I Crossed Over with My Enemy, Only to Find Him Running the Empire - Chapter 24

Chapter 24: A Great Contribution

“Mother-in-law! Quick, come in!” Li Qiaoqiao seized the opportunity to shout outside.

Before her voice had even faded, Zhang Jinhua burst into the hall with the Wu brothers in tow.

Though the old lady was over fifty, she moved with the wind, her eyes scanning the scene and instantly grasping the situation.

“What a Zhang family! How dare you lure away a daughter of the Wu family!” Zhang Jinhua’s voice boomed like a great bell, shaking the dust from the rafters.

Wu Tiegen and Wu Tiesheng immediately stepped forward, flanking the struggling Wu Cuiyun. Wu Tiezhu stood by his mother’s side, looking at Squire Zhang with an embarrassed expression.

Squire Zhang finally snapped out of it and stood up shakily. “Old Woman Wu, you’ve got it all wrong! Your girl came here of her own free will…”

“Bullshit!” Zhang Jinhua spat on the ground. “No matter how poor the Wu family is, we don’t sell our daughters! Boys, take this ungrateful girl back!”

As her brothers hauled her away, Wu Cuiyun remained defiant, crying out, “I’m not going back! You’re ruining my future! The Zhang family is wealthy—I’m willing to stay!”

Infuriated, Zhang Jinhua stepped forward and slapped her daughter across the face. “Shut up! You shameless thing!”

The slap stunned Wu Cuiyun into silence.

Seeing the Wu brothers’ strength in numbers and Wu Ya’s formidable martial prowess, the Zhang family guards dared not move.

Zhang Jinhua scanned the room, hands on her hips, and began a torrent of abuse: “You old thief Zhang! Taking advantage of a young girl at your age—aren’t you afraid of being struck by lightning? And the rest of you, helping a villain do evil, may you all die miserable deaths! Your ancestors must have lacked virtue to raise such black-hearted scoundrels…”

The old lady was full of vigor, her shouts echoing to the heavens as she cursed eighteen generations of the Zhang family.

Squire Zhang’s beard trembled with rage, yet he dared not talk back. The Wu brothers shielded their mother until she had cursed her fill, then they escorted Wu Cuiyun away in a grand procession.

…

On the way back, Wu Cuiyun started wailing again, but a single glare from Zhang Jinhua stopped her; Wu Tiesheng followed up by stuffing a handkerchief into her mouth.

By the time they reached home, the sun was sinking in the west. In the Wu family courtyard, the chickens and ducks had yet to be fed, clucking and foraging busily.

Zhang Jinhua ordered her sons to lock Wu Cuiyun in the woodshed, ignoring her muffled cries. Turning to see Li Qiaoqiao quietly picking up a winnowing basket to feed the chickens, she suddenly spoke: “Fourth’s wife, you rendered a great service today.”

Startled, Li Qiaoqiao lowered her head. “I only did what I should have done, Mother.”

“Everyone, get inside,” Zhang Jinhua told the group. “There are words to be said tonight.”

…

At dinner, the table was set with simple vegetables and corn buns. The family sat in silence, save for the absent Wu Cuiyun.

Zhang Jinhua surveyed the room, her gaze finally landing on Li Qiaoqiao and Wu Ya. “If it weren’t for Tie Niu and his wife today, the Wu family would have lost all face! Qiaoqiao was clever enough to report the news quickly, and Wu Ya was brave enough to protect his wife. These two are the heroes of the Wu family!”

The table fell deathly silent. Sister-in-law Wei kept her head low, her face pale.

“I, Zhang Jinhua, repay my debts,” the old lady continued. “Today, I owe you two a great favor. In the future, whatever you want to eat or drink, just ask. I won’t be stingy!”

Li Qiaoqiao replied dutifully, “Mother, you overstate it. We are one family; protecting one’s own sister is only right.”

These words were well-placed and touched Zhang Jinhua’s heart.

She nodded with satisfaction, then turned a sharp gaze toward Wei. “On the other hand, some people spend all day plotting to sell this one or that one, nearly ruining their own sister-in-law! Wei, do you admit your fault?”

Wei trembled. “I don’t know what Mother is talking about…”

“Still playing dumb!” Zhang Jinhua slammed the table so hard the bowls rattled. “Was it not you who told Cuiyun that the Zhang family was wealthy and that being a concubine was a blessing?”

Wei didn’t dare answer, merely twisting the corner of her clothes. Wu Tiezhu tried to smooth things over: “Mother, perhaps she just said it in passing, she might not have meant—”

“Nonsense!” Zhang Jinhua barked. “If she hadn’t been plotting to sell Qiaoqiao before, how would this have started? Cuiyun is simple-minded; she hears the wind and thinks it’s rain. She actually believed the Zhangs would give her a life of luxury, nearly causing a catastrophe!”

Only then did the family understand the full picture: Wei had originally intended to sell Li Qiaoqiao. Failing that, her constant chatter about wealth had influenced Wu Cuiyun to take matters into her own hands.

In the woodshed, Wu Cuiyun still clung to her dreams of Zhang family riches, resenting her family for “cutting off her future.” She had no idea that once that contract was signed, a far darker fate would have awaited her.

…

A Change at the Table

The atmosphere during dinner was unusual. Zhang Jinhua personally served everyone, but when it came to Li Qiaoqiao and Wu Ya, she packed their bowls so high the rice looked like a small mountain.

“Qiaoqiao, eat more. We owe it all to you today.” Zhang Jinhua placed a large, glistening piece of salted pork into Li Qiaoqiao’s bowl.

Li Qiaoqiao was overwhelmed and rose to accept the bowl, but Zhang Jinhua pressed her back down. “Sit and eat. You are the guest of honor today.”

When it was Wu Ya’s turn, Zhang Jinhua patted her son’s head. “Our Tie Niu suffered too. Mother will give you extra.”

Today was the first time Wu Ya had been allowed to eat at the main table. Usually, due to his “condition,” Zhang Jinhua feared he would cause embarrassment and had Li Qiaoqiao bring his food to their room.

But today, with Li Qiaoqiao’s great merit, Zhang Jinhua made an exception.

To everyone’s surprise, Wu Ya sat quietly beside Li Qiaoqiao. He even said “Thank you, Mother” when receiving his bowl. He held his chopsticks correctly and ate slowly—a far cry from his usual messy, ravenous style.

Zhang Jinhua’s eyes lit up. She felt more than ever that Li Qiaoqiao was a blessing; after only a short time of marriage, she had made the “foolish” son act like a proper human being.

“Qiaoqiao, you’ve taught Tie Niu well,” Zhang Jinhua praised. “Look how elegantly he eats.”

Li Qiaoqiao hummed an agreement through a mouthful of rice, thinking to herself: I didn’t teach him; the soul inside has just been swapped!

She peeked at Wu Ya. With his lowered eyelids and calm demeanor, he possessed an innate grace that felt entirely out of place at a peasant’s table.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the table, Wei sat with an empty bowl and no chopsticks, her eyes red as she wished she could disappear.