A fierce wife enters the house: She helps up a house full of spineless people.

Chen Tianfang didn't sleep all night.

He opened his eyes, listening to Wang Jinzhu's even breathing beside him, his heart churning with turmoil.

She just dislikes herself!

Once the thought pops into your head, you can't suppress it.

She said she had her eye on him, finding him handsome and muscular. He believed her and was secretly pleased for several days.

Now it seems it was all a lie!

She must despise him for being poor, for being a coward, and for not being able to protect his family. Yesterday at her father's house, what he said basically meant he wasn't a real man. If even her father thinks that way, who knows how much she looks down on him?

The more Chen Tianfang thought about it, the more suffocated he felt, as if a huge rock was pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe. He turned over, but dared not make any loud noise to wake her, so he could only lie there stiffly until the sky began to lighten.

Wang Jinzhu, on the other hand, slept soundly. A habit she developed during the apocalypse meant that as long as the environment was safe, she would seize every opportunity to rest. When she opened her eyes, she felt refreshed and relaxed, her whole body feeling comfortable.

Turning my head, I was met with a pair of eyes that were bloodshot.

"You...you didn't sleep all night?" Wang Jinzhu was startled; this person looked like a ghost.

Chen Tianfang gave a muffled "hmm," sat up on the bed, and started getting dressed without looking at her.

Wang Jinzhu was baffled. What was wrong with this man so early in the morning? She sat up as well, rubbing her eyes. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"It's nothing," Chen Tianfang's voice came out, dry and hoarse.

"Nothing's wrong? If nothing's wrong, who are you trying to fool with those dark circles under your eyes?" Wang Jinzhu ignored him. A man's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea; she didn't have time to guess. Today, she wanted to go to the mountains again. What if she dug up a ginseng or a lingzhi mushroom? Wouldn't that make her rich? That's how it's always written in novels.

She quickly got dressed and got out of bed. Chen Tianfang was already dressed and left without saying a word.

Wang Jinzhu pursed her lips and walked into the yard, where she saw Chen Tianfang drawing water from the well. He was moving much faster than usual, and the bucket was swinging around with a whooshing sound, as if he had a grudge against someone.

She ignored him and went straight to the kitchen.

Breakfast was still wild vegetable and coarse grain porridge, but Wang Jinzhu really couldn't eat it. She still needed to find an opportunity to separate the family! She was reluctant to share the good food she had with others.

Inside the second room, Liu Yiyi finally couldn't hold back any longer.

"Shuyan, have you come up with a solution yet? When we returned to our parents' home, you said you would sell Tianwei and give me the five taels of silver." She lowered her voice, her tone full of anxiety. "In two more days, you will be going to the private school."

"What's your hurry?" Chen Shuyan suddenly raised his head, his eyes sinister. "Are you afraid I can't repay your money?"

Liu Yiyi was startled by him, and her eyes reddened: "I... I'm just worried about you. The county exam is in six months. If you can resolve these matters soon, I can go home and ask my father to find you more study materials."

Liu Yiyi is right. The county examination is coming up soon, and he needs the Liu family's help, but he refuses to admit defeat.

"I know! Stop pressuring me!" Chen Shuyan abruptly shook off Liu Yiyi's hand, his face contorted with rage. "I said I'd find a way, and I definitely will!"

Liu Yiyi stumbled from his jerky shove, bumping into the corner of the table and gasping in pain. Looking at her husband's unfamiliar profile, she felt a chill run through her.

Chen Shuyan stood still in the room, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked. He recalled Manager Liu's words about making him copy books—it was tantamount to trampling on his dignity as a scholar!

No, he absolutely cannot copy books! He's a student preparing for the imperial examinations, destined to become a scholar, a provincial graduate, and a high-ranking official! How could he do such a thing?

His gaze shifted to the window, where he saw Chen Tianwei and Chen Tianrun working in the yard. She was lucky she didn't sell them last time.

This time, she won't get away.

These past two days, Chen Tianwei has felt that her second brother and second aunt are staring at her from time to time. She is very scared and tries to get closer to her sister-in-law whenever she has nothing to do.

Fortunately, two days have passed and nothing has happened.

Chen Tianfang remained the same taciturn man, but he worked even harder than before. Every day he would go up the mountain before dawn and not return until dark. He also knew to secretly hide some of the game he hunted and give it to Wang Jinzhu, only giving his grandparents enough to feed and drink his family.

Every time this happened, Old Lady Chen would curse Wang Jinzhu to vent her anger. Each time she cursed Wang Jinzhu in front of Chen Tianfang, he wouldn't bring back any game the next day. Old Lady Chen never dared to sell in front of him again.

Old Chen watched his eldest grandson's transformation, puffing on his cigarette. He thought to himself, "Free things are never good. I need to find a reason to divorce this troublemaker."

That afternoon, Wang Jinzhu was washing clothes in the yard. Chen Tianrun and Chen Tianwei were at her feet; one was drawing on the ground with a small stick, and the other was handing her soap.

The family was enjoying a happy time together, but this scene stung Chen Xiufen's eyes as she came out of the house.

She looked at the basin in Wang Jinzhu's house, which contained only the clothes of the eldest son and a few others, and then at the large basin of dirty clothes piled up at her own door. Her anger flared up instantly.

"Wang Jinzhu!" Chen Xiufen, hands on her hips, strode up to her, chin held high. "Are you blind? Didn't you see the clothes at our door?"

Wang Jinzhu didn't even look up, continuing to rub the clothes in her hands, and slowly replied, "I saw it. So what? Do you think your second aunt's clothes will grow legs and run away by themselves?"

"You!" Chen Xiufen was so angry she almost choked. "You lazy woman! Is this how you serve your elders after marrying into our Chen family? There's a huge basin of clothes lying there, and you're pretending you don't see it? Hurry up and wash it!"

She was perfectly justified; in her view, it was Wang Jinzhu's duty as the eldest sister-in-law to wash the whole family's clothes. Wasn't that what Chen Yuxiang did before?

Wang Jinzhu finally stopped what she was doing. She looked up at Chen Xiufen with a half-smile and said, "Second Aunt, are you still asleep? I married Chen Tianfang, not you. Why should I wash your clothes? Don't you have hands?"

"You've gone too far!" Chen Xiufen shrieked. "You, a daughter-in-law, dare to talk back to your elders! I'm going to teach you a lesson today on behalf of your parents!"

As she spoke, she raised her hand to slap Wang Jinzhu across the face.

Wang Jinzhu's eyes turned cold. Before she could make a move, Chen Tianwei, who had been quietly standing by, suddenly rushed forward, spreading her small arms to block Wang Jinzhu, and shouted with her eyes closed, "You're not allowed to hit my sister-in-law!"

Chen Xiufen's slap froze in mid-air. Looking at the young girl protecting Wang Jinzhu, her anger burned even brighter.

Well, you treacherous little bitch! I haven't even sold you out yet, and you're already on the same side as outsiders!

She shoved Chen Tianwei aside and yelled, "Get out of here! You good-for-nothing, who gives you the right to speak here?"

Chen Tianwei was pushed so hard that she stumbled and fell to the ground, scraping her palms on the rough surface and drawing blood.

With a "waaaah," the little girl burst into tears.

Wang Jinzhu's face darkened completely. She stood up abruptly, knocking over the basin of water and splashing soapy water all over Chen Xiufen's foot.

"Chen Xiufen, it seems you haven't learned to be honest yet!" Wang Jinzhu grabbed Chen Xiufen's arm and gave her an over-the-shoulder throw.

"Ouch! Mother, Shuyan, come out quickly! That shrew Wang Jinzhu is going to beat me to death!" Chen Xiufen's entire back ached from the fall, and she felt like her bones were about to break. She lay on the ground howling incessantly.

Wang Jinzhu carefully helped Chen Tianwei up, her heart aching at the sight of her small, bleeding hands. She took out a clean handkerchief from her bosom and gently bandaged them.

"Don't cry, don't cry, your sister-in-law is here, don't be afraid," she comforted softly.

Chen Tian was sobbing slightly, burying his face in her arms, full of dependence.

This sight further agitated Chen Xiufen.

"Good! Good! The eldest sister-in-law is truly like a mother!" Chen Xiufen said sarcastically. "I think you want to be the head of this family! Your grandmother is still alive, and you're already trying to ride roughshod over us!"

Old Mrs. Chen, who had just come out, overheard this. Her face darkened, and she walked over. Seeing the scene in the courtyard, she immediately began to berate them without even asking what happened: "What's all the noise about! All you do is argue all day long! Wang Jinzhu, is it you again, you troublemaker, causing trouble!"