“But Song Dechao likes our Xiao Yu!” If it weren’t for the crowd around them, Chen Cuihua would have already cursed out loud.

The cloth coupons, grain coupons, meat coupons, and the Great Unity bills this little slut demanded… even if they emptied the entire house, they couldn’t produce that much!

“But when I was still in my mother’s womb, my mother already arranged the marriage with the Song family. My mother and Song Dechao’s mother were close friends, and the one she acknowledged was me.” Jiang Rao hooked up her lips in a smile. “If you won’t give me this dowry as compensation, then I’ll go to the Song family and make a scene. Let’s see if they’ll still accept a woman who seduced her younger sister’s fiancé while her sister wasn’t home, couldn’t wait to get into bed with him, and rushed to cook the rice before the pot was even boiling.”

Her voice wasn’t loud or soft, just enough for the surrounding villagers to hear. Immediately, people began whispering amongst themselves.

“Didn’t Chen Cuihua say Song Dechao fell for Jiang Yu and never liked Jiang Rao?”

“I remember Chen Cuihua saying the two were long in love, couldn’t help themselves, and that’s why they ended up in bed… but hearing Jiang Rao now, it doesn’t sound quite like that.”

“What nonsense are you spouting!” Chen Cuihua’s face flushed as red as pig liver. She quickly repeated her earlier explanation to the villagers, “Dechao fell for our Xiao Yu at first sight, he wanted to break off the engagement with you ages ago, and they couldn’t control their feelings, that’s why they…”

“But before, Song Dechao was the one who brought up marriage with me. And today, suddenly, he was in bed with Jiang Yu. Don’t you think what you’re saying is ridiculous?” Jiang Rao let out a soft laugh, “Was it really uncontrollable passion, or did someone drink something that made it impossible to control their waistband?”

“What does that mean?”

“Does she mean Jiang Yu gave Song Dechao some kind of aphrodisiac?”

“I’ve heard that back in the day, Chen Cuihua used dirty tricks to seduce Jiang Tianhua, and now her daughter is using the same tactics again…”

Jiang Tianhua’s expression grew awkward too. He loved his late wife and their daughter; Chen Cuihua’s looks and figure were far inferior to his late wife’s. Back then, he didn’t even know what happened. After drinking a bowl of tea Chen Cuihua gave him, he couldn’t control himself and ended up sleeping with her.

He had wanted to stop the mistake and talk things through with her, pretend it had never happened. But somehow, whenever he faced Chen Cuihua, he couldn’t control himself, again and again. Once became twice, and after that, things naturally progressed.

He had even wondered if he actually had feelings for Chen Cuihua.

Not long after, Chen Cuihua became pregnant. Jiang Tianhua couldn’t shirk responsibility; he secretly visited her and gave her living expenses. Later, Jiang Rao’s mother found out, and they quarreled bitterly. Her health, already frail, worsened until she passed away. After that, Jiang Tianhua naturally ended up staying with Chen Cuihua.

Now, with Xiao Rao’s reminder, Jiang Tianhua suddenly wondered, could it be that Chen Cuihua had given him something in that tea back then, which caused him to lose control?

Chen Cuihua stared at Jiang Rao in shock. How could she know all this?

“I know plenty more than this. If you don’t care about Jiang Yu’s reputation, then go ahead and refuse to prepare these items for me.” Jiang Rao stepped closer to Chen Cuihua and whispered into her ear, “Otherwise, I’ll expose everything about you and your daughter. Let’s see if, once Jiang Yu’s reputation is ruined, the Song family will still want her.”

She paused, her vividly red lips curling as her dark eyes grew cold and clear, “I don’t mind going straight to Song Dechao’s workplace to make a scene. Let’s see whether the township head values his reputation more than his driver.”

Lu Shen’s family was poor, but she couldn’t live a hard life; she needed some dowry to fall back on.

Besides, Jiang Rao knew Jiang Tianhua well; he was always frugal. Even if she didn’t ask for this dowry, all these things would just end up filling the pockets of Chen Cuihua and her daughter.

Don’t take it for nothing if it’s being given.

Chen Cuihua’s eyes widened, staring at Jiang Rao in disbelief.

This little bitch, how did she become like a completely different person! She actually became this scheming!

Even though she was reluctant to part with these things, if the matter blew up and ruined their Xiao Yu’s marriage, harming her son-in-law’s future, that would be a lifetime matter!

Since these things had to be given, then just give them. Later, when their Xiao Yu successfully married over and soared high, enjoying endless wealth and glory, by then, they wouldn’t even spare a glance at these little things.

Chen Cuihua almost ground her teeth to pieces. She stomped her foot. “Our whole family doesn’t even have as much as you’re saying.”

“Just now my dad said it, fifteen fabric tickets, eighteen grain tickets, eight meat tickets, and three Great Unity bills. As for Jiang Yu’s betrothal money, I won’t take that, and I won’t make things hard for you. I’ll just take these.” Jiang Rao’s tone was calm.

Chen Cuihua gritted her teeth in hatred.

She really dared to ask! With just one mouth, she emptied the entire family’s savings.

“Fine, as long as you live your days well, that’s better than anything.” Jiang Tianhua, who had always doted on his daughter, was the first to agree. That, instead, made Chen Cuihua unable to say anything further.

Taking several deep breaths, Chen Cuihua forced out a smile. Her words were spoken through gritted teeth. “Who told me to be your mother? Of course, since you’re getting married, I have to give you more. Even our Xiao Yu doesn’t have this much dowry.”

“That’s exactly why it shows that you, as my stepmother, treat me just like your own daughter.” Jiang Rao smiled faintly.

“Then about this betrothal money…” Chen Cuihua’s gaze fell on Lu Shen. She was unwilling to let Jiang Rao get away so cheaply. “I know your conditions can’t compare with our Dechao’s, but the betrothal money must still be given; otherwise, people will laugh at us.”

“Our Dechao gave our Xiao Yu ‘three turns, one sound, and one snap,’ plus four hundred yuan. Look at you, see what you can give.”

“I can manage the ‘three turns, one sound, and one snap,’ but as for four hundred yuan, I’ll work hard; I need some time…” Lu Shen was deeply ashamed, and he became even more determined to strive harder.

He planned to first borrow from neighbors, to see if he could get the money together, and then work hard to pay it back as soon as possible.

【Even if you sold Lu Shen, he wouldn’t have ten yuan on him.】

【Lu Shen hasn’t even separated from his parents yet. The work points he earns in the production team all count under his parents’ household, and the money he makes is completely squeezed by them.】

【Four hundred yuan is basically asking for Lu Shen’s life. He’s probably going to try borrowing money now.】

【When he got married, his parents definitely wouldn’t give him money. In the original storyline, his betrothal money was also borrowed from neighbors, and he was exploited and squeezed for many years until later, when Lu Shen started a business and got rich. Then his parents forced him to pay for his younger brother’s house. That’s when Lu Shen found out they weren’t even his biological parents. After giving them a large sum of money, he finally stopped being drained by those vampires.】

Jiang Rao quietly looked at the barrage.

She was marrying Lu Shen to enjoy happiness, not to face a pair of black-hearted in-laws, let alone provide for them after he became wealthy.

Once she married over, she had to make Lu Shen see his parents’ true nature and separate the household.

“It’s okay, you can give me an IOU first.” Jiang Rao’s vividly red lips curved slightly as she smiled at him.

That smile made Lu Shen a little dizzy. His face became even hotter, and his palms were sweaty. He stammered, “C-can I really?”

“Of course you can. I can make my own decisions about my marriage.” Jiang Rao turned to Jiang Tianhua. “Dad, you also know our conditions aren’t good. The betrothal money and the ‘three turns, one sound, and one snap’—shouldn’t I keep them for living expenses?”