"Mother, didn't you say you'd win him over soon? Why haven't we heard anything yet? Our child is growing up so fast, and Chuan'er will be getting married in a few years. We can't let him and his wife still be sleeping under our bed, can we?"

Liu Chunxi, the eldest son of the Liu family, said to Sun Xiangxiang.

"Yes, Mother, Chuan'er is nine years old, and Wu'er is six. If they continue to sleep under the bed every day, they won't grow any taller. The house is so small that it's difficult for people to walk side by side. Mother, didn't you say that after you married into the Yan family, you would take us to live in a big house? It's been so long, and we still haven't seen you move in!"

Liu Chunlai, the second son of the Liu family, echoed his elder brother's words.

"It was all about to be settled, but that Yan woman isn't easy to fool. She said if Mother insists on marrying her father, she'll send Old Man Yan back to the village! Isn't that a blatant threat to me? Old Man Yan is like a mouse before a cat whenever he sees his daughter. What can Mother do? Sigh!"

Sun Xiangxiang sat on the edge of the bed, sighing repeatedly.

Originally, she planned to win over Yan Hecheng step by step, then marry him, whisper sweet nothings in his ear, bring her children and grandchildren to live in the Yan family mansion, and eventually take control of the Yan family mansion, so that her two sons could help out at the Yan family's restaurant and pastry shop, thus bringing the two shops under the control of her own family.

But who knew that they had only taken the first step?

The road was then blocked off by the Yan family.

She had planned everything, but she never expected that Old Man Yan would be so afraid of his daughter.

"Mother, how about this? While Yan is busy, find an opportunity to lure Old Man Yan out. Find an inn, then you can light a sleeping potion to knock him unconscious, and then you can have sex with him. After that, the child's father and the second son will break down the door and make a scene. You can then say that Old Man Yan forced you. If he doesn't marry you, we'll report him to the authorities, and he'll be in big trouble! No matter how powerful Yan is, can she control everything?"

Bai Xiaozhi, the eldest son's wife, suggested.

“Sister-in-law is right. If the soft approach doesn’t work, we’ll have to be tough. I really don’t want to be crammed into this little house every day. If you’re not ruthless, you’ll suffer and be poor your whole life. Mother, please agree. Then my sister-in-law and I will sit outside the inn and make a scene, the bigger the better, and we’ll make Old Man Yan agree to marry you.”

The second son's wife, Chen Donghua, also agreed with Bai Xiaozhi's idea.

She rolled her eyes, seemingly lost in thought.

“But Mother has heard that Yan has a good relationship with the county officials and often visits the county magistrate. If the officials are biased, we will have no way to seek help.”

Sun Xiangxiang hesitated.

The daughters-in-law stay at home every day and are unaware of what's happening outside.

She knows it very well.

In Shuangqiao Town, everyone knows that the Yan family has powerful backers.

With the county magistrate protecting her and frequent interactions with officials, if she dared to openly plot against Yan Hecheng, her whole family would suffer.

"Mother, do you have any other ideas? Rather than staying in this dilapidated house every day without enough to eat or wear, why not take a chance? Winter is coming soon, and we can't even afford to make winter clothes. Look at how thin this quilt is, it's all patched up."

Liu Chunxi's eyes turned cold.

He clenched his fists and stared intently at his mother, Sun Xiangxiang.

Sun Xiangxiang felt a sense of pressure. After thinking for a moment, she could only nod in agreement helplessly.

"Sedatives won't work. They smell too strong, and they leave ash residue after being burned, making them easy to detect. If the officials come to investigate, we won't be able to explain it. So, Chunlai, go to the brothel tomorrow and buy a bottle of aphrodisiac from the madam there. I've heard that girls who are disobedient when they first come to the brothel and threaten suicide are drugged and sent to work as prostitutes. Once their bodies are defiled, they naturally won't cause any more trouble. This drug is colorless and odorless, so it's easy to put in their food without being detected. I overheard this by chance. It should be suitable for both men and women. Here's the money. Once you've bought it, I'll go find Yan Hecheng."

Sun Xiangxiang took a purse out from under her pillow.

It's flat and shriveled.

Upon opening it, there were only three pieces of silver inside.

It adds up to just over two ounces.

This is all the money the Liu family has.

Sun Xiangxiang only gave the smaller piece of silver.

Only half an ounce.

Liu Chunlai, the second son of the Liu family, took the silver coins and replied, "I know, Mother. I'll go first thing tomorrow morning."

The brothel was busiest at night.

Mom is busy; going now would only annoy her.

If it's early in the morning and the store has just opened, most mothers won't refuse this business.

If you refuse even one customer, your business will suffer for the entire day.

The same principle applies to opening a shop and opening a brothel.

After the Liu family members discussed it, the two wives started cooking.

Because the house was small and the alleyway was right outside, there was no kitchen or outhouse, so they could only cook their meals on a makeshift stove by the door.

Today, the Liu family is eating dried bamboo shoots cooked with gray noodles.

There wasn't a drop of oil in it, just a tiny bit of salt. It tasted powdery and incredibly bland, with only the dried bamboo shoots adding a touch of umami.

After dinner, it was already dark. Under the moonlight, the two wives of the Liu family washed the dishes, filled a basin with water, washed their faces, and went to bed.

Inside the second courtyard of the Yan family mansion on the city wall.

Yan Xia took out two boxes and handed them to Chang Yu.

"Yu'er, this is your birthday gift. One is a sister necklace for you and Yi'er, and the other is a gift that your mother has thought about for a long time. Open it and take a look."

Only the mother and daughter were inside.

Chang Yi had already received her necklace and went back to her room to admire it.

"Wow, this necklace is so beautiful, Mom, I love it!" As expected, Chang Yu's eyes widened the moment she saw the necklace. She picked it up, held it around her neck, and adored it.

"Mother will put this on for you. Remember this necklace: you can wear it outside your clothes during the day, but you must tuck it inside your clothes after dark, or it will bring trouble, understand?"

This was the second time Yan Xia had said these words.

When I gave Chang Yi the necklace, she gave her the same instructions.

"Yes, I understand, Mother. This necklace glows at night. Since you've told me everything, I definitely won't let anyone else see it."

"Alright, go look in the mirror." As she spoke, the necklace was already on. Yan Xia took out a handheld bronze mirror and let her daughter look at herself.

The house is brightly lit.

Five candles were lit.

Chang Yu took the bronze mirror and looked at his neck.

A luxurious gold necklace inlaid with jewels was visible on the outside of her soft blue dress.

Under the refracted light of the candle.

Dazzlingly bright.

The workmanship is excellent.

Most importantly, this was a design drawn and created by their mother herself for the two sisters.

There are only two in the world.

"Mother, thank you." Chang Yu shed tears.

Round teardrops rolled down her beautiful face, tracing the necklace and blending with the pearls on the gold, like a mermaid shedding tears.

"I'm glad you like it. Don't cry. It's a good birthday, you can't cry. Come on, open this box."

Yan Xia picked up the box, gestured to her second daughter, and then opened the gift.

"good."

Chang Yu nodded emphatically.

She gently wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.