Chapter 15: Sowing Discord

Shen Peirong turned around joyfully. “Yunhe, come to Mama.”
Her son—her precious baby boy.

“No!” Jiang Yunhe looked very repulsed by her. “You smell stinky. She smells stinky too.”
He pinched his nose and hid behind Jiang Wei. Second Sister smelled nice, unlike those two smelly women.

“Mom doesn’t stink…” Shen Peirong truly couldn’t smell anything on herself, but Jiang Yan was wearing way too much makeup. She frowned, “Yan, don’t put on so much powder—it doesn’t smell good.”

“Yes, Mom.”
Jiang Yan, being disliked, couldn’t even argue. Since last night, she’d had a strange stench on her that no amount of powder could completely mask.

Jiang Wei sniffed too, after hearing her brother.

No wonder that when Jiang Yan passed by, there was not only an overpowering scent of powder, but also a faint smell of rotting sweet potato.

The four of them arrived in the main hall.

Second Concubine was in a heated argument with the newly accepted Fourth Concubine.

Jiang Dahai sat there with a headache, and a hint of post-nap guilt.

In contrast, the Third Concubine was leisurely sipping tea. When she saw Jiang Wei and the others arrive, she promptly stood up, “Greetings to First Madam, Young Master, Second Miss, Eldest Miss.”

She didn’t bring up lineage at all, but she clearly acknowledged everyone’s rank and position.

After yesterday’s incident, it seemed the entire household already knew that Second Concubine had swapped the identities of Jiang Yan and her brother.

Jiang Yan’s face stiffened slightly, and Shen Peirong’s expression didn’t look good either.

“Yan, your father has taken another concubine, boohoohoo…” Second Concubine started sobbing as soon as she saw Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan kept her distance. “Second Madam, I don’t know what exactly happened back when the identities got mixed up, but in my heart, I only have one mother—the First Madam. Please don’t try to drive a wedge between us.”

She’d spent the entire night absorbing Shen Peirong’s luck and won her back with sweet talk. She couldn’t let anyone ruin it now.

Shen Peirong nodded in satisfaction. After all, this was the daughter raised at her side, unlike Jiang Wei and Yunhe, who didn’t seem to understand the struggles of a mother.

Chen Xiaolian felt wronged—her man and her daughter were both being taken by that wretch.

Jiang Wei sweetly curtsied. “Hello, Father. Hello, Mother. Second Madam, Third Madam, Fourth Madam—hello everyone, hello me, hello you, hello us all.”

Jiang Dahai frowned. “What kind of odd greeting is that?”

Jiang Wei giggled. “Father, your brow is dark, your eyes dull… did that seductress last night drain you of all your energy?”

“You un—”
He quickly changed his words, remembering Shen Zhennan cursing him as a brat in his dream. “Unfilial girl! Why aren’t you staying in your room? What are you doing here joining the commotion?”

“Father, the maid who guarded me—Xiao Lu—has become your Fourth Concubine. She’s not a dog, so it’s probably not appropriate for her to keep watching the door.”

The not-a-dog Fourth Concubine silently thanked all eight generations of Jiang Wei’s ancestors.

“You—!” Jiang Dahai wanted to kick this brat to death, but he was afraid Shen Zhennan would come visit him in a dream again. Holding back his rage, he looked at the annoying girl. “Your room is closer to Second Concubine’s. Did you hear anything last night?”

“I did.”

Jiang Dahai and Chen Xiaolian immediately looked over. “What did you hear?”

“Snoring, teeth grinding, sleep-talking. I even heard her muttering about replacing my mother, driving out the Third Concubine, and beating the Fourth Concubine to death.

Oh right, Father, she also called Steward Zhao’s name. So sweetly, too.”

“Shut up!” Chen Xiaolian couldn’t take it anymore. “Master, Second Miss is spouting nonsense! Her room is several doors away from mine—how could she possibly hear anything?”

“What’s got you so guilty?” Jiang Dahai remembered how she went to see Steward Zhao yesterday. She probably did call out his name in her sleep. He was furious.

Chen Xiaolian felt aggrieved but suddenly found herself thinking fondly of Steward Zhao.

Jiang Dahai continued, “Don’t change the subject. Your second stepmother’s things were stolen last night.”

“Oh.”
Yeah, she and the Third Concubine did that.

The Third Concubine had snuck in and taken two large iron boxes. Jiang Wei had cleaned out all the property deeds that Second Concubine had just managed to find.

After the capitalist class was relocated, their houses would be confiscated. But if sold in advance, they could be converted to cash. Jiang Wei had a plan—

“Oh?” Jiang Dahai wasn’t satisfied. “This is a big deal, and all you say is ‘oh’?”

“Oh-oh~” Jiang Wei ran over to massage his neck.

The familiar feeling of a hand around his throat from his dream came rushing back, and Jiang Dahai fell off his chair, rolling on the floor before scrambling up in panic. “You brat, what are you trying to do?!”

“I’m just trying to help you relax and improve circulation. Don’t worry, Father—I’m not Grandpa. I’m not here to claim your life.”

“Nonsense! I’m talking about the theft, and here you are spouting gibberish.” Jiang Dahai was visibly guilty.

“Don’t worry, Father. Even if the thief stole from everyone else, they wouldn’t steal from me.”

“Why not?” Jiang Dahai’s eyelid twitched.

“Because~ I have nothing! Just a dad and a mom. They’re not going to steal you two and send you to the countryside as laborers, are they?”

Don’t say that! Really, don’t say that! Jiang Dahai actually suspected it was possible. His mouth twitched and he pointed at an empty chair. “Go sit there and squat quietly. Don’t speak without my permission.”

This brat’s mouth was just like her hateful grandfather’s—poisonous and foul.

“Okay, Father!”
Jiang Wei skipped over and plopped down. Remembering that her current persona was a malnourished bumpkin from the countryside, she coughed dramatically—“cough cough cough”—then spit two huge globs of saliva on the ground.

Shen Peirong’s face went pale. This daughter had no manners. Even if she were her own flesh and blood, she hadn’t been raised by her side like the obedient one.

Jiang Yan’s face was full of mockery.

Jiang Wei, you’ll never earn our parents’ love.

Jiang Wei ignored Jiang Yan’s provocation and pulled out two dark, fist-sized fruits from her sleeve to share with Jiang Yunhe.

These were “inflatable fruits,” express-delivered to her this morning by the little girl from My Beast World: Eight Babies in One Birth. She said they’d restore stamina fast.

The two of them munched away, their mouths turning pitch black.

Jiang Yunhe had never eaten anything so delicious. He stomped his feet in joy—and cracked a giant hole in the floor.

Jiang Wei: Big Brother is so strong!

Jiang Dahai suddenly felt like he saw two Shen Zhennans coming to take his life. He quickly turned his head. “Ahem… Regarding Second Concubine’s stolen items, what do you all think?”

Shen Peirong gloated but still seemed spiritless. “Serves her right.”

Jiang Dahai was annoyed. She might as well have said nothing.

Third Concubine dabbed away imaginary tears. “Money is just material. As long as Sister’s safe, that’s what matters. Perhaps Master can buy her some new jewelry?”
The more he gives, the more she can steal later.

Now that she had some gold and silver on her, the Third Concubine caught the deeper meaning behind Jiang Wei’s words. She decided not to be the kind of woman who lets this scummy man take everything for free and trample her dignity.

Second Concubine’s eyes lit up. Her ugly face trembled slightly. “Master~ Third Sister is right. Why don’t you buy me some more things?”
The master had plenty of money. Just Shen Zhennan alone left behind a small fortune before dying young.

After a night’s rest, her face looked even worse.

Jiang Dahai looked at her sickly, revolting face and nearly threw up. He finally realized this so-called “true love” had only ever been about her looks.

Feeling guilty and afraid that the Third Concubine might say something else, he quickly turned to the newly accepted Fourth Concubine. “Xiao Lu, what do you think?”