Chen Ruolan was filled with intense hatred; she clenched her fists tightly, her teeth grinding together...
Seeing her daughter's red eyes and silence, Liu Fengjiao quickly touched her forehead. "Ruolan, why are you so unhappy? Are you sick?"
"Mother, I can't stay in Qingshui Town anymore. Everyone is laughing at me."
Upon hearing this, Liu Fengjiao frowned, recalling how she had delivered the fine to Wang Qizhang the previous night, and her body swayed involuntarily.
Everything started because of Chen Qingqing. If it weren't for that brat, my daughter wouldn't have been crying and making a scene, smashing cups and bowls, and I wouldn't have been humiliated by Wang Qizhang...
She hated Chen Qingqing so much that she wished she could eat her flesh and drink her blood.
Seeing her daughter looking listless, Liu Fengjiao had to gently comfort her, "Ruolan, don't worry. Qingshui Town is so big, not many people know us. This matter will be forgotten in a few days."
"Yes, Ruolan, your mother is right. It will be fine in a few days. Don't keep it to yourself," Chen Zhancai comforted her.
Chen Ruolan was filled with resentment. That brat dared to make her crawl like a dog in public, making her the laughingstock of Qingshui Town.
As soon as she stepped outside today, she felt everyone around her pointing and whispering, their gazes filled with disdain.
Even her usual friends would occasionally make sarcastic remarks.
She shook her head vigorously. "Father, Mother, all my close friends, including Wang Qichang's daughter, know about my escape from the cloth shop. If word gets out, how could others not know?"
Chen Zhancai sighed helplessly, his tone tinged with a hint of reproach, "Why did you two have to provoke her while you were out shopping? You didn't get any benefits, and you just got yourself into trouble."
Liu Fengjiao was furious and put her hands on her hips. "You're blaming us now? I'm just holding my breath too. We were living a good life, but because that brat was disobedient and insisted on marrying Butcher Li, all this mess has come to this."
"Fengjiao, don't be angry." Seeing that things were getting out of hand, Chen Zhancai quickly put on a smiling face. "I'm not blaming you, I just feel sorry for Ruolan."
Liu Fengjiao snorted lightly, "I'm not angry with you. I just don't understand how that brat got so lucky to dig up ginseng. With the money from selling the ginseng, it won't be easy for Mother to try to take advantage of her again!"
Chen Ruolan said with resentment, "It's all my grandma's fault. She insisted on separating the family and cutting off ties. Now look what happened, everything's gone and we've lost everything."
"Ruolan is right. I get angry just thinking about it. Your grandma is really senile. I don't know what she's thinking."
Liu Fengjiao stomped her feet in anger, and remembering the pile of silver, her eyes darted around a few times.
"Zhancai, the eldest son's family is getting better and better these days. No matter what, Chen Zhanshan is still our mother's son. You have to find a way to get our mother to squeeze out the money."
The fabric shop incident dealt a heavy blow to Chen Ruolan. She used to be the proudest person in the Chen family; whenever she was home, Chen Qingqing would fawn over her like a clown.
She would give Chen Qingqing her old clothes that she no longer wore and her unwanted cosmetics.
Seeing Chen Qingqing's joyful gratitude towards her, she felt an invisible sense of superiority.
But now that brat seems like a completely different person. Not only has she become more assertive, but her gaze is also full of disdain.
Chen Qingqing is a despicable person. Why does she think she's better off than her? Why does she look down on me?
Chen Ruolan's jealousy flared up. "Father, my grandparents listen to you the most. You should hurry back to Nanshan Village and make a scene. Get the money out of the eldest son's hands. Without the money, let's see how that brat dares to act so arrogantly in front of me."
Chen Zhancai nodded in agreement, "Ruolan, you're right. This matter started with your grandmother, so she should be the one to resolve it."
"By the way, Ruolan, don't you feel like everyone's laughing at you behind your back? Why don't you go back to the village for a while, and wait until your father passes the imperial examination next year? Then you can come back, and you'll be the young lady of a scholar's family. No one will laugh at you anymore."
Chen Ruolan pouted, looking unwilling. "Dad, I don't want to go back to the village. Besides, if you still can't pass the imperial examination, am I supposed to stay in the countryside for the rest of my life?"
"What nonsense are you talking about, child? Just go back and stay there quietly. When the time comes, your father will definitely bring you back in a grand and glorious manner."
Liu Fengjiao chimed in, "Yes, Ruolan, your grandmother loves you the most. She won't mistreat you. Besides, you can go back and help your grandmother come up with ideas and think of ways to get the money out of the eldest son's house."
"Alright then!" Chen Ruolan was at a loss for what to do, so she could only nod in agreement.
******
The Chen family's old house.
Ever since she learned that Chen Qingqing had dug up ginseng and sold it for money, Old Mrs. Chen's eyes were red with envy.
That was a whole cart full of good stuff, including fine rice, wheat flour, and several bolts of cotton cloth.
She had lived most of her life without ever having the heart to make a single cotton garment, yet that brat bought several bolts of it in one go.
She was extremely jealous. If that brat could dig up ginseng, why couldn't her family?
Yesterday afternoon, she sent Old Man Chen and his son Chen Zhanliang up the mountain to look for ginseng.
"Old woman, quickly go and pour me a bowl of water."
Seeing Old Man Chen return empty-handed, Old Woman Chen remained seated, glaring at him fiercely with deep resentment in her eyes.
"What else can you do? You went out early this morning and came back empty-handed. How can you be so stupid!"
"Old woman, the mountain is so big, where am I supposed to find ginseng? What can I do if I can't dig it up?"
"How dare you say that? Other people can dig it up, so why can't you?"
Old Chen was so angry at her unreasonable behavior that he kept hitting his head. "Why don't you understand? Ginseng isn't something you can just find by going into the mountains. It depends on luck and whether we have the right fate. If we don't have that kind of luck, it's all for nothing even if we work ourselves to death."
Old Mrs. Chen rolled her eyes angrily, "Nonsense! That wretched girl is just a poor wretch. What good fortune could she possibly have? She just got lucky, like a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse. If she can have such good luck, why can't you? Stop making excuses. You and Zhanliang rest and hurry up into the mountains. As long as we can dig up ginseng, our family can also eat fine rice."
"Aren't you making things difficult for me? You go if you want, I'm not going." Old Chen became stubborn and turned his face away...
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