“We will discuss this at home!” Old Master Zhao finally decided to side with his wife, turning a blind eye to the truth to save her face.
“Oh, look at that!” Bai Qianqian sneered. “Everyone knows my father-in-law is the most upright man in the village. But now that his own wife has committed a crime, he’s suddenly gone blind? Everyone, come and see! If I am lying, may heaven strike me dead. Who in the Zhao family dares to swear a solemn oath that they didn’t arrange a ghost marriage for me?”
“If you lie, may your third son in town never pass the imperial examinations, and may his official career be ruined!”
The Zhao family’s evasive expressions contrasted sharply with Bai Qianqian’s unwavering confidence. The onlookers knew exactly who was lying.
“You murderous wench! How dare you curse my son!” Old Madam Zhao, who cherished her third son above all else, forgot she was still faking illness and lunged at Bai Qianqian, ready to tear her mouth open.
Slap!
“You dare strike me?” Old Madam Zhao shrieked. “I’ve borne your children for all these years, and you hit me? I’m done with this life! Waaaah…” She never expected her own husband to slap her in public. She collapsed to the ground, wailing and thrashing.
“Drag your mother back inside!” Old Master Zhao barked at his eldest daughter-in-law.
The daughter-in-law didn’t dare defy her father-in-law. She grabbed Old Madam Zhao and dragged her away by force.
“What are you all staring at? Get lost!” the eldest son shouted, quickly catching on to his father’s meaning.
The crowd reluctantly dispersed, returning to their fields to harvest grain, though every one of them kept their ears strained, eager for more gossip.
“What do you want from us?” Old Master Zhao asked, his patience gone.
“From now on, we live separately. We won’t interfere with each other’s lives,” Bai Qianqian stated. “Return all my dowry, and pay me ten taels of silver in compensation.”
She knew her original husband had been conscripted into the army, making a formal divorce impossible for now. Her only option was to secure as much leverage as possible.
“Impossible!” Old Master Zhao scoffed. “Our second son hasn’t returned yet. He’ll never agree to a family split. We can return your dowry, but ten taels is outrageous. We’ll give you five.”
“The imperial court has strictly forbidden ghost marriages,” Bai Qianqian reminded him coldly.
“If I take this to the county office, do you think your third son’s family will have any future?”
She held a powerful trump card, and she had no intention of wasting it.
“Hmph! Aren’t you afraid our second son will divorce you when he returns?” Old Master Zhao sneered. He couldn’t bear to let a woman ride roughshod over him and quickly found the original host’s weakness.
Unfortunately for him, the original host’s foolish devotion had been burned away by the fever. The woman inhabiting this body now was far from the one he knew. Old Master Zhao had miscalculated.
“I am afraid,” Bai Qianqian retorted. “But I’m more afraid you’ll marry me off to a dead man while I’m asleep. Besides, who knows if your second son will even make it back from the battlefield alive?”
“I advise you not to push things too far!”
“Who’s pushing things too far? You were the ones who tried to force me into a ghost marriage while I was still alive! Enough with the diversions. I have three conditions, and you will meet all of them. Otherwise, don’t blame me when I go to town and ruin your promising third son’s reputation!”
Bai Qianqian’s body still felt weak. Waking up to process so much information while dealing with these monstrous people had exhausted her patience. She issued an ultimatum.
“Fine, I agree,” Old Master Zhao spat, his face contorted. “But until our second son returns, we will live separately. From now on, the Zhao family will not be responsible for you in any way!”
No matter how clever he was, Old Master Zhao didn’t dare gamble with his third son’s future. He could only grit his teeth and accept her terms.
“Fine! Move everything into my room. If I find a single thing missing when I check before dark, don’t blame me for showing no mercy!” Bai Qianqian watched Old Master Zhao leave, her eyes cold.
Whew!
Once he was gone, she stopped pretending to be strong and slumped onto the ridge of the field, catching her breath for a long time.
“Poor Madam Bai,” a young wife harvesting crops nearby said, her voice filled with sympathy as she watched Bai Qianqian sitting there. “That Old Madam Zhao is truly ruthless.”
“You’ve got no brains!” another woman snapped. “Have you already forgotten the chicken she tricked you out of? And you’re still feeling sorry for her? She deserves every bit of this!”
At those words, the young wife’s sympathy vanished instantly. The thought of that old hen made her heart bleed all over again.
Bai Qianqian heard every word, and combined with the original host’s memories, the picture was clear: this woman was loathed by everyone. Not only was she lazy, but she also delighted in taking advantage of others—a head of cabbage today, a bunch of green onions tomorrow.
Her greatest “achievement” was stealing that very chicken from the young wife.
Worse, she was incredibly stingy, even stealing from her own stepson. She had never spared a thought for anyone else in the Zhao family, bullying the young boy until he was too terrified to even utter a peep.
Even the village dogs learned to give her a wide berth. No wonder she managed to keep herself so plump and well-fed, Bai Qianqian thought. She’s quite the talent.
It was a good thing she hadn’t run into the Village Head. He’d probably have helped the Zhao family kick her out of the village if he’d seen her.
After resting long enough, Bai Qianqian finally managed to stand up and start walking back to her quarters.
It was the peak of the harvest season, and every able-bodied person was out in the fields. Only the elderly, too frail to work, remained. They watched her warily as she passed, terrified she’d try to swindle them.
Bai Qianqian’s lips twitched. Fine, she thought. The original owner left a lasting impression. I’ll have to take things slow if I want to get back on the village’s good side.
When she returned to the Zhao house, Old Madam Zhao was still furiously hurling indirect insults. Bai Qianqian ignored her.
Old Master Zhao had delivered the items she’d demanded before nightfall.
“This isn’t right,” Bai Qianqian said, inspecting the payment. “Ten taels was the agreed compensation, but you’ve only given me three. The Zhao family is lacking in sincerity.”
She had no intention of letting them off the hook.
“What’s going on?” Old Master Zhao demanded, glaring at his wife with frustration. “Didn’t I tell you to hand over the money? Do you really want to ruin our third son?”
“Our third son needs money for his studies, and his wife is pregnant! How can we give so much to that poisonous woman?” Old Madam Zhao’s heart bled at the thought.
“This is all your fault!” Old Master Zhao snapped. “Who thought it was a good idea to arrange a ghost marriage? You gave her the perfect excuse to blackmail us! Just hand over the rest of the money!”
Old Madam Zhao finally relented, grudgingly producing the remaining seven taels. “Hmph! You damned slut! I’ll make you pay for this!”
“I’d like to see you try,” Bai Qianqian retorted, snatching the silver and completely ignoring the threat.
Old Madam Zhao watched as she carried her belongings back into her room. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she fainted from sheer fury.
“What are you standing around for?” Old Master Zhao barked at his eldest daughter-in-law. “Help your mother inside!”
Once inside her room and with the door securely shut, Bai Qianqian began to inventory her dowry.
The original owner had been married into the Zhao family for nearly a year and had kept her belongings hidden away. If she hadn’t fallen ill with a high fever and lost consciousness, Old Madam Zhao would never have been able to seize everything.
The old woman had already used the last two bolts of fabric to make clothes. All that remained were two new quilts, two pairs of cloth shoes, and a single silver bracelet.