Transmigrated as a Peasant Girl with Prophetic Dreams: Using My Space to Become the Richest Person - Chapter 71

Chapter 71: The Second Branch Becomes the Scapegoats

When Yang Xue returned to the fields, Qian Yue’e happened to be returning at the same time. Seeing Yang Xue coming from the opposite direction, she asked in confusion, “Xue’er, where have you been?”

“I previously heard of a method for saving the rice crops back in town, so I told the villagers. The Village Chief called me back to the village to ask for specific details.”

Qian Yue’e immediately grew anxious. “Did the Village Chief make things difficult for you?”

Yang Xue shook her head with a smile. “Mother, I haven’t done anything wrong. Why would the Village Chief make things difficult for me?”

Qian Yue’e realized she was right and relaxed, then asked more about the method. Yang Xue gave her a general explanation. Qian Yue’e understood, though in her heart, she didn’t quite believe Yang Xue had heard it in town. She felt certain Yang Xue had dreamt of it, but used the town story as a cover for the Chief. After all, they had used similar excuses many times before.

They didn’t work much longer before it reached high noon. As the family headed toward their resting spot, they noticed just how fast Yang Lao San and Huang Zhongcai were building the thatched shack. In just one morning, the entire structural frame was complete. When they arrived, the two men were shaving bamboo into long, flat strips so they could weave them around the frame in the afternoon.

“Dad, Uncle, lunch is ready!” Yang Yu called out.

“Coming!”

After lunch, the family found spots to rest. At the foot of the mountain under the shade of the great trees, the gentle breeze quickly brought on a wave of sleepiness. Soon, the whole family drifted into dreams.

Yang Xue, however, did not sleep. She waited until they were all out before slipping into her space.

…

Treasure in the Lab

Once inside, she headed straight for the experimental building. The laboratory for cultivating fungi didn’t belong to her major, but in this space, the entire building belonged to her. She wasn’t afraid of “borrowing” from another department.

Reaching the lab door, she realized she didn’t have the key. All keys for the classrooms and labs were managed by a teacher in the academic affairs office on the second floor. She turned back and headed there.

Without the usual crowds, the once-bustling academy building was eerily quiet. Walking down the corridors, Yang Xue felt a bit spooked, as if she were in a horror movie. But then she figured: If I can handle time travel, I can handle a quiet hallway.

She found a massive ring of keys in the office. Fortunately, each was labeled; otherwise, she would have had to test them one by one until she went bald. With the key in hand, she swaggered back into the lab she had only visited a few times before.

The moment she entered, she spotted what she was looking for: Silver Ear Fungus. Her juniors were certainly talented; the fungus was beautifully cultivated. She counted six blossoms in total and decided she would take three of them out tomorrow.

There were other fungi in the lab—morel mushrooms, porcini, matsutake—but the quantities were small. Yang Xue planned to eventually mass-produce these items when she had the time. Haha, I’ll definitely make a fortune then. I’ll be the richest woman in this world!

After a quick tour of other labs, some filled with teaching supplies and others with student projects, she exited the space. The others were still snoring away. Yang Xue found a spot, lay down, and soon fell asleep herself.

…

Chaos at the Old Yang Residence

While Yang Xue’s family rested, the Old Yang household was in an absolute uproar.

After Old Man Yang woke up, he flew into a rage, cursing Yang Lao San for his lack of filial piety. But cursing the third son wasn’t enough to quell the fire in his heart. Elder Brother Yang’s family were his “precious darlings,” and they were currently lying around in a pitiful state from the beating.

Since Second Brother Yang’s family was the only one left unscathed, they became the targets of the old man’s fury.

He started with the grandchildren of the second branch, beating and scolding them on the grounds that they had hidden away during the fight instead of helping. Sun Qiuping, seeing her children being hit, was naturally displeased.

“Father, we were right to hide! We couldn’t win the fight anyway. Were we supposed to just rush in and get beaten like idiots? If we had been hit too, the whole family would be lying in the dirt right now!”

Seeing Sun Qiuping dare to talk back, Old Man Yang’s rage boiled over, and he began hitting her as well. Sun Qiuping wasn’t one to take things lying down; she began screaming at the top of her lungs:

“Help! My father-in-law is beating his daughter-in-law! Help! Come see the father-in-law hitting his daughter-in-law!”

When Wang Dani (the grandmother) was around, she was the one who disciplined the daughters-in-law. People usually didn’t interfere with a mother-in-law’s business. But a father-in-law hitting a daughter-in-law? That was a major taboo.

Sun Qiuping’s shouting made Old Man Yang even more desperate, and his strikes grew heavier. Consequently, when the neighbors rushed over, they saw him mercilessly thrashing his daughter-in-law. Their expressions turned complicated.

Someone shouted, “Yang Lao Er! Hurry up and stop your father! Do you want him to kill your wife and kids?”

Second Brother Yang rushed over. “Father, stop! Please stop! The children’s mother just lost her head for a moment. I’ll apologize to her!”

The onlookers began pointing and whispering. “Now that Wang Dani is gone, I thought the Yang house would quiet down. Who knew that without the mother-in-law to abuse the daughters-in-law, the father-in-law would take over personally?”

“How shameless. No father-in-law should ever lay hands on a daughter-in-law. Isn’t he afraid of becoming a laughingstock?”

“Exactly! And now that the third branch is gone, is it the second branch’s turn to be the punching bag? Does this family always need a scapegoat? Can’t they just live in harmony?”

The perimeter wall of the Old Yang house was still unrepaired, making it very easy for the villagers to enjoy the “show.” Hearing the gossip, Old Man Yang finally snapped back to his senses, but it was too late. The scene of him beating Sun Qiuping had been witnessed by everyone.

He was seething inside. He knew these people would be gossiping about him for months. He blamed the second branch—if they hadn’t provoked him, he wouldn’t have lost his mind like that.

Since his reputation was already in tatters, he decided to just let it burn. “What are you all looking at? Get lost, a lot of you!”