Jiang Li understood the members of the Yin family. If she directly claimed to the public that the shops were poorly managed, the Yin family would not believe it.
However, if they heard some rumors and gossips, combined with the shops’ intentional and guarded secrecy, the Yin family would inevitably grow suspicious.
Instead, they would truly believe that something was wrong with the shops.
Ren Dong did not understand why her young mistress would give such orders, but since the shops and workshops all belonged to the mistress, and she was merely guarding them on her behalf, she obeyed her instructions implicitly.
“Wet Nurse, find a way to leak the matter of the Yin family plotting against my dowry to Jiang Xiuyuan. Remember, do not make it look too intentional.”
Hearing this, the wet nurse was stunned and hurriedly asked with a face full of worry, “What does Miss mean by this? Could it be that the Yin family bullied you?”
Jiang Li could not help but smile and shook her head, saying, “Don’t worry, nothing of the sort happened. Jiang Xiuyuan has coveted the Jiang family’s businesses for years; it is about time to make him do something.”
In her past life, as Jiang Li’s grand-uncle, Jiang Xiuyuan had tried every possible means to secure the Jiang family’s properties under his own name.
Fortunately, with Jiang Li guarding them, Jiang Xiuyuan was never able to get his way.
Jiang Li had always been on guard against Jiang Xiuyuan, knowing he was not a good person, yet she had failed to guard against the very people she should have been most wary of.
Hearing this, the wet nurse finally understood; it seemed her young mistress wanted to give the Yin family a warning.
Looking at her own young mistress, the wet nurse felt an immense heartache.
There was no family left by the mistress’s side, those of the same clan were eyeing her like tigers, and she even had to hold a spirit tablet just to get married.
The mistress’s life was too bitter; the wet nurse only hoped that the mistress’s days ahead could be more comfortable.
“Yes, I understand everything.”
After arranging the matters of the shops and workshops, Jiang Li returned to the Yin family and went to see Madam Fan.
Madam Fan had originally been waiting joyfully for Divine Doctor Bai to arrive. She had long heard others say that Divine Doctor Bai shared a very deep friendship with Old Master Jiang, so sending that girl Jiang Li to invite him would surely bring the Divine Doctor to their door.
Seeing Jiang Li return, Madam Fan hurriedly ordered the servants to serve tea. However, when she glanced behind Jiang Li and saw no one else, Madam Fan’s face instantly collapsed.
“Did Divine Doctor Bai not come?”
Jiang Li slightly lowered her head, putting on a guilty expression as if she had done something wrong: “It is this daughter-in-law who is useless and failed to invite Divine Doctor Bai.”
Madam Fan grew somewhat impatient. She was being tormented by her head ailment, and the thought that she would be tormented again tonight to the point of sleeplessness caused her emotions to instantly spiral out of control.
Pointing at Jiang Li’s nose, Madam Fan roared, “How can you be so useless? You can’t even invite Divine Doctor Bai back! Our Yin family did not marry you into the house just to be an ornament!”
Jiang Li’s expression remained unchanged, though she was already sneering in her heart.
In her past life, she had also failed to invite Divine Doctor Bai on her first visit. By the time she returned, the sky was already dark, and the news of her kneeling and begging Divine Doctor Bai in the Divine Doctor Valley had reached the manor ahead of her.
At that time, Madam Fan had acted completely like a reasonable and understanding mother-in-law. Even while being tormented by illness, she could not bear to say a single harsh word to her daughter-in-law.
Seeing her return so early this time without managing to invite Divine Doctor Bai, Madam Fan had failed to control her temper.
Thinking back to the Madam Fan she saw after she fell ill in her past life, the mother-in-law before her eyes now was her truest self.
Jiang Li assumed a wronged demeanor, tears welling up in her eyes: “I am sorry, it is my own uselessness. I took the ginseng prepared by the storehouse to seek an audience with Divine Doctor Bai, but I didn’t even get to see the Divine Doctor’s face.”
Seeing Jiang Li shed tears, Madam Fan refrained from criticizing further, realizing that she had spoken too harshly.
Ultimately, Jiang Li was merely a young girl doted upon and raised by the Jiang family. Without the protection of the Jiang family elders, she was nothing.
Fortunately, the Jiang family was wealthy, and the savings left for Jiang Li were considerable. Otherwise, Madam Fan would never have agreed to this marriage.
“It is Mother’s fault, I shouldn’t have spoken so harshly to you. It’s not that Mother wants to blame you, but my head truly hurts terribly.” Madam Fan’s eyes flickered as a scheme came to mind, “Ah Li, Divine Doctor Bai’s refusal to see you might just be because he was dissatisfied with the ginseng we sent. I heard that there are several pieces of top-grade medicinal ingredients listed on your dowry. Could you bring them out to help invite Divine Doctor Bai? Rest assured, once my head ailment is cured, I will definitely find a way to reimburse you for the cost of the medicine; I won’t let you pay for it in vain.”
Jiang Li showed a difficult expression, stammering for a long while, neither agreeing nor refusing.
Madam Fan instinctively felt that something was wrong. How could this girl be so stingy even with a few medicinal ingredients?
Madam Fan said no more. After dismissing Jiang Li, she ordered the servants to bring over Jiang Li’s dowry list.
Madam Fan had never looked closely at Jiang Li’s dowry list; today was her first time seeing it.
Before long, a servant brought the dowry list over.
With a smile on her face, Madam Fan knew without even thinking carefully how many valuable things would be on the dowry.
But upon seeing the dowry list, the smile on Madam Fan’s face instantly froze.
Where were the valuable medicinal ingredients? Where were the precious jewelry sets? And where were the Jiang family’s shopfronts? Why were none of them on the dowry list?
Madam Fan’s heart skipped a beat, and a bad premonition welled up inside her.
Could it be that the Jiang family had long become an empty shell and was fundamentally not as wealthy as she had imagined?
Feeling uncertain, Madam Fan hurriedly went to discuss it with her husband.
Upon seeing the dowry list, Master Yin appeared much calmer than Madam Fan.
“She is the only one left in the Jiang family, so she is on guard against us. She intentionally kept the Jiang family’s landed estates and shopfronts off the dowry list. Even if they aren’t written down, they are still under her name, and we will make her hand them over sooner or later. You are still too impatient; if you let her know you are eyeing her dowry, it is feared all our efforts will be in vain.”
Madam Fan instantly grew anxious: “How can that be allowed? Our family did not hold her bad luck against her and let her enter our doors; how can we fail to reap even a single bit of benefit? I understand now, I won’t let it show in front of her.”
Madam Fan hurriedly had someone return the dowry list to the storehouse, pondering how to soothe Jiang Li.
But on second thought, Jiang Li only knew how to weep and wail when things happened, and giving her things would be giving them away for nothing; it would be better to keep them for their own family’s use.
Madam Fan abandoned the idea, yet she still urged Jiang Li to go invite Divine Doctor Bai the following day.
Jiang Li behaved with utmost compliance, heading to the Divine Doctor Valley according to Madam Fan’s wishes, though she failed to see the Divine Doctor’s face every single time.
After several days passed, Madam Fan could no longer bear it and took her daughter, Yin Shuangshuang, along to visit the Divine Doctor Valley.
Madam Fan no longer harbored illusions of having Divine Doctor Bai make a house call; as long as he could treat her illness, it would be perfectly fine for her to come here herself.
However, the moment she stated their identity to the medicine boy, the main gates before them shut with a loud bang.
Madam Fan caught a nose full of dust and turned to look at Jiang Li in fury: “What is the meaning of this?”
Jiang Li looked full of guilt: “Perhaps the ginseng prepared by the storehouse that day not only failed to catch Divine Doctor Bai’s eye, but even enraged him. That is why he refuses to see anyone upon hearing it is the Yin family.”
Madam Fan was highly dissatisfied with this answer. If the ginseng prepared by the storehouse was no good, didn’t Jiang Li know to swap it for a better one?
She had already married into their Yin family, yet she was still unwilling to use her good things on her mother-in-law; what was the point of marrying her?
Madam Fan’s headache intensified. She pulled her daughter onto the carriage and left, offering Jiang Li no good looks whatsoever on the way back.
Jiang Li sat in the corner, her head slightly lowered, her shoulders trembling slightly as if she were secretly wiping away tears.
【Ding! Detecting an increase in Madam Fan’s anger value and an increase in Yin Shuangshuang’s anger value. Rewarding the host with two Beauty Pills.】