¯re angry, worried about losing free labor, but you framing me¡­


    my brothers understand in their hearts.¡±


    Zhoulao Er wanted to swear.


    How dare Wang Lao Si challenge his mother!


    He snapped, ¡°Who the hell is like you?


    My parents cherish me, both my daughter and son are equally valued, and I have my own secret stash.


    What the hell do you understand about me?


    I should never have felt sorry for you in the first place, it just brought calamity upon us.


    You look simple and honest, but I never suspected you were so black-hearted.¡±


    Just as Zhulan was about to speak, the sound of coins drew her attention.


    Zhao¡¯s purse had fallen onto the table.


    She yanked it open and out spilled the silver coins.


    Zhulan¡¯s eyes fixed on the silver angles, roughly estimating over three taels, plus a string of copper coins¡ªno wonder Zhao¡¯s purse had always been bulging.


    She had always thought it was filled with food because Zhao was a constantly hungry pregnant woman, but it turned out to be full of money!


    Zhao became incensed.


    Wang Lao Si had jeopardized both her and her husband, glaring at Sun¡¯s wife, ¡°We have money.


    Not only does mother allow us to keep our own private savings, but she also gives me five coins every month for spending, unlike the Daughter-in-law who only receives spare change!¡±


    Zhao felt it wasn¡¯t provocative enough and quickly untied her daughter¡¯s purse, shaking out malt sugar candy and a few copper coins, ¡°My daughter is different from yours.


    She dresses and eats well, enjoys an egg custard every morning.


    My daughter is a treasure¡ªno, all the girls in the Zhou family are treasures.¡±


    She remembered the words mother had said and felt like crying again.


    Mother was too good to her!


    Zhulan was stunned by Zhao¡¯s display, shocked by her ostentatious tone.


    This time, Zhao¡¯s crying didn¡¯t make Zhulan¡¯s scalp tingle.


    Rather, she patted Zhao¡¯s back, ¡°Don¡¯t let anger harm you.


    Mother won¡¯t fall for a wicked person¡¯s provocations.


    Both of you are good, and mother knows that in her heart.¡±


    Zhao was a bit stupefied with her head being patted by mother, ¡°Head of the family, mother patted my head.¡±


    She was elated!


    Zhoulao Er wanted to cover his face¡ªa foolish wife indeed.


    You¡¯ve completely exposed our financial secrets, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Wang Lao Si¡¯s face turned red with embarrassment, realizing then that he was not like Zhoulao Er.


    On close inspection, what he had overlooked became clear: Zhoulao Er¡¯s clothes had no patches, his complexion was rosy, showing no sign of hardship.


    The clothes of Zhoulao Er¡¯s daughter also had no patches, and the maid was cared for as if she was a child serving before a Bodhisattva.


    Pointing at Zhoulao Er, he yelled, ¡°You¡¯ve played me, I misjudged you!¡±


    With that, he dragged Sun¡¯s wife out in a rush. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhulan¡¯s face darkened, hating those who evade responsibility.


    It was clearly their own issue, yet they would never admit their fault, ¡°The Zhou family does not welcome you and your wife.¡±


    Lady Li saw Wang Lao Si run off, then eyed Zhao and Zhoulao Er, ¡°Mother, there¡¯s something off with Zhoulao Er¡¯s family finances!¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­..¡±


    She had noticed it long ago but chose not to ask.


    Zhao panicked, having revealed too much in her attempt to prove a point.


    She hurriedly sought rescue from the Head of Family!

 Chapter 67 - 67 67 Children and Grandchildren Can Be Thrown Away - Part 1

    ?67: Chapter 67: Children and Grandchildren Can Be Thrown Away ¨C Part 1 67: Chapter 67: Children and Grandchildren Can Be Thrown Away ¨C Part 1 Zhou Laodi met his mother¡¯s seemingly amused eyes and dared not hide the truth.


    Lady Zhou had just lost her temper, and in an effort to appease her, he said, ¡°Mother, all this was slowly saved up by Qiu Niang from embroidering pouches and handkerchiefs.


    This is all we have managed to save.¡±


    The couple knew they were not favored, and fearing future discrimination when the family divided, they started to save money as soon as they were married.


    Zhulan had some recollection; Mrs.


    Zhao hardly ever left the house, and Zhou Laodi would make trips to the county town from time to time.


    Observing the silver pieces on the table, the family did have its oddities.


    Mrs.


    Zhao wore all the money on her person, and Laodi knew and agreed with it!


    Zhulan signaled to Mrs.


    Zhao, ¡°Keep the Silver Coin safe and let¡¯s eat.¡±


    Mrs.


    Zhao stared unblinkingly at her mother-in-law¡¯s face, and seeing that she was not angry, her tears fell again, ¡°Mother, you are truly kind.¡±


    They should never have been so wary of their mother-in-law day after day!


    Zhulan no longer intended to pay attention to Mrs.


    Zhao; she feared Mrs.


    Zhao would flood the Zhou household!


    Lady Li stared intently at Laodi¡¯s Silver Coin, finding even the fried eggs tasteless.


    The main household was not as wealthy as Laodi¡¯s, which filled her with frustration and sadness.


    She glanced at her mother-in-law, who had recently shown favor towards Laodi¡¯s household.


    Surely, she must think that Laodi¡¯s household was more capable.


    Shifting uncomfortably, she sensed her position as the eldest daughter-in-law was at risk and shot Mrs.


    Zhao a glare, thinking this woman was a hidden troublemaker.


    No, she must strive to do better!


    At Wang Laosi¡¯s residence, Wang Laosi gulped down two mouthfuls of water in frustration.


    He felt emboldened with Silver Coin in hand, but remembering the condescension he faced working for the Zhou family, treated like charity, he seethed with anger and decided to keep his distance from the Zhou family in the future.


    Wang Ru stood in the courtyard without entering, having incited her father with the hope that the Zhou family would erupt in a major scandal.


    Unexpectedly, her father was rebuffed, useless!


    When Wang Laosi saw his daughter, his expression didn¡¯t improve, ¡°What are you doing standing around in the yard?


    Go get to work.¡±


    With a sullen face, Wang Ru recalled the last trip to the county town to sell cloth squares for thirty Silver Coins.


    She had wanted to keep some for herself but couldn¡¯t manage it; she didn¡¯t reap any benefits as her father took it all.


    When she asked for her share, she got slapped instead.


    She had long realized that her stepmother and stepfather were unreliable.


    Fortunately, she still had ten Silver Coins she had never touched.


    Turning around, she snorted derisively, thinking to herself that they could keep dreaming if they expected her to come up with ideas to help.


    Zhulan was unaware of the legal troubles in Wang Laosi¡¯s family, but after dinner, she also thought about Wang Laosi.


    The depiction of him in the novel as a man who cherished his daughter and wife had completely collapsed.


    Upon reflection, she realized that in the story, nobody provoked Wang Laosi, and Wang Ru conducted her business in secret until it came out that she had lost a child.


    Wang Laosi then wanted his capable daughter to marry in, which would appear to be a good fatherly image.


    Now everything had changed completely.


    The scare of a near miscarriage had heightened the value of the unborn child in Mrs.


    Sun¡¯s womb, denying Wang Ru the chance to grow and develop.


    The problems within Wang Laosi¡¯s family had compounded, and Zhulan genuinely hoped for their internal strife so they would avoid bringing disaster upon her family!


    As the afternoon darkened into evening, Zhou Shuren and the eldest son returned home.


    From a distance, Zhulan could smell the alcohol, ¡°Have you been drinking?¡±


    Zhou Shuren grinned, proud of his inherent tolerance for alcohol, which had never been put to much use.


    Today, he had indulged a bit more and was quite pleased, ¡°Yes, I had a few, haven¡¯t had dinner yet?¡± Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhulan carefully studied Zhou Shuren¡¯s eyes.


    He wasn¡¯t drunk, which was good, as she detested drunkards causing trouble, ¡°Not yet, the porridge isn¡¯t ready!¡±


    Zhou Shuren proudly held up what he brought, seeking praise, ¡°The roast chicken and pig¡¯s head meat from Wang¡¯s Restaurant are famous for being especially delicious.


    I¡¯ve brought some back especially for you.¡±


    Zhulan¡¯s eyes instantly lit up.


    In ancient times, all food was additive-free, safe, and organically pure¡ªhome cooking was already excellent, but she had always wanted to try the restaurant¡¯s offerings, which she had reluctantly foregone.


    Now, she felt truly appreciative of her partner, ¡°You¡¯re thoughtful.¡±


    The eldest grandchild, Mingyun, lured by the scent of roast chicken, came over, his mouth watering, ¡°Did Grandfather buy it for us?¡±


    Zhou Shuren bluntly replied, ¡°It¡¯s for your grandma.¡±


    So don¡¯t get your hopes up.


    This was his gesture to curry favor.


    Mingyun¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    Weren¡¯t they all just old sons and grandsons?


    He felt deceived!


    Zhou Laoda instantly felt appeased, thinking to himself, silly boy, your grandfather only has eyes for your grandmother.


    Everything else can be forsaken!

 Chapter 68 - 68 68 Dad Left and Mom Passed Away - Part 1

    ?68: Chapter 68 Dad Left and Mom Passed Away ¨C Part 1 68: Chapter 68 Dad Left and Mom Passed Away ¨C Part 1 Time passed quickly, and a week blinked by.


    After paying the tax on the family¡¯s grain, half of what was left was sold.


    In ancient times, the yield of grain was too low.


    Even someone like Zhulan, who did not know about farming, was aware of the modern grain yields. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In ancient times, with favorable winds and rain, a mu of rice paddy, carefully tended and fertile like Zhulan¡¯s family land, could only yield 320 jin, and the maize yield, though slightly higher, was less than 550 jin.


    Zhulan¡¯s family sold half of their grain, earning just over seven taels, and after deducting expenses such as seeds, they made just over six taels for the year.


    This was not nearly enough to cover a year¡¯s expenses.


    The family had a scholar, and just the annual cost of his stipend was one tael and four silver coins, not to mention the costs of paper and ink.


    The two sons were like money pits, and this was just for their education, before even participating in the imperial examinations.


    In ancient times, the chance of poor scholars achieving greatness was as scarce as rare species, with silver coins as a crushing burden.


    After selling the grain, Zhou Shuren set off for the south.


    Zhulan knew all too well how essential silver was for travel.


    She didn¡¯t just give Zhou Shuren fifty taels of silver, but she also dug out the jewelry that the original body had never touched.


    There was no shortage of jewelry, and the original body had a good father who taught her not to take jewelry with identifying significance.


    Thus, she only chose a jade bracelet, pearl jewelry, and did not dare to touch the jade pendant.


    Zhulan counted what she unearthed: there were six pairs of jade bracelets, two pearl necklaces, and more than a dozen pearl-embedded vermillion hairpins, along with various other small pieces of jewelry.


    Pearls were expensive in ancient times, and those owned by wealthy families were of the finest quality, large and round.


    The jewelry hidden by the original body was worth a considerable amount of silver.


    Zhulan gave Zhou Shuren a pair of jade bracelets of decent quality and took a pearl necklace with her.


    Whether or not they made any profit, they would pawn the items upon return.


    There wasn¡¯t much silver left at home anymore, leaving them feeling uneasy without money in hand!


    On the first day after Zhou Shuren left, Zhulan was absent-minded, unable to find her energy for anything.


    The two were always together, and without him, Zhulan felt restless.


    The second day, she began to worry irrationally and had a nightmare at night.


    She dreamed that Zhou Shuren had died, leaving her alone in ancient times, filled with regret for not having accompanied him.


    The Zhou family¡¯s sons were worried.


    With their mother gone, their father¡¯s temper had softened considerably, and the sons were terribly afraid, lest their father return to find their mother gone.


    On the third day, Zhulan felt she needed to find something to do.


    After breakfast, she delegated tasks, ¡°Eldest, the walls of our courtyard are too low.


    You and the second brother find some people and rebuild the wall to at least seven feet high.¡±


    In the fictional dynasty, a foot was similar to that of the Tang Dynasty, approximately thirty-one centimeters, so seven feet was over two meters.


    Zhou Eldest exhaled, relieved that his mother had something to do; he hadn¡¯t slept well these past few days.


    ¡°Alright, Mother.¡±


    Zhulan looked at Rongchuan, who had little presence but was eager to play, her eldest grandson.


    Although her classical Chinese wasn¡¯t great, mathematics was her strong suit.


    There were mathematical problems in the imperial examinations, and life couldn¡¯t do without calculations.


    ¡°From today on, the whole family will learn arithmetic.¡±


    Lady Li was shocked, suddenly reminded of her husband teaching them to read, her whole body shaking, ¡°Mother, I will be a grandmother in a few more years, I don¡¯t need to learn.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­..¡±


    Damn the ancient times, by that reasoning wouldn¡¯t she be a great-grandmother at forty-six in ten years¡¯ time?


    Zhao¡¯s eyes sparkled, seizing the chance to get closer to her mother-in-law.


    She would be delighted if her sister-in-law didn¡¯t learn.


    ¡°Mother, I will definitely learn well.¡±


    Lady Li glared, knowing the second daughter-in-law was plotting something but steeled her heart.


    ¡°Mother, I will learn, too.¡±


    Zhulan turned to the several children, ¡°And you?¡±


    Rongchuan longed to learn.


    He had a chance at an education, and even when ill, he was making an effort.


    He knew he had started late.


    ¡°Auntie, I will learn.¡±


    Indeed, Zhang Rongchuan was now calling her ¡°Auntie.¡±


    In the village before, where there were no kinship ties or clan rankings, titles were based on confusion of age and seniority.


    But within the clan, it was different; one¡¯s position could be directly discerned from the name, and titles were never muddled.


    Rongchuan had moved in; his age was about the same as Zhulan¡¯s eldest son.


    Since the couple had other ideas, they corrected his title.


    Of course, the couple also couldn¡¯t stand a ten-year-old child calling them grandfather and grandmother.


    In modern times, many marry late, in their thirties, and to save their hearts from being pricked, Zhou Shuren decided to take the Scholar exam the next year.


    If he passed, it would grant them titles: Scholar Zhou, the Scholar¡¯s wife, and they would no longer face stinging hearts.

 Chapter 69 - 69 69 Harming Others Ends Up Harming Oneself_1

    ?69: Chapter 69 Harming Others Ends Up Harming Oneself_1 69: Chapter 69 Harming Others Ends Up Harming Oneself_1 Zhou family¡¯s small classroom session had started, and Zhulan quickly assessed that Rongchuan had no foundation, while Lady Li and Zhao Shi were almost on par, able to mentally calculate simple sums within fifty but needing to use Copper Coins for assistance with anything over a hundred.


    Their daughter and eldest grandson had the best foundation, also because Zhou Shuren had taught them for a few days, and numbers within a hundred were no problem for them.


    Once the courtyard wall was built, the rankings changed.


    Rongchuan was truly clever, no wonder Zhou Shuren valued teaching him by hand¡ªthis child caught on with just a hint and could even draw inferences from one instance, simple addition, and subtraction no longer satisfied him, and he was already able to solve math problems Zhulan had constructed based on ancient texts.


    The second place was unexpected, Zhulan hadn¡¯t thought it would be Lady Li, who was slow at learning characters but conversely quick with math, whereas Zhao Shi was good at reading but a mess at arithmetic.


    Lady Li was floating on air, boasting, ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll stop for two days to wait for my younger siblings to catch up, and then continue with my studies, okay?¡±


    It¡¯s been four days, and she wanted to go out for a walk, the days without gossip were painful!


    Zhulan kept a straight face; she had gotten used to Lady Li annoying Zhao Shi over the past few days and had made Zhao Shi cry several times.


    Exhausted, she waved her hand dismissively, ¡°Go on then, give me some peace for a couple of days.


    Don¡¯t forget to come back to cook at meal times.¡±


    Zhulan provided some suggestions based on modern dishes she had eaten, and Lady Li¡¯s culinary skills improved dramatically; the family¡¯s meals were incomplete without Lady Li.


    Lady Li grinned, ¡°Mother, I couldn¡¯t forget if I wanted to.¡±


    Lady Li ran off happily, fearing her mother-in-law might change her mind!


    Zhao Shi took a couple of deep breaths, unable to believe she was inferior to her sister-in-law, her eyes shimmering with tears, she couldn¡¯t help but start crying with her shoulders shaking, ¡°Mother, am I particularly stupid?


    I can¡¯t even surpass my sister-in-law.¡±


    How could she be worse than a fool, doubt about her life struck her.


    How could she be dumber than a fool?


    She couldn¡¯t accept this reality!


    Zhulan inwardly cursed Lady Li, feeling pained herself; why had placating others become her job?


    She was also a bit irritated with Zhao Shi, awkwardly stating, ¡°Everyone has their own strengths; think the other way around¡ªshe can¡¯t read as well as you.¡±


    Zhao Shi still couldn¡¯t accept it; she shouldn¡¯t be this bad at math, and the thought of her daughter and son inheriting her skills made her lament, ¡°Mother, I¡¯ve let the Zhou family down.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.¡±


    She truly couldn¡¯t keep up with Zhao Shi¡¯s line of thinking; what did this have to do with the Zhou family?


    ¡°Ah!¡± A scream startled Zhulan, and even Zhao Shi forgot to cry!


    Zhulan listened carefully to the noises from the back courtyard, no longer wishing to hear Zhao Shi¡¯s crying, and hustled out to check. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Reaching the courtyard, she faced the tall walls which blocked any live viewing, leaving her with only sounds to interpret.


    The voice of Wang Zhang Shi was unmistakable, she was furiously cursing Wang Lao Si, ¡°Black-hearted wretch, may you be sliced by a thousand knives¡­.¡±


    Zhulan twitched the corner of her mouth; Wang Zhang Shi had managed to curse for a full minute without repeating herself, and Zhulan understood the reason.


    Wang Ru had sold more than one recipe; there were several stores in the county selling spicy cabbage, each with their own ways to keep costs low.


    The Wang family was different¡ªthey had bought cabbage at high prices, and with other costs, their prices were higher than those in the stores, leading to a substantial loss for Wang Zhang Shi.


    In the Wang family, apart from Wang Lao Si, there were four more sons and a married grandson, enough manpower that they, out of greed, made an entire yard full of spicy cabbage, thinking they¡¯d make a fortune.


    But instead, they suffered losses.


    Wang Zhang Shi had never taken such a hit from her own family before and was thoroughly enraged!


    Zhulan listened intently, hearing the cries of Sun Shi, the shouts of Wang Ru, the yells of pain from Wang Lao Si, along with the sounds of smashing and chaos.


    In the end, Wang Ru had been too ruthless, knowing full well what kind of person Wang Zhang Shi was, leaving no room for leeway, and now had pushed Wang Zhang Shi into a corner.


    Even without seeking out gossip, Zhulan had heard a fair amount of news.


    She estimated that Wang Zhang Shi¡¯s investment was almost ten Silver Coins, which was nearly all the money she had after marrying off granddaughters-in-law.


    Zhulan wanted to listen more, but there were too many people watching the commotion, making it hard to hear clearly.


    She had learned all she needed to and, with her legs feeling numb, went back to the front courtyard.


    Xue Han asked with concern, ¡°Mother, what happened in the back courtyard?¡±


    Zhulan didn¡¯t hide it and told the story of Wang Lao Si¡¯s family, adding a lesson, ¡°When facing enemies, first assess your own abilities.


    If you¡¯re capable, you eradicate the problem completely; if not, bide your time and wait for an opportunity to strike decisively.


    Never be like Wang Lao Si and his family, attempting harm towards others that backfires on themselves.¡±


    Zhou Lao Er came in and heard this, nodding continuously.


    His mother¡¯s thoughts matched his own.


    At lunchtime, Lady Li returned, and without waiting for her to speak, Zhulan directly asked, ¡°How was the situation with Wang Lao Si¡¯s family resolved?¡±


    Lady Li was surprised, ¡°How did you know about it without going out?¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­..Wang Lao Si¡¯s house is just behind our street.¡±


    Lady Li smacked her forehead, ¡°Look at me, completely forgot.¡±


    Zhulan noticed that the front street was also in disarray and became curious, ¡°How was it resolved?¡±


    Lady Li wouldn¡¯t have returned so content if it hadn¡¯t been resolved.

 Chapter 70 - 70 70 Women Are Not Easy_1

    ?70: Chapter 70 Women Are Not Easy_1 70: Chapter 70 Women Are Not Easy_1 Lady Li was so excited that she danced with joy, ¡°Old Four Wang bought all the spicy pickled cabbage and spent twenty taels of silver, Mother, Old Four Wang really has money, just like that twenty taels.


    I don¡¯t think Madam Wang will just let it go, Mother, how much money does Old Four Wang actually have in his hands?


    Where did he get all that money from?¡±


    Zhulan did not explain about the Silver Coin.


    Lady Li was unaware of the matter of selling the baby, ¡°Alright, hurry up and cook!¡±


    Thinking her mother also did not know, Lady Li happily went to prepare lunch.


    Standing and watching the commotion was quite draining, and she was already hungry.


    Zhulan was in a good mood.


    Hurting others does not benefit oneself.


    Wang Ru shot herself in the foot.


    Not only did she fail to retaliate against the Wang family, but she also exposed her wealth.


    Spending twenty taels of silver so readily would not only make the Wang family think Old Four Wang struck it rich, but the entire village would think so too.


    The household of Old Four Wang would not have peace.


    After lunch, Lady Li left again to follow the ongoing developments.


    Zhulan patted her little granddaughter Yu Lu who was lying on the k¡¯ang.


    The child was basically raised by Lady Zhao.


    She played with the child¡¯s little hands, ¡°Your mother is really carefree.¡±


    The little girl¡¯s black eyes were wide open.


    She could not yet speak without someone teaching her and just babbled on.


    Zhulan¡¯s eyes crinkled, ¡°I am your grandma, call me Grandma.¡±


    Lady Zhao, having spent more time with her mother-in-law, knew that her Mother was fond of her granddaughter.


    She couldn¡¯t help but touch her own belly.


    She had been worried that having another girl would displease her mother-in-law, but now she felt much more at ease.


    Still, she hoped for a son.


    Only with a son in the family would the daughter not be bullied by others.


    Zhulan noticed Lady Zhao¡¯s action and thought about how the pregnant woman must be filled with worries.


    She couldn¡¯t help but offer reassurance, ¡°Even if this child is a granddaughter, I would love her.


    Don¡¯t think too much.


    I may have a bad temper, but I¡¯m not heartless.


    Ease your mind.¡±


    Lady Zhao was always overthinking.


    It¡¯s not good for a person to think too much.


    It makes life too tiring.


    She truly doesn¡¯t have the blessings of Lady Li.


    Lady Zhao smiled radiantly.


    Her Mother-in-law was a woman of her word.


    She was completely reassured now, but still, ¡°Mother, I hope it¡¯s a son.


    Only when we have a son at home will it not affect Yushuang¡¯s reputation.


    In homes without sons, daughters¡¯ reputations suffer, and few are willing to marry them.¡±


    Zhulan was somewhat dazzled by Lady Zhao¡¯s smile, and she only then took notice.


    Lady Zhao was truly beautiful.


    In the original host¡¯s memories, Lady Zhao was always bowing her head and wiping away tears, her eyes sorrowful and displeasing; no one likes a mournful face.


    The original host never paid attention to Lady Zhao¡¯s looks.


    Now that she was here, Lady Zhao could still cry and lacked the courage to lift her head.


    This was the first time she had seen Lady Zhao smile.


    No wonder the eldest granddaughter looked like a fairy child.


    She had often muttered to herself about a genetic mutation, but only now did she realize Lady Zhao¡¯s genes.


    The original host¡¯s looks were not bad, and Zhou Shuren was slightly better than the average person.


    Both parents were not outstanding in appearance.


    The two oldest children were not either, only slightly better than the common folk and took after the Yang family in stature.


    The third and fourth sons, on the other hand, looked more like their uncle and Zhulan, which made them quite attractive in the village.


    Their statures followed the Zhou family¡¯s lean frame.


    The two daughters, however, seemed to pick and choose the best features from Zhulan and her husband¡¯s genes, ending up on the beautiful side and barely considered beauties.


    But Zhulan could not bring herself to tell lies against her conscience.


    Even Xue Han, the prettiest member of her family, couldn¡¯t compare to Lady Zhao, a true beauty. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhou Shuren had a sharp eye indeed.


    Thinking too much made Zhulan¡¯s eyes grow deep.


    Seeing her mother-in-law staring at her, Lady Zhao dared not cry anymore and hung her head even lower, ¡°Mother, did I say something wrong?¡±


    Zhulan felt a bit of pity for Lady Zhao, holding her hand, ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s not easy being a woman.¡±


    These terrible ancient times really made it hard for women¡ªa constant fear of tarnishing their reputation without marriage, setting them up for a poor match.


    After marriage, they had to abide by the mother-in-law¡¯s rules and remember the maxim ¡®married off, follow your husband.¡¯ Living their whole lives cautiously, never truly living for themselves.


    Lady Zhao¡¯s heart pounded, feeling as though her mother-in-law had discovered something.


    She dared not stay any longer and quickly picked up Yu Lu, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m going to put the child to sleep.¡±


    Zhulan¡¯s voice was soft.


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Lady Zhao hesitated, her heart racing as she quickly left with the child!

 Chapter 71 - 71 71 Camouflage_1

    ?71: Chapter 71 Camouflage_1 71: Chapter 71 Camouflage_1 Zhulan genuinely felt sorry for Madame Zhao.


    Without a proper background to protect her outstanding beauty, it was a disaster, compounded by natural calamities forcing people to flee.


    Humanity showed its bottomless cruelty time after time, requiring one to guard not just against strangers but also against one¡¯s own relatives.


    Madame Zhao¡¯s beauty was her curse, and her fate was almost certain to be sold into some filthy place.


    She could only disguise herself.


    Crying was an excellent camouflage since no one liked a tear-stained face during times of natural and human disasters.


    Madame Zhao thus protected herself, but the disguise had been worn for so long, it had seeped into her bones.


    Zhulan reflected with narrowed eyes.


    Zhou Shuren, the second son, was the most calculating member of the family.


    His complicity wasn¡¯t limited to Madame Zhao alone; he surely had a hand in devising schemes against her.


    The saying goes that a man forgets his mother once he takes a wife, and he played the dutiful son well.


    After hearing his wife¡¯s words and realizing the gravity of the situation, Zhou Shuren hurriedly came to the main house.


    Standing at the entrance, he saw his mother¡¯s changing expressions and felt his heart pounding.


    He fell to his knees all at once, ¡°Mother, your son is at fault.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.¡±


    Zhou Shuren was indeed the smartest person at home; he knew she had discovered Madame Zhao¡¯s beauty.


    Seeing his mother¡¯s emotionless face which was unnerving, Zhou Shuren grew apprehensive.


    His mother was not the same person she used to be.


    ¡°Mother, I had no choice.


    Madame Zhao¡¯s beauty is too great, and bringing her into our family is a curse.


    If discovered, we cannot protect her, and she could bring disaster upon us.¡±


    He indirectly explained why Madame Zhao often resorted to tears.


    As Zhulan recalled Madame Zhao¡¯s visage and winced in sympathy, her thoughts turned to her oldest granddaughter.


    She resolved to push Zhou Shuren harder.


    He had to not only become an official but a high-ranking one at that, for even a small ranking official could not guarantee his children¡¯s protection.


    Zhou Shuren was inwardly nervous.


    He was the first to notice Qiu Niang¡¯s beauty and didn¡¯t want to bring calamity upon himself by considering marriage.


    He simply paid attention, unable to control his feelings.


    It¡¯s tough for a plain man to resist a beauty.


    Still, he had a conscience and didn¡¯t want to cause trouble for his family, so he refrained from acting.


    Later, it was Qiu Niang who took notice of him and directly approached him.


    Externally, he appeared to be the most honest man in the family, but inwardly, he was the most rebellious and purposeful, especially after meeting his eldest brother¡¯s wife.


    He became determined to marry a clever woman.


    It is said that beauties are all looks and no brains, but when he realized Madame Zhao¡¯s tears were a facade and encountered her intelligence, he was attracted.


    Thus, he bartered grain for a wife.


    Later, even with his mother disapproving, they agreed on the marriage.


    But Madame Zhao couldn¡¯t stay indoors forever.


    He and she knew too well that the less she appeared in public, the more people would grow curious¡ªparticularly about a wife bought with grain, speculating what made her worth such a trade.


    They had no choice but to venture out, always accompanying his mother, for she was skilled in martial arts and people would not dare to approach too closely.


    As for the subsequent abuse of his wife, leading to his mother being labeled the harsh mother-in-law, he and Madame Zhao never anticipated his mother would take the blame.


    At first, they thought the village would lose interest in a weepy, weak wife.


    Little did they know how envious the village women would be of his mother.


    Consumed by guilt, Zhou Shuren could only kneel as his mother remained silent.


    Zhulan considered that if the original soul were still alive, she would surely have been furious¡ªnot at Madame Zhao, but at the distrust shown by their son.


    Now that it was her, she felt Zhou Shuren deserved punishment and should kneel; it was for the original soul¡¯s sake, not her own.


    ¡°Keep kneeling.


    Rise when you have knelt for an hour.


    Reflect on your mistakes during that time.¡±


    Her son in the capital needed education.


    This stepson had always felt insignificant and lacked a sense of belonging to the family.


    It was not entirely Zhou Shuren¡¯s fault; the original couple had their issues as well.


    Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t too late¡ªthe stepson had been showing considerable dedication to the Zhou family recently.


    Leaning against the wall with closed eyes, Zhulan also estimated the time. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Nearly an hour had passed without the stepson getting up.


    Opening her eyes, she saw him pale, his legs unable to bear the kneeling any longer.


    She nodded internally, knowing he recognized his fault and wanted to atone through kneeling.


    A smile flickered in Zhulan¡¯s eyes.


    The martial arts she and Zhou Shuren practiced weren¡¯t in vain, ¡°Stand up.¡±


    Zhou Shuren had reflected on many things during the half-hour.


    People fear letting their thoughts spiral out of control.


    Since acknowledging his parents, he tended to consider things from their perspective.


    With a heavy heart, he bowed his head, ¡°Mother, your son has been unfilial.


    I used to blame my parents for not caring for me, never looking at my own faults.


    You and father have never mistreated Madame Zhao and me, yet I never appreciated you and distrusted you, even used you.


    I have failed you both as a son.¡±


    Zhulan¡¯s smile deepened, ¡°Get up.


    I¡¯m not angry at you.


    I, too, am at fault.


    The tumultuous years of war distracted me from paying adequate attention to you.


    I apologize to you and ask that you not blame your mother.¡±


    Zhou Shuren¡¯s eyes reddened.


    He had never suffered hunger or cold during the years of chaos, recalling how his mother hunted for food and never played favorites.


    His heart ached, ¡°Mother, I was wrong.¡±


    Zhulan stiffened.


    Her stepson was weeping in her lap.


    Even though she wasn¡¯t the original person, and it took some getting used to, feelings were infectious, and she couldn¡¯t help but stroke his hair and curve her lips into a smile.


    Not only were Zhou family¡¯s children changing, but so were she and Zhou Shuren.


    She realized she had started to feel like a real mother, no longer just playing a role.

 Chapter 72 - 72 72 The First Scene of Heavy Snow_1

    ?72: Chapter 72: The First Scene of Heavy Snow_1 72: Chapter 72: The First Scene of Heavy Snow_1 Zhulan experienced her first snow in ancient times, a heavy snowfall like goose feathers.


    Overnight, the land donned new attire; when she got up in the morning and tried to push the door open, it wouldn¡¯t budge.


    Peering through the crack, she saw the snow reached halfway up her calves, and it took some effort to finally push the door open.


    Gazing at the sky, Zhulan watched the snowflakes whirl in the grey, overcast sky.


    Without wind, she couldn¡¯t tell when the snow would stop.


    With a hiss, she murmured it was bitterly cold.


    Looking down at her cotton-padded shoes, she hesitated to step forward, knowing they¡¯d surely be filled with snow and soaking wet by the time she returned.


    She longed for a pair of boots.


    ¡°Mom, you¡¯re up,¡±


    Seeing it was her eldest, Zhulan thought she¡¯d be spared from fetching firewood herself.


    ¡°Eldest, fetch some firewood for your mom, will you?


    I need to heat the kang.¡±


    She felt a sense of satisfaction, thinking it was great to be at the top of the food chain!


    Zhou Eldest rubbed his hands together, breathing a cloud of warm air, ¡°Alright, Mom!¡±


    The firewood at home was neatly split and stacked, which made fetching it in winter not only convenient but a lot less miserable.


    Zhulan kindled the firewood; her second son and Rongchuan both got up. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They first lit the fires in each room and then the three of them began to sweep the snow.


    By the time they were halfway done, the third and eldest sons had joined in.


    Zhulan¡¯s mouth curved into a smile; the original soul had been reluctant to let her two scholarly sons do labor, but she¡¯d been eager to have them work.


    Only through labor could one appreciate its difficulty, rather than complacently studying as if making a grand contribution.


    The results were quite remarkable; the third son became more diligent in reciting his books, and the eldest learned to be more considerate.


    During breakfast, Zhou Eldest asked, ¡°Mom, we usually slaughter a pig after the first snow every year.


    Should we kill one this year too?¡±


    Zhulan had been thinking about the pig slaughter; she had been craving a hearty meal since the onset of winter, ¡°Wait until the snow stops.¡±


    Zhou Second expressed some concern, ¡°They say a snowfall brings a good harvest, but such heavy snow from the first snowfall could spell disaster if it continues like this for a day.¡±


    Zhulan looked up at their own roof with worry.


    Most rural houses in ancient times were made of mud, and their roofs were not sturdy.


    According to the original soul¡¯s memory, it was quite common for roofs to collapse under the weight of the snow in winter.


    ¡°Eldest, you and Second should clear the snow off the roof later.¡±


    The eldest son had been mindful of this as well, ¡°Of course, Mom.¡±


    Zhou Second frowned at his two scholarly younger brothers, ¡°We can¡¯t go to the private school today.¡±


    Zhulan saw no alternative, ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait until the roads clear.¡±


    Zhulan¡¯s memories from her original life were clear; it was common for private schools to close in winter.


    There was nothing to be done; transportation in ancient times was difficult.


    The original soul remembered one year when a snow disaster blocked the roads for two months, and they even ran out of salt at home.


    Thinking of this, Zhulan felt uneasy about ancient times without weather forecasts and resolved to stock up on supplies from the county once the roads were clear, preferring to have extra rather than running short.


    After breakfast, the whole village came to life as every household began clearing the snow from their roofs, dreading the possibility of a collapse.


    Zhulan called over Lady Li, ¡°Hunter Wang¡¯s family has quite a few rabbit skins.


    Go buy ten hides.¡±


    As she spoke, Zhulan counted out a hundred coins; the price of skins didn¡¯t vary much, and she gave Lady Li money based on the highest price they might be.


    ¡°If the hides are cheaper this year, use the extra money to buy some meat.


    For tonight¡¯s first snowfall, we¡¯ll make sauerkraut and pork dumplings.¡±


    Lady Li¡¯s mouth watered at the thought, ¡°You can count on me, I¡¯ll definitely save more Silver Coin to buy meat.¡±


    She was already figuring out how to haggle, completely forgetting to ask why they needed so many hides!


    In less than an hour, Lady Li returned triumphant, carrying the hides and meat.


    ¡°Mom, I got the hides for eight coins each and bought over two pounds of pork belly with the rest.¡±


    Zhulan praised her, ¡°Well done.¡±


    Setting down the hides, Lady Li asked, ¡°Mom, what are you going to do with all these hides?¡±


    Zhulan replied, ¡°To make shoes.¡±


    Lady Li visibly shivered with dismay, ¡°Mom, we have cotton shoes at home.¡±


    Why is mother-in-law so restless now!


    With a loud bang from the backyard, Zhulan and Lady Li both jumped in fright.


    Lady Li was the first to regain her composure, ¡°Which family¡¯s roof has collapsed?¡±

 Chapter 73 - 73 73 Trouble Maker_1

    ?73: Chapter 73 Trouble Maker_1 73: Chapter 73 Trouble Maker_1 Zhulan immediately thought of Old Wang¡¯s Fourth family; the house they rented had been unoccupied for a while, and even when the family moved in, they didn¡¯t spend money to repair it, ¡°It must be Old Wang¡¯s Fourth family!¡±


    Lady Li was stunned then reveled in the misfortune with glee, ¡°Old Wang¡¯s Fourth family is really unlucky, mother, I¡¯ll go have a look.¡±


    Zhulan couldn¡¯t be bothered with Lady Li, but she didn¡¯t agree with blaming Old Wang¡¯s Fourth family¡¯s misfortune for a collapsed roof.


    Old Wang¡¯s Fourth was a genuine peasant chap; how could he not know to maintain his house and clear the snow from the roof?


    It was only because he was out of money.


    Zhou Shuren had been away from home for over half a month, and Old Wang¡¯s Fourth family had been selling spicy pickled cabbage for a while now.


    Wang Ru proved to be quite capable; she managed to sell the pickled cabbage the next day. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While she didn¡¯t make a profit, she did break even, which allowed Wang Zhang¡¯s wife to see cash from selling the pickled cabbage.


    Over the past half month, Wang Zhang¡¯s wife was constantly coming up with schemes to make money.


    Those in the village who were looking for advantages stuck around, and Old Wang¡¯s Fourth impulsively lent out quite a sum of money during his first time being praised.


    From Lady Li¡¯s lips, Zhulan got plenty of news, from everyone flattering Old Wang¡¯s Fourth at first, to the rumors spreading that he was stingy.


    As Old Wang¡¯s Fourth¡¯s reputation worsened, she knew he must be running short on silver.


    She really looked down on Old Wang¡¯s Fourth¡¯s character; he might have a simple face but in his bones he was still a Wang, selfish and self-righteous.


    Zhulan, carrying leather, went looking for Lady Zhao; she had learned how to make shoes with Lady Zhao¡¯s help, but still needed her assistance with boots, as she couldn¡¯t do it alone.


    Zhulan was very fond of modern puffy cotton boots from her era, but since Wang Ru couldn¡¯t make them, she could only make boots from ancient times.


    In Lady Zhao¡¯s house, the eldest granddaughter huddled on the kang bed warming her feet, her shoes soaked through long ago.


    As soon as Zhulan mentioned making boots that weren¡¯t afraid of getting wet, the eldest granddaughter, Yushuang, ran over excitedly.


    ¡°Grandma, will I get a pair too?¡±


    Zhulan, heart melting at the child¡¯s voice, replied, ¡°Yes, everyone at home will get a pair, one for each person.¡±


    Yushuang was overjoyed, ¡°Now I can play outside!


    I won¡¯t have to worry about wet shoes anymore.¡±


    Zhulan touched her granddaughter¡¯s little head, finding her too cute and adorable, now pinching her face, now touching her ears, amusing the little girl into ticklish laughter.


    Zhulan played with her for a while until the girl became sleepy and soon fell asleep.


    Lady Zhao spoke softly: ¡°Mother, the leather is cut.¡±


    Zhulan picked up a small piece of leather, ¡°Let¡¯s make the children¡¯s first.¡±


    Lady Zhao, feeling sorry for her daughter¡¯s frozen red feet, knew the size of the leather meant it was for her daughter and smiled with curved eyes, ¡°Alright, mother.¡±


    Zhulan was pleased with the present way they were getting along.


    Ever since she found out about Lady Zhao¡¯s act, Lady Zhao cried less in her presence.


    Even though the act ran deep in her, sometimes she couldn¡¯t help it and Zhulan empathized.


    She had never intended to ask Lady Zhao about her fleeing from famine.


    It was a past Lady Zhao didn¡¯t wish to remember.


    What was past was past; she was not one to reopen old wounds.


    Shoes were not easy to make, especially cotton boots with very thick soles.


    Zhulan and Lady Zhao spent a whole day just to make two pairs for the children: a pair for Yushuang, and a pair for the second grandson, Mingteng.


    Although they weren¡¯t very pretty, the two kids were delighted.


    They even went outside to play in the snow for a while and came back amazed to find that their feet were indeed dry.


    The shoes became treasures; they had to be placed where they could keep their eyes on them without blinking.


    For dinner, they made dumplings, with the dough not mixed with any cornmeal but made entirely from flour.


    Although it was called white flour, it wasn¡¯t pure white but slightly yellowish.


    While making dumplings, Lady Li talked about the buzz at Old Wang¡¯s Fourth household.


    It took the entire day to clear the house, and now it was uninhabitable.


    Thankfully, no one was hurt, but lots of possessions were ruined.


    Those who helped didn¡¯t miss the chance to sneakily take advantage.


    Zhulan asked, ¡°Where will Old Wang¡¯s Fourth family stay tonight?¡±


    Lady Li shook her head after watching the day¡¯s events, ¡°I don¡¯t know.


    At first, I thought they could make one of the rooms livable after cleaning up, but none turned out to be suitable.


    They hadn¡¯t decided when I left!¡±


    Lady Zhao fretfully expressed, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s money issues that have caught Old Wang¡¯s Fourth lately.


    He¡¯s offended quite a few people lately, and even those who haven¡¯t been offended are wary of causing trouble or getting close to Old Wang¡¯s Fourth family.


    They won¡¯t come to our place, will they?¡±


    Zhulan paused while rolling out dough, realizing it was indeed possible given Old Wang¡¯s Fourth¡¯s way of thinking, and said with little confidence, ¡°They shouldn¡¯t!¡±


    Lady Zhao really didn¡¯t want to deal with fools, especially sick-minded ones, ¡°Mother, what if they do come over?¡±


    In the courtyard, Elder Zhou shouted, ¡°Second brother, Old Fourth is looking for you.¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­..¡±


    Lady Li blamed Lady Zhao, ¡°Sister-in-law, you jinxed it!¡±


    Lady Zhao covered her chest, trying to tell herself not to argue with fools over and over again, but fools were too exasperating.


    What a jinx, it was an analysis!


    Anger turned her eyes red, and tears fell as she protested, ¡°Sister-in-law, you¡¯re wronging me.¡±


    Lady Li was quite pleased, with Lady Zhao recently acting even more dutifully than a mother to her.


    She had finally found her chance to get one over on Lady Zhao.


    The second brother¡¯s wife was a harbinger of bad luck, she thought, and now she would definitely keep her distance, ¡°Hmph, still denying it!


    As soon as you mentioned Old Wang¡¯s Fourth, the troubles came.


    Don¡¯t you know everyone despises Old Wang¡¯s Fourth¡¯s family now?¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.¡±


    She particularly wanted to say that the kitchen was not at all soundproof, especially with Lady Li¡¯s loud voice, along with the fact that the door was ajar, so people outside could hear everything quite clearly.


    Lady Li had just stirred up another wave of animosity.


    Old Wang¡¯s Fourth, face flushed with anger and not waiting for Elder Zhou to come out, glared hatefully in the direction of the kitchen, ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re not welcome here.¡±


    Zhulan smiled at Lady Li, ¡°Well done.¡±


    Lady Li, ¡°Mother, what did I do?¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­..¡±


    Don¡¯t get angry with idiots!

 Chapter 74 - 74 74 Moved Next Door_1

    ?74: Chapter 74: Moved Next Door_1 74: Chapter 74: Moved Next Door_1 Zhao Shi stopped crying as well, feeling she had shed tears in vain.


    It wasn¡¯t worth it to get angry with a fool, so she continued to lower her head and wrap dumplings.


    Zhulan clapped her hands, heard the commotion from the Zheng family, and signaled for Lady Li to go out and take a look.


    Lady Li obediently went out and soon came back.


    ¡°Mother, Wang¡¯s family has moved into the Zheng¡¯s house; they¡¯re paying Five Coins a day.


    Aunt Zheng really has a dark heart.¡±


    Zhao Shi scoffed, ¡°Who made Wang act so generous, acting richer than a landlord?


    If Aunt Zheng doesn¡¯t fleece him, who will she fleece?¡±


    She looked down on Wang, who didn¡¯t protect his wife and ignored his daughter being mistreated; he was nothing but a spineless wretch in her eyes.


    Her own husband was better, protecting both her and their daughter, always secretly buying them tasty treats whenever he went out.


    Thinking of her husband made Zhao Shi¡¯s face flush.


    Zhulan wasn¡¯t interested in observing Zhao Shi¡¯s changing expressions, her heart was congested with annoyance.


    Now they had become neighbors; thankfully, she had just put up a new wall.


    Sleeping wouldn¡¯t be peaceful with Wang Ru living next door.


    At night, two big pots of dumplings filled a table to the brim. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Each of her four sons had two large plates, not to mention several bowls of dumpling soup.


    The oldest granddaughter, though not of great size, had eaten seven dumplings and wanted more, but feared indigestion if she ate too late into the night.


    In the end, not only were the two big pots of dumplings eaten up, but even the dumpling soup was all gone.


    Zhulan felt a tinge of sorrow; after all, a meal of dumplings was no imperial feast, yet they still struggled to feel full.


    After eating, no one wanted to move.


    Little grandson Ming Teng patted his round belly, ¡°If only we could eat dumplings every day.¡±


    Lady Li smacked her son on the head.


    ¡°Dream on, being able to eat pure flour dumplings a few times a year is already good.¡±


    In other families, they only got to eat dumplings once a year during festivals.


    With that thought, she felt quite content, knowing her sisters envied her for marrying well!


    Zhou Shuren, ever since he learned about his family¡¯s assets, felt reassured and was no longer nitpicky about everything.


    Eating dumplings once or twice was nothing now.


    He smiled lovingly at his sons¡¯ puffed-up cheeks, reminiscing about his own father¡¯s questions, ¡°Mother, do you think Dad has reached Jiangnan yet?¡±


    Zhulan had specifically asked her nephew; travelling by horse carriage from the county to the canal without delays took around ten days, and from the canal down south to Suzhou and Hangzhou at least another ten days, and that was with favorable winds.


    If slow, it could take almost twenty days.


    She calculated silently, ¡°I guess your dad is still on the boat; it will be a few more days before he arrives.¡±


    Ancient transportation was truly awful, and that was even with the canal excavated.


    Without the canal, it would take even longer.


    Zhou Shuren counted the days, ¡°By the time Dad gets home, won¡¯t it be almost Little New Year?¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s nearly a two-month round trip.¡±


    This was assuming that the return journey went smoothly without the canal freezing over.


    If it froze, they would have to travel slowly by the official road, which took even longer.


    Zhulan suddenly thought of the beauties clouding Jiangnan and wondered whether Zhou Shuren would be dazzled by them.


    Humph, it didn¡¯t matter; they were bound together; Zhou Shuren being dazzled was useless.


    Zhulan started to feel a bit emotional and stood up, not wanting to talk anymore.


    ¡°Eldest, get the table cleaned up quickly; everyone go and rest.¡±


    Lady Li, with her keen intuition, sensed her mother¡¯s displeasure.


    ¡°Alright, Mother.¡±


    As soon as Zhulan stepped out, Lady Li complained to her husband, ¡°Why bring up the sore subject?


    Mother and father have never been apart this long; now she¡¯s missing him again.¡±


    Zhulan hadn¡¯t gone far and nearly slipped and fell.


    Pfft, as if she missed Zhou Shuren!


    On the sailboat, Zhou Shuren touched the silver note in his pocket.


    He had been quite lucky; Zhuo prefecture was a bustling hub for canal traffic, teeming with merchants.


    Naturally, there was no shortage of deceivers, particularly in the trade of forgeries.


    During his rest at the Armed Escort Agency, he took a stroll and happened upon a seller of fake antiques.


    He didn¡¯t foolishly call them out as fakes; instead, he played the role of a buyer¡¯s friend, leading the buyer away to prevent him from getting swindled and assisting as an appraiser.


    For his help, the merchant gratefully gave him a sum totaling two hundred Silver Coins.


    Zhou Shuren marveled at the merchant¡¯s wealth and sharpness, and praised his intelligence.


    By giving him such a sum of coins, he was creating good karma.


    Since the establishment of the new dynasty, the status of merchants had waned, and they avoided offending scholars if they could.


    He too benefited from the privilege of being a scholar.


    Li Shuan pushed the door open.


    ¡°Brother-in-law, I inquired; if we continue smoothly, we¡¯ll arrive in two days.¡±


    Zhou Shuren, tired of complaining about transportation, just nodded.


    Yes, he had had his fill of fish.


    ¡°We¡¯re finally arriving.¡±


    Li Shuan nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m about to go stir-crazy on this boat.¡±


    Zhou Shuren noticed his brother-in-law pulling out his chest pouch to check it, then carefully placing it back.


    He was worried about being robbed; the boat was full of miscellaneous people.


    Li Shuan touched his pouch, filled with satisfaction.


    With this money, even if his remedy didn¡¯t sell in Jiangnan, he could still give his mother a decent account when he got home.


    Zhou Shuren chuckled.


    In Zhuo prefecture, he had conveniently sold his remedy to a familiar merchant.


    The remedy didn¡¯t contain much technical expertise; it was bought for personal consumption and fetched a high price of twenty taels.


    He then sold it to two more households, accumulating fifty taels in silver notes.


    His brother-in-law had made a good profit as well.


    Zhou Shuren also lost interest in reading, wondering if Zhulan was thinking of him!


    The next morning dawned clear and bright.


    Zhulan could finally relax, no longer worrying about snow disasters; instead, she welcomed the omen of a bountiful year indicated by auspicious snowfall.


    After the snow, the weather became colder, suitable for freezing meat¡ªa great time for butchering pigs.


    After breakfast, Zhulan instructed her eldest son to fetch Butcher Li to slaughter the pigs.


    Both of Zhulan¡¯s pigs were well-raised, each weighing around 250 pounds.


    In ancient times, pigs over 250 were considered fatty.


    Standing at the pigpen entrance, Zhulan¡¯s mind raced with thoughts of blood sausages, steamed pig¡¯s blood, stir-fried intestines, braised pork, sweet and sour ribs, cold pig¡¯s ear salad, soy sauce marinated bones, and she couldn¡¯t help but swallow her saliva.

 Chapter 75 - 75 75 What a Big Heart_1

    ?75: Chapter 75: What a Big Heart_1 75: Chapter 75: What a Big Heart_1 Lady Li felt a pang of regret and muttered, ¡°Killing the pig today, it would have been so much nicer to use our own meat for dumplings.


    If only we had endured without buying meat yesterday, we could have saved that wasted money.¡±


    Zhulan couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes.


    She didn¡¯t bring it up when buying meat yesterday, nor did she say anything while eating dumplings.


    Always with the hindsight, ¡°Isn¡¯t our own meat still money?¡±


    Seeing that her mother was displeased, Lady Li quickly shut her mouth and changed the subject, ¡°Mom, how much meat should we keep this year?¡±


    Zhulan truly hadn¡¯t considered the question before.


    In previous years, the family hadn¡¯t kept much meat, given the two ¡°money-burning holes¡± at home.


    The two fat pigs they raised each year could at most provide ten or so pounds of meat for keeping.


    Calculating the duration of winter and the time it took for the meat to thaw, Zhulan was someone who couldn¡¯t be happy without meat, and since their meat was cheaper than buying it, the more they kept, the more money they saved.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep the whole rack of ribs from one pig, four knuckles, a set of pork offal, and another sixty pounds of meat should be enough.¡±


    Excluding the weight of the pig¡¯s blood, the 250-pound pig would yield less than a hundred pounds of meat for sale.


    Lady Li was first happy about keeping more meat to eat, but then she couldn¡¯t help but ponder, ¡°Mom, isn¡¯t the third brother going to the private school next year?¡±


    ¡°Who told you that?


    Did the third one say he¡¯s not going?¡±


    Lady Li quickly waved her hands, ¡°I was just guessing.


    Mom, you¡¯ve always been reluctant to keep meat in the past.


    I thought you felt that the third brother was wasting Silver Coins on his education, and you decided not to let him go.¡±


    Zhulan exhaled, thinking her third son had grown tired of studying.


    She explained, ¡°I was wrong before.


    In the future, I won¡¯t begrudge ourselves food.


    After a serious illness, I would rather eat well than spend money on medicine.


    It¡¯s better to eat and drink well to maintain good health than to buy medicine with that money, don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Lady Li thought about it and realized it was indeed the case; in previous years, the children would fall ill once winter came.


    But this year, having eaten and dressed well, the children¡¯s health was robust, and they hadn¡¯t fallen sick, indeed saving money on medicine.


    ¡°Mom¡¯s right.


    Mom, should we keep more meat?¡±


    Zhulan was tempted by the thought of savory sausages and cured meat, but unfortunately, Wang Ru hadn¡¯t prepared any.


    She didn¡¯t dare to make them herself, since it seemed fresh meat was best for making sausages. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Keeping more meat wouldn¡¯t be useful.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea of how much to keep; you needn¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Butcher Li arrived with his tools.


    With enough male labor at home, they didn¡¯t need to hire help.


    One pig was quickly slaughtered, and the other was driven directly to Butcher Li¡¯s house.


    Selling the whole pig to him at 5.5 coins per pound, and the pure meat after butchering at 7 coins per pound, the sale of Zhulan¡¯s two pigs brought in over two Silver Coins.


    Zhulan calculated that if they fed the pigs enough coarse grains, they grew quickly.


    Deducting the cost, they could make some profit from one pig.


    If they skimped on the grains, the pigs wouldn¡¯t grow big or fat, and the price would be low, but they could still earn a bit of profit.


    Excluding the meat they kept, her two pigs had earned an extra Silver Coin.


    It was just unfortunate that, in ancient times, pigs lacked vaccines, and the mortality rate was quite high.


    There was nobody in the village who specialized in raising pigs.


    Most families raised just one pig, so they wouldn¡¯t have to buy meat during New Year and could save a little Silver Coin.


    Nobody expected to get wealthy from raising pigs, the risk was too high.


    Of course, there were also those who couldn¡¯t even feed themselves, let alone raise pigs; many families struggled with poverty and couldn¡¯t afford to rear them.


    Zhoujiazhuang village was considered quite well-off within the surrounding ten miles, mainly because the Zhou surname formed a large clan in the neighboring villages.


    There were several Scholars in the clan, and each Scholar exempted twenty acres of land from taxes.


    With five Scholars, including both the old and the new ones, nearly a hundred acres of land were tax-free, allowing them to earn considerably more Silver Coins each year, which made the village relatively wealthier compared to others.


    Of course, even families with Scholars still had to live frugally, as advancing in scholarly exams cost even more, but for clan members who registered their land under a Scholar¡¯s name, families without scholars were the ones with spare coins.


    Zhou Lao Da sent Butcher Li away, and Zheng¡¯s wife came with Sun¡¯s wife, taking advantage of the situation.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, so you¡¯ve slaughtered a pig.


    I could hear it clearly from my home; it was undoubtedly a big fatty.


    Sister-in-law, you¡¯ve raised the pig really well.


    Just look at the basin of pig¡¯s blood.


    Since there¡¯s so much blood, sister-in-law, wouldn¡¯t you give me some?¡±


    Zhulan inwardly cursed; what a thick face, ¡°No.¡±


    Zheng¡¯s wife, having her pride pricked, couldn¡¯t stand it and snorted, ¡°Stingy.¡±


    Zhulan wasn¡¯t about to get needlessly upset; she acted as if she hadn¡¯t heard.


    Wang Ru touched her hair, which she had not managed to nourish despite the time spent, and gazed at the pig blood.


    Recalling that pig blood was good for the body and inexpensive, she understood the Zhou family wouldn¡¯t sell it to her, so she wouldn¡¯t embarrass herself by asking.


    Perhaps she could buy some from Butcher Li¡¯s later.


    She had come with a purpose, ¡°Granny Zhou, I remember Auntie Li¡¯s family sells spicy pickled cabbage.


    It¡¯s been over half a month, why has there been no movement?¡±


    The brush fell from Lady Li¡¯s hand, ¡°Oh, how could I have forgotten about that!¡±


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­..¡±


    One had to admit, Lady Li truly had a big heart!

 Chapter 76 - 76 76 Resentment_1

    ?76: Chapter 76: Resentment_1 76: Chapter 76: Resentment_1 Lady Li was filled with concern about the pickled cabbage from her parental home.


    Seeing the bustle at Wang Lao Si¡¯s house, she knew that the pickled cabbage was not selling well and feared that her family might lose money.


    The allure of the pork seemed to diminish; she quickly stood up.


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯m going back to my parental home for a bit.


    I¡¯ll tidy up when I return.¡±


    Zhulan rolled her eyes inwardly, hurrying to stop Lady Li, ¡°You don¡¯t need to go back; your family¡¯s pickled cabbage has long been sold out.¡±


    Lady Li was startled, ¡°Mother, how do you know?¡±


    Out of the corner of her eye, Zhulan saw Wang Ru¡¯s expression change and felt even better, ¡°The pickled cabbage was passed on to the Armed Escort Agency.


    It was Wu Chun who brokered the deal; how do you think I know?


    Come on, hurry up and clean up.


    When you¡¯re done, take two catties of meat back to your family; it¡¯s just right for your grandmother to taste our fatty pork.¡±


    Lady Li, content at heart, relaxed when Zhulan said everything was fine and didn¡¯t ask any further questions.


    Her focus returned to the pork.


    After cleaning the intestines, Lady Li said, ¡°Mother, I and my sister-in-law are going to the kitchen to make blood sausages.¡±


    Zhulan waved her hand, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Wang Ru, pinching the center of her palm, was frustrated that all her calculations came to nothing, and she ended up in a worse state.


    It infuriated her that she, a person from the modern era, had been outwitted by people from the past.


    It was too hard for her to accept.


    Madame Sun was genuinely timid.


    Seeing Auntie Zheng storm home in a huff, she didn¡¯t dare to stay either, taking her daughter with her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home, too.¡±


    Wang Ru shook off her stepmother¡¯s hand, glaring furiously at her stepmother¡¯s belly.


    It was all because of that piece of flesh; if it weren¡¯t for that, her stepfather wouldn¡¯t have become so arrogant at having a little money and forgot his place.


    She had suggested repairing the house first, but he didn¡¯t listen and felt that his authority was challenged, even viciously scolding her for it. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Now, the silver that had been lent out couldn¡¯t be recovered, and there wasn¡¯t even enough money to fix the roof anymore.


    Not only did they have no place to live, but they also had to pay five coins just for lodging at someone else¡¯s place, not to mention the cost of firewood.


    She had to come up with a solution, or she wouldn¡¯t even be able to survive on the streets by the New Year.


    As for the private money she had, she wouldn¡¯t touch it!


    Madame Sun protected her belly; the look in her third daughter¡¯s eyes was too frightening.


    ¡°Third daughter, what are you doing?¡±


    Wang Ru glared with ferocious eyes, screaming, ¡°I¡¯ve changed my name to Wang Ru.


    Don¡¯t call me Third Daughter anymore.¡±


    Zhulan saw Madame Sun frightened into retreating a few steps and quickly gave her support, not out of kindness but fear that an incident at the Zhou family would bring trouble.


    She truly did not welcome Wang Lao Si¡¯s family, ¡°Your child has left.


    You should head back too!¡±


    Madame Sun, still startled, didn¡¯t even say thank you and hurried away.


    Zhulan listened intently to the noisy quarrel next door, thinking that Wang Lao Si and his wife were indeed troublemakers.


    Wang Ru had not managed to get at the Li family to vent her frustration; it seemed she could no longer suppress her resentment.


    Zhulan mused that it was a pity Wang Ru couldn¡¯t run away from home.


    In ancient times, everywhere required a travel pass and household registration; one could not simply wander about.


    Human traffickers were legal, not to mention abductors were rampant, powerful, and without modern technology, in a vast and sparsely populated land, catching kidnappers was difficult!


    Moreover, in ancient times, black-market slaves had nowhere to turn for help when bought and sold; even if you were sold, the government wouldn¡¯t care about you.


    This was also why Rongchuan, despite being tormented by his parents, never thought of running away from home.


    Once you became a household without status, if you were lucky, you were sold to a good family; if unlucky, to a despicable place.


    Better to die clean than live a life worse than death.


    The noise from next door quieted down, and Zhulan got busy cutting the pork into catty-sized pieces and freezing them in a large pot.


    This was convenient for when they wanted to eat.


    The pig¡¯s head was waiting for the eldest son to handle, an area she was not skilled in.


    Looking over the full pot of pork and then at her hands, covered in pig¡¯s blood, Zhulan fell silent.


    She never would have imagined that she, a second-generation rich girl, would adapt so well to life in ancient times.


    She hadn¡¯t felt disgusted by killing pigs, had even butchered them personally without disdain, and did it all with joy.


    Zhulan counted the changes she had gone through since coming to ancient times and looked up at the sky, reflecting on how the environment truly changes people!


    Mingyun, the eldest grandson, watched with hopeful eyes as his grandmother put all the meat into the pot, and his face fell, ¡°Grandma, aren¡¯t we having meat tonight?¡±


    Zhulan looked down and realized that she hadn¡¯t left any meat aside.


    She replied with a smile, ¡°We are.


    Not only are we having meat tonight, but we¡¯re also going to stew bones.¡±


    Mingyun stood still, ¡°Grandma has worked hard.


    Let me take some to Mother for you.¡±


    Zhulan couldn¡¯t help but smile; the little fellow was worried she wouldn¡¯t keep her promise.


    Not big in stature, but not short on wits¡ªa true descendant of the Zhou family.


    Fortunately, Zhou family genes dominated those from the Li family, or else Zhou Shuren would indeed have reason to weep.


    ¡°Alright, alright, Grandma will get it for you.¡±

 Chapter 77 - 77 77 The Tail Wants to Reach the Sky_1

    ?77: Chapter 77: The Tail Wants to Reach the Sky_1 77: Chapter 77: The Tail Wants to Reach the Sky_1 Zhulan prepared a pot with streaky pork stewed with sauerkraut, two pork ribs, and a few spine bones¡ªthe ribs for the children and the spine for the adults to gnaw on.


    Along with the stuffed blood sausages, it was quite a sumptuous pork feast.


    Rongchuan had also tidied up the courtyard, not a trace of pig¡¯s blood to be seen.


    The boy was meticulous in his work.


    Zhulan observed Rongchuan¡¯s hands, reddened from the cold, and felt unsettled.


    While her two sons were studying inside the house, this child had never been idle outside.


    Zhulan had also driven Rongchuan back to his books, telling him not to help out, but Rongchuan, lacking confidence, would have seized all the household tasks if not for Zhulan holding him back under the guise of caring for his health.


    After putting away the broom, Rongchuan rubbed his hands that were both hurting and itching, saying, ¡°Auntie, I¡¯m going back to study.¡±


    Zhulan, drawing from memory, knew that frostbite was common in ancient times and was especially awful to bear.


    Rongchuan¡¯s frostbite was quite serious.


    Unfortunately, she was not trained in medicine, and she was as ignorant as could be regarding life skills, without a single remedy to her name.


    All she could do was take note and plan to find a traditional Chinese doctor in the county town to get some medicine.


    Zhulan replied, ¡°All right.¡±


    Rongchuan returned to his room with joy, feeling especially content.


    No beatings, a room to himself, a warm kang to sleep on, warm clothes to wear, and he could read the books he longed for.


    It took him a long time to be sure it wasn¡¯t a dream.


    Also, thinking of Xue Han made his ears turn red.


    The neighboring Auntie Zheng would gossip about him and Xue Han from time to time, and the village gradually started to believe the rumors that he was a boy raised by his maternal grandparents.


    Initially anxious, with time passing and Uncle Zhou and Auntie Zhou never offering any explanation, Rongchuan¡ªwho was not stupid¡ªcame to understand the situation.


    He shifted from never daring to look at Xue Han to gradually paying attention to her.


    Slapping his flushed cheeks with a smile, he continued reciting his books.


    Zhulan¡¯s family stewed a large pot of sauerkraut for lunch, regretting the absence of glass noodles.


    To her surprise, the entire pot of sauerkraut was devoured by the Zhou family members¡ªa rate of consumption that had her worried the sauerkraut wouldn¡¯t last until the New Year.


    In the afternoon, she stewed another pot of meat, this time with steamed blood sausages which made it even more aromatic.


    All day, the scent of meat wafted from Zhulan¡¯s home, tempting passersby to stop and smell, and even led to children unabashedly peering at the doorway.


    Zhulan wasn¡¯t soft-hearted; she couldn¡¯t set this precedent because if she did, there would be no end to it.


    Moreover, if children were constantly coming over, the entire village would know what her family was eating¡ªwasn¡¯t that just flaunting wealth?


    Showy wealth was unacceptable; being low-key was the true way.


    Lady Li, carrying meat, returned to her parents¡¯ house and was back before long, not empty-handed but bringing a pound of mutton with her.


    Zhulan was aware of the price of mutton in ancient times; since it was nourishing, it cost several times more than pork, twenty-five coins per jin, and even more expensive in winter, sometimes reaching thirty coins.


    ¡°It¡¯s too precious, quickly take it back,¡± she insisted.


    Lady Li knew her father had accompanied the eunuch to Jiangnan and that her family had sold all their spicy cabbage to the Armed Escort Agency.


    Since they had stored a lot of cabbage at a low cost, just from selling the spicy cabbage, they made ten taels of silver, not to mention the profits from her father selling his prescriptions in Jiangnan.


    Moreover, her grandmother had said that she was entitled to a twenty percent share of the profits from the prescriptions.


    Her family was grateful to her; previously, her sister-in-law did not like her, but since the last time she shared the spicy cabbage recipe, her sister-in-law had become much nicer.


    This time, she was even more solicitous, allowing Lady Li to carry herself with pride at her parents¡¯ home. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lady Li knew she had silver coming her way, and since her in-laws had helped her parents make money, she spoke with confidence, ¡°Mother, never mind the cost.


    Father and you have helped my parents¡¯ family a great deal.


    It¡¯s only right to send anything, and to tell you the truth, even a jin isn¡¯t presentable.


    It should be at least ten jin to start.¡±


    Zhulan chuckled.


    Look at how confident Lady Li was, her tail almost reaching the sky!

 Chapter 78 - 78 78 The Autumn Wind Blows Again_1

    ?78: Chapter 78: The Autumn Wind Blows Again_1 78: Chapter 78: The Autumn Wind Blows Again_1 Zhulan felt that without a lesson, Lady Li wouldn¡¯t know her place; she was naturally quite the gossip.


    With Zhou Shuren headed for Jiangnan, if she boasted and the whole village found out, Zhulan wouldn¡¯t want that.


    ¡°Shut up and stop showing off.


    If you dare let slip about your father going to Jiangnan, see how I¡¯ll deal with you.


    What are you standing there for?


    Hurry back to the room.¡±


    Lady Li¡¯s fiery enthusiasm instantly cooled down, and her heated mind cleared.


    She remembered that even the grandmother had warned that the matter of going to Jiangnan must not be told to anyone.


    She had almost blurted it out in her excitement and called out meekly, ¡°Mother.¡± sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhulan, with a stern face, said, ¡°Mother what?


    Hurry back to your room.¡±


    Lady Li handed the meat to the grandmother and scurried back to her room, closed the door and patted her chest.


    Usually, she was scared but not terrified when the grandmother got angry, but today she was frightened.


    The cold eyes of the grandmother were intimidating; leaning against the door, she shivered and repeatedly reminded herself to keep her mouth shut in the future!


    Zhulan was satisfied.


    She didn¡¯t become a deputy general manager for nothing.


    She was parachuted into the company, young and fresh out of school, with no one taking her seriously.


    She had put in a lot of work, and gradually, she stopped smiling.


    When her face was expressionless, her presence was commanding, enough to deter Lady Li without issues.


    Zhulan hefted the lamb in her hands.


    Lamb was a delicacy reserved for the privileged and the rich.


    The piece of lamb, weighing over a pound, could only be used for soup.


    She decided to store the lamb for when the weather turned colder to warm their bodies.


    Admittedly, Zhulan had been in ancient times for a while, and lamb was hard to come by.


    There was no lamb to purchase in the market, and nearby villagers who raised sheep wouldn¡¯t slaughter them to sell.


    They would send them directly to restaurants or big households in the county, where selling whole sheep was more profitable.


    Lamb, a good food for nourishing the body in winter, was clearly a rare item.


    Zhulan did want to buy some lamb to eat but didn¡¯t dare to buy a whole one.


    It was expensive, costing a few two silver taels, not to mention too conspicuous, which was not her principle for survival.


    She didn¡¯t have a way to buy pre-slaughtered meat, and considering lamb reminded her of beef.


    In ancient times, it was forbidden to slaughter cattle privately.


    Eating beef was even more difficult than lamb, except for the privileged classes who had means to bypass policies.


    Unfortunately, Zhulan¡¯s family was just ordinary folk, and any mistake could be a capital offense.


    The next morning, when the village roads were cleared, Zhulan packed the prepared pork along with a jar of spicy pickled cabbage that Lady Li had made and asked the eldest son to deliver them to her maternal home.


    She also wanted to ask if they could acquire some pre-slaughtered lamb.


    All night she mulled over the lamb, really craving hotpot.


    Thinking too much of it reminded her of the days in the modern world when she could eat whatever she wanted.


    After cursing Zhou Shuren a few times, her desire for lamb deepened, leaving her no choice but to try her luck at her maternal home.


    Zhou¡¯s eldest son went in the morning and returned after lunch.


    Zhulan saw the long-awaited lamb, a rack of ribs plus meat, seemingly over ten pounds.


    ¡°Eldest brother, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    The eldest son¡¯s face was flushed; he felt embarrassed about freeloading from his maternal grandfather¡¯s home every time.


    ¡°Maternal grandfather found out that mother asked about lamb, went out, and came back with a sheep.


    He slaughtered it right away.


    There wasn¡¯t much meat; less than fifty pounds including the bones.


    He divided it into four portions, and this is the one for mother.¡±


    It was the largest portion; grandfather really adored mother.


    Zhulan, ¡°¡­.¡±


    She really hadn¡¯t meant to take advantage of them, and she was touched that her true parents dearly loved her original self.


    She decided that in the future, apart from gift-giving, she wouldn¡¯t trouble her maternal home.


    She had her pride, after all!


    Zhulan gestured to Lady Li to take the lamb to the kitchen to be cut into smaller pieces.


    She also checked the other gifts in return; her father had caught rabbits again, one fat rabbit already butchered, along with some jujubes.


    Zhulan was touched by her parents¡¯ kindness and thought that when Zhou Shuren returned for New Year¡¯s gifts, they needed to be more generous so that her parents wouldn¡¯t need to subsidize them anymore.


    The following day, Zhulan planned to go shopping in the county and took Lady Li with her.


    She was genuinely afraid Lady Li couldn¡¯t control her mouth.


    It was better to have her by her side and give her a chance to broaden her horizons, so she wouldn¡¯t embarrass them in the future with her petty ways.


    The roads were harder to navigate in winter; it took nearly two hours to sway to the county.


    Zhulan, having the foresight, brought a thick scarf to cover her face, preventing any damage but feeling thoroughly chilled.


    Zhulan was determined to purchase more goods.


    She didn¡¯t plan to go out in the cold winter days of ancient times again.


    Staying comfortably at home was preferable; she didn¡¯t want to experience the biting ancient wind anymore.


    Zhulan first bought paper and brushes for her two sons, and a new brush for Rongchuan, who was currently using the worn-out ones from her sons, no longer suitable for practicing good calligraphy.


    Afterward, she visited the grocery store to buy salt and other seasonings.


    The salt in ancient times was impure and expensive.


    Ancient times¡¯ salt merchants were among the richest.


    After buying almost everything, Lady Li said coyly, ¡°Mother, I¡¯d like to have a look in the jewelry store.¡±


    Zhulan stared at Lady Li, ¡°Why do you want to go to the jewelry store?¡±

 Chapter 79 - 79 79 Met_1

    ?79: Chapter 79 Met_1 79: Chapter 79 Met_1 Lady Li couldn¡¯t say that she wanted to show off in the village and was afraid that her mother would slap her; instead, she concocted an excuse, ¡°I heard from Grandmother that some families with a nest egg have been saving up for their daughters¡¯ dowries since birth, and I knew mother would prepare one, but as her mother, I also wanted to save some for her.


    Luckily, I have some spare money and thought it¡¯d be good to buy some jewelry to bring back.¡±


    Zhulan was unaware of Lady Li¡¯s true thoughts and regarded her with higher esteem, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go to the jewelry shop.¡±


    It just so happened that she also wanted to see the prices of the jewelry in the silver shops, figuring that even if Zhou Shuren did not make any money when he returned, she could still pawn jewelry if necessary.


    She planned to prepare some jewelry and dowries for the girls in the family, since a girl¡¯s marriage depended not only on her parents but also on her dowry¡ªthe more substantial the dowry, the more confidence she¡¯d have.


    There were two reputable jewelry shops in the county.


    Arriving at the entrance of Phang¡¯s Jewelry Shop, Lady Li grew timid again.


    Even in her best clothes, she felt inferior to a young lady¡¯s maid.


    With one contemptuous glance from the maid, she shrank back, ¡°Mother, I won¡¯t buy anything.¡±


    Zhulan saw everything clearly and scolded her, ¡°Stand up straight and lift your head.¡±


    Lady Li immediately stood up straight as ordered, pleasing Zhulan, who then said, ¡°Come inside with mother.¡±


    Seeing that her mother was unaffected by the maid¡¯s disdain, Lady Li looked at her with full-blown admiration.


    She was indeed formidable, and Lady Li hurriedly followed her in.


    The jewelry shop had two floors: the first floor catered to ordinary folks while the second floor was reserved for the wealthy and people of status.


    There were fewer people on the first floor; typically, only those who were marrying off a family member would visit the jewelry shop unless they had spare money to spend.


    The clerk, upon seeing Zhulan¡¯s plain dress, did not neglect her service.


    Merchants were becoming less and less esteemed, which led to increased courtesy toward customers, ¡°All the jewelry in our store is the latest design.


    If the elder lady and sister-in-law have a liking for any piece, I¡¯ll bring it over for you.¡±


    Zhulan gestured for Lady Li to step forward as she did not plan to buy anything.


    Lady Li, now less self-conscious, was already dazzled by the sparkling jewelry and pointed to a carved silver hairpin, asking, ¡°How much for this hairpin?¡±


    The clerk flattered her, ¡°Sister-in-law has great taste!


    This is our best-selling hairpin ¨C it weighs one ounce, including the craftsmanship fee, so it¡¯s one ounce and two coins.¡±


    Lady Li winced at the price, ¡°That much more!¡±


    The clerk explained, ¡°This piece is hand-carved by our master, naturally it¡¯s a bit more expensive.


    Moreover, taxes have increased so we barely make a small profit.¡±


    Lady Li really liked the silver hairpin and ended up buying it along with a pair of silver earrings, spending a total of one ounce and four coins.


    As soon as they left the shop, she adorned herself with it, ¡°Mother, when I go back, I¡¯ll surely make the village daughters-in-law jealous.¡±


    Zhulan felt like she had been slapped in the face ¨C she thought Lady Li wanted to give her granddaughter a higher status, but it turned out it was all for herself.


    She forbade Lady Li from showing off, but Lady Li had found another way to boast through her new jewelry.


    Zhulan¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were saving it for Yu Lu¡¯s dowry?¡±


    Lady Li, still caught up in her own delight, did not notice her mother-in-law¡¯s dark mood, ¡°Mother, Yu Lu is still young.


    I¡¯ll wear it first, and when Yu Lu gets married, I¡¯ll melt it down to make new pieces.¡±


    Zhulan couldn¡¯t be bothered with Lady Li anymore and decided to rest with her eyes closed.


    Lady Li still thought herself clever and had already planned how she would show off her new status¡ªshe would surely walk through the village every morning and evening, no need for four times a day!


    At last, Zhulan went to the medical clinic; her replenishing medicine was finished.


    She had recuperated well and needed to change her prescription.


    Because it was made with her own ginseng, Zhulan saved a significant amount of silver coins on her health remedies.


    The doctor took her pulse and wrote a new prescription, mainly to replenish qi and blood as well as to regulate her body.


    She paid for seven days¡¯ worth of medicine, which cost two hundred wen coins, and also purchased some chilblain cream from the doctor, spending a total of two hundred and thirty coins.


    While waiting for her prescription, Zhulan saw Wang Ru come out of the inner room, frantic, her clothes stained with blood as she searched for a doctor without noticing Zhulan.


    It was only then that Zhulan vaguely remembered that Wang Ru had met with the merchant¡¯s illegitimate son and must know that Xue Han was the female lead.


    From then on, Wang Ru¡¯s attention would be continuously focused on Zhou¡¯s family, which Zhulan found suffocating to even think about.


    After receiving her medicine, Zhulan did not want to stay in the county for another second. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her face visibly upset, Lady Li drifted by quietly, thoroughly subdued for fear that her mother-in-law might snuff her out for any misstep.


    Upon returning home, Zhulan felt quite vexed.


    The existence of someone always scheming against you made life for Zhou¡¯s family much more challenging, and it was disheartening to contemplate.


    Zhou¡¯s second son saw his mother return with a troubled look on her face and entered the main room.


    Worried that something had happened, he quickly asked his older brother, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

 Chapter 80 - 80 80 Not Rare_1

    ?80: Chapter 80 Not Rare_1 80: Chapter 80 Not Rare_1 Zhou Laoda scratched his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know either, Mom came back looking unhappy.¡±


    Lady Li hurried back to her room to hide, thinking she was to blame for the trouble.


    Zhou Laoer asked carefully but still couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on.


    However, he had to talk to Mom about Rongchuan¡¯s situation, so he had no choice but to knock on the door with courage, ¡°Mom, I have something to say.¡±


    Zhulan sat up slowly, ¡°Come in!¡±


    Seeing that his mother¡¯s mood had improved, Zhou Laoer felt relieved.


    ¡°Mom wasn¡¯t home today, and Madam Zhu, Rongchuan¡¯s mother, came by secretly.


    I don¡¯t know what she said to Rongchuan, but it made him drive her away.


    She left cursing, saying that our family stole her son to be a boy raised by his maternal grandparents.


    The rumors that people didn¡¯t believe before are now completely trusted in the village.


    It concerns my sister¡¯s reputation, so I was thinking that Mom should make a decision.¡±


    He knew that his parents had this in mind, but since it wasn¡¯t out in the open because of the rumors, he hadn¡¯t been worried.


    After all, his parents had a plan.


    But now it was different; with Madam Zhu causing a scene at their doorstep, his family had to provide an explanation, or it would affect his sister¡¯s reputation badly.


    Zhulan thought about how Wang Ru¡¯s family, whose story had gone off-track, had lost even their place to live.


    She had thought that Wang Ru wouldn¡¯t have the time to go to the county town anymore, but she still encountered the minor villain, which meant she would still meet Xue Han¡¯s official match, still steal away the male lead.


    She was even more grateful that she had found a boy raised by his maternal grandparents for her daughter.


    The original plan was to wait until Zhou Shuren returned from Jiangnan to confirm everything. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Now that Zhou Shuren was away, ¡°I have it all figured out.


    Your father will be back from Jiangnan after some time, and we agreed to settle it before the New Year.


    If someone asks you about it, just say we¡¯re picking a good day for it, and don¡¯t say anything unnecessary,¡± said Zhulan.


    Zhou Laoer felt relieved, knowing that settling the matter was what mattered, not the timing.


    He no longer had to worry about damaging his sister¡¯s reputation, ¡°You rest, Mom.


    I¡¯m going to go out and work.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead!¡±


    After he left, Zhulan lay back on the warm bed.


    Despite being raised with modern education and believing in the freedom to choose one¡¯s spouse, she and Zhou Shuren had never considered instructing their daughter to find her own husband.


    In ancient times, a woman¡¯s reputation was more important than life itself.


    A husband chosen on her own would not be respected by her in-laws or her husband¡¯s heart.


    Climbing up the social ladder on your own would never be a fair trade.


    Ancient customs dictated that marriages be arranged by parents and matchmakers, with the Three Letters and Six Etiquettes being essential.


    Only then would a husband truly respect his wife from his heart.


    In the blind marriages of the past, all that Zhulan and Zhou Shuren could do was to find a boy raised alongside their daughter, to grow up together in love.


    With Zhou Shuren considering taking Rongchuan on as an excellent apprentice to be a disciple, and since Rongchuan had no family to rely on, they weren¡¯t worried that he would mistreat Xue Han.


    If things were to get dramatic with a true love appearing, Rongchuan, having a bit of sense, wouldn¡¯t dare lose his head.


    The hierarchy of heaven, emperor, parents, teachers¡ªwith teachers akin to fathers, plus the childhood debt of saving a life¡ªmeant Rongchuan wouldn¡¯t dare to betray his master and ruin his own future.


    If he became love-struck to the point of nonsense, with his prospects gone anyway, Zhou Shuren would squash him outright.


    Zhulan and Zhou Shuren had discussed every possibility, and thus firmly decided on Rongchuan as their son-in-law.


    As for taking back the official match for their daughter, sorry, but the couple really didn¡¯t care for the male lead.


    They had two concerns: first, even with Zhou Shuren¡¯s confidence, it would take time to rise through the ranks.


    With the difference in social status, their daughter would suffer hardships, something they couldn¡¯t bear.


    The second concern was that they did not want further entanglement with Wang Ru.


    If the male lead could switch Wang Ru for true love, it showed he and their daughter were not fated.


    Deep down, Zhulan and her husband did not wish to have any connection.


    As Zhulan mused, she dozed off.


    After lunch, she noticed Rongchuan seemed nervous.


    She stayed alone with Rongchuan after the meal and gave him the low-down, ¡°You don¡¯t need to be uneasy.


    Your uncle and I have already discussed it.


    Once you¡¯re back, we¡¯ll settle it.


    Don¡¯t worry about the rumors outside.¡±


    Rongchuan was stunned by the surprise.


    He had been worried that the budding arrangement might be ruined by his mother, but to hear that his aunt and uncle had decided was a shock.


    Even with his mature mind, he hurried to assert his position in front of the pleasant shock, ¡°Aunt and uncle, rest assured, I¡¯ll never be ungrateful.


    If I ever do wrong by Xue Han, may lightning strike me down, and I¡¯ll never have a good death.¡±


    Zhulan didn¡¯t put stock in oaths¡ªwere they ever to hold true, people would be struck down by lightning every day.


    She only believed in herself.


    The more she interacted with Rongchuan, the more she recognized his goodness.


    With a strong will shaped by childhood hardships and his cleverness, she knew with opportunities he would certainly soar.


    She became ever more satisfied with this excellent son-in-law, ¡°Good, good, I believe you.¡±


    After a few more words, Zhulan went back to rest in her room.


    Rongchuan, with a smile on his lips, felt the frustration in his heart dissipate.


    He was no longer angry with his mother and happily returned to his room to practice his calligraphy.