Chapter 14: Returning to Her Parental Home (Part 4)

Now Zhao Ruhua had somehow become Old Madam Lin’s good granddaughter again.
Just a moment ago—before Yun Shiyue had spoken—she had still been the “unfilial wild girl.”

To simply let this matter drop was not Zhao Ruhua’s style.

After all, a valuable jade bracelet had been smashed.
If she forgave Old Madam Lin so easily, what dignity would she have left?

In the future, if Old Madam Lin came to pick on her again,
who would she even reason with?

So Zhao Ruhua said,
“This can’t just end like that.

If you can’t afford to buy another jade bracelet to compensate my mother,
you at least have to offer something else in return.

My mother can’t be wronged for nothing.”

Old Madam Lin’s face soured.

She wanted to scold Zhao Ruhua for her wishful thinking—
but one glance at Yun Shiyue’s face made her swallow her fire.

If her guess was right, this man must be the son of a wealthy household.

Not only that, but he clearly had plenty of silver in his hands.

As for his looks? Irrelevant.

What mattered was the silver.

There would surely be times in the future when she needed his help.
If she quarreled with him today, what reason would he have to help her then?

Grinding her teeth, Old Madam Lin said,
“What do you want as compensation?

As long as I have it, I’ll give it to you.”

Her home held nothing truly valuable—
what could Zhao Ruhua possibly demand?

Zhao Ruhua thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

“I want one of your old hens and one big rooster.

Give those two to my mother, and I’ll let the matter of the bracelet go.

Remember—bring me the largest ones you have.”

She clearly recalled that Old Madam Lin’s coop held several chickens.

Among them, one old hen and one big rooster were her most prized,
and also the fattest.

Whatever Old Madam Lin treasured, Zhao Ruhua intended to take.
She wanted the old woman to remember this lesson:
not everyone was so easy to bully.

Old Madam Lin almost wanted to skin this “wretched girl.”

That big rooster weighed eight or nine jin!
She’d been saving it to sell in town for silver during the New Year.

And now Zhao Ruhua wanted her rooster and her old hen.

She shouldn’t have come today.

If she hadn’t, none of this would have happened,
and she wouldn’t be losing two chickens.

“Ruhua… how can you take your grandmother’s chickens?”
Father Zhao spoke uneasily.

His daughter’s courage seemed to be growing by the day.

Zhao Ruhua turned to him.
“Father, it was Grandmother who told me to take them.”

She managed to take advantage and still act obedient.

Two chickens couldn’t possibly equal a jade bracelet—
if anything, Old Madam Lin was still coming out ahead.

Madam Hu glanced nervously at Father Zhao.
She only feared Old Madam Lin would flip the table
and slap her with the label of “unfilial daughter-in-law.”

After a long hesitation, Old Madam Lin finally ground out,
“I’ll go back and catch them for you.”

Then she stormed off.

Seeing this, Zhao Ruhua’s lips curved in satisfaction.

Father Zhao and Madam Hu exchanged stunned looks.

Mother… actually listened to Ruhua?
She actually went to fetch two chickens?

When had she ever been so easy to deal with?

Old Madam Lin left quickly,
but her return was not so swift.

Zhao Ruhua waited for quite a while
before the old woman finally came back,
carrying two squawking chickens.

“Here! Take them!

From now on, no one mentions that bracelet again!”

If Yun Shiyue hadn’t been standing there,
Old Madam Lin wouldn’t have handed over even two chicken feathers.

Zhao Ruhua was deeply satisfied.

She went over and inspected the birds,
confirming that they were indeed the biggest from the coop.

Then she beamed at her two sisters-in-law.

“Big Sister, Second Sister, hurry and take these chickens to the pen—
don’t let them run off.”

The sisters-in-law quickly complied,
each grabbing a bird and hurrying to the chicken coop with smiles.

Old Madam Lin’s heart ached.

Zhao Ruhua’s heart, meanwhile, bloomed with joy.

She smiled sweetly and said,
“Grandmother, since you’re here, why not stay for lunch?

I came home today and brought some things for Father and Mother.
If you stay, we can all eat together as a family.”

Old Madam Lin: “…”

Eat? She was already full from rage.

If she stayed, she feared Zhao Ruhua might clean out her entire chicken coop.

“No need. I’m going home.”

She stalked off, fire practically steaming from her head.

Only when her figure disappeared in the distance
did the people in the house finally burst out laughing.

Today was truly satisfying.

It was rare to see Old Madam Lin take a loss.

Father Zhao and Madam Hu never dared defy her to her face,
though in their hearts, they’d long carried resentment.

After laughing to their fill,
the family sat down to ask Zhao Ruhua how life was at her husband’s home.

Zhao Ruhua presented the things she’d brought back.

“These are wild chickens and a hare that Shiyue hunted in the mountains—
three in total. I brought them home so you could taste something fresh.”

“I’m living very well at my husband’s home.

Father, Mother, you don’t need to worry.
Shiyue will never let me suffer any grievance.”

She spoke his name so openly and warmly,
while the silent Yun Shiyue lifted his gaze.

Seeing the sweet smile on her face,
a soft warmth spread quietly through his chest.

Shiyue…

He had heard his name countless times before,
but today, from her lips, it sounded especially pleasant.

Satisfaction flickered in his dark eyes.

“Father, Mother, rest assured.
I won’t let Ruhua be wronged.”

He finally spoke.

His gentle voice wrapped around Zhao Ruhua’s heart like silk.

Hearing him call her name so tenderly,
her chest gave a tiny, fluttering tremor.

For a moment, she almost forgot who she was.

“Good, good!

Seeing you two get along so well warms my heart,”
Father Zhao said with visible relief.

“Where are Rushan and Ruhai?

Tell them to fetch a few jin of wine.
Today, I want to have a good drink with Shiyue.”

The eldest sister-in-law explained that Rushan had gone to the fields and hadn’t returned yet.
She immediately went to call him and send him for wine.

Father Zhao, though a simple farmer,
always took great care in naming his children.

Eldest son: Zhao Rushan.
Second son: Zhao Ruhai.

With their sister Ruhua,
the three siblings together formed the phrase: Mountains and seas like a painting.

After the eldest sister-in-law left,
the second sister-in-law joined Madam Hu in the kitchen to prepare the meal.

With nothing to do, Zhao Ruhua followed to help as well.

In the main room, only Father Zhao and Yun Shiyue remained.

Looking at Yun Shiyue again,
Father Zhao thought:

Yes, the man was ugly—
but he had a good heart.

Staring a little longer,
he didn’t seem quite so frightening anymore.

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