Chapter 15 These "good things" are for you and your man.

"Let me go! Let me go!" Jiang Wanxia struggled with her hands and feet, kicking and hitting.

"Xia! Xia, listen to me!" Wang Jianjun dragged her back into the house, slammed the door shut behind him, and then breathed a sigh of relief. His tone softened. "Don't make a scene. I was just... I was just angry! Who told you to take my money without saying a word?"

As he spoke, he reached out and took Jiang Wanxia's hand, forcing a fawning smile: "Every penny in our family is accounted for. My mom is very strict. If you need money, just tell me, and I'll give it to you. That's the family rule, and you have to understand it."

Jiang Wanxia shook off his hand, covered her swollen cheek, and looked coldly at the man in front of her.

rule?

Who was it that bowed and scraped before her parents, swearing to heaven and earth that they would cherish her like the apple of their eye? Who was it that used sweet words to coax away the considerable dowry money she brought, saying they would use it to start a business and make a fortune for her to spend?

Why didn't he talk about the rules back then?

Looking at him now, where is there even a trace of his former attentiveness?

Jiang Wanxia grew increasingly resentful as she thought about it, and tears involuntarily streamed down her face.

In her previous life in the Zhao family, she was the one who beat Zhao Wenchang; when did it become the man's turn to lay a hand on her!

Seeing her cry, Wang Jianjun quickly lowered his tone, making promises and comforting her: "Alright, alright, don't cry. It's my fault, I shouldn't have hit you. Don't worry, I'll discuss the wedding with my mom again, and I'll definitely make sure it's a grand and successful one for you, okay?"

Upon hearing the word "wedding," Jiang Wanxia's crying subsided slightly, and her expression softened a little.

However, before she could catch her breath, the bedroom door was pushed open from the outside.

Mother-in-law Qian Xiaoxia stood at the door with a dark face, her triangular eyes looking her up and down before finally settling on her new dress, her lips curling so much that an oil bottle could hang from them.

"What are you crying for! Are you wailing like you're at a funeral! You come back and hide in your room, do you think you're a pig? Look at the time, why aren't you cooking? Are you waiting for us old folks to serve you?"

Hearing this, Jiang Wanxia's temper flared up again.

Cooking? She's never lifted a finger in her life, and she's hardly ever even stepped into a kitchen!

"I can't!" she retorted defiantly. "Whoever wants to do it can do it!"

"Hey! You little slut, you've really gone too far!" Upon hearing this, Qian Xiaoxia exploded on the spot. She rushed in and, without giving Jiang Wanxia a chance to react, grabbed her already disheveled hair and dragged her out with all her might.

"Ah—!" The sharp pain in her scalp made Jiang Wanxia scream.

"If you can't do it, then learn from me!" Qian Xiaoxia was incredibly strong, dragging and cursing at the same time. "Today, I'll have your sister-in-law, Wang Fang, teach you a lesson! Being a daughter-in-law in the Wang family isn't so easy! From today onwards, I won't do anything else but teach you all these bad habits!"

"Wang Jianjun! Do something about your mother!" Jiang Wanxia cried out in pain, tears streaming down her face, as she looked at the man who was still standing to the side.

Qian Xiaoxia, however, spoke first, turning around and glaring at her son: "You stand right there! Since ancient times, it has been said that 'a wife who has been beaten is like dough that has been kneaded'! Women cannot be spoiled, the more you spoil them, the more arrogant they become!"

Wang Jianjun shrank back after being yelled at by his mother. He glanced at Jiang Wanxia, ​​who was being dragged around and looked disheveled, and finally chose to back down.

He scratched his head and mumbled, "Um... Mom, Xia, I... I have something to do at the department store, I'll go out for a bit, you... you can call me when you're done for dinner."

After saying that, he slipped out the door as fast as he could, as if his feet were greased.

Jiang Wanxia stared at the door that had been hastily closed, forgetting even to struggle.

No...that's impossible!

She was reborn and stole her sister's marriage, marrying into the city. She should be living a life of being waited on and envied by others! In her previous life, her sister Jiang Wanqiu married into the city and lived a life of endless glory. How come it turned out like this for her?

Something must be wrong!

...

Achoo! Achoo!

Jiang Wanqiu, who was inside the house, suddenly sneezed twice.

Zhao Wenchang, who was standing next to her, immediately put down what he was doing, strode over, and reached out to touch her forehead. His palm was warm and dry, with a pleasant scent of soapberry.

"You don't have a fever." He breathed a sigh of relief, but his brows were slightly furrowed. "It's cool in the mornings and evenings these days, and it's easy to catch a cold when the seasons are changing. After we finish harvesting the corn in a couple of days and things aren't so busy, I'll take you to town to buy some cloth and make you a couple of thick winter clothes."

Just as she was about to nod, she heard a hearty laugh coming from outside the courtyard gate.

"Is Wenchang's family home?"

No sooner had she finished speaking than Li Xiujuan came in briskly, carrying a basket.

She looked exceptionally different today, her cheeks were rosy, as if she had applied rouge, and she exuded an irrepressible joy.

"Sister-in-law Xiujuan, you're here." Jiang Wanqiu stood up with a smile.

Li Xiujuan glanced at Zhao Wenchang, skipped over him, and walked a few steps to Jiang Wanqiu: "Sister-in-law, come with me, your sister-in-law needs to talk to you about something."

Without waiting for Zhao Wenchang to be present, she pulled Jiang Wanqiu into the bedroom.

As soon as she entered the house, Li Xiujuan eagerly put the basket down on the kang (a heated brick bed), leaned close to Jiang Wanqiu's ear, and said excitedly, her voice trembling, "My dear sister-in-law! The wine you gave my sister-in-law is truly amazing!"

She gestured excitedly, "I made your older brother drink that little bottle you gave him. Guess what? Last night... oh my, he kept me up for most of the night! This morning, before dawn, he was still clinging to me! Just like a young man in his early twenties!"

As Li Xiujuan spoke, she herself laughed shyly, her laughter trembling and carrying a long-lost, womanly charm.

"Sister-in-law came especially to thank you today!" She proudly lifted the cloth covering the basket, revealing a basket full of round eggs. "Take these and give them to Wenchang and Ping'an to help them recover!"

Before Jiang Wanqiu could refuse, Li Xiujuan pulled out several bottles and jars from under the basket, along with a few booklets wrapped in kraft paper, and stuffed them all into Jiang Wanqiu's arms.

"And these too, these good things are for you!"

Jiang Wanqiu was taken aback. She looked down and saw that the bottles were filled with dark-colored medicinal wines, with labels that read "Tiger Bone Wine" and "Deer Antler Wine."

The few booklets wrapped in kraft paper had slightly curled edges. She randomly opened one and saw drawings of tiny, scantily clad figures in various poses...

Is this the "sexually explicit image" of this era?

Li Xiujuan's face turned even redder, and she explained in a low voice, "These are all things my husband got when he was messing around with things. I think you're a capable person, sister-in-law, and these things might be useful to you!"