Chapter 38: Freeloading on Food and Drink

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“One hundred taels is only the price of a few meals to you!”

…

Jiang Lihua was speechless.

Ever since Jiang Lan had eaten a meal at her house, she had gone around saying that Jiang Lihua spent a fortune on every meal.

Anyone who did not know the truth might have thought she was some great tycoon.

When she ate together with Uncle Jiang and the others, a meal for seven or eight people cost less than one tael of silver.

Seeing that Jiang Lihua remained silent, Jiang Lan grew anxious.

“Well? Jiang Lihua, are you giving me the hundred taels or not?”

“You’re unwilling to part with even a hundred taels? You really value money more than your life. What if someone kills you one day and you never even realize it?”

After pondering for a moment, Jiang Lihua nodded.

She would consider the hundred taels money thrown to a dog.

The dog: I certainly never got to eat any of it.

Seeing that she had agreed, Jiang Lan let out a sigh of relief.

She had truly feared that this wretched girl would refuse.

“Hand over the hundred taels.” Jiang Lan held out her hand. “What if I tell you everything and you refuse to pay me afterward?”

What a suspicious mind.

Jiang Lihua took out a hundred-tael banknote, held it between her fingers, and looked at her.

Jiang Lan reached out and tried to snatch it, but failed.

“It was Yang Wenbin’s idea. He wanted you to become engaged to Scholar Zhang, and then have your business managed by him.”

“That’s all? Nothing more?” Jiang Lihua stared at her.

“Officially, Scholar Zhang would be in charge, but in reality, my mother would manage it. He knows this plan failed, and he’s still thinking of underhanded ways to deal with you. That’s everything.”

“Jiang Lan, this bit of information isn’t worth a hundred taels.”

That wretched girl—was she trying to go back on her word? Jiang Lan should have known to take the money first.

“You promised that you would pay me after I told you everything. Jiang Lihua, don’t even think about welching on the deal.”

Welching?

Jiang Lihua had always been honest and true to her word.

“Tell me this: how did you end up involved with Yang Wenbin?”

Jiang Lan reluctantly and incoherently recounted what had happened the day she encountered Madam Sun.

After listening, Jiang Lihua nodded.

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The mother and son of the Yang family hated her to the bone, yet had no way to deal with her.

It was only natural that Jiang Lan would want to vent her anger.

In that case, Jiang Lan had been dragged into this because of her as well.

Jiang Lihua handed her the hundred taels.

“Take care of yourself. Don’t think you can get any more money from me. If you come again, I’ll have the dog bite you.”

With that, Jiang Lihua turned and entered the courtyard.

Jiang Lan spat at her retreating back.

“Bah! What’s so impressive about her?”

The large black dog saw that she was still lingering and began barking furiously.

Terrified, Jiang Lan fled at top speed.

Jiang Lihua sat in the courtyard, thinking about Yang Wenbin.

She was now living a life that made the Yang family envious, leaving them filled with regret and jealousy.

She had thought that this was the best punishment she could give them.

She had never expected them not to reflect on their actions, nor to leave her alone. They were still plotting to harm her.

She had to take precautions.

Jiang Lihua remembered that she had once studied taekwondo for a year, but had practically abandoned it after becoming busy with work.

It seemed that now was the time to pick it up again.

Early the next morning, Jiang Lihua tied two sandbags to each leg and exercised in the courtyard.

She had specifically asked Aunt Zhang to make the sandbags for her.

For now, she would focus on improving her physical condition. Taekwondo placed the greatest emphasis on speed and strength.

Relying on others for protection inevitably left room for oversights.

It was still most reliable to rely on herself.

The Yang Family’s courtyard.

Early that morning, Madam Sun stood with her hands on her hips and cursed at the top of her voice.

“Yang Xiuhua, you good-for-nothing! I married you off, and now you’ve brought your husband back to freeload off us. Don’t you have any shame?”

Yang Xiuhua and Zhao Fusheng lay on the bed, completely unmoved by Madam Sun’s abuse.

After several days back home, they had grown accustomed to it—from their initial fury to their present numbness.

Yang Xiuhua hated Madam Sun and Yang Wenbin in her heart.

It was all because Madam Sun and Yang Wenbin had failed to properly trick that wretched girl Jiang Lihua into coming back.

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If they had lured that wretched girl back, they could have taken her recipes, and her husband could have gone to work as the chief manager for their rival.

It was all their fault. Not only had they caused her husband to offend his employer’s competitors, but his employer had also discovered that he was skimming profits and confiscated all their property, leaving them with nowhere to go but Pear Blossom Village.

Thinking of this, Yang Xiuhua turned over and continued sleeping with her head buried beneath the covers.

Since they had brought her to this state, she would freeload off them for the rest of her life.

With a loud crash, Madam Sun kicked the door open from outside and splashed the basin of water in her hands onto the bed.

It was still early spring, and the weather remained cold.

Caught completely off guard, Yang Xiuhua and Zhao Fusheng were drenched in icy water.

The two of them hurriedly scrambled out of bed.

Yang Xiuhua glared at Madam Sun, her eyes filled with hatred.

If she had been a son, perhaps Madam Sun would not have treated her this way.

She roared at Madam Sun, “What are you doing? Have you gone mad?”

The blankets were soaked. How were they supposed to sleep?

Madam Sun threw down the basin and planted both hands on her hips.

“A married daughter is like water thrown away. Take your husband and get out of here!”

Zhao Fusheng had hardly ever visited the Yang family since marrying Yang Xiuhua.

After only a few days in the Yang household, he had finally realized just how vicious Madam Sun was.

She was also utterly heartless and ungrateful.

When he had married Yang Xiuhua, he had paid a substantial bride price.

And every time Yang Xiuhua returned to her family home, she had brought plenty of gifts.

Now that they had fallen on hard times and were starving, the Yang family had immediately turned its back on them.

He was not someone they could bully at will.

Summoning the imposing air he had possessed as the manager of Myriad Blessings Tower, he stood with his hands behind his back.

“Fine, we can leave. But return everything we gave you before.”

The bride price, together with all the gifts they had sent over the years, amounted to at least a hundred taels of silver.

If they could recover it, they would be able to start a small business.

The moment Madam Sun heard this, her eyes widened like copper bells.

“In your dreams! Those things were rightfully ours. I gave my daughter to you, after all.”

“Your daughter?” Zhao Fusheng glanced at Yang Xiuhua, who was drenched and miserable beside him. “If you return the bride price and everything else, I’ll return your daughter to you.”