Chapter 69: A Wolf That Can Devour Three Rabbits at Once

When Madam Zhao spoke, Qian, who had always maintained her composure, showed a trace of discomfort on her face. Everyone present, more or less, began to guess what was going on.

"Ah, you stole something from our house," Bai Yan exclaimed, pointing at Jiang Yuan.

Jiang Yuan, still young and lacking self-control, suddenly found herself the focus of everyone's attention and accusations. Unable to withstand the pressure, she yanked the wolf fang necklace from her neck and hurled it at Bai Yan's face with a touch of hysteria. "Here, take it back! Take it back! Eldest son, eldest grandson! I want to see just what your son is capable of! Will he really bring you wealth and glory?!"

Jiang Yuan had been browbeaten by Qian since she was little; all her pent-up frustration erupted at that moment. The force with which she threw the wolf fang was fierce.

Jiang Chengyan quickly knocked the wolf fang aside to prevent it from scratching Bai Yan’s face.

Zhao, always fiercely protective of her own, saw Jiang Yuan nearly ruin Bai Yan's face and strode forward to slap Jiang Yuan. "Whatever others owe you, our family owes you nothing."

Even if she bore resentment, it was no reason to vent it on Cheng'an and the girl.

"Get out of here at once! Don’t be an eyesore!" Zhao scolded, then turned to check on Bai Yan.

Jiang’s father hurried to support Cheng'an and led him home.

Bai Yan stared curiously at the wolf fang on the ground, her eyes shining with excitement. Her mind was filled with awe: Wow... a wolf fang! From the kind of wolf that can eat three rabbits in a single bite!

With this thought, she wanted to pick it up.

"It’s dirty now. If you like, I’ll find you another one some other day," came the suggestion, as he tried to lead her home.

"Girl, I made some tofu stew for lunch today, would you like some?" Zhao called out quickly as her daughter-in-law was about to leave.

Bai Yan was clearly tempted and hesitated.

At that moment, Jiang Chengyan said quietly, "The mushrooms you planted have sprouted."

The moment she heard about the mushrooms, Bai Yan regretfully waved to Zhao, then hurried off, faster even than Jiang Chengyan.

Between eating and tending to her husband, tending to her husband was more important.

...

After Bai Yan and her husband left, only Zhao and her family remained at home.

Zhao put down her chopsticks and looked at the quiet boy sitting across from her. "Well, tell me, what are you thinking?"

"I don’t want to study anymore," Jiang Cheng'an answered honestly.

"What do you want to do, then?" Zhao pressed on. "If you don’t study and you’re not strong, how do you expect to make a living?"

"I can support myself," Jiang Cheng'an replied candidly for the first time, no longer avoiding Zhao’s gaze.

"By putting creams and powders on your face? I gave birth to two sons—why isn’t a single one of them normal?" Zhao’s mood suddenly turned explosive, her voice thundering. "What, are you planning to sell rouge and powder?!"

"I have my own ideas. Starting tomorrow, I’ll—"

"No more talk of tomorrow. Fine, you don’t want to study? Then start today! Get out there and see how you’ll earn your keep!" Zhao was so furious, she was nearly breathless.

She had thought her second son would be less of a worry, but he, too, turned out to be unruly at heart.

Jiang’s father was too anxious to speak. Jiang Cheng'an glanced at his meek father, then stood and returned to his own room.

...

To keep the temperature up, Jiang Chengyan had covered the outside of Bai Yan’s little storage room with a layer of waterproof paper, sealing it tightly. The mushrooms were growing splendidly; in two or three days, they would be ready to harvest and sell.

Just as Bai Yan was basking in the joy of this news, something sudden and unexpected happened.

Jiang Cheng'an had disappeared.