Stormy weather

  Auntie?

  Bai Ping shouted in doubt, but there was no response. Thinking of the scene just now, he felt a little worried and stopped his steps, waiting in the courtyard.

  On the other hand, An Yan ran wildly all the way to the bamboo forest on the mountain.

  At this time, the sky was dimly lit, with only a faint moonlight shining. Anwen sat alone on the ground, her knees bent. She looked up at the bright moon in the sky, and there was some sadness in her eyes. She missed her father and mother, thinking of her parents who gave birth to her in modern times.

  She didn't want it to be like this, didn't want to hurt other innocent people, but the harm was still done. She also wanted to blend in well with the White family and had been treating them sincerely, but in the end, she ended up with such a fate.

  She didn't blame her, she kept telling herself not to feel wronged or resentful. These emotions were all negative and would only make her more miserable and confused. But when that gentle woman's face showed a painful and scolding expression, she still couldn't help but feel wronged.

  Just quietly watching the moon in the sky, tears couldn't help but fall slowly from her eyes. She always thought she was calm enough and would never produce tears that symbolized weakness again, but at this moment, she still couldn't help it.

  At this moment, it's not just the grievances that are bursting out, but also the longing for those who have left their hometown and the nostalgia. She wants to go back so badly, to breathe in the familiar air once again. She yearns to return to her mother's arms, to hear her father's scolding and her mother's nagging once more. But all of that seems so far out of reach. The confusion and helplessness of being in a strange world, as well as the deep-seated vulnerability hidden in her heart, are all erupting at this moment. An Wen buries her head deeply between her knees, letting tears flow silently in her heart.

  Bai followed the chaotic footprints on the road and stumbled all the way to the edge of the bamboo forest at the top of the mountain.

  She stood quietly there, watching the elegant woman bury her head in her knees, silently sorrowing. Even without a sobbing sound, she could feel the desolate atmosphere emanating from her. Her feet slowly lifted up, wanting to walk to the woman's side.

  But at this moment, countless pictures of his daughter's brocade flashed through his mind. There was a happy family of three, with his daughter flying and dancing in front of him, saying she liked Yu Qing Gege, her spoiled and willful self, being kicked out of the house and giving up on herself, marrying Su San with despair and hatred... But none of them were gentle and elegant. His daughter, he knew, had always been bright and bold, a spoiled young lady. She wouldn't be a gentle and wise woman, nor would she be a quiet and kind mountain beauty.

  Even if her daughter is in every way undesirable, she is still the one she carried for ten months and gave birth to, and now she is all she has. And yet, what she has now is being destroyed.

  She closed her eyes tightly, and scalding tears rolled down from the corners of her eyes.

  Tell me about your stuff.

  A sorrowful and choked voice rose in the quiet night, with a different kind of tragic grandeur.

  An Yan didn't raise her head, and just when Bai Shi thought she wouldn't respond, a low voice slowly came over.

  My words may sound absurd and ridiculous to you after listening, but that is my personal experience. I am not a person from here, but a person from another time and space. You may not understand it for the time being, to put it bluntly, I am from a dynasty many years later. In that place, I had already died, and when I woke up, I was also confused and powerless. When I first arrived, I didn't dare to tell the truth, thinking only of preserving my hard-won life. Originally, I planned to wait until things stabilized before telling you the truth. But then too many things happened in the White family, causing this matter to be delayed. That's how it is, and there's no way to answer anything else.

  Bai listened to these words, feeling as if he was in a dream, it was simply too absurd. But if things weren't like this, then what would they be like?

  A daughter who looks exactly the same, yet has a different temperament and wisdom. If it weren't for the fact that her inner soul had changed, how else could this be explained?

  In the trivialities of daily life, she also felt the difference in her daughter. She just tried hard to immerse herself in the joy of her daughter's improvement, not letting herself think wildly. But when An Yan showed off her extraordinary calmness and wisdom, Bai Shi could no longer deceive herself. A mother knows her child best, after all, and Bai Shi still understood what kind of person her own daughter was.

  I believe.

  Bai's lips parted slightly, and she forced out these few words. The utterance of these few words seemed to mean that she had acknowledged and accepted the fact that her daughter was no longer there.

  An slowly raised her head, a clear and delicate face with tears still wet.

  My daughter, I knew her well. Although in my heart she was perfect, but in the eyes of others, she ultimately wasn't a good girl. She chose to end her own life due to the misunderstanding of others, this was her own choice. And as her mother, what can I do now?

  Bai's mind slightly pondered, and he naturally knew that his daughter's drastic change began on a certain day, and he naturally guessed the day of her death. Now, under the premise of accepting the fact, Bai's despair in his heart had already reversed into a river. He felt a sense of hopelessness, as if life was meaningless.

  A thought suddenly flashed through her mind, and she blurted out: "You still have me, I'm also your daughter! Look at my eyebrows and eyes, how much they resemble yours. Don't you want to see this body surrounded by children and grandchildren, don't you want to see this body happy?"

  Bai's expression remained unchanged, his eyes hollowly staring at An Yan.

  An spoke anxiously in her heart, thinking quickly, and then hastily said: Don't you want to see this body get everyone's understanding? Don't you want to see the picture of a family reunion? If Tangshan knew that his most beloved daughter had already passed away, how sad would he be? If he knew that something unexpected happened to you because of this, how desperate would he be?

  Bai's body swayed slightly as he spoke, his dull and lifeless eyes flickering faintly.

  An Yan saw this and said sternly: Maybe one day your daughter will come back, who knows? Shouldn't you be keeping this body for her?

  Bai suddenly turned his head and said excitedly: Will she come back?

  It will happen, maybe one day it really will. Even something as miraculous as soul transference has happened, so what's to say that anything is impossible?

  At this moment, An suddenly felt a bit ironic in her heart. As she said, even such unpredictable things happened, what else can't happen?

  Bai Shi looked at An Yan, looking at her with a serious expression, looking at the eyebrows that resembled her own and Tang Shan's. In the end, she couldn't bear it. She thought to herself, maybe one day, those eyebrows would once again show a spoiled and arrogant expression. Once, she had hoped that her daughter could change for the better, getting rid of all the bad habits. But now, she was hoping to see her daughter's spoiled side again. Maternal love, the deepest and most profound emotion in this world. She always wished for her child to be good, no matter how naughty or mischievous they were, she still wrapped them in a deep and boundless love like the ocean. An Yan was very good, so good that Bai Shi couldn't find any flaws. She was gentle, elegant, intelligent, and loyal. She was brave... But, no matter how excellent An Yan was, she was not her own Jinyu. At this moment, all she wanted was her own child, the Jinyu that everyone disliked. However, in the end, it could only be said that fate played tricks on people. She couldn't resist and could only accept one way or another.

  Let's just pretend nothing happened today.

  Bai said weakly and then turned around and left.

  The mountain top is empty and desolate, with only the rustling sound of the wind blowing through the bamboo forest.

  She gazed quietly at the distant mountains with a hint of desolation in her eyes, feeling an emptiness in her heart.

  Bai's gentleness and kindness were just like those of a modern mother, making her unable to bear the thought of hurting him in the slightest. She had always thought she was strong enough, but it turned out that there was still weakness in her heart, reserved for her loved ones. In this unfamiliar place, Bai's gentleness gave her a sense of dependence. She also placed her feelings towards her mother and family on Bai and his family, searching hard for a sense of belonging.

  She was filled with confusion at this time, not knowing where her own significance lay, was it to make herself live well? Ah, living, is very important, only by living will there be hope. Living, will also have countless other possibilities. Her eyes sparkled slightly, and she followed down the mountain.

  When I returned to the White's house, Mrs. White was already lying in bed, but she had left out a place for Anwen. Everything looked as usual, yet somehow different.

  An's eyes softened slightly as she tidied herself up and lay down beside Bai Shi.

  The next day, when the warm sunlight shone into the room, An Yan also opened her eyes. Still a bit dazed, she looked around and saw that Bai Shi was still lying beside her with his eyes closed. She suddenly thought that nothing had happened. She sat up, but found that Bai Shi was completely still. Her heart skipped a beat as she reached out to check Bai Shi's breathing. Only when she discovered he was still breathing did she let out a sigh of relief.

  She suddenly smiled helplessly, thinking she was being overly suspicious.

  But soon she found something was wrong, and immediately reached out to touch Bai's forehead, which was scorching hot.

  Feverish, An Yan's eyebrows furrowed instantly.

  She leaned down and whispered in Mr. Bai's ear, "Mother..."

  Bai's eyelids moved slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes, saying weakly: "Hmm, what's going on?"

  After speaking, Bai Shi suddenly found that her voice was as thin as a mosquito's hum, and her body was also soft and weak. Suddenly, she said helplessly to An Yan: This body of mine is really not good enough.

  An Yan knew that Bai Shi's body was originally not good and needed to rest in bed for many years. Recently, the Bai family had too many things happen, and Bai Shi was busy running around, which made her lose even more health. Yesterday, she experienced a huge sorrow, so it's normal for her to fall ill today.

  An Yan looked at Madame Bai's frail face and felt a lump in her throat. She spoke softly, "Don't worry, Mother, just lie down for now. I'll go prepare some medicine soup, and you'll feel better after drinking it."

  After finishing speaking, An Yan quickly put on her clothes and went out of the room.

  She quickly walked into the kitchen, wanting to first cook a bowl of white porridge for Bai Shi to warm his stomach.

  Xiu Niang, don't be sad for now, let's think of a solution together during dinner.

  This was the voice of Eldest Sister-in-law Liu, An Yan had just walked to the kitchen door when he heard the sound of conversation coming from inside. An Yan didn't want to interrupt, turned around wanting to leave, but his thoughts were disrupted by the next voice.

  Watching my husband lying in bed every day, it feels like a knife is cutting through my heart. I know his body is weak and needs good medicine to recover. He knows it too, but with the current situation at home, we can't bring ourselves to say it out loud. My husband's prolonged silence has made him thin down to just skin and bones.

  Second brother Bai An, that serious and silent man, must be powerless now. At this time, he can't help the family, and maybe even feel like a burden to himself.

  She turned her head to look at the sky outside and found that it was already late, so she had to put aside her original plan to go into the mountains to pick some herbs.

  She stood outside for a while, waiting until the conversation inside was over, before walking in with an unchanged expression.

  She saw a worried look on Liu's face, and Xiū Niáng's eyes were red, obviously having cried earlier.

  Mom's body is a bit uncomfortable, she's lying in bed resting now, I came over to cook some plain porridge for mom.

  After entering the kitchen, An didn't mention anything else and instead focused on the green vegetables and scallions placed inside, planning to make some vegetable congee later.

  There is still some good rice here, take it and use it, sister-in-law.

  Liu said as he walked to the corner and took out a small sack of fine rice.

  An Yan smiled at Liu Shi and walked over to take the sack of rice from her hands, scooping out some grains. Next came rinsing the rice and washing the vegetables. An Yan's cooking skills were exceptional, whether stir-frying or boiling porridge. As a result, when the clear porridge was cooked, its subtle aroma instantly filled the kitchen, making one's mouth water at the scent.

  Jinxiu sister, this porridge you cooked is really good, just smelling it makes me drool.

  Upon hearing the praise, An's expression remained gentle and warm, with a hint of warmth at the corners of his eyes and eyebrows.

  Sister-in-law is overpraising me.

  An said with a smile to Liu's wife, then turned her head and said to Xiū Niáng: "Second sister-in-law, I cooked a bit too much congee today. If you don't mind, would you like to take some for second brother-in-law to try?"

  Xiu Niang was taken aback, turned her head and looked at An Yan in surprise, wondering if she had just misheard something. But she quickly reacted and thanked her sincerely: Thank you, Jin Xiu sister.

  Second sister-in-law, don't be polite with me. And you and big sister-in-law shouldn't call me Jin Xiu younger sister either, it sounds strange, just call me Jin Xiu.

  Good, brocade.

  Liu immediately smiled and nodded in agreement, looking at An Yan's gaze filled with fondness. Xiuniang still had a worried look in her eyes, but when she looked at An Yan, her gaze was warm.

  When An Yan returned to the room with a bowl of clear congee, she found Madame Bai sitting on the bed. She quickly walked over, put down the tray, and nervously tucked in the corner of Madame Bai's quilt, saying softly: "Mother, you must take care of your body. Your sisters-in-law still need your support, and don't you want to see the White family flourish again?" After hearing An Yan's words, Madame Bai lifted her head, looked at An Yan with a complex expression, and her voice finally softened. "Actually, you didn't do anything wrong, it's just that I couldn't let go. Alright, alright, it seems that the King of Hell doesn't want to take my life yet, so I'll live for a few more years, watch your children and grandchildren grow up, and see the White family rise again."

  I believe everything will come true.

  A confident glow emanated from between her eyebrows and eyes, set against a clear and radiant complexion that dazzled the eye, almost making Bai Shi's eyes go wide with wonder.

  Mom, have some porridge first.

  An softly placed the porridge in her hand and personally fed Bai Shi spoonful by spoonful. Bai Shi's eyes were slightly moist, eating mouthful by mouthful, with a sense of vast changes in his heart.

  After feeding Bai Shi and helping her lie down, An Yan left the room. At this time, it was also breakfast time, when she came to the main hall, everyone was waiting for her.

  She hurried over to her seat, and it was only then that her aunt began to move her chopsticks, and everyone else started eating breakfast as well. An Yan ate while thinking about today's plans. First, she would go with Eldest Brother and his wife to discuss the cooperation of whip bamboo with Zhang Tiejiang's family, and they might even have lunch there. In the afternoon, she planned to go into the mountains to take a look around and see if there were any suitable medicinal herbs. Whether it was something that suited the White family or the Bai An family, or whether it could be taken to the county seat to sell, anything would do.

  Jin Yu, shall we bring the whip when we go over later?

  Liu's meal was eaten halfway when he suddenly asked An Yan a question.

  "This question, An Yan turned his head to look at Bai Ping, who immediately replied: No need, yesterday I and Zhang Zi discussed it, he said that this morning he would get up early to pick some bamboo shoots. In this way, we, the Bai family, don't have to touch the bamboo shoots again, and avoid raising suspicion. Jin Xiu, do you think my idea is correct?"

  Bai Ping now feels that An Yan is like a military strategist of the Bai family, whatever she says must be correct.

  Great, Big Brother is becoming more and more cautious.

  Bai Ping has always been a straightforward person, but today he was unexpectedly praised by his clever and elegant cousin for being cautious, and suddenly felt a sense of satisfaction.

  Don't flatter him, or he will become arrogant and make mistakes.

  Ping'er's temperament really needs to be tempered and refined.

  At this time, Wang, who had been quiet all along, also spoke up. As soon as Bai Ping heard it, he immediately became serious and solemn, with a look of earnestly listening to the lecture.

  Everyone else at the table was amused by Bai Ping's quick transformation and hurriedly lowered their heads to eat.

  After having breakfast, the three of them set off.

  White flat daughter-in-law, where is this going?

  Just walking along, I met an auntie head-on. When Liu saw the person coming, she immediately called out in a soft voice: "Song Auntie, Bai Ping plans to go hunting in the mountains to make a living. Yesterday, he agreed with Zhang Tiejiang's family to forge some bows and arrows. Today, taking advantage of having time, he went over to take a look at how they were forged."

  The woman called Song Auntie looked to be in her thirties, with hair combed neatly and a simple wooden hairpin on her head, giving off an impression of being clean and refreshing. At this moment, Song Auntie was holding a basin of clothes in her arms, seemingly about to go out to wash them.

  Hunting, you have to take it one step at a time, don't be greedy. Bai Ping, Auntie told you, but you can't enter the depths of the mountain, you can only be active on the outskirts of Green Bamboo Mountain.

  Thank you, Auntie, I remember what White Ping said.

  At a glance, Aunt Song appears to be a kind-hearted person. When she speaks, her face is warm and gentle, with a soft smile, listening quietly.

  Song aunt instructed Bai Ping, and then discovered An Yan standing quietly on the side, suddenly feeling a bright light in front of her eyes. The delicate face was like a lotus flower in early water, those elegant and refined eyes seemed like a clear spring between mountains, sparkling and clean. The shallow smile on her face was like a cloud at the edge of the sky, pure and soft, making people feel good.

  Su San's wife, it's been a long time and you look quite different now.

  Recently, there have been too many things happening at home, and I should also grow up and be more sensible, otherwise it would be a waste of living.

  Aunt Song nodded repeatedly, thinking that people can make mistakes, after all, who is perfect? The key is to know when you're wrong and correct it, then you're still a good kid.

  Good, good child.

  Song aunt comfortingly said, then stretched out her hand and patted An Yan's shoulder, as a gesture of encouragement.

  Song Aunt carried a wooden basin and continued to walk forward, while Liu Shi turned her head and said to An Yan: Song Aunt is a very kind-hearted person, and she has a good relationship with her mother-in-law. In the past, she often came to our house and treated Fat Ya extremely well, always bringing delicious food and fun things for Fat Ya. Actually, Song Aunt is also a pitiful person. She lost her husband at a young age and lived with one son and one daughter. Song Aunt's daughter worked as a maid in a wealthy family in the county, and her son did odd jobs in a wine shop in the county. The income of the two siblings was quite considerable. Song Aunt also managed to make ends meet, and today she lives a relatively good life in the village. However, Song Aunt's personality has not changed at all, still being kind-hearted and straightforward.

  Listening to Mrs. Liu's words, An's heart was actually thinking about other things. It seems that this Song aunt is also a reliable person, and if there are any matters that need someone to come forward in the future, the Song family will also be a good choice. However, it's a bit too early to think about these things now.

  "Hey, isn't this Miss Tang from the Tang family? How come you're out alone today? Where are your maids and servants? And where is your luxurious carriage?"

  Just as the three of them were about to continue on their way after a brief pause, a shrill and mocking voice suddenly echoed in their ears.

  An Yan's eyebrows slightly furrowed, and when she looked up, she saw a woman standing in front of her. The woman was wearing a bright red dress and had a silver hairpin on her head. Her face and figure were quite striking, with a hint of arrogance at the corners of her eyes and eyebrows. With just one glance, An Yan's mind flashed back to information about this woman, leaving a deep impression. Because in this village, if anyone was said to be most incompatible with Tang Jin Xiu, it would be this woman - Fang Jiao Jiao, the village flower of Green Bamboo Village.

  The Fang family is also a prominent household in Green Bamboo Village, with tens of acres of good land and capable people. The women in the family are also clever and thrifty, managing the household affairs well. As a result, the Fang family has been thriving. Mr. Fang had only one son, Fang Daming, who was the father of Fang Jiaojiao. Fang Daming married Ye Ruhua, the village beauty of Green Bamboo Village at that time, and they have two sons and one daughter. This daughter is naturally Fang Jiaojiao, who is the apple of everyone's eye in the Fang family because she is their only daughter and as beautiful as a flower. Many young men in Green Bamboo Village wanted to marry her, but Fang Jiaojiao looked down on these country bumpkins. Nevertheless, she was still the village beauty of Green Bamboo Village, with a somewhat arrogant personality.

  Ever since Tang Jinxiu arrived, things have changed a bit. With her elegant appearance and noble upbringing, she has surpassed Fang Jiaojiao in terms of dressing up. And if compared to being arrogant and willful, Tang Jinxiu is not much better. As a result, Fang Jiaojiao hates this Tang Jinxiu who steals the spotlight from her, and will definitely make things difficult for Tang Jinxiu whenever she gets the chance.

  She didn't finish her breakfast and was about to go out for a walk, but as soon as she saw Tang Jinxiu, she immediately became like a cat seeing fish, rushing over with sarcasm.

  Now that the Bai family has fallen, Fang Jiaojiao thinks that Tang Jinxiu must be trembling with fear when she sees her.

  Bai Ping and Liu saw Fang Jiao Jiao, both of their faces turned cold. In the past, when facing the friction and contradictions between the two, Bai Ping and Liu were always turning a blind eye, thinking that they were half a catty and eight taels, and neither was wrong. But now it's different, An Yan is their clever and elegant cousin in their hearts.

  Jiaojiao, if you haven't eaten well this early morning, go back and eat your fill before coming out again. Don't make a scene here, it's not good to be seen by others.

  Bai Ping was after all a man and didn't dare to retort, but Liu had no such scruples and immediately spoke up, saying that Fang Jiaojiao was being unreasonable and making a scene, telling her not to lose face here.

  Fang Jiao's face turned red with anger and shame, she stood up straight, her eyes blazing with fury, and shouted: "You people from the White family are really something else! You're actually ganging up on me? Don't you fear that Grandfather White won't be able to rest in peace if you bully a weak woman like me?"

  As soon as Fang Jiao's words fell, Bai Ping's face immediately turned icy cold. He glared at her with a pair of eyes that were as deep and calm as water, his voice low and menacing: "What did you say? Say it again? Believe me or not, I'll hit you. Although I don't usually hit women, someone like you with a dirty mouth doesn't count as a woman. If I hit you, I'll just hit you."

  What did you say? Say it again? Believe me, I'll hit you. Although I don't usually hit women, someone with a dirty mouth like yours doesn't count as a woman. If I hit you, I'll just hit you.

  The scene was temporarily out of control, Fang Jiao's words had completely touched Bai Ping's reverse scales.

  Liu immediately grasped Bai Ping's hand, silently comforting him.

  Jiang Jiao was also frightened at this time, she had never known that the open and chivalrous eldest son of the Bai family would have such a gloomy expression. The furious look seemed like a roaring beast. She took a step back in fear, but quickly reacted, why should she be afraid of this orphaned Bai Ping? She was the village flower of Green Bamboo Village, the daughter of the Fang family who was pampered and spoiled, how could she be bullied like this?

  She suddenly became furious, her eyebrows inverted, and the corners of her mouth were full of sarcasm. You want to hit me? Fine, come on, I'd like to see how a Bai family member bullies a weak woman!

  Fang Jiao Jiao confidently pushed her body forward, with an expression that said "if you don't dare to hit me, then you're a coward".

  Liu and An Yan saw that things were not going well, so they hastily grabbed Bai Ping from both sides, fearing that he would really do something impulsive in his anger. At this time, the White family was probably unable to withstand too many storms.

  Although Bai Ping was furious, he felt that his two arms were tightly held and still had a thread of clarity in his heart. Therefore, he also slowly calmed down and decided to swallow this bad breath.

  It was just Fang Jiao who didn't think so, she saw that Bai Ping didn't dare to hit her, and suddenly became even bolder, taking a big step forward to stand in front of Bai Ping, with an angry expression saying: "How come you're not hitting me? Humph, since I'm dead, I'll be honest for once, otherwise my old man won't be able to rest in peace under the nine springs."

  Fang Jiao finished speaking, with a triumphant look on her face, and turned to leave. But in the instant she turned around, she felt a strong force coming from beside her, and her cheek hurt. She fell to one side onto the ground.

  Fang JiaoJiao suddenly lifted her head from the ground, her eyes filled with incredulity, and she was stunned. She numbly reached out to touch her swollen cheek, and her eyes were instantly misty. Then, under the gaze of An Yan and the others, she suddenly let out a loud wail.

  Bai Ping's face was gloomy as he stared at Fang Jiao Jiao, who was wailing on the ground. His hands were clenched tightly, struggling to suppress the surging anger in his heart. If Fang Jiao Jiao weren't a woman, he would have rushed forward and beaten her half to death by now. In the end, he still considered his family and the Bai household, and endured it once again.

  An Wen looked at Fang Jiao Jiao, who was acting like a big show on the ground, with no sympathy in her eyes, only mockery and pleasure. Bai Ping's actions were within her expectations, and she also felt that Fang Jiao Jiao really deserved to be taught a lesson. As for what happened next, she thought Bai Ping did nothing wrong. Those who humiliate others will always be humiliated themselves. Fang Jiao Jiao, this is what you get. If it were her, she would also want to slap this woman.

  Liu's expression was not so optimistic, standing there in a daze, muttering to himself: What can be done? Fang Daming is a fierce and overbearing man who dotes on this daughter. Moreover, Fang Jiaojiao's uncle Ye's family is also not easy to provoke, what should we do now?

  It doesn't matter, we didn't do anything wrong, Fang Jiao was being unreasonable and arrogant first. Let's go, don't bother with her, let's go to Zhang Tiejiang's house to discuss the important matters.

  He finished speaking in a calm and gentle tone, then reached out to pull Liu's hand and left, with Bai Ping closely following behind.

  At this time, most people had gone to work in the fields, so Fang Jiao's commotion on the road didn't attract anyone's attention.

  Jiang Jiao watched the three men leave, feeling a bit stunned. It shouldn't be like this, they should be cowering in fear on one side, waiting for their family members to come and settle the score, right? Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, she could only get up, crying all the way back to the Jiang's house. This time, it attracted quite a bit of attention, with everyone wondering who the blind fool was that dared to provoke this spoiled village flower.

  An Yan and the other two had already entered Zhang Tie's home. Zhang Tie and his wife warmly welcomed them into the main hall.

  Zhang Zi, is your whip ready?

  Don't worry, I went with my wife this morning and picked a big bunch, which is just enough.

  Zhang Tiejiang, a blacksmith, was stout and rough in appearance, with a dark complexion. At this moment, he was thumping his chest to guarantee something. His wife, Chunniang, was smiling warmly on the side, her face calm and gentle.

  "Right, is this really edible? Normally, poor families wouldn't eat this unless they had no other choice. Now, it's going to be sold for money, but who would buy it?"

  Zhang Tienniu trusted Bai Ping, but he still didn't dare believe that selling scallions could be a thing.

  When Bai Ping heard Zhang Tie Niu say this, he said with great displeasure: "Zhangzi, it's because of our good relationship and brotherly affection that I came to cooperate with you. Once the whip is made, don't come begging me to cooperate with you."

  Zhang Tieniu didn't wait for Bai Ping to finish speaking and already had an expression of distrust.

  He didn't say a word, he just turned his head and looked at An Yan, with confidence in his eyes.

  An smiled and let Chunniang take him to the kitchen.

  Bai Pinghe and Zhang Tie were drinking and chatting in the main room, while An Yanliu and Chunniang went to the kitchen to deal with the scallions.

  The kitchen of the Zhang family is very large, twice as big as the Bai family's kitchen, extremely spacious and bright, An Yan looked at it and was taken aback.

  At this time, there was a land of bamboo shoots in the corner, and you could still see the morning dew on it, which was very fresh.

  It's you two who have been working hard as a couple.

  An Yan glanced at the whip on the ground and then smiled and thanked Chun Niang.

  Chunniang's face turned slightly red after hearing this, and she looked very shy.

  This is what we should do. I heard from Bai Dage that Jinxiu sister can make bamboo shoots into a delicious dish for adults, and I've been very curious about it. Now, I can finally take a good look at it.

  When Chunniang smiled, her eyebrows and eyes curved like a crescent moon, looking very beautiful.

  I'll make a fool of myself then.

  An said something while squatting down to pick out a few tender shoots of bamboo from the corner of the wall, then stood up and smiled at Liu Shi and Chun Niang, saying: "Trouble you two to help me with this."

  Liu and Chunniang naturally smiled and accepted, taking over the whip from An Yan's hand to seriously peel and wash it.

  An then started washing pots, chopping scallions and adjusting seasonings.

  The three of them worked together like a well-oiled machine, not a hint of panic in sight. In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the kitchen was filled with a rich aroma.

  In the main room of the Tang's house, Zhang Tie Niu suddenly sniffed his nose while chatting with Bai Ping excitedly. What is this smell? It smells so good that my intestines are all hooked out.

  Hehe......

  White and calm but smiling without speaking, with a mysterious look on his face.

  Is this the taste of bamboo shoots?

  Zhang Tieniu saw the expression on Bai Ping's face and immediately thought of the answer, suddenly exclaiming in disbelief. He stood up and quickly walked towards the kitchen, with Bai Ping following behind him with a calm smile.

  At this time in the kitchen, Chunniang had quickly laid out a tablecloth and the three of them were already seated at the table, planning to taste the dishes first.

  Before even picking up his chopsticks, Zhang Tie Niu quickly walked in and saw the colorful and fragrant bamboo shoots on the table. He couldn't help but sit down immediately.

  He didn't wait for anyone else to greet him, and directly picked up a pair of chopsticks from the table, clamping down on a large piece of bamboo shoots. As the crisp and refreshing bamboo shoots entered his mouth, the unspeakable deliciousness instantly captured Zhang Tie Niu's taste buds. He slightly closed his eyes, carefully savoring this flavor he had never experienced before, with an inexplicable sense of intimacy in his heart.

  Seeing Zhang Tieniu's reaction, An Yan knew that the Bai family's plan had succeeded halfway. With this premise, the Zhang family would also go all out to make a good deal.

  As expected, after really tasting the delicious bamboo shoots, Zhang Tie Niu couldn't stop praising them and complimented Bai Ping for having a conscience to bring such good business to him.

  Because of this premise, the discussion of cooperation afterwards is very smooth. Bai Ping also reminded Zhang's couple during this period that this cooperation cannot be known to others. This time, the sale of whip bamboo can only be said to be thought out by Chunniang, and the whole business is entirely responsible for the Zhang family. Zhang Tie Niu also has some understanding of what happened to the Bai family, so he fully understands the caution of the Bai family, and the couple promised to keep it confidential.

  After the confidential matters were settled, they moved on to discuss the specific division of labor. The Bai family was responsible for developing new dishes using bamboo shoots, while the Zhang family was in charge of stir-frying the bamboo shoots and handling subsequent tasks such as contacting buyers.

  Then the two families also discussed some details of the cooperation and finally confirmed that there was no mistake before An Yan San bid farewell and left.

  Because of the successful cooperation, all three people were in a good mood, but this good mood disappeared completely when they arrived at the White family's door.

  At this time, the entrance of the White family was surrounded by three layers inside and three layers outside. From the innermost part of the siege, there were occasional voices insulting the White family.

  How come all of you from the Bai family want to be cowards now?

  Don't think that just because someone died at home, you can be lawless and unruly.

  Quickly let Bai Ping and Tang Jinxiu come out to apologize, otherwise this matter between our Fang family and your Bai family will not be over.

  Not bad, our Ye family also has unfinished business with your Bai family.

  ……

  It's already clear what happened inside without looking. Fang Jiao surprisingly brought so many reinforcements, bringing both the Fang and Ye families, which is quite troublesome now. Because they were all focused on the bamboo shoots, this matter was quickly dismissed. But who would have thought that Fang Jiao would be shameless enough to bring both families to the White family's doorstep to cause trouble?

  Bai Ping's face turned red with anger, and he was about to rush forward, but fortunately, An Yan managed to hold him back.

  Bai Ping turned around, his eyes still flashing with anger, but looking at An Yan's face, he saw that it had slightly softened.

  Don't rush out, wait for me to think of a solution. Otherwise, going out like this now will only make things worse.

  Bai Ping's eyes fell as he spoke softly, and slowly lowered his head. After a few breaths, he raised it again, with a look of restraint on his face.

  A comforting thought in mind, brain quickly spinning, thinking of a solution.

  She thought to herself while secretly observing the situation around her, and found that the trend seemed to be leaning towards Fang Jiaojiao. Her gaze paused on Fang Jiaojiao's red and swollen cheek, and she thought to herself, isn't this all about gaining sympathy? Fine, let's see who's more ruthless.

  An Yan has always been a gentle and elegant person, but today's actions are absolutely forced by circumstances, it should be the first time in his life.

  After making up her mind, An Xun took off the wooden hairpin on her head and gently combed it a few times. Instantly, her hair became disheveled, looking quite desolate.

  Bai Ping looked at her cousin's behavior and was startled, whispering on the side: "Jin Xiu, what are you doing?"

  Acting, pretending to be pitiful.

  He spoke briefly and concisely, quickly stating his ideas and methods.

  On one side, Liu's eyes quickly lit up with understanding and admiration.

  An Yan messed up her hair and still felt it wasn't enough, so she gritted her teeth and used a hairpin to tear several large holes in her clothes.

  Is it tragic or not?

  She turned her head slightly to look at Bai Pinghe and Liu Shi, with a faintly ethereal light in her elegant eyes, her voice soft and gentle.

  Terrible, too terrible.

  The two of them, Bai Ping and Liu, surprisingly showed a remarkable consistency, speaking in unison in low voices.

  An softly spoke, his eyes scanning the scene, and saw that the Fang family's side was already in a great commotion. He then stretched out his hand to push a middle-aged man in front of him, and asked timidly: "What happened?"

  A middle-aged man felt someone calling him, so he turned his head around. When he saw An Yan's disheveled and desolate appearance, he was startled and his voice of surprise was uncontrollable. "Sān Yàn's wife, what's wrong with you? How did you end up like this? Has someone bullied you?"

  His loud voice made everyone around turn their heads to look over. This one glance was all it took for things to take a turn for the worse.

  Isn't this Tang Jinxiu? She's beautiful, but has a spoiled and arrogant personality. It's said that she's changed a lot recently and become gentle and sensible. However, the changes are more believable to the Bai family than to others in the village who have only heard about it. Therefore, the good side of Tang Jinxiu's personality is still unclear. Those images of her being overbearing and arrogant are deeply ingrained, but now seeing her looking so spoiled and willful yet appearing as if she's been beaten, suddenly makes all the villagers' eyes widen in surprise.

  What's going on here? Didn't Fang Jiao just say that the eldest son of the Bai family beat her up? But looking at it now, it seems like Su San's wife was the one who got beaten instead?

  It's obvious that he has suffered a huge blow.

  Su San's wife, what on earth happened? Just say it out loud. We're all neighbors here, and we'll help if we can.

  At this moment, An was calm and quiet, with a disheveled appearance. Compared to Fang Jiao Jiao who was loudly scolding and gesticulating wildly over there, An looked more pitiful and had greater persuasive power and attack strength.

  At this time, the Fang and Ye families, who were standing at the entrance of the Bai family's house, hastily squeezed out of the crowd and came to An Yan's side, all with an incredulous look on their faces, clearly unable to understand the current situation.

  An spoke in a trembling voice, "Miss Fang, I'm really sorry. When you hit me, I shouldn't have fought back."

  Fang Jiao Jiao heard this and was immediately stunned, pointing at An Yan with her hand and scolding loudly: "What are you talking about?"

  Yes, I won't speak. It's all my fault, Big Brother saw me being beaten too badly and wanted to stop you. I just didn't expect to lose control of my strength and hit your face. What can be done about this? I know you're the village flower, the Fang family in Green Bamboo Village is like a tyrant, lawless and unbridled. Next time, I won't dare again. The words you said today, I will remember them clearly. From now on, whenever I see someone from the Fang family, I'll take a detour to avoid them.

  An Yan didn't give Fang Jiao a chance to react, and in one breath, she rattled off everything.

  As An Yan's words fell, the onlookers were in an uproar, never expecting the Fang family to be so arrogant.

  Overlord? Fang Daming seems to have made a lot of money recently, and now he's acting like the king of Green Bamboo Village?

  It's true, the Fang family has money and a beautiful daughter. Nowadays, the Fang family is really something else. For us ordinary people, it's better to take a detour when we see someone from the Fang family in the future. Otherwise, we might also be visited by others in the future.

  What's going on here? Is the villain suing first?

  Those words had a huge impact, and the villagers' nerves were deeply stimulated. At this moment, one by one, they all accused Fang's family in indignation.

  This is mainly because Fang's family has always been arrogant, and the villagers have been holding back their anger while watching the Bai family get rich. But today, An Yan's words can be said to have ignited the long-held resentment in everyone's hearts.

  Fang Jiao's father, Fang Daming, was a stout middle-aged man with a big belly sticking out in front of him, looking like he was five or six months pregnant. At this time, he awkwardly moved his body and saw the anger of the surrounding villagers, hastily explaining: "Misunderstanding, there must be some misunderstanding here." How I, Fang Daming, behave, how our family conducts ourselves on a daily basis, isn't it all clear to everyone? Now, don't let the words of this abandoned daughter from a merchant family stir up trouble in our neighborhood relationships.

  Fang Daming's words were extremely irritating to the villagers' ears. The Fang family was already very arrogant in their daily behavior, and now they were speaking so hypocritically, which further enraged the surrounding villagers.

  Jiao Jiao below was also a bit panicked, just now everyone was still standing on their side, waiting to see the excitement of the Bai family. Who knew that in just a blink of an eye, the situation had undergone a huge reversal.

  Bai Ping stared at the dramatic change with a dazed expression, and asked in confusion: "Isn't this change too sudden? Just now, the Fang family and Ye family were shouting and screaming at us Bai family. Now they're all busy and can't keep up, looking at the villagers' expressions, it seems like they've had enough."

  This is about diverting attention. If we had rushed out and argued with them just now, we would have definitely lost the argument. They were in the majority, and their saliva alone could have drowned us. Therefore, we should change our approach. Aren't they not victims, but rather seeking justice? Well, I'll let her transform from a victim to a perpetrator, making them the target of public attack. Look, the Bai and Ye families don't even have time to care about us now, they're busy dealing with their own problems.

  Softly speaking, the three of them quietly entered the White family's home.

  Outside the White family's gate, there was a commotion, but inside the White family's gate, it was quiet. An Yan thought that his aunt and others might not care about what was happening outside, but as soon as he entered the gate, he saw everyone standing in the courtyard with serious expressions, looking worried. When they saw the three of them enter safely, they finally felt a little relieved. However, when they saw An Yan's appearance, they were still worried.

  Bai rushed over first, carefully examining An Yan before comforting him by saying: Fortunately, you're not injured, fortunately, fortunately.

  An Yan looked at Bai Shi with a relieved expression, feeling warmth in her heart. It was indeed true that people's hearts are made of flesh, and as long as one treats others with sincerity, they will eventually get a response.

  Aunt Wang glanced at the three of them and said lightly: This matter is over, just be more careful in the future.

  Yes.

  Three people are busy responding, and they also know that they made a mistake today, making everyone worry. Especially my mother, Bai Shi, who is still ill and should be resting in bed. She must have been disturbed by things outside and forced herself to get up.

  An Yan was blaming himself in his heart, when he suddenly felt a weight on him. He turned his head to see that Bai Shi was unsteady and half of her body was leaning against him. Originally, Bai Shi had been holding on because she was worried about the three of them, but now that she relaxed, she felt like all her energy had been drained away, and she couldn't even stand steadily.

  An Yan was shocked and asked: Mother, what's wrong?

  Everyone rushed up, and Bai saw the worried faces of the crowd, forcing a smile: I'm fine, just a bit tired, going back to rest will be okay. Jinxiu, you help mother back to the room.

  Bai didn't want everyone to worry and didn't want to hold anyone back because of his own body, so he just smiled lightly, with an air of being unaffected.

  Aunt Wang's face was full of worry, but the current situation of the Bai family is really difficult. The youngest son was seriously injured and has been bedridden due to lack of money for medicine. Now, they can only hope that their niece's plan will come true and the Bai family's days will slowly get better.

  An softly supported Bai back to her room, laid her on the bed, settled her in and watched as she closed her eyes to rest before leaving the door.

  As soon as I came out of the house door, I saw my elder cousin Bai Ping standing outside the door and exclaimed: Elder cousin, are you waiting for me?

  Bai Ping's complexion was somewhat pale, and his eyes were stubbornly strong. Now that Auntie and Second Brother are both ill, this medicine is absolutely indispensable. In the future, it will leave behind a root of illness, but for now...

  Bai Ping's words trailed off here, leaving behind only a deep sigh.

  An Yan also knew about the Bai family's situation. The saying "a single coin can make a hero fall" isn't unreasonable after all. Isn't the Bai family facing such a predicament now?