"Then die, that'll be perfect for destroying the evidence." Jiang Hua didn't even lift her eyelids at Xu's wailing.
"Oh dear God, open your eyes and see! What kind of daughter would want her old mother to die!" Xu cried even harder.
"Why am I so unlucky? I was sold to my husband's family when I was a child, and I have to be mistreated by them. I have two daughters, and neither of them has a conscience."
"I also suffer from my mother-in-law's torment every day..."
"Have you said enough? What's the use of telling me? You might as well go back and pour out your grievances to Xu Dagui." Jiang Hua interrupted Xu Shi, who was about to continue wailing.
"I asked you to explain what 'chicken soup for the soul' is all about. Why are you pouring out your grievances to me?"
"Are you going to talk or not? If you're not going to talk, then don't waste my time!" Jiang Hua's voice had turned cold.
"I already told you, why aren't you moving and why are you yelling at me!" Xu shouted in dissatisfaction.
"There's talisman water in the chicken soup. The sorceress said that after you drink the talisman water, it will leave Er Ya's body."
"When did I ever say that I was also a wandering ghost possessing this body?" Jiang Hua chuckled lightly.
"Aunt Xu, you don't actually recognize your own daughter whom you carried for ten months?"
"Don't laugh, I'm scared..." When Xu met Jiang Hua's smiling eyes, she was so frightened that she wanted to cry again.
"What are you afraid of? If I were a ghost, could I stand in the sunlight during the day?" Jiang Hua retorted.
"You...you're so skilled! You're not Er Ya at all. Er Ya doesn't know how to do business, and Er Ya doesn't know how to treat patients!" Xu Shi shouted in a panic.
"Oh, I see. Well then, why don't you stay here tonight and see if I'm really Er Ya?" Jiang Hua said softly, looking at Xu Shi.
A gust of wind blew by, and the candle by the window was suddenly extinguished. Only the candle on the table next to Jiang Hua was lit in the whole room.
Looking at the suddenly darkened room, Xu felt as if she wanted to faint on the spot.
"You are, you are Er Ya, I won't say anything more about you, please let me go."
"Oh no, where is the sorceress?"
Xu had no choice but to obediently tell Jiang Hua the location of the sorceress's house.
"Drink the chicken soup before you leave," Jiang Hua suddenly said.
“I won’t drink it, it’s for warding off evil spirits.” Madam Xu shook her head desperately.
"If you're not going to drink, you don't need to go back. I'm just idling around anyway, so you can keep me company."
Before Jiang Hua could finish speaking, Xu had already pounced over and gulped down the chicken soup, even gnawing on the chicken leg.
Aside from a slightly fishy smell when it's cold, and the taste of burnt talisman paper ashes, it's not too bad to drink.
There was so much meat at the banquet today, but that old hag, Madam Xu, didn't give herself a single piece. She only ate some plain porridge and washed dishes all day.
"How pitiful, like you haven't eaten at all." Jiang Hua looked at her wolfing down her food, afraid that she would choke to death.
"It's all because of you," Xu complained.
"What does this have to do with me? Did I ask you to marry Xu Dagui? If you can't stand it, just get a divorce," Jiang Hua said calmly.
"I knew you had ulterior motives! I'm going to be the mother of a future top scholar!" Xu shouted.
Well, it's a case of one willing to hit and the other willing to be hit, so let's pretend she didn't say anything.
"Since you brought the chicken soup, take this red envelope back to your Yaozu." Jiang Hua took out a red envelope and handed it to Xu Shi.
"Really?" Xu Shi took the red envelope with some doubt and squeezed it. She found it was light and flimsy. Could it be a silver note?
My heart was already leaping with joy, and I was no longer trembling with fear as I had just been.
"Can I leave now?" Xu asked cautiously.
"Take care, and don't bother seeing me off," Jiang Hua said as she stood up.
Xu, fleeing in panic, did not forget to take her bamboo basket and bowl with her, and soon disappeared into the night.
Lin Shuyan was waiting at home for Madam Xu, and was almost asleep when Madam Xu still hadn't returned. In order to see Jiang Hua make a fool of herself, she didn't go to sleep either.
"Grandma, why hasn't Auntie come back yet?" Lin Shuyan asked as she came out of the inner room.
Just as Madam Xu was about to berate Madam Xu for being useless, she saw her running quickly home.
"You finally came back, why did you take so long?" Madam Xu asked with some dissatisfaction, then went over to look through the bamboo basket and found that the bowl inside was empty.
"Did she drink it?" Madam Xu asked.
"Hmm." Madam Xu paused for a moment, then nodded and took out the red envelope Jiang Hua had given her.
"At least she has a conscience!" said Madam Xu as she took the red envelope, eagerly opening it.
The next second, all three of them turned pale. Madam Xu took out two talismans from the red envelope. They were the very talismans that they had previously placed at her house.
"Did that wretched girl find out?" Madam Xu glared at Madam Xu. Even if Jiang Hua drank that bowl of soup, what good would it do? She had already peeled off those two talismans, wasting a chicken leg and a bowl of chicken soup.
"Grandma, what do we do now?" Lin Shuyan asked, looking at the two talismans. She hadn't expected Jiang Hua to be so vigilant.
"I'll go see the Bamboo Goddess again tomorrow and see if she has any ideas," said Madam Xu through gritted teeth. She had already started and spent money, so she couldn't give up halfway through, or all the money would be wasted.
"Is it still possible?" Lin Shuyan asked worriedly. "Grandma, do you have any more money? I'll give you more if you don't have enough."
"No need, Grandma has the money. You can keep yours for yourself," said Madam Xu, then told Lin Shuyan to go back and rest.
"Go wash today's clothes. You're not allowed to sleep until you've finished." He turned to Xu Shi and said fiercely.
But it was already so late, and by the time the clothes were washed, who knew what time it would be? Xu was a little reluctant, but when she met the eyes of her older sister, she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
She could only silently go to the well to wash her clothes. The well water was a bit cold at night. Looking at the clothes of the whole family in the wooden basin, Da Xu felt a pang of sadness.
She recalled how Jiang Hua never did these things when she was alive. Now that both her daughters were married, all the housework fell on her shoulders.
"How about having another daughter?" Madam Xu murmured, touching her flat stomach.
If she could have another son, perhaps he would be as intelligent as Yaozu and could also pass the imperial examinations, Xu thought to herself with delight.
Consoling herself, Xu quickened her pace while washing clothes, and an hour later, she walked into the house with a happy expression.
Xu Dagui, who had been drinking that night, lay on the bed somewhat drunk. Xu Shi also took off her coat and lay down on top of him, nestled against Xu Dagui like a little bird.
However, a strange scent of cosmetics brought Xu's smile to an abrupt halt.
"Get up! Why do you smell of rouge and powder on you? Who said it was a woman?" Madam Xu anxiously pushed the drowsy Xu Dagui.
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