“Good.” Chen Yun smiled heartily, not only because of her husband’s thoughtfulness but also because she relished the power of having leverage.
Just two days ago, she had envied that brat Tian Jing, and today she was enjoying this exquisite pleasure.
After coaxing his wife away, Tian Yongyi called his eldest and second sons. A flicker of malice crossed his eyes. He understood that his father’s intention in forcing him to administer the medicine himself was the same as his current intention in enlisting his two sons as accomplices.
In the kitchen, Tian Yongyi analyzed the situation with his two sons and then said resentfully, “If we don’t do this, they’ll be separated from the family. And she definitely won’t keep her mouth shut; she’ll dare to say anything to anyone.”
“Your mother didn’t educate her properly, and now she’s using this to threaten your grandfather. I can’t believe the person I’ve lived with for twenty years is so stupid.”
Ever since he knew about the gold bars in the house, Tian Lifu had been in a bad mood. He had originally planned to ask his grandfather in a few days for fabric to make a dress for Minmin, but unexpectedly, his own sister and mother ruined it. Fortunately, his engagement with Minmin could continue.
He was angry at his grandparents’ stinginess, having gold bars but not helping him with his engagement. But he was even more angry at his sister’s foolishness for not telling her own brothers about the gold bars, instead telling an outsider.
Now that the matter was out in the open, the family knew, and his grandparents had already hidden the gold bars in the east room.
If he had known earlier, he could have hidden one first, and then this incident could have been covered up. Such a foolish sister deserved to be drugged into silence, so he agreed to help administer the medicine.
Since his elder brother agreed, Tian Ligui naturally agreed as well.
The father and his two sons entered the west side room. Tian Ping, who was dreaming of eating egg custard, was suddenly pinned down by her older and younger brothers. After her father personally forced a bowl of medicine down her throat, she finally woke up completely.
She didn’t know what medicine she had been given, but she clearly saw the anger on her father’s and brothers’ faces. “Dad, you…” What medicine did you give me?
However, after uttering three syllables, she could no longer hear her own voice. She clutched her throat in terror. Her throat burned like fire. Was she going to die?
Tian Ping’s fear and panic satisfied Tian Yongyi. He waved his hand, signaling his sons to return to the main hall for breakfast.
Holding the medicine bowl, he personally went to the kitchen to wash it.
Using the excuse of bringing egg custard, Granny Tian saw her second son coming out of the west side room and washing the bowl himself, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
She carried the egg custard to the main hall and placed it in front of Tian Jing. “Jing girl, this is yours. After breakfast, take Lixiang to gather grass. Lixiang is already 8 years old; he should start learning to do things. You have two days left, teach him.”
Two days? Tian Jing looked up in confusion and asked Granny Tian, “You mean I’m going to Kushan in two days?”
“Yes,” Granny Tian nodded. “The Li family said so themselves. I forgot to tell you yesterday.”
In the original owner’s past life, it was five days later. How did it become three days later? Could it be that her transmigration had changed it? It didn’t matter. Besides, the old woman’s calculation was the third day, not three days from now.
“Then my clothes?”
“We’ll go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy them later and find someone to make them. We’ll promise you, and they’ll definitely do it.”
“Don’t worry,” Tian Jing nodded. “As long as my three conditions are met, I’ll also promise to keep quiet and forget everything I shouldn’t know.”
At this moment, Granny Tian genuinely wished that this was her own granddaughter. She had only given a hint, and the girl immediately gave a guarantee. Moreover, this understanding of propriety and discretion was something none of the second son’s children possessed.
She regretted marrying the second son to such a clever-looking wife, which resulted in none of the second branch being quick-witted, except for the second son himself.
Seeing her mother-in-law personally serve egg custard to Tian Jing, Chen Yun turned to look at her father-in-law across the kang table. “Dad?”
Old Man Tian had received a look from his second son when he entered the main hall for breakfast. At this moment, he lowered his head and ate, pretending not to see this exceedingly foolish daughter-in-law.
Tian Yongyi glared fiercely at his wife and said coldly, “Go to the room and check on Pingping. Then use that pig brain of yours.”
Her husband’s tone and attitude frightened Chen Yun, extinguishing the confidence that had swelled within her. Her heart pounded wildly. When she married into the Tian family, she had taken advantage of her husband’s infatuation and her pregnant belly to act out for two days, but her husband had slapped her several times. At that time, his eyes held only ruthlessness, and his tone of reprimand was just as cold.
If she hadn’t humbled herself and remained compliant, she probably would have been sent back to her maternal home while heavily pregnant.
Now, her husband’s attitude was very similar to that time. After more than ten peaceful years, she had actually forgotten her husband’s ruthlessness.
She hurried out of the main hall. As soon as she entered the west side room, she saw her daughter clutching her throat, shedding tears of pain.
“Pingping, what’s wrong?” Chen Yun asked anxiously.
Seeing her mother, Tian Ping’s tears flowed even more fiercely. She opened her mouth, pointed to her throat, her lips moved, but no sound came out.
Seeing her daughter like this, coupled with the smell of medicine filling the room, Chen Yun felt her head buzz. Her husband’s words, her father-in-law’s indifference, and her mother-in-law’s solicitousness towards Tian Jing…
Then she remembered that after she had threatened her in-laws, her husband had rushed out and then returned with a bag of medicine, and then her husband had washed the medicine pot and brewed the medicine…
She thought her husband was brewing it for her mother-in-law, who was pale with anger. She thought she could persuade her husband; didn’t everyone want to have a significant position in the family?
Ha! So the medicine was brewed for her daughter.
Tian Yongyi quickly finished his porridge and came to the west side room. Seeing his wife standing there in a daze, he reprimanded, “You should be thinking about Lifu and Ligui. Why did Pingping tell outsiders such a big matter, and not tell them?”
“Father already said he would give them a larger share of those things. Now, when everything is lost, you are on the wrong side. You don’t care about your in-laws’ hearts, you don’t consider your husband’s feelings, and you’re pushing your sons away. I don’t know what else you have left.”
Her husband’s words struck Chen Yun like a thunderbolt, clearing her mind completely. Several years ago, when her husband had pushed Pingping and Tian Jing forward to do chores, he had explained these things to her. How could she have forgotten?
Her only reliance was her husband and sons. And her husband’s focus had to be on maintaining the hearts of his parents. “Yongyi, I, I was confused. I’ll go apologize to Father and Mother.”
Tian Yongyi stopped his wife. “Don’t go. Everyone is busy now. Go help with the housework quickly.”
The couple left the west side room without looking at Tian Ping again.
Lying on the kang, Tian Ping watched as her mother, who had treated her relatively well, was coaxed away by her father with the help of her brothers. A sense of desolation, along with boundless hatred, rose within her.
She had been drugged into silence by the combined efforts of her father and brothers, and her own mother remained indifferent. Fine, very well. After she married Brother Lu, she would never return to this heartless home.
Tian Jing, carrying a basket on her back, left the Tian family with Tian Lixiang. Regardless of why Granny Tian was acting so strangely today, it had nothing to do with her. She just needed to keep this tagalong in check for today. It was a pity she couldn’t go hunting; she was so hungry.