Reborn in a small village in the 1990s

Upon hearing this, Zhang Cuilan's eyes widened instantly, and she asked incredulously, "Is all of this true?"

Zhao Da'e nodded very seriously and said, "It's true. It was already evening that day. I looked out the window and tried to see what the person who went into Grandma's room looked like, but it was dark and I couldn't see clearly. I could only vaguely hear things like... 'This money... is all for you... to buy a house'."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Cuilan's face showed undisguised shock.

Zhao Da'e then took the opportunity to say, "Their words were fragmented, and I could only hear these words, so I guess Grandma must have lent the money to outsiders, which is why she didn't pay Mom back. I told Mom about this, but she told me not to talk nonsense, otherwise Grandma and Grandpa would easily have a conflict. I don't understand, what's wrong with talking about this? I clearly saw it with my own eyes."

Zhao Da'e's few words quickly led Zhang Cuilan to imagine the whole story. Wang Guixiang was having an affair and had given all the family's money to outsiders over the years, which was why she couldn't afford to repay her second brother.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Da'e discovered this. Later, the second sister-in-law found out but did not want to make a fuss. However, knowing that she could not get Wang Guixiang to repay the money, she borrowed money from her relatives.

Zhang Cuilan became anxious upon hearing this. Wang Guixiang not only took money from the second wife's family, but also from the third wife's family. However, she did take less money than the second wife's family. But no matter what, Wang Guixiang still had money from the third wife's family. Would Wang Guixiang have embezzled this money and given it to her so-called lover?

Zhang Cuilan's face instantly turned ugly. She wished she could fly to the Zhao family right now and ask them what was going on with Wang Guixiang.

"Big Goose, you go back first. I'll go back to the Zhao family. Oh, and don't tell anyone about this, okay?"

Zhang Cuilan instructed Zhao Da'e that if Wang Guixiang really gave the money to her lover, she could use this as a reason to threaten Wang Guixiang to return the money. However, if the matter became public knowledge, it would not do her any good.

Zhao Da'e nodded obediently, "I understand, Third Aunt."

Seeing Zhang Cuilan's expression, Zhao Da'e knew she had succeeded. The figure she saw that night was actually her aunt Zhao Chunqin. Her aunt Zhao Chunqin had taken tens of thousands of yuan from Wang Guixiang to buy a house. This money came from her family, and once the money was lent out, it could never be returned.

When Zhao Da'e went to Wang Guixiang to return the money, Wang Guixiang would always come up with a bunch of reasons or excuses to refuse, making it very difficult to get the money back. So Zhao Da'e was prepared not to get the money back, but he didn't intend to swallow his anger. Instead, he wanted to make things difficult for Wang Guixiang.

What Zhao Da'e is doing now is to make Zhang Cuilan misunderstand Wang Guixiang's situation, and then let them have a good fight, as long as Wang Guixiang is unhappy.

Zhang Cuilan became increasingly anxious as she thought about it, and almost couldn't wait to pack her things and return to the Zhao family.

When Zhao Yongbo returned to the Zhao family home, he saw Zhang Cuilan at the door and couldn't help but rush over to her, shouting with joy, "Mom, you're finally back!"

Zhao Yongbo hadn't forgotten what Zhao Da'e had told him: Zhang Cuilan had gone back to her parents' home to prepare a surprise for him.

Zhao Yongbo's voice woke Zhao Tiegang, who was sleeping inside. As soon as he got up, he saw his wife standing at the door. Zhao Tiegang exclaimed excitedly, "Cuilan, you're finally back!"

Zhao Tiegang immediately realized that it was Zhao Dage who had persuaded Zhang Cuilan to come back. He really didn't expect that no matter how he tried to persuade her, Zhang Cuilan wouldn't come back, but as soon as his niece persuaded her, Zhang Cuilan came back.

Looking at her son, Zhang Cuilan couldn't help but ruffle Zhao Yongbo's hair and comfort him, "Good boy, Mom will buy you a toy later. Go play over there for now."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yongbo was overjoyed and jumped up excitedly. His sister hadn't lied to him; his mother really was preparing a surprise for him. Now that Zhang Cuilan had said so, Zhao Yongbo stopped bothering Zhang Cuilan.

As soon as Zhao Yongbo left, Zhao Tiegang couldn't help but pester Zhang Cuilan, holding her hand and wanting to be intimate with her. He hadn't seen his wife for so long, and he missed her terribly.

Zhang Cuilan dismissed Zhao Tiegang with a hint of disdain, saying, "I have something to tell you later. I'm in a bad mood right now, so don't mess with me."

Seeing Zhang Cuilan push him away, Zhao Tiegang laughed and pressed himself against her again, saying, "Cuilan, what can't you say now?"

Seeing that Zhao Tiegang had hugged her again, Zhang Cuilan angrily grabbed Zhao Tiegang's ear, causing him to immediately let go in pain.

She really wanted to ask her mother-in-law, Wang Guixiang, right now if she still had the money, but in order not to alert the enemy, Zhang Cuilan held back. Instead, she pulled Zhao Tiegang into the house, closed the doors and windows, and made sure no one could hear them.

Seeing Zhang Cuilan being so cautious, Zhao Tiegang asked with a puzzled look, "What's wrong with you? You've been in a bad mood ever since you came back to the Zhao family."

Zhang Cuilan pulled Zhao Tiegang aside and said, "I have something to tell you, but don't tell anyone else."

Zhao Tiegang looked puzzled. "What do you want to talk about?"

Zhang Cuilan leaned close to Zhao Tiegang's ear and whispered, "I suspect that Mom is having an affair."

Zhao Tiegang's expression changed, and he immediately stopped him sternly, saying, "What are you saying? I'm telling you, don't talk nonsense."

Seeing this, Zhang Cuilan quickly sighed and explained, "I'm not just saying this randomly, but I heard it from Da'e. Do you know why I went back to the Zhao family? It's because Da'e told me that one night she saw our mother give money to an outsider. I thought that Mom might be having an affair and that she gave the money to her lover."

"Anyway, I know that Mom would never return the money to the second wife's family. And as for us third wives, you know, Mom didn't give us much money either. If what Da'e saw is true, then Mom must have given the money to her lover outside!"

The more reasonable Zhang Cuilan's words seemed, the more Zhao Tiegang refused to believe them. "I don't believe it, Cuilan. Don't be confused. You believe what a child says? Let me tell you, my mother would never do such a thing."

Seeing Zhao Tiegang's unconvinced expression, Zhang Cuilan sighed and said with a hint of exasperation, "I know you can't just believe a kid's words, so I wanted to test Mom. Our third branch has some money with her, right? I'll go ask her—no, I should ask her to borrow ten thousand yuan! Second brother's family has already started borrowing money to build a new house, we can't fall behind. If Mom really has money, given her favoritism towards you, she'll definitely lend it to us. If she's unwilling to lend money and is evasive, then she definitely doesn't have any, maybe she really gave it to some lover!"

Zhang Cuilan came up with this plan to test Wang Guixiang. After all, the money Wang Guixiang took from the third wife was only a small amount, so it would be more practical to borrow money from Wang Guixiang. If she could borrow the money, it would prove that Zhao Da'e was lying, and she could use the money to build a new house. As for repaying the money, she had no intention of doing so. She could just make excuses when Wang Guixiang asked.

But if Wang Guixiang can't come up with the money, then she's most likely given it to an outsider. That won't do; she'll make a scene no matter what.

Seeing Zhang Cuilan's certainty, Zhao Tiegang didn't say anything. Letting Zhang Cuilan try was a good idea. If she could borrow the money, then they would have the money to build a new house. If she couldn't borrow the money, then there was definitely something wrong with his mother.

Zhang Cuilan couldn't wait to go find Wang Guixiang and wake her up from bed.

Wang Guixiang was woken up before she could even finish her afternoon nap. She initially thought it was her grandson causing trouble and had nowhere to vent her morning grumpiness. But once she was fully awake and saw who it was, Wang Guixiang asked impatiently, "You're back, so what's wrong with you that you woke me up?"

Zhang Cuilan pursed her lips, thinking that after all, she had come to borrow money, so her tone softened. She quickly massaged Wang Guixiang's shoulders and legs to calm her down.

"Mom, don't be angry. I came to tell you something." Zhang Cuilan smiled brightly and then massaged Wang Guixiang's shoulders.

Wang Guixiang sensed something was wrong; Zhang Cuilan's kindness towards her must be a trap.

Then Zhang Cuilan said, "Mom, about building the new house..."

Upon hearing this, Wang Guixiang immediately retorted, "If you don't have money, don't ask me for it."

Zhang Cuilan was immediately displeased upon hearing this. She said bluntly, "Mom, Tie Gang and I have been married for so many years and we still haven't built a new house. Yongbo is still sleeping in the same room as me. Now that the child is grown up, he should have his own room. He can't always live in the same room as me. You've watched Yongbo grow up since he was a child and you love him. Can you bear to see him without a room to live in?"

Zhang Cuilan started by mentioning Zhao Yongbo, and in the past, as long as she brought up her son, Wang Guixiang would always soften her heart.

Now, a complicated look flashed in Wang Guixiang's eyes. She wanted to give money, but she simply couldn't come up with it. She had no money on her; she had already given it to her youngest daughter. Where would she get any more money?

But Wang Guixiang couldn't say these words out loud, because if she did, who knows what kind of chaos would ensue at home.

So Wang Guixiang said to her second son, Zhao Tie, "Cuilan, building a new house takes time. Your second brother's family hasn't built a new house yet. No matter what, you have to wait until Tiesheng and his family build their new houses before it's your turn."

Zhang Cuilan was somewhat skeptical after hearing this. She muttered to herself, "In recent years, Wang Guixiang hasn't treated my second brother's family any better. Now she's bringing up my second brother's family again. She's obviously hiding something and doesn't want to give me the money at all."

So Zhang Cuilan changed her approach again, "Mom, I know you don't want to lend me money, but the sooner we finish building the new house, the better. How about this, consider it as me borrowing money from you. Lend me 10,000 yuan first, and Tie Gang and I will definitely pay you back when we make money. How about that, Mom? I won't take your money for nothing."

Zhang Cuilan was so certain that she believed she would lend Wang Guixiang any money she had.

But Wang Guixiang said firmly, "No, I don't have any money on me."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Cuilan immediately objected, "Mom, you just don't want to lend money to our third branch. Besides, didn't you take tens of thousands of yuan from my second brother's family? Why don't you just lend me the money from my second brother? I can ask him to pay it back later. There's no need to be so particular about money between brothers."

"And don't you think about your most beloved son and grandson? Your dear grandson is all grown up now and should have his own room. It's not right for him to keep living with us. If you have any money, just give us some. You can just consider it a loan. If your second brother asks about it later, just say that we took him away."

Zhang Cuilan had already gone this far, and everyone thought she would soften and lend some money, but Wang Guixiang turned her head away and said, "Don't ask me for money, go ask your dad for money. Besides, Yongbo is still so young, why can't he sleep in the same room as you? Why are you in such a hurry to build a new house? Where would your second brother's family get the money to build a new house? Why are you always comparing yourself to others?"

Zhang Cuilan was also anxious. She said, "My second brother and his family borrowed money to build a house. I heard that they will start building the house after the spring."

Wang Guixiang said impatiently, "If he can borrow money, why don't you borrow money from others? You just come here to make things difficult for this old woman. If you won't lend it, find a way to solve it yourself."

Hearing this, Zhang Cuilan immediately understood what Zhang Cuilan meant: she didn't want to lend money at all, or she simply didn't have the money to lend.

"Mom, let me ask you this: didn't you keep tens of thousands of yuan safe for my second brother's family? Where did that money go? Where did you put it?"

When the money was mentioned, Wang Guixiang's eyes darted away, and she didn't dare to look Zhang Cuilan in the eye. "Of course, I'm keeping this money safe. When your second brother comes to ask for it, I'll return it."

Seeing Wang Guixiang's reaction, Zhang Cuilan knew she was guilty. She retorted, "Then why didn't you give your second sister-in-law money when she asked you for it before, Mom?"

Wang Guixiang was furious at the thought of Cheng Jinxiang. "This money is meant for my son and my future grandson. How dare that outsider ask me for money?!"

In Wang Guixiang's eyes, Cheng Jinxiang was an outsider. She couldn't give birth to a son and even made the Zhao family pay several thousand yuan for medical expenses. Wang Guixiang felt that it was bad luck for her second son to marry this woman.

She gave birth, but then spent thousands of yuan at the hospital. When she returned to the Zhao family home, she insisted on building a new house. She complained about the Zhao family home's environment and moved back to her parents' home. She's really being pretentious.

They always seem to be working against her, and Zhao Da'e is no exception. They're just born to be her nemesis. Just thinking about this makes Wang Guixiang furious.

Besides, she didn't have any money on her to begin with; she had lent it to her youngest daughter. Even if she had money left, she wouldn't have thought of giving it to that woman, Cheng Jinxiang. She would rather give it to her third son's family so they could build a new house, at least then her beloved grandson would have a room to live in.

Of course, Wang Guixiang wouldn't say any of this out loud. She didn't want Zhang Cuilan to know that she had lent money to her youngest daughter. If Zhang Cuilan found out, who knows what kind of trouble she would cause.

This is bound to lead to a divorce. Zhang Cuilan isn't someone Cheng Jinxiang can easily bully; she's a tough nut to crack, and Wang Guixiang can't afford to mess with her. Besides, she has a son, and even Zhao Tiegang won't be so obedient and on her side.