Chapter 52: Chapter 52: Who Are You Trying to Kill?

To be honest, after applying those green herbal poultices, there was a cool sensation that eased the stinging pain.

“Take tomorrow off and rest at home,” Xu Huai’an said, his tone carrying a hint of pleading and helplessness. “My leg is almost fully healed—I’ll be able to go back to work soon.”

His worried gaze lingered on Gu Qinghuan, making her feel flustered. Why was this guy looking at her like that?

In the end, she could only nod awkwardly.

A wise person knows when to yield—now was not the time to act tough.

She didn’t want to wear herself out just to earn a few work points. Today’s accident was a fluke. With her current strength, carrying a full basket of sweet potatoes was no problem, but she’d forgotten to consider her physical condition.

Her delicate skin simply couldn’t withstand the friction from the heavy basket, and she’d ended up injuring her shoulder.

Seeing her agree, Xu Huai’an finally felt a weight lift from his heart and quickly got up to clear the dishes.

Zhong Zijun’s hand was still injured, so he planned to gradually take over all her chores. The only awkward part was that his cooking skills were lacking—he could only prep ingredients and let Zhong Zijun do the actual stir-frying.

As Xu Huai’an was washing the dishes, he suddenly realized that when he saw the blood on Gu Qinghuan’s shoulder today, he hadn’t lost control of his emotions.

The first few times he saw blood, he couldn’t help himself—he’d go into a frenzy, smashing things.

But today, all he felt was heartache.

His condition had improved greatly. Except for the occasional sleepless night when his mind would wander and he’d feel anxious, his mood was stable during the day.

He’d also discovered that whenever he felt nervous, eating a persimmon or drinking a cup of water that Gu Qinghuan gave him would quickly calm him down.

It wasn’t hard to guess there was some secret behind this, but since Gu Qinghuan hadn’t told him, he didn’t want to pry.

All he knew was that his recovery was largely thanks to Gu Qinghuan.

Exhausted from the day, Gu Qinghuan did a quick wash, took some anti-inflammatory medicine from her space, drank a cup of spiritual spring water, and finally fell into a deep sleep.

Lately, she’d been secretly adding spiritual spring water to the household water tank, so all the food at home was cooked with it. Because of that, she hadn’t given everyone extra to drink.

With proper nutrition, the whole family was growing like balloons, but the most obvious change was in Xu Huai’an.

After days of eating well and being nourished by the spring water, he’d gone from skin and bones to looking much healthier and rounder.

Gu Qinghuan had originally planned to bring some food to the cowshed tonight, but with her injured shoulder, she couldn’t carry anything heavy or even hold much, so she’d have to wait.

That night, Gu Qinghuan had an incredibly vivid dream—she floated back to the Underworld Palace and met the King of the Underworld.

The King told her that there was a bug in the world she’d transmigrated into. When Lin Xiaomeng was reborn, she’d accidentally taken the prototype Fortune Space they were still experimenting with.

But now that she was back in the human world, unless she died a natural death, no one from the Underworld could interfere.

Originally, Lin Xiaomeng was supposed to use her second chance at life to repent, be kind, and gain true enlightenment. But because the Fortune Spring had awakened her innate greed and selfishness, she’d spiraled out of control.

If she was allowed to keep using the incomplete Fortune Space, she’d wreak havoc in the human world, harming others at will.

So, the King hoped Gu Qinghuan could help stop Lin Xiaomeng from manipulating other people’s fortunes. As it happened, the Evil-Banishing Spiritual Spring in Gu Qinghuan’s space was the perfect counter to the prototype.

The King also said that at the bottom of the Evil-Banishing Spring, a special flower was growing. Once it matured and floated to the surface, Gu Qinghuan should brew it into a tea and have Lin Xiaomeng drink it. That would put an end to the trouble, making sure she could never use the prototype to harm anyone again.

Gu Qinghuan eyed the King up and down, seriously suspecting that he’d given her the Evil-Banishing Spring on purpose. All this talk of time travel—wasn’t it just to get her to help fight evil?

No way—she had to ask for more compensation!

In the end, the King had no choice but to sign all sorts of agreements with her. When her time-traveling mission was over and she reincarnated, he’d give her extra perks in her next life—like more space and spiritual springs.

Only then did Gu Qinghuan reluctantly agree to help.

Actually, the first time she read the novel, she’d thought the plot was odd and twisted. The heroine seemed kind, but did all sorts of terrible things.

Now she knew—it was a bug.

The most terrifying and unpredictable thing in this world is human nature.

Without the Fortune Spring, if Lin Xiaomeng got a second chance at life, she’d surely cherish those around her, work hard, and eventually find happiness.

But because of the Fortune Spring, her greed and malice were unleashed. Under the guise of punishing evil, she stole others’ fortunes to benefit herself.

—

The next morning, Gu Qinghuan was woken by voices outside. Remembering last night’s dream, she couldn’t help but feel it was all too real.

She stretched, only to realize she was clutching a piece of paper tightly in her hand.

It was the agreement she’d signed with the King of the Underworld last night.

So last night’s dream was real!

“Huai’an, your leg isn’t well. Let me do it. Even with one hand, I can still get a lot done. You don’t have to do everything,” came Zhong Zijun’s voice.

It seemed Xu Huai’an had been working hard to win over his mother-in-law while she wasn’t home. She remembered how, when they first met, Zhong Zijun had been wary of him. But after just a few days, she was already feeling sorry for him and had even spoken up for him yesterday.

She had to admit, Xu Huai’an had many good qualities. Besides being handsome, he wasn’t the least bit chauvinistic and treated her and the children very well.

“Mom, my arm and leg haven’t been used in so long—they need exercise to heal. You really can’t risk hurting your hand again. Turning the soil is hard work—let me do it,” Xu Huai’an said, a bit helplessly. His mother-in-law was just too diligent.

“And if someone sees you, all of Qinghuan’s efforts will be for nothing.”

Zhong Zijun knew her status was sensitive and didn’t want to cause her daughter more trouble. In the end, she couldn’t argue with Xu Huai’an and just watched as he left with the hoe.

The family’s private plot was just behind the house, only a few steps away, so there was nothing to worry about.

Gu Qinghuan got up—her shoulder no longer hurt, though she still didn’t dare move it too much, as it twinged if she pulled it.

The herbal residue had gotten all over her clothes, staining them green, so she had to change and clean up. She couldn’t risk getting her wound wet, so she’d have to grit her teeth and go without a bath for a few days until it scabbed over.

Hearing movement inside, Zhong Zijun hurried in to help. As mother and daughter tidied up, they were suddenly interrupted by a violent banging on the door.

Gu Qinghuan quickly told Zhong Zijun to hide behind the door and not come out no matter what.

Dabao, hearing the banging, rushed out first. He peeked through the crack and immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

Grandma was here!

After years of living with her, he was terrified of the old woman—just hearing her name made him pale. It was a sign of how much he’d suffered.

He didn’t dare open the door and ran to find Gu Qinghuan.

“Mom, Grandma’s here.”

Seeing how scared he was, Gu Qinghuan patted his head. “Don’t worry, Mommy’s here. Go stay in the room with your sister.”

She then went to the kitchen and put all the rice, flour, eggs, and other food from under the cupboard into her space, leaving only a bag of black flour.

After double-checking that there was nothing valuable left, she strolled to the door.

Outside, Liu Guifang was already impatient, taking advantage of the fact that there were no neighbors nearby to see her true colors.

She started cursing: “I’ve been banging on this door so long I could’ve given birth by now! Gu Qinghuan, are you in there fooling around with some man?”

Her words were crude and vicious.

Listening inside, Zhong Zijun felt like her heart was being cut with a knife. She had to grit her teeth not to rush out. Her good daughter, being insulted like this—it was infuriating.

But with someone like this, who didn’t even treat her own son like a human being, how could you expect her to be good to her daughter-in-law?

Gu Qinghuan wasn’t one to take things lying down. She shouted back, “Which crazy old hag is spouting nonsense at my door? Your mouth stinks—you should have it sewn shut!” As she spoke, she opened the door.

Liu Guifang hadn’t expected Gu Qinghuan to talk back and was tempted to hit her, but remembering her purpose for coming, she held back.

“Second daughter-in-law, what did you say?”

“Oh? It’s you, Mom? I thought it was some crazy old woman at the door.”

“Hmph!” Liu Guifang snorted and barged inside.

“Hey, where are you going?” Gu Qinghuan hurried after her.

Liu Guifang headed straight for the kitchen, eyeing the new cupboard and dishes. Clearly, this woman still had money.

Gu Qinghuan blocked her. “What are you doing?”

With no one else around, Liu Guifang didn’t even bother pretending. She shoved Gu Qinghuan aside.

Gu Qinghuan was no match for her, especially with her injury. Caught off guard, she was pushed to the ground, pain shooting through her wounded shoulder.

“Get out of my way! We haven’t settled scores over what happened before. Tomorrow’s the Mid-Autumn Festival. Even though you’ve split from us, you still owe me and your father a holiday gift.”

As she spoke, Liu Guifang rummaged through the cupboard like a bandit, finding only a bag of black flour. She sneered but still took it.

She didn’t spare the wild vegetables the kids had picked, either, grabbing the whole basket.

Finally, she lifted the pot lid.

Inside was the breakfast Zhong Zijun had made that morning—potato and egg pancakes with wild vegetable soup.

Liu Guifang’s eyes lit up. “These pancakes have eggs and white flour? You’re hiding white flour from me, aren’t you?”

She stuffed the pancakes into the vegetable basket.

Perfect—she could take them back for the kids’ breakfast. They looked delicious.

Gu Qinghuan cursed herself for forgetting about the food in the pot.

Liu Guifang, having grabbed what she wanted, was about to search the other rooms. She was determined to find white flour and other good stuff today.

Gu Qinghuan couldn’t let her go any further—if she found Zhong Zijun, it would be a disaster.

Gritting her teeth through the pain, she blocked her path.

But with her injury and lack of strength, she was pushed aside again.

Dabao and Beibei, watching through the crack, saw their mother shoved hard by their grandmother. They burst out the door.

Dabao, like a little calf, rammed his head into Liu Guifang’s stomach.

Liu Guifang, unwilling to drop her loot, had to take the blow, cursing through gritted teeth, “You little bastard, I should’ve killed you when I had the chance!”

“Who are you trying to kill?” Xu Huai’an stood in the doorway, leaning on his hoe, his hawk-like eyes blazing with fury, as if he could pierce right through Liu Guifang."

"Chapter 53: Xu Huaian Loses It Again, Liu Guifang Gets Beaten

God only knows what Xu Huaian felt when he saw this scene.

His own mother, at the time when he needed care the most, had tossed him out like trash, leaving him to fend for himself.

He had already lost all hope of living.

Luckily, he met Gu Qinghuan. She was like a goddess sent from above to save him, suddenly appearing and lighting up his entire world.

And now, that so-called mother wanted to ruin this rare happiness. He would never allow it!

Xu Huaian clenched his jaw, veins bulging on his forehead, his eyes bloodshot. A surge of intense hatred welled up inside him, and violent emotions threatened to overwhelm him. In that moment, he saw Liu Guifang as his enemy.

In a flash, Liu Guifang was nearly scared out of her wits.

Damn it, how did this troublemaker get let out again? Judging by the look on his face, he was about to go crazy and start hitting people.

“I-I-I was just joking with them,” Liu Guifang stammered, seeing Xu Huaian clenching his fists, and hurriedly tried to explain herself.

Gu Qinghuan could tell Xu Huaian was about to lose control, so she quickly ushered the two children inside and shut the door, keeping them out of harm’s way.

Xu Huaian grabbed a hoe and charged over with the momentum of a raging storm, heading straight for Liu Guifang.

Seeing this, Liu Guifang was so scared she nearly peed herself, trembling on the spot.

If that hoe came down on her, it could really be fatal.

“Run! What are you standing there for?” Gu Qinghuan shouted.

“I don’t have the strength…” Liu Guifang whimpered, her voice barely audible.

Gu Qinghuan was speechless. Usually, Liu Guifang strutted around acting tough, but the moment something happened, she chickened out.

If she wasn’t worried Xu Huaian might end up killing someone—his own mother, no less—she really wouldn’t bother saving her.

Seizing the moment, just before Xu Huaian brought the hoe down, Gu Qinghuan mustered all her strength and shoved Liu Guifang aside.

The food and wild vegetable cakes in her hands scattered all over the ground.

Gu Qinghuan looked at the potato and egg cakes on the ground with a pang of regret—she hadn’t even had a bite yet.

But Xu Huaian was dead set on going after Liu Guifang today. Seeing that the hoe missed, and that it was getting in his way, he tossed it aside and charged at her barehanded.

He landed a punch right on Liu Guifang’s face, knocking out a molar and filling her mouth with blood.

Of course, that tooth was already rotten, so it didn’t take much to break it.

Suddenly, there were a few startled cries from the doorway.

Villagers had come to watch the commotion.

Earlier that morning, Xu Huaian had gone to the village to borrow a hoe for digging the fields. After wandering around, word quickly spread—everyone heard that the “madman” wasn’t crazy anymore and could even borrow tools to work.

So, people came in groups to watch, some even carrying their breakfast, eating as they watched.

The little courtyard at the foot of the mountain had never been this lively.

“What did Liu Guifang do to set off the madman? He greeted me all serious-like this morning!”

“He’s gone crazy again? My god.”

“Should we try to break it up? Liu Guifang’s just an old bag of bones—she might get beaten to death.”

“If you want to, go ahead. I’m not going. Last time the madman hit me, I was hurting for half a month.”

“Exactly. When he goes crazy, not even ten people can hold him down. I’m not getting beaten for nothing.”

“Maybe we should just go tell the village head. Let their family sort out their own mess.”

…

A crowd watched from a safe distance, but not a single person stepped in to help.

Zhong Zijun peeked through the crack in the door, too scared to even breathe, worried she’d get her daughter in trouble if discovered.

It was her first time seeing Xu Huaian go mad, and it was pretty terrifying. Still, he’d picked the perfect time to lose it—after all, that old woman deserved a beating for bullying Huanhuan so much.

Gu Qinghuan circled behind Xu Huaian, grabbed the hoe, and hid it in the kitchen.

As long as he didn’t use a weapon, it wasn’t too serious. Let Liu Guifang take a bit more of his anger—she deserved it.

Faced with a beating, Liu Guifang suddenly found her strength, darting around the yard to dodge, all the while shouting, “Damn you, Gu Qinghuan! Where did you go? Come save me!”

Gu Qinghuan hid in the kitchen and didn’t come out.

Xu Huaian, with his bad leg, couldn’t move fast and wasn’t as strong as before. Otherwise, Liu Guifang wouldn’t have known how many more hits she’d have taken.

From time to time, the old woman’s miserable screams echoed through the yard.

Inside the house, everyone secretly enjoyed the show.

Not long after, Xu Mingshan arrived, escorted by a group of people. Seeing Xu Huaian chasing Liu Guifang around like a hawk after a chick, his face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot.

Now the whole village knew about this, and everyone had come to watch the spectacle. The Xu family’s reputation was in tatters.

Seeing this, Gu Qinghuan put on a look of panic and walked out of the kitchen.

“Dad, you’re finally here! What do we do?”

Xu Mingshan immediately started scolding her: “You’ve got some nerve! Why did you untie him for no reason? Now look what’s happened—are you happy now?”

“It’s not my fault. Huaian hasn’t been crazy these days. He hasn’t hit anyone and even helps out around the house.

Who knew Mom would come over this morning, take all our food without asking, saying it was for Mid-Autumn Festival gifts? She pushed me to the ground and even threatened to kill the two kids. That’s when Huaian lost it.”

Gu Qinghuan deliberately spoke loudly so everyone could hear.

Xu Mingshan’s face grew even darker. That was exactly the kind of thing his wretched wife would do. The food bags on the ground, the wild vegetables, and the scattered potato cakes all told the story.

What a disgrace! It’s not like the family ever let her go hungry, yet she still eyed her son’s meager rations. Short-sighted and ignorant!

Still, he had to keep up appearances in front of outsiders.

“Second daughter-in-law, stop making things up. I only sent your mother-in-law to invite you all for dinner tomorrow. Why would she take your things?”

“Really? Then I must have misunderstood. She rushed into the kitchen the moment she arrived, eating and taking things, so I thought she wanted to take them home. Guess I was wrong,” Gu Qinghuan replied, feigning realization, her words dripping with sarcasm. It felt so satisfying.

After all, everyone could see what was really going on.

“Since you let him loose, you’d better find a way to calm him down,” Xu Mingshan said, still worried. That unfilial son really packed a punch—last time, it took him over half a month to recover.

“I’ll give it a try, but don’t blame me if it doesn’t work.”

Gu Qinghuan figured it was about time. Liu Guifang was exhausted from running, her face swollen like a pig’s head. It was truly satisfying.

She went into the kitchen, took out a big basin of spiritual spring water from her space. Honestly, she wasn’t sure if it would work, but it was worth a try.

As Xu Huaian ran over, Gu Qinghuan splashed the entire basin of spiritual spring water right in his face. Caught off guard, he swallowed a big mouthful.

Liu Guifang seized the chance to hide behind Xu Mingshan, mumbling incoherently, “Save me…”

Xu Mingshan glared at her disheveled state. “What a disgrace!”

Xu Huaian stood there in a daze for about a minute.

Then, suddenly, he said, “What happened to me?”"

"Chapter 54: Sincerity Should Be Reserved for Those Who Treat You Well