Chapter 77 -

Chapter 77: Chapter

Madame Zhang gasped, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. "Master Bai, listen to how arrogant he sounds! He’s calling his own uncles a joke!"

Old Master Bai Tianming raised his hand, shutting Madame Zhang up instantly. He kept his eyes locked on Zhengyu. The big change in his crippled son was shocking.

"Silence, all of you!" Master Bai barked. He turned back to Zhengyu. "You talk big, Zhengyu. But managing the planting season means traveling to the farms, checking the water lines, and talking with village elders. How do you plan to do all that from a wheelchair?"

Before Zhengyu could answer, Yimei leaned forward. Her voice was sweet, but her words were sharp. "Master Bai, my husband’s mind is as smart as ever. And I have legs to walk the fields for him. I can check the soil and crops far better than anyone who buys bad seeds."

Third Uncle Bai Chenghao’s face turned an ugly, deep red. "You crazy girl—"

"Enough!" Old Madame Bai slammed her wooden staff onto the floor with a loud THUMP! The whole room went silent.

The strict grandmother looked at Yimei, then shot a glare at the angry uncles. "The Second and Third branches have lost enough money over the past two years to buy a whole mountain. If Zhengyu wants the keys to the farm account books, he gets them."

Madame Liu gasped out loud. "Mother! You can’t be serious!"

"Are you questioning my words, Madame Liu?" Grandmother Bai sneered, her sharp eyes narrowing. Madame Liu closed her mouth fast, bowing her head while shaking with anger.

Grandmother Bai looked back at Zhengyu. "You have until the end of the harvest to double the farm’s profit. If you fail, the account books go back to your uncles, and you lose your monthly allowance from the house."

"Deal," Zhengyu said right away, his dark eyes shining with total confidence.

Across the table, An Yulan dug her nails into her hand with pure jealousy. Madame Chen glared with hatred, while Madame Bai looked at her son with happy tears in her eyes.

[Host! Massive victory! You got the farm power and humiliated the rival branches! Favorability +3! Current favorability: 23 points!] Nine’s voice chimed inside Yimei’s head.

Yimei smiled softly and took a sip of her tea.

Madame Chen’s sweet face twisted with panic. Seeing the main harvest ledger slip completely into Zhengyu’s hands was a total nightmare for her plans.

She quickly leaned toward Old Master Bai Tianming, putting on a soft, tearful voice. "Master, please consider! What about our Wenjiang? He is also a son of the main branch! Shouldn’t he get a chance to help handle the farms too? He needs to learn how to manage family business!"

Before Master Bai could even open his mouth, Second Uncle Bai Chengbang slammed his teacup down and scoffed out loud.

"Handle the farms?" Second Uncle barked, shooting Madame Chen an ugly look. "Madame Chen, your son passed out drunk in a wine shop two nights ago and had to be dragged home by servants! If we hand him the farm ledgers, he’ll sell the crops just to buy more alcohol!"

"Exactly!" Third Uncle Bai Chenghao added quickly, sneering with total disgust. "Keep your drunkard son away from the estate’s money! He can’t even stand up straight in the morning, let alone talk to farm elders!"

Madame Chen’s face turned bright red with humiliation. She opened her mouth to argue back, but Second Uncle and Third Uncle glared at her so fiercely that she immediately shrank back into her seat. Even though the two uncles were furious about losing the ledgers to Zhengyu, they were not about to let a concubine’s useless son step over them.

Across the table, Yimei covered her mouth with her silk sleeve, hiding a small smirk.

Zhengyu didn’t even bother looking at Madame Chen. He simply picked up his chopsticks, picked up a piece of steamed fish, and calmly placed it into Yimei’s bowl.

"Eat," Zhengyu said in his usual cold, quiet voice, completely ignoring the chaotic drama around them. "You’ll need your energy if you’re going to walk the fields with me."

Yimei looked at the piece of fish in her bowl, then turned to look at Zhengyu’s calm, emotionless face.

[Host! Target performed an affectionate action in public! Favorability +2! Current favorability: 25 points!] Nine’s voice chimed inside her head.

Madame Liu, Madame Chen, and An Yulan could only glare in complete silence as Yimei picked up her chopsticks and happily ate the fish. The breakfast war was officially over, and the First Branch had won every single round.

As breakfast ended, the family members slowly stood up, their faces dark and unhappy. The rival branches bowed to Grandmother Bai and left the dining hall one by one, still muttering under their breath about the farm ledgers.

Zhengyu was about to signal Liu Feng to wheel him out when Grandmother Bai’s sharp voice stopped them.

"Yimei, stay behind," Grandmother Bai said, resting her hands on her wooden staff. "Zhengyu, you can return to your courtyard first. I want to speak with your wife alone."

Zhengyu paused, his dark eyes flickering over to Yimei for a second before he gave a slight nod. Liu Feng wheeled him out into the courtyard, leaving Yimei alone in the quiet dining hall.

Grandmother Bai looked at Yimei with sharp, measuring eyes. "Come closer," she ordered.

Yimei stepped forward gracefully and stopped a few feet away, keeping her posture humble and polite.

"Now tell me the truth," Grandmother Bai began, her voice dropping into a low, serious tone. "How was your one-week trip with Zhengyu? Servants near your villa claimed neither of you were seen at the house the entire time. Where did you two actually stay?"

Yimei didn’t panic for a single second. She looked straight into Grandmother Bai’s eyes and put on a soft, sincere smile.

"Grandmother, we did stay at the estate, but my husband preferred absolute peace and quiet," Yimei lied smoothly, without blinking. "Zhengyu did not want any servants hovering around or spreading rumors about his condition, so we stayed in the inner back garden pavilion the whole time. I took care of all his meals and needs myself."

Grandmother Bai raised an eyebrow, clearly evaluating the story, but Yimei’s calm expression didn’t give away a single hint.

"And what about his appearance?" Grandmother Bai pressed on, leaning forward slightly. "What on earth did you do to him? He went away looking like a fading ghost, and today he sits here glowing with health. How did his skin and energy change so fast?"

Yimei lowered her eyes modestly. "When we were leaving, a travelling old physician passed near the village. He gave me a special mountain herbal tea recipe and taught me a gentle massage method to clear toxic buildup in the blood. I boiled the herbs for Zhengyu twice a day and massaged his legs every morning. It seems the fresh air and proper rest finally allowed the tea to work."

Grandmother Bai stared at Yimei for a long moment, staying completely silent. Finally, the hard lines on the old matriarch’s face softened just a bit. She let out a long breath and nodded slowly.

"You have done well, Yimei," Grandmother Bai said, her tone carrying a rare hint of approval. "Keep giving him those herbs. If you truly manage to bring my grandson back to full health and double the farm’s harvest this season, no one in this manor will ever dare to disrespect your place as the Young Madame."

"I will not disappoint Grandmother," Yimei said with a sweet, respectful bow.

[Host! Successful lie! You gained the Matriarch’s trust!] Nine’s voice beeped happily in her head.