Honestly, someone should've dealt with her long ago," one villager muttered.
"All she ever does is stare at other people's money pouches. What kind of behavior is that?"
Listening to the murmured discussions around her, Xu Chunhua's face shifted rapidly—first flushing red, then turning a sickly purplish hue. Jiang Huaiyu half-feared she might explode on the spot and lash out, so she quietly stepped back a little, staying alert.
"You divorced trash—no wonder you were cast aside!" Xu Chunhua suddenly spat viciously.
"You even dragged a child out with you—who knows whose bastard it really is? Looks like you married into a decent family, though. I'm surprised they didn't drown you in a pig cage!"
Once she let loose, Xu Chunhua spared no filthy insult.
What she didn't know was that Tangbao wasn't Jiang Huaiyu's biological child at all. Words meant to cut deep only made Jiang Huaiyu frown slightly—she didn't explode in rage as Xu Chunhua had hoped.
The surrounding chatter gradually quieted.
Seeing Jiang Huaiyu standing calm and composed, utterly without guilt, people began to waver.
Jiang Huaiyu parted her lips lightly, white teeth faintly visible, her demeanor dignified and steady.
"There's an old saying," she said evenly.
'Heaven will punish the vile.' I don't believe that.
But another saying—I do believe: when someone becomes utterly shameless, they think themselves invincible.
"You think acting like a shrew can help you escape punishment? The laws of Great Yun won't agree. Just wait and see—see whether I can send you to the magistrate and have you beaten with the rod."
The crowd erupted in shocked murmurs.
Ordinary villagers only knew that murder, arson, theft, and robbery led to prison. Few realized that deliberately destroying another person's property was punishable as well. Everyone feared the magistrate's authority—who would willingly invite trouble?
Xu Chunhua hadn't known either. Otherwise, how would she have dared act so recklessly?
She tried to convince herself that Jiang Huaiyu couldn't possibly do it—but the pressure radiating from Jiang Huaiyu now felt almost scorching. Xu Chunhua swallowed hard, fear creeping in for the first time.
Then, before anyone could react, she stepped backward and slammed the door shut with a loud bang, ignoring the renewed uproar outside as she hid away like a turtle retreating into its shell.
At first, Jiang Huaiyu was stunned. Then she couldn't help feeling both amused and exasperated.
A woman stepped forward to comfort her.
"That Xu Chunhua is always like this. When she meets someone tougher, she hides. We're all used to it. Going to the authorities won't help—those officials won't bother with such things. You scared her today; she'll avoid you in the future. As for the chicks… just consider yourself unlucky."
"Heh…"
Jiang Huaiyu let out a faint, unreadable laugh. Without bothering to respond, she took a deep breath and returned home.
Though they hadn't said it outright, she understood clearly—they were urging her to let it go.
How ridiculous.
She was the one who had suffered losses. The instigator simply shut her door and refused to come out, escaping punishment and compensation alike—while she, the victim, was expected to swallow it all for the sake of peace.
As this thought solidified her resolve, the courtyard outside gradually quieted with retreating footsteps.
Suddenly, someone came running, shouting at the top of their lungs.
Hearing what was being yelled, Jiang Huaiyu's face changed drastically. She flung the door open and rushed out.
"What did you say?!" she demanded, staring at the man pounding on Wang Dazhuang's gate.
The man usually hauled vegetables and fruit into town with his donkey cart, sometimes carrying passengers. Today, Wang Dazhuang had hired him.
"Dazhuang's tofu—t-tofu killed someone!" the man gasped.
"The constables dragged him to the county yamen. They're saying it's a life for a life!"
Just then, Wang Dazhuang's gate opened.
Zheng Xiaoyue, who heard everything, went deathly pale. Her hand slipped from the doorframe, and her body swayed as if she might collapse.
Jiang Huaiyu hurried forward to support her, her expression grim and furious.
She understood now.
After days of unnatural calm, Yan Er had finally made his move—and it was vicious, precise, and utterly unexpected.
"Yu-niang… what should I do?" Zheng Xiaoyue murmured helplessly.
"How could tofu kill someone…?"
Jiang Huaiyu grasped her icy-cold hand, lips pressed tight as rage burned hotter in her chest.
"Sister-in-law, don't worry," she said firmly.
"This is aimed at the tofu recipe—at me. Brother Wang is an innocent victim. I will handle this and give you an explanation."
To them—and to herself.
And more than that, she would slap Yan Er's face hard enough to make him understand one thing clearly:
A lone woman was not someone he could bully at will.
Tears streamed down Zheng Xiaoyue's face as she nodded hard.
"Alright. I know you're capable. Tell me what to do—I'll do it."
For villagers like them, whose disputes rarely went beyond clan elders, the county yamen was no different from hell itself. Everyone believed that once you entered, you'd never come out.
The fact that Zheng Xiaoyue hadn't fainted already meant she was remarkably strong.
As Jiang Huaiyu pulled her toward her own courtyard, she slipped a few copper coins to the messenger.
"Please wait a moment longer. Take me to the county town shortly."
"Of course!"
The man smiled instinctively upon receiving the coins, then quickly forced a solemn expression.
Before closing the door, Jiang Huaiyu glimpsed Xu Chunhua peeking from behind her own door, wearing a smug smile.
She didn't spare her a single thought.
She shut the door and led the pale-faced Zheng Xiaoyue inside.
Tangbao had woken up and was searching for his mother. Jiang Huaiyu picked him up, soothing him gently before turning back to Zheng Xiaoyue.
"Sister-in-law, I'll teach you another tofu method," she said calmly.
"The tofu made this way is more fragrant, with a different texture."
She leaned close and whispered the method for making brine-set tofu into Zheng Xiaoyue's ear.
Salt brine was easy to find here—many people even sold it as coarse salt. Someone sharp-eyed like Zheng Xiaoyue would recognize it easily.
Zheng Xiaoyue was stunned, unable to understand why Jiang Huaiyu was telling her this at such a moment.
Holding Tangbao, Jiang Huaiyu's beautiful features hardened with resolve.
"I've thought it through," she said softly.
"Staying tucked away here won't work. I may have to try my luck in the capital."
Before Zheng Xiaoyue could voice her shock, Jiang Huaiyu continued,
"I'll go to the county town today and bring Brother Wang back—but I likely won't be able to stay in Wang Family Village much longer. This was clearly Yan Er's doing, with Xu Chunhua's help. Since they've given me such a 'grand gift,' it's only right I return the favor."
"You're leaving?" Zheng Xiaoyue clutched her skirt anxiously.
"You're a woman, with Tangbao—won't going to the capital make you easier to bully? This… this isn't right!"
Seeing her concern, Jiang Huaiyu felt warmth stir in her chest.
"Sister-in-law, trust me," she said gently.
"If I could stay, I would gladly live here—raise chickens, grow vegetables, work from sunrise to sunset. But Yan Er doesn't just want the tofu recipe. He has designs on me. Under those circumstances, I have no choice but to leave."
She even laughed softly.
"I'll have to trouble you to come clean the place occasionally—so snakes and vermin don't take over."
Looking at Jiang Huaiyu's unadorned yet striking face, Zheng Xiaoyue hesitated, unable to say she was overthinking it. Stories like this were far from rare—wealthy young masters seized women regardless of marital status.
"Then… be careful," she said at last.
Her worry for her husband outweighed everything else. With no help to be expected from the clan, she could only place her trust in Jiang Huaiyu.
The donkey cart rattled toward the county town.
Jiang Huaiyu closed her eyes, sorting through her plans. The situation wasn't as dire as it seemed.
Xu Chunhua was nothing more than a foolish shrew—a small trick would be enough to make her suffer dearly.
As for Yan Er…
Though the Yan family held influence in Qingyang County, they were entrenched only in the medicinal trade. Their sons' repeated failures in other ventures made it obvious—someone else was keeping them in check.
More importantly, Yan Er wasn't the true power holder of the Yan household. At best, he could resort to underhanded tactics. Escalating matters would never be in his interest.
After organizing her thoughts, Jiang Huaiyu finally felt steadier.
Upon reaching the county town, she didn't go to the jail to see Wang Dazhuang.
Instead, she stopped passersby at several intersections, asking where the largest restaurant in Qingyang County was.
After asking around, she learned that the county had three major restaurants, places so refined that even nobles from the capital couldn't find fault—perhaps exaggerated, but enough to show their prestige.
That was all she needed to know.
She headed straight to the most centrally located one—Desheng Restaurant.
Entering, she chose a seat in the main hall and slapped silver onto the table.
"Bring out several of your signature dishes."
Seeing her refined bearing—and then the silver—the waiter immediately brightened.
"Yes, honored guest!" he sang out, trotting toward the kitchen.
It didn't take long.
Dishes like stir-fried gardenia blossoms and emerald shrimp arrived one by one, their color, aroma, and presentation all commendable.
Jiang Huaiyu sampled a few bites gracefully. Then she set her chopsticks down sharply on the table with a crisp tap.
The waiter, not far away, froze and turned back nervously.
"H-honored guest? Is something wrong?"
"Desheng Restaurant claims to gather all the finest flavors under heaven," Jiang Huaiyu said evenly.
"So why is there not a single tofu dish among your signature offerings?"
Her tone was mild, her face gentle as an autumn moon—yet sweat broke out on the waiter's forehead.
The shopkeeper, who had been tallying accounts behind the counter, hurried over with a smile.
"Honored guest, tofu is scarce. Only a limited amount is sold each day. Our restaurant can purchase only a little, and the dishes are usually bought early by other guests."
"Oh?"
Jiang Huaiyu rose and stopped two steps away from him.
"In that case, I have a plan that would allow your restaurant to make tofu a signature dish—without worrying about supply. Are you interested?"
The shopkeeper's eyes lit up—then hesitated.
"I've heard someone died after eating tofu at the market. Our guests are all distinguished. Until the case is resolved, we wouldn't dare serve tofu of uncertain safety."
Jiang Huaiyu smiled faintly.
"What if my plan is to sell the tofu recipe to your restaurant?"
The shopkeeper's fingers trembled. His expression turned solemn.
"Is this true?"
"I came here alone," Jiang Huaiyu said calmly.
"You understand what that means. Tofu has been sold for days—if it were deadly, people would've died long ago. This incident happened suddenly because someone is manipulating things behind the scenes."
The shopkeeper nodded noncommittally. That was precisely why he had assumed she was merely another tofu vendor to be pressured into selling cheaply.
He hadn't expected a far greater surprise.
Anyone with eyes could see it—someone had finally sunk their teeth into the tofu business.
"Rather than waiting to be carved up," Jiang Huaiyu said, confidence curling at her lips,
"I'd rather strike first and sell the recipe to someone who can protect it. What do you think?"
She had far more plans to execute—no time to waste here.
The shopkeeper had initially intended to haggle. After all, she was a lone woman—how could she be more cunning than him?
But the moment he saw her smile, Shopkeeper Li jolted awake.
Qingyang County was vast. Desheng Restaurant wasn't the only choice.
If he pushed too hard, she could simply walk away—and all his calculations would be for nothing.
His beard trembled as his gaze sharpened.
"Miss Jiang, please rest in a private room for a moment. I need to consult my superiors."
"Very well," Jiang Huaiyu replied softly as she followed the respectful waiter.
"But my patience and time are limited. I hope Shopkeeper Li decides quickly."
"Of course! Of course!"
Only after her figure disappeared beyond the carved window did he urgently summon another waiter and rush upstairs to report the matter.