"Madam Zhang, you had better pray that I cannot find out how my eldest brother died, otherwise..."
Madam Zhang felt a shiver run through her, and she fled without even daring to turn her head.
"That vile woman! How does she even have the nerve to come back? She... she even wanted to ruin your future! She deserves to be torn to pieces!" Old Lady Xia sat on the kang, cursing in a fury. Xia Zhiliao, fearing that the Old Lady would overexert herself, quickly patted her chest to help her catch her breath.
Seeing her little granddaughter’s anxious and filial display, the Old Lady felt her heart soften a little.
"Mother, I was only speaking off the cuff earlier, but looking at Madam Zhang's reaction, I’m afraid my brother’s death really does have something to do with her," Xia Jinjuan said with certainty.
Xia Jinxiu, standing to the side, was also filled with indignation. "Second Brother, does that even need saying? Look at how she acted; it’s obvious. That poisonous woman killed our eldest brother and still has the gall to linger in our Xia family home. Truly despicable and shameless."
"Second Brother, even if Madam Zhang and that wild man did it, it’s been so many years. What can we even do now? There’s no evidence left." Xia Jinheng sighed and punched the wall in frustration.
Although Xia Jinjuan was a scholar, he had no experience with such matters. Everyone was trying to rack their brains for a solution, and Xia Zhiliao was doing the same. This plot point did not exist in the novel, so she had no reference; she could only come up with a plan herself.
*Got it! I have a way!*
Everyone looked at Xia Zhiliao, but she was so deep in thought that she didn't even notice.
*If you do no evil, you have no reason to fear a knock at your door. The next time she comes, we’ll use the ghost of Uncle to scare her and see how she reacts.*
The others weren't sure if this would work, but Madam Zhang had just left, and she wasn't likely to return for a while. Besides, it had been so many years since the death; a few more days wouldn't change the timeline for uncovering the truth.
Xia Zhiliao massaged the Old Lady's legs again. The Old Lady felt much better, almost wanting to get down from the kang to show off her granddaughter's handiwork.
*Grandma actually has such a cute side to her! Old children, young children—we're all just children at heart!*
That evening, because it was difficult for her to move, the Old Lady didn't intend to wash her face; farm folk weren't that particular. Unexpectedly, Madam Xia Chen entered with a basin of warm water. Seeing this, the Old Lady remembered what her little granddaughter had said—that after she became bedridden, it was her second daughter-in-law who had tended to her most intimate needs. Her heart softened further. Human hearts are made of flesh and blood, after all.
After washing her face, the Old Lady told Madam Xia Chen to leave, but Madam Xia Chen didn't move. The Old Lady grew annoyed at her indecisive demeanor and wanted to scold her, but she held back her tone. "Is there something else? You’ve been working all day; aren't you tired? Why don't you go back and rest?"
"Mother... I... you haven't washed your feet yet."
The Old Lady sighed. "You, really. You couldn't get a word out even if you were beaten with a stick. If you’re being kind, just say so. You know how impatient I am; watching you hem and haw just makes me angry."
Madam Xia Chen froze. Was her mother-in-law explaining herself to her?
"If you're like this, how will you manage if Jinjuan succeeds and becomes an official in the future?"
"Mother... I..."
"Don't 'I' me. If he becomes an official, he’ll be a man of standing, and you cannot be lacking, or else people will laugh at us. What kind of official's wife acts like you? Just speak openly and clearly! Do I eat people?"
"No, no, Mother, you don't eat people."
"There you go. I’m only telling you this because, with your personality, any other mother-in-law would have looked down on you." The Old Lady was speaking from the heart.
After Madam Xia Chen finished washing the Old Lady's feet, she returned to her own room to rest, unable to help but smile. Xia Jinjuan rarely saw his wife look like this. Actually, looking at her now, she was still quite beautiful, despite being worn out from day-to-day labor. Thinking that it was all for his sake, his feelings of love deepened.
"What are you smiling about?"
Madam Xia Chen pursed her lips. "I... I feel like Mother is different now. She’s better to me than she was before."
"Mother wasn't bad to you before," Xia Jinjuan explained. "She’s just used to having a loud voice and speaking harshly."
*Grandma is a truly good grandma and a good mother-in-law now. I like her.*
Xia Jinjuan glanced at his daughter, but waited for a long time without hearing any praise for himself. He felt a mix of disappointment and grievance. It seemed he had to prove his loyalty.
"I’m pretty good to you too, right, Zhiliao? Doesn't Daddy count as a good daddy?"
Madam Xia Chen nodded instinctively.
Xia Zhiliao smiled perfunctorily, but inwardly she was grumbling.
*Daddy? Well, you’re still lacking a bit. First Bai Huiru, and then those noble young ladies in the Capital—I’ll just have to wait and see how you perform!*
Xia Jinjuan’s expression flickered almost imperceptibly. "Wife, about the matter with Bai Huiru..."
"Jinjuan, I trust you. You don't need to explain."
*Oh, my love-struck mother, there’s no saving you! Just wait until she shows up, then you’ll know! She’s coming to steal your husband, live in your home, sleep with your man, and beat your children. Boohoo, I don't want a stepmother!*
Upon hearing this, Madam Xia Chen sat bolt upright, looking as if she were facing a great enemy. That would absolutely not do!