Chapter 161

The two old women looked at each other and immediately walked over to grab Chenxiang.

"No, no!" Chenxiang was full of terror, struggling desperately, but unfortunately, she couldn't break free. "Miss, please spare me, slave can cover her face while serving you!"

"If that really won't do, you can send me to the kitchen to chop wood! Or send me to the farm to carry manure and grow vegetables!"

"Please spare me, Miss!"

Du Mingzhu acted as if she hadn't heard her crying and pleading, and looked at the two old women. "What are you waiting for? Do you want me to get out of bed and do it myself?"

The two old women felt a chill down their backs and, without a word, hurriedly dragged the person out.

In less than a quarter of an hour, Chenxiang was thrown back in.

On that originally delicate face, there were suddenly two long wounds, crossing over the bridge of her nose, with the skin and flesh turned outward.

Blood mixed with tears flowed all over her face, which was shocking to behold.

Du Mingzhu was very satisfied. "Very good, now it's much more pleasing to the eye."

She then ordered, "Chenxiang, go pour me a cup of tea. Remember, if a single drop of blood falls into the teacup, you're dead."

Chenxiang endured the sharp pain and got up, her lips bitten purple, but she dared not cry out loud. "Slave, slave will go right away."

She staggered out of the room and almost bumped into the Jiang woman who was coming in.

Seeing Chenxiang's face, the Jiang woman immediately understood what had happened.

She sighed, walked over, sat on the edge of the bed, and advised, "Zhu'er, Mother knows you are unhappy and want to find someone to vent your anger on. But you must target the right people and things. Whether it's Chenxiang or other servants in the estate, they are not the targets we should be taking revenge on. Why must you vent your anger on them and make them harbor resentment for no reason?"

"They dare!" Du Mingzhu didn't care at all. "They are just cheap lives; if they dare to rebel, just beat them to death."

These people were different from Du Ruo; they were all slaves, and even if she beat them all to death, no one would come to arrest her and put her in jail.

Seeing that she couldn't get through to her, the Jiang woman let it go.

In any case, as long as her daughter could be happy, nothing else mattered.

She had someone bring over the plate of braised duck tongues she had just made, then sent all the servants out and fed Du Mingzhu bite by bite herself.

"Zhu'er, Mother has already thought of a plan to deal with the Jiang family; let me tell you so you can be happy..."

Whether Du Mingzhu was happy or not, Du Ruo was quite happy.

The family was about to build a house, which was of course a great joy.

However, joy is joy, but the things to prepare were a basketful.

First was the food and drink for the workers; Master Lu said he planned to bring over twenty people and provide one lunch every day.

Calculated this way, the grain consumption for just one day would be quite a lot.

Du Ruo was not a stingy person and certainly wanted them to eat their fill; after all, they only have strength to work if they are full, right?

But she was not a fool; if so many people ate white rice and white flour, big fish and big meat every day, even a landlord's family could eat themselves into poverty.

Furthermore, one shouldn't show off even if one had money.

So Du Ruo planned to buy more coarse grains and brown rice, which were filling and hunger-resistant, and as long as they were cooked well, the taste would not lose to white rice.

And occasionally eating white rice and white flour to change the flavor, she believed the master workers would be satisfied.

Besides these, she also had to prepare fruits, snacks, firecrackers, and incense candles.

On the day work started, they had to offer sacrifices to ancestors and worship gods, praying for Heaven and the ancestors to protect them so that the process of building the house would be safe and smooth.

Thus, while passing through Xiushan Zhen, the couple bought everything they could, almost filling half the carriage.

After returning home, the Zheng woman hurriedly stepped forward to help unload the goods.

When everything was settled, she took an invitation out of the room and handed it to her son-in-law. "It was sent from the old house, asking you all to go drink the wedding wine."

Jiang Li raised an eyebrow, reached out to take it, looked at it, then smiled and said, "No time."

The Zheng woman hesitated. "After all, he is your cousin, and he is remarrying now, which is considered a great joy. Wouldn't it be bad if you didn't go? Would others gossip about you?"

"They won't." Jiang Li handed the invitation to his wife for her to see.

Du Ruo lowered her head to glance at it and burst out laughing.

"Mother, don't worry, they really won't."

The Zheng woman was puzzled and snatched the invitation from her daughter's hand, looking at it over and over.

She was illiterate and couldn't make heads or tails of it, so she had to ask, "Is there a problem with this invitation?"

"There's no problem with the invitation." Du Ruo bared her little white teeth, feeling quite schadenfreude. "It's just a coincidence; Jiang Zongbao's wedding day clashes with the day our family breaks ground for construction. His wedding is a big event, and our family building a house is also a big event; of course, we must prioritize our own family."

Did they think she was stupid? Would the old house be so kind as to let the second branch all go drink wedding wine?

I'm afraid they had ill intentions.

Based on her understanding of those few people in the old house, it was nothing more than a few reasons.

First, of course, it was for money; everyone knew the second branch was well-off now, and it would be embarrassing to give too little as a gift.

Secondly, it was for free labor.

At that time, they would certainly use the name of being brothers to order the few people of the second branch around.

Serving tea and water, moving tables and chairs, all the dirty and tiring work would be dumped on them, and if they didn't do it well, they would be scolded.

If the second branch went, it would be like delivering themselves to be abused.

Unfortunately, Heaven was on the side of the second branch and wouldn't give Yan Pozi and the others the chance.

Du Ruo put away the invitation, thought for a moment, told Jiang Li, and then went straight to the neighbor, Clan Head Jiang, asking him to take the gift money from the second branch over, while they themselves would not go.

Looking at the dozens of copper coins in his hand, Clan Head Jiang's mouth twitched, his expression strange. "Are you sure?"

Du Ruo nodded. "Sure, certain, and positive."

The second branch had money, but why should they give such a heavy gift? Was Jiang Zongbao worthy?

Dozens of copper coins were not a small amount; others only gave two eggs and a bunch of scallions!

After entrusting the task, Du Ruo returned with peace of mind.

The family ate dinner with laughter and chatter, happily waiting for the arrival of the good day.

That day was destined to be a lively one.