Just as Qian Chunhua had expected, the main family wasn’t inactive—they simply hadn’t come up with a good plan yet.

Zhao Yongqiang was not just any schemer; he was particularly sly.

It had only been three days since the severing of family ties, so he didn’t dare make any rash moves just yet.

But when he heard from Li Cuihong that Qian Chunhua had brought back four sacks of grain, his eyes turned red with anger.

The family’s money had been spent again!

Zhao Yongqiang was so anxious he was pacing in circles. No, no, I have to come up with something!

Meanwhile, Qian Chunhua was oblivious to the schemes of the main house. After telling her three children a bedtime story, she and the kids peacefully drifted into sweet dreams.

—

Early the next morning, just as dawn broke…

Qingsong was the first to wake up, followed closely by Xiaoling.

The two siblings had been so excited all night—even though they eventually fell asleep, it wasn’t a restful sleep.

They’d dreamed about entering school.

Seeing how thrilled the two kids were, Qian Chunhua decided to wake Qingfeng up too, so the three of them could get ready together.

After breakfast, Qian Xingshan slung his backpack over his shoulders and led Qingsong and Xiaoling toward Master Qian’s school.

Even Qian Chunhua brought Qingfeng along, intending to walk the kids to class.

In all her past and present lives, this was the first time Qian Chunhua had ever taken children to school.

Only now did she truly understand what her former colleagues used to say—parents are even more nervous than their children.

They worry whether their kids will be bullied by classmates or scolded by the teacher.

No matter how anxious she felt, after sending the children off, Qian Chunhua had to head back home to check on Uncle Ding’s progress with building their new house.

What she didn’t know was that the sight of Qian Xingshan, Zhao Qingsong, and Zhao Xiaoling going to school together had once again stirred up heated discussion under the old pagoda tree at Huanghualing.

That area had been buzzing lately—the scandal over Qian Chunhua severing family ties had yet to die down, and Old Village Chief’s advice to stockpile grain had been the talk of the town.

Before that conversation had even cooled off, the news that Qian Chunhua was sending the kids to school stole the spotlight.

When Li Cuihong arrived leisurely under the pagoda tree after breakfast…

Her neighbor Zhang Qiurong waved from a distance. “Cuihong! Come quick! What took you so long today? We were waiting for you!”

Li Cuihong was puzzled as she glanced at the sun. Why are they so eager to see me today? I’m here at the same time as usual.

Before she could figure it out, Zhang Qiurong leaned in with a mysterious tone. “You don’t know yet, do you? That silent one from your family just walked two kids and Qian Xingshan to school.”

Li Cuihong asked, confused, “Silent one? Who?”

“Qian Chunhua, of course,” Zhang Qiurong said with a nod.

They’d often made fun of Qian Chunhua for being tight-lipped.

But it was precisely because the original Chunhua had been so reserved that no one found her strange after she was replaced by the reincarnated Chunhua.

People simply assumed she’d changed due to the trauma of her husband’s death.

Only now did Li Cuihong realize, “What? Qian Chunhua sent two kids to school? How can she…”

She cut herself off before blurting out her true thoughts.

Sun Hongying, standing behind Zhang Qiurong, couldn’t help but snap, “You already cut ties with them—what business is it of yours?”

Just then, Li Lianyan arrived at the tree and overheard the jab at her niece. She had failed to stand up for her last time, but not this time.

“Even if the ties are cut, they’re still surnamed Zhao! Still Zhao family blood. What does it have to do with you?”

Li Lianyan’s family had long-standing grudges with the village chief’s household.

Ten years ago, her husband, Zhao Dafang, had also wanted to run for village chief.

While the Zhao surname dominated Huanghualing, and by logic, the Zhao clan should’ve supported him, unfortunately for him, Zhao Dafang’s personality was the exact opposite of his name—petty to the extreme.

Even many in the Zhao clan hadn’t voted for him.

So over the years, Zhao Dafang and Li Lianyan blamed the village chief’s family for his loss, never once reflecting on their own faults.

But they’d now run into Sun Hongying—who was no pushover like Wang Lan. She sneered and said:

“I’ve seen shameless people, but never ones as thick-skinned as your whole lot. Still Zhao family? Why don’t you go claim the prefect of Yongzhou as kin? His surname’s Zhao too. Does that mean you get to meddle in his business as well?”

Sun Hongying’s words left Li Lianyan speechless.

She could argue with anyone—but not officials. She didn’t want trouble.

But Li Cuihong wasn’t listening anymore.

She was busy calculating in her head.

A year of tuition at the village school cost four taels of silver per child.

Qian Chunhua, that wretched woman, was even sending Zhao Xiaoling, a useless girl, to school?

What a joke!

Two kids—that’s eight taels.

And Qian Xingshan too?

His tuition must’ve come from Chunhua’s pocket as well.

Aaaah!

Li Cuihong nearly lost it. Her math wasn’t great, and it took her ages of finger-counting to realize—three children’s tuition totaled twelve taels of silver a year.

She completely lost it.

Ignoring the bickering women under the tree, she turned and ran straight home.

Twelve taels of silver! And that wasn’t even including books, ink, and writing supplies!

This felt like Qian Chunhua was carving meat off her body—Li Cuihong could hardly breathe from the pain.

She stormed back into the Zhao household.

Zhao Yongqiang had already gone to the county with Zhao Qingyun.

Only Zhao Daqing and Zhao Mother were at home.

Zhao Qingshui and Zhao Xiaojun had long been sent up Lion Mountain to chop firewood.

“Father! Mother! Something terrible has happened!” Li Cuihong burst into the hall.

Zhao Daqing had just lit his pipe and taken a deep puff, when he choked on the smoke from being startled by her loud entrance.

Zhao Mother rushed to take the pipe from him and patted his back to help him recover.

After a fit of coughing, Zhao Daqing finally spat out a mouthful of blood and caught his breath.

Seeing the blood, Li Cuihong panicked. “Dad! Are you okay? Don’t tell me Qian Chunhua made you so mad you coughed up blood?!”

The Zhao elders were completely confused.

Zhao Mother scolded, “Don’t spout nonsense! Your father was just startled by your yelling!”

Zhao Daqing wiped the blood from his lips with a sleeve—coughing up blood was common for rural folks.

He didn’t care.

“What’s this great disaster you’re talking about?” he asked gruffly.

Only then did Li Cuihong explain that Qian Chunhua had sent three kids to school.

Zhao Daqing frowned.

He was pleased that Zhao Qingsong was attending school—another scholar in the Zhao family. But what was this about Zhao Xiaoling and Qian Xingshan going too?

He thought Chunhua was being completely irresponsible.

That 200 taels from the family breakup—how could she squander it like this?

“I understand. I’ll personally step in and stop Chunhua from being so foolish,” Zhao Daqing declared.

Zhao Mother looked at him in surprise and reminded him, “The second branch… they’ve already cut ties with us.”

Zhao Daqing flew into a rage. “So what? She’s still Zhao Yongcai’s Wife! Still a descendant of the Zhao family! You think a severed relationship gives her the right to disobey me?!”