I Crossed Over with My Enemy, Only to Find Him Running the Empire - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Sister-in-Law

Mrs. Liu paused, glancing timidly at Zhang Jinhua. “Mother, I’ll get to it right away…”

“Enough, enough!” Zhang Jinhua waved her hand impatiently, as if shooting a fly. “I don’t need you here! The two brats in your room are wailing like it’s a funeral—it’s giving me a migraine. Get back there and deal with them. Stop getting in the way!”

As if granted a royal pardon, Mrs. Liu quickly set down her bowl, kept her head low, and scurried past Li Qiaoqiao out of the kitchen.

Only Zhang Jinhua and Li Qiaoqiao remained.

Zhang Jinhua’s triangular eyes fixed on Li Qiaoqiao, waiting for the usual display of reluctant dawdling so she could unleash a fresh barrage of insults to vent her frustration.

However, Li Qiaoqiao simply gave a calm “Oh” and walked straight to the pile of dirty dishes, efficiently gathering them into the large wooden basin.

She even began to hum a little upbeat tune under her breath: “Good luck is coming to you~ wishing you good luck~ good luck brings…”

Zhang Jinhua froze. She picked at her ear, wondering if she had misheard.

Did this wretched girl take the wrong medicine today? Not only did she not cry after being scolded, she started singing?

The melody was strange and jaunty—it sounded downright improper! She glared suspiciously at Li Qiaoqiao’s back, trying to spot what was wrong with her.

Li Qiaoqiao couldn’t care less about the gaze behind her.

Her hands moved with lightning speed, plates clattering as they were stacked into the basin. The humming was purely subconscious; a small release of tension now that her mood had improved and she saw a glimmer of hope.

To Zhang Jinhua, of course, this was “unusual.”

Li Qiaoqiao had the logic mapped out: today was her shift. Mrs. Liu from the third branch was the cook, and she, the child-bride of the fourth branch, was the helper and dishwasher. This was her job. Rather than crying and getting yelled at before doing it, it was better to just get it over with and enjoy the peace! Anything to avoid Zhang Jinhua’s grating voice.

The sooner she finished, the sooner she could head to the haystack in the backyard to see if she could twist some dry straw into rope. Hemp rope was hard to find, but there was plenty of straw back there…

With that thought, she moved even faster.

Heating the water, scraping the grease, scrubbing with luffa sponge and wood ash… despite the primitive tools, she worked with intense focus.

Zhang Jinhua stood there for a while, watching Li Qiaoqiao’s uncharacteristic efficiency. She grumbled internally, unable to find a reason to scream, and finally let out a heavy “Hmph!”

Waddling her stout body, she swayed her way out of the kitchen.

Finally, peace.

Li Qiaoqiao finished the last bowl and set it upside down on the drying rack. By the time the kitchen was tidy, the sky outside had begun to dim.

She shook the water from her hands, plotting how to slip away to the backyard unnoticed, when the creaky wooden door groaned open again.

The newcomer stood against the faint light. She was of modest height, wearing a faded blue tunic. Her hair was combed neatly into a simple bun fastened by a polished wooden pin. She wore a gentle smile before she even spoke—this was the eldest daughter-in-law of the Wu family, Mrs. Wei.

She was the mother of the future Grand Chancellor Wu Canghai, the legendary “compassionate mother” from the original novel.

“Fourth Sister-in-law,” Mrs. Wei’s voice was soft and tender, filled with concern. “Finished? You must be exhausted.”

She stepped inside, her eyes scanning the clean stove. She seemed surprised by Li Qiaoqiao’s speed, but her smile never wavered.

Li Qiaoqiao’s heart skipped a beat, but she kept her face neutral, squeezing out a smile. “Eldest Sister-in-law? Just finished. Not tired, it’s just my duty.”

“Oh, look at you, always so honest.” Mrs. Wei stepped closer, dropping her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “My heart aches for you. Out of the whole family, your fourth branch has it the hardest. Sigh, with Tieniu in that state, he can’t help you with anything. It’s all on your shoulders.”

She paused, her smiling eyes searching Li Qiaoqiao’s face to gauge her mood before continuing. “During dinner, I noticed your bowl was mostly water. How can a woman stay healthy like that? You’ll fall ill from hunger.”

With a look of pity, she glanced around quickly to ensure they were alone, then carefully pulled something from her sleeve and pressed it into Li Qiaoqiao’s hand.

It was warm and slightly damp—a rice ball wrapped in clean vegetable leaves. The grains looked coarse and yellowed, but it was solid rice, packed tightly together.

Li Qiaoqiao stared at the rice ball, stunned. In the original owner’s memory, Mrs. Wei was a “good person” who smiled at everyone but rarely interacted with the “idiot’s wife” of the fourth branch, let alone gave her food.

Did the sun rise in the west today?

“Quick, eat it while it’s warm,” Mrs. Wei urged, her eyes full of sincerity. “Don’t say a word. It wouldn’t be good if Mother found out.”

When things are too good to be true, there’s a demon at work, Li Qiaoqiao thought. But she quickly put on a look of gratitude. “Thank you, Sister-in-law! You’re the only one who cares about me.”

She didn’t hesitate to clutch the rice ball. No matter what the woman’s angle was, free food was free food! She was still starving anyway.

Seeing her accept it, Mrs. Wei’s smile deepened, becoming even more motherly. She let out a long sigh of sympathy. “Fourth Sister, I truly feel you’ve been wronged. You’re so young, like a blooming flower, and yet you have to stay… sigh, stay with Tieniu for the rest of your life. When will this misery end?”

Here it comes, Li Qiaoqiao sneered internally, while putting on a sorrowful face. “Sister-in-law, I… I have no choice.”

“Silly girl!” Mrs. Wei patted Li Qiaoqiao’s hand affectionately, leaning in even closer, her voice barely a breath: “I heard some wonderful news today and wanted to tell you right away! In town, do you know the Zhang family? The wealthy landlord? Their old matriarch needs some clever maids and is offering a high price! The monthly pay is said to be more than we earn in half a year in the fields! Board and lodging included, white rice every meal, even meat! New clothes for every season!”

She stared into Li Qiaoqiao’s eyes, fanning the flames of temptation. “I was thinking, this is a golden chance to jump out of this fire pit! Go beg Father and Mother to let you sell yourself to the Zhang family! With your looks and hard-working nature, you’ll definitely be chosen! Think about it—eating fine food and saving up money… isn’t that a thousand times better than staying here with a dummy and eating husks?”