Jiang Ling frowned, her eyes filled with suspicion as she continued to scrutinize the two people behaving strangely in front of her.

"This, and this! These are all a small token of our appreciation from Lightning Mother. We heard about the fertilizer from the village chief; although it wasn't given away for free, we remember your fertilizer factory didn't make a single profit! Not to mention, we saw how much medicine you gave to Doctor Zhu regarding the plague!"

"Yes, yes, you saved my man's life. We don't want you to lose money on this fertilizer. I don't care how much it costs. This is just a small token of our appreciation from Zhao Erleng's wife and me. Please accept it!"

After Zhao Erleng's wife started the conversation, Shandian's mother chimed in with her own story.

Jiang Ling was deeply moved after hearing this. Just as she was about to refuse, another voice came from outside the door.

"Big sister, are you home? I'm coming in!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Hu Yue'er and Zhou Daxia appeared in front of Jiang Ling in a flurry of activity. They shared a common feature with Zhao Erleng's wife and Shandian's mother—each of them was carrying a basket.

"Big sister, you have to accept this, you can't refuse me!" Hu Yue'er has always been a whirlwind of energy, especially after having a child, she has become even more decisive in her dealings with others. Jiang Ling seemed to see a reflection of herself in Hu Yue'er from her modern days.

"this……"

Before Jiang Ling could finish speaking, Hu Yue'er reached out and covered Jiang Ling's mouth, saying, "Big sister, don't speak yet, listen to me!"

As they spoke, Hu Yue'er and Zhou Daxia exchanged glances and nodded to each other. Hu Yue'er then looked at Jiang Ling with gratitude in her eyes.

"Big sister, thank you for taking us in despite the danger. If it weren't for your kindness that day, Zhou Daxia and I would probably be dead by now. I can't repay you even if I work like a slave!" Hu Yue'er was very emotional, and her voice choked with sobs as she spoke.

Jiang Ling was worried that Hu Yue'er would cry, so she quickly took Hu Yue'er's hand and comforted her, "No, no, no, those things are all in the past. People have to look forward, right? As long as we are living well now, that's enough. Besides, if this happened to anyone, I think they would have lent a helping hand to you, right, sisters-in-law?"

Jiang Ling winked at Zhao Erleng's wife and Lightning's mother, signaling them to chime in.

"Hey, yeah, little sister, let's not think about all that mess from before, as long as things are alright now!"

"Indeed! You're all blessed people!"

Zhao Erleng's wife and Shandian's mother comforted her with slight embarrassment. When Jiang Ling initially planned to help these refugees, they had felt a bit resentful for a while, but they only gave up after the refugees settled down. Now they felt ashamed.

Hu Yue'er wiped her face, calming herself down. "Yes, all of you sisters-in-law are right, but eldest sister, I truly have no way to repay you. I heard about the fertilizer from the village chief; no wonder you received the Emperor's reward. Compared to you, we are truly ashamed."

"Oh, what's the big deal? We're all from the same village, isn't it just being formal?"

As Jiang Ling and the others were exchanging pleasantries, the appearance of a person at the door immediately turned Jiang Ling's smiling face cold.

"What are you doing here?" Jiang Ling's tone was cold, completely opposite to her previous attitude.

Jiang Ling's sudden change in attitude puzzled the four people present. When they looked in the direction Jiang Ling was looking, all four of them showed disdain. Widow Wang also stood cautiously at the door with a basket in her hand, craning her neck to look at Jiang Ling.

"Tsk, you still have the nerve to come here?" Zhao Erleng's wife, who was quick to speak, was the first to mock him.

"Stay away from my older sister! I, an outsider, have heard plenty of your shabby stories!" The second person to speak was Hu Yue'er, who was now raising her eyebrows and rolling her eyes at Widow Wang at the door.

Widow Wang's face turned somewhat pale after being choked by Zhao Erleng's wife and Hu Yue'er. She bit her lip, and the knuckles of her hands, which were holding the basket, were clenched so tightly that they turned white.

"What are you doing here? You're not welcome here, get out of here!" Compared to Zhao Erleng's wife's bluntness and Hu Yue'er's sarcasm, Lightning Mother's words were much gentler.

Widow Wang's face grew even paler; her already pale face became even more bloodless. She looked at Jiang Ling with almost pleading eyes and said, "Fertilizer... could you give our family some?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the crowd erupted in uproar, all staring at Widow Wang with shameless eyes. If eyes could shoot knives, Widow Wang would probably have been widowed by Zhao Erleng's wife and the other three women.

"Can you really make the decisions about that household?" Although Jiang Ling disliked Widow Wang, she knew that the land was the lifeblood of the farmers, so even if she wanted to refuse, she had to be tactful in her tone and attitude.

Widow Wang shook her lips, shook her head, and hung her head, feeling even more at a loss.

"I'm sorry, I can't give it to you. Your mother-in-law is notorious in Lujia Village. Besides, you know our relationship. If I really sell you the fertilizer, it'll be fine if it works, but if it doesn't, your mother-in-law will probably tear down my house. Moreover, your mother-in-law has always thought my products are no good. Go back. I don't want to see you. I won't mention our past grievances not because I'm afraid of you, but because I think you're not worth mentioning!"

Jiang Ling's tone was cold, devoid of any emotion, sending chills down one's spine. Hu Yue'er was startled and shrank her neck, quietly moving towards Zhou Daxia beside her.

"I...I'm sorry..." Widow Wang bit her lip and whispered the four words.

She thought that she would be forgiven by Jiang Ling after she apologized, and that as long as her attitude was sincere enough, Jiang Ling would definitely change her mind.

But in reality, Jiang Ling remained cold, her eyes narrowed, and her words icy: "No need to apologize, I don't accept it! Go back early. If your mother-in-law and husband come to make trouble, then I'll have to use my status as a lady to suppress them!"

Widow Wang was struck dumb upon hearing this. She never imagined Jiang Ling would be so cold-blooded, but she was still unwilling to give up and wanted to fight back. She opened her mouth and shouted, "Why won't you sell me fertilizer! Everyone in Lu Family Village has it, why don't I?"

Jiang Ling was thoroughly annoyed by Widow Wang's constant chatter. She suddenly looked up, pointed at Widow Wang, and said, "Why won't I sell you fertilizer? Do you have any say in Lu Youren's household? Why don't you have it? Widow Wang, let me tell you, it's not that you don't have it, it's that you don't have any say in the household, so you don't have it. Stop making a scene in front of me! Or I'll beat you up, you believe me! Don't think that just because I helped you when you had your baby last time, there's no conflict between us!"

"I can't get over Lu Youren's matter, but I won't make trouble for you. I've already given you enough face by divorcing Lu Youren, so don't push your luck!"

Jiang Ling's words left Widow Wang speechless. She bit her lip, put the basket on the table in a huff, and turned to leave.

"Come back!" Jiang Ling said hurriedly as she watched Widow Wang leave.