Cheng Daitao hurried out. Cheng Zhao was her son, her capital for showing off, and his reputation couldn't be ruined by that slut Cheng Loanloan.
She gritted her teeth and said, "Second Miss, wait, don't go!"
She turned her head, looked at Old Madam Cheng, and whispered, "Mother, I think what happened the other day has caused a rift between Second Miss and our family. She's furious right now, and she might really go to town to report us to the officials. Isn't it eighteen taels of silver? Let's agree first. Once Second Miss calms down later, this matter will naturally pass. Even if she keeps demanding it, once Cheng Zhao passes the imperial exams, won't we be able to get this small amount of money?"
Once her son became a high-ranking official, she would absolutely not let Cheng Loanloan benefit from even a shred of his glory!
Old Madam Cheng understood the key point and angrily declared, "Once Cheng Zhao passes the imperial exams, the Cheng family won't owe you a single *wen* for this sum!"
The smile at the corner of Cheng Loanloan's mouth grew wider. She looked at Cheng Ertou, who had been watching the commotion from the side, and called out.
Cheng Ertou had been watching the commotion for a long time, feeling very pleased. She didn't have a son who studied, and every year she was suppressed by Daitao. Today, Second Miss made Daitao suffer in silence. She wished the matter would escalate even further.
"Ertou, when Daitao gets the money, come to Daha Village and let me know," Cheng Loanloan said with a smile. "Just for reporting the news, I'll split half of these eighteen taels of silver with you."
Cheng Ertou asked incredulously, "Is that true?"
"Of course it's true. If I don't give it to you, Ertou, you can go to town and report me to the magistrate."
The smile on Cheng Loanloan's face deepened.
Cheng Daitao relied on having a son who studied to throw her weight around in the Cheng family, but Ertou was no pushover either. The two often clashed, both openly and secretly. With her words, the conflict between Ertou and Daitao would only intensify. The Cheng family would be busy fighting among themselves, naturally having no time to come looking for trouble with her.
Cheng Loanloan finished speaking and was about to leave, when her nose caught the fragrant scent of chicken soup.
She lifted her feet and walked into the house. The aura she exuded was completely different from the former Cheng Loanloan. The Cheng family members stared blankly as she strode in.
She came out holding a pot of chicken soup and directly pushed it into the hands of her two sons: "Drink it all."
Cheng Daitao was furious. "What are you doing? This chicken soup was left for Zhao'er!"
"Didn't I already compensate you for this chicken worth two taels of silver?" Cheng Loanloan asked innocently. "If the money has been paid, then this chicken soup belongs to our Zhao family."
Zhao Ergou and Zhao Sanniu were both hungry and thirsty, not caring about the heat. They gulped down more than half the chicken soup in one go, each devouring a chicken drumstick. They also tore off a chicken wing and gave it to Zhao Dashan. Zhao Dashan tore off half the chicken and quickly hid it in his sleeve. Chicken was nourishing, and he would take it back for Hui Niang to recuperate...
Seeing such a scene, Old Madam Cheng was so furious she was almost fainting.
Originally, they wanted to swindle two taels of silver. Not only did they not get the silver, but they now owed eighteen taels. And the chicken soup stewed for their eldest grandson had gone to the dogs...
“You good-for-nothing! Don’t you ever set foot here again!” Old Madam Cheng cursed angrily. “You’ve already separated from the Zhao family, and now you’re cutting ties with your birth family for good. If you’re ever bullied in the future, don’t expect the Cheng family to stand up for you…”
Cheng Luanluan didn’t care at all. She was about to leave when she noticed a silver hairpin in Old Madam Cheng’s hair.
She suddenly walked over and pulled the silver hairpin out. “I remember clearly,” she said, “this is the hairpin Daishan’s father gave me back then. I thought I had lost it somewhere, but it turns out the Cheng family stole it. Now, what belongs to the original owner should be returned…”
The word “stole” infuriated Old Madam Cheng. She couldn’t catch her breath, her eyes closed, and she immediately fainted.