After the family split up, my stepmother and scumbag father begged me to come home.

Tiger nodded thoughtfully, then scratched his head: "Sister Qianqian, what if someone steals the method to remove the poison from all those poisonous potatoes we brought back?"

Lin Qianqian paused, glancing at Hu Zi—this kid really thinks ahead.

"So," she said softly, "the crucial steps can only be done by ourselves. We absolutely cannot let a second person see them. Also, I plan to talk to my aunt about moving the millstone to my house. Going to your house all the time is too conspicuous, and it's too close to the Lin family's house."

Tiger nodded solemnly.

"Alright, let's not talk about this now." Lin Qianqian patted her basket. "Tiger, let's go back first, then we'll go to your house. I bought some cloth yesterday and wanted to ask your aunt to help me make some clothes."

"My mother is quite skilled!" Tiger grinned. "Many people in the village have their clothes made by my mother."

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Auntie."

The group chatted and laughed as they carried their baskets toward the Lin family's old house.

Meanwhile, Granny Li was seething with anger and hurried toward the Lin family's old house.

She's not one to suffer a loss.

"Big sister! Is big sister home?" she shouted as soon as she entered the door.

Grandma Lin and Lin Xiaohua had just returned from buying meat in town and were resting in the yard.

"Oh, little sister, what's wrong? Who offended you?" Old Mrs. Lin put down her pipe.

"It's all because of your good granddaughter!" Granny Li embellished the story of what happened on the mountain, "She said she'd buy poisonous potatoes for one penny a pound, but she wouldn't buy them from me after I dug them up, and she even embarrassed me in front of everyone! Old sister, you have to stand up for me!"

Upon hearing this, Old Mrs. Lin's eyes widened in surprise: "What did you say? Buying poisonous potatoes? One penny a pound? That little money-loser has money to burn? What a spendthrift!"

Lin Xiaohua stamped her feet in distress, "Mother, this wretched girl has money but doesn't know how to be filial to you. She uses it to collect those worthless poisonous potatoes! Those things are everywhere on the mountain, why would she spend money to buy them? Has she lost her mind?!"

"That's exactly what I'm saying!" Granny Li slapped her thigh. "Old lady, you have to do something about her! She even said... she even said her great-grandfather lived so long because he didn't meddle in other people's business. Isn't that cursing you?"

Old Mrs. Lin's face turned completely black.

"Don't worry, little sister, just go and dig." She slammed her hand on the table, her words resolute. "If she dares not accept your money, I'll deal with her! I want to see who's really in charge in this family!"

"With your words of comfort, I feel much more at ease!" Granny Li beamed. She sat for a while longer, drank a bowl of tea, and then hurriedly ran up the mountain—those were all copper coins! If she lingered any longer, the villagers would dig up all the poisonous potatoes on the mountain, wouldn't that be letting them get away with it?

Watching Granny Li's departing figure, Lin Xiaohua's eyes lit up: "Mom, shall we go dig too?"

"What are you digging for!" Old Mrs. Lin spat. "That little money-losing thing's money should have been ours! Every pound she takes is like stealing a penny from us!"

Lin Xiaohua suddenly realized: "Then what Mother means is..."

"Wait." Old Mrs. Lin narrowed her eyes, a cold smile appearing on her lips. "When she goes to collect the poisoned potatoes at noon, we'll go and 'support' her."

The courtyard fell silent, save for the cicadas in the trees that continued their incessant chirping, oblivious to the danger.

From the distant mountains, the cheerful laughter of villagers digging up poisonous potatoes could be heard.

Lin Qianqian was unaware that a storm was quietly brewing.