Chapter 240: Each With Their Own Agenda

Chapter 240: Chapter 240: Each With Their Own Agenda

At the same time, Ji Liansong’s family was also discussing the matter.

Ever since the family property had been divided, their branch had not had an easy time.

The entire family relied on Ji Liansong as their sole laborer. Their eight mu of land were all low-grade fields, and the harvest had been poor this year. After paying the grain tax, there was still a whole family to feed.

Daya, Erya, and Sanyang were all still young and couldn’t be left alone. Erya, in particular, was even frailer than Sanyang, constantly falling ill and getting into trouble.

Daya was sensible and, fearing her grandparents would find her a burden, always rushed to do chores. But she was so little, what good could she really do?

Yang’s brows were perpetually furrowed with worry. And so, when she heard that one could invest in the Hu Family’s business, she started getting ideas and wanted to give it a try.

After dinner, the family was sitting in the courtyard to cool off when she haltingly voiced her idea.

Whether her voice was too soft or the chirping of the insects was too loud, a long silence followed her words. No one responded.

Yang couldn’t stop her eyes from turning red.

She knew her husband and their two children still resented her for hiding the truth about Ming Fang’s broken leg.

After the truth came out, Ji Liansong didn’t divorce her, but he no longer confided in her like he used to.

Ji Mingfang and Ji Xuelan couldn’t exactly do anything to their own mother, but they were no longer as obedient as before.

Yang felt that the three of them—father, son, and daughter—had shut her out.

’But I have my own hardships, too. Why can’t anyone see things from my perspective?’

Ji Liansong squatted by the tree roots, taking occasional puffs from his long-stemmed pipe.

Ji Xuelan held Sanyang, humming a lullaby to coax her to sleep.

As for Daya and Erya, they were already asleep on a mat nearby.

In the end, Ji Mingfang couldn’t bear to see Yang so upset. He spoke up, "Mother, stop thinking about it. Our family has no money."

Seeing her son finally respond, Yang immediately perked up.

"Everyone in the village is saying that Wuan taught the Hu Family their ’golden combo.’ Wuan is a grateful girl. She was willing to help when Erya was sick, so if we go to learn from her now, she definitely won’t charge us. How could she charge her own uncle..."

"Mother!" Ji Mingfang cut her off, his expression turning grim.

Since it was his own mother, he couldn’t speak too harshly, so he just bit out, "I disagree."

Yang was still completely baffled. ’We were having a perfectly normal conversation. Why the sudden change in attitude?’

Ji Xuelan couldn’t help but frown.

"Mother, Wan is grateful, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t remember the kindness she’s shown us. You know she helped when Erya was sick, but do you also remember the one tael of silver she gave us? She doesn’t owe us anything. On the contrary, our family owes her."

Yang hurriedly said, "I remember, I do... But, but I thought, since we’re family..."

"When she was carried out of the Ji Family estate, no one thought of her as family."

Seeing Yang’s face turn pale, Ji Xuelan knew her words had been too harsh and sighed.

"Mother, even with your own relatives, you can’t always be thinking of taking advantage of them. Wuan earned this good life of hers through hardship. She built it herself, without relying on anyone else one bit. Even if she were willing to help us again and again, we can’t just accept it with a clear conscience. We have to think, what do we have to offer her?"

Yang fidgeted, at a loss. Given their family’s situation, they truly had nothing to offer Ji Huan.

"I... I was just trying to find another way for our family to survive. There are so many mouths to feed..."

A pang of guilt struck Ji Xuelan.

"Now that the crops are harvested and the fields are planted, I’ll go to town in a couple of days to find some work."

She had actually wanted to go for a while, but Ji Liansong and Ji Mingfang kept stopping her, using the excuse that Sanyang was too little.

"Xuelan, that’s not what I meant. I wasn’t talking about you... Sanyang is still little. She can’t be without you."

"Sanyang can drink rice water now. Daya and Erya can look after her. It will be fine."

Yang was rambling, her explanation only making things more confused.

"That’s enough," Ji Liansong said, suddenly standing up.

"In another month or two, the sweet potatoes will be ready to harvest. We won’t be without food. I’ll go back to the brick kiln in a couple of days... Don’t bring up learning the ’golden combo’ again, and Xuelan, you stay home and take good care of the children."

With that, Ji Liansong bent down, picked up Daya, and went into the house.

Ji Mingfang followed behind, carrying Erya, as did Ji Xuelan with Sanyang.

Yang remained where she was, her expression growing even more sorrowful.

Mrs. Zhu had failed to incite Aunt Kang, but she hadn’t given up. When she heard that several other families had already taken action, she felt as if a cat were scratching at her heart.

After two full days of being unable to sit or rest easy at home, she finally steeled her resolve and went to the Hu Family’s house.

She didn’t dare go looking for Ji Huan, afraid that damn girl would eat her alive.

But no matter what, she was the damn girl’s third aunt. Using that title as a pretext, she figured that Widow Xie couldn’t be too disrespectful.

Widow Xie heard a sound at the door and thought it was someone else coming to pay. But when she opened it, she saw Mrs. Zhu.

Mrs. Zhu squeezed out a greasy smile and was just about to speak when the door slammed shut with a BANG.

Widow Xie couldn’t even be bothered to waste a single word on her, let alone invite her in.

Mrs. Zhu was furious enough to die. She strode forward and began pounding on the door.

"Widow Xie! I know you’re in there! Open this door if you’ve got the guts! Don’t just hide inside without making a sound! You’re making money off Wuan’s recipe—have you no shame? I’m still her third aunt! What right do you have to stop me from learning it? She’s favoring an outsider over her own family! Believe it or not, I’ll find someone to settle this, and you..."

CREAK. The door opened again.

Mrs. Zhu looked smugly at Widow Xie and was about to push past her into the courtyard when, unexpectedly, Widow Xie spat right in her face.

The main door shut once more.

When Mrs. Zhu came to her senses, her lungs were about to explode!

She refused to leave, instead standing at the entrance, jumping up and down as she cursed Widow Xie’s entire family.

Halfway through her tirade, she caught sight of someone approaching out of the corner of her eye.

She focused her eyes and—oh, sweet mother—the damn girl was here!

Mrs. Zhu instantly stopped cursing. She turned tail and ran in the opposite direction as if for her life, not even bothering to pick up the shoe that had flown off her foot.

After watching Ji Huan enter the Hu Family’s house, Tian Jiao, who was hiding at the mouth of the alley, shot a look at Aunt Lu.

Aunt Lu stepped out of the alley, walked to the Hu Family’s door, and, after some hesitation, raised her hand and knocked.

Widow Xie seemed a little surprised to see it was her.

Ever since the dehydrated vegetables incident, she couldn’t tell if it was just her imagination, but she always felt that Aunt Lu had grown distant from their group.

Now she had come on her own initiative... Widow Xie guessed her purpose and, without a word, let her in.

Tian Jiao paced back and forth, looking slightly anxious.

She wasn’t actually comfortable with Aunt Lu acting on her behalf, but if she had gone herself, she probably wouldn’t have even made it past the Hu Family’s gate.

’We’re all from the same village. Others can swagger right up, but I have to hide and sneak around, even needing someone to go in my place.’

’And isn’t it all because Ji Huan can’t stand to see me doing well!’

’If it weren’t for Ji Huan, my mother-in-law wouldn’t be watching me like a hawk these days.’

Everything out of her mouth was about how Tian Jiao was inferior to Ji Huan and how she had lost the family money. She pushed all the laundry, cooking, and housework onto her.

On top of that, Mrs. Mao would spend all day making pointed remarks, saying that she just ate without laying any eggs—that she was a sinner of the Jiang family, dooming them to have no descendants.

Tian Jiao was on the verge of being driven mad.

She was anxious herself, but what could she do if her belly simply showed no signs of life?!

She knew in her heart that the only way to change her situation was to make money.

When she heard one could invest in the Hu Family’s business, she knew her chance to make money had arrived.

But Mrs. Mao spat at the idea before she could even finish her sentence. Even Jiang Wu had remained silent, not saying a word in her defense.

Tian Jiao’s heart went cold. Full of grievance, she ran back to her parents’ home, only to accidentally walk in on Widow Tian and a man...

Thinking of that scene, Tian Jiao’s face flushed red and pale by turns.

Just as she was stewing in her chaotic thoughts, she saw Aunt Lu emerge from the Hu Family’s house.

"Well? Did they agree?" Tian Jiao demanded, yanking Aunt Lu into the alley.