From Hoarding to Time-Travel: My Supplies Saved Him

Chapter 435: Chapter 436: Plotting

He Gaofei and the others found the mere thought of it horrifying. They never expected him to recount the experience so casually, as if it were nothing more than an interesting journey for him.

Ancient Wen Heng said, "Actually, you gentlemen need not worry. Our current conditions are far better than what we had back then.

We didn’t just have to travel; we had to search for life-saving water.

If we truly decide to do it, I can map out a route in an instant."

He Gaofei and the others shook their heads in unison. They didn’t want to endure the hardships of the road again, but they were even less willing to experience the life of a refugee.

Ancient Wen Heng continued, "However, I still think it’s safer to stick to the official roads. We’ve passed so many deep mountains and old forests on this journey. If we were to travel through them and encounter wild beasts, I reckon a group our size would just be serving ourselves up as a meal for them."

Seeing they had given up the idea, Ancient Wen Heng didn’t press the matter and began to inform them that the roads weren’t the only difficulty on the journey—it was also overrun with wild beasts.

He even cherry-picked several stories he had either experienced or heard about, telling them one after another.

This caused the three officials, who had originally come looking for trouble, to rise and take their leave with looks of horror on their faces.

Watching them finally leave, Ancient Wen Heng got up and walked into the room behind him.

They were lodging in the village chief’s house for the day. To accommodate them, the chief’s family had temporarily moved next door to stay with others.

He was staying in the main house, which was also where the old village chief had previously lived.

The house was tidy, and to his greater satisfaction, Ming Feng had, in a short time, piled all the original bedding from the kang into a corner and replaced it with their own.

"Your Excellency, did you notice the looks on those officials’ faces? I’m afraid they might have nightmares tonight." Ming Feng was in the corner arranging his own bedding. The rooms in the village were limited, after all, so he had no choice but to disturb His Excellency here.

Ancient Wen Heng replied, "I don’t know if they’ll have nightmares, but they certainly won’t be coming back to cause trouble anytime soon. The real question is how many days they’ll behave after this."

Ming Feng asked, "Why do they even bother? You are clearly their superior. How dare they pick a fight like this?"

Ancient Wen Heng said, "It’s about their background. These families are already in decline, yet they can’t let go of their pride.

That sense of superiority from being an old aristocratic family is so obvious in them. It’s just that they are too blind to reality."

「Gaoling Village」

Jin Qianqian knew that after she returned, Wang Caiyue would surely come looking for her. She just hadn’t expected her to wait until the third day to come into the city and ask about things.

Seeing that Li Cuicui had come along as well, Jin Qianqian briefly explained Gu Lehuan’s situation in Shangjing.

"He’s actually working as a peddler over there, all for a woman.

Has he given any thought to what his parents back home are supposed to do?"

At that moment, Jin Qianqian had Qing Mei bring out the letter Le Huan had written. "I was in such a rush when I left that I forgot this letter. This part is from Le Huan to you. He says it’s everything he truly feels.

If you want to hear it now, I can have Qing Mei read it to you."

She really had forgotten the letter; she wasn’t deliberately withholding it. That was why she made the kind offer.

Wang Caiyue grabbed the letter, but since she couldn’t read, she actually handed it directly to Liu Qingmei. "I’d like to see what kind of flowery excuses that boy can come up with."

After she finished listening to the letter, she looked up to see her mother-in-law and Jin Qianqian staring at her intently.

Wang Caiyue grew a little uncomfortable. "That boy is just too outrageous! I was planning for them to get married, and I already told him that it was something I had no choice but to do. How could he just dive headfirst into it like this?

I’m already getting old, and now I have to wait for her to finish her mourning period. When will I ever get to hold a grandson? When will Mother get to be a great-grandmother?"

Li Cuicui immediately held up a hand. "Just speak for yourself. You don’t need to worry about me. I have plenty of grandsons; becoming a great-grandmother is just a matter of time.

In fact, I think Le Huan showed some real guts this time. He reminds me a little of his father back in the day.

Back then, I tried everything to stop him from marrying you, but did either of you listen to me?

But now you have a son and a daughter-in-law, so you should trust that children and grandchildren will have their own fortunes. You shouldn’t worry so much."

Hearing her mother-in-law embarrassing her in front of her sister-in-law by bringing up the past, Wang Caiyue didn’t dare to retort, no matter how thick-skinned she was.

After all, what she said was the truth. And back then, the methods she used to marry into the family were indeed a bit dishonorable.

"Seventh Sister-in-law, now that you’re back, will Le Huan be all right staying there by himself?"

Before Jin Qianqian could answer, Li Cuicui shot back, "He’s a grown man about to start his own family. Can’t he take care of himself?

And you, stop fixating on Le Huan. It’s time you took care of things at home.

That estate you just bought needs to be properly managed. When spring comes, you’ll have to go over there and oversee it."

The moment farming was mentioned, Wang Caiyue was filled with resentment. "Mother, since Seventh Sister-in-law is here, can’t you just let our family learn the secret tofu recipe too? It’s only fair that all the brothers work on it together."

Li Cuicui quickly looked at Jin Qianqian. She had no idea her second daughter-in-law would suddenly go crazy and bring this up again.

So much time had passed, she thought her second daughter-in-law had already accepted the situation. She never imagined she’d been holding it in and waiting for this moment.

’No wonder she didn’t ask about Le Huan earlier. It turns out she just wanted to use this as an excuse to lure me into the city.’

Jin Qianqian said, "That’s a matter for your families to discuss among yourselves. Although the recipe came from me, I’ve already gifted it to Eldest Brother and the others. It wouldn’t be right for us to get involved again."

"That’s not it, Seventh Sister-in-law. You gave it to the Gu Family Brothers. Isn’t my husband one of the Gu Family Brothers?

What you’ve done is unfair! So, you all get to live the high life while we have to toil in the fields for a living."

Li Cuicui snapped, "Aha! So you’re finally speaking your mind. What’s this? You’re starting to look down on it now?

The only reason you’re minor landlords now is because the brothers helped you out. If you’re still not satisfied and insist on stirring up trouble until the whole Gu family has no peace, then our Gu family can no longer keep you."

Li Cuicui hadn’t expected her second daughter-in-law to hold this in for so long, just waiting for this day. But she herself was now in a position of strength and wasn’t afraid of her causing trouble.

"Mother, stop trying to scare me with that. My husband won’t divorce me. If you won’t think about your son, you should at least think about your two grandsons. Would it sound good for them to have a divorced mother?

Besides, if you find them a stepmother, she’ll just end up mistreating your grandsons.

I’m not just bringing this up for myself today. We are all your children and grandchildren, so why do you show such favoritism?

Years from now, do you think Second Brother will look back on today and not resent you?"