Chapter 207: Chapter 207: Afraid of the Wife, Drunk

“What do you mean we took everything from you? Back then, the family hadn’t split up yet. Both you and your older brother had to hand over your wages to the family. Isn’t that normal?” Xu Mingshan defended himself.

Xu Huai’an gave a mocking smile but said nothing. At this point, he no longer cared about right or wrong. In any case, he owed the Xu family nothing in this lifetime.

“But Second, I want to ask you—where did your wife get her money from? Back then, she was so poor she almost had to sell herself to treat her mother’s illness. How come she suddenly has money now?” This was what Xu Mingshan really cared about.

Xu Huaizhi was also curious, looking eager to hear the answer.

By all rights, Second Brother’s trip to Beijing for treatment should have cost a lot, but his family didn’t seem short on money at all.

Look at the clothes they’re wearing—brand new cotton jackets, all city styles.

And tonight’s dinner table, full of rich, oily dishes.

No matter how you looked at it, they didn’t seem like they were struggling.

Xu Huai’an and Gu Qinghuan had always worried this day would come—people questioning where their money came from. After all, Gu Qinghuan still had to live in the village, so they’d already come up with a plan to deal with it.

“Oh, that! My mother-in-law was farsighted. Before she was sent down, she bought a property for my wife. Since the house was in my wife’s name, it wasn’t confiscated.

She thought my wife was too young to handle it, so she never told her.

This time, since we went back, she told my wife about the house.

My wife immediately rented it out, and used the money for my medical treatment and to cover our family’s expenses.

The annual rent is enough for us to live on.

One of her relatives couldn’t stand seeing a grown man like me living off his wife, so they introduced me to a temp job—at least I can support the family a bit.”

Anyway, the house was far away in Beijing—they wouldn’t know the details.

This way, they had a reasonable explanation for their spending, so people wouldn’t get suspicious. As for what others said, who cared? As long as they themselves were comfortable.

Xu Mingshan and Xu Huaizhi’s eyes widened.

Property in Beijing? That must be worth a fortune!

Didn’t that mean their whole family could move to Beijing in the future?

Xu Mingshan couldn’t help but regret it—regret so much his guts turned green.

Back then, Liu Guifang had even suggested matching Gu Qinghuan with the third son, but he thought Gu Qinghuan’s background was problematic and didn’t want to get involved with her family, so he refused.

Who would’ve thought Gu Qinghuan was such a catch—a lucky star! Not only did she cure Second Brother’s illness, she brought prosperity to the family, and even had property in her name.

If he’d let her marry the third son, wouldn’t they be the ones living comfortably now? And that Beijing property—just thinking about it made him jealous.

Not that he considered whether Gu Qinghuan would ever look at Xu Huaiyu.

Xu Huaizhi was also a bit envious and disappointed.

His wife, Lin Xiaomeng, was also from Beijing, but her family was completely different—bloodsuckers, the lot of them.

Since getting married, Lin Xiaomeng never mentioned visiting her family, nor did she plan to take Xu Huaizhi to visit.

Every letter from her family was asking for money or food, never sending a single grain of rice or a bag of bran.

Of course, when Lin Xiaomeng was in a good mood, she might send them some black flour. If not, she’d just ignore them. After a few years, things had settled into a routine.

Clearly, the Gu family had a solid foundation. Gu Qinghuan’s mother even thought to buy her a house before being sent down—she must have been well-loved at home.

But then he thought, even if his family didn’t look as well-off, at least he made his living by his own efforts.

Second Brother was basically living off his wife, always having to watch her mood. That’s what happens when you take from others—you lose your backbone.

Thinking this way, he felt better.

“Second, whatever temp job it is, just do it well. Standing on your own two feet is the right way,” he advised.

“You’re right, big brother. That’s what I think too,” Xu Huai’an nodded vigorously.

“By the way, about all this—don’t go telling anyone. I’m afraid my wife will get angry,” Xu Huai’an reminded them on purpose.

Actually, he wanted them to spread it around—let the whole village know he was afraid of his wife and lived off her money. Only then could his family have some peace.

Xu Huaizhi promised, “Don’t worry, I won’t say a word.”

Xu Mingshan nodded too, though who knew what he was really thinking.

In the next room, Gu Qinghuan had no idea someone had already ruined her reputation.

In a few days, the whole village would know she was a tough one, keeping Xu Huai’an firmly under her thumb.

But hey, she had money—who could blame her?

The three men chatted a while longer. Seeing there was no hope of finding a job for the third son and the food was gone, Xu Mingshan got up to leave.

Before he left, he said to his two sons, “Tomorrow’s New Year’s Eve. You two and your families come over for lunch. Even though we’ve split the family, this is tradition—we can’t break it.”

Xu Huai’an was stunned. The family had split?

He was just finding out!

He hadn’t visited the old house since coming back, nor did he go out to gossip, so no one had told him this big news.

Gu Qinghuan had heard it from Chen Fengqin, but to her, whether the Xu family split or not made no difference.

So she’d forgotten to tell Xu Huai’an.

But Xu Huai’an only hesitated for a couple of seconds. Who cared? Split or not, it had nothing to do with him.

Still, he was a little curious. Knowing Xu Mingshan and Liu Guifang, they’d never split the family unless the sky fell. What had happened?

There had to be a story.

Xu Huaizhi agreed readily. They only ate together once or twice a year now, which was much better than being tangled up every day.

Life had indeed gotten easier since the split.

Xu Huaizhi nodded, and Xu Huai’an hesitated for a few seconds. “I—I’ll ask my wife first, okay?”

Mainly, he didn’t know if Gu Qinghuan wanted to go. What if she did? Better not refuse too quickly.

Xu Mingshan glared at him in exasperation.

“Spineless! You listen to your wife about everything. What kind of man lets a woman boss him around like that?”

Xu Huai’an replied proudly, “My wife spent her money to save my life, took care of me, nursed me back from being bedridden. Why shouldn’t I listen to her?

Better than some people who took my money, kicked me out when they were done with me, only coming to me when they needed something, and tossing me aside when they didn’t.

Let me be clear—my wife calls the shots in our house. No one else’s word matters.”

Xu Mingshan was so angry at his sarcasm he was grinding his teeth.

“You—you—whatever!” He couldn’t save face and stormed off.

Xu Huaizhi didn’t leave with him. He hadn’t had anyone to talk to in a long time and still had things on his mind to share with his younger brother.

“Second, I’m telling you—no matter how much they pressure you, don’t help the third son. Not with anything. That’s a bottomless pit, and once you get involved, you’ll never get out,” Xu Huaizhi said gloomily.

Xu Huai’an could tell he had something on his mind, so he got up, fetched a bottle of Erguotou and a plate of crispy pork.

They each filled a glass.

“Big brother, you used to look out for the third son a lot. What’s changed?

By the way, when did the family split? What happened? I always thought those two old folks would never split the family, no matter what. I can’t believe it actually happened.”

“Second, you don’t know how bitter it’s been for me as the eldest!”

Xu Huaizhi downed his glass in one go, then began to pour out everything that had happened in the Xu family recently.

“I always thought, as the eldest brother, it was my job to look after my younger siblings.

But do you think the third son ever saw me as a big brother?

All these years, I supported him, found him jobs, bought him a bike and a radio, arranged his marriage—I was a complete sucker.

Now he’s living the good life, married the city girl he wanted, about to become a father, and our parents back him up in everything.

When I think of my poor child, I just feel hate! The third son never even apologized—just brushed it off.

You don’t know—since your sister-in-law lost the baby, she’s been cold to me.

But that was my child too. I’m heartbroken,” Xu Huaizhi said, sniffling and crying.

Xu Huai’an, worried he’d get snot on the kang, handed him his handkerchief.

So that’s how the family split up. No wonder.

If it were him—losing a long-awaited child, and having it be his own brother’s fault—he’d want to kill someone. Xu Huaizhi was pretty tolerant.

“Big brother, my condolences. He really was in the wrong. Everyone saw how much you did for him.”

“Yeah, that’s why it hurts even more.”

Xu Huaizhi didn’t really want someone to judge right or wrong. The past was the past—there was no point.

He just wanted someone close to him to listen to his troubles.

Xu Mingshan and his wife couldn’t understand his pain, and Lin Xiaomeng only blamed him and didn’t want to talk.

So he turned to Xu Huai’an.

“Come on, let’s drink, brother!”

The two brothers drank, one glass after another.

When Gu Qinghuan finished her business and came over, she found Xu Huaizhi already passed out on the table.

Xu Huai’an, on the other hand, looked perfectly fine.

Maybe it was because he often drank spiritual spring water—his body handled alcohol well, and he didn’t feel drunk at all.

“What should we do?” She couldn’t just let him sleep here.

“Let’s take him home.”

Xu Huai’an got up, slung his brother over his shoulder, and Gu Qinghuan reluctantly grabbed a flashlight. Together, they took him home.

Ever since her miscarriage, Lin Xiaomeng had been depressed for a long time. Apart from her son Dacheng, she barely spoke to Xu Huaizhi.

She didn’t know what the point of being reborn was—life was still a mess.

She’d gotten the spiritual spring she’d dreamed of, but still couldn’t protect the ones she cared about.

Life was a bit better after the family split—at least she didn’t have to face that big family anymore, just focus on her own little household.

She’d decided to let herself move on, stop thinking about the lost child, and just live her life.

But then she heard Yan Lijun, Xu Huaiyu’s wife, was pregnant. The news stabbed her like a knife.

Xu Huaiyu hadn’t even apologized for what he’d done. That monster—how come he got to have a child? He didn’t deserve it!

So she fell back into endless depression, obsessed with avenging her lost child."

"Chapter 208: The Demon-Banishing Flower Ripens, A Dream

She wanted Xu Huaiyu and his wife to taste the same despair and pain she had once endured.

Yan Lijun was always on guard against her, never touching anything she offered, making it hard for her to make a move.

When Gu Qinghuan and Xu Huaian brought Xu Huaizhi home, Lin Xiaomeng’s eyes lit up as an idea suddenly struck her.

She immediately approached Gu Qinghuan with great enthusiasm.

“Second brother, sister-in-law, thank you for your trouble. He drank too much—he didn’t cause you any problems, did he?”

Gu Qinghuan shook her head. “You’re too polite, sister-in-law. It’s nothing.”

Xu Huaian set Xu Huaizhi down on the kang bed.

“Sister-in-law, it’s late, so we’ll head back now. Dad asked us to come to the old house for lunch tomorrow. Don’t forget, big brother’s drunk.”

Lin Xiaomeng hadn’t expected this—what a perfect opportunity!

She smiled sweetly at Gu Qinghuan. “No problem. Sister-in-law, why don’t we go over early tomorrow to help out?”

Gu Qinghuan neither agreed nor refused. “We’ll see how things go.”

She actually planned to spend the morning with the kids, putting up couplets and window decorations—there was plenty to do.

She wasn’t counting on the Xu family’s food anyway, so what they ate didn’t matter; she’d just go through the motions.

Of course, she wasn’t foolish enough to say any of this to Lin Xiaomeng.

When she and Xu Huaian got home, everything had already been tidied up, even the kids had helped with the cleaning.

As usual, a big basin of hot water was set out for everyone to wash their feet, and after a lively wash-up, they all went to bed.

The New Year was getting closer.

After everyone fell asleep, Gu Qinghuan slipped outside under the pretense of needing the bathroom.

Xu Huaian was already waiting for her.

Gu Lanting had spent the afternoon shoveling cow dung, then came home to do laundry and chores, and had long since fallen asleep from exhaustion.

The two of them hurried into the space.

The space hadn’t been tended to in a while, so Gu Qinghuan dumped all the chores on Xu Huaian.

Her attention was drawn to a purple flower floating above the demon-banishing spring.

From a tightly closed bud to a vibrant, dewy blossom, it was now in full bloom, exuding a refreshing fragrance that was almost addictive.

Remembering what the King of the Underworld had said, Gu Qinghuan decided it was time to eliminate the hidden threat of Lin Xiaomeng.

And tomorrow would be the perfect chance.

Looks like she really would have to put on a good show with her tomorrow.

With that in mind, Gu Qinghuan reached out to pick the flower.

Unexpectedly, the sable suddenly appeared, blocking her path in a very human-like way.

Gu Qinghuan tried to reason with it. “This is mine. I need it now, so don’t stop me.”

The little sable seemed to treat the flower as its own, jealously guarding it and baring its teeth at her.

“Fine, I’ll give you a petal after I pick it. Happy now?”

The sable considered this, then nodded and stepped aside.

It had coveted the flower for a long time. The spring water no longer satisfied it, but for some reason, it just couldn’t touch the flower itself—otherwise, it would have picked it long ago.

Its beady eyes watched Gu Qinghuan’s every move.

Gu Qinghuan reached out, snapped the flower from its stem, and had the demon-banishing flower in hand.

The little sable was frustrated—why could this human pick it, but not itself? No matter how it thought about it, it couldn’t figure it out.

Gu Qinghuan sniffed the flower. The scent wasn’t bad at all.

She plucked a petal and tossed it to the sable. “Here, this is for you.”

The sable stared at her in disbelief. Didn’t she say she’d give it half? Why was it just one petal?

But Gu Qinghuan had already walked off with the rest of the flower, leaving the sable scratching its head in frustration. The more it thought about it, the angrier it got, so it just chomped down the petal and chewed it up.

From the King of the Underworld, Gu Qinghuan had learned that the demon-banishing flower was essentially an advanced form of the demon-banishing spring, with much stronger effects.

Usually, they used it to deal with evil things, with immediate results—especially against space users with ill intentions.

The flower had twelve petals in total; one was more than enough to deal with Lin Xiaomeng.

She’d given one to the sable, so there were ten left.

Gu Qinghuan planned to process and store them for future use.

She dried the eleven remaining petals and the stamen in the oven, then ground them into a fine powder.

Using a kitchen scale, she divided the powder into eleven equal portions, stored each in a small container, set one aside, and locked the rest in the villa’s safe.

This stuff was potent—she had to be careful.

While she was busy with this, Xu Huaian was slaughtering animals on the farm.

Gu Qinghuan didn’t dare kill large animals herself, but since Xu Huaian would be leaving after the New Year, he wanted to prepare enough meat for the family before he left.

Two wild boars, a foolish roe deer, and a deer.

They already had a wild goat, and plenty of wild chickens and rabbits had been killed outside—enough for now.

While he was working, Gu Qinghuan came over and asked him to kill a flying dragon.

She planned to use the flying dragon as bait to take down Lin Xiaomeng tomorrow.

After thinking it over, she realized that nothing would tempt everyone to try it more than the rare flying dragon.

Even though they lived near the mountains, catching a flying dragon was rare, so Gu Qinghuan decided to bring one over to make soup. With everyone getting a bowl, Lin Xiaomeng wouldn’t be able to guard against it—she’d be caught completely off guard.

Sometimes, Gu Qinghuan wondered if helping the King of the Underworld with things like this meant she was also disregarding others’ will and controlling their fate.

But Lin Xiaomeng really was a ticking time bomb. She couldn’t make up her mind.

She did feel sorry for her—after all, she’d been reborn, finally managed to get pregnant, only to lose the child.

Forget it. She’d just take things one step at a time.

Xu Huaian didn’t know why she wanted the flying dragon killed, but he did as she asked.

He spent the night processing all the meat, labeling and packing it by cut, and storing it in the space’s vending machine transfer box for Gu Qinghuan to use.

By the time they finished everything, it was already the middle of the night. Luckily, thanks to the spring water, they still felt energetic.

The little sable curled up by the spring, as if asleep.

When the two of them finished up and went to bed, they could already hear some of the village’s roosters crowing.

—

Lin Xiaomeng had a very vivid dream. She dreamed she was in a place called the Underworld Palace, and when she entered the path of reincarnation, she’d stolen a half-finished Fortune Space from the palace.

Then a man appeared, claiming to be the King of the Underworld.

“Lin Xiaomeng, the Underworld Palace took pity on your suffering in your previous life and gave you another chance. It was one thing to take the Fortune Space, but why use it to hurt others and control their fate?”

“I didn’t use it to hurt anyone! I only took luck from bad people! I never hurt good people!” Lin Xiaomeng argued.

“Good and bad are not for you to define. The ‘bad people’ you talk about are just those who crossed you.

If Xu Lao’er, Qian Caihua, and Xu Huaiyu wronged you, what about Yan Lijun?

She never did anything to you. Why did you target her, trying to steal her luck?”

The darkness in her heart was laid bare by the King of the Underworld, and Lin Xiaomeng couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“She deserves it! Her man killed my child—why should her child get to live?

Why can’t I take revenge for myself?”

The King of the Underworld was silent for a moment.

“What if I told you that you were the one who caused your child’s death?

He was an unexpected product of your rebirth and should have been born safely.

But all beings are equal. You did things against the natural order, recklessly interfering with others’ fates. Heaven has compassion, so your child was doomed from the start.”

Lin Xiaomeng shook her head frantically. “Impossible! You’re just trying to scare me!

It was Xu Huaiyu who killed him!”

The King of the Underworld sighed. “Lin Xiaomeng, every cause has its effect. Don’t persist in harming others and yourself.

This is my final warning: if you use the Fortune Spring to harm again, not only will the Palace reclaim everything it gave you, but in your next life, you’ll fall into the animal realm.”

With that, he disappeared.

Lin Xiaomeng woke up in tears.

The dream felt all too real.

But she refused to believe it—her child wasn’t lost because of her, it was Xu Huaiyu’s fault!

—

Gu Qinghuan also had a dream.

The King of the Underworld appeared and told her that if Lin Xiaomeng refused to repent and insisted on taking revenge on Yan Lijun, she must eliminate her completely.

Gu Qinghuan ignored him and went back to sleep.

The King of the Underworld stormed off in a huff.

She slept until the sun was high in the sky. Even Xu Huaian, who never slept in, got up late for once.

When Gu Qinghuan woke up, Zhong Luoning had already made dumplings for everyone’s breakfast and saved some steamed dumplings for the two of them.

“Daddy, Mommy, you’re so lazy! The sun’s up and you’re still in bed!” Beibei blurted out, making Gu Qinghuan blush.

Even though nothing happened between them last night, they had indeed spent the night together.

Zhong Luoning and Ming Ruxue exchanged knowing smiles.

Last night, when Zhong Luoning got up, she didn’t see Gu Qinghuan and assumed she’d gone to pour her heart out to Xu Huaian, which was why they’d slept in.

If Gu Qinghuan knew what she was thinking, she’d cry injustice—they’d just been working, nothing more.

After breakfast, Gu Qinghuan kept her promise to help the kids put up couplets and window decorations.

She left the couplet writing to Gu Lanting, who had the best handwriting.

Gu Qinghuan cooked up some sticky rice paste for glue and helped the kids put up the window decorations.

She brought out all the paper cuttings everyone had made yesterday. There was no need to be picky about styles—she let the kids stick them up however they liked.

The kids were thrilled that even their simple little flowers and grass cuttings could be used as decorations, and they enthusiastically showed off their handiwork.

Ming Ruxue and Zhong Luoning joined in to help.

Soon, the windows, walls, and doors of the house were covered with their creations from yesterday.

There were Gu Qinghuan’s large pieces, the kids’ little flowers, butterflies, and stars, as well as lanterns, fish, and various floral designs by Ming Ruxue and Zhong Luoning.

And you know what? Even though it looked a bit chaotic, once it was all done, it had a unique charm—surprisingly harmonious and beautiful."

"Chapter 209: Hidden Motives

Gu Lanting finished writing the Spring Festival couplets, then picked up a few paper-cut window decorations made by Gu Qinghuan. She planned to deliver some to Ji Linhai’s family and a few to Zhong Zijun’s.

Xu Huaian stood on a stool to paste up their own couplets, and by the time he finished, it was almost time to go.

Gu Qinghuan checked the time—ten o’clock. If they didn’t leave soon, there’d be no way to make the Feilong dish today.

Gu Lanting was off to work at the cowshed again today, so she didn’t need to worry about him. He’d pick up her grandparents in the afternoon for New Year’s Eve dinner.

Zhong Luoning and Ming Ruxue weren’t going to the Xu family for lunch either; they’d stay home and cook for themselves—there was plenty at home.

As for Dabao and Beibei, Gu Qinghuan asked what they wanted to do. Both said they’d rather stay home and didn’t want to go to the Xu family for lunch.

Gu Qinghuan respected their wishes and left them at home to keep You Ran and the others company.

She and Xu Huaian got ready, took the Feilong, and headed out.

Xu Huaian was actually a bit puzzled. Gu Qinghuan was usually reluctant to eat Feilong herself, so why was she giving it to the Xu family?

But he never questioned Gu Qinghuan’s decisions—he just did whatever needed to be done.

Gu Qinghuan looked at the Feilong in Xu Huaian’s hands, her heart aching.

She was really going all out this time to win over Lin Xiaomeng.

Along the way, she told everyone they met that they were going to the Xu family for lunch.

Everyone said, “You two are really kind.”

After all, everyone knew that Xu Mingshan had split the family behind his second son’s back, leaving him with nothing. Yet here the second son was, bringing Feilong for his parents at New Year—truly the most filial child in the whole area.

Gu Qinghuan used this Feilong to earn herself a great reputation, and walked to the Xu house feeling quite satisfied.

Of course, she had to get something in return—she wasn’t about to give it away for nothing.

What she didn’t know was that her “good sister-in-law” Lin Xiaomeng was plotting her own move.

Lin Xiaomeng thought yesterday’s dream was just her mind playing tricks on her, so she didn’t take it seriously. After breakfast, she came over to help prepare lunch.

Thinking she’d finally be able to deal with Yan Lijun today, she was in a rare good mood, even managing a smile.

Liu Guifang, playing the matriarch, didn’t help in the kitchen. Only Yan Lijun was in there with her.

Maybe Xu Mingshan had said something to Liu Guifang last night.

When Gu Qinghuan arrived, Liu Guifang was unusually friendly, especially when she saw the Feilong in her hands—her eyes practically disappeared from smiling.

Now that the second son had recovered, he was useful again, and his wife had money. This golden ticket was worth holding onto.

She’d completely forgotten her previous scheming and nastiness.

“Oh my, this is such a treat! Second daughter-in-law, you’re so thoughtful. By the way, where are your two kids? Why didn’t they come?”

Gu Qinghuan was startled—this old lady had never spoken so kindly to her before. What was going on?

“We have guests at home, so I left them there.” (Isn’t that saving you food? Still not satisfied?)

“Huaiyu, bring a stool for your second sister-in-law!” Liu Guifang called to Xu Huaiyu.

Gu Qinghuan noticed that behind Xu Huaiyu was a completely gray progress bar—his luck was all used up.

Looks like Lin Xiaomeng couldn’t resist making a move on Xu Huaiyu. With her personality, she’d never let anyone who crossed her off the hook.

Xu Huaiyu actually brought over a stool.

“Second sister-in-law, have a seat!”

“No thanks, I’ll help with the cooking.” Gu Qinghuan waved her hand and quickly escaped into the kitchen, not wanting to talk to them.

That mother and son were both bad news.

Seeing Xu Huaizhi putting up couplets, Xu Huaian went over to help.

The whole family was busy, except for Xu Huaiyu, who sat under the eaves playing children’s games with Dacheng.

As soon as Gu Qinghuan entered the kitchen, Lin Xiaomeng hurried over. “Qinghuan, you’re here! Perfect timing, come help me. There are so many people for lunch today, I can’t handle it all myself.”

Gu Qinghuan was puzzled—why was everyone being so warm to her today? After all the drama before, the sudden change in attitude left her a bit at a loss.

“Sure!”

Lin Xiaomeng deliberately greeted Gu Qinghuan first, both to seem close and to leave Yan Lijun out, isolating her.

Where there are people, there’s drama—three women can put on a whole show.

Yan Lijun had never met this sister-in-law before, only heard about her from Liu Guifang, who’d said the second son’s family had returned.

But she didn’t care much—Xu Huaiyu had told her that the second son, Xu Huaian, was the least favored in the family, so they weren’t worth worrying about.

She had no idea this sister-in-law was such a remarkable person.

Her bare face was so beautiful you couldn’t look away, her delicate features even prettier than movie stars.

She wore a light green cotton jacket that set off her complexion, and the fabric looked high-quality, soft and smooth.

Comparing the three sisters-in-law, Gu Qinghuan was the youngest and most beautiful, Lin Xiaomeng came second, and Yan Lijun, the youngest, was the least impressive.

Yan Lijun glanced at her own dull, black cotton jacket and felt a bit self-conscious as she got up to greet her.

“Second sister-in-law! Hello, I’m Yan Lijun.”

Gu Qinghuan pretended to notice her just then and said in surprise, “So you’re the third brother’s new wife? Hello, hello.”

The three exchanged polite but insincere greetings, then got back to cooking.

Since everyone was here today, Liu Guifang actually brought out some good stuff—wild boar and roe deer meat from the winter hunt, and a big fish.

Xu Huaizhi had brought a wild pheasant to add to the feast.

With the Feilong from Xu Huaian’s family, today’s meal was looking pretty good.

Before Gu Qinghuan arrived, Lin Xiaomeng had already prepped the other dishes.

The staple for lunch was mixed-grain steamed buns, already in the steamer, with Yan Lijun tending the fire.

Lin Xiaomeng introduced the lunch menu to her.

In short, there would be two main pots.

One pot for a big stew of wild boar and roe deer.

One pot for braised fish in soybean paste.

The wild pheasant was originally for soup, but since Gu Qinghuan brought a Feilong, they’d just make a soup with both.

“Qinghuan, I’ll handle these two dishes. The wild pheasant and Feilong soup is yours—sound good?”

Lin Xiaomeng had already planned to add the luck-stealing spring water to the dish Gu Qinghuan made.

That way, Yan Lijun wouldn’t suspect anything and would eat it without hesitation.

If anything happened, Lin Xiaomeng could wash her hands of it.

Heaven was helping her—Gu Qinghuan had brought a Feilong, perfect to stew with the pheasant. She’d quietly add the spring water to the pot, and no one would be the wiser.

Yan Lijun would never refuse a nutritious Feilong soup made by Gu Qinghuan—she might even have several bowls. With all that soup, wouldn’t it be easy to get her?

Besides, she wanted to observe Gu Qinghuan and Xu Huaian’s luck.

What kind of luck did Gu Qinghuan have, to even change Xu Huaian’s fate? It didn’t make sense.

“Sure!”

Gu Qinghuan had no objections. Making soup was just tossing everything in the pot and watching the heat—just don’t let it boil dry. Easy.

The two divided up the work, both seemingly ignoring Yan Lijun, who could only keep tending the fire.

Gu Qinghuan put the chicken and Feilong meat into the iron pot, added ginger, red dates, hazel mushrooms, and half a pot of water, and started stewing.

The small stove wasn’t lit yet, so after starting the fire, Gu Qinghuan grabbed a small stool, sat down to watch the pot, and took out a handful of pine nuts to snack on.

She even handed some to Yan Lijun.

Yan Lijun took them without thinking and started eating too.

Seeing Yan Lijun so defenseless around the second daughter-in-law, Lin Xiaomeng felt reassured.

Although Gu Qinghuan had slept soundly last night, she’d heard the King of the Underworld’s words.

It looked like Lin Xiaomeng was planning to make her move on Yan Lijun today.

Xu Huaiyu might be a jerk, but Yan Lijun and her unborn child were innocent.

Gu Qinghuan didn’t bother debating what she should or shouldn’t do. If Lin Xiaomeng dared to act, she’d let her know what real consequences were.

Lin Xiaomeng took the steamed buns out and started preparing the big stew.

Gu Qinghuan and Yan Lijun chatted idly by the stove.

When Lin Xiaomeng finished the stew and was about to cook the fish, she deliberately asked Yan Lijun to go set the table.

Once Yan Lijun left, she handed a bowl of stew to Gu Qinghuan. “Qinghuan, can you take this out for me?”

Gu Qinghuan gave her a deep look.

This woman had completely deviated from her character in the book and become a true demon.

Human nature really was unpredictable.

She wondered, if she’d gotten the luck spring, would she become this ruthless, draining others’ luck for herself?

She didn’t know.

That look made Lin Xiaomeng uneasy—she almost thought Gu Qinghuan had seen through her plan.

It wasn’t until Gu Qinghuan naturally took the bowl that she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Big sis, can you watch the soup for me?”

Lin Xiaomeng forced a smile. “Of course, go ahead.”

Gu Qinghuan “carelessly” carried the bowl out of the kitchen.

Lin Xiaomeng immediately lifted the lid of the iron pot and poured in a cup of luck spring water.

Just like that, the soup became her weapon.

Standing outside the kitchen, Gu Qinghuan watched, unsure how to feel.

Clearly, Lin Xiaomeng was still up to no good. She’d have to help the King of the Underworld—Lin Xiaomeng had brought this on herself.

Gu Qinghuan had once felt a bit sorry for Lin Xiaomeng. After all, Xu Huaiyu had caused her miscarriage and loss of her child, and Gu Qinghuan actually supported her in taking revenge on Xu Huaiyu.

If you can’t even avenge yourself, what’s the point of living?

But using such methods on innocent people, and resorting to such extreme revenge, wasn’t right.

So, as the King of the Underworld said, if she remained incorrigible and without limits, her powers would have to be taken away.

When Gu Qinghuan and Yan Lijun came back, Lin Xiaomeng was frying fish, acting as if nothing had happened.

Outside, Liu Guifang’s voice could be heard—Chen Jianghe had arrived just in time for lunch.

Xu Meiling didn’t come today; she was still on bed rest, so Chen Jianghe came to deliver New Year’s gifts and join them for lunch.

Yan Lijun took the steamed buns out.

Gu Qinghuan finished seasoning her Feilong soup, which had been simmering for over two hours—just about ready."

"Chapter 210: Mission Accomplished

When the salt was sprinkled, the Exorcism Flower pollen followed the salt grains into the soup, instantly swallowed up by the splashing water. With these two “ingredients” added to the pot, they neutralized each other, and the soup returned to its original purity.

Gu Qinghuan calmly put away the salt jar.

“Sister-in-law, I’ll go call everyone for dinner.”

“Go ahead, the fish in my pot is almost done.”

Gu Qinghuan slipped the small bottle in her palm into her storage space, then called everyone to eat.

This meal seemed ordinary on the surface, but there was more to it than met the eye.

Xu Huaiyu was isolated by everyone; no one wanted to talk to him or even sit near him.

He could only sit alone in the corner, with Yan Lijun and Liu Guifang beside him.

Everyone chatted and laughed, but deliberately excluded him—after all, he’d angered the whole group.

The dishes were already set out. Gu Qinghuan brought over the big iron pot of soup and ladled out a bowl for each person.

It looked like a random distribution, but in reality, the “ingredients” had already been added. Everyone got the same, very fair.

Lin Xiaomeng and Yan Lijun accepted their bowls of soup without worry, even taking a sip right away.

“Thanks to Qinghuan, I’ve been in Xujia Village for years, but this is my first time tasting Feilong Soup. It’s just as delicious as the rumors say,” Lin Xiaomeng said with a smile.

Yan Lijun had just been chatting pleasantly with Gu Qinghuan, so she chimed in, “It really is tasty. Thanks for your hard work, second sister-in-law.”

She didn’t know that Gu Qinghuan had secretly saved her life just now.

“If you like it, have more. Especially you, Lijun—since you’re pregnant, drinking more soup is good for you,” Gu Qinghuan said with a polite but insincere smile.

Liu Guifang came over to look at the remaining soup in the pot.

“Second daughter-in-law, one bowl per person is enough. Save the rest for Meiling, let her get some nourishment too.”

No wonder mothers-in-law always dote on their daughters.

Gu Qinghuan had worked hard all afternoon and hadn’t even had any herself.

Pretending not to hear, Gu Qinghuan ladled herself a full bowl, leaving only a thin layer of soup at the bottom of the pot.

There was still plenty of meat left, though. After all, the soup was the best part—the meat was tough and dry, not very appetizing.

Liu Guifang quickly poured out the remaining meat and soup, keeping it warm in the pot so Chen Jianghe could take it home to Chen Meiling.

The family sat down to eat.

They looked united on the surface, but in reality, everyone was just focused on their food. Lin Xiaomeng’s cooking was good, and today’s dishes were quite to everyone’s taste.

At first, Lin Xiaomeng was happily eating, but gradually she noticed something was wrong. Everyone had finished their Feilong Soup, but she couldn’t see the fortune progress bars behind them.

Not just Gu Qinghuan—she couldn’t see anyone’s progress bar.

Before, whenever they drank the Fortune Spring Water, she could always see the progress bars behind them.

Even Xu Huaiyu—his gray progress bar had disappeared too.

What was going on?

For a moment, Lin Xiaomeng panicked.

She was sure she’d seen Xu Huaiyu’s gray progress bar just this morning.

Now, she couldn’t see anything.

What had happened?

She was certain she’d put the Fortune Spring Water into the Feilong Soup. No matter how capable Gu Qinghuan was, there was no way she could pick out the Fortune Spring Water from a whole pot of soup, right?

Could it be…

She remembered the dream she’d had last night.

The person who called himself the King of the Underworld had said that if she used the Fortune Spring Water to harm others again, not only would the Underworld take back everything it had given her, but in her next life, she would fall into the animal realm.

Could it be that it wasn’t just an ordinary dream, but really the King of the Underworld sending her a message?

She had just been about to target Yan Lijun, and then this happened. It was hard not to overthink it."

"Chapter 211: Breaking Down