Lin Zhixia glanced at the space, where roughly thirty square meters had now been occupied. Nearly everything inside was useful or valuable. A satisfied smile spread across her face as she happily headed toward her next target.

Things didn’t go quite as smoothly at Old Madam Lin’s house.

When she arrived, the old woman was sitting in the main hall trimming green beans for dinner while humming an opera tune whose lyrics couldn’t be made out.

The moment she saw Lin Zhixia, however, her face darkened immediately, as though Lin Zhixia owed her a fortune.

Seeing Lin Zhixia approach the doorway, she pointed a finger at her and shouted,

“You wretched girl, get out! You’re not allowed into my house!”

As she spoke, she hurried to the entrance, slammed the door shut behind her, and planted her broad, heavy body firmly in front of it, completely blocking the way.

Lin Zhixia was stunned.

It was like someone handing her a pillow just as she was getting sleepy.

She had been wondering how to lure Old Madam Lin outside, and now the woman had done it herself.

In that case, she wouldn’t hold back.

Using the same trick as before, Lin Zhixia kept talking about borrowing money.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes:

The gold ring—store.

The pork—store.

The cash and ration coupons—store.

The sewing machine—store.

Anything valuable, edible, or useful—store it all.

Her goal was simple:

Not a single thing left behind.

Take everything.

Ten minutes later, Lin Zhixia was walking cheerfully toward the end of the alley when she heard a panicked scream from behind her.

It was Old Madam Lin.

Her voice carried both anger and tears.

“Which bastard stole my pork?!”

“Ah! My rapeseed oil! My cured meat!”

“Where’s my sewing machine?!”

“…”

Lin Zhixia casually dug a finger into her ear.

To her, it sounded absolutely delightful.

She figured that for quite some time to come, Old Madam Lin’s helpless cries of anger, despair, and frustration would become a regular occurrence.

And with all the money and ration coupons gone, the old woman could no longer continue her leisurely and comfortable retirement.

The same was true for Lin Jiang’s family.

After driving Lin Zhixia away, Liu Xiaolan wandered around in a particularly good mood before finally returning home.

The moment she stepped inside and saw the nearly empty house—with all the family’s money, ration coupons, and valuables completely gone—she was so shocked that she fainted on the spot.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

Because Liu Xiaolan had collapsed in the living room without closing the door, news that the Lin family had mysteriously been robbed spread throughout the Steel Factory staff housing compound within a single afternoon.

The strange part was that investigations found no signs of large vehicles or suspicious strangers entering the area.

It was as though the Lin family’s possessions had simply vanished into thin air.

As a result, some superstitious residents began speculating that the Lin family must have done something terrible and incurred heaven’s punishment.

The theory spread rapidly and was widely accepted.

The Lin family’s reputation was ruined.

The daughter of a workshop supervisor whom the eldest son had been courting, and the only son of a school principal who had been considering a match with the younger daughter, both heard the rumors of divine punishment and the story of the family being cleaned out.

They immediately cut off contact with the Lin siblings.

And because everything had disappeared, the family was forced into a life of hardship and poverty.

Meanwhile, Lin Zhixia returned home with a bountiful harvest.

She arrived just in time for dinner.

Xie Jingheng and Father Xie had also returned from buying train tickets.

When she pushed open the door, she found Xie Jingheng putting on his shoes.

Looking outside at the completely dark sky, she asked in surprise,

“You’re going out again?”

Xie Jingheng glanced at her, removed the shoes he’d just put on, then casually placed her slippers in front of her.

“You weren’t back yet,” he explained briefly. “I was going to look for you.”

“Husband, you’re so good to me.”

Lin Zhixia grinned as she slipped on the slippers and shamelessly waited for him to put away the shoes she had worn outside.

The tips of Xie Jingheng’s ears reddened.

He still wasn’t used to hearing her call him something so intimate.

Naturally, he put away her shoes and stood up.

Just as he was about to walk away, he froze.

The woman suddenly hooked her arm around his.

Her fair, slender fingers rested on his sleeve as she leaned most of her weight against him.

Through the points where they touched, he could clearly feel the softness and warmth of her skin.

At the same time, her unique feminine fragrance lingered around him, drifting into his nose with every breath.

It stirred his emotions, making it impossible for him to remain calm.

Even his body felt restless and unsettled.

Lin Zhixia, however, wasn’t thinking about any of that.

She had spent the entire afternoon walking back and forth between two places.

Now she was hungry, and both her legs felt sore and weak.

If Father Xie and Mother Xie weren’t present, she might have asked Xie Jingheng to carry her.

After only a few steps, the rich aroma of stewed chicken drifted over.

It smelled incredible.

Sniffing eagerly, she exclaimed,

“It smells so good! Mom, what’s for dinner tonight?”

As she spoke, she released Xie Jingheng’s arm and hurried toward the dining table.

When she let go, Xie Jingheng quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Yet at the same time, he felt an inexplicable sense of disappointment.

Taking a deep breath, he quickly followed, carefully staying beside her in case she stumbled.

Mother Xie smiled.

“It’s the free-range chickens we bought a few days ago. We still had two left.

We’re leaving for the countryside the day after tomorrow, so I stewed both of them with mushrooms.

We’ll eat one pot today and the other tomorrow. That way nothing goes to waste.”

As she spoke, she placed both chicken drumsticks into Lin Zhixia’s bowl.

“Here, eat up.”

“Thank you, Mom.”

Lin Zhixia happily accepted one.

When Mother Xie tried to give her the second drumstick, she caught sight of Xie Qingshu’s hopeful expression from the corner of her eye.

Protecting her bowl, she quickly said,

“Mom, one is enough for me. Give the other one to Qingshu.”

“You eat it. Qingshu can have a chicken wing.”

Mother Xie firmly placed the second drumstick into Lin Zhixia’s bowl.

Once they moved to the countryside, chicken would be difficult to come by.

Unless it was a major holiday, nobody would be selling it.

Since her daughter-in-law was willing to follow the family and endure hardship, naturally the best food should go to her first.

The flicker of joy that had appeared in Xie Qingshu’s eyes vanished instantly.

In the past, both drumsticks had belonged to her.

After Lin Zhixia married into the family, she had reluctantly shared one.

Now both drumsticks belonged to Lin Zhixia.

She didn’t get any.

It wasn’t that she particularly loved drumsticks.

What she loved was the favoritism they represented—the special affection she received as the youngest daughter in the family.

She knew she shouldn’t be so petty.

But she couldn’t help feeling sad.

Fighting back tears, she lowered her head.

Then—

A drumstick suddenly landed in her bowl.

Startled, she looked up.

Lin Zhixia was smiling warmly at her.

With a playful wink, she said,

“Qingshu, I can’t finish two drumsticks by myself. Could you help me eat one?”

Xie Qingshu froze for two seconds.

The grievance in her heart gradually melted away, replaced by a warm feeling.

Lowering her head, she spoke so softly it was barely audible.

“Thank you… Sister-in-law.”

The moment Mother Xie heard those words, her eyes instantly turned red.