Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
âI must say, what does the Jiang familyâs house have to do with you?â Li Xia, the blind old woman from outside, couldnât bear it anymore.
From their conversation, she realized Old Madam Jiang and the brazen wife of Jiangâs eldest son were plotting to take over the house.
When Jiang Guiâs wife saw the blind old woman, she pointed at her and retorted, âWhy does it concern you, blind woman? The Jiangs have a tiny house of their own, so we, from the larger branch of the Jiangs, should move in. Isnât that alright? After all, we share the same surname, Jiang.â
âWhat insolence! When the Jiang family were up in the mountains gathering wild vegetables, you audaciously separate their home and didnât spare them even a grain of rice. Now you pretend to be part of the same family?â
Li Xia was never friendly with Jiang Guiâs wife. She had a knack for standing up to her.
Li Xiaâs statement made Jiang Xia and her mother want to celebrate, for someone finally stated the obvious.
This sent Jiang Guiâs wife into a fury. She stomped over to Li Xia, hands on her waist, yelling, âWhy are you meddling? This is a family matter, why are you, an outsider, butting in? Do you think you are the only one allowed to speak?â
Jiang Xia recalled Li Xia from a memory of her older sister helping Li Xiaâs son.
However, this was just a memory from her former self. Since her arrival, she only witnessed a few arguments between Li Xia and Jiang Guiâs wife, with little other interaction.
Noticing Li Xiaâs kindness as she stood up for them in front of many people, Jiang Xia sighed quietly. She didnât want Li Xiaâs help to go unappreciated.
Zhou Lan agreed, so before Jiang Xia could speak, she addressed the Jiang Guiâs wife, âEnough! When we left our family home, you didnât even leave us a single grain. We almost starved! Now, whatever we possess is because of our hard work, gathering wild vegetables in the mountains. We live in this decent house thanks to the villagersâ help. How dare you say such things?â
âExactly, we were nearly dead in the mountains, and nobody bothered to find us. It was the village chief who rallied the villagers to search for us. Without him, we would not only be homeless but probably dead,â Jiang Xia added, reminding the villagers of the past actions of Old Madam Jiangâs family.
âSlander! Youâre slandering us!â exclaimed Old Madam Jiang, her face reddening with anger, barely able to form words.
âSlander? How is it slander? Didnât you pay for your theft?â Zhou Lan retorted, âDo you realize that your current actions are illegal and far more serious than stealing?â
âYes, call the village chief if you doubt it. Letâs see if he agrees with a family attempting to claim anotherâs property after separation. Will he side with you or us?â
âYes, this is robbery, and robbers used to be tied to trees and burned.â Jiang Xia warned.
Considering Old Madam Jiangâs excessive behavior, Jiang Xia felt no need to respect their dignity.
âSee everyone, robbers still exist in our time! We were poor and robbed once. Now itâs happening again. How can we survive?â Zhou Lanâs acting was convincing, tears streaming down her face. Seeing Old Madam Jiangâs actions, anyone would empathize with the Jiang family.
When Jiang Xia walked in, Shen Mo stayed outside to avoid suspicion. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Luckily, she and her mother handled it well.
Hearing Zhou Lanâs crying, Shen Mo decided it was time to step in.
When Jiang Guiâs wife and Jiang Huaâs wife saw Shen Mo coming out, they immediately shut up.
This young man was very attractive, tall, and had an impressive aura. He didnât seem like a villager at all.
Could it be that he was from the city?
Jiang Guiâs wife was thrilled. She had been anxious about finding a match for Jiang Hong, and here was a prospect!
The Jiang Huaâs wife also eyed Shen Mo. She had a daughter and wouldnât let Jiang Guiâs wife family take all the luck..