She led the whole village to prosperity by raising koi fish.

Chapter 82 Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law Reconciliation

In the bustling Yangjiaping area, the once arrogant and domineering Madam Yang now resembled a wilted eggplant, completely devoid of her former prestige. The reason was simple: Master Yang's heart had long since turned to his young and beautiful concubine, and he completely ignored his wife, Madam Yang, even showing extreme reluctance to share a room with her.

Meanwhile, Zhou Xi was living a happy and fulfilling life. Yang Yuxuan doted on her, and the two not only worked together to manage the family business, but also spent their leisure time strolling through the streets and alleys, enjoying their time together. They were completely indifferent to Madam Yang's situation, as if this legitimate wife had completely disappeared from their lives.

Seeing the growing affection between the concubine and the master, so inseparable, Madam Yang's resentment burned like a raging fire. Every time she saw the loving couple, she would grit her teeth in anger, wanting nothing more than to rush forward and give the concubine a sound beating to vent her hatred. However, reality was always cruel; Master Yang and his new wife were practically inseparable, leaving Madam Yang with absolutely no opportunity to teach this deeply hated rival a lesson.

Just when Madam Yang felt she had nowhere to turn, her good friend Sun Lan happened to come to visit. Madam Yang, as if grasping at a lifeline, eagerly grabbed Sun Lan's hand and pleaded, "My dear sister, come with me for a walk to clear my head! And let me tell you all my troubles, I just can't go on like this!" So, the two of them walked out of the house hand in hand and disappeared into the bustling crowd.

Along the way, Madam Yang could no longer contain her bitterness and told Sun Lan everything that had happened at home, without hiding anything. When she spoke of her sorrows, tears welled up in her eyes, and her voice choked with emotion: "My dear sister, you have to help me! If this continues, I'm afraid it won't be long before I'm kicked out of my home and left to wander the streets!"

Sun Lan gently patted Madam Yang's shoulder, smiling and comforting her, "Oh, my dear sister, don't worry! You must stay calm when facing problems. Remember, there's no hurdle that can't be overcome. We'll definitely find a way to solve this." Madam Yang looked at Sun Lan with teary eyes, eagerly asking, "Then tell me quickly, what should we do?"

Sun Lan replied calmly, "As the saying goes, 'A fence needs three stakes, and a hero needs three helpers.' You can't accomplish anything great by relying on your own strength, just as a single tree can't form a forest. You need to join forces with Yang Yuxuan and Zhou Xilai to deal with that despicable concubine!"

Just then, Madam Yang looked troubled, shook her head slightly, and sighed, "Alas, let's not count on it! These days, I've been urging Zhou Xi to give our Yang family a big, healthy son, which has annoyed her. She must be unhappy about it, so how could she possibly be willing to help? Besides, my son is completely devoted to his wife, so naturally he won't get involved in this matter."

After hearing this, Sun Lan still had her signature bright smile on her face and gently advised, "That's precisely why you should change your attitude towards Zhou Xi. Try to reconcile with her first, and then slowly plan other things. Everything has to be done step by step, doesn't it?"

Upon hearing this, Madam Yang grasped at Sun Lan's hand as if she had found a lifeline, and pleaded earnestly with pleading eyes, "Good sister, you have to help me with this! Please put in a good word for me with Zhou Xi, I really need her help!"

Seeing Madam Yang's earnestness, Sun Lan immediately nodded in agreement without hesitation: "Sister, don't worry, I'll take care of this!"

Then, sunlight streamed down the bustling street as Sun Lan and another elder strolled hand in hand, chatting and laughing. They carefully selected various clothes and accessories, each piece seemingly chosen after careful consideration, all so that Zhou Xi would radiate captivating beauty when she wore them.

Knowing Zhou Xi's taste preferences well, Sun Lan specially bought her sweet and delicious osmanthus cake, whose rich osmanthus fragrance seemed to penetrate people's hearts; as well as crispy and fragrant fried dough twists, just imagining the "crunch crunch" sound when biting into them makes one's mouth water.

After finishing their shopping, the two carried large and small bags and walked happily towards the fabric shop. From afar, they could see Zhou Xi busy among the colorful fabrics.

"Aunt Lan, Grandma, what brings you here?" Zhou Xi looked up, a bright smile blooming on her face, her eyes sparkling with surprise and wonder as she asked softly.

"I missed you!" The two elderly people smiled at each other and answered in unison. This tacit understanding made the surrounding air seem to be filled with a warm feeling.

Madam Yang stepped forward, gently took Zhou Xi's hand, and looked deeply remorseful: "Zhou Xi, it was all my fault before. I was too harsh on you. From now on, I will definitely change my bad temper, cherish you, and treat you like my own daughter. Moreover, I promise you that I will never urge you and Yang Yuxuan to have a child again. Let everything take its natural course."

Hearing this, Zhou Xi's eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief: "Mother-in-law, what's wrong with you today? Why has your attitude suddenly changed so drastically?" She wondered to herself, could something special have happened?

Madam Yang smiled gently and replied softly, "Oh dear, it's all thanks to your Aunt Lan's patient guidance! Although we are nominally mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, we should still get along harmoniously. If we continue to quarrel all the time like before, not only will outsiders laugh at our family, but it will also really hurt our relationship!"

After listening, Zhou Xi nodded in deep agreement and said, "You're absolutely right, Mother-in-law. A family should be tolerant and understanding of each other."

Just then, Sun Lan couldn't help but interject, "Xi'er, although you usually call me Auntie, I've always treated you like my own daughter. In the future, you must get along well with your mother-in-law and stop being so willful and noisy like a child. You're all grown up now, and you should be more sensible and reasonable!"

Zhou Xi nodded obediently and replied, "Yes, I remember, Auntie."

Then, Sun Lan looked at Zhou Xi with a loving expression and gently instructed, "This osmanthus cake is most delicious when it's still steaming hot. You should try it quickly."

Zhou Xi responded politely, "Thank you for your concern, Auntie. You and your mother-in-law should also try this delicious osmanthus cake."

“We’ve already eaten, you should eat too,” Madam Yang said with a smile, her eyes filled with tenderness. Then, she gently took Sun Lan’s arm, and the two walked together toward the backyard, chatting and laughing, to admire the exquisite fabrics.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps approached. It turned out that Yang Yuxuan, who had gone out to buy goods, rushed back to the shop. As soon as he entered, he was attracted by the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms in the air and asked with great curiosity, "Zhou Xi, where did you get this osmanthus cake? It smells so good!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xi couldn't help but show a smug look on her face. She raised her chin and replied with a grin, "My mother-in-law and Aunt Lan bought these especially for me! How about it, aren't you envious? Why don't you come and try these delicious pastries with me?" As she spoke, she deliberately waved the osmanthus cake in front of Yang Yuxuan.

Seeing this, Yang Yuxuan couldn't help but burst into laughter. He quickly waved his hand and said, "No need. I'm so happy to see you getting along so well with my mother! You should eat while it's hot. I'll take the staff to the door to unload the goods." After saying that, Yang Yuxuan turned around and strode towards the door, calling on the staff to get busy.

"Okay, I understand." Zhou Xi nodded obediently. Watching Yang Yuxuan's departing figure, a warm feeling welled up in her heart, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up, revealing a sweet smile.

Time flies, and it was already noon. The family sat around the table, enjoying a simple yet heartwarming reunion meal—rice with green peppers and shredded pork, served with sweet and delicious millet porridge. Although the food wasn't anything fancy, every bite was filled with the taste of home, making it all the more satisfying.

“Son, don’t overwork yourself! You can leave the purchasing work to the shop assistants. You should spend more time with Zhou Xi.” Madam Yang said earnestly, her pitying expression evoking sympathy.

Yang Yuxuan quickly nodded obediently and replied, "I know, Mother. I will be careful."

Then, Mrs. Yang looked at the loving young couple with a smile, but her lips moved slightly as if she wanted to say something for help, but in the end she couldn't say it.

At this moment, Sun Lan, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but chime in with concern, "Madam Yang has had a really tough time these past few years! She has to manage the shop business, find time to make clothes, and take care of the whole family. Who would have thought that this perfectly good family would now be run by a concubine? This is just too unfair! You two, as her children, should think more about Madam Yang!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Yuxuan and Zhou Xi exchanged a knowing glance, then replied with serious expressions, "Aunt Lan, you're absolutely right. Actually, we already have our own ideas about this matter, but we just don't know if it will work."

Upon hearing this, Sun Lan quickly crossed her hands in front of her and replied with a gentle expression, "Tell me about it!" At the same time, Madam Yang also sat upright at the table, adopting a posture of attentive listening.

"Hmph, I now firmly hold the shop's deed and the house's deed in my hands!" Yang Yuxuan raised his chin, his face full of arrogance and conceit, and loudly replied, "Since that's the case, then I will expel Father and that second wife from the house! From now on, I will be the one to call the shots in this house!"

Hearing this, Madam Yang's eyes flashed with satisfaction, and she nodded without hesitation, saying, "I agree! I've disliked those two for a long time. They're idle and good-for-nothing all day long. Our family's current prosperity is all thanks to the hard work of my son and me. And now, they dare to dream of getting a share of the pie? No way!"

At this moment, Zhou Xi chimed in, "That's right, Mother-in-law is absolutely right. I've not only successfully obtained the blacksmith's shop deed, but I've also acquired the Yang family's land deed. Moreover, when we got married, my parents-in-law handed over all their assets to me. So, in my opinion, it's best to let them leave with nothing, to avoid any future trouble."

However, Sun Lan, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but frown and replied with surprise and disbelief, "This... isn't this a bit too heartless? After all, they are family."

Faced with Sun Lan's questioning, Zhou Xi simply sighed softly, then spread his hands and explained helplessly, "Aunt Lan, you don't understand. We had no choice but to do this. If we don't teach them a lesson, they'll probably bully us even more in the future. Besides, it's the only option we could find."

Seeing this, Madam Yang quickly stepped forward, grabbed Sun Lan's hand, and said with a smile, "Oh, Sister Sun, don't stop us. Actually, the reason we made this decision is entirely for the sake of this family. As long as we drive that father and son away, Old Man Yang will naturally obediently return home and live a good life. As for that concubine, she has neither money nor property, and I doubt she would have the guts to suffer with Old Man Yang. They'll definitely divide it up."