Chapter Thirty-Three [V] A rift developed between the couple...

Li Yan sized up the person and forgot to speak for a moment. It was Aunt Xue who spoke first.

"Her elder sister and brother-in-law, why are you here so late?" Aunt Xue knew their purpose in coming; Yan Niang had told her everything that had happened yesterday. But the Li family didn't know that they were already aware of the situation, so they pretended to know nothing.

Since she was already a guest, she politely invited him to stay.

Li Yan echoed Aunt Xue's words, saying, "Why didn't you let me know beforehand that my sister and brother-in-law were coming? I could have prepared the meal." She then asked, "Have you two eaten yet?"

Li Jiaojiao didn't say a word the whole time; she just leaned quietly against Han Yue like a little bird.

Han Yue took the lead, exchanging pleasantries with the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in front of him, saying, "Thank you for your concern, Aunt and Second Aunt. We...we're not here for a meal."

"Is there something else going on?" Li Yan asked, feigning ignorance. In the night, her eyes shone like stars, and a mischievous smile played on her lips.

"Something came up," Han Yue said.

"Then let's talk in, sister and brother-in-law." After saying that, Li Yan turned around and went to the main room.

The family of four had only eaten half of their meal when Han Yue walked in. He glanced at the food on the low table and noticed that there was meat and fish.

It seems that this second aunt's living conditions are really quite good now.

Han Yue only glanced at it casually before looking away and examining the room more closely.

The house was old, and the furniture inside looked worn out. However, the house was clean and tidy, and it looked quite pleasing to the eye.

The middle room is the main hall, and there are two other rooms on either side, presumably the bedrooms of the Li family members.

"Sister, brother-in-law, please sit down." When Li Yan was making the bed, desk, and chair for Xu Ge'er, she thought that there were only a few stools in the main room and no chairs, so she asked the carpenter to make two more chairs.

She also thought that these newly made furniture pieces wouldn't be a waste of money, as she could take them with her when she moved.

Aunt Xue, being sensible, immediately said, "Yan Niang, you two chat, Xu Ge'er, Yue Jie'er, and I will go to the kitchen for dinner."

Han Yue was about to say that he wanted to speak with his second aunt alone for a while, but when his second aunt, his mother-in-law, spoke first, Han Yue immediately thanked her, "Thank you, Aunt." Then he apologized, "I'm really bothering you by coming so late."

Aunt Xue thought the young man in front of her was quite nice. As a son-in-law, he had come late at night to help his mother-in-law clean up the mess, which showed that he was a kind-hearted young man. Why make things difficult for him?

"It's alright, it's alright, there's no need to bother you. You are Yan Niang's relatives, so you are our honored guests. Please come often in the future." With that, he led Xu Ge'er and Yue Jie'er to tidy up the table and left.

It was completely dark outside, and occasionally a dog barked in the distance. From the neighbors on either side, one could also hear couples arguing and children crying as if they were being beaten.

It was noisy and lively, full of life.

After everyone sat down, Li Yan took the initiative to ask, "What brings you here, sister and brother-in-law?"

Li Jiaojiao remained silent, her head bowed the whole time. But now, seeing the three of them leave, she raised her head and looked at Li Yan, who was sitting in the main seat.

The room was dimly lit by a soybean oil lamp. In this dim light, the second aunt's face appeared remarkably gentle and beautiful.

If I had to say that when I last saw her, I only felt that she had changed in appearance and temperament, but her face was definitely not "beautiful". But seeing her again today, I feel that even under this lamplight, she has a certain charm.

Looking at her figure again, she wondered if it was just her imagination, but she felt that although she was still plump and not slender enough, her plumpness was different from her previous robustness.

She's changed. And changed a lot.

For some reason, Li Jiaojiao felt a sense of worry and unease.

Then, thinking about the new pimple that had appeared on her face, she suddenly felt a little scared.

For a moment, Li Jiaojiao was extremely flustered, overwhelmed with mixed feelings.

While Li Jiaojiao was flustered and confused, Li Yan made another great gain.

[Ding~ Congratulations, host, your beauty score has increased by 5]

Li Yan glanced at Li Jiaojiao, her smile growing even brighter.

Han Yue hesitated for a long time, but in the end, he decided to get straight to the point and bring up the matter directly.

Asking directly would seem more sincere.

"Second Aunt, your sister and I have come to apologize to you on behalf of our mother-in-law," Han Yue said directly.

Li Yan deliberately frowned: "Why are you here to apologize, sister and brother-in-law?" Then she pretended to understand and said, "What happened before can't be said to be my sister's fault, let alone yours, brother-in-law. So, there's no need for you to apologize."

Han Yue said, "I'm not here for matters from the past."

What is that?

"Yes..." Han Yue gestured to his wife, hoping she could say something, but his wife just stared at the second wife, as if she had lost her voice, and didn't utter a single word.

Han Yue was quite displeased, so he frowned and looked at his wife, whispering a reminder: "Say something too."

Li Jiaojiao seemed to come to her senses and immediately said, "Second Aunt, my mother didn't mean it, please forgive her this time."

"What are you saying, sister? What happened to Aunt?" Li Yan smiled slightly, but her eyes were cold.

Li Jiaojiao glanced at Han Yue beside her, but Han Yue deliberately kept his eyes fixed straight ahead, seemingly oblivious. Li Jiaojiao turned her head to look at his resolute chin, feeling a pang of disappointment.

Helpless, Li Jiaojiao finally said, "Mother is confused. Because of what happened to Zong-ge'er, she hates you to the core." Li Jiaojiao was nervous and flustered at this moment. She clutched a handkerchief in her hand and rubbed it hard, reluctantly telling the truth, "Last night, did you take someone to court?"

"Yes, that's right." Li Yan admitted it without any hesitation, and blinked, "How does my sister, living deep within her mansion, know about these trivial matters of the marketplace?"

Li Jiaojiao blushed, lowered her head, and forced herself to continue, "Aren't you looking for the person with the small red mole on her left hand? She... she is my mother."

There was a moment of stillness, followed by Li Yan's surprised voice: "What?"

Li Jiaojiao still didn't dare to look up, continuing to rub the silk handkerchief in her hands, softly pleading for her mother: "Second Mother, I beg you, please forgive Mother this time. She was just confused because of Zong Ge'er's matter. Please be magnanimous and give her another chance. Okay?" Only after saying the last sentence did she muster up the courage to raise her head and look at Li Yan.

Li Yan's face was cold and her expression was serious.

“I truly never imagined my aunt would do such a heinous thing,” she condemned. “She hates me for taking Zong’er’s school spot from Xu’er, and she could have come at me directly. She could have come to my house and yelled and cursed. But she paid someone to poison the food; that’s pure malice. This is a personal grudge between me and her; what does it have to do with the other diners? Did she ever consider what would happen if innocent people were harmed?”

"Fine, even if it's just a laxative, and the discomfort won't affect their lives... but who did those diners offend? Why should they have to endure this for no reason?"

"What, you're scared now?"

Li Yan chuckled, her face full of sarcasm: "Did she feel even a trace of remorse when she did this? When those customers got sick from eating and were sent to the clinic, was she still happy? Because as long as those customers got sick, my milk tea business would be ruined."

"When she was doing bad things, she never seemed anxious or remorseful. Now that things have been exposed and she'll soon be facing imprisonment, she's suddenly scared?"

“Sister, I used to think you were kind-hearted, but it turns out you can’t tell right from wrong either. She bullied and humiliated me when I was little, and whispered in my father’s ear, preventing me from growing up at home. You saw all of this with your own eyes, but you never cared. I used to think you were young and didn’t understand, so I never blamed you. But now, I don’t think so anymore.”

"Just the fact that you aided and abetted evil makes me realize that you are just as dark-hearted as your mother. It's just that she did many things for you. She didn't have to do anything and could enjoy everything comfortably. How could you not be willing? All these years, you have been the eldest daughter of the Li family, enjoying everything that should have belonged to me. You must have been secretly pleased, right?"

"Actually, you are essentially the same as your mother."

Li Yan was sharp-tongued and never held back. Unable to win the argument, Li Jiaojiao burst into tears.

"Second Aunt, how could you say such a thing to me?" Her eyes were red and tears streamed down her face, making her look extremely pitiful. "Back then, it was you who almost caused Father to lose his business, which is why Father wanted to send you to the countryside. What does this have to do with my mother? What does it have to do with me? I know you have suffered these years, but I have secretly visited you and secretly brought you some clothes and shoes, which you refused to accept."

Perhaps because the original owner's consciousness still lingered in this body, related images appeared in Li Yan's mind when Li Jiaojiao was saying these things.

The causes and consequences of these events also flashed through Li Yan's mind.

From Li Jiaojiao's perspective, it was her stepsister Li Yan who almost caused the family to lose money. But from the original Li Yan's perspective, she was framed and harmed.

The person who harmed her was her stepmother, Yue.

Once she understood this, Li Yan's disgust for the mother and daughter deepened.

Li Yan's face grew increasingly cold, and her words became sharper, saying, "Hmph, you brought me some of your old clothes and shoes, and you expect me to be grateful? Besides, you know perfectly well that I used to be ugly and burly, and I often had to work in the fields, so I couldn't possibly wear your fancy clothes. But what about you? Whether you're really stupid or pretending, you tirelessly give me your old clothes as charity. Do you think I would accept your charity?"

“I…” Li Jiaojiao was speechless, but shook her head desperately. “That’s not how it is.” She said, “What girl doesn’t love beauty? I thought you liked it.”

"Forget it!" Li Yan stopped. "Let's not talk about this anymore." She then settled another matter. "As for what you said, that I almost caused the family to lose money, which is why my father kicked me out. But why did none of this happen when my mother was alive? And why did I become an unlucky person after you and your mother came into the family? It's really hard to believe that no one did anything behind the scenes."

Li Jiaojiao suddenly panicked. What did she mean by this? Was she deliberately listing her mother's faults one by one in front of her husband?

Is she trying to sow discord between her husband and the Li family?

After her initial panic, Li Jiaojiao quickly forced herself to calm down and said, "I know my sister has suffered a lot over the years and has been holding back a lot of resentment. But no matter what, we are still family. Although my mother is not your mother, she has never had any ill intentions towards you before. Although she made a mistake this time, it was because she was temporarily blinded by evil."

"As for bad luck or good luck... I didn't say that, nor did my mother. It's what other people say. I know that you married into the Xue family to bring good fortune, but the fortune didn't come true, and you feel resentful. But you can't blame us for that." Li Jiaojiao was also afraid that her husband, Han Sanlang, would believe his stepsister's words and become even more prejudiced against her mother and against her.

Therefore, she deliberately mentioned the situation after the two sisters got married.

She didn't mention that her husband passed the imperial examination after she married into the family, but she knew that as long as she brought up the matter of her stepmother marrying into the family to bring good luck, her husband would surely remember her good qualities.

Before she married into the Han family, her husband failed the imperial examinations several times, but as soon as she entered the family, he achieved the highest score in the examinations. Isn't this the best proof of her good fortune?

She is a blessed woman; she brought good fortune to her family before she left home, and to her husband after she left.

After the two sisters argued for a while, Han Yue finally spoke up, saying, "Second Aunt, you have suffered injustice in the past, but please be lenient and let your mother-in-law off this time."

Li Yan intended to sow discord between the couple, but seeing that it wouldn't work, she gave up and just said with a smile, "Brother-in-law, you overestimate me. This matter has already been filed in the yamen, and the magistrate will investigate it. It's no longer something I can control."

Han Yue, who was well-read and a scholar, naturally understood the law. He said, "As long as Second Sister lets this matter drop and doesn't sue that Wei family, this case can be closed."

Li Yan found it ridiculous: "But why would I do that?"

Han Yue also knew that given the long-standing grudges between the stepmother and stepdaughter, and their current tense relationship, she would certainly not be willing to easily withdraw the case from the yamen.

Moreover, in this matter, it was indeed my mother-in-law who was at fault first.

Therefore, Han Yue offered a large sum of money, saying, "Second Madam, I know you have been wronged in this matter. So, we will not let you suffer this injustice for nothing. As long as you are willing to go to the yamen to withdraw the case and settle the matter peacefully, I, Han Yue, am willing to give you ten taels of silver as a reward."

Ten taels of silver... indeed, for ordinary people in the city, this is a great temptation.

But for Li Yan, this was not enough to buy her conscience.

Besides, if she really went to the yamen to withdraw the case, then the winds of public opinion would shift to the other side.

Li Yan was neither stupid nor foolish, nor was she confused. Hearing her brother-in-law offer ten taels of silver as a thank-you gift, she merely smiled and said, "Brother-in-law, you are a scholar, you should be familiar with the laws of this dynasty. You also know that once I go to the yamen to withdraw the case, this case will be completely forgotten. If the case is forgotten, what about my customers who suffered in vain? If I don't give them an explanation, how can they trust me in the future? And what about my business, my personal reputation... Brother-in-law, you know in your heart that this is not something that can be solved simply by withdrawing the case at the yamen."

“If I show mercy today and forgive my aunt this time, then all those rumors and gossip will come back to haunt me, and I will have to bear them all. Now, there are quite a few people paying attention to this case, and they will definitely think, if it weren't my fault, if I weren't guilty, why would I drop the case? At that time, it won't be something that can be solved with ten taels of silver.”

After saying that, he asked Han Yue in return, "With your intelligence, brother-in-law, how could you not have thought of this? Are you trying to trick me because you think I wouldn't have thought of it?"

Han Yue frowned and said seriously, "I can also give that Wei family some money and make her acknowledge everything. Don't worry, Second Madam, I will definitely not let your reputation be damaged."

Li Yan didn't care, merely brushing away non-existent dust from her sleeve, and said casually, "So even a scholar like my brother-in-law thinks that right and wrong don't matter, as long as you have money, all the blame can be shifted onto us poor folks. If my brother-in-law becomes an official in the future, will he also bend the law for personal gain and treat human life like dirt?"

Li Yan's words completely awakened Han Yue.

He was so startled that he stood up abruptly.

He was only thinking about resolving this matter as soon as possible, even if it took some effort and money, he couldn't let his mother-in-law really end up in jail.

But little did he know that what he did today was morally reprehensible. In the future, after he passes the imperial examination and becomes an official, if someone exposes him and denounces him, he will be unable to defend himself.

Is it really worth it for him to plant such a time bomb in his life for his mother-in-law?

Besides, he didn't like his mother-in-law. Lately, he had been disapproving of many of her actions and behaviors.

If it weren't for his wife's sake, he would never have bothered with the Li family's affairs.

Han Yue fell silent for a long while before clasping his hands in farewell to Li Yan, saying, "I am truly sorry for disturbing you today. Thank you for reminding me, Madam Li. I will not disturb your peace any longer. Farewell."

"Husband!" Li Jiaojiao cried out anxiously, "Are we just going to ignore this matter... this matter?"

A cold glint flashed across Han Yue's handsome face. His lips were tightly pressed together, as if he were suppressing his impatience. He said in a deep voice, "I can't control this." He even reached out his hand to her. "I've done my best. I advise you not to get involved." After saying that, Han Yue waited for her for a while. When he saw that she hesitated and seemed to be sulking, and did not put her hand in his palm, Han Yue's temper flared up. He stopped paying attention to her, put his hand behind his back, and then turned and left resolutely.

Seeing this, Li Jiaojiao panicked even more, crying out, "Husband!" She stamped her foot, tears welling up in her eyes again. She wanted to go out with him, but then she thought of her mother and wanted to stay and plead for her.

Li Yan suddenly realized that the so-called sweet romance novels she had stayed up all night reading and was swooning over were actually nothing special.

Li Jiaojiao looked at her with teary, blurry eyes, her almond-shaped eyes seemingly filled with hatred. After glaring at her for a while, she finally turned and left, chasing after her husband who had already stepped out the door.

Li Yan silently counted to three in her mind. As soon as she finished counting, she heard a "ding" sound. She had received another "+5" beauty points from Li Jiaojiao.

I had already gotten 35 before, and with today's 10, I now have a total of 45.

Looking at the blurred screen in front of her, the total value displayed was [100]. Thus, she had completed almost half of the task.

Now this body is becoming more and more outstanding... She thought that once her beauty value reaches [100], it should regain the beauty that the original body should have had.

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Author's note: Thank you everyone for the nutrient solution you've given me! [kissing emoji]

Continuing to ask [covering face and peeking]

Everyone, please give this a like and add it to your favorites! I'll add an extra chapter when it reaches 1000 favorites!

Bonus chapter for 1000 units of nutrient solution!