"Without a few tricks up our sleeves, how could we possibly shut down our restaurant? We wouldn't be here if that were the case!" Leng Xiyuan said, looking out the car window at the rows of neat sheds without turning his head.
Dong Ziheng had nothing to say to that, but he was intrigued by the sheds outside.
"These are the winter greens that were all the rage last year. I don't know what that young woman was thinking to come up with such an idea!" Dong Ziheng marveled.
He increasingly felt they were getting old, so old that they couldn't even compete with a young wife.
The other two remained silent, and soon, the carriage stopped at Zhao Jiaqi's house.
Two wolves came out to greet them.
Their plump bodies swayed as they approached, their wolf eyes casting fierce glances as they assessed the newcomers.
The three men were terrified and turned pale.
"Oh my god, those are wolves! Is that young wife dead?" Dong Ziheng, being older, was no longer as brave as before. Seeing the beasts, he retreated a few steps with a deathly pale face.
His first thought was that wolves had come down from the mountains, and these creatures were full of aggression.
In contrast, Leng Xiyuan remained calm. He pointed to the women working in the yard and said, "These are their guard wolves. Look how scared you are."
Peng Shuo's scalp tingled, and his heart pounded. He wasn't the only one scared; he was terrified too!
"Who are you looking for?" Zhang Cuihua noticed the commotion at the gate and came forward to ask, while also shooing the wolves to the backyard.
These two creatures had been staying in the front yard even during the day since they dealt with the troublemakers a few nights ago. They were quite protective.
Peng Shuo replied, "Auntie, we're here to see Miss Fan... Miss Fan."
Zhang Cuihua said "Oh" and invited them into the main hall. "My wife is in the study. I'll go fetch her. Please have some tea!"
A while later, Zhao Jiaqi arrived. Seeing the three of them, she thought they were too eager. It had only been one night.
Before anyone could speak, Peng Shuo stood up and quickly apologized for yesterday's incident. "What happened yesterday was truly wrong. The three of us are here today to apologize. These two carts are gifts to make amends, a small token of our sincerity. We hope Miss Fan won't take offense and will forgive us coarse men!"
They were truly capable of both yielding and standing firm, these men.
"I've given serious thought to what you discussed yesterday. I have no problem with it, but as you know, I am the second owner of Tianxiang Tower. If Murong Sheng doesn't agree, I can't do anything. So..."
This put the three men in a difficult position. As the saying goes, rivals in trade are enemies.
Especially Murong Sheng, who had targeted him more than once this year. To ask him for a favor now...
Peng Shuo hesitated for a moment before speaking to her again. "Madam, could you please put in a good word for us? We have a bit of... a small grievance with him. We're afraid he'll refuse, and we'll lose face!"
A small grievance?
It couldn't be that simple. If it were truly as they said, why wouldn't they dare to face Murong Sheng?
"I can go and speak, but I want forty percent of the profits from each of your families. You don't need to answer me right away. Go back and consider it, then come and tell me!"
The three men were stunned by the forty percent profit share and couldn't make a decision immediately. They fled in disarray.
Just as December began, heavy snow began to fall in the small village.
In Fan Guangping's house, Zhang Cuihua bustled in and out of the kitchen. The water in the large pot was boiling, and chicken soup was simmering in a small pot, emitting a fragrant aroma.
Inside the house.
The midwife kept urging Wang Zhaodi to push. Her heart-wrenching cries of pain reached Zhao Jiaqi's ears, making her tremble as well.
Since this was Wang Zhaodi's second child, and perhaps due to her work, the delivery was quick. She gave birth to a little girl weighing six and a half catties that morning.
Zhao Jiaqi held the wrinkled little thing. Her face was no bigger than her palm, and her fuzzy hair was quite cute.
"Sister-in-law, congratulations! You have both a son and a daughter. Your elder brother must be overjoyed now!" Zhao Jiaqi said to the woman on the bed, holding the baby.
Wang Zhaodi looked at her daughter in Zhao Jiaqi's arms and said honestly, "Your elder brother likes sons, and I like daughters. Didn't you see he didn't even hold the baby when she was born?"
Hearing her say that, Zhao Jiaqi realized it was true.
Her elder brother had come in to give his wife a bowl of chicken soup, glanced at the newborn, and left. She thought he was busy outside and didn't pay much attention!
Zhao Jiaqi frowned. "Maybe you're being too sensitive. Men are rough and unsophisticated; they're not as thoughtful as women."
Wang Zhaodi knew she was trying to comfort her and didn't expose her. Looking at the baby in the swaddle, she said, "I worked hard to carry her for ten months and went through the gates of hell to give birth. Whether it's a boy or a girl, I like them just the same!"
Zhao Jiaqi smiled and nodded repeatedly. "Of course. If you don't like your own child, would you like someone else's?"
"We're both crude and uneducated. Sister-in-law, could you name the child for us?"
Naming children was something she wasn't very good at.
After pondering for a while, she thought of a name and asked, "How about Fan Xueyao?"
Wang Zhaodi repeated it a couple of times and felt it sounded better than names like Hua or Cui. She immediately decided the child's full name would be Fan Xueyao.
A little over half a month later, those three people couldn't wait any longer and came together again, agreeing to the forty percent share. As long as business was good, they were willing to give up an extra percent.
Over the next half a month, the three men frequently visited her house, discussing dishes, decorations, and opening matters. Unexpectedly, this caused trouble again.
Bai Damei and Wang Zhenzhu had both suffered at her hands before, and now they were of one mind, even closer than before.
Even in winter, they didn't mind the cold. They told everyone that Zhao Jiaqi's husband was not home, and she couldn't resist temptation, flirting with other men.
They even slandered Fan Guangping, her elder brother-in-law, and Fan He, her father-in-law.
When Li Sisi heard these rumors in another village, she was so angry that she immediately retorted. However, one person couldn't fight against many.
She immediately stormed to Zhao Jiaqi's house and poured out her grievances. "Those two old women are shameless! Sister-in-law, you can't let them spread such lies."
They could twist an egg into a goose egg, let alone those who didn't know the truth in other villages.
If her reputation was ruined, and Fan Zehao heard about it when he returned, then no amount of explanation would clear her name.
Zhao Jiaqi threw the baby clothes she was holding onto the bed. It seemed like their days wouldn't be peaceful without some trouble.
Fan Zhang hadn't even dealt with the situation yet, and this daughter-in-law couldn't wait, starting to slander her again.
Touching her eight-month pregnant belly, she didn't want to cause trouble before giving birth, but others insisted on provoking her.
"Brother, gather the laborers from our fields, tie up Wang Zhenzhu and Bai Damei, and take them directly to the town magistrate!"
She intended to kill a chicken to scare the monkeys today.
Soon, the laborers tied up the women and leashed them to the back of Zhao Jiaqi's carriage. They ran all the way, the two women panting, glaring at her with vicious eyes. They wanted to curse, but their mouths were gagged, so they could only make muffled groans.
In the front hall.
Sun Qirong listened to Zhao Jiaqi's impassioned plea and said sharply, "Town magistrate, these two clearly wish me dead, slandering my reputation everywhere. If this falls into the wrong hands, wouldn't I be drowned? It's not just a life lost, but my husband is fighting on the battlefield... this would make him..."
Her voice choked with tears, she was so choked up that she couldn't finish her words. She left the rest for the town magistrate to ponder.