If that's the case, then we should completely sever ties with them.

Jiang Nuan didn't know what the deceased Huang Mu was thinking.

Anyway, she's not going to put up with it anymore.

"Mother knows you are a very capable person, so do whatever you want to do," Huang Laotai said hesitantly, "but after all, he is the second son's father and brother, so we can't make things too ugly, or it will be bad for Da Chuan and his brothers."

"Don't worry, I understand."

"That's good. We've been out for quite a while now, we can't delay any longer, Mother will go back now."

After saying that, Old Mrs. Huang stood up and prepared to leave.

"Take these things back, Mother," Jiang Nuan hurriedly gathered up the various items on the table. "Just like Mother said, he is Xiao Chuan's biological grandfather after all. No matter what, his daughter-in-law will not leave him no way out."

Upon hearing this, Old Mrs. Huang hesitated.

She didn't want the old house to gain any advantage, but if nothing was left, the eldest son's life would immediately return to normal, and who knows what trouble might arise.

“Just give me the silver notes,” Old Lady Huang explained. “A thousand taels of silver is enough for your father to earn in three lifetimes. It’s enough for him to live out his retirement. Even if the second son were still alive, it would be a fair deal for him.”

As for the rest, keep them safe, don't leave them with any hope of finding something.

After saying that, the old lady put the banknote in her bosom and turned away without hesitation.

He didn't even glance at the jewelry, rings, and jade pendants on the table...

Jiang Nuan understood what Old Lady Huang meant. One thousand taels was to buy back the debt of life. No matter how bad Old Man Huang was, he was still the grandfather of her child.

After thinking for a moment, Jiang Nuan added another two thousand taels, "Mother, take these too, there probably won't be another chance in the future."

Although her father-in-law had a dark mind, he had not yet done anything irreversible. Even if she had to sever ties with him, she still had to ensure his livelihood.

With three thousand taels, one could buy a two-courtyard house in the county town and then five or six shops, enough to support a large family. In any case, one could say that one had a clear conscience.

“Okay,” Grandma Huang nodded. “That’s good too. It’s a way of repaying our decades of friendship.”

After saying that, he walked back, taking one slow, deliberate step at a time.

Making this decision was not easy; decades of friendship cannot be easily abandoned. However, I really couldn't bear it any longer.

She has already lost her youngest son; she can't afford to lose her grandson too.

After Grandma Huang left, Jiang Nuan's expression was complicated.

“Mother,” Madam Xie asked cautiously, “Is what Grandma said true?”

Is this still the same old lady who always glares at me with her eyebrows raised?

Today's events made Xie feel like the whole world was a surreal place.

She never imagined that the old lady who had always looked down on the second wife was actually hiding something so well!

Although Wang was surprised, she was not as unable to accept it as Xie. "Mother used to love Father very much. She was seriously ill when Father first passed away. She only changed later. I thought she had suffered a shock and her personality had changed drastically, but it turns out there was another reason."

“None of that matters,” Jiang Nuan sighed softly. “Since we’ve come this far, we have no other choice.”

Money is secondary; times have changed. The Huang family has now latched onto the strongest backer of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and can make money whenever they want.

However, we must never let others continue to scheme against us.

If Huangshan had no offspring, she wouldn't have objected to letting Da Niu take care of her in her old age, since they're family after all. But to have someone else scheming against her is unacceptable.

"Has Mother already made plans?"

"Okay, I'll go out for a bit after we've had a welcome dinner for my master."

With something on her mind, Jiang Nuan was somewhat absent-minded while cooking.

At noon, Han Yun arrived with five masters—three men and two women—all middle-aged and appeared very composed.

“Auntie,” Han Yun introduced, “this slightly thin master is mainly responsible for reading and writing, and he is a young scholar; the stronger one next to him is a martial arts master, an instructor from Hongyun Escort Agency; and this slightly fair-skinned one is the family accountant, responsible for teaching arithmetic.”

"The other two aunts, the taller one is good at needlework, housekeeping, social interactions and other miscellaneous things, while the shorter one is somewhat knowledgeable in music, chess, calligraphy and painting and various etiquette. It took a long time to find a suitable match."

The arrangements were quite reasonable, and Jiang Nuan was very satisfied. "Please thank your young master for me."

“It has little to do with the young master,” Han Yun explained, shaking his head. “It was mainly arranged by the master.”

Although the people Han Yi found were good, they couldn't compare to the five people Han Qi had carefully selected.

“I see,” Jiang Nuan chuckled. “I’ll make some pastries later and take them back to your husband.”

“Okay,” Han Yun rubbed his hands together. “Auntie, please make more so that we brothers can also get some.”

"no problem."

After exchanging pleasantries, Jiang Nuan turned her gaze to the five craftsmen. "Craftsmen, please forgive the simple conditions in the countryside. Once the courtyard in town is tidied up, we can move there."

“It’s alright,” said the eldest student. “We have already made plans since we came here.”

"Thank you all for your understanding," Old Master Huang said, bowing. "The welcome banquet has been prepared. Please make your way there."

"Thank you for your trouble."

Han Qi carefully selected people according to his own tastes. They were not only capable but also had good temperaments. No one caused any unpleasantness, and no one showed any dissatisfaction even when they saw the slightly simple living quarters.

Mrs. Xie breathed a sigh of relief, "Fortunately, these people are not difficult to get along with."

“These people have experienced a lot and are quite insightful. They won’t cause trouble for themselves,” Jiang Nuan said, feeling slightly relieved. “That’s good too. It will save us a lot of trouble in the future.”

Yes, that's reality. Most people who come out to make a living are kind to others.

Because the others were sensible, Jiang Nuan wasn't stingy. The two aunts received ten taels of silver a month, and the three masters received twenty taels of silver a month, with room and board provided, two sets of fine cotton clothes each season, and red envelopes for festivals.

She privately asked Han Yun, and he said that the treatment was 30% higher than that in the prefectural city.

Jiang Nuan was satisfied with the five people, and the five people were equally satisfied with the Huang family.

The twelve-course welcome feast was a great honor for the five of them. Although the accommodations were simple, they had everything they needed, including new bedding and two new sets of clothes for each person.

I initially thought the Huang family would be uncouth farmers, but after getting to know them, I found that they were methodical and knew how to conduct themselves properly, and were not ignorant or foolish people.

"What do you think of the Huang family?" The old scholar asked leisurely, sipping the tea prepared by the Huang family.

“It’s quite good,” the instructor said, picking up a piece of pastry from the table. “Much better than I expected.”

He was prepared to endure hardship and sleep in the open, but he found himself in a paradise. There was a table full of meat and dishes that were so delicious that it made him want to drool. This was the usual New Year's celebration at the security escort agency, not to mention that the wages were unexpectedly high.

Even a single escort mission by a security escort agency might not fetch this much.

"They seem easy to get along with at first glance," the accountant said, "but time will tell."