Chapter 81 : Unscrupulous and Beastly

It was still early when they got home. Jiang Sui handed the money from selling the dried goods to Mother Xiao. Mother Xiao asked if praying for rain had been fun.  

Xiao Hechuan was the first to speak up.  

“It wasn’t fun, not fun at all. We had to kneel under the sun, and it was so hot.”  

There were so many people, crowded together, reeking of sweat. He had thought praying for rain would be fun.  

Only the drum looked interesting.  

Mother Xiao laughed at his childishness and how he was curious about everything.  

Xiao Lanlan still stubbornly asked Mother Xiao if praying for rain actually worked, and whether it had ever worked before.  

Mother Xiao recalled that during a drought more than ten years ago, it had rained half a month after she prayed for rain. By coincidence, everyone believed it had been her prayer that brought the rain.  

In reality, Mother Xiao felt it was more like a blind cat running into a dead mouse, pure luck.  

“This year is the same. The wheat in the fields is beyond saving. Now we can only pray for rain so that people won’t die of thirst. The village wells and rivers are almost dry. I don’t know if we’ll even have drinking water soon.”  

Mother Xiao was very worried. Drinking water had become a serious problem. People could survive with less food, but without water, they would die.  

Even the well in the town was at risk of drying up. If that happened, their business might be finished.  

Hearing this, Jiang Sui remembered she still had dirty clothes to wash, hers and Xiao Hechuan’s so she needed to get them done while there was still time.  

After Xiao Hechuan got back, he went over to Goudan’s place. The uncle and nephew were playing in the room. Xiao Lanlan, feeling tired, got ready to take a nap, so Jiang Sui headed to the river alone with a wooden basin.  

The river had almost dried up, exposing most of the riverbed. Only a narrow stream flowed through the middle, just enough for washing clothes.  

She had barely started scrubbing when she heard footsteps behind her and saw a shadow fall across the ground.  

Turning around, she saw Jiang Qiaoqiao and Chen Jinhua, mother and daughter standing behind her. From her angle, their faces looked cold and lifeless.  

“What is it?” Jiang Sui had a bad feeling.  

The mother and daughter had appeared out of nowhere, and judging by Jiang Qiaoqiao’s expression, she clearly hadn’t come with good intentions.  

There was no one else around the river, the heat kept everyone indoors.  

Wary of getting the short end of the stick, Jiang Sui decided to forget washing the clothes and leave.  

But just as she picked up her wooden basin and prepared to go, Jiang Qiaoqiao and Chen Jinhua flanked her, grabbing her arms to stop her from escaping.  

“What are you doing? If you don’t stop, I’m going to call for help!”  

“What are you so afraid of? We just want to talk. Behave yourself and we won’t hurt you,” Jiang Qiaoqiao said with a smug smile .  

“Jiang Sui, I raised you, didn’t I? Although I didn’t give birth to you, but I raised you. You can’t be so ungrateful. Ever since you married into the Xiao family, you’ve never once returned to your parental home. Has your conscience been eaten by a dog?” Chen Jinhua scolded harshly.  

“Pfft, you call that raising me? You never treated me like a person. You beat and scolded me every single day. If I wasn’t lucky, I’d have died at your hands long ago. And you still dare to talk about gratitude? The Xiao family gave you five taels of silver for marrying me off, wasn’t that enough to shut you up? I don’t care what you’re after, but don’t even think of getting anything out of me.”  

Jiang Sui suspected this was all about the hot and sour noodle recipe. Last time, Jiang Qiaoqiao had tried to get the recipe out of her and failed. Clearly, they weren’t ready to give up.  

“You little brat, I tried to give you some dignity, but don’t think you I don’t have ways to deal with you,” Chen Jinhua threatened.  

Today, they were determined to get the recipe for the hot and sour noodles.

When Jiang Sui heard this, she became afraid they would hurt her, so she shouted. “Help, help! Someone’s trying to kidnap me in broad daylight!”

Startled, Chen Jinhua quickly clamped her hand over Jiang Sui’s mouth.

“Shut up, you little bitch! Scream again and I’ll beat you to death.” She was terrified Jiang Sui’s cries would actually attract people.

But Jiang Sui wasn’t someone to be bullied, she bit down hard on Chen Jinhua’s thumb, causing her to grimace in pain.

Seeing this, Jiang Qiaoqiao twisted Jiang Sui’s waist. It hurt, but Jiang Sui refused to let go. The three of them ended up tangled together in a messy scuffle.

Chen Jinhua felt like her flesh was about to be torn off and had no choice but to cry out.

“Come help me!”

Just then, a man with a familiar face rushed out from the bushes and made his way toward them. When Jiang Sui saw him, her heart sank.

Chen Jinhua finally yanked her hand back. A deep bite mark showed on her thumb, and blood was still seeping out. Jiang Sui’s mouth was smeared with blood, the taste metallic and foul.

“You damned little bitch! You bite like a dog! I’ll beat you to death!” Chen Jinhua raised her hand to strike her.

At that moment, only Jiang Qiaoqiao had a grip on her, so Jiang Sui turned and bit her arm without hesitation. The pain made Jiang Qiaoqiao cry out and release her immediately.

Jiang Sui didn’t even bother picking up her clothes, she just turned and bolted.

Seeing this, Chen Jinhua shouted for the man to catch her. He was tall and quick, and before Jiang Sui had run far, he grabbed her by the arm and dragged her back. Chen Jinhua and her daughter rushed forward again and locked her down tightly.

Jiang Sui couldn’t escape, and panic was pointless now.

“What the hell do you want?” she growled at the man in front of her.

Now that she could see clearly, she recognized him, he was the nephew of Chen Jinhua’s family, Jiang Qiaoqiao’s cousin, and a notorious thug.

If he was here, it could only mean trouble.

“Little cousin, don’t be scared. I won’t hurt you. Just listen to Auntie,” he said, smiling as he looked at Jiang Sui, his eyes filled with something dirty.

He hadn’t seen her in half a year, and she had grown up to be so pretty. If he’d known earlier, he would have told his aunt to keep her for himself.

“That’s right, Jiang Sui. As long as you give us the recipe for your hot and sour noodles, we’ll let you go. Otherwise, I’ll have Qiaoqiao go around the whole village shouting that you look down on Xiao Hechuan because he’s a fool, that you’ve been cheating on him, seducing my nephew, and cuckolding the Xiao family. When that happens, your reputation will be destroyed, and we’ll throw you into the pig cage. Let’s see if the Xiao family will still keep you as their daughter-in-law!”

“Think carefully. If the Xiao family kicks you out, we won’t take you either. You can just wait to be drowned in the pig cage!”

So this was Chen Jinhua’s plan. She was playing dirty, disgustingly dirty. Coming up with such a vicious scheme made the blood in Jiang Sui’s veins run cold.

She had always thought Chen Jinhua and her daughter were shameless, but she hadn’t realized they were this ruthless, inhuman, like beasts.

“Chen Jinhua, aren’t you afraid I’ll report you to the authorities for this?”

Hearing this, Chen Jinhua actually laughed, and said smugly. “Go ahead and report it. There’s no one else here, just the four of us. We’re the only ones who get to decide what happens. If you know what’s good for you, just give us the recipe. Then everything can end peacefully.”