With a place to stay secured, the Third Branch finally felt a weight lift off their shoulders.
After returning home, Lin Shi immediately went with Wen the Third Brother and Wen Chuizi to prepare their new residence.
When they arrived at the thatched hut, they saw Wen Shengli squatting on the roof, laying fresh straw. He gave Wen the Third Brother a simple, honest smile when he noticed them.
After the father and son left to repair the hut, Lin Shi didn’t dare sit idle either.
She gathered all the family’s dirty clothes and headed to the river to wash them.
As soon as Luo Shi saw this, she quickly ran back inside, grabbed a pile of clothes, and dumped them into Lin Shi’s basket with a half-smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
“Please help me out, sister-in-law. I’ve got to feed the chickens and cook—I really can’t spare the time.”
Earlier that day, during the discussion on dividing the family, Luo Shi and Wen the Eldest Brother were already dissatisfied.
They believed the Third Branch was the one causing trouble, and that they should have left with nothing—or even paid compensation.
And yet somehow, not only did the Old Madam not demand money, she even gave them one mu of land.
But since the Old Madam didn’t object, the Eldest Branch didn’t dare say anything more.
Lin Shi didn’t want any more trouble, especially with the split about to happen, so she silently carried the clothes and left.
Seeing Lin Shi agree to wash them, Luo Shi finally felt slightly better.
Inside the room, Wen Ye happened to look out the window and saw everything.
Wen Lan anxiously grabbed her hand. “Little sister, forget it. In ten days we’ll split the family—just endure it for now!”
A trace of mockery flashed in Wen Ye’s eyes. “Sister, do you really think they’ll keep their word?”
Wen Lan froze. “What? They’re tricking us? That can’t be!”
“Let’s wait and see. We’ll know soon enough. It’s only ten days anyway.”
With that, Wen Ye said nothing more.
Wen Lan’s face turned worried, only hoping the division would go smoothly.
“We should think about how to make money instead,” Wen Ye said, flexing her fingers as if ready to take on something big.
“Make money? Sure!” Wen Lan immediately crawled to the end of the bed and began rummaging through a box. “That’s exactly why I’m not going to help Mother wash clothes—I’ve got more important things to do!”
Soon she pulled out a stack of handkerchiefs—some finished, some half-embroidered.
“Oh? Sister, your embroidery is this good?” Wen Lan’s eyes lit up as she examined one.
Wen Ye chuckled. “You’re not bad either.”
Wen Ye touched her head. This body seemed to have embroidery skills stored in its memory—conveniently aligned with her abilities.
Wen Ye said, “Looks like we’ve got a little money-making path here. How much can we earn from this?”
“Plain ones are three wen per handkerchief, patterned ones four wen. Plain ones take half a day, patterned ones a full day. Plain is more cost-effective.”
Wen Ye was horrified when she heard this.
That meant only a little over a hundred wen a month! At this rate, they’d work themselves to exhaustion and still barely earn a tael of silver!
This “money-making path” was far too small.
“But now we finally have time, and after the split, whatever we earn is ours. No more being controlled by Grandma,” Wen Lan said, full of determination.
She immediately started embroidering, as if every second mattered.
Wen Ye looked through the completed patterns. They were mostly ordinary flowers and vines—traditional, but dull and rustic.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up. “Sister, let’s try something new.”
She rummaged through the cabinet and eventually found Wen Chuizi’s treasured ink, brushes, and scraps of paper—leftovers from Wen Chengwen and Wen Chengwu.
Looking at the worn-out supplies, she sighed softly.
Then she spread out the paper and drew a cute cartoon-style rabbit hugging a carrot—round and adorable.
“So cute!” Wen Lan exclaimed. “Since when can you draw?”
“Just… casually drawing,” Wen Ye said vaguely. “Let’s embroider this. It’ll be fresh and cute.”
Wen Lan hesitated. “But the embroidery shop has fixed patterns. If we change them, they might deduct money—or worse, we’ll waste materials and owe them.”
“Just try it,” Wen Ye insisted. “If it fails, we’ll accept the loss.”
Money was urgent. She couldn’t wait.
She was suffering terribly—this miserable life was unbearable.
The damp, cramped thatched hut, the less-than-one-meter-five wooden bed where three people squeezed together—it left her body sore everywhere.
Porridge made of coarse grains every day was making her numb.
The rough clothes itched like something was biting her skin.
She could not endure this even a little. Not even a little!
Seeing Wen Ye’s tense expression, Wen Lan nearly panicked, worried her sister was about to snap.
“Alright… alright, we’ll embroider the rabbit.”
Anyway, they still had 200 wen deposited at the embroidery shop. Worst case, it would all be deducted. If needed, she’d just work extra to make up for the damage.
Wen Ye immediately brightened. “Sister is the best.”
Money, money, money—only money could pull them out of this suffering.
Wen Lan smiled softly and continued stitching, now following Wen Ye’s rabbit design.
Wen Ye quickly got the hang of embroidery too. With this body’s muscle memory and her own skills, she adapted fast.
Before transmigration, she had been a young lady of a noble family, trained in music, chess, calligraphy, painting—and even embroidery.
Before eighteen, she was the perfect aristocratic daughter.
After eighteen, following her grandmother’s death, she was slightly unhinged and morally questionable—but still perfect in her own way.
The two sisters worked quietly and diligently.
The round rabbit holding a carrot was simple but much easier than floral designs.
Wen Lan finished one handkerchief in less than half a day.
Looking at it, she felt uneasy. “Will the embroidery shop think we’re cutting corners? Should we add vine patterns around it?”
“No vines. That would mix styles,” Wen Ye said. “If anything, add a small carrot near its feet.”
Wen Lan followed her suggestion and added it, but still felt it looked too simple.
……
By evening, Wen the Third Brother and Lin Shi returned home.
Luo Shi still felt irritated seeing Lin Shi hanging clothes in the yard.
She went again to Wen the Old Madam, complaining that the Third Branch should not have been given land.
But the Old Madam scolded her sharply.
“It’s already decided. Why are you still nagging in front of me? Do you want to make my life more miserable?”
Luo Shi was scolded into silence, but her frustration only grew.
At dinner, she slammed dishes onto the table with loud bangs.
Wen Ye yawned, ignored the glares from the Old Madam, the Eldest Branch, and the Second Branch, scooped a large bowl of food, and returned to the hut, slamming the door shut.
“That little wretch! She hasn’t even officially split yet and already doesn’t take us seriously!” Luo Shi pointed and cursed toward the Third Branch.
“Alright, sister-in-law, it’s nothing serious. Let’s eat,” Fang Shi soothed her.
The Old Madam also wanted to scold, but held back for her larger plan. She only snapped at Luo Shi instead.
“Shut up! If you don’t want to eat, get out!”
Only then did Luo Shi quiet down.