Madam Ma was inside her room trying on newly made summer clothes with her biological daughter, Jiang Jingshan, when suddenly she heard the gatekeeper shouting outside. Startled, she called out, “What’s all this caterwauling about? Speak properly!”
The servant dragged the gatekeeping, who was practically crawling on the ground, inside. Trembling with fear, the man reported. “Madam, the eldest young lady and her husband have come with more than twenty strong men, armed with clubs and looking absolutely ferocious!”
Although the gatekeeper’s description was alarming, Madam Ma wasn’t frightened. Based on her understanding of Jiang Jingyi, even if the girl brought a hundred people, she wouldn’t dare confront her, after all, wasn’t she Jiang Jingyi’s mother? Madam Ma remained composed and said. “Isn’t she just returning for her visit? She can come straight in. She doesn’t expect me to go out and receive her, does she? What an inflated sense of self-importance!”
The gatekeeper shook his head anxiously. “But, but… among those people, there’s someone from the He family!”
“He family?” Madam Ma’s voice rose. “Which He family?”
Suddenly, a sense of dread crept over her. “Think carefully, was there anything else unusual about them?”
The gatekeeper slapped his forehead. “There were two carriages!”
“It’s over.” Madam Ma slumped onto a stool, instantly panic-stricken. Had the He family come for her?
“You may go now.” Jiang Jingshan, however, remained composed. She said to Madam Ma, “Mother, why worry? Elder Sister has long since cut ties with the He family. Today might just be a coincidence. Don’t you know Elder Sister’s temperament well enough? When the time comes, you and I can speak with her privately. As long as she stands on our side, there’s nothing to fear. Wasn’t it her and her brother who drove the He family away back then?”
Jiang Jingshan’s words steadied Madam Ma’s nerves. “You’re right. What am I afraid of? I’m your father’s lawful wife. The He family may be the former wife’s family, but no matter how wealthy and powerful they are, they have no authority over our Jiang household. Why should I be afraid in my own home? Let’s go—since your elder sister has returned for her visit, how could we not go see her? Call your father, and we’ll go together.”
Jiang Jingshan smiled. “Mother is right. Elder Sister listens to Mother best. If we drove the He family away once, we can do it again. No need to worry.”
With these words, the mother and daughter left the room, sending servants to fetch Jiang Yuqin and summon Jiang Dachuan from his study.
Jiang Dachuan hadn’t initially taken Jiang Jingyi’s return visit seriously, but upon hearing that the He family had arrived, he panicked. “Could it be they’re here to demand an explanation because we didn’t personally deliver the wedding invitation? This is terrible, terrible!”
Just thinking about the intimidating presence of his former father-in-law made Jiang Dachuan’s legs ache.
Madam Ma’s eyes darted cunningly. “We didn’t go in person, but we did send an invitation. They can hardly blame us for not coming.”
“We’ll see what happens first.” Jiang Dachuan managed to steady himself and quickly gathered his wife and children, hurrying toward the gate.
At the main entrance, Jiang Jingyi and her husband remained standing where they were. Ji Qiuyang asked, “Aren’t we going in?”
Jiang Jingyi replied with a smile, “What’s the hurry? Elders have arrived. Shouldn’t my father and my wicked stepmother come out to welcome their seniors?”
Ji Qiuyang sensed intuitively that this woman was planning to stir up trouble today. He nodded. “Do you need my cooperation today?”
“Of course.” Jiang Jingyi looked at him with considerable satisfaction. “At the critical moment, you need to play up how poor we are.”
Ji Qiuyang’s face flushed red. “Since you despise the poverty of the Ji family, why did you—”
Jiang Jingyi fell silent. If there were an “originally,” the person standing here wouldn’t be her anyway. Weren’t computers and phones enjoyable to play with? Who would willingly come to this era and play the role of a difficult person?
“So,” Jiang Jingyi said, “isn’t it good to follow me and eat well and live well?” She deliberately winked. “As long as you’re willing, I’ll take care of you.”
Ji Qiuyang said indignantly, “Stop talking nonsense!”
She had struck a nerve—his male pride. Jiang Jingyi chuckled and didn’t continue to provoke him. She could see that this man wasn’t easy to tease; he had a strong sense of male ego and was a typical ancient chauvinist.
Before long, the sound of footsteps came from within the Jiang courtyard, followed by the appearance of a man with a fat head and big ears… broad and stout, his eyes nearly squeezed shut by the flesh on his face, dressed in gaudy clothes, leading his wife and children out.
Oh, this fat-headed, big-eared man was none other than Jiang Jingyi’s so-called scumbag father, Jiang Dachuan.
Jiang Dachuan, as a third-generation landlord, had never been afraid of anyone since childhood except for his former father-in-law, Old Master He.
The moment he rounded the screen, a wailing cry escaped him: “Father-in-law! Your unworthy son-in-law has been unfilial!”
With that, his plump figure charged toward the gate. But upon realizing Old Master He was nowhere in sight, Jiang Dachuan halted mid-stride. “Father-in-law?”
Behind him, Madam Ma and her daughter took one look at the scene at the gate and their hearts sank. This didn’t look like relatives visiting—it looked like a vengeance party. Mother and daughter exchanged glances, then fixed their eyes on Jiang Jingyi.
Madam Ma shot Jiang Jingyi a meaningful look. Jiang Jingyi stared back at her. “Have your eyes gone bad?”
Madam Ma’s face stiffened. Just as she was about to explode, Jiang Dachuan snapped, “You shut up!”
The reprimand carried an authority she had never heard from him before. Madam Ma’s face flushed crimson.
Jiang Jingyi smiled sweetly and called out, “Father,” then, without waiting for Jiang Dachuan’s reaction, she turned and walked with Ji Qiuyang to the rear carriage, where they helped Old Master He descend.
Though Old Master He leaned on a walking stick, one shouldn’t assume he was frail—he was actually quite robust. As he had explained to Ji Qiuyang in the carriage earlier, he didn’t normally use a cane; today, he had deliberately retrieved his old weapon specifically to deal with Jiang Dachuan.
Ji Qiuyang had long since abandoned any expectations regarding the He family’s image, so he simply played along, ceremoniously assisting Old Master He out of the carriage.
The moment Old Master He appeared, He Yan and his wife also emerged. As soon as the three of them set foot on the ground, Jiang Dachuan’s legs began to tremble. One father-in-law was already difficult enough to handle, but now a brother-in-law had joined the party, he was done for!
“Jiang Dachuan.” Old Master He’s voice rang out ominously.
Jiang Dachuan immediately bowed obsequiously. “Father-in-law!”
“Smack!”
The walking stick landed precisely on Jiang Dachuan’s leg.
“Ouch!” Jiang Dachuan yelped, breaking into a cold sweat from the pain. Yet such was his deep-seated fear of Old Master He that even after being struck, he forced a smile. “Father-in-law, please come inside. If you had told me you were coming, I would have prepared fine wine and delicacies to welcome you.”
Old Master He snorted and strode into the courtyard as if carried by the wind, while Jiang Dachuan, still wearing an ingratiating smile, invited He Yan and the others to enter.
Seeing Jiang Dachuan grovel like this, Madam Ma’s expression soured. He had been exactly like this back then, and now, more than a decade later, he remained the same pathetic, undignified man. What infuriated her even more was that Madam Li didn’t acknowledge her existence, not even a glance her way. And to her shock, Jiang Jingyi hadn’t warmly called her “Mother” as she always had before!
Of course, in her heart, she never truly considered the girl her daughter, but at least appearances should be maintained. Yet Jiang Jingyi had completely reversed course—no “Mother,” no greeting for her “sister,” her eyelids practically raised to the eaves, and that smile she directed at her sent chills down her spine.
Jiang Dachuan, his pudgy body moving at a brisk trot, caught up with Old Master He, his face nearly blooming with forced smiles. “Father-in-law, please come inside! Today, we must share a good drink!”
Old Master He settled directly into the seat of honor in the reception hall, snorted, and said, “Do you still consider me your father-in-law at all?”
“Of course, I do!” Jiang Dachuan avoided addressing anything else, instead putting on a sorrowful expression. “These past ten-plus years, it’s not that I deliberately failed to visit you, Elder. It’s truly that my health hasn’t permitted me to travel.”
Only someone like Jiang Dachuan could come up with such an excuse. Old Master He knew his character all too well and didn’t dwell on the matter. Back when his daughter died and Jiang Dachuan had immediately brought his mistress into the house and elevated her to wife, he had been so furious that he’d given Jiang Dachuan a beating and declared he never wanted to see him again. Given what a coward Jiang Dachuan was, it was understandable that he wouldn’t dare visit.
Old Master He snorted again. “Then why didn’t you send us word when my granddaughter was getting married?”
“I did send word!” Jiang Dachuan protested his innocence and turned to look at Madam Ma. “We sent an invitation, didn’t we?”
Madam Ma’s face instantly went pale. She hadn’t expected the He family to bring this up directly.
One look at Madam Ma’s expression told Jiang Jingyi that the invitation had certainly never been sent, though Madam Ma had likely fooled Jiang Dachuan into thinking it had. So, she said, “Grandfather, Father did instruct Madam Ma to send an invitation to the He family. She must know who was sent to deliver it. Have her summon that person and ask, perhaps there’s been some misunderstanding.”
It was the first time Jiang Dachuan had heard his eldest daughter speak like this, and he was immediately delighted. “That’s right, Madam Ma! Summon the person who delivered the invitation!”
Madam Ma’s mouth went dry, and cold sweat beaded on her forehead. She had never sent anyone to deliver an invitation to the He family at all, who was she supposed to summon now?
She stood frozen in place, and everyone present understood the situation perfectly. Jiang Dachuan, finally catching on, raised his hand and slapped her. “See what you’ve done!”
“Father!” Jiang Jingshan caught Madam Ma as she stumbled, then pointed at Jiang Jingyi accusingly. “Father, it’s not that Mother didn’t send it—it’s that Elder Sister wouldn’t let her!”
Jiang Jingyi didn’t care whether the original owner had actually said such things or not. Wrongly accused now, she let her eyes redden instantly, tears pooling at the corners. “I… Grandfather, I’ve missed you so much! You are my mother’s family—how could I possibly have forbidden anyone to send an invitation?”
Jiang Jingyi looked at Jiang Jingshan with unconcealed disbelief and heartache. “Second Sister, I’ve always treated you with complete sincerity, yet you would say such things about me! All these years, why haven’t I contacted the He family? Wasn’t it because you and Mother said you were afraid of them, and I endured the pain of missing my own relatives for your sake? You have disappointed me so much!”
Jiang Jingshan and Madam Ma: “…”
**