Chapter 22: Auntie Li’s Unreasonable Ways

"Hmph, she actually hoarded the chili sauce and ruined several vats of cabbage."

Aunt Zhang opened the vats, and a foul stench wafted out. Everyone covered their noses in disgust. Hearing Aunt Li’s loud cries, Jiang Lihua had already made her way to the processing workshop.

"Aunt Li," Jiang Lihua asked loudly, "why did you do this?"

"Lihua, it wasn't me!" Aunt Li shouted back.

"Still lying? I saw with my own eyes that you hid the chili sauce." As she spoke, Aunt Zhang produced the stash of sauce Aunt Li had hidden.

Aunt Li looked at Jiang Lihua in disbelief and challenged, "Lihua, you actually had people spying on me?"

Jiang Lihua replied coldly, "If you have nothing to hide, why fear being watched?"

Aunt Li cursed, "I treated you so well, and this is how you repay me? You heartless, ungrateful wretch!"

Jiang Lihua was so angry she laughed. When had she ever treated her that well? She acknowledged that Aunt Li had spoken up for her and helped catch snakes, and she was grateful for that. That was precisely why, whenever Aunt Li bought vegetables from her or did work for her, she had always been paid extra.

However, looking back, it seemed that Aunt Li’s enthusiasm for catching snakes in winter—when the snakes were hibernating and posed no threat—was merely driven by greed for the snakes themselves.

Aunt Li continued to clamor, "What? Nothing to say? Let me go!"

"Pay for the ruined cabbage, and you can leave. You must also return the wages you earned for working on those specific vats."

"What? Keep dreaming!"

"Why did you do this? What good did it do you?"

Aunt Li said nothing, simply sitting on the ground.

"If you don't speak, I will hand you over to the authorities. What happens after that—whether you go to jail or worse—will be none of my business."

Aunt Li’s eyes widened. "You wouldn't dare!"

Jiang Lihua sneered, "Try me!"

Aunt Li stared at Jiang Lihua for a long time before finally saying, "I don't have the money."

"Then tell me why you did this. If your explanation is satisfactory, I won't make you pay me back."

"It was Yang Xiuhua. She knew I worked here and promised me 100 taels of silver if I got her the recipe for the spicy cabbage."

Yang Xiuhua? If Aunt Li hadn't mentioned her, Jiang Lihua wouldn't have even remembered the woman. She was Yang Wenbin’s older sister, who had married into town years ago. Beyond that, Jiang Lihua could recall nothing else about her.

"What did she want the recipe for?"

"I don't know! I didn't know how to make your sauce, so I just secretly hid some and gave it to her."

Jiang Lihua sneered. The reason she dared to hire others to pickle the cabbage was that she wasn't afraid of them knowing the process. Her sauce came from her own department store; the ingredients available here were simply not enough to replicate it.

"Aunt Li, did you betray me for just 100 taels? You've earned quite a bit of money working for me these past months."

"Bah! False kindness! When you first came to the village, I was the first to get close to you. Yet, knowing full well that I had cabbage, you bought 500 catties from the Wang family and only 40 from me."

As Aunt Li said this, Jiang Lihua remembered. Back when she was building the workshop, Aunt Wang had mentioned her mother-in-law was sick and needed money. To help the Wang family out, she had bought the 500 catties from them. She had even hired Aunt Li to help with the pickling then; she hadn't realized that Aunt Li had been holding a grudge ever since.

Aunt Wang, who was also working in the shop, heard this and said to Jiang Lihua, embarrassed, "Lihua, I'm so sorry. I’ve caused you trouble." She then apologized to Aunt Li, "Aunt Li, I’m truly sorry. Lihua just heard my family was in a tough spot and wanted to help..."

Aunt Li cut her off, "Save it. Is there anyone in this village who isn't struggling? Only your family has it hard? Don't act so pathetic."

Aunt Wang bit her lip, then, as if having made a decision, said to Jiang Lihua, "Lihua, count the loss of these ruined vats as mine. I will pay for them."

Jiang Lihua shook her head. "Forget it. Let Aunt Li go."

"Hmph."

It would take her a year or more to earn 100 taels here, but Yang Xiuhua had promised her the money as soon as they could formulate the recipe based on the sauce. Aunt Li walked away, head held high and looking triumphant.

Jiang Lihua turned to the others. "I know everyone is struggling, which is why I pay good wages. If anyone is dissatisfied or doesn't want to work here anymore, you are free to leave at any time; I won't stop you. But if another incident like Aunt Li's occurs, I will not be lenient—I will hand the matter directly to the authorities."

Everyone nodded in assurance, "Don't worry, Lihua. We won't be like Aunt Li."

Jiang Lihua nodded and left.

When Aunt Li returned home, her daughter-in-law asked, "Mother, it’s not time to finish work yet. Why are you back?"

"Hmph, that wretched girl kicked me out."

"What? Mother, what happened?"

Aunt Li recounted the events to her daughter-in-law. The younger woman thought to herself, *My mother-in-law is truly foolish. Staying with Jiang Lihua was the long-term path to security, and now she’s offended her.*

But what was done was done. She asked, "Mother, are you sure Yang Xiuhua will give you the money? You gave her the sauce days ago, right?"

Aunt Li thought about it; it had been five or six days.

"No, I have to go to town and find Yang Xiuhua."

She rushed off to town. Upon arriving at Yang Xiuhua’s house, she tried to remain pleasant, fearing that if she caused a scene, she wouldn't get paid.

"Xiuhua," she asked with a smile, "when will you give me the 100 taels you promised?"

Yang Xiuhua glanced at her and replied, "The sauce you gave me was useless. No matter how the chefs tried to season it, they couldn't replicate the flavor. So, there is no money for you."

"What? Xiuhua, you can't go back on your word!"

"I said I would give you 100 taels when you got the recipe. You only brought me some useless sauce; there’s nothing I can do."

"But later you said the sauce was fine, and that if they could formulate a recipe from it, you would still pay me!"

"Right, if they could formulate it. But they haven't!"

Aunt Li finally realized she had been cheated by Yang Xiuhua.

"Yang Xiuhua! I ruined several vats of cabbage to steal that sauce, and that girl kicked me out! You must compensate me. If you don't give me an answer today, I'm not leaving!"

Aunt Li sat on the ground and began to make a scene. Yang Xiuhua simply signaled for two servants to drag Aunt Li out and slammed the door shut. No matter how much Aunt Li pounded on the door, no one opened it.

Aunt Li began to curse, "Yang Xiuhua, it’s no wonder you can’t bear children! Hahaha!"

"Neighbors, come look! This woman, Yang Xiuhua, is a barren hen who tried to steal someone else's recipe! Her brother is a shameless man who steals other people's... it’s disgraceful!"

Yang Xiuhua was livid. Her inability to conceive after years of marriage had always been her deepest pain.

"Go drag that madwoman in here and rip her mouth open!"

Aunt Li was dragged inside by the servants and beaten until her face was swollen beyond recognition. Yang Xiuhua stepped in front of her and said, "If you dare to spout such nonsense again, I will beat you to death."