“I… because it’s so hard to find good ginseng. It’s a treasure that can only be chanced upon by luck! I feel that I should stock up. What if I don’t have any when I really need it?” Zhou Hua said self-righteously.
In the kitchen, Qiao Mei really could not stand it anymore. She handed the spatula to Liu Fen and walked out.
“Third Aunt-in-law, you’re really too prudent. You even know that you have to keep good things for yourself in case of emergencies!” Qiao Mei came to the sofa and pushed Xia Zhe aside, sitting down opposite Zhou Hua.
She had to be the one to handle such matters. If it was a matter between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, then the man should stand up for his wife. However, when it came to other relatives in the family, the wife would need to play the role of the bad guy.
“You! You’re a daughter-in-law of the Xia family! You must put our Xia family first in everything! It’s not a difficult thing for you to help! I won’t ask you for too many. Just one will do,” Zhou Hua said angrily.
“It’s not the Xia family’s problem. It’s your personal problem,” Qiao Mei said.
Qiao Mei looked at Zhou Hua’s exasperated expression and continued, “Besides, I have to put Xia Zhe’s parents and grandfather before him, and then there’s Xia Zhe himself. In my opinion, there are so many people I need to prioritize before you, right? I don’t have that many wild ginsengs at home, so I have to think for my family as well. Don’t you think so, Third Aunt-in-law?”
“You! You! You!” Zhou Hua stood up angrily and pointed at Qiao Mei.
Zhou Hua did not expect the young lady to be so sharp-tongued and to make her suffer a setback. Zhou Hua knew she could not win the argument against Qiao Mei, so she turned to Xia Zhe and said, “Does a woman have the final say in your family! Does she think she can make decisions for your family?”
Xia Zhe leaned back on the sofa and said, “You’re not asking for help from my family, but from Qiao Mei’s family, so she should be the one making the decision. But if Third Aunt-in-law is talking about our own little family, then Qiao Mei is indeed in charge.”
Zhou Hua was speechless for the moment and just stared at Qiao Mei.
Liu Fen had wanted to come out and join in the fun, but she immediately met Qiao Mei’s warning gaze. Liu Fen did not dare to stay outside any longer and immediately ran back to the kitchen to continue cooking.
“Oh my, the water is boiling. It’s time to cook,” Liu Fen muttered to herself.
She slowly closed the kitchen door and focused on cooking. This was the battlefield she was comfortable with and she decided not to worry about anything outside.
“Third Aunt-in-law, I really don’t have too many ginsengs at home. You should buy from someone else,” Qiao Mei said.
Zhou Hua looked at Qiao Mei and was about to say something when Xia Zhe stood up, stared into Zhou Hua’s eyes and said, “Third Aunt-in-law, everyone knows what you want to do with the ginseng. Let’s not say it out loud and leave it dignified.”
“Xiao Zhe, what are you talking about… I’m using it to treat illnesses…” Zhou Hua avoided Xia Zhe’s gaze and did not dare to look at him directly.
“It’s useless for you to lie. I’ll tell my father, grandfather, Eldest Aunt and Third Uncle about this. If your father is really sick, our Xia family won’t sit back and do nothing,” Xia Zhe said.
When Zhou Hua heard that he was going to tell Xia Guang about this, she immediately became anxious. She hurriedly waved her hand and said, “No, no, no! Don’t tell your third uncle! If your third uncle finds out that I come to trouble you about my family matters, he’ll scold me! Don’t tell him!”
Xia Zhe looked at Zhou Hua in disappointment. She was still lying so stubbornly.
He had not intended to tell the elders in his family about this. However, now it seemed that he must tell them about this, otherwise there would be endless trouble in the future.
“You’re just a junior member of the family. Why are you getting involved in our matters?” Zhou Hua said.
“Third Aunt-in-law was still asking us juniors for help just now. Why aren’t we allowed to get involved now?” Qiao Mei said.
Xia Zhe stared at Zhou Hua intently and asked, “Have you already done something? Or have you already given something? Who are you giving the ginseng to? Who has agreed to grant you something you wish for?”
Zhou Hua was so nervous that her forehead started to sweat and she spoke incoherently. Xu Lan, who was usually not concerned about family matters, looked at Zhou Hua nervously when she heard what Xia Zhe said. It was not as if she did not know anything at all. In the entire capital, there were not many families who could render help to others. Apart from the Xia family, only the He family could do the same.
