Lin Zhixia tentatively touched the rosewood box and silently thought, “Store.”

The next second, the box vanished from where it was and appeared inside the thatched hut in her space.

Even though she had been mentally prepared, Lin Zhixia was still astonished by the magical scene before her. Her eyes widened as she repeatedly played with it—store, retrieve, retrieve, store—having a great time.

It wasn’t until she heard the sound of a door opening that she finally stopped.

Xie Jingheng came over carrying a first-aid kit. He carefully disinfected her finger with iodine, his expression serious and focused as if he were carrying out an extremely important task.

A warm feeling spread through Lin Zhixia’s heart. The more she looked at the man, the more pleasing he seemed.

The next morning, while Lin Zhixia was still asleep, familiar shouting came from downstairs.

After getting dressed, she went down to see what was happening. It turned out that the original owner’s grandmother had come to the house.

At that moment, the old woman was pointing at Mother Xie’s nose and yelling:

“Has your Xie family gone so poor that you can’t survive anymore?

If your son can’t afford to support a wife, then he shouldn’t have gotten married in the first place! What kind of ability is it to encourage your daughter-in-law to go back to her parents’ home and ask for money?

He’s tall and strong, yet he can’t even support his own wife. Useless and spineless! Why doesn’t he just smash his head into a block of tofu and die?

If I had such a worthless son, I would’ve beaten him to death myself long ago so he wouldn’t bring shame to the family!

You people look respectable on the outside, but you’re doing things so shameless that even country folk wouldn’t stoop to them!

Aren’t you afraid of being laughed at if word gets out?

I’m telling you, return everything immediately! Otherwise, this isn’t over!”

Old Madam Lin was incredibly arrogant, showing none of the fawning attitude she once had toward Mother Xie when the Xie family was still influential.

“How can you talk like that?” Xie Qingshu shouted angrily. “Whatever Lin Zhixia did has nothing to do with my mother!

If you want someone to blame, go find her!

And whether my brother is capable or not is none of your business. Stop sticking your nose into other people’s affairs!

You’re so obsessed with meddling in other families’ business—what, has everyone in your own family died, leaving no one for you to manage?”

“You little wretch…” Old Madam Lin exploded with rage.

She raised her hand and stepped forward, intending to teach Xie Qingshu a lesson.

Liu Xiaolan quickly patted her arm and reminded her, “Mom, she’s come downstairs.”

Turning around, Old Madam Lin spotted Lin Zhixia and immediately shouted,

“Lin Zhixia! Return the money and valuables right now!

Otherwise, I won’t acknowledge you as my granddaughter anymore!”

Lin Zhixia’s eyes lit up.

There was such a good thing?

The original owner’s uncle was no good, and her grandmother was even worse. She played favorites to an outrageous degree.

Back when the original owner’s father was still around, she constantly squeezed money out of him to support the uncle’s family.

After her father was sent away, she pressured Lin Zhixia into bringing money and ration coupons from the Xie family, all of which ended up in the uncle’s hands.

The original owner had been foolish enough to comply. Since her grandmother, who strongly favored sons over daughters, liked her male cousin more than her, she desperately tried to earn her grandmother’s affection by giving away money and coupons.

Over the year she had been married into the Xie family, she had no idea how much she had given away.

Originally, Lin Zhixia hadn’t planned to demand any of it back.

After all, once something had been given away, how could she ask for it back? Even rabbits bite when cornered, let alone a bunch of opportunists like the Lin family.

Besides, it would look terrible if gifts given by a married daughter to her natal family were reclaimed. Her own reputation might not matter, but the Xie family’s reputation would be dragged down as well.

And in this era, reputation was extremely important.

But now these people actually had the nerve to come to her door and insult Mother Xie and Xie Jingheng.

Lin Zhixia wasn’t the forgiving type.

A flash of inspiration struck her mind.

Suddenly, she came up with a brilliant idea.

An idea that could solve the problem of these rotten relatives once and for all.

Seeing that Lin Zhixia remained silent, Old Madam Lin impatiently urged,

“Lin Zhixia, are you deaf? Hurry up and return everything!”

“Grandma, Auntie, I want to return it too, but…”

Liu Xiaolan’s smile froze.

“But what? Hurry up and tell us!”

“But the things aren’t with me anymore.”

Lin Zhixia suddenly began crying.

“Yesterday, after I got them, I went straight to the Revolutionary Committee. I wanted to use the money and jewelry to pull some strings so I wouldn’t have to suffer in the countryside with the Xie family.

But they took everything and still refused to help. They said they needed another two thousand yuan before they’d consider it.”

She looked at them pleadingly.

“Grandma, Auntie, lend me another two thousand yuan.

Otherwise, I’ll have to go to the countryside and suffer with the Xie family! I can’t endure that kind of hard life.

You’re my closest family. Surely, you’d be willing to help me. You wouldn’t bear to watch me suffer in the countryside, right?”

As she spoke, she grabbed their hands and promised,

“Don’t worry. I’ll pay it back. I promise that as soon as I have money in the future, I’ll return every cent.

Grandma, Auntie, let’s go home and get the money right now. I’ll come with you.”

She smiled as she urged them, sounding as though they had already agreed to lend her the money.

Hearing this, Liu Xiaolan was so shocked that she finally came back to her senses and quickly pulled her hand away.

“No money! I don’t have any money to lend you! The little money we had left was already taken by you yesterday!

Zhixia, it’s not that I’m criticizing you, but why can’t you use your brain?

Who gives gifts before getting a promise? You should’ve gotten their agreement first and then sent the gifts!

Now look at what happened. Everything’s gone!”

The more she spoke, the angrier she became.

If Lin Zhixia hadn’t been pregnant—and if she weren’t worried about being falsely accused—she would have slapped her several times to vent her frustration.

How could anyone be this stupid?

It was stupidity beyond belief.

Liu Xiaolan’s words were relatively restrained. Old Madam Lin, however, had no such reservations.

She forcefully shook off Lin Zhixia’s arm and cursed,

“Are you a pig? How did your parents give birth to such an idiot?

And you actually have the nerve to ask us for money? Do you even think your life is worth two thousand yuan?

You useless girl! If I’d known you were this stupid, I would’ve told your father to throw you away back then instead of letting you grow up and become a burden on the family!”

Xie Qingshu couldn’t stand it anymore.

Seeing Lin Zhixia standing there crying like a fool, she stepped in front of her and said,

“Grandma Lin, maybe your life isn’t worth two thousand yuan. After all, you’re already so old and don’t have many years left.

But my sister-in-law is different. To us, her life is worth far more than two thousand yuan.

My brother and father will be back soon. If they find out you came here to bully my mother and sister-in-law, what do you think they’ll do?”

“What will they do?” Old Madam Lin shouted.

“Do you think they’d dare hit me?

I’ll stay right here and wait for them to come back!”

Old Madam Lin wasn’t afraid.

But Liu Xiaolan certainly didn’t dare stay any longer.

The Xie men might not dare touch the old woman, but she herself wasn’t so sure she’d be safe.

Half dragging and half persuading, she finally pulled Old Madam Lin away.

After the two left, Xie Qingshu frowned, about to say something.

But when she turned around and looked at Lin Zhixia, she was so startled that she nearly jumped…