The mother and daughter whispered to each other until midnight.
“Thanks to you, I was able to dig up the Silver and the token.”
Jiang Baozhen credited Lin Yingxue entirely for unearthing the Silver and the evidence of the bastard’s lineage.
She had just been worrying about not having spare cash to make jewelry and buy clothes for her daughter.
This ten taels of Silver, combined with the five taels she had saved up herself, would solve their current financial dilemma.
A total of fifteen taels was enough not only to outfit her daughter with jewelry and clothes but also to buy a few more acres of good farmland.
If there was any left over, she could even renovate the house and the courtyard.
Jiang Baozhen stared at the Silver and the token, her face beaming with delight.
“Xue’er, you hold onto this ten taels of Silver for now.
Once I get the land back from the eldest branch, I’ll take you to town to have some clothes and jewelry made.”
Jiang Baozhen stuffed the Silver into Lin Yingxue’s hands, then returned to her room, pocketing the letter and the Jade Pendant.
Lin Yingxue stroked the Silver and the longevity lock, in an excellent mood.
Counting the pair of silver bracelets she was given during the day, she could now be considered a wealthy little lady.
Allying with Jiang Baozhen was definitely not a loss.
Early the next morning, Wu Qiaoqiao and Huang Qiuju were huddled together, whispering secretly.
“Do you think our mother-in-law has gone mad from missing her daughter, or did that slut Yingxue cast some kind of spell on her?
It hasn’t even been that long, yet the silver bracelets are already on her wrists, and the good room has been cleared out for her.
I was so angry my chest hurt all night.
If things go on like this, there won’t be any place for us in this house.”
“Exactly.
Mother-in-law used to dote on Tianhao, but at least he’s her own flesh and blood.
If she shows favoritism toward her youngest son, there’s nothing we can do about it.
But what right does Yingxue have?
She’s been a freeloader in this house for so long, and now she’s coaxed our mother-in-law into not even caring about Tianhao anymore.
Do you think she found out something about Ruixue and is using it to blackmail her?”
The two of them simply couldn’t figure out why their mother-in-law’s attitude toward Lin Yingxue had drastically changed.
“Have you swept the floor?
“Have you washed the clothes?
“You two malicious wretches!
You do absolutely nothing all day except stand around gossiping.
You can’t even stand it when I treat Xue’er a little better now.
Let me tell you the truth—there will be plenty more for you to bear in the future.
If you don’t like it, suck it up and keep it to yourselves!”
Lin Yingxue had slept soundly on her soft bed.
Upon waking, she heard Jiang Baozhen scolding someone.
She didn’t even have to guess; the targets were undoubtedly Wu Qiaoqiao and Huang Qiuju.
A wave of vindictive pleasure washed over her.
Back on the mountain, those two had relentlessly bullied the original owner of her body.
Later, when Chen Tianhao struck it rich, they had come up with all sorts of ways to torment her just to curry favor with him.
Hearing them get scolded now, Lin Yingxue felt they entirely deserved it.
“Oh, Xue’er, you’re awake!
Why didn’t you sleep a little longer?”
Jiang Baozhen caught a glimpse of Lin Yingxue coming out with a basin to fetch washing water and immediately put on a smiling face.
Without waiting for Lin Yingxue’s reply, she planted her hands on her hips and resumed cursing at Wu Qiaoqiao and Huang Qiuju.
“Are you two blind?
Didn’t you know Xue’er was sleeping?
You woke her up for no good reason.
If there’s a next time, I’ll sew your mouths shut!”
Wu Qiaoqiao and Huang Qiuju immediately fell silent.
Shrinking like a pair of frightened quails under the scolding, their hearts brimmed with jealousy and hatred toward Lin Yingxue.
“Qiaoqiao, since you’re free, go fetch some water for Xue’er to wash her face.
“Qiuju, go get Xue’er’s face towel.
Don’t think you can avoid work just because you’re pregnant.”
Jiang Baozhen bossed them around as if it were only natural for them to serve her.
Wu Qiaoqiao and Huang Qiuju lowered their heads and murmured their assent, not daring to show the slightest hint of dissatisfaction on their faces.
Lin Yingxue dodged Wu Qiaoqiao’s hand as she reached for the washbasin.
“There’s no need to trouble you two,” she said.
“I can do it myself.”
Jiang Baozhen shook her head and sighed softly.
Her daughter was still too kind-hearted.
It seemed her decision to take her daughter and leave the Chen family was correct.
With such a soft temperament, she would be chewed up and spit out with nothing but bones remaining if she stayed here.
“It’s all because you two usually bully Xue’er!
No wonder she avoids you when she sees you now,” Jiang Baozhen said.
She glared at her two daughters-in-law, snatched the basin from Lin Yingxue, and personally fetched the water, bringing it into the room.
After coming out, she started cursing at the shed.
“Tianhao, are you dead to the world?
Look at what time it is!
Hurry up and get to work.
“Today, you’re going up the mountain with Gensheng to carry stones and build a pigpen.”
Chen Tianhao lay in the shed, his entire body aching.
Hearing Jiang Baozhen order him to go up the mountain with Chen Gensheng to carry stones, a ball of fiery anger swelled in his chest.
He thought spitefully, “Fine, I’ll carry them.
I refuse to believe Jiang Baozhen doesn’t care about my future.
I’ll make her beg me to go to school.”
Just as Jiang Baozhen was getting fired up with her scolding, the second daughter-in-law, Liu Yinhua, finished cooking and emerged from the kitchen.
She picked up a basin of clothes by the base of the wall.
Jiang Baozhen glanced over and saw that the basin was filled with Chen Huaiyuan’s clothes.
Unlike ordinary farmers, Chen Huaiyuan always considered himself a scholar.
He was extremely particular about cleanliness and changed his clothes every single day.
His cleanliness was built entirely on the exhaustive labor of others.
In the past, Jiang Baozhen had washed them; later, the task fell to Liu Yinhua and Lin Yingxue.
From now on, Chen Huaiyuan would have to wash his own clothes.
Jiang Baozhen stopped Liu Yinhua.
“Yinhua, from now on, let your father-in-law and Tianhao wash their own clothes.
You don’t need to worry about it.”
Failing to read between the lines, the naive Liu Yinhua replied honestly, “Father and Tianhao have never washed clothes before.
I might as well just do it while I’m at it.
It’s not much trouble.”
Jiang Baozhen instantly flared up.
Her second daughter-in-law was too simple-minded; if she didn’t speak harshly, the girl would think she was just being polite.
She raised her voice.
“Are my words just farts to you?
Wash one more piece and see what happens!
You’re certainly sympathetic toward them, but where is your sympathy for me when I’m working myself half to death for this family all day?
Are they missing their hands or legs?
If they don’t wash their clothes, they can walk out naked.
It’s not you who will be losing face anyway!”
Seeing that her mother-in-law was truly angry, Liu Yinhua silently set down the washbasin.
“Baozhen, are you still angry?”
In order to coax Jiang Baozhen into changing her mind, Chen Huaiyuan had specifically changed into a brand-new blue cloth robe.
His hair was combed sleek and shiny, and he had a book tucked under his arm.
In the past, Jiang Baozhen had loved this look of his the most.
Now, however, dressing up like this was like winking at a blind person.
Coupled with the face full of scratches she had given him, the sight of him completely ruined her appetite.
Hearing Chen Huaiyuan’s affected, high-pitched tone, Lin Yingxue peeked out from the east wing, a layer of goosebumps rising on her arms.
Meanwhile, Jiang Baozhen, who was being deeply and affectionately gazed at by Chen Huaiyuan, was so disgusted she almost threw up her dinner from the night before.
She pointed at the washbasin on the ground.
“You heard what I just said, right?
From now on, you wash your own clothes.”
Chen Huaiyuan was rendered speechless.
For breakfast, Jiang Baozhen once again gave Lin Yingxue special treatment.
The white flour flatbread Lin Yingxue had hidden in the firewood pile was discovered by Huang Qiuju.
Initially, Huang Qiuju thought she had seized an opportunity to viciously tattle on Lin Yingxue in front of their mother-in-law, but instead, Jiang Baozhen slapped her with the label of a troublemaker.
In the end, the white flour flatbread was coated in egg, pan-fried in oil by Jiang Baozhen, and piled entirely in front of Lin Yingxue.
Huang Qiuju was so infuriated she nearly fainted backward.
Chen Tianhao did not show up at the dining table.
Jiang Baozhen wasn’t anxious in the slightest.
She ordered Wu Qiaoqiao to put away all the leftovers, forbidding her from saving even a single bite for Chen Tianhao.
“Gensheng, you and Tianhao go up the mountain to carry stones and build the pigpen.
Second Son, fix up the hand pump platform in the yard.
Third Son, go hoe the vegetable patch behind the house.
Chen Ergou, go build the chicken coop.”
After breakfast, Jiang Baozhen doled out chores to the men of the family.
Before she kicked the Chen family out, she was determined to squeeze every last ounce of their strength dry, making them repair and patch up everything that needed it.
Once the weather warmed up in a few days, she even planned to make them go up the mountain to carry more stones and completely renovate the house.
She wanted to leave a clean and tidy home for herself and her daughter.
Normally, Chen Huaiyuan never had to do a lick of work.
But now, harboring ulterior motives and wanting to coax Jiang Baozhen, he pretended to be exceptionally compliant, readily agreeing to the chore of building the chicken coop.
Besides, with his second son around, he wouldn’t actually have to lift a finger anyway.