“No, no, no!” Lin Aiyun quickly waved her hands in denial.
“Hahaha, we were just joking, don’t take it to heart.” The bespectacled old man saw she was a bit reserved and spoke up to ease the tension. At that, Lin Aiyun looked up at him.
She hadn’t paid much attention earlier, but now she realized this old man looked rather familiar. After a closer look, a flicker of delight passed through her eyes. Though he looked much younger, his overall features and way of speaking hadn’t changed at all.
This was Zhang Boli, her calligraphy master from her previous life! His wife had also guided her embroidery techniques and skills on multiple occasions, making her something of a teacher too.
Suppressing the excitement in her heart, Lin Aiyun took several deep breaths before putting on a calm demeanor and smiling. “So all you uncles are elders from Xiaocheng. This is our first meeting—my name is Lin Aiyun. It’s so hot out—why not come in for some tea?”
“Such a sharp girl, and with such a lovely name too! Brother Lin, you’ve raised a fine daughter! But we won’t impose today—we’ve agreed to go play chess at the Wangs’. We’ll definitely come another day.”
“Haha, we’ll be seeing you at your wedding with that Xiao boy soon enough. We’ll bother you then!”
“Isn’t that your mother and little brother? They’ve been waiting over there for a while now. Don’t worry about us—go on back.”
“Brother Lin, let’s go fishing again next time! Take a couple of the fish from this bucket—they’re all yours anyway.”
Unable to refuse their kindness, Lin Jianzhi gave in after several attempts at declining. He walked off carrying a tin bucket with two large fish still splashing about inside.
After a few steps, Lin Aiyun seemed to remember something and asked, “Uncle, where do you live? I’ll return the bucket to you tomorrow.”
“Just ask that Xiao boy—he’ll know,” Zhang Boli replied in a robust voice, waving the palm-leaf fan in his hand.
“Got it!” Lin Aiyun waved back crisply. Only after they had walked quite far did she manage to steady her wildly pounding heart, the corners of her mouth lifting despite herself. Beside her came the sound of Lin Jianzhi coaxing his wife.
“Wenhua, I only had a few drinks! I was just too happy—I didn’t expect them to have no airs at all and to get along so well with me.” Lin Jianzhi gesticulated animatedly; the tin bucket he’d been carrying had long since been handed off to Lin Wenkang.
“They even praised my fishing skills and invited me out again, hehe.” As if finally vindicated, Lin Jianzhi stood up straighter, feeling that not all Beijing folks were as mean-spirited and exclusive as that woman from this morning.
“Look at you, so pleased with yourself. Anyone would think you’d found money.” Zhang Wenhua couldn’t help but laugh, swatting away Lin Jianzhi’s arm as he leaned in.
Lin Jianzhi rubbed the spot where he’d been hit, then scratched the back of his head. “Made some new friends—of course I’m happy! Oh, and they know Xiaocheng too. Sounded like they’re pretty close.”
“Oh?” Hearing this, Zhang Wenhua grew serious and shot Lin Jianzhi a meaningful glance. “Then it’s necessary to maintain good relations.”
Lin Jianzhi nodded in deep agreement. “Why did you guys come back just now? Is there really that much to see around here?”
Zhang Wenhua then recounted the whole story about going to see the house. Lin Jianzhi listened carefully, asked a few questions, and said he had no objections—he could sleep anywhere, as long as they thought it was good.
Chatting away, they soon arrived at the Xiao family gate. The moment they stepped inside, a figure rushed toward them, startling everyone. Taking a closer look, it turned out to be the woman who had been with Zhao Chunxia this morning—her name seemed to be Yu Li.
“What’s wrong?”
Hearing Lin Aiyun’s question, Yu Li glanced around to make sure no one was nearby before lowering her voice and getting straight to the point: “Madam, Zhao Chunxia has gone to complain to Miss Xiao! She’s in there crying right now.”
She’d been waiting here for ages and had finally managed to catch Lin Aiyun and the others on their return. Zhao Chunxia might be stupid, but she wasn’t. Ever since this young madam had stepped through the door, things in this household had undergone a seismic shift—starting first and foremost with the matter of family hierarchy.
Who would run the household in the future? Though nothing had been stated outright, with no mother-in-law in this sprawling estate, the reins would almost certainly fall to the daughter-in-law.
Zhao Chunxia looked down on the new madam for being a country bumpkin from out of town, thinking of her as a fox spirit who’d used her looks and body to climb up. But Yu Li actually admired her. Without some skill and cunning to keep Mr. Xiao wrapped around her finger, could she have brought her entire family all the way here from afar?
Wherever the master’s heart lay, there lay the power to run the household.
And those of them who worked for pay—whether they stayed or left, whether they did well here—didn’t that all come down to a single word from the one in charge?
So after this morning’s incident, the moment Yu Li heard that Jiang Guojun had fired Zhao Chunxia, her mental abacus had started clicking away furiously. She’d been fretting over how to show her loyalty, and just as she was getting sleepy, someone delivered a pillow—that stupid cow Zhao Chunxia had decided to kick up a fuss!
“Going to complain to A-Juan?” Lin Aiyun frowned, asking back reflexively.
“Exactly! After Steward Jiang dismissed Zhao Chunxia this morning, she left cursing and grumbling. I thought she’d gone home to reflect on herself, but it turns out she was brewing trouble instead!”
Yu Li finished her embellished account and, seeing the ashen expressions on everyone’s faces, quickly pressed her advantage: “Madam, you’ve just arrived, so you might not know—Zhao Chunxia has quite a background. Her older sister is Miss Xiao’s wet nurse.”
“Miss Xiao lost her mother at birth and was practically raised by her wet nurse. Their bond runs deep. What if she decides to protect Zhao Chunxia?”
As she spoke, Yu Li even dabbed at the corners of her eyes, as if she were deeply worried and sweating on Lin Aiyun’s behalf.
Seeing this, Lin Aiyun’s frown deepened. She hadn’t expected Zhao Chunxia to have such a connection. What if A-Juan really did take her side? Then…
Before she could come to any conclusion, her peripheral vision caught Yu Li’s theatrical gestures, and the corner of her mouth twitched despite herself. This woman sure loved to perform. At the same time, she clearly understood Yu Li’s motive for running over to tell her all this, so she reached out and patted her shoulder.
“Your name is Yu Li, right? Thank you for telling me all this.”
“Yes, yes—no need to thank me, Madam. It’s the least I could do.” Yu Li nodded emphatically, then put on a timid look. “Madam, you should think of something quickly. I still have things to do, so I’ll be going now.”
“Alright.” Lin Aiyun nodded. In almost an instant, Yu Li had scurried off, glancing left and right as if afraid of being seen, and fled in a direction where no one was around.
“…”
“Aiyun, what do we do? The relationship between a sister-in-law and a sister-in-law has always been tricky. If this causes a misunderstanding between you two, you’ll have to see each other every day—how will you get by?” Zhang Wenhua tugged at Lin Aiyun’s hand, her brow furrowed with worry.
Lin Aiyun comforted her first, then said, “I trust A-Juan’s character. She’s not an unreasonable person.”
“That’s true. I was overthinking it. From the time we spent together in the village, she seemed like a good kid. But better safe than sorry—I’m telling you now, if she gives you any grief, I won’t just let it slide.”
Back in the village, Zhang Wenhua had been a formidable woman whom no one dared to provoke lightly.
“Mom, would I really let you suffer?” Lin Aiyun smiled. Seeing that Zhang Wenhua had calmed down, she continued, “Kangzi, Dad’s been drinking. Help him back to rest and take the fish to the kitchen. Mom and I will go see what’s really going on.”
“Huh? No way! Let Dad go himself—I’m the man of the house, I need to back you up!” Lin Wenkang refused without a second thought and shoved the tin bucket into Lin Jianzhi’s arms.
“I’m not drunk, and Kangzi’s right. There’s no way we’re letting you two women charge ahead when something’s happened. Let’s all go together.” Lin Jianzhi glared at his little rascal of a son.
Lin Wenkang shrank his neck but said nothing.
Hearing this, Lin Aiyun smiled helplessly, but warmth spread through her heart. After a moment’s thought, she nodded. “Alright, let’s all go together.”
So the four of them headed toward Xiao Juan’s room with the two fish in tow. Just as they reached the door, they heard Zhao Chunxia’s loud voice from inside—grating on the ears.
“My dear miss, that little vixen has only been here one day and she’s already meddling in household affairs! If she stays longer, won’t she be tearing off the roof tiles and climbing right over your head? I’m not upset for myself—I’m upset for you!”
Lin Aiyun only then realized that the “little vixen” in her words referred to her.
Say what you will, but Zhao Chunxia certainly had a talent for sowing discord and deflecting blame. Look—she’d come to “complain,” yet every word was framed as concern for A-Juan, as if A-Juan would be admitting defeat and losing her standing in the household if she didn’t take a stand.
“Sister and I have been in the Xiao family for twenty years. We’ve always done our work dutifully and never dared to make a single mistake. And just because I said a few extra words this morning, that little vixen found an excuse to fire me! Who could swallow that?”
“But she was brought back by Mr. Xiao, and I’m just a hired hand. She could crush me like an ant—how would I dare object? But when I think about how my miss will have to live under her thumb, my heart aches terribly. Otherwise, I would never have come back to run my mouth.”
“If I leave, that’s one less person in this house who truly cares about you. How could I rest easy?”
Zhao Chunxia wailed and howled as she spoke, all thunder and no rain. It was enough to make anyone’s head spin. But oddly enough, after she’d finished her tirade, there was no sound from Xiao Juan. Whether she’d spoken before or had remained silent the whole time, the atmosphere had suddenly become eerily quiet—so quiet it was almost unsettling.
Lin Aiyun was about to step inside when Zhang Wenhua, clearly fuming, strode in ahead of her. She quickly followed.
Inside the room, Xiao Juan sat in a chair. She seemed to have just woken up—her hair was a bit disheveled and she didn’t look too well. She’d been silently watching Zhao Chunxia, but when she saw them enter, she shifted her gaze and greeted them with a smile.
“Sister-in-law, you’re back? I heard you went out for a walk—how was it?”
Xiao Juan’s expression was completely natural, as if she hadn’t just been subjected to a string of Zhao Chunxia’s nonsense. She even rose and came forward to take Lin Aiyun’s arm, looking quite affectionate.
This scene not only surprised Lin Aiyun and her family—even Zhao Chunxia’s eyes went wide in disbelief at what she was seeing.
The direction things were taking seemed to be going wrong somehow.
“It was nice. Did you just wake up? Have you eaten yet?” Lin Aiyun, seeing that Xiao Juan wasn’t bringing up Zhao Chunxia’s matter, also pretended not to notice. She gave a warm smile, and two shallow dimples appeared at the corners of her mouth.
Hearing this, Xiao Juan patted her own stomach, then took Zhang Wenhua’s arm. Somewhat embarrassed, she stuck out her tongue playfully and said, “Not yet. I’ve been craving Auntie’s dumplings ever since I had them last time—I’ve been thinking about them ever since.”
“What’s there to worry about? I’ll go check the kitchen for ingredients and make some for you.” Zhang Wenhua’s eyes flickered as she caught onto something. Ignoring Zhao Chunxia’s stunned expression, she raised an eyebrow meaningfully.
Lin Jianzhi and Lin Wenkang looked completely baffled. Just moments ago, Zhang Wenhua had stormed in with fire in her eyes, looking ready for a fight—they’d even braced themselves to “break things up”—and yet here they were, witnessing such a harmonious scene.
How strange!
But when the women of the house were handling things, the men’s job was simply to follow along—not to meddle, not to run their mouths, and to step up at the right moment. That was the greatest support they could offer!
Watching them cheerfully head toward the kitchen together, Zhao Chunxia could no longer stand by. She hurriedly blocked Xiao Juan’s path, now truly crying with panic. “Miss… how can you… go with her?”
Having her way blocked, the smile on Xiao Juan’s face finally turned cold.
“Look at the way you’re talking. Do I need your permission to be with my own sister-in-law? Do you think I’m as stupid as you are—that I’d take your side unconditionally after hearing a few instigating words?”
“I knew what this was about from the very first sentence. Based on my sister-in-law and her family’s character, there’s absolutely no way they’d wrong you unjustly. I take sides with my own—even if my sister-in-law and her family were in the wrong today, I’d still side with family over principle.”
“Since I’m letting this slide out of respect for Wet Nurse Zhao, get out of my house right now. Otherwise, don’t blame me for not saving you any face.”
“My sister-in-law and her family are kind-hearted—they only drove out a gossip who badmouths her employers behind their backs. But I might not be so lenient.”
Zhao Chunxia’s face turned deathly pale. A flash of confusion crossed her features—she didn’t understand why Xiao Juan hadn’t taken her side, and why she’d spoken so harshly. It had never been like this before!
“Oh, and one more thing—you kept calling her a ‘little vixen.’ I’ll have my brother settle that score with you. His methods are far dirtier than mine.”
At the mention of Xiao Cheng, Zhao Chunxia remembered something and shuddered involuntarily. Her legs gave out and she slumped to the floor. Now she finally realized that Xiao Juan was firmly on Lin Aiyun’s side. She cursed that fox spirit—the one who’d charmed both siblings into protecting her—a hundred times over in her heart.
By the time she came to her senses, they had already walked out the gate. Gritting her teeth, she scrambled up and chased after them, apologizing without pause: “Miss, I was wrong about today’s matter. I was blinded by my own selfishness, my mind went haywire, and I said such awful things. Please be magnanimous and forgive me just this once?”
“Why are you apologizing to me? I had to put up with your nonsense all afternoon and that wasn’t pleasant either—but the ones who were truly hurt are my sister-in-law and her family.” Xiao Juan let out a cold laugh. Her expressionless face was practically a mirror image of Xiao Cheng’s—they were truly siblings.
Hearing this, Zhao Chunxia’s face flushed red, then pale, then finally swelled to a shade of purple. Reluctantly, she turned toward Lin Aiyun and mumbled in a voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz: “I’m sorry… I ran my mouth and offended you.”
Lin Aiyun rolled her eyes in exasperation. With the way Zhao Chunxia was carrying on, anyone watching would think they’d all ganged up on her. Who was she trying to play the victim for?
If Xiao Juan hadn’t been so reasonable, their sister-in-law relationship would have been ruined by her meddling.
“Your apology isn’t sincere, and we don’t intend to forgive you anyway. You’ve already been dismissed—now leave.” Lin Aiyun pointed toward the door, signaling for Zhao Chunxia to go. She couldn’t be bothered to keep tangling with such a person—it would only be a waste of time. Out of sight, out of mind.
Zhao Chunxia tried to say something more, but Xiao Juan cut her off.
“I’m grateful that my Wet Nurse took care of me all these years. But all the perks and advantages your Zhao family have taken from our household during that time—I’ve turned a blind eye to them. But I won’t anymore. The goodwill has run out. There’s no need for us to have any further dealings.”
One concession after another only makes people push their luck. Today’s incident was a living example of that.
Zhao Chunxia had dared to spout such nonsense on the very first day Lin Aiyun and her family arrived, all because she was banking on that so-called “goodwill”—thinking the Xiao family owed them, thinking Xiao Juan owed them. But to put it bluntly, it had always been a transaction of money for services. If they were cold-hearted about it, what “goodwill” was there even to speak of?
Leave a Reply