Chapter 8: Scaring the Eldest Aunt

As soon as Madam Jiang heard this, she immediately remembered the poison she had used. She quickly rushed to the neighboring wall, stepped onto a stone, and peeked inside.

The Zhou family’s courtyard wasn’t large, so they could only keep a few chickens and ducks.

In the southwest corner of the yard stood a simple duck coop. It was clear that Madam Zhou wasn’t particularly skilled in farming—her duck coop was flimsy and sparse. However, inside that shabby little nest, there were three or four large duck eggs lying neatly together.

The eggs were astonishingly big—each one was at least two or three times the size of an average chicken egg.

Standing beside the eggs were two plump ducks. They had only been out of sight for a day, yet they somehow looked much fatter than before.

Madam Jiang was utterly stunned by what she saw. She muttered under her breath, “Impossible… I clearly poisoned them. How are these two ducks still alive and well?”

“This… this can’t be!”

No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t understand. Her mind felt clouded, as if it were stuffed with cotton, leaving her completely bewildered.

“Mother, what’s wrong? Hurry up and come down!” Chen Laoda called out to her.

Hearing his voice snapped Madam Jiang out of her daze. She hurriedly turned to climb down, but as she moved, her foot slipped—

“Ahhh!”

With a loud yelp, she tumbled down.

With a cry of pain, Madam Jiang tumbled straight into the pile of dead chickens. As she lifted her head, she accidentally got a mouthful of rotten feathers and blood. Gagging, she wailed, “Oh, my heavens! What kind of sin have I committed to deserve this?”

Meanwhile, over at the Zhou household, Du Wanchun was busy helping Madam Zhou clear the dishes from their evening meal. When she heard the commotion next door, she quickly asked, “Mother, what’s going on at Eldest Aunt’s house?”

Madam Zhou glanced over briefly before replying, “Ignore her. Jiang Qiujun is just a shrew. She must have been angered after being humiliated at our place today, and now she’s throwing a fit at home.”

Then, with a serious expression, she continued, “Wanchun, you should respect them as elders, but if they bully you, don’t hesitate to fight back. You don’t have to worry about us.”

Du Wanchun nodded in partial understanding. A warm smile spread across her lips as she asked, “Mother, since Third Brother’s hearing has recovered, should we find a doctor to check on my husband and Second Brother’s legs and eyes?”

Madam Zhou was an easygoing person. Even though she and Du Wanchun had only met today, they felt an instant bond, as if they had known each other for years.

Du Wanchun was also happy to call her “Mother.” Each time she said it, she was reminded of her own mother, making her feel as though she had found a home once again.

Madam Zhou set down the bowl in her hands and sighed, her brows knitted with worry. “I’d love to get them checked by a doctor, but we simply don’t have the silver for it right now.”

Medical treatment and medicine cost money, and their family was already struggling to put food on the table, let alone afford a doctor.

Hearing this, Du Wanchun’s mind began to turn. She pointed at the small sachet hanging from Madam Zhou’s waist and asked, “Mother, did you make this fragrance pouch?”

The sachet was sewn from a piece of pale yellow, worn-out fabric. Embroidered on it with green thread were a few delicate bamboo stalks.

At first glance, it seemed unremarkable, but upon closer inspection, it emitted a pleasant fragrance—a mix of jasmine and osmanthus. The scent was surprisingly delightful, and Du Wanchun had noticed it the moment she stepped into the house.

Madam Zhou picked up the sachet and smiled. “Yes, I made it. While mending clothes one day, I came across this old fabric. I didn’t want to throw it away, so I gathered some wildflowers from the mountains and made this fragrance pouch.”

After carefully examining the sachet, an idea suddenly struck Du Wanchun. “Mother, your craftsmanship is excellent! Why don’t we make more of these and sell them in the county?”

“Sell them in town?” Madam Zhou asked hesitantly. “Would anyone actually buy them? Ordinary farming families only care about putting food on the table. Who would spend money on fragrance pouches?”

Du Wanchun explained, “Mother, if you try selling them here in Changliu Village, no one will buy them. But if we take them to the county or even the city, it’ll be a different story. Many wealthy families live there, and they would certainly buy things like this.”

Madam Zhou was skeptical. She rubbed the small sachet between her fingers, hesitant.

She had never been good at farming or raising livestock, but she did have a talent for making fragrances. However, she had never considered using this skill to make a living.

Seeing her hesitation, Du Wanchun didn’t push further. Instead, she smiled and said, “Mother, there’s no rush. Let’s first reclaim our land and plant some crops. Once we have food to eat, we can think about selling sachets.”

Madam Zhou snapped back to her senses and nodded firmly. “You’re right! The first thing we need to do is get our land back!”

The Chen family had been occupying their land for two years now, and she had been thinking about reclaiming it for a long time. Today, after seeing Madam Jiang cause trouble, she finally understood—people like them only bullied those who were weak.

If you showed fear and backed down, they would walk all over you. But if you stood your ground, they would think twice before messing with you.

Madam Zhou clenched her teeth. For the sake of her sons and her daughter-in-law, she made up her mind—she would get that land back, no matter what!