Zhenniang, The Three of Us (Part 12)

Upon opening the note, I was furious again.

The phrase "I'll definitely do it next time" sounds like both the last time and this time.

When you look at them together, you feel like cursing.

But no matter how angry Jian Yu'an was, she couldn't change the established fact: she and another transmigrator shared one body, and if one died, both of them would die.

Suppressing her anger, she looked up and asked Granny Wang, "She told you I could handle this?"

The only one who could command Second Sister was Third Aunt, so Granny Wang immediately nodded: "That's right, Third Aunt said that Second Sister, your skills are higher than hers, and you're more capable than her. Handing you over will definitely be no problem!"

If someone praised her like that under normal circumstances, Jian Yu'an would have been happy long ago.

But what could another time traveler possibly know? She clearly didn't think anything through and just went ahead and did it, leaving the mess for her!

If Jian Yu'an could have spoken with "Third Aunt" in person, he would have argued with her long ago, but now they can only communicate on paper, which has restrained too much of his anger.

Jian Yu'an attempted to explain to another time traveler, in the simplest and clearest terms, the constraints women face in this society.

With feudal clans as guarantors and the traditional virtues of obedience and submission to women, the smaller and more closed-off a place is, the easier it is to ruin a woman. Don't bring modern ideas here!

Written language can sometimes sound very sharp, so Jian Yu'an tries to be careful with his words to make his speech sound less harsh.

It took a lot of effort to write a long letter, which he then put in his pocket. Aunt Wang watched from the side and couldn't help but sigh.

Second Sister truly lives up to her reputation as a talented fox spirit; she can write so fluently with a pen, even a foreign one, which is quite different from Third Aunt.

Besides eating with great energy, my third aunt didn't show any particular cultural refinement; she even used drawings to explain things.

Be careful to treat your cultured second sister with care. Cultured people all have their own temperaments, and even a cultured fairy has one. You can't treat her the same way you treat your third aunt.

The second sister, who was being treated like a cultured fairy, was actually starving. Ye Xiqing had eaten a lot the day before yesterday, but Zhao Zhenniang was not someone who could stay idle. She was running around in the oil mill and digested quickly.

Jian Yu'an used to skip breakfast, but now he can't help but drink a little rice soup.

But whether it's dirty chopsticks or dirty bowls, they all challenge the psychology of modern people.

Jian Yu'an couldn't take it anymore; she couldn't live like this for even a day longer.

She didn't want to be an honest person, since the other side was acting recklessly.

He pulled Granny Wang aside and instructed her, "Next time you make money, open a shop first! Open a shop first, do you hear me!"

The second sister's words carried considerable weight, and Aunt Wang immediately said she would listen to her in everything.

After listening to her second sister's instructions, she began to ask how to resolve the matter with Uncle Zhao.

Jian Yu'an doesn't like to cause trouble, but when trouble does come, she can think quickly.

The wrong has already been done, the enmity has already been formed, and there's no way to make amends now.

Letting him out there to come up with bad ideas is even worse.

It would be better to take control of his actions.

...

Ever since he was humiliated that day, Uncle Zhao was furious and went back to think about how to deal with Zhao Zhenniang.

Although he had some power, it was only so much. He could act arrogantly and domineeringly in the village, taking advantage of loopholes in tax collection and conscription to make some extra money, but he was nothing outside.

Even though Zhao Zhenniang is just a young maid, she is still the Song family's betrothed. If she were to whisper in Master Song's ear after entering the family, he would lose his position as head of the household.

Old Zhao was seething with hatred, but he really couldn't think of a way to deal with that girl from the Zhao family.

If it were an ordinary person, knowing that the strength was not equal, they would be wise to be pragmatic and endure it for the time being.

But Old Zhao had lived a life of luxury and had never suffered any injustice. How could he tolerate being ridden on by a woman? He harbored resentment and would not let it go easily.

He turned around a few times with his back to him, and suddenly an idea came to him.

The villagers, who used to work for him, gathered up the farmhands who used to work for him. He coughed, tapped his pipe, and said, "You guys have been having a good time lately, you don't even come to my place anymore."

The people who were summoned looked at each other in bewilderment.

Uncle Zhao was the richest man in the area. He owned all the land nearby, and the poor people who had no land came to work for him in exchange for food.

Now, Aunt Zhao is leading the villagers to run an oil mill. She not only distributes dividends to the villagers but also provides meals, and everyone immediately switched to her business.

Now that they've been summoned back by their former employer for questioning, even those who no longer work there dare not stand up to him and timidly offer a few kind words.

But as for coming back to work, they'd rather not come back for now; the tenants who rented the land are all thinking of giving up their leases.

These days, the imperial court is becoming increasingly outrageous. Taxes are heavy, land rents are heavy, and the land rented by a few people is not enough to feed a whole family.

My aunt's oil mill didn't charge a second rent and even gave out dividends, so anyone who wasn't crazy would want to work there.

The only question is whether the oil mill can be successfully established, so no one dares to completely break with Uncle Zhao.

Uncle Zhao was furious when he saw the hesitant faces of the crowd.

This group of people eats from his family and uses his family's things, but when they need his help, they run away faster than anyone else!

Uncle Zhao was furious. He planned to bankrupt the oil mill and stop them from farming. He would find people outside to help them starve to death!

But now, you can't catch a wolf without risking your cub. Uncle Zhao smiled and took out ten silver dollars, giving one to each person: "How have we treated you all these years?"

Everyone: ...

That's a bit hard to say...

...

The group of people accepted the money and did not betray Zhao Zhenniang, but they also promised to tell him any big news from the oil mill.

A large-scale oil mill might only have the problem of not being able to sell its products, but now that it has such a big customer as the Song family, it's impossible for it not to make money.

Initially, the oil from Zhao Family Village was only used for the eternal lamps in the Song Family Ancestral Hall.

Later, Jian Yu'an instructed the oil mill workers to send an extra jar of oil to the Song family's kitchen and steward every time they delivered oil, partly to express his gratitude and partly to let them taste it.

Although Zhao Family Village now has a few more millstones and stoves, it's not really a large-scale operation. They all use small millstones and small pots, simmering the food little by little, which gives it its unique flavor.

The Song family and the steward took it back and tasted it. It was very fragrant, so they replaced the sesame oil they used with the one supplied by Zhao Family Village.

In this way, the oil supplied to the Song family alone brought in a large income, and with the additional oil collected from other shops, the business was able to stay afloat.

Once the business gets going, there will be a steady stream of income. Jian Yu'an originally wanted to use this money to open a shop as soon as possible and step into his comfort zone.

However, she continued to correspond with Ye Xiqing, and Zhao Zhenniang, who actually made the decisions, could not understand her meaning.

Both her second and third sisters had mentioned opening a shop, and Zhao Zhenniang had taken it to heart, but she would definitely open the shop once she had the money.

She promised her neighbors that she would provide them with good food, so she had to take care of their meals first. The money she had worked so hard to earn was then invested in food.

Now, the communal stove in Zhao Family Village has a constant supply of lard. When the lard runs out, they just buy half a pig to render more. Where they can't render lard, they stew meat for everyone to enjoy in turn.

For breakfast, I have millet porridge with pickled vegetables; for lunch, I have flatbread and stewed vegetables; and for dinner, I cook two eggs and make a pot of egg drop soup.

Two eggs float in a pot of soup, and each person can get more egg drop soup, you can imagine.

But the cook is reluctant to add eggs, but he is willing to add oil. He learns from the wonton sellers, first smearing a layer of lard on the bottom of the pot before adding water, then sprinkling a handful of salt into the pot when the soup is ready, and finally adding a little sesame oil.

This pot of fragrant soup, with its perfect blend of five flavors, is more delicious than anything else. Everyone is reluctant to soak their flatbread in it. They gulp down the last flatbread and then drink the last bowl of soup, letting the aroma linger in their mouths for as long as possible.

Every day, as soon as I open my eyes, there's food to eat, and I have the energy to go to work. There's nothing wrong with it.

Even with such good conditions, some people are still not satisfied. One day, they actually caught someone trying to steal an oil gourd to sell.

Oil gourds are made of copper to prevent rusting, and you can make a good living just from selling the copper in one oil gourd.

But that's not the important thing. The important thing is that the oil mill did its best for everyone, yet there were still people who were dishonest and stole public property. Zhao Zhenniang got angry and kicked him out, never to be allowed to set foot in the oil mill again.

Uncle Zhao had been asking around for a long time but couldn't find anything wrong. Just as he was getting anxious, he suddenly heard this news and was overjoyed. He immediately called the thief over.

The thief was kicked out for stealing, but he was more resentful than anyone else. After being instigated by Uncle Zhao, he immediately decided to help Uncle Zhao bring down the oil mill!

The two secretly plotted, and the one who had been kicked out whispered in Uncle Zhao's ear, "Why don't we add something to their oil and ruin their reputation?"

Uncle Zhao shook his head repeatedly: "That won't do. The sesame oil is all supplied to the Song family. If this gets out of hand, it will have serious consequences. It will be difficult to deal with if the police come."

The gourd thief finally came up with a plan and looked at him angrily: "Then what should we do?"

Uncle Zhao grinned, revealing a lewd smile: "Find an opportunity to ruin the Zhao family girl's body."

The gourd thief: ...

"How can that be! She's a daughter-in-law of the Song family! I don't want to live anymore!"

Uncle Zhao looked at him with disdain: "What are you afraid of? If that girl's health is ruined, will the Song family still want her?"

"When the oil mill falls into our hands without us lifting a finger, I'll make sure you get your share of the profits!"

It sounded wonderful, but the gourd thief still dared not agree: "Don't try to fool me! What if you discard me after you've served your purpose? If I were the adulterer, I'd definitely be dead. Why didn't you send your own son instead!"

"They don't believe me, so how could they possibly have a chance!"

"No way, no way! Unless you send your kid here, and you dare to deny it, I'll report you to the Song family! I'll have my wife trick him into coming here!"

If someone else can do it, then of course they will, but the person who stole the gourd isn't stupid enough to stubbornly refuse.

Uncle Zhao hesitated for a moment, but finally agreed to the suggestion. Let the boy do it. Anyway, if he gets caught, it can be said that Zhao Zhenniang couldn't stand being alone and seduced his son.

Why would the Song family stand up for such a scandalous daughter-in-law? They'd be too busy disowning her to care!

The Zhao family has three sons. Two of them are doing great things in the city, while the youngest one is left at home. He is spoiled and unruly and has no integrity. When he heard about this good opportunity, he immediately rubbed his hands together and prepared to do it.

Uncle Zhao gave him a slap, telling him not to be so smug and to run away after he succeeded. He would then lead a group to catch them in the act!

As expected, after dark, the person who stole the gourd had his wife lure Zhao Zhenniang there.

Zhao Zhenniang entered the room, looked at the dark room, and said, "It's so dark, why don't you turn on the lights?"

The sound was indeed Zhao Zhenniang's, and the young Zhao boy, who had been hiding in the house, was immediately delighted.

He suddenly leaped up, determined to achieve his great ambition.

...

Uncle Zhao, who was lying in wait outside, was overjoyed when he received the signal from inside the house that the matter had been accomplished. He then banged a gong throughout the village, summoning everyone to gather in the courtyard of the family that had stolen the gourd.

It was already dark, just when the villagers were going to sleep. He looked at Uncle Zhao with a puzzled expression and asked, "Uncle, what's going on so late?"

Uncle Zhao, leaning on his cane, wailed, "Go see for yourselves! I'm too embarrassed to even say anything!"

Led by him, the crowd swarmed into the courtyard of the family that stole the gourd, and the entire courtyard was brightly lit by torches.

The door had already been opened, and the first person to enter paused upon seeing the scene before him. He barely managed to suppress a twitching smile before looking at Uncle Zhao: "Uncle, family scandals shouldn't be aired in public. There's no need to make everyone see this..."

Uncle Zhao was taken aback. This reaction was different from what he had imagined. He left the others to see for himself and was stunned as soon as he entered the door.

The boy lay on the ground, bare-legged and unconscious. The lump of something below was clearly gone. Uncle Zhao slowly widened his eyes.

Second Sister's idea was excellent, and Zhao Zhenniang carried it out meticulously. However, unfortunately, the person on night duty was none other than Third Aunt Ye.

When different people carry out the task, the details will naturally differ.

Ye Xiqing looked at the lively scene with a regretful expression.

"Hey, Uncle, what's going on? My aunt and I were talking inside, the lights weren't on, and suddenly we heard a dog barking outside."

"As soon as I went out, I saw your son hugging and stroking my aunt's big yellow dog, saying things that were hard to say out loud."

"My aunt and I were stunned. We quickly tried to pull them apart, but Ah Huang got angry and bit your son's treasure."

“Oh dear, how can a person play with a dog? Uncle, you are a sensible person, why didn’t you keep an eye on things?”

"Now we're childless and have no descendants, and we've brought shame to our family. What are we going to do?"

"Alas, what a misfortune for our family! This is immoral and disgraceful to our ancestors!"