Chapter 97: A Sense of Shame is a Good Thing

Chapter 97: Chapter 97: A Sense of Shame is a Good Thing

’Is this woman a cockroach or something? Still trying to guilt-trip people even now.’

Ji Huan turned back and gave her a smile.

Tian Jiao thought she had an opening and broke into a teary smile herself.

But in the next second, Ji Huan’s expression changed. She opened her mouth and clearly enunciated four words.

"None. Of. My. Business!"

To be honest, Ji Huan had to hand it to Tian Jiao. She’d managed to sell less than a cartful of vegetables for ten taels. Meanwhile, Ji Huan had hired so many people and worked for so long, and her net profit was only seventy-five taels.

If she hadn’t resorted to swindling and cheating, she could have been considered a marketing genius. It was just a shame she didn’t use her brain for anything honest.

"You!"

Tian Jiao felt like she’d been played, and her face instantly flushed red with anger.

"If you don’t want to teach me, then don’t! I won’t blame you for being selfish, but why do you have to be so insulting?"

Ji Huan was speechless. She was now certain Tian Jiao wasn’t a cockroach, but a master of playing the victim, always ready to turn the tables and shift the blame.

"I won’t teach you my method, but I do have a piece of advice for you."

"...What is it?"

Ji Huan beckoned to Tian Jiao with her finger. Tian Jiao hesitated before leaning in.

Suddenly, Ji Huan straightened up, took a step back, and said the "secret" out loud for everyone to hear. "A sense of shame is a good thing. I hope you get one someday."

A burst of laughter erupted from the crowd. Zhang Cuicui laughed so hard she had to bend over.

"Talk about shameless! Still trying to scheme your way into getting someone’s recipe at a time like this? Can’t you see your own house is on fire?"

Ji Huan strode away, her departure clean and crisp. Tian Jiao was fuming, but Zhang Cuicui’s words were like a bucket of cold water poured over her from head to toe.

Something instantly clicked in her mind, and she whipped her head around to look at Jiang Wu.

Jiang Wu’s face was ashen. Without even looking at her, he walked into the courtyard and headed for the side room.

Tian Jiao panicked.

Her only support was Jiang Wu. She couldn’t let him grow distant from her, or she would have nothing left.

Ignoring Zhang Cuicui’s taunts, Tian Jiao hurried after Jiang Wu into the house.

Mrs. Mao also shut the courtyard gate, cutting off the gazes of the curious onlookers.

Tian Jiao closed the door to the room. Seeing the man sitting on the edge of the kang bed, head bowed in silence, she paused for a moment before walking up to him and calling out softly, "Brother Wu."

In the past, whenever she called him like that, Jiang Wu would agree to whatever she asked, no matter how outrageous. He would always give in.

This time, however, Jiang Wu didn’t react at all.

Tian Jiao grabbed his hand, not caring if he was listening.

"Ever since Ji Huan... Mother started finding fault with everything I do. You know this. Why else would I have been trying so hard to find ways to make money? I just wanted to prove to your parents that I’m a better daughter-in-law for the Jiang family than Ji Huan ever was."

Jiang Wu’s hand twitched, and he looked up.

The tip of Tian Jiao’s nose was red, and she looked utterly wronged.

"How could I have known that after all our hard work, the army wouldn’t buy it..."

’After the dehydrated vegetables were ready, she had actually tried them herself. They were truly awful. She had no idea why the army camp would want them.’

When they got to the army camp, not only did they fail to sell the vegetables, but they were also humiliated for no reason.

She couldn’t accept that all her work had been for nothing. Besides, if she went back in disgrace like this, who knew how her mother-in-law would lecture her.

Passing through Juyong Town, Jiang Wu happened to need to go to the farming tools shop, so she took the cart herself to try her luck at the restaurants and inns.

After being rejected by one place after another, just as she was about to give up, she was directed to East Willow Lane.

’While she was making her pitch, she noticed the man staring at her. An idea sparked in her mind.’

And so, the lie about being a newlywed widow was born.

’She only wanted to stir the man’s pity, to make him think there was an opportunity to be had. She hadn’t actually had any improper intentions herself.’

"I never told that man my husband was dead! He asked, and I just didn’t say anything, so he misunderstood... I just went along with it... I don’t care if Mother scolds me because the vegetables didn’t sell. I just couldn’t bear to see all your hard work go to waste..."

As Tian Jiao spoke, she suddenly covered her face and began to cry.

"I can’t talk my way out of this one! I don’t care what outsiders think of me. All I’ve ever done is for this family, so we could have a better life. But now, even you doubt me... What’s the point of me even living?"

Tian Jiao spun around and ran for the door, startling Jiang Wu into grabbing her in an embrace.

Tian Jiao pushed at him, crying, "What are you stopping me for? You don’t even believe me! Just let me die!"

Jiang Wu grew frantic. "How could I not believe you? It’s all my fault. I’m a bastard. From now on, I’ll believe whatever you say. Please, don’t do anything rash..."

"Really?" Tian Jiao turned back and stared at him. "You can’t let a few words from other people hurt my feelings again."

Jiang Wu nodded hurriedly. "It will never happen again."

The two of them had reconciled, but Mrs. Mao was not feeling good at all.

She entered the main hall and stared at the table laden with chicken, duck, fish, and meat. She wanted to flip the whole table over, but she couldn’t bear to waste all this good food.

She had thought they were about to strike it rich. Who knew it would all be for nothing!

Ten taels of silver, gone just like that. And that wasn’t all—the family’s entire savings had gone down with it.

How could she not be furious? She was so angry her chest ached!

She lost her appetite for the meat she’d been craving for so long. Standing at the entrance to the main hall, she started cursing toward the side room.

"...Blind! Marrying a wife who ruins the family! The old Jiang family’s luck went sour the day you walked through our door! I think you’re the jinx, the harbinger of disaster!"

"Earn big money? What money have you earned? A pile of dog shit! With your meager abilities, you still want to learn from others? You’ve brought nothing but shame upon us..."

"...You restless little hussy! Just like your mother, wishing your own husband dead so you can go around hooking up with other men..."

The curses grew uglier and uglier. Listening from the side room, Tian Jiao tore her handkerchief to shreds.

Jiang Wu was in a difficult position. The two of them had caused this mess, and all the family’s money was gone. It wouldn’t be right to stop his mother from venting her anger.

"Don’t take it to heart. It’s not easy for the family to save up money. She’s just upset about the loss..."

"I don’t blame Mother..."

Tian Jiao’s eyes were red as she bit her lip and said hatefully, "It’s all Ji Huan’s fault! If it weren’t for her, how could those two men have known my name? If she hadn’t brought them to our door, we wouldn’t have lost fourteen taels for nothing. And to think I treated her like a sister, but she just can’t stand to see me doing better than her."

Jiang Wu felt that what she was saying didn’t quite add up.

He wanted to ask her why she had used Ji Huan’s name when selling the vegetables to the restaurant, but seeing how upset she was, he swallowed his words.

Tian Jiao seemed almost possessed as she continued to mutter to herself.

"Why is it that she can make dehydrated vegetables, but I can’t? She’s willing to help the Hu Family make money, even helping them set up a stall, so why won’t she tell me her method? She’s hiding it, keeping it a secret, refusing to teach me... It’s clear she hates me. She hates me for stealing you away from her. She’s so selfish!"

Seeing that she was getting more and more worked up, Jiang Wu quickly tried to comfort her. "Then let’s just stay far away from her from now on. We won’t get involved with her and just live our own lives. It’s okay if we’re poor for a while. We can farm our land properly, and I’ll take on some odd jobs during the off-season. We’ll earn that money back in no time."

"No!" Tian Jiao shook her head. "How could that work? If I stop just because she doesn’t want me to do it, if I stop learning just because she won’t teach me, wouldn’t that be giving her exactly what she wants? In her dreams!"