Chapter 37: Treating Me Like a Beggar?

That silly boy. He barely has any money himself, yet he insists on buying her such jewelry—she hardly knows what to say to him.

Jiang Lihua looked at him with a mix of annoyance and affection. Ni Wenyu scratched his head, feeling sheepish. He had specifically bought these in town, hoping that when he wasn't by her side, the sight of the bracelet would remind her of him.

They had both been busy these past few days and hadn't had much time to talk. Having finally found a rare moment of leisure today, Jiang Lihua told him about Scholar Zhang.

Upon hearing this, Ni Wenyu nodded. "The schoolhouse is overwhelmed; having someone to help out is a good thing. I will keep an eye on him."

The village had been quite lively these past two days. First, news broke that Huang Yingrong had been cast aside by Yang Wenbin and was now locked in her room by the village head, behaving erratically. A few days later, the Yang family’s married daughter, Yang Xiuhua, returned home with her husband to stay with her parents. Her husband was lazy and gluttonous, and their daughter spent her days sobbing. Madam Sun, stingy with her grain, refused to cook for them, turning the Yang household into a chaotic mess.

Feeling utterly exasperated, Yang Wenbin stepped out of his house to pace in the fields. Jiang Lanhua approached him head-on. Yang Wenbin frowned. What was she here for? A useless creature who couldn't accomplish anything—she couldn't even handle such a small task.

"Scholar Zhang has quit," Jiang Lanhua said directly, skipping any pleasantries.

Yang Wenbin frowned. So he quit—what did that have to do with him? He hadn't really expected that scheme to work anyway. After all, that stubborn girl Jiang Lihua was not easy to deal with these days. He had only wanted to cause her some trouble and make her life miserable. Who would have thought that Jiang Lanhua and the Zhou woman would be so utterly incompetent? They had charged in full of bluster, only to scurry away in disgrace, without managing to squeeze a single copper out of Jiang Lihua.

Yang Wenbin gave her a look of contempt. "That is none of my business. Go away, and don't come looking for me again." This ugly girl was nowhere near as impressive as Jiang Lihua, and she lacked wit to boot.

"Pfft. Aren't you the one who hates Jiang Lihua so much? You're just going to let it go like this? You coward," Jiang Lanhua retorted, her slanted eyes filled with disdain.

Yang Wenbin was incensed. She had the nerve to despise him? Who did she think she was? He stepped forward and seized her by the throat. "Don't push your luck. I will handle Jiang Lihua myself."

"Cough, cough... let, let me go," Jiang Lanhua choked out, grabbing his wrists.

"Hmph." Yang Wenbin flung her to the ground, kicked her twice, and strode away.

Watching his retreating figure, Jiang Lanhua clenched her fists. This coward—she would make sure he didn't have an easy time of it either. She scrambled up, brushed off the dust, and ran toward Jiang Lihua’s residence.

"Jiang Lihua! Jiang Lihua, get out here!"

Arriving at the gate, she found the large black dog still on guard. Unable to enter, she could only shout toward the courtyard. Jiang Lihua, who was busy reciting the *Manual of Flora*, ignored her. She now knew that she might not be the Jiang family’s biological child, and as such, she felt no deep connection to them. She couldn't be bothered to entertain a clown like Jiang Lanhua.

"Jiang Lihua, come out! Don't you want to know who was behind Scholar Zhang coming to propose?"

Jiang Lihua curled her lips into a smile. In that case, she would see what Jiang Lanhua had to say. She rose, walked out, and leaned against the courtyard wall with her arms crossed, looking at Jiang Lanhua.

"Speak. What do you know?"

Seeing Jiang Lihua’s haughty demeanor filled Jiang Lanhua with jealousy. That wretched girl—she was just putting on airs. Wasn't she just wealthy? She was here today to strike a bargain, not to beg. She lifted her chin. "Jiang Lihua, I’ll tell you what I know if you give me five hundred taels of silver."

With that much money, she could do anything. She could open a workshop just like Jiang Lihua and hire servants to do the work. She would dress herself in fine clothes, play the part of a wealthy young lady, and spend her days ordering others around.

"Pfft." Jiang Lihua turned to leave. "If you aren't going to say it, fine."

Trying to swindle her? Not a chance. She was wealthy now, but her money didn't fall from the sky. Besides, she would rather throw her money away than give it to someone like her.

"Jiang Lihua, stop!" Jiang Lanhua rushed forward to grab her. "Three hundred taels! Give me three hundred taels, and I’ll tell you everything." She was afraid the girl would lock herself inside and never come out. Three hundred taels would be enough to buy plenty of land in the village; once she had the land, she would be a landlady.

Jiang Lihua glanced at her coolly. "Five taels."

Jiang Lanhua’s expression darkened. Five taels? Was this girl trying to brush off a beggar? "Jiang Lihua, I am your sister! You’re only giving me five taels? You probably spend that much on a single meal!"

Sister? Whether that was even true remained to be seen. And besides, were there any sisters like her in the world? Jiang Lihua narrowed her eyes. "You’re my sister, yet you teamed up with others to harm me? And now you’re using that to demand money from me?"

Jiang Lanhua retorted defiantly, "Who told you not to give us money? You’re clearly so wealthy."

Jiang Lihua laughed in disbelief. So, it was her fault now? "Five taels. Take it or leave it; I’m not even that curious." She knew well enough who her enemies were.

"No way! One hundred taels, and I'll tell you. That person has even more sinister schemes waiting for you. I’m only telling you this because you’re my sister."