Trying to steal my daughter-in-law from me?

Madam Rong arrived with two maidservants, while a manservant by the carriage behind them was busy unloading goods.

She had inquired beforehand and learned that the Jiang couple worked as laborers in a carpentry shop and lived in this most dilapidated small courtyard.

Now, as the courtyard gate swung open before her, Madam Rong raised her eyes to take in the narrow little courtyard and the pretty woman standing at the threshold.

"Esteemed Madam, what brings you here?" Mrs. Zhao had never been one to mince words, and seeing Madam Rong, her tone was icy cold.

She didn't care if the visitor was a landowner's wife or anyone else's wife; anyone coming to snatch her daughter away annoyed her to no end.

Madam Rong clearly had not expected Mrs. Zhao to have such a temperament. She had assumed that women from families of this background would mostly be timid and submissive.

"Elder Sister, a few days ago, the little girl helped me recover my purse at the market. Inside the purse was something of great importance to me, so I wish..."

Madam Rong spoke with utmost gentility. Both her demeanor and her speech carried the distinct grace of a woman from the region south of the Yangtze River.

Mrs. Zhao, however, was quite different.

Hearing this, Mrs. Zhao raised her voice and blurted out, "You want to snatch my daughter-in-law from me?!"

Upon hearing this, Madam Rong hurriedly waved her hands. "No, no, no! If she were still unmarried, I would certainly want to arrange a match for her. But since she is already married, and a gentleman should help others achieve their noble goals, I only wish to... I only wish to adopt her as my daughter."

"That won't be necessary." The louder Mrs. Zhao spoke, the higher her voice rose. Fortunately, there were hardly anyone about early in the morning, so no one else would overhear.

Seeing Mrs. Zhao's attitude, Madam Rong knew instantly that the woman would not relent.

Yet it was truly bizarre. Why was it that everyone else eagerly vied for the chance to let her adopt a daughter, while this Mrs. Zhao flatly refused? Not to mention, she wore an expression that showed she couldn't care less about entertaining her.

"Mom!"

Mrs. Zhao's booming voice directly woke the young girl who was still fast asleep inside the room.

Hearing the young girl's voice, Mrs. Zhao's expression changed instantly, and she hurried toward the bedroom.

Realizing that it was the little girl's voice, Madam Rong left her two maidservants behind and quickly followed on Mrs. Zhao's heels. Jiang Chengyan, meanwhile, made no move to stop them from the very beginning.

On the kang bed, Bai Yan was wrapped in the quilt, a rebellious lock of hair sticking straight up on top of her head. Blinking her round, wide eyes with a dazed expression, she asked, "Mom, did you fry mantou slices for me?"

Mrs. Zhao slapped her thigh in exasperation. "It's all because of these noisy people; I haven't even started yet. Go back to sleep for a bit, I'll make them right now!"

Bai Yan let out a drowsy "oh," and then buried her small body back into the bedding, leaving only the top of her head exposed.

Standing behind, Madam Rong watched with eyes brimming with radiance. Clasping her hands together as if in a pious prayer, she looked at Mrs. Zhao with utmost sincerity and said, "Elder Sister Zhao, please agree to this."

Mrs. Zhao's gaze swept over the woman's wrists, and she let out a cold snort. Yet, recalling the hostile, vigilant black-clad youth she had seen lingering by the door that morning, she paused in thought.

Frowning slightly, she finally said, "Madam Shen, this matter must be decided by the girl herself. You will just have to wait for now."

Madam Rong glanced toward the little girl, who had curled back up under the covers and fallen soundly asleep again. With an agreeing smile, she followed Mrs. Zhao back out into the courtyard.

Outside the small back courtyard, Shen Dongliang had been keeping his eyes fixed on the house.

From the moment his mother went inside until now, a good half-hour had already passed.

Judging by the stance his mother had taken earlier... he harbored a rather ominous premonition.

And when he finally drew near the doorway of the house, Madam Rong's voice drifted out from the courtyard: "Elder Sister Zhao, when will the little girl wake up?"

Shen Dongliang: "......"

Why on earth do you care when she wakes up?!