The Farm Girl's Charismatic Fortune

The northern night sky already twinkled with cold stars.

As the night deepened, the dew became heavier.

Granny Lei, worried that the children at home might catch a chill and fall ill, waved her hand dismissively, "Alright, that's enough for today. It's dark now, let's head home."

The family then stopped their work one after another.

Granny Lei supported Ruo He back across the field ridges.

With the advent of darkness, Ruo He found her vision growing blurrier, though tonight, at this hour, it seemed she could see a bit clearer than usual.

Everyone moved the bundles of Geng Grass they had cut to the field borders.

They had only cut the Geng Grass but had not yet stripped the Zizania. They planned to transport it all back home before stripping it, as the leaves could also be dried and used as fuel.

Moving the Geng Grass was a physically demanding job, and that task was left to the strongest members of the Ruo Family; Ruo Shui, Ruo Zhou, and Ruo Jiang.

Granny Lei took the others from the Ruo Family, each carrying a bundle of Geng Grass, and went home first.

Although Granny Lei took the children home first, Ruo Shui and the other two quickly caught up, pulling a large cart heaped with Geng Grass.

This was just the first cartload, and they estimated they would need two more trips to transport everything.

Back at home, Granny Lei saw the courtyard gate wide open and turned to the others, "Who was the last out? Why didn't you close the gate?"

"I thought I closed it!" Ruo Hang touched his head, puzzled.

He had been responsible for running back to fetch rope, and he was sure he remembered closing the gate!

Xuanbao faintly sensed the presence of Madam Zhao and said, "It was Third Aunt from the Zhao Family who had come back."

Upon hearing this, Granny Lei knew the chicken porridge she had left cooking before she went out to find Xuanbao was gone. She hurried to the kitchen and sure enough, there lay an unwashed pot and chicken bones scattered all over the floor.

The large iron pot filled with hot water for the children's baths was also empty!

Granny Lei's face turned an angry shade of green.

The porridge was meant to be tonight's dinner for the family. She had started it before leaving to look for Xuanbao, even adding some chestnuts to make it especially soft, sweet, and fragrant, knowing Xuanbao would love it.

And now it had all gone into Madam Zhao's stomach!

Madam Zhao didn't just eat, but she didn't leave any for the family either. Everyone had been working hard in the fields, looking forward to a warm meal and a hot bath when they returned.

And after eating, she didn't even bother to clean the pot, spitting chicken bones all over the floor, leaving a mess for someone else to clean up.

It was always like this. What did she take her family for?

"Madam Zhao, get out here!" Granny Lei bellowed.

But the only response was the open door to Madam Zhao's room.

Madam Zhao had already run off!

Seeing this, Granny Lei suppressed her raging fury, with nowhere to vent it.

Madam Liu and Madam Jiang entered the kitchen and glanced around, used to such scenes by now.

Worried Granny Lei might get sick with anger, Madam Liu hastened to comfort her, "Mother, don't be mad. I'll cook another pot of porridge right away. I can also fry some Zizania to see how it tastes. If it's good, we can sell it for a high price tomorrow."

Madam Jiang picked up the broom in the corner and began sweeping the bones from the floor, "Right, Xuanbao made the Zizania sound so tasty, I've been especially looking forward to it."

Ruo He grew anxious in his heart, but his eyes couldn't see clearly, he anxiously asked, "What happened? What has Madam Zhao done again?"

At that moment, he regretted ever having taken on work from the butcher Zhao, helping him with building repairs.

Ruo Jiang and Ruo Shui, seeing this, felt even more indignant on behalf of their third brother—especially Ruo Shui, who became even more infuriated recalling having seen Madam Zhao at the gambling house in the city.

"What were the rules set by our ancestors? Not dismissing such a person, are we saving her for the New Year?" he couldn't help but say.

"Enough! Why spout such nonsense? Are the ancestors for you to criticize? Hurry up and unload the Geng Grass; we still need to bring back the rest," Granny Lei suppressed her frustration and instructed, going to clean up the mess left by Madam Zhao and helping with the water for dinner.

At that moment, Granny Lei too harbored the thought of dismissing Madam Zhao.

In fact, Granny Lei wasn't a harsh mother-in-law, and the Ruo Family members weren't callous.

Although Madam Zhao had schemed her way into marrying Ruo He, at first, the family truly intended to treat her as one of their own.

Although Ruo He and Madam Zhao slept separately, he gave her most of the wages he earned each month for household use, leaving the rest for Madam Zhao to manage.

But after Madam Zhao gambled away all the silver, losing everything, Ruo He found out and stopped giving it to her.

Madam Zhao had been married into the family for half a year, and despite her constant absences at the beginning, Granny Lei would still save meals for her, treating her like a proper daughter-in-law, even holding out hope that she might reform, so her son could lead a good life with her one day.

But Madam Zhao, after every meal, would never wash her bowl, just tossing it aside as if the whole family owed her, bound to serve her.

In the beginning, everyone let it go because she was pregnant.

But Madam Zhao became more and more outrageous. During the busiest farming times, while the whole family went to the fields, Granny Lei would prepare the meals in advance, keeping them warm in the pots, before joining the work so that everyone could eat as soon as they returned home.

Madam Zhao, however, would leave early each day to watch people gamble. Coming home at mealtime, she devoured all the food Granny Lei had prepared for everyone, leaving behind empty pots and bowls, then disappearing again to some gambling table.

The whole family would return home hungry and tired, with no food left to eat and still have to wash her dishes.

People's hearts can grow cold; who could tolerate Madam Zhao's selfishness that only cared for herself?

Ruo Xuan looked at Granny Lei's house and suddenly said, "Granny, the third aunt has been in your house."

Granny Lei's heart skipped a beat!

She hurriedly ran back to her room and crawled under the bed.

Soon after, Granny Lei let out a roar of rage, almost lifting the roof, "She's done for! I will divorce Madam Zhao!"

It wasn't the third son divorcing Madam Zhao; she would divorce Madam Zhao.

Granny Lei burst out, "Fourth son, get me paper and ink!"

She wanted to write the divorce letter herself!

Be it day or night, the hardest to prevent is a thief within.

Madam Zhao had dared steal the dowry silver that Granny Lei had set aside for Xuanbao.

This was the six taels of silver she had saved for three years, scrimping and saving, of which five taels were even earned by Xuanbao herself.

She was livid!

Granny Lei could tolerate all of Madam Zhao's bad habits, but she couldn't tolerate a thief.

This was a moral failure!

In fact, two days ago, when Xuanbao nearly choked to death, Granny Lei had already thought about divorcing Madam Zhao.

But there was a rule in the Ruo Family, and Madam Zhao was pregnant, so she couldn't just dismiss the rules.

The family rule stated that a wife with child should not be divorced!

Yet recently, Madam Zhao had committed one outrageous act after another, even faking pregnancy, leading Granny Lei to her breaking point!

Delaying the divorce could lead to disaster; it would be too late for regrets!

Madam Liu was startled and quickly looked toward her own house. Today, a handsome young master had sent many gifts to Xuanbao, which her mother-in-law had asked her to lock away.

Fortunately, she had locked the door when she left, and now there were only two large footprints on it.

Seeing how angry Granny Lei was, the family guessed that Madam Zhao must have stolen the household's silver!

Ruo He clenched his fists, "Mother, let me write the divorce letter."

Granny Lei refused, "No, I will write! I was the one who married you to Madam Zhao. It's my fault; I will divorce her—it has nothing to do with you. Fourth son, where is that paper and ink?"

Men of the Ruo Family should not easily divorce their wives, so she would do it—she wasn't a Ruo Family man!

She absolutely couldn't keep Madam Zhao around to ruin her third son and the whole Ruo Family.

Even Xuanbao knew that the people of their family needed to pass exams to gain official positions, to have impeccable character, to maintain a good reputation.

A swindler, a thief—how could she be worthy of her son?

Seeing his mother's determined resolve, Ruo Shui hurriedly went and brought back paper and ink.

Granny Lei was no ordinary peasant woman; she, too, could read and write, and she personally penned the divorce letter!

Granny Lei handed the divorce letter over to Ruo He, "It's dark now, let it be. Tomorrow you will take the divorce letter to the Zhao Family. Tell them I was the one who divorced her. Our Ruo Family cannot afford to keep a thief as a daughter-in-law!"

Ruo He took the letter, gripped it tightly, and nodded lightly, "Mhm."

Tomorrow he would still bring a doctor with him to the Zhao Family.

Ruo Shui exhaled sharply and patted Ruo He's shoulder, "Third brother, congratulations!"

His heart was wicked; he had long hoped his third brother would divorce his wife.

If Madam Zhao were his wife, he would have divorced her long ago, never mind family rules.

He'd even be rebellious—just because the family rules were set by ancestors doesn't mean he, as a future ancestor, couldn't set new ones, does it?