Accompanied by the RUMBLING of spring thunder, news of the old dynasty’s downfall and the new dynasty’s establishment spread throughout Mangshan.
The five-year war had finally come to an end this spring.
The villagers of Jiangya Village, who had taken refuge in Mangshan to escape the chaos of war, returned to their former homes like survivors of a catastrophe.
Looking at the dilapidated village and abandoned fields before them, a layer of apprehension clouded everyone’s hearts.
Fortunately, upon ascending the throne, the new emperor implemented benevolent policies, showing special compassion for the people around Mangshan.
He decreed a three-year tax exemption.
Years ago, the new emperor had slain a wolf in Mangshan and raised an army.
Later, defeated and pursued by enemy forces, he was driven into a corner and hid deep within the mountains.
It was precisely because of the local villagers’ cover that he managed to escape with his life and eventually conquer the world.
This three-year tax exemption was his way of showing gratitude to the people of Mangshan for saving his life.
This sudden grace acted like a warm breeze, blowing away the fog and unease in the villagers’ hearts.
The new dynasty had just been established, and a myriad of tasks awaited.
Restoring agricultural production became the most pressing matter.
Before long, an official dispatched by the new dynasty arrived at Jiangya Village, beginning to register the population one by one and redistribute the land.
Jiangya Village, a mountain village that had endured so much hardship, was about to start a new chapter.
Over the past few days, not only had the villagers who sought refuge in the mountains returned, but those who had been displaced in their early years and luckily survived were also trickling back.
The villagers who had weathered the war gathered under the old locust tree at the village entrance, discussing with mixed feelings of grief and joy how they would farm once the land was redistributed.
Lin Yingxue, enjoying a rare moment of leisure, brought out a small folding stool and leaned against the doorframe, cracking melon seeds while watching the crowd divide the land.
She had finally reached the land distribution plotline after transmigrating into this book.
She had it all figured out.
Once her mother-in-law fainted from anger, she would find an opportunity to swipe the old woman’s hidden stash of money along with her own indenture contract, and make a clean break.
Sure enough, just as the land distribution was nearing its end, her mother-in-law, Jiang Baozhen, pushed her way through the restless crowd.
A few shrill curses immediately rang out.
“This land distribution is unfair!
Those three acres of cultivated fields by the southern reed marsh were my dowry!
Which son of a bitch dared to give them to someone else?”
The woman, who looked about forty-five or six, roared as she charged into the crowd.
She grabbed a rock from the ground, looking like she was ready to fight to the death.
The onlookers hastily cleared a path for her.
“Didn’t we agree that land with owners would be claimed first, and only ownerless land would be redistributed?
How did the land under my name get reassigned to someone else?
“I’ll put this out there right now—whoever dares to touch my land, I’ll beat their brains out!”
Jiang Baozhen smoothed her disheveled hair, hopping mad.
She truly was the most shrewish woman in Jiangya Village; she didn’t even take the land-distributing official seriously.
The official who had been cursed out as a “son of a bitch” was so angry he almost lost his temper.
If he hadn’t come from a poor mountain village himself and known that every village always had one or two unreasonable shrews like her, he would have already charged Jiang Baozhen with the crime of gross disrespect.
“Ma’am, don’t get worked up just yet,” the official explained, forcefully suppressing his anger.
“Just now, when we were distributing those three acres by the reed marsh, your husband voluntarily gave them up.”
Hearing this, Jiang Baozhen became even more agitated and grabbed the official’s sleeve.
“Gave them to who?
My husband is too kind-hearted and has been easily coaxed since he was young.
This time, he must have been tricked by someone again!”
The official pulled his sleeve back.
“Your husband isn’t a three-year-old child.
How could he be tricked just like that?
He really did give them up willingly.”
Gasping with rage, Jiang Baozhen swept her sharp gaze across the crowd.
She clapped her hands and yelled, “Which coward tricked us out of our land?
You have the guts to cheat us, but not the guts to admit it, huh?
See if I don’t beat your brains out!”
The person who had taken the land did not step forward.
Lin Yingxue mused that the coward was none other than Jiang Baozhen’s own husband, Chen Huaiyuan.
“Sir, I have always had the final say in my family’s affairs.
I didn’t nod in agreement, so this land cannot be distributed!
Otherwise, I’ll hang myself right in front of you!” Jiang Baozhen clamored, leaning close to the official’s face again.
His eyelid twitching from her relentless badgering, the official pointed at Chen Huaiyuan in the crowd and snapped, “Sir, since you and your wife are a family, figure this out between yourselves.” He still had to hurry to other villages to distribute land and really didn’t want to waste time on this kind of dispute.
Anyway, the land deeds hadn’t been stamped at the government office yet, so they could still be changed.
Once they discussed it and came to an agreement, the village chief could just make a trip to the government office.
Chen Huaiyuan, having been singled out, looked thoroughly embarrassed.
Lin Yingxue could accurately guess her father-in-law’s inner thoughts.
He was definitely thinking about how this shrew was always like this, making a scene in public at the drop of a hat.
She never compromised even when she had the upper hand, completely disgracing the Chen Family.
It was just three acres of cultivated land, so was there any need to cause such a ruckus?
In the book, this father-in-law was the most “respectable man” in Jiangya Village.
He always wore freshly washed and starched clothes, and a gentle yet distant smile hung on his face.
His words and actions exuded the unique discipline of a scholar.
Coupled with a refined, lean face that didn’t show his age, he truly stood head and shoulders above the rest when standing amidst a group of muddy-legged farmers.
“Tell me, who took the land?” Jiang Baozhen didn’t believe her husband would voluntarily give up the land.
In her heart, Chen Huaiyuan was a pushover with thin skin and a soft heart.
The villagers often took advantage of his nature.
Chen Huaiyuan shrank back into the crowd and muttered in a low voice, “Forget it, forget it.
It’s already been given away, it’s no big deal.
It’s not like our family didn’t get any fields…”
Jiang Baozhen nearly choked on her own breath.
If it were a year of abundant harvest, it would have been fine.
But the chaotic times had just passed, and the whole family was counting on those few acres of cultivated land to grow grain and feed themselves.
No land in the entire village was as good as her three dowry acres.
He actually gave it away just like that; he truly had no sense of priorities.
“What kind of situation are we in right now?
We have neither money nor grain at home, yet you let someone trick you out of our land!
Without those cultivated fields, is the whole family going to starve next year?
“Tell me, who tricked you out of our land?
While the land deeds haven’t been stamped yet, we’re going to get it back!”
Jiang Baozhen stepped forward and grabbed Chen Huaiyuan’s sleeve.
Lin Yingxue secretly shook her head.
No one had tricked him at all; it was clearly him playing the good guy and pretending to be generous.
Now that things had blown up, he shrank back like a frightened turtle, leaving Jiang Baozhen to charge the front lines.
Chen Huaiyuan was annoyed that his wife wasn’t leaving him any dignity, but he still maintained the nonchalance of a scholar on his face.
He whispered, “It was my decision.
I gave the land to Dazhu and Tian Xiao’e.”
Jiang Baozhen’s eyes nearly split open in fury.
Hopping mad, she darted in front of Chen Huaiyuan’s brother, Chen Dazhu, and his wife, Mrs.
Tian.
With her hands on her hips, she cursed, “You heartless, rotten scumbags!
You even scam your own blood brother!
You’ll rot in hell for this!” While cursing, she raised her hands and started tearing at them.
A bloody scratch was clawed into Chen Dazhu’s face.
He retreated again and again.
“Bao…
Baozhen…
let’s talk this out…”
Mrs.
Tian, who originally had a smile hanging on her face, couldn’t hold it back anymore either.
She raised her voice, “Baozhen, those words are quite confusing.
We are all family, and the land belongs to the Chen Family.
Doesn’t it matter who farms it?”
“Tian Xiao’e, I’ve given you too much face, haven’t I!”
Mrs.
Tian’s words were like pouring oil on a fire.
Jiang Baozhen let out a HOWL and pounced on her, grabbing Mrs.
Tian’s hair and yanking it down, tearing out several strands by force.
Mrs.
Tian gasped in pain and reached back to scratch Jiang Baozhen, only to be forcefully pinned to the ground.
The scene instantly descended into chaos.
The land-distributing official fumed with rage, repeatedly calling for the villagers to step forward and break up the fight.
But aside from Jiang Baozhen’s brother, Jiang Shouren, who secretly helped his sister while pretending to mediate, the rest of the villagers only watched from a distance; no one actually intervened.
Jiang Baozhen’s four sons and three daughters-in-law were also in the crowd.
Except for the second son and his wife who stepped forward to stop the fight, the others all turned their faces away in embarrassment, neither moving nor uttering a sound.
Looking at his jumping and cursing wife, who acted like a madwoman, Chen Huaiyuan felt as if his face had been peeled off and trampled on the ground.
He turned to leave, but Jiang Baozhen grabbed him in a death grip.
“If Dazhu and Tian Xiao’e don’t return the land, don’t even think about leaving!”
“Have you made enough of a scene?!” Chen Huaiyuan finally couldn’t suppress his anger and shouted sternly.
He inwardly cursed her as an ignorant village woman, utterly devoid of decency.
Why couldn’t they talk about this behind closed doors?
She just had to make a scene that everyone knew about, humiliating him in front of the entire village.
“I’m making a scene?” Jiang Baozhen’s voice trembled.
“You gave the land away with just a few words, so what right do you have to say I’m making a scene?!”
Chen Huaiyuan sneered.
“I am your man, can’t I even make this small decision?
Since the land has already been given to Dazhu and Tian Xiao’e, a scholar must be true to his word.
There is no reason to go back on it.
It’s getting late, hurry home and cook!”
The youngest son beside them, Chen Tianhao, chimed in, “Dad is right.
How can you ask back for something you’ve given away?
Mom, you’re just being too petty.”
Her most relied-upon husband and her most doted-on son had once again stood united against her.
Seeing this, Mrs.
Tian gave a crooked sneer and lightly raised her eyebrows at Jiang Baozhen.
The mockery in her eyes was crystal clear, practically saying that neither Jiang Baozhen’s husband nor her son was on her side.
Jiang Baozhen’s vision went black.
Unable to catch her breath, she literally fainted from the sheer anger.