After the arranged marriage, she farms and survives under the tutelage of the villainous boss.

This time, Zhang Meiqing was unusually not cowardly. She stood in front of Yunniang, pushed Zhao Guifen, and took Yunniang's hand and left.

Although her voice was still somewhat weak and trembling, she said, "Yunniang is a member of the Xie family now. Don't speak ill of her and ruin her reputation."

Yunniang raised an eyebrow; her mother had improved...

Just as she was about to feel relieved, Zhang continued, "If you want to scold someone... scold me. Don't bully Yunniang..."

The voice grew softer and softer, and even carried a hint of grievance.

Then, unusually, instead of hiding behind Jiang Zhiyun, she pulled Yunniang along, her face flushed, and continued up the mountain along the path.

The neighbors wanted to scold Zhang Meiqing because she looked easy to bully, while Yunniang had become quite sharp-tongued, speaking so harshly and yet with such logic that it was impossible to refute her.

Jiang Zhiyun turned around and gave him a sharp look, while Aunt Hong stood there with her arms crossed, blocking his way.

"What's wrong with you all? Are you going to help someone who doesn't want a daughter bully others?"

"When did Zhao Guifen become your buddy?"

"Don't think you can bully Zhang just because she's nice! I, Changhong, am here now. From now on, anyone who tries to bully me will get a piece of my mind!"

Then Jiang Zhiyun glanced at Aunt Hong, and the two smiled at each other.

Aunt Hong quietly waved her hand, signaling her to hurry up and leave!

After Yunniang and her mother had traveled through the other side of the mountain, Zhang said, "Yunniang, don't listen to what your mother is saying. You are a good girl, not some wretched girl."

Jiang Zhiyun hadn't expected that Zhang would be angry about this.

She said, "Of course I don't care. She has never cared about me since I was a child. Now she is bossing me around. Of course I will fight back."

"This time, I also want to thank Mother for protecting me."

Zhang waved her hand, saying that what kind of protection was that? Her timid and hesitant manner would probably only make her a laughingstock.

What she least wanted was for Yunniang to suffer because of her.

Jiang Zhiyun, holding a stick, rummaged through the grass and withered branches looking for something, and asked curiously, "Mother, why did they say that about you?"

"If they slander you without any evidence in the future, just be ruthless. They are all bullies who prey on the weak."

"It's not entirely without evidence." Zhang was a little embarrassed when she talked about this, but seeing that Yunniang didn't understand, she still explained the matter clearly.

“I used to be a princess, but after my husband left, I didn’t feel like talking much. After wandering the streets, I’ve ended up in a place like this. I hadn’t spoken to anyone during my exile, and even when I was a princess… I rarely left my quarters. Now I’m just chatting with them about everyday things…”

At this point, Zhang Meiqing was quite embarrassed. "I don't know how to say it. I just don't want to communicate with other people. Of course, it's not that I look down on them. I just want to be alone."

"I just thought it would be quiet at night, with no one around. I would go outside to fetch water and wash clothes, and sometimes I would chop firewood with a machete. During the day, I would just sit inside and not go out."

She didn't know how these words became more and more absurd as they spread.

But it would be even more impossible for her to explain them one by one.

A few days before the wedding, she practiced speaking for a long time.

Upon hearing this reason, Jiang Zhiyun chuckled and said, "What's wrong with that? My mother-in-law is a humble person, and she just needs to do her job well. In a wealthy family, socializing is essential. But in the village, if you don't like it, you can simply skip it."

“It’s not an illness, nor is it as bad as they say. You’re just a bit introverted and like to be alone.”

"If your mother-in-law feels that she can't do something in the future, she shouldn't force herself. Just ask me for help."

After Jiang Zhiyun finished speaking.

"No, it won't happen anymore. After you came, we even went grocery shopping. I was able to talk to people normally the other day when I was selling mushrooms. With more practice, I'll be fine." She smiled sincerely. "If it weren't for you, the house would definitely still be a mess."

“Yunniang, with you as my daughter-in-law, I feel much more at ease.”

Previously, Shuheng at home was also not talkative and would often remain silent for an entire day.

At least now that Yunniang has arrived, she still has someone to talk to.

After saying that, Zhang picked up a mushroom from the ground. It looked grayish, but it smelled very fragrant.

Jiang Zhiyun broke open the top of the mushroom, which quickly turned black. Yunniang then put the mushroom in her pocket.

"This is the bamboo mushroom. It turns black when you break it open and is edible. If it looks similar to this one and gray smoke comes out when you break it open, it is the gray-skinned mushroom and will cause poisoning if you eat it."

"Mother, you should be careful to distinguish them when you pick them up."

Zhang nodded vigorously. These ingredients were to be cooked together in the soup, which would then be made into noodle soup to sell, so there was no room for carelessness.

There were few people on this side of the mountain, and everyone gathered at the place where Jiang Zhiyun was picking matsutake mushrooms.

I was just looking for something to try and see if I could find any termite mushrooms. As for these green-headed mushrooms or other large red mushrooms or milk-cap mushrooms, they were all very rare.

The place where termite mushrooms grow may not necessarily have other kinds of mushrooms. For example, some mushrooms need to grow in damp grass, while others need to grow in thorny brambles. These are all very particular.

The two walked down the winding path and circled two small hills. Zhang sat down on a large rock to rest: "Yunniang, we've picked quite a lot today. There are two matsutake mushrooms and these other mushrooms. They'll definitely taste good if we put them in the soup."

Jiang Zhiyun nodded: "These mushrooms taste very fresh. We have enough to keep our stall going for a while, but we're not in a hurry to go home because we need to find even better mushrooms."

Zhang was somewhat puzzled: "What? Is it termite mushroom?"

“Yunniang, it’s probably hard to find termite mushrooms now. We’ve crossed three or four hills, and I haven’t seen any. They’re probably not out yet. Maybe someone picked them.”

Because Yunniang had found so many before, the villagers have been wandering around the mountains these past few days, whether they have something to do or not.

She also occasionally fusses over it.

Yunniang said, "It's not chicken mushroom. Mother, just follow me. We're almost there."

So Yunniang had always had a goal in mind! She thought that getting here was just a natural progression!

Sure enough, after walking a few steps, the two came to a group of tall trees. After passing through thorns, they carefully crawled out of a cave. The cave was very narrow, barely wide enough for a person to pass through.

After taking a few more steps, you'll find yourself in a bright and promising future.

Zhang saw a large pine forest.

These pine trees aren't very tall, and some sunlight is already filtering in, shining through the green shade onto our faces. Under the sunlight, the resin on the tree trunks is crystal clear and even emits a pine scent.

Zhang had never seen such a wonderful place before: "Yunniang, this place is truly wonderful. If we were to live in seclusion here, even staying in a cave would be comfortable. Back then, Shuheng's father and I dreamed of one day being able to travel around these mountains and rivers."