When Xiao Zhenzhu mentioned Master Huang, Xiao Jingchuan casually explained, "It's already been resolved. Uncle Dashan sold Hongyu to us to settle the breach of contract penalty."
"What? You sold the red jade to them? That's two hundred taels! Where did you get the money?" Granny Yang looked at Xiao Jingchuan in surprise, her eyes filled with disbelief and greed.
She thought to herself: This poor bastard has so much money! He must have been hiding his bonus.
Granny Yang was plotting how she could get the money from Xiao Jingchuan.
Her eyes lit up, and an idea came to her. Then she smiled and said to Xiao Jingchuan, "Chuan'er, you spent two hundred taels to buy Hongyu. That's a huge loss. Listen to my advice and return Hongyu to Li Dashan."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingchuan sneered inwardly, but outwardly remained expressionless as he watched her. He wanted to see what other tricks this old woman could pull.
"Grandma, what do you mean by this?" Xiao Jingchuan pretended not to understand and asked with a cold face.
Granny Yang quickly explained, "Chuan'er, think about it. Two hundred taels of silver can build a new house! Besides, Hongyu isn't a particularly good girl; she's not worth two hundred taels at all. Why don't you return her to Li Dashan and let him find a suitable buyer? That way, you won't lose out, and Li Dashan will be grateful to you—a win-win situation!"
Xiao Jingchuan chuckled inwardly as he listened to the old woman's words. So that was her plan—to get him to return the red jade, thus creating conflict between him and Li Dashan.
However, he wouldn't do as she wished.
“Grandma, you’re right. But I’ve already bought Hongyu, and I won’t go back on my word easily. Besides, I think a kind girl like Hongyu is worth far more than two hundred taels. We can’t measure a person by money,” Xiao Jingchuan retorted expressionlessly.
Upon hearing this, Granny Yang immediately became anxious.
She hadn't expected Xiao Jingchuan to be so stubborn and refuse to listen to her advice.
So she began to use her sob story, "Chuan'er, why don't you listen to me? I'm doing this for your own good! If you don't return Hongyu, the villagers will spit on you and drown you..."
Looking at the unreasonable old woman in front of him, Xiao Jingchuan felt increasingly annoyed.
He looked at her coldly and stated firmly, "Grandma, please stop making trouble. My decision is final."
Seeing her cousin angry, Xiao Zhenzhu quickly gave Granny Yang a meaningful look. She had asked her cousin to return the goods, which not only offended her cousin but also Li Hongyu. She was extremely foolish.
Just as Granny Yang was about to speak, Xiao Zhenzhu interrupted, "Grandma, Second Brother bought Hongyu to save her. This is a commendable act, and we should support him."
Shen Yunsheng finally understood why Xiao Zhenzhu was favored. Although she was not very good-looking, she was smart. She was a high-level green tea.
Xiao Jingchuan was puzzled when his wife mentioned the word "green tea," even though he didn't know what "green tea" was.
But he quickly understood what his wife meant and agreed.
He knew Xiao Zhenzhu's true colors; he knew she was a scheming and cunning person skilled at disguise.
In her previous life, Xiao Zhenzhu was undoubtedly the biggest winner. With her wisdom and shrewdness, she successfully won everyone's praise and became a model of noblewoman in people's eyes.
Ultimately, she married into a prominent family, became their principal wife, and lived a happy and fulfilling life. Her life trajectory can be described as perfect, making countless people envious.
Granny Yang dared not offend Xiao Zhenzhu. When she thought of the generous dowry, her anger subsided by more than half.
“Hongyu, now that Chuan’er has bought you, you are now a member of the Xiao family. I will never treat you unfairly.”
After calming down, Granny Yang looked up at Li Hongyu. She thought to herself, "Li Hongyu has come at just the right time. Our second branch of the family is in dire need of a servant!"
Shen Yunsheng and his wife exchanged a knowing glance; they both had a premonition that the old lady was up to something again.
Li Hongyu didn't want to talk to Granny Yang. Her intuition told her that Granny Yang was definitely up to no good.
Granny Yang turned to Xiao Jingchuan with a fawning smile. "Chuan'er, I'm getting old and can't do anything right now. Could you ask Hongyu to help me with some housework?"
A surge of anger welled up in Xiao Jingchuan's heart, but he forced himself to suppress it. "Although I bought Hongyu, I never intended to treat her as a servant. You should give up on that idea as soon as possible."
Seeing this, Granny Yang started to throw a tantrum, saying, "You child are so impulsive! I just mentioned it casually, and you start scolding me."
Xiao Jingchuan looked at Granny Yang coldly, "How dare I criticize you? I was just stating the facts."
Shen Yunsheng casually chimed in, "Grandma, I advise you not to make a move on Hongyu. Now that she's come to our family, I will absolutely not let anyone bully her."
Seeing Shen Yunsheng's firm tone, Xiao Zhenzhu quickly smiled and tried to smooth things over, "Second sister-in-law, Grandma is only thinking of you two, so please don't be angry anymore."
Shen Yunsheng looked at Granny Yang with a mocking expression, "Pearl, you really should persuade the old lady to stop causing trouble, so as not to implicate Second Uncle!"
“If you disagree with the Jingchuan family, that’s fine, but there’s no need to take it out on me.”
Granny Yang interrupted Shen Yunsheng impatiently. Her eldest son had spoken up; who did Shen Yunsheng think he was?
After hesitating for a long time, Xiao Wenjing finally looked up at his mother and said, "Mother! Please stop interfering with Chuan'er and his wife. They are adults and know how to behave."
Seeing that no one was supporting her, Granny Yang had no choice but to leave dejectedly. Watching her retreating figure, Xiao Jingchuan secretly vowed that he would never let Hongyu suffer any injustice.
Hongyu looked at Xiao Jingchuan gratefully, knowing she had met a good person. Shen Yunsheng held Hongyu's hand and gently comforted her, "Don't be afraid, we're here, no one can bully you."
Li Hongyu nodded in agreement.
Seeing that no one supported her, Granny Yang snorted coldly, then pulled Xiao Zhenzhu away in a sorry state.
Xiao Jingchuan watched her retreating figure and sneered. No matter how eloquently she spoke, he wouldn't agree to her proposal.
Li Hongyu looked at Xiao Jingchuan and Shen Yunsheng with gratitude. She knew that if it weren't for them, she probably would have been sold off by her father long ago.
"Chuan'er, you two go shopping first, I need to take care of some business at the lumber shop."
Xiao Wenjing plans to go back to work. He feels uneasy staying at home every day. Although logging is hard work, he gets paid on time every month.
"I'll go with you, and I'll quit this job while I'm at it." Xiao Jingchuan didn't want his father to continue logging; the money he earned wasn't even enough for Xiao Wenkai to buy alcohol.
Shen Yunsheng didn't want to go to the lumber shop. After thinking it over, she said to her husband, "Husband, I'll go buy some things first. You two wait for me in the old street after you're done."
Xiao Jingchuan nodded, and before his father could react, he pulled him to the lumber shop.
Just as Shen Yunsheng was about to wander around, a familiar voice rang out behind her, "Madam Shen, it really is you! I thought I was seeing things."
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