She walked to the gate of the courtyard and found it was ajar, which meant that someone should be home, so she prepared to push the gate open and go in.
Just as she was about to push open the door, she heard two men talking in the yard. She immediately pulled her hand back, wanting to hear what they were saying inside.
Although the two people inside the courtyard were not speaking loudly, their voices were clearly audible.
"Yang Hong, this kind of sleeping potion has no taste. Whether it is put in food or water, after taking it, the person will become very obedient and docile, and will be at the mercy of others."
Tonight you must find a way to get Ruotong to eat. Tomorrow morning I'll find your old man a good job to get him out of there. Your mother is going to burn incense in the morning, so I'll come over then and bring Ruotong to my residence. Once the deed is done, Ruotong won't be so attached to that scholar anymore.
"Don't worry, Master Xiao. I will definitely get things done this time. With such good medicine, I guarantee there won't be any problems."
“I already gave you thirty taels of silver last time. After it’s done, I’ll give you another twenty taels of silver. If you mess this up again, I’ll break your legs.”
"With the sleeping potion, things will definitely not go wrong this time."
"That's settled then. I have to go. It'll be difficult if people find out about this."
After speaking, the man walked towards the courtyard gate.
Grandma Zhao was startled and quickly took a few steps back before walking off in another direction as if nothing had happened.
At that moment, the courtyard gate opened, and a fat man with big ears came out of the courtyard, lowered his head, and walked away quickly.
This man, named Xiao Kui, was in his thirties. He was a wealthy and influential man in the village, a true landlord and rich man. He also owned shares in the dock in the town.
He had long coveted Yang Ruotong, but Yang Ruotong was already a married woman. How could she possibly have an affair with Xiao Kui? However, his own brother, Yang Hong, wanted Xiao Kui's money and disregarded family ties, so he made a move on his own sister.
This time, he was going to give his sister the sleeping potion that Xiao Kui had given him. The effects of the drug would last for three days. As long as Xiao Kui took his sister away, he would get another twenty taels of silver.
After Xiao Kui left, Yang Hong did not go out to see him off, but went straight back into the house.
Grandma Zhao was still shaken. She hadn't expected her granddaughter-in-law to be plotted against. Luckily, she overheard their scheme; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
If nothing unexpected happens, Yang Hong will make a move against Ruotong tonight. What should we do?
I thought I could just take Ruotong away myself, but after thinking about it, I felt that wouldn't be a good idea.
When Yang Ruotong returned to her parents' home and never came back, it was partly due to her grandson. It was only right that her grandson personally came to pick her up and take her home; this was the least she could do to show Yang Ruotong respect.
It would be inappropriate for an old woman like herself to come and pick Ruotong up from school; it would also be embarrassing for her family.
The old lady thought about whether she should tell Ruotong and her mother what she had just heard, but then felt that it was inappropriate, as it would mean that she was trying to sow discord between her own family.
The old lady thought for a long time but couldn't figure it out. She felt her head getting bigger and bigger, and it had turned into a mess.
No matter what, he couldn't go back now; he had to protect his granddaughter-in-law and prevent her from getting hurt.
She sent her servants home first to tell Xian'er about the situation and to urge the Zhao family to make a decision as soon as possible.
After learning the details, Jiabing bowed to the old lady and told her to take care. He then drove the carriage back to Narcissus Village as quickly as possible.
At this moment, Zhao Xian was busy, his mind filled with thoughts of his original wife. In his previous life, he was a single man, but he had a wife as soon as he transmigrated here, which made him very uncomfortable.
A sudden clatter of traffic interrupted Zhao Xian's thoughts. He looked up and saw that the carriage had returned.
Grandma came back so quickly, everyone wondered how things were going over there, so they immediately gathered around to ask the old lady.
The old lady didn't come back; Jiabing drove back alone. What exactly happened?
The guard looked around and, seeing that there were quite a few outsiders present, spoke up:
"Let's go inside and talk about it."
The family went inside, and Jiabing picked up a teacup, poured a bowl of tea from the teapot, and drank it in big gulps.
He hadn't drunk any water for three hours and was already unbearably thirsty.
Amidst the anxious gazes of the crowd, Jiabing recounted what had happened on her mother's side of the family.
Everyone was shocked to learn that Yang Ruotong's own brother was going to drug her and then hand her over to the wealthy man.
Now what to do? Everyone looked at Zhao Xian, hoping he could come up with a solution as soon as possible.
Zhao Xian never dreamed that his brother-in-law would do such a despicable thing. Now is not the time for him to be coy. His grandmother is still protecting Ruotong. He must take the initiative.
Zhao Xian instructed Li Chun'e to take two bolts of silk, one hundred taels of silver, and a string of pearls and agates. He then had his mother and sister accompany him onto the carriage, and had Zhao Cheng ride a horse behind the carriage to Yangjiawan.
Zhao Lingling was overjoyed; she was about to see her sister-in-law and was going to pick her up and take her home.
The carriage sped along, with Zhao Cheng riding a tall horse close behind.
As for Old Madam Zhao, after sending the carriage away, she pushed open the courtyard gate and went inside.
Yang Hong thought his family had returned, so he peeked out of the room and was clearly surprised to see Old Mrs. Zhao walk in.
Why did the Zhao family arrive at this time? Yang Hong quickly came out to check, and when he was sure that only the old lady was alone, he asked.
"Grandma Zhao, what are you doing here? Our Ruotong has already been betrothed to someone else. Our Yang family has nothing to do with your Zhao family anymore. You'd better leave quickly."
Yang Hong's eagerness to get rid of him was probably because Ruotong was about to go home and he didn't want to see her.
She placed the boxes of pastries she had brought on the table, rubbing her aching lower back and massaging her legs while muttering to herself.
"I set off before dawn and walked for several hours to get here, just to see my granddaughter-in-law. I'm exhausted."
Yang Hongxin believed the old lady's words. The journey from Shuixian Village to Yangjiawan was quite long and would indeed take several hours.
"Grandma Zhao, didn't I tell you already? My sister is married, and you won't be able to see her anymore. You'd better leave quickly," Yang Hong urged again.
Grandma Zhao wasn't in a hurry; she spoke slowly and deliberately:
"If I can't see my granddaughter-in-law, then I'll see my mother-in-law. I'll ask her to take me to see Ruotong. I miss my granddaughter-in-law so much."
Yang Hong was getting anxious. His mother and sister had gone to the market in town and should be back soon. He needed to get rid of this annoying old lady as soon as possible. If his mother and sister saw Old Lady Zhao, things would get complicated.
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