They've all separated, so what does it matter to me if they get poorer and poorer?

Chapter 84 Encountering the Zeng Family

Neither of them had any interest in being watched by onlookers.

Waiting here all day is really hard to bear, but the main thing is that the county magistrate is trustworthy, and the children's examination he presides over is definitely not a problem, which puts people at ease.

Xu Zhichun then said, "Why don't we go back and come pick up Mingxuan this afternoon?"

Zeng Xiaoyan nodded: "That's fine, it's good to go back and dig konjac."

"indeed."

Xu Zhichun smiled too.

The sweet potato vines have been planted, and now the konjac vines are being planted.

Fifty or sixty acres is not an easy amount to cultivate well.

Now he has hired Yang Ming and his son Yang Xiaoan to help him grow konjac. Every day during the Spring Equinox, he is responsible for going into the mountains to the places where konjac grows in a scattered manner, digging up the konjac and handing it over to Yang Ming and his son Yang Xiaoan.

If Xu Zhichun had free time, he would go up the mountain with Chunfen to dig.

Konjac plants are easy to grow; after a rain, their survival rate is almost 100%, and they don't require special care.

Once all the land is planted, there will be 65 mu (approximately 4.3 hectares), which will be sufficient for temporary reserves.

She's busy growing konjac now, and Zeng Xiaoyan and the others take care of all the work, from digging, washing, cutting, and grinding the konjac every day.

Xu Zhichun did not refuse.

The land where she planted konjac belonged to her family, and she didn't plan to charge any cost for it as raw material. Xiao Yan and the others obviously understood her meaning. They felt bad and wanted to do more work, but it was alright.

As the two were talking, they prepared to go find Liang Mingliang so they could go home. Unexpectedly, they saw Zeng Mingzhu, Young Master Zeng, and Young Madam Zeng being surrounded by several servants as they came out of the luxurious silk shop in front.

Zeng Xiaoyan: "How unlucky I am!"

She hurriedly tried to pull Xu Zhichun away, but it was too late. Cuiqiao laughed and called out loudly, "Third Miss!"

Zeng Mingzhu smiled at her, but the smile looked anything but friendly.

Xu Zhichun said, "Since we've run into each other, let's go over and say hello."

"Um"

Let her go. Does Zeng Mingzhu think she's scared? What a joke. She doesn't eat her family's rice, so why should she be afraid of her?

The matter of scheming against her husband will be settled sooner or later.

"Big brother, sister-in-law, eldest sister."

"Young Master Zeng, Young Madam Zeng, Miss Zeng."

The young master and his wife didn't take Zeng Xiaoyan and Xu Zhichun seriously at all, giving them only a faint glance indifferently, as if they were ignoring them.

Young Master Zeng glanced at his younger sister and frowned slightly. He really didn't understand why he had called Zeng Xiaoyan over from so far away. With her headstrong and ill-mannered temperament, he found it annoying to even look at her.

Why invite her over and make yourself unhappy?
Zeng Mingzhu glanced at the two of them, then smiled at Zeng Xiaoyan: "You seem to have a very good relationship with your own sister-in-law. You don't even see your own sister-in-law, but you're always with this Xu woman. What brings you to the city?"

Zeng Xiaoyan clung to Xu Zhichun's arm affectionately and smiled at Zeng Mingzhu, "Sister-in-law Zhichun is so kind! I'm so close to her. Having a sister-in-law like her is better than having a real sister! Heaven has finally smiled upon me. Can't we just go into town for a stroll?" Zeng Mingzhu was amused and exasperated, "Birds of a feather flock together."

Young Master Zeng glanced at Zeng Xiaoyan with displeasure, feeling extremely disgusted: "You still talk in such an annoying way."

Zeng Xiaoyan: "Of course, birds of a feather flock together. For example, I've lived in the same house with some people for so many years. Ugh, I've been holding my nose and enduring it every day. I'm so glad I'm finally free now."

Young Master Zeng flew into a rage and shouted a warning in a deep voice: "Zeng Xiaoyan, that's enough!"

Zeng Xiaoyan smiled sarcastically, "Who started this trouble? Is he blind?"
It's always her fault.

"Big brother," Zeng Mingzhu's eyes flashed with coldness, but she smiled and said coquettishly, "We're all family sisters, so let it go. Third sister has always been like this. Who in our family doesn't know her? Why bother arguing with her?"

She then smiled and invited, "It's a rare coincidence that we've run into each other. We were just planning to go to Yushanglou to buy some jewelry. Why don't you come along? If you find anything suitable, you might as well pick some out. You used to like these things, so why don't you like them now?"

Zeng Xiaoyan's face turned ugly.

What girl doesn't love rouge, face powder, and gold and silver jewelry?
But to say she was obsessed wouldn't be an exaggeration. It was just that Zeng Mingzhu used to love showing off in front of her, and she refused to flatter or fawn over her, preferring instead to argue with her.

Zeng Mingzhu's invitation to Shangyulou was ill-intentioned; did she really think she would be so kind as to buy her jewelry? She just wanted to humiliate her.

It's one thing if she only wants to humiliate herself, after all, they have a grudge against each other. But Sister Chun is innocent, so why should she drag the innocent into this?
"No need, we have other things to do."

"What could possibly be wrong?" Zeng Mingzhu chuckled, then turned to Xu Zhichun and said, "Madam Xu, why don't we go take a look together? Shangyulou's jewelry is really quite nice; perhaps Madam Xu will find something she likes."

Cuiqiao chimed in with a laugh, "Yes, Madam Xu, Shangyulou is the best jewelry shop in Qingshan County. Does Madam Xu not find it appealing?"

Zeng Xiaoyan was furious, "Cuiqiao!"

Xu Zhichun pulled Zeng Xiaoyan back and smiled at Zeng Mingzhu: "No need. The jewelry at Shangyulou must be very expensive. We don't have that much money and can't afford it."

Everyone was stunned.

Even the young master and mistress of the Zeng family couldn't help but glance at her again.

Zeng Mingzhu hadn't expected Xu Zhichun to be so blunt. Although she had deliberately wanted to force the other party to show her poor and pathetic side so that she could humiliate and laugh at her, she still felt awkward, like she had punched cotton, even though Xu Zhichun had said it like that.

Zeng Xiaoyan, who was initially filled with shame and anger, instantly calmed down. "Sister-in-law Zhichun is right. We can't afford the jewelry at Shangyulou, so we won't go. Sister-in-law Zhichun, let's go."

Zeng Mingzhu scoffed, "You all have some self-awareness."

Xu Zhichun: "A person should know their own limitations. I don't understand what Miss Zeng finds ridiculous. I really don't understand. What have we done to offend Miss Zeng? Why does Miss Zeng have to keep making sarcastic remarks? There are plenty of people who can't afford Shangyulou jewelry. Do you think you can mock them all? Besides, just because you can't afford it today doesn't mean you can't afford it tomorrow. And even if you can afford it today, who knows what tomorrow will bring? How can you be sure about things in this world? Perhaps Miss Zeng should take a longer-term view."

Zeng Mingzhu retorted angrily, "What a sharp tongue you have! Are you saying I'm making things up?"

"Is it that Miss Zeng herself doesn't know?"

Xu Zhichun was already annoyed with her. At best, she was just a rich girl from a small county town, and he didn't know where she got her sense of superiority from. Had she ever seen a movie? Had she ever been on an airplane? Had she ever eaten a birthday cake? Look at how capable she is.

Zeng Mingzhu was furious. "She really is a shrew. How could someone who gets along with Zeng Xiaoyan be a good person!"

Zeng Xiaoyan angrily pointed at her: "Try saying that again?"

Without thinking, Young Master Zeng raised his hand and slapped Zeng Xiaoyan's hand away, scolding her lightly, "No manners whatsoever."

(End of this chapter)