Xu Wenshan saw that her mother was wearing a new hairpin.

They assumed her mother had taken it from the storeroom.

She also acted coquettishly, wanting it.

“We don’t have anything good in our storeroom. This was a gift from Yan Shi. And look, this bracelet is a set. Isn’t it beautiful? I’ve never seen this style and workmanship before in Jiangnan County.”

Ms. Fan raised her wrist, looked at it from left to right, and liked it very much.

"These are jewelry pieces from the capital. The journey was long and difficult, and the price was relatively high. If they were to encounter bandits, the owners would lose everything. Even if they arrived safely, they would be hard to sell. Most jewelry shops cannot afford to hold so much silver, so they are rarely seen."

Yan Xia explained.

"It's jewelry from the imperial city. Sigh, I lived there for a while back then, but my son back then... never mind, let's not talk about it. Xiao Jin, go and tell the cook to start preparing the meal."

Fan changed the subject.

She didn't want to remember those painful days. In fact, before coming to Jiangnan County, she couldn't even afford to eat meat. When her son received his salary, he would spend most of it on currying favor with his superiors. They could only afford to rent a house in the capital and could only afford to buy one maid.

She has to work constantly.

"I'm not eating anymore, I'm going back to catch up on my sleep. Mom, if you're tired of wearing this bracelet and hairpin, let me wear them too, I like them too."

"I brought you a fart."

"Hmph, I don't care, what's mine is mine." Xu Wenshan said and left.

Madam Fan rolled her eyes and laughed as she scolded him.

"Haha, Madam, you'll have to wear it every day. When I come next time, I'll give you a new one. Since you're tired of it anyway, you can give it to Miss Xu. She's right, Miss Xu is your own daughter. Who else would you give it to if not her, right? Unlike a daughter-in-law, who is ultimately an outsider. Good things should of course be kept for family."

Yan Xia could tell at a glance that Madam Fan and Madam Xu did not get along well.

really.

Once she finished speaking, Madam Fan seemed to have opened a floodgate of words.

“You’re right. A daughter-in-law can’t compare to a daughter. When I’m gone, all my good things will have to be left to Shan’er and Jiao’jiao. My son doesn’t need my things. As for my daughter-in-law, she’s sickly. She gave birth to Jiahao and then couldn’t get pregnant again. She’s the only son in the Xu family. Sigh, this useless belly of hers. You don’t know, I gave her medicine as soon as she finished her confinement. It was all the folk remedies I got for having a son. She drank so many of my good medicines and still couldn’t get pregnant. She even got sick and can’t get over it. She coughs every day. I get angry just looking at her. She’s a useless thing. It would be better if she died sooner. Then I can bring a new daughter-in-law into my son’s family.”

Yan Xia's lips twitched slightly.

Goodness.

So that's how it got sick.

Every medicine has some degree of toxicity. Even a healthy man would suffer if he took medicine every day, let alone a woman who has just given birth and is still recovering.

Moreover, that folk remedy might contain some kind of poison.

That's really vicious.

They weren't afraid of retribution coming on themselves.

Yan Xia cursed inwardly.

But she still agreed with her verbally. "Yes, it's not as good as a hen if you don't give birth to a son. At least a hen lays an egg every day, right? I don't know if my eldest daughter-in-law is any good or not. If she gives me a granddaughter, I'll be furious. Sigh, she's about to give birth, so I have to rush back first thing tomorrow morning. Madam, please take good care of yourself. I hope that when I see you next time, you'll be a few years younger."

"Oh dear, how could you be so much younger? You're just teasing me..."

Fan's face was covered in wrinkles, which became even more pronounced when she smiled.

It looks like a waxy yellow chrysanthemum.

Yan Xia couldn't bear to look at it.

The two chatted for a long time, and finally it was lunchtime.

We ate in the main room, served by a maid.

There were a full eight meat dishes, six vegetable dishes, and two bowls of soup, filling the table, but it was only for Yan Xia and Madam Fan to eat.

“Madam, this is too much,” Yan Xia said slowly after helping her sit down.

"Not much, not much. The leftovers will be given to the maids and servants. Come on, try this plum shredded chicken. I love to eat this when it's hot. Do you like it?" Madam Fan put a piece of shredded chicken into Yan Xia's bowl.

Yan Xia immediately picked up the bowl and, being very polite, took a bite with her chopsticks.

"It really is sweet and sour and appetizing. No wonder the old lady loves it. I am very afraid of the heat. In the middle of summer, I have no taste at all. Thank you, old lady. It turns out that we have the same taste. I will learn to make this dish when I get back. Please have some, old lady."

Yan Xia took the serving chopsticks from the side and put some plum and shredded chicken on Fan's plate as well.

Serving chopsticks are not common here; only wealthy families have the habit of using them. Fan, who considers herself to have changed social status, felt even more favorably toward Yan Xia because of her good manners.

[Target person detected]

Name: Fan Qinlian

Age: 64

[Favorability: 75]

[I can't believe this old guy is so naive, so easy to win over.] Yan Xia thought to herself as she heard the system notification.

The saying "one should not speak while eating or sleeping" did not apply to Madam Fan. Before Yan Xia could speak, Madam Fan started asking her all sorts of questions.

“You’re so lucky to have four children. Not bad at all. Two sons and two daughters make a perfect family. If my daughter-in-law had your abilities, my Xu family wouldn’t have only had Jiahao as our only son all these years. Sigh, tell me, what kind of situation is this? If only I had come to Jiangnan County from the border earlier, I would have definitely made Wenyan marry you.”

Madam Fan had already started calling herself "Auntie," and she made Yan Xia change her address, forbidding Yan Xia from calling her "Old Madam" anymore.

The more she looked at Yan Xia, the more satisfied she became.

She is fertile, good at making money, and filial. Most importantly, she upholds traditional female virtues. Apart from being of average appearance, she excels in everything.

Unlike her daughter-in-law, who was just the daughter of a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations.

She was an orphan; her parents died less than two years after she married into the family.

Her dowry was meager, and she was a useless, sickly woman. Luckily, she left a son with an heir, otherwise she would definitely have interfered and made her son divorce her!

Yan Xia's face darkened upon hearing this.

she?

Marrying Xu Wenyan?

Wow, this old man really dares to think big.

The more I think about it, the more biased I become.

"Then I'll try to meet you sooner in my next life, become your daughter-in-law, and serve you well and be filial to you. No wonder we're so destined for each other. When I first heard your name, my chest felt warm and I felt like crying. Maybe I was familiar with you in my past life."

Yan Xia smiled and served food to Fan Shi as she spoke.

It was half an hour later when the two finished eating.

Yan Xia wasn't even full; she was too busy flattering him.

"Xiao Yan, I wish you a grandson. When that time comes, bring your precious grandson to see me soon. I'll give him a big gift. Wait, I think there's a gold lock in my storeroom box. Xiao Yin, go and get the little gold lock I bought back then. It's on the outermost layer of the red lacquered box in the storeroom."