The Rebirth of a Farm Girl from a Military Family and a Cannon Fodder Princess

Chapter 100 Disappointment

It seems that sewing silver notes into clothes is no longer a secret. At least, those who specialize in confiscating property and searching people are very skilled at it. Alas, what a pity for all those silver notes she hid. I wonder if the silver notes she had her second sister-in-law hide were ever confiscated.

Hua'er's silver notes weren't confiscated, were they? It's just that she won't ask her sister-in-law for them unless she hands them over voluntarily. Now that she's become like this, she doesn't want to hand over the silver notes, and asking her won't get her anything.

Zisu took out silver notes of eighty-five taels each and gave twenty taels each to Yu Zhe, Jiang Yong, Jiang Shichang, and Jiang Shihua: "Take these silver notes and keep them close to your body. If you encounter any difficulties, use the silver notes to solve them. Don't try to carry everything on your own! Although silver notes are very important, no matter what, they are not as important as people! You must save where you can, but you must be generous and extravagant when it comes to things you shouldn't save on!"

All four of them blushed and accepted the silver notes with shame. Jiang Yong, in particular, felt extremely uncomfortable.

Yu Zhe: "Good child, your uncle is ashamed, thank you!"

Jiang Shihua: "What a wonderful child! It's a blessing for the Shangguan family to have such a good child, and it's a blessing for all of us!"

Jiang Shichang: "Yes, such a good girl, she will surely be rewarded in this life, and she will definitely have a happy and bright future! Your uncle wishes you all the best, and I wish you a peaceful, happy and joyful life!"

Jiang Yong: "Sister Zisu, thank you so much! If you ever need my help in the future, please don't hesitate to ask, and I will do my best!"

Zisu waved her hand generously: "No need to thank me, your well-being is the best way to repay me!"

These words drew bursts of cheerful laughter.

Grandma Jiang lowered her voice and said to Grandpa, "This child is truly one in a million. It's a pity that some people are so petty and have pushed such a good girl far away! Alas, if Chun'er could marry her, how wonderful that would be!"

The old man sighed, “Ah, you’re right, who can disagree? What a pity, what a real pity!” As he spoke, he couldn’t help but glare at the second wife.

The second wife sensed it and lowered her head, feeling extremely sad and depressed. The lively atmosphere before her seemed completely alien to her; in everyone's eyes, she was a sinner. She suddenly realized that she felt out of place; both her son and daughter seemed to be intentionally or unintentionally ignoring her.

No! No, you can't! It's one thing for her husband to neglect her, but how can the child that crawled out of her womb complain about her and neglect her just because of a lowly maid?

She was determined to have a serious talk with her children to win them back, lest they be bewitched by that wretched maid and fail to recognize their own mother. But both her son and daughter sat around Zisu, happily chatting away.

Finally, she found an opportunity.

Jiang Yong got up and went outside the campfire to practice his martial arts. Ever since he went to Stone Fortress to carry stones, he had come to realize more and more how wonderful it would be if he were skilled in martial arts. That way, when the foreman whipped him, he would be able to deflect some of the force.

The second wife quickly followed, and without saying a word, she took her son's hand and walked forward for a while, moving further away from the campfire circle to avoid being overheard.

Jiang Yong couldn't help but frown: "Mom, what are you doing? We can't go any further, be careful of wolves!"

The second wife then stopped and said sternly to her son, "Yong'er, that wicked maidservant is wicked. You must not be deceived by her! Let me tell you, unless I die, that wicked maidservant will never be allowed to marry into the Jiang family!"

"You lowly servant? Who are you talking about?!" Jiang Yong's voice was stern. He had a vague idea of ​​who it was, but he couldn't believe his ears.

The second wife rolled her eyes at him: "Who else could it be but that wretched girl Zisu?!"

The voice was very stern, and carried a tone of disappointment and frustration.

Jiang Yong's face immediately turned extremely ugly. He abruptly took two steps back, looked his mother up and down, and then coldly retorted, "What? Zisu is a lowly servant? A lowly girl? Mother, are you possessed?!"

His expression was extremely stern, as if he were looking at a madman. If the other person weren't his biological mother, he would have been even more ruthless. This kind of biological mother made him so frustrated that he wanted to shout and scream.

How could this happen? Where has my gentle and dignified mother gone? God, can you tell me why she has become like this?

Zisu, the legitimate daughter of a marquis's family and a military family, was constantly referred to as a "lowly servant" and a "worthless girl." Can anyone tell me why this is happening?!

God, please give me back my kind, beautiful, and generous mother! Give her back to me!

Jiang Yong looked at his somewhat crazed mother, his heart pounding uncontrollably, as if it would jump out of his chest at any moment.

Is the woman in front of him really his mother?

He didn't want to acknowledge this kind of mother, but he had no choice but to!

As her son, he was willing to forgive her and patiently soothe her emotional wounds. However, the condition was simple: could she please stop being so wicked? Stop calling Zisu "lowly servant" and "cheap girl" all the time? This kind of mother felt utterly alien to him, utterly incomprehensible, and unacceptable!

Moreover, when did Zisu ever say she wanted to marry into the Jiang family? It seems she never did! Not only that, he had heard that Zisu once swore that even if all the men in the world died, she would never marry a member of the Jiang family!

If that's the case, why is Mother still making a fuss?! Is this ever going to end?!

Jiang Yong couldn't accept a mother like that! He was already exhausted from a day of heavy physical labor, and he didn't have the energy to argue with her!

"Mother, wolves can come at any time. If you're willing to stand here and offer yourself up to them, then stay here! I'm only fifteen, in the prime of my youth, and I'm not willing to give myself up to the wolves. I'm tired after a long day and need to go back and rest!"

After saying that, Jiang Yong turned and left without even looking back.

The second wife was dumbfounded. She never expected that her sensible and considerate second son would do such a thing to her.

"Yong'er, wait for your mother!" She hurriedly chased after him. Jiang Yong's pace quickened, and he even started jogging. In a few moments, he jumped into the campfire circle, snuggled up to his father, warmed by the fire, listened to everyone chatting, and closed his eyes to rest.

The second wife had no choice but to stomp her feet several times, but her son ignored her completely. Finally, she angrily went back to her thatched hut alone.

The hustle and bustle outside didn't belong to her, and she couldn't fit in.

The main reason people disliked her was because of her terrible attitude towards Zisu. However, expecting her to treat Zisu kindly and get along with her was worse than killing her.

She would never forgive and forget Zisu, no matter what. She was terrified that Zisu would take the opportunity to curry favor with her son and try to become her daughter-in-law—a result she absolutely could not accept!

In the past, when the Jiang family was doing well, Zisu was just a country girl, unworthy of her son. Now that the Jiang family is in trouble, Zisu is in trouble too, and she is even less qualified to be with her son!

Now that the Jiang family is in such a miserable state, her outstanding son needs to marry a woman from a high-class family to pull the family out of their misery. An exiled convict isn't even qualified to carry her son's shoes! In any case, she absolutely refuses to accept such a daughter-in-law!

Zisu frowned, her heart aching at the thought of her uncle having to do such unbearable hard labor. The other three were also people she knew well, friends who had shared her hardships, and she couldn't bear to see them suffer.

That morning, she got up earlier than anyone else.

She got up early, killed a pheasant, and cooked a pot of fragrant chicken soup. She also cooked about fifty steamed buns filled with mushrooms and wild vegetables.

Just as dawn was breaking, the chicken soup was being cooked and the steamed buns were being placed in the steamer. Xiangli and Haitang, startled awake by the aroma, were filled with remorse upon seeing Zisu already busy at work.

"Oh dear, girl, why didn't you wake us up? How could you do the chicken-killing work all by yourself? Oh dear, it's all my fault for sleeping so soundly, I didn't even know you were awake." Xiangli slapped her head, extremely annoyed.

Zisu: "This is not your fault. You were working on bricks all day yesterday and you're all exhausted. How could you get up? Don't blame yourselves. Go and get some more sleep. It's still early!"

Xiangli looked up at the sky and said to Haitang, "Go back to sleep for a while. I'll keep you company and talk to you." If both of them went to sleep, it would be lonely to leave the girl alone.

Haitang yawned and said shyly, "Then, young lady, I'll go back to sleep for a while, and let Xiangli keep you company."

Zisu: "Okay, you should go back to sleep!"

Haitang and Zisu bowed respectfully, then turned and went to their thatched hut to continue their rendezvous with the Duke of Zhou (a figure in Chinese mythology associated with dreams).

As dawn broke, Yu Zhe and the other three who were going to work got up. They drank the delicious chicken soup and ate the soft steamed buns, and all four of them were deeply moved.

They never expected that Zisu would get up so early to personally make chicken soup and steamed buns for them. They will always remember this kindness and never forget it.

The lunch I brought was, as always, pancakes with eggs and wild onions, and flower tea brewed with wild chrysanthemums and flowers. The pancakes were fragrant, and the flower tea was refreshing and thirst-quenching. Both the pancakes and the flower tea were carefully prepared by Zisu herself.

Before Yu Zhe left, Zisu gave him a basket: "Uncle, there are two cleaned pheasants in this basket. Take them to the captain and try to build a good relationship with him. That way, he might treat you a little better, and he won't always be watching you when there's heavy or tiring work to do!"

"Okay, I understand, thank you, Uncle!" After saying this, Yu Zhe hurriedly got into the carriage, afraid that if he didn't leave soon, tears would fall from his eyes.

This child is so sensible, so sensible that it breaks his heart.

Such a wonderful child! If her brother-in-law were still alive, she would be living a life of comfort and ease, just like the daughters of wealthy families in the capital. She would be dressed beautifully every day, drinking tea, playing music, and playing chess with a group of like-minded friends, living a peaceful and joyful life.

Such a good child deserves the happiest life! But God is blind, and has allowed such a good child to suffer so many hardships.

Looking at her son's grateful face, the second wife couldn't help but grit her teeth. This wretched girl knew how to win people's hearts. Not only had she won over her daughter's heart, but now she had also won over her son's.

Seeing her mother's gritted teeth, Hua'er felt a chill in her heart; she couldn't bear to watch any longer. She hurriedly grabbed a steamed bun, drank a cup of water, picked up a basket and a small hoe, and left.

The eldest princess noticed this and couldn't help but glare at the second wife before stepping forward to stop Hua'er: "Good child, wait a moment, let your aunt go together!"

Grandma Jiang added, "Yes, Hua'er, listen to your aunt, don't go out alone! You know, there are wolves even during the day!"

"Oh dear, Hua'er, what are you doing? Why are you working so hard?" The second madam came to her senses and was immediately shocked. She quickly went over and reached out to pull Hua'er.

Hua hid behind the princess, saying, "Don't touch me! I don't need your help!"

Second Madam: "You are my daughter. If I don't care about you, who will I care about? You heartless wretch, you don't even want your own mother anymore? You unfilial and disobedient thing!"

Hua'er: "I'm disobedient and unfilial? Then tell me, who were you gritting your teeth and hating just now? If I'm not mistaken, the person you hated was Sister Zisu, right?"

The second wife blushed and stammered, "You, you brat! Where did I grit my teeth? You've misunderstood, I don't hate anyone!"

Oh no, caught red-handed! This is bad! From now on, she needs to learn to hide herself and not let others easily see through her thoughts. That Zisu hid her feelings very well; she clearly hated her, but on the surface, she acted all magnanimous. Humph! A complete smiling fox, utterly disgusting!

Hua'er couldn't hold back any longer. She glared at her mother, quickly ate two steamed buns, drank a cup of water, picked up her basket, and resolutely left.

The eldest princess hurriedly said to her eldest son, "Hurry up and keep up with Hua'er, don't let her wander off alone!"

Jiang Quan quickly finished his steamed bun, drank a few sips of cold water, grabbed a basket from the ground, and chased after them.

Zisu sighed and said to Yingtao and Haitang, "You two should follow them too, just in case something unexpected happens. It's no joke!"

Cherry and Crabapple nodded, each picked up a basket and a small hoe, and quickly caught up with Flower and Jiang Quan.

The eldest princess finally breathed a sigh of relief. With Cherry and Begonia around, she no longer needed to worry about the other two children. At that moment, she conceived the idea of ​​having her three children become Shen Laihui's disciples to learn martial arts.

In this desolate grassland, wolves and bandits may appear at any time. Without some powerful martial arts skills, whether you encounter wolves or bandits, you are doomed.

Human life is so fragile. How can we succeed without taking precautions?

She told Zisu what was on her mind.

Zisu praised, "Yes, Your Highness is right. Everyone should have the ability to protect themselves. Adults have missed the best time to learn martial arts, so it's a bit too late for them. However, they can still learn a few practical self-defense techniques. Younger children can start with the basics. This way, they can improve their health and also learn how to protect themselves. Why not?"

The Eldest Princess said, "Among everyone, Master Shen has the best martial arts skills. I hope he can take the children in and become their teacher! I just don't know if he would be willing?"

Zisu: "This shouldn't be a big problem. I can talk to him about it. Your Highness, there's no need to worry!"

The eldest princess said, "Very well, you can speak to him. There's no need to force him. If he's unwilling, Cherry can give him some pointers."

Cherry has a real talent for martial arts; her skills are quite good now, far surpassing Zisu's. Even Xiangli and Haitang are far behind her. Plus, she possesses superhuman strength, making her combat prowess extremely high, almost on par with Luo Jianming and Pan Kang.

Zisu leisurely finished her breakfast, enjoying a sip of cool boiled water, her mood completely unaffected by the Second Madam. After all, everyone's food, drinks, and daily necessities were all purchased with Zisu's money. The one who couldn't eat was the Second Madam; Zisu, the one who paid for it, should be enjoying her meal immensely.

In fact, the same is true.

Seeing Zisu drinking plain water with the air of someone drinking bird's nest, the second wife felt extremely annoyed. She took a big bite of her steamed bun and muttered, "So stingy! Since you made buns, why not make more? Dividing breakfast into different classes is disgusting and utterly unreasonable!"

Zisu ignored her and just gave a cold laugh.