She wouldn't part with a single copper coin even when a beggar asked her for one, yet she took thousands of taels of her father's money with complete confidence. Ironically, she never thought there was anything wrong with it before.
At that moment, Huang Shi suddenly felt that he had no right to criticize his wife.
Because he used to be that kind of extreme person too.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Nuan couldn't help but laugh, and then subtly sized up Huang Shi.
It's clear he's been having a tough time lately; he looks exhausted, much thinner, and his dark circles look like he's been punched twice. He also has blisters on the corners of his mouth, probably because he's been too anxious.
However, the most significant change was in the eyes.
Surprisingly, it was very peaceful, without resentment or bitterness, just like the legendary enlightenment.
This surprised Jiang Nuan, who immediately narrowed her eyes and asked, "What has Big Brother encountered recently?"
"It's nothing," Huang Shi didn't want to say more. "You and Mother don't need to worry, I can handle it."
"Who said that..."
Sister-in-law Huang wanted to speak, but Huang Shi silenced her with a look.
Jiang Nuan had only asked out of curiosity and didn't intend to meddle. "That's good."
"Since Father is alright, I won't stay any longer." Having received the answer he wanted, Huang Shi didn't linger. He took one last deep look at the villa before leaving. "Take good care of yourself from now on."
If nothing unexpected happens, he shouldn't have a chance to come in again.
Originally, he kept the past grievances to himself and it would have been best if the two families didn't meet. But reality forced him to come over again and again. In fact, he didn't want to do this.
He always felt a heavy sense of indebtedness towards his younger brother and his family, but he knew that it was impossible to make up for it.
Perhaps, meeting as strangers is the best outcome.
He moved his lower lip, but found he had nothing to say. He nodded, grabbed his wife, and turned around without hesitation.
“Mother,” Madam Xie said thoughtfully, “they have changed a lot.”
One of them became selfish and unreasonable, while the other suddenly realized his mistakes. This couple is really interesting.
I just don't know if we'll be able to get along well in the future!
“Indeed,” Jiang Nuan agreed. “If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it.”
Sure enough, reality can drive people crazy. Her smooth and kind sister-in-law has been completely driven into a resentful woman.
At this moment, she finally understood the old woman's hatred.
Watching her son slowly lose his life must have been incredibly painful for her.
However, he remained rational, knowing that he couldn't cause such a scene, and thus began to lie low for the future.
The eldest sister-in-law, however, had neither such concerns nor such magnanimity. It cannot be said that she did anything wrong; it only makes people feel more sorry for the old lady.
Thinking of this, she turned to look at Madam Xie and said, "Find out the rare calligraphy books that have been sent recently and send them all to your grandmother."
"Not even one copy for Xiao Si?" Xie was somewhat surprised. "I looked through them before, and many of the calligraphy practice books are not suitable for Grandma."
"Put it with your grandma first. If Xiao Si needs it, let him borrow it himself."
“Alright, but,” Xie said, expressing her concerns, “Grand Secretary An has left, and Uncle Liu has also left. Xiao Si and Xiao Liu are left without anyone to teach them. Shouldn’t we send them to an academy?”
"Which do you think is better, the Imperial Academy or the Lin Yuan Academy?"
"The Imperial Academy," Xie replied after a moment's thought. "The best teachers in the Great Zhou Dynasty are all at the Imperial Academy, so it's definitely better than other academies, but..."
Xie glanced at Jiang Nuan hesitantly, unsure whether she should speak or not.
“Go on.”
"The capital is so chaotic, the Imperial Academy must be more complicated than Lin Yuan Academy. I wonder if the two of them can adapt."
That's a rather tactful way of putting it.
What she really wanted to say was whether the two of them might be targeted by someone.
The capital city was a den of dragons and tigers, and every time she heard about it, she felt it was more and more unfathomable, and she couldn't help but feel more and more apprehensive.
Deep down, she still hoped that her two children would go to Lin Yuan Academy, where the environment was simpler and less susceptible to external influences.
“They will be entering officialdom in the future,” Jiang Nuan shook her head, “and they will have to adapt sooner or later.”
"That's true, but it's really not a good time right now."
"Yes, we'll send them over after we deal with the powerful families."
In just a few words, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had already made arrangements for their future.
Down the mountain, Huang Shi dragged her out, and Sister-in-law Huang, whose wish had not been fulfilled, was truly angry. "What exactly do you want?"
Not only did they fail to find out the old man's whereabouts, but they also didn't bother to mention their own difficulties.
Sister-in-law Huang felt heartbroken that her son's life was disregarded for the sake of saving face.
"I don't want to do anything," Huang Shi said nonchalantly. "As long as we know Dad is alright, let's go home."
"Going home at this time?" Sister-in-law Huang's chest ached with anger. "No money, no doctor, what will happen to our son? Is he just going to lie in bed waiting to die?"
"There's medicine here, drink it first and then we'll talk."
Having seen so many doctors, each family had given several dozen taels of silver worth of medicine, enough to fill half a cart. Even if they used it up recklessly, it would last for more than a year.
"Is having medicine enough?" Sister-in-law Huang glared at her husband. "Those quack doctors, none of them are useful, and the medicine they prescribed is useless."
"Otherwise what?" Huang Shi shrugged. "What do you want to do?"
"Since we can't find our father, let's go ask our younger brother and sister-in-law. After all, he's our nephew. We can't just stand by and watch Dashan die."
Sister-in-law Huang spoke these words with great trepidation.
In her heart, that family were cold-blooded and heartless people. She hated them so much and secretly laughed countless times as they suffered misfortune.
"I'm not going," Huang Shi said firmly, "and you're not allowed to go either!"
"Why are you stopping me?" Sister-in-law Huang looked at her husband accusingly. "You don't care about our son, but I do. If you won't go, I'll go myself."
Watching her son grow increasingly listless, Sister-in-law Huang felt as if God was deliberately tearing her heart out.
I can't even sleep soundly. I get up immediately at the slightest sound, afraid that I might miss my son's last moments.
“You’re not allowed to go,” Huang Shi said, pulling his wife’s hand. “Don’t make a scene. Have some dignity.”
He dared not think about how his family was perceived by the second wife, but he could sense the softening in Jiang Nuan's words and the improved relationship. He did not want his wife to ruin it again.
His trip to the capital made him acutely aware of the power of authority. Without power or influence, they had to swallow their anger even when bullied, returning home like stray dogs. This awful feeling was something they would never forget.
Although the relationship with the second wife could never be the same again, it was good to have a powerful backer. He had no intention of taking advantage of her, but as long as he leveraged this influence, no one in Ping'an County should dare to cause him trouble.
If even the last shred of affection is exhausted, forget about finding some shade; you might even settle scores and grudges.
"Do you even have a heart?" Sister-in-law Huang looked at her husband resentfully. "Our son's condition can't wait any longer. You're still clinging to your pride. Is pride more important than our son's life?"
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