No one knew exactly what Madam Jiang had said to Old Madam Zhao, but somehow, the matter was settled.
After breakfast, Madam Jiang prepared to head out with Zhao Shiyu, and Zhao Shiying immediately hurried over.
“Second Auntie, are you going up the mountain? I’ll go too. Let’s go together.”
Madam Jiang looked at Zhao Shiying with a fake smile.
Earlier, her youngest daughter had secretly complained that Zhao Shiying was always pestering her and trying to steal her things. Madam Jiang hadn’t really believed it at first.
But now, while Zhao Shiying was speaking to her, her eyes remained fixed tightly on her little daughter.
For some reason, Madam Jiang suddenly believed it.
[Where is this Jiang woman taking the female lead? Don’t tell me she already dug up the ginseng yesterday, and now she wants Madam Jiang to accompany her to sell it in town? No, I absolutely have to keep close to her today. Even if she already found it, I still need to get a share. I can’t let the female lead benefit so easily. After all, I’m a transmigrator too.]
Ginseng?
What ginseng?
Could it be that she actually had some destined opportunity involving ginseng?
And maybe it was even a hundred-year-old ginseng?
Although her expectations were a bit high, she was the female lead now. Maybe it really was a century-old ginseng.
Otherwise, how could it match her lofty female lead status?
Zhao Shiyu narcissistically imagined this, as though the ginseng was already within reach.
Because of that, even the way she looked at Zhao Shiying became noticeably warmer.
This transmigrator girl was basically her personal treasure detector!
“Eighth Girl, we’re not going up the mountain today. I’m taking our Little Seven to visit her grandmother’s house. Her uncle needs her for something. If you want to go up the mountain, then go by yourself.”
Oh-ho!
So that was the excuse Madam Jiang used to convince the old madam.
No wonder.
They had just gone to town yesterday. If they tried going again today, Old Madam Zhao definitely wouldn’t have agreed.
[Excuses! All excuses! The female lead definitely dug up a ginseng root and now wants to sell it in town. Am I really going to miss out on this unexpected fortune?
Could this damned female lead be jinxing me? Ever since she transmigrated here, nothing good has happened to me. Not only did the Space Stone disappear somehow, but I even lost a tael of silver. And now I can’t even get a piece of the ginseng profits?]
“Second Auntie, can you take me with you too? I haven’t gone out in ages. Don’t worry—I’ll behave and won’t cause you any trouble.”
[Even though this cheap second aunt probably won’t agree, I still have to try my luck. Besides, if I establish this in advance, then even if they don’t take me and I secretly follow behind them later, they won’t suspect me even if I get caught, right?]
Zhao Shiyu…
This transmigrator girl really didn’t seem too smart.
Wasn’t this strategy basically “startling the snake by hitting the grass” and “drawing legs on a snake”—completely unnecessary overcomplication?
Of course Madam Jiang wouldn’t agree.
After all, she wasn’t actually returning to her maiden home.
But there was no point explaining things to a little girl, so she simply turned her head and shouted toward the fourth branch’s room:
“Fourth Sister-in-law! Hurry up and control your Eighth Girl. What kind of nonsense is this? I’m taking my own daughter back to my maiden home—am I supposed to babysit your child too?”
Madam Yan had just walked in from the backyard when she heard Madam Jiang shouting.
Her face immediately darkened, and she quickened her pace toward the front courtyard.
Zhao Shiying’s expression also changed.
She thought Madam Jiang would at most reject her. Who would’ve expected her to immediately complain to the adults?
“Second Auntie…”
But Madam Jiang didn’t listen to her at all.
Seeing Madam Yan approaching quickly, she pointed at Zhao Shiying.
“Fourth Sister-in-law, hurry and control your Eighth Girl. It’s one thing for me to take my own daughter back to my maiden home, but since when does anyone bring nieces from another branch of the family too? What kind of logic is that?”
Zhao Shiyu immediately added fuel to the fire from the side:
“Eighth Sister, don’t tell me you’re trying to slack off and cling to us? Grandma only told you to dig wild vegetables. She never even set a required amount. Are you really going this far just to avoid work?”
“You little dead girl! I only told you to dig some wild vegetables. Is that enough to tire you out? And you’re already scheming this much just to be lazy?”
Old Madam Zhao also walked out from the main house with a gloomy face.
“If Eighth Girl doesn’t want to dig wild vegetables, then forget it. Today she can go help water the fields instead. If she’s too weak to carry water buckets, then she can scoop water and pour it onto the crops. That’ll save her from getting tired digging vegetables.”
“Grandma, I didn’t… wuuu… I wasn’t being lazy…”
[What’s wrong with this damned female lead? I’m her cousin at least, so why does it feel like she’s been targeting me nonstop ever since she transmigrated over?
Could she already know I want to steal her golden finger? But how is that possible?]
Zhao Shiying couldn’t understand it no matter how hard she thought.
She desperately tried to defend herself, but Old Madam Zhao had already made the final decision and refused to listen to any excuses.
Although she usually didn’t pay much attention to her granddaughters, that didn’t mean she liked lazy ones.
“Enough. It’s settled. Are you all ready? If you’re ready, then let’s go water the fields together.”
Zhao Shiying…
[Fuck, I’m so pissed! Am I really going to miss out on that ginseng? No… I refuse to accept this. Since you’re being heartless, don’t blame me for being ruthless!]
The moment Zhao Shiyu saw the sharp look in her eyes, a bad feeling immediately rose in her heart.
What was this bargain-bin cousin planning now?
“Grandma, you misunderstood. Actually, I just saw Seventh Sister dig up a ginseng root. I know Second Auntie is taking Seventh Sister to sell the ginseng today. I’ve never seen what ginseng looks like before, so I wanted to follow along and take a look. I wasn’t trying to be lazy on purpose.”
Ohhh.
So this was where she had been leading things all along.
Leaving aside the fact that she hadn’t dug up any ginseng at all—
Even if she had, something that precious would obviously be stored inside her space. Why would she carry it around on her body?
“Heh.”
Zhao Shiyu sneered.
“I was wondering why you’ve been following me around like a little tail everywhere I go. So you suspected I dug up ginseng and wanted a share of it.
Grandma, this Eighth Sister of mine sure has plenty of little schemes. Saying I found ginseng? Does she think ginseng is cabbage that anyone can casually dig up whenever they want?
Growing up, I’ve never heard of anyone in the village ever digging up ginseng.
Besides, I don’t even know what ginseng looks like, so where exactly would I go dig it up?
And when people gather wild vegetables, they only stay around the foot of the mountain. Every inch of that place has already been trampled over by vegetable gatherers. How could there possibly be ginseng there?
Grandma, if you don’t believe me, then search me.”
As Zhao Shiyu spoke, she spread her arms wide in complete cooperation.
Madam Jiang also handed over the bundle hanging from her arm to Old Madam Zhao and sneered coldly.
“In the past, I thought only Fourth Sister-in-law had sneaky little thoughts. Who knew the daughter she raised would be no different?
Since that’s the case, then Mother, go ahead and search us.
If that’s still not enough, you can search our room too. Search my daughter’s room as well.
Otherwise, after being falsely accused, we won’t even have a place to argue our innocence.
People who don’t know better might think I’m secretly sending valuable things back to my maiden family whenever I get something good.”