In Old Madam Wen’s room—
Except for the two grandsons who were studying in town and Wen Liyue, everyone from the eldest and second branches had gathered there.
Old Madam Wen lay on the bed, clutching her chest and gasping for breath.
“I’m going to die of anger…”
Second Uncle Wen had a dark expression. “What exactly does that little beast want?”
Boss Wen said, “She says she wants to split the family.”
Second Uncle Wen frowned immediately. Second Aunt Fang’s eyes flickered. “That won’t do! No one splits the family until the grandsons are married and the granddaughters are all married off.”
The third branch was very valuable! Just Wen Ye and her sister alone could be sold for dozens of taels of silver.
Luo Shi said bitterly, “But they said if we don’t split the family, they won’t work. Last night she even held a kitchen knife at the door and forced me to cook for them.”
Second Aunt Fang looked disdainful. “Sister-in-law is just foolish. If they don’t work, then don’t let them eat!”
Old Madam Wen also glared at her. “What kind of brain do you have? Still cooking for them? Do you think we have too much grain?”
Luo Shi didn’t dare retort when she saw the old lady being stirred up by Fang Shi’s words.
In this household, the most favored daughter-in-law was always Fang Shi.
Fang Shi said gently, “Mother, calm down first. At this point, we can only respond as things come. As for splitting the family—no chance. I’d like to see how long she can keep holding that kitchen knife.”
Boss Wen and Second Uncle Wen both nodded. They were itching to tie Wen Ye up and beat her.
But blades had no eyes. They didn’t dare confront her head-on, afraid of getting injured.
Fang Shi continued, “These past years, my husband and I have been earning money in town and taking care of Chengwen and Chengwu. It’s been a long time since we served Mother. Since we’re back today, let me cook a meal first.”
Old Madam Wen thought of how the second branch had brought honor to the family and taken care of the two grandsons, and her tone softened.
“You’ve traveled hard. Go rest first. As for the eldest daughter-in-law, go cook. Make scrambled eggs with green beans and fry half a piece of old cured meat.”
Luo Shi was unhappy about being ordered around, but when she heard eggs and cured meat, she immediately smiled again.
“The second branch is back—we should kill a chicken and make a few bowls of chicken soup too. It can also nourish Mother’s health.”
Old Madam Wen glared at her. “Besides eating, what else do you know? Chengwen and Chengwu still need to pay school fees next month! Where are we supposed to get the money? We only have one old hen left—I’m counting on it to lay eggs!”
In the entire prefecture, students paid tuition every six months. One student cost two taels of silver per half year.
Although the second branch brought back seven hundred coins every month, books and writing materials were expensive, and almost no money was left over.
Now that the second branch had lost their job, the tuition for the two “precious grandsons” became an even bigger problem.
Thinking of her sons, Luo Shi pouted and went to the kitchen.
……
Unable to get chicken, Luo Shi focused heavily on the cured meat.
A three-jin slab of old cured meat was nearly sliced down by two jin. It sizzled in the pan, releasing rich oil, sprinkled with scallions—fragrant beyond words.
Before even starting the cooking fire, she secretly ate five or six slices.
Soon, the meal was ready.
The Wen family gathered around the table.
Wen Liyue wasn’t there; after being verbally crushed by Wen Ye earlier, she felt dizzy and shut herself in her room.
On the table were fried cured meat, scrambled eggs with green beans, steamed eggplant, and stir-fried tofu.
Especially the cured meat and eggs—heavily seasoned, filling the room with aroma.
At that moment, they even felt relieved that the third branch refused to work. Fewer people meant fewer mouths competing for food—though the third branch probably wouldn’t get much anyway.
Just as they were about to start eating—
Wen Ye suddenly walked in swaggeringly.
“Oh, eating without calling us?”
Everyone’s face darkened. Old Madam Wen slapped the table.
“Why would we call a bunch of freeloaders? Lazy bones who don’t work still want food?”
Wen Ye replied calmly, “That’s funny. So we don’t work, we can’t eat? Then how did you have the face to eat the food our third branch cooked before?”
Luo Shi snapped, “If you don’t work, don’t eat! Starve then! Get out!”
“If we don’t get a share, then no one eats!”
With that, Wen Ye flipped the table.
Crash—!
All the food splashed directly onto Old Madam Wen.
“AH!!! It burns!!” she screamed, jumping up.
The dishes and meat fell all over the ground. Wen Ye even stomped on them, crushing the eggs and cured meat into a muddy mess.
The eldest and second branches went completely mad.
“You little beast! Today I’ll kill you!” Boss Wen roared and charged forward.
He had been holding back since yesterday and finally couldn’t resist anymore. Seeing she wasn’t holding a knife, he rushed to grab her.
Wen Ye flicked her eyes slightly and kicked a chair into his path.
“Ah—!”
Boss Wen tripped and fell face-first. When he got up again, one of his front teeth was gone and his mouth was bleeding.
“Big brother!” Second Uncle Wen shouted, glaring at Wen Ye.
But Wen Ye only looked at him with a faint smile.
For some reason, Second Uncle Wen felt a chill run down his spine. He screamed and slipped on the greasy cured meat, falling straight into Boss Wen.
Boss Wen had just stood up when he was knocked down again, hitting his head hard and groaning in pain.
After destroying everything, Wen Ye clapped her hands and turned to leave.
A bunch of idiots. Before transmigrating, she had learned self-defense since elementary school.
Even though this body was weak, she had plenty of techniques to overcome brute force.
Old Madam Wen looked at the mess and the rolling brothers, crying in rage.
“Such wickedness!”
But what made her even more devastated was what happened next—
From outside, a chicken suddenly cried out.
Then Wen Ye’s voice came:
“Dad, Mom, let’s kill a fat chicken today!”
Old Madam Wen’s eyes rolled back. She fainted on the spot.
Luo Shi, who had been craving that chicken for a long time, couldn’t take it anymore and rushed outside.
“You filthy—AH!!”
There stood Wen Ye, holding a freshly slaughtered chicken in one hand and a bloodied kitchen knife in the other, staring at her coldly.
Despite her pretty face, she looked like a deathly ghost.
Luo Shi collapsed onto the ground in fear, not daring to make a sound.
Soon, Lin’s couple and Wen Lan also ran out of the hut.
Seeing Wen Ye covered in chicken blood holding a dead bird, they all gasped.
Third Uncle Wen stammered, “Ye girl, you… how can you—”
Before he could finish, Wen Chuizi pushed him aside.
He knew what his father wanted to say—how could she kill the family chicken?
But let alone a chicken, even touching an egg in their third branch was once considered a huge crime.
Although he was also a little afraid, the chicken was already dead. If they kept hesitating, wouldn’t they just weaken themselves in front of the eldest and second branches?
They were in a fight now—they couldn’t back down.
Wen Ye noticed his movement and showed a hint of approval, tossing the chicken to him.
“Go boil water.”
Wen Chuizi’s eyes lit up. “Alright! I’ll go right now! Mother, elder sister, let’s cook chicken together!”
Lin Shi and Wen Lan were momentarily confused and followed him into the kitchen.
Third Uncle Wen also blankly followed.
Wen Ye then turned back to Luo Shi and lifted her bloody knife.
“What? You want a cut too?”
Luo Shi screamed and fled back into the main room, slamming the door shut and gasping for air.
Inside, she saw Boss Wen and Second Uncle Wen covered in blood and groaning on the floor, while Old Madam Wen was on the verge of death.
She finally broke down completely, sitting on the ground and wailing.
“This is a curse! A debt collector! We can’t live like this anymore!”
At that moment, Old Madam Wen also snapped.
“Then… then split the family! Split it!”
This Wen Ye was like she was possessed—unbeatable, uncatchable, refusing to work but still wanting to eat, and destroying everything in the house.
If they didn’t split the family…
Were they waiting to be ruined for the New Year?