Chapter 36: Not Biological

Jiang Lihua: "Are your ears failing you, or are you just thick-headed? She is not my mother. Whoever took you in, go find them!"

Mrs. Jiang: "You wretched girl! I carried you for ten months and gave birth to you. How can I not be your mother?"

Jiang Lihua: "Do you have any proof that you were the one who gave birth to me?"

Mrs. Jiang’s eyes flickered slightly: "Who in our village doesn't know you were born to me? Everyone can testify to that!"

Jiang Lihua had only asked as a casual retort, but she had not expected Mrs. Jiang’s evasive reaction. Could it be that the original owner of this body was not actually born to Mrs. Jiang? Jiang Lihua began to scrutinize Mrs. Jiang, then thought about the appearances of Jiang Feixiang and his siblings. Jiang Lanhua resembled Mrs. Jiang, while Jiang Feixiang and Jiang Feichen likely took after their father. As for herself, she shared absolutely no resemblance with them.

Jiang Lihua looked at Mrs. Jiang with a cryptic smile. Feeling flustered under her gaze, Mrs. Jiang stood up, puffed out her chest, and said defiantly, "You are already betrothed. Come home with me now; it is not proper for a young woman to be seen out in public. From now on, your brother will handle the business."

Jiang Feixiang had just returned from delivering goods in town when he heard this. "Mother, what are you causing trouble for now?"

"Feixiang, I have arranged a marriage for Lihua. I told her to stop showing her face in public and hand the business over to you."

Jiang Feixiang’s face darkened immediately. "Mother, Lihua has only just regained her freedom, and you are forcing another engagement on her?"

"She has to marry sooner or later, so what is wrong with settling it early? I arranged for her to marry Scholar Zhang from our village. It is her good fortune to marry a scholar."

Jiang Feixiang pulled Mrs. Jiang away. "Mother, stop making a scene. Let's go home." He gave Jiang Lihua a quick nod before dragging Mrs. Jiang away.

Scholar Zhang, however, did not leave. He had made up his mind to pester Jiang Lihua; if she wanted him gone, she would have to pay him. Jiang Lihua and her group retreated into the courtyard, leaving him outside. She didn't care how long he lingered; with Xiao Hei guarding the perimeter, he couldn't get in anyway.

The next day, Jiang Feixiang came to work as usual and asked Jiang Lihua not to take their mother’s words to heart. Jiang Lihua, now fairly certain she was not Mrs. Jiang’s biological daughter, couldn't be bothered to argue with her anymore.

However, she still hadn't figured out the reason for the change in Jiang Feixiang’s attitude. After pondering for a long time without success, she decided to let it go. Let time reveal the truth; she would know eventually.

Jiang Lihua continued memorizing her medical texts. She had to understand the material as she went, so progress was slow. Before long, Scholar Zhang’s voice rang out from outside again, demanding five hundred taels of silver or he would refuse to call off the engagement.

Jiang Lihua frowned. This man was truly like a stubborn adhesive plaster, and remarkably shameless. Even when ignored, he would spend the entire day outside her courtyard, bringing his own dry rations, eating when hungry, and only leaving at night, only to return the next day. If any passerby asked, he would claim to be Lihua’s fiancé.

It was unbelievable! With all this time on his hands, he could have earned money doing anything else. Jiang Lihua ignored him, curious to see how long he could keep it up.

Seven days passed. Scholar Zhang had been at it for a week, yet he showed no signs of giving up. Jiang Lihua was almost impressed by his persistence. If only he applied this tenacity to something legitimate, he would surely become someone of note.

Jiang Lihua walked out and looked at him. "How much longer do you intend to stay if I keep ignoring you?"

Scholar Zhang opened his fan with one hand, tucked the other behind his back, and tilted his chin up with an air of unyielding pride. "I will wait until the day you give me those five hundred taels!"

Jiang Lihua: "..."

"Tell me, who sent you?"

"I take money to do a job. I am a man of principle; I will not tell you."

*Ha, you have principles?* Jiang Lihua rolled her eyes at him. "Have you even received the money yet?"

If she wasn't mistaken, he hadn't seen a cent. Scholar Zhang blushed. "In any case, I will not call off the engagement until you pay me five hundred taels. You need not say anything else."

"You came to me for the money, but if you do this job, will the people who hired you actually pay you? And does the other party even have that kind of money to give you?"

Hearing this, Scholar Zhang couldn't help but think. The other party hadn't given him a single tael of silver yet, and thinking back to the poverty of the Jiang household, they likely didn't have the money to pay him at all.

"Well? Are you willing to talk now? If you do, I can give you one hundred taels. Otherwise, you can stay here until you die of old age!"

Having crouched outside her courtyard for so many days, Scholar Zhang knew that Jiang Lihua’s business was thriving, and he was looking for long-term employment. "I can tell you. I don't want your money, but you must let me work for you."

"Tell me first, and then I will consider whether to keep you."

Knowing he had no leverage, Scholar Zhang told her everything. It turned out that Mrs. Jiang and Jiang Lanhua had approached him, promising five hundred taels to arrange the engagement and keep her under their control. He had only agreed because his elderly mother was ill and he needed the money.

After listening, Jiang Lihua pondered for a moment and agreed to let him work as a tutor at her school, offering him a monthly wage of one tael of silver.

"Thank you!" Scholar Zhang said before departing.

Jiang Lihua did not believe Mrs. Jiang had the intellect to come up with such a scheme; someone must have coached her. Since the school happened to need help, she decided to keep Scholar Zhang on for now to observe him.

After dinner, Ni Wenyu produced a silver bracelet and gave it to her. "Lihua, I bought this when I went to town."

Jiang Lihua took it and put it on; it was a perfect fit.