Old Lady Xia had accidentally injured her leg while climbing onto the kang.
Xia Jinjuan, always a dutiful son, rushed back without stopping, and Madam Xia Chen and Xia Zhiliao quickly followed.
Yet both husband and wife harbored the same thought in their hearts: their daughter had been right once again.
Madam Xia Chen, in particular, kept thinking of how many times her daughter had mentioned that men could change their hearts.
Could this matter be true as well?
"Xiuxiu, is our mother all right? How on earth did she end up climbing up there out of the blue?" Xia Jinjuan asked in a loud voice the moment he stepped through the door.
"I'm fine, I'm not dead yet. What's all the shouting for? Look at how you've frightened Zhiliao," Old Lady Xia shot her son a glare, then forced a smile onto her pain-twisted face as she looked at Xia Zhiliao.
A sudden ache gripped Xia Zhiliao's heart.
[Grandma must be in so much pain, yet she's still worried about scaring me. I must heal Grandma; I can't let her end up bedridden on the kang from now on.]
Hearing her granddaughter's words, Old Lady Xia felt an extraordinary sense of satisfaction. "Oh, is Zhiliao feeling sorry for Grandma? Grandma is fine, don't be scared, dear. Grandma will be all better by tomorrow."
With that, she glared at the adults in the room. "The lot of you, scaring my Zhiliao with all your hollering and yelling. What are you making such a fuss about?"
"Mother... a sprain can be either minor or severe!"
Since their daughter had said as much, how could Xia Jinjuan dare to take it lightly?
Stealing her courage, Madam Xia Chen chimed in to persuade her, "Yes, Mother, we should really have a physician come take a look."
"Is money burning a hole in your pocket?" Old Lady Xia snapped impatiently. "At my age, twisting an ankle isn't the first or second time it's happened. Instead of wasting money on that, we'd be better off saving it for Zhiliao. Did you take her to see a physician when you went to town today?"
Scolded into silence, Madam Xia Chen didn't dare reply, but Xia Jinjuan stepped in front of her. "Mother, we did see one, but I feel that physician isn't reliable."
If any of her other sons had said such a thing, Old Lady Xia would have given them a severe scolding, but this was her most cherished second son, which made all the difference.
"You're a scholar, you know more than the rest of them. If you think he's unreliable, then he definitely is. A single tael of silver is probably not enough anyway; I'll get you another two taels later. Take Zhiliao to the county town—the physicians in the county are bound to be better than the ones in the township!"
"Right!"
Old Lady Xia suddenly sucked in a breath. Seeing her granddaughter grasping her mother-in-law's ankle, Madam Xia Chen panicked, quickly scooped up the child, and stammered out an anxious explanation, "Mother... Zhiliao didn't mean it, please don't be angry."
Old Lady Xia shot her a sideways glance. Was she really such a fierce old crone?
Besides, it didn't hurt at all—what was there to be angry about?
Not only did it not hurt, but the spot that had been aching piercingly just moments ago actually felt much less painful now.
Seeing the old lady look over, Xia Zhiliao bared her teeth and smiled at her.
"I really don't like listening to you talk. When did I ever say I was angry? Come to think of it, ever since Zhiliao moved my foot, how come it doesn't even hurt anymore? Ain't that strange? She truly is Grandma's sweet granddaughter!"
Chapter 020: The Jinx Has Returned
Seeing his daughter praised made Xia Jinjuan happier than if he had been praised himself.
"Mother, I think our Zhiliao has a gift for medicine. Today at the apothecary, she just kept staring at the silver needles. Seeing that the child liked them, I bought her a set. And look—with just a random little touch, she made your foot feel much better."
Madam Xia Chen kept her head down. Naturally, she was happy that her daughter had gotten what she wanted, but she was afraid the old lady would think they were squandering money.
Yet in any other household, doing something like this would surely invite a tongue-lashing!
Unexpectedly, not only did Old Lady Xia refrain from scolding them, but she even chuckled warmly, "If she can really learn it, that's a good thing, too. Who knows, maybe she can even cure herself one day."
Xia Zhiliao smiled and nodded.
[Grandma, you are the most open-minded old lady I've ever seen.]
With her foot no longer hurting and having been praised by her granddaughter, Old Lady Xia was in a much better mood.
And Madam Xia Chen also realized that although her mother-in-law liked to scold people, she was actually quite nice underneath.
"Second, what did they say when they looked at your wife's embroidery?" Old Lady Xia asked.
Xia Jinjuan straightened his back and glanced at his wife. "Mother, you won't believe it when I tell you."
"Second Brother, look at how pleased with yourself you are. Did you sell it?" Xia Jinxiu asked with curiosity.
"Not yet, but the shopkeeper thinks very highly of your second sister-in-law. He even thought she had studied under a grand master from the Capital! That just goes to show how well your second sister-in-law does her embroidery. Once it sells, I plan to talk to him about a partnership."
Xia Jinheng's eyes lit up. "Second Brother, partnering with outsiders isn't as profitable. Why don't I take them to sell? Keep the fertile water within our own fields."
Xia Jinjuan glanced at his younger brother. "You?"
"Yeah, I'll take them to market. Whatever price they fetch goes straight to our family," Xia Jinheng said.
[Fourth Uncle wants to do business? It's not out of the question, but there's no way you can sell Mother's embroidery!]
Xia Jinheng glanced at Xia Zhiliao, wanting to ask why on earth he couldn't.
Xia Jinjuan was thinking along the same lines. "Fourth, Jinyi Workshop currently buys from us whatever quantity we provide. Boss Su remembers the debt of gratitude we owe him for saving his son. Besides, they have the proper connections and a steady stream of customers. When have you ever seen anyone selling fine embroidery on the open streets? It's not appropriate."
"Mother..." Xia Jinheng turned his gaze toward his mother.
"Listen to your second brother. What he says makes sense."
"Our family only has those few mu of land; Third Brother alone is enough to work them. I'm just extra weight around the house. Everything's frozen over right now anyway, and nobody is building new houses, so I want to try my hand at a small business."
Xia Jinheng looked at Xia Jinjuan, then his gaze shifted back to Xia Zhiliao. "But I don't know what to sell. Zhiliao, what do you think Fourth Uncle should sell?"
"You're asking a child? What does she know about selling things? She hasn't even stepped out of the village a few times," Old Lady Xia said, casting an affectionate, scolding look at her son. "As I see it, you're just fussing over nothing. Whatever money the family manages to scrape together, nobody is to touch a single coin—it's all to be saved for Zhiliao's medical treatments."
"Mother, aren't I trying to earn money to pay for Zhiliao's treatments, too? If you ask me, the physicians in the county town aren't good enough either; we have to go all the way to the Capital. The physicians in the Capital are the truly formidable ones."
Xia Jinheng pulled Xia Zhiliao's hand, playfully teasing her.
"Your heart is in the right place, but times are hard right now, and ordinary folk struggle just to put food on the table. Business isn't so easy to run," Old Lady Xia sighed. She didn't want her son running around making a fuss; she preferred he stay put, till the fields honestly, and do some honest labor.
[Nothing to eat? Then sell food! There's nothing particularly good to eat in the township anyway, and at worst, whatever food doesn't sell won't go to waste.]
Xia Zhiliao tried her absolute hardest to recall, but she honestly couldn't remember what Fourth Uncle in the original book had used to make his fortune. His business had grown massive, but unfortunately, later on, he took advantage of national calamities to hoard goods and inflate prices, only to be made an example of by the female protagonist once she caught him.
Being quite adept at utilizing his little niece's extraordinary abilities, Xia Jinheng chuckled and said, "Mother, I think we might as well sell some food. If it doesn't sell, our own family can eat it."
Though Old Lady Xia initially disagreed, she couldn't simply ignore her little granddaughter's words. "What kind of food are you planning to sell? Doing business isn't just a matter of clapping your upper and lower lips together and running your mouth."
"Of course I know that. Let me think about it—does this mean you agree?"
Since everyone in the Xia family could hear Xia Zhiliao's inner voice, naturally no one raised any objections—except for Fifth Uncle, Xia Jinqing. Not that he opposed it; he simply didn't care about these matters at all.
He remained silent the entire time, staring fixedly at Xia Zhiliao.
Xia Zhiliao felt a bit uneasy under his gaze. What is wrong with Fifth Uncle?
Why is he looking at me like that?
"Fifth Brother, what are you staring at?" Xia Jinxiu also noticed his abnormality.
Xia Jinqing shook his head. Looking at his completely normal family members, he wondered if something was wrong with his own mind, yet he didn't want the family to know. "N—nothing. If Mother's alright, I'll head back to my room first. I didn't sleep well last night."
Although he was second in age among the brothers, Xia Jinjuan was now the eldest of the siblings at home. "You, read fewer idle books and miscellaneous texts, and go out for more walks. You're starting to look bewitched."
Xia Jinqing nodded, murmuring, "Yeah... I feel like I've been bewitched, too."
Otherwise, how could he possibly hear a little niece who couldn't even speak constantly chattering away in her mind—and with such a rather pleasant voice, at that?
"Where are those rascals? Running off to stir up trouble again?" Seeing that his mother's condition had improved, Xia Jinjuan finally noticed that his three sons were nowhere to be found.
"Father! We're back! Bad news, something terrible has happened!"
Hearing his third son's voice echoing in the courtyard, Xia Jinjuan said in a deep voice, "Something terrible did happen—your grandmother hurt her foot."
"Huh? Grandma got hurt? That's not what I'm talking about, it's Eldest Sister-in-law... she's almost at the front gate."
Upon hearing this, Old Lady Xia's face turned green with anger. "I knew it! Why else would I have suddenly injured my foot for no reason? So it was that jinx coming back! She's the one who brings this curse upon me! Didn't she already get married off? What is she coming back for?"
The more Old Lady Xia thought about it, the angrier she grew. If not for the sake of her children and grandchildren, how could she ever have tolerated that vile woman committing adultery and then letting her off scot-free?
"Mother! Mother, I've come back to see you! Auntie Tao told me your foot was hurt. Oh my, how did you manage to be so clumsy? It's alright, aren't I back here to wait on you now?"
"Hmph!" Old Lady Xia let out a cold snort.
[Wait on us? I'm afraid things aren't that simple. Could it be she got beaten and ran back home to hide?]
Old Lady Xia furrowed her brow, and the rest of the Xia family wore unfriendly expressions as well.
Xia Jinxiu even blocked the doorway. "Who do you think you are? What are you coming to our house for?"
Madam Zhang's smile stiffened, though she quickly plastered on another one. "Little Aunt, don't joke with me like that. Let me go see Mother, I was worried sick. I'd only been away from home a few days when Mother got hurt—I was afraid nobody else would take care of her with the same care I do. And lo and behold, it turns out I was right."
"I'm the one who's been with Mother these past few days. What, are you trying to say I don't take good care of her?" Xia Jinxiu asked with a cold face.
Madam Zhang's original intention had been to take a jab at Madam Xia Chen, not realizing she had directed it at the wrong person. "No, I didn't mean that, Little Aunt. Please, let me in."
"Get lost!"
From inside the room came Old Lady Xia's furious roar!
Chapter 021: The Xia Family Has Changed
Madam Zhang gave a start, fear flashing in her eyes. She knew full well that this trip wouldn't be easy, but she had brazenly come anyway.
"Get out! Our Xia family has nothing to do with you!"
"Third, Fourth, throw this shameless woman out! Don't let her soil our family's grounds!" Old Lady Xia commanded fiercely.
Xia Zhiliao looked at her. When Old Lady Xia's gaze met her granddaughter's, she calmed down somewhat. "Second's wife, take the child back inside. Be a good girl, Zhiliao, Grandma isn't yelling at you."
[Grandma is so good to me, of course I know she's not yelling at me. But Grandma, can you please not make me leave? I want to watch the show, too! Besides, if she tries any tricks, I can help you expose them!]
Grinning, Xia Zhiliao scrambled up onto the kang and sat right beside Old Lady Xia, showing no intention of leaving at all.
"Be a good girl, Zhiliao, go back to the room with your mother!"
Xia Zhiliao shook her head—she wanted to watch the drama unfold.
Old Lady Xia sighed. "Fine, if she doesn't want to leave, let her stay."
Madam Xia Chen was stunned; her mother-in-law was actually being this easygoing?
By this time, Madam Zhang had already pushed past Xia Jinxiu and entered the old lady's room. The moment she crossed the threshold, she dropped heavily to her knees, tears and mucus mingling together as she wailed miserably, crying out for "Mother."
[Crying like this—anyone walking past would think something terrible happened to Grandma!]
"Bad omen! What are you howling for? Are you openly cursing me to die now?" Livid with anger, Old Lady Xia didn't tell Madam Zhang to get up; legs grew on her body, so if she wanted to kneel, she could just stay there kneeling.
"Mother~ let me see—how's this leg? Does it hurt? How can I have any peace of mind seeing you like this? Let me come back and wait on you!"
[Could she be trying to get her hands on the deed to the land again?]
Xia Zhiliao glared at Madam Zhang.
"Trying to swindle my land deed again? Let me tell you, not a chance! Our family has nothing to do with you anymore, and I certainly don't need you waiting on me."
"Mother, don't speak in anger! Weren't you always the fondest of me? Eldest may be gone, but since him and I were husband and wife once, I ought to fulfill my filial duties to you in his stead!"
Xia Zhiliao stuck out her tongue. [Going in circles with the exact same line. Eldest Uncle was a fine, healthy man one day and gone the next—that other man must have been at the scene back then, right? There has to be a hidden story behind this.]
Naturally, the novel wouldn't waste ink on an insignificant character, so Xia Zhiliao was just letting her thoughts wander, much like how her own vocal cords had been damaged—there were no memories of it in the original host's mind, but she knew matters weren't that simple.
Xia Zhiliao's unspoken words served as a reminder to the members of the Xia family present.
Xia Jinxiu, who was fiercely protective of her own, recalled her eldest brother's kindness and honesty, and instantly flared up with anger. "You still have the face to mention my eldest brother? When my eldest brother died, that adulterer of yours was there, wasn't he? What really happened back then?"
Madam Zhang shuddered all over. With just that single reaction, Xia Zhiliao was certain her guess was very likely true.
[She has a guilty conscience! Grandma, look at her, she has a guilty conscience! Eldest Uncle's death definitely has something to do with them.]
Not just Old Lady Xia, but everyone else glared hatefully at Madam Zhang.
Madam Zhang's heart sank even further. "Mother... Jinrong and I were husband and wife, how could I ever harm him? This... Little Aunt, how can you say such a thing? I... I've already told you, I was forced by that Hu Erping! When I refused, he beat me, boo-hoo-hoo... He made me trick you out of the land deed, but how could I ever betray the Xia family? Mother, look—these were all beatings from him!"
With that, Madam Zhang rolled up her sleeves, revealing a crisscross of shocking scars that left everyone gasping in dismay.
Seizing the momentum, Madam Zhang grabbed Old Lady Xia's hand. "Mother, I was wrong, please forgive me! I only want to be your daughter-in-law and serve you with filial piety by your side—please let me come back!"
[Knowing this now, why act the way you did in the beginning? Besides, my eldest brother's death hasn't been cleared up yet!]
"Stop crying in our house! Where is your own maiden family?" Xia Jinxiu shot her a look of utter contempt.
"You didn't take any less of our family's things during ordinary days; why aren't they bothering with you now?"
Thinking of her maiden family, Madam Zhang wept even harder. Because she had left the Xia family after they gave the Xia family five taels of silver, her family was currently raising a fuss, demanding that Hu Erping cough up another five taels for them.
Hu Erping had already been beating and cursing her day in and day out because of that money; the suffering she had endured these past few days far exceeded everything she had experienced in her thirty-odd years of life.
"Mother, I beg of you! Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law, Little Aunt, Third Brother, Fourth Brother—if not for my sake, consider the Buddha's face! Think of your eldest brother. If he were still alive, he was always the one who knew best how to care for people; how could he ever bear to see me suffer like this?"
"Bah! Have you no shame? You still have the face to mention my eldest brother? When my eldest brother was alive, we never saw you wake up early to cook him a single hot meal. Now, all of a sudden, you're dragging him into everything! Let me tell you, whether my eldest brother's death has anything to do with you or not, you know it in your heart. Don't even dream of stepping foot into our Old Xia family ever again!"
Old Lady Xia cast a cold glance at her, her teeth clenched as she spoke in an icy tone, "You'd better hope you had nothing to do with Jinrong's death. Otherwise... even if I have to descend to the halls of King Yama, I will strip your skin and pull your tendons!"
Madam Zhang swallowed hard, thoroughly frightened by the old lady's fierce demeanor.
"Second Brother, you're a scholar, your reputation matters! If people find out you sold off your widowed sister-in-law, it won't sound very pleasant when it gets out."
Seeing that working on the old lady was getting her nowhere, Madam Zhang shifted her target to Xia Jinjuan. Having lived in the same household for over a decade, she knew Xia Jinjuan's temperament and disposition quite well.
[Father, don't be afraid of her! We have the written agreement they signed—black and white with their fingerprints pressed on it! Besides, everyone outside knows Grandma is benevolent for letting her remarry. Now that she's biting the hand that fed her, let's see who everyone else sides with.]
Xia Jinjuan had panicked for a brief moment, but after listening to his daughter's analysis, he felt it made complete sense. "Madam Zhang, everyone in the village saw it with their own eyes. When you walked out of our Xia family, you were all smiles and cheer. If you were unwilling, shouldn't you have been crying? Everyone knows my mother has a kind heart and doesn't mistreat her widowed daughters-in-law, generously allowing you to remarry. Tell me, if you go making a fuss now, will people believe you, or will they believe us?"
Madam Zhang swallowed hard again. How was it that after just a few days, the people in the Xia family all seemed like completely different people?
"Do you need me to fetch the agreement you signed that day? Our Xia family didn't punish an adulterous daughter-in-law, but instead generously let her remarry—what kind of magnanimity is that? Are you sure it's me who's going to be embarrassed when the time comes?"
Xia Jinjuan stared coldly down at the woman collapsed on the floor.
Chapter 022: What? I Don't Want a Stepmother!
[Father is mighty!]
Watching her father speaking with such righteous severity, Xia Zhiliao almost turned starry-eyed. Taking another look, she saw that her love-brained mother already was.
In truth, she had considered it: her father was a scholar, which was a rare commodity in this era. Her father had no major vices, treated her mother fairly well at present, and was blessed with a handsome face to boot—it was understandable why her mother was so infatuated.
Without some substantial capital, how could her father have caught the eye of a prime minister's daughter at first glance?
If even a worldly-wise prime minister's daughter liked him, then it was completely normal for her own mother to feel the same way.
If she hadn't known the plot of the novel, she would have thought her father was a thoroughly perfect man, too.
Delighted by his daughter's praise, Xia Jinjuan felt warm inside and winked back at the smiling little girl.
"Still not leaving?" Xia Jinjuan asked in a cold voice.
Looking thoroughly crestfallen, Madam Zhang picked herself up from the floor. At this point, the Xia family was her only remaining retreat; she didn't dare fall out with them completely.
"Second Brother, I... I didn't mean it that way, I was just..."
"Get out of here immediately. Otherwise, don't blame me for being discourteous."
"Mother~" Madam Zhang cried out again with deep sincerity.
Old Lady Xia wasn't buying any of it. Without her little granddaughter, she would still have been kept completely in the dark by this wicked woman. Not throttling her on the spot was already showing restraint—how could she possibly allow her back?
"Third, Fourth, what are you standing around for? Throw her out!"
"No, no, Mother, I know you're still angry with me, but please don't let it ruin your health—I'll worry. Calm your anger, I'll come... I'll come visit you another day."
"Shut your mouth. If you dare step foot inside our Xia family again, I'll break your legs," Old Lady Xia cursed bitterly.
Knowing that if Xia Jinyu and Xia Jinheng took matters into their own hands, she wouldn't come out of it well, Madam Zhang scurried away in disgrace.