Chapter 41: The Price of the Zhang Family’s Plea for Help

Wang Momo left after issuing a threatening remark.

Li Sumei had been observing the situation outside. Seeing this, she walked over to Old Madam Su, her gaze wary as she stared at Wang Momo’s departing figure. She inexplicably said, “Mother, the green satin she’s wearing is a special supply for official families.”

Old Madam Su knew what she was thinking. She patted her hand and comforted her, “Don’t worry. She’s not here for you. Only Old Fifth and I know your identity. I’ll take that secret with me to the grave.”

Li Sumei nodded at her words, suppressing the unease in her heart, and supported Old Madam Su back into the house.

At the base of the wall, Jin Yuegui, who was hunched over and eavesdropping against the wall, widened her eyes.

Fifth Sister-in-law is afraid of government officials?

Could it be… she’s a criminal?

Since Mother is so afraid of Fifth Sister-in-law’s identity being discovered, then this could be the perfect handle to control her and Old Fifth’s family!

Jin Yuegui smirked as she glanced toward the Su family’s house, then quietly stood up and left.

…

The morning air carried a chill.

At the Zhang household.

After being helped into the main hall, Li Ergou sat down shivering. “Sis, why isn’t your house heating the floor with the dragon fire? I’m freezing to death!”

Zhang Lishi took a kettle of hot water off the stove and poured him a bowl of tea, then placed it in front of A’Fei and Daozi, asking Zhang Laoda to fetch tea bowls for them and letting them help themselves.

“There’s no more coal in the house to heat the floor. Your brother-in-law was incited by that old hag Zhang Zhaodi to split the family, and he hasn’t come back since!”

The more Zhang Lishi thought about it, the angrier she became. She sat opposite Li Ergou, her fists clenched tightly on the table.

Li Ergou only felt warm all over after drinking the hot tea. At her words, he became angry out of shame and slammed the bowl on the table. “The Su family has gone too far! First, they provoked Brother-in-law to separate from you, then they locked me and my brothers in the stables to die—this grudge, I must avenge! I’ll go find Master Jin and have him cut them down!”

Zhang Lishi released her fist and shot him a look. “Who do you think Master Jin is? Someone you can just summon at will? Don’t forget he used to be a bandit. If you really bring him here to this remote countryside, he won’t just cut down the Su family—he’ll probably rob the entire Qingshui Village. When the village is deserted, where do you expect us to settle down?”

Li Ergou was silenced and protested unwillingly, “Sis, are we just supposed to let it go? I won’t let the Su family walk all over us!”

A hint of malice flashed in Zhang Lishi’s eyes. “What’s the rush? The Su family moved into that cursed house—something will happen sooner or later.”

Hearing that, Li Ergou looked at her suspiciously. “Sis, I was locked up in that house for days and nothing happened. Don’t let rumors fool you. Besides, nowadays, having a sharp blade is the real way to survive!”

Then why don’t you have a sharper blade than the Su family? All you do is talk. If your blade was really sharp, why are you in such a miserable state?

Qian Cuimiao secretly rolled her eyes, clearly looking down on Li Ergou.

Zhang Lishi patted his shoulder meaningfully. “You don’t need to worry about this—I have my own plans.”

Li Ergou thought for a moment and nodded. “Alright then, Sis. If you can’t settle it, I’ll ask Master Jin to step in! Don’t worry, I’ll give him a heads-up—he won’t cause trouble for our family.”

When Wang Momo arrived, the two of them fell silent in unspoken agreement.

Wang Momo glanced at Li Ergou and said to Zhang Lishi, “Aunt Madam, since the young master has been rescued, please fulfill the promise you made to our Old Madam.”

Zhang Lishi instinctively looked at Qian Cuimiao when she heard this.

Qian Cuimiao’s heart skipped a beat, and an ominous feeling rose within her.

The next second, she heard Zhang Lishi say, “Laoda, go bring Yuanbao over.”

Zhang Laoda pressed his lips together, glanced guiltily at Qian Cuimiao, then went to bring Yuanbao out from the house.

Yuanbao was still young, chubby and round-faced, looking obedient and cute.

Wang Momo showed a hint of satisfaction. She crouched down and touched the child’s head, pinched his cheeks to examine his teeth, looked over his limbs, and, after confirming everything was fine, stood up and smiled at Zhang Lishi. “Then I’ll be taking the child. If Aunt Madam ever needs anything else, feel free to come to our Old Madam. As long as you’re willing to pay the price, she’ll be happy to help.”

Qian Cuimiao was shocked. “What?! Wang Momo, you’re taking the child? Mother, what does this mean?!”

Facing Qian Cuimiao’s question, Zhang Lishi remained expressionless. “To save your uncle, I went to your Aunt Madam at the Zhao household. She said she could help us redeem the old house in Chang’an Alley, but we had to give her a grandson in return.”

Qian Cuimiao’s eyes widened. “…Mother, this is the solution you mentioned before?”

She finally understood why, despite having such a wealthy relative, her mother never associated with them. Turns out, asking them for help came with such a heavy price!

Tears welled up in her eyes as she rushed forward and clutched her child tightly. “No! I won’t be separated from Yuanbao! He’s my son—no one can take him away! If anyone dares to take him, I’ll fight them to the death!”

She screamed like a mad tigress, eyes blazing as she glared at Wang Momo.

Wang Momo raised an eyebrow. “So, Aunt Madam wants to go back on the agreement?”

Zhang Lishi’s expression darkened. She scolded, “Laoda! What are you standing there for? Pull your wife away!”

Zhang Laoda had no choice but to pull his wife aside, letting Wang Momo take Yuanbao away.

Only after the green-roofed carriage departed did Zhang Laoda release Qian Cuimiao.

“My son!”

The moment she was free, Qian Cuimiao rushed out without looking back.

“Wife…”

Just as Zhang Laoda tried to stop her, Zhang Lishi said sternly, “Let her go!”

“Mother…”

Zhang Laoda wanted to say more but fell silent at her stern look.

After finding out how Zhang Lishi had saved him, Li Ergou was both shocked and angry. “Sis, why did you go to Second Sister? That woman has no loyalty! Back then, you sent her into the Zhao family to be a concubine so she could live well, hoping she’d help us in return. But once she entered the Zhao household, she stopped treating us like family! If I’d known you’d ask her, I’d rather have died in that stable!”

Zhang Lishi comforted him, “Enough. Your second sister was always strong-willed. Back then, that Zhao official was three cycles older than her—he could’ve been her grandfather. I sent her to the Zhao family as a concubine; of course she hates me, hates the Li family. Besides, she has no children of her own. Now I’ve given her Yuanbao as a grandson in name. She’ll pave the way for him. When Yuanbao passes the imperial exam and becomes the county magistrate of Chang’an, do you think our Li family won’t rise again?”

So she had her own plans.

Li Ergou’s eyes lit up, and he couldn’t help praising her. “Sis, you’re brilliant!”

When Qian Cuimiao, hollow and despairing from failing to catch the carriage, returned and heard this, she sneered and questioned Zhang Laoda, who had clearly agreed, “You knew about this all along, didn’t you?”

Zhang Laoda tried to reach for her. “Wife, don’t be sad. Mother’s doing this for our own good—”

Slap!

Qian Cuimiao gave him a hard slap. “Get lost! You bastard! You gave up your son for your mother—I’m taking Jinbao and going back to my family!”