Chapter 43: The Stolen Secret Recipe

Xu Jinniang pressed on step by step, while Tong Chuxue retreated time and time again.

"Chuxue, be honest with me. Did someone trick you?"

Tong Chuxue shook her head immediately. How could she possibly be tricked? Right now, all she could think about was how to convince Xu Jinniang.

"Mother, actually this matter... it's all because of Luo Hui'an."

...

"So you're saying these methods actually came from Hui'an, but he was afraid of getting tangled up with the other branches of the Luo family, so he had you step forward instead?" Xu Jinniang was half-doubtful.

"Yes, Mother. If you don't believe me, I will call Luo Hui'an over right now." Tong Chuxue wore a sincere expression, as if she would immediately go fetch Luo Hui'an for a confrontation should Xu Jinniang wish it.

"No need. Since Hui'an doesn't want to talk about it, it's not my place to ask. It's just that if you make money, the lion's share still belongs to the Luo family. You must give it to them; you can't cheat them," Xu Jinniang exhorted.

Tong Chuxue didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Mother, where is your mind wandering? How could I possibly cheat the Luo family out of their silver? Rest assured, I won't short them a single cash of what they're due."

Using Luo Hui'an as an excuse for the secret recipe, the immediate crisis was finally averted, and Tong Chuxue let out a long sigh of relief.

Suddenly, she heard a faint, drifting voice from outside the door, murmuring Tong Chuxue's name. Xu Jinniang clearly heard it too. The voice was neither loud nor soft, carrying faintly in the night wind with a spectral quality.

"Little Xue, Little Xue..."

Seeing the terrified look surface on Xu Jinniang's face, Tong Chuxue quickly comforted her, "Mother, it's probably just someone from the village. Don't overthink it."

With that, Tong Chuxue walked over to the door and opened it.

Fortunately, the person outside was human and not a ghost, though from Tong Chuxue's perspective, she would almost have preferred a ghost.

Upon seeing Tong Chuxue, Tian Zhaodi was unusually warm. "Little Xue, having your meal?"

"Just finished," Tong Chuxue replied indifferently.

For no reason at all, why would Tian Zhaodi suddenly show up and be so enthusiastic? There was definitely something fishy going on.

Tian Zhaodi didn't act like an outsider at all. She lifted her foot to step inside the doorway, only to be blocked by Tong Chuxue. "If Second Aunt has anything to say, please say it right here."

A flash of irritation quickly crossed Tian Zhaodi's face, but remembering the purpose of her trip, she managed to suppress her temper and said to Tong Chuxue as affectionately as possible, "Little Xue, I just wanted to ask—can that business you mentioned really make a lot of money?"

So she wanted to tag along and work with her. Tong Chuxue smiled faintly. "Does Second Aunt have her mind set on joining me?"

Tian Zhaodi grinned. "Join you? Of course I'll join any business that makes money."

"Very good then. Hand over the silver." Tong Chuxue extended her right hand in front of Tian Zhaodi.

"Silver? What silver?" Tian Zhaodi was dumbfounded. No one had mentioned needing to cough up silver in the beginning.

"Second Aunt, did you not hear me say that to join me, you have to sell all the land belonging to your family? Since you've come to look for me, you must have already sold the Tong family's land, right? So, where is the silver?" Tong Chuxue asked.

"Little Xue, look, other people are other people, but we are family. Since you have a pathway to getting rich, shouldn't you think of your own family first? Why are you bickering over mere money?" Tian Zhaodi tried to persuade her with kind words.

"I apologize, Second Aunt, but I care very much about it. If you want to follow my lead, you must sell your land," Tong Chuxue said resolutely.

"Little Xue, you're being too distant by saying that. Although I don't have money, I can do manual labor for you. Once you make money, just give me a small share," Tian Zhaodi persisted, refusing to give up.

To put it bluntly, this Tian Zhaodi wanted to get something for nothing without putting up any capital. How could Tong Chuxue possibly let her get her way?

"Since the Tong family is unwilling to sell their land, there is nothing more to discuss. Second Aunt, you may go back." Tong Chuxue made a gesture to chase her away.

Tian Zhaodi still wanted to struggle a bit more. "Hey, you won't lose out! It's not like I won't work hard for you!"

Seeing that Tong Chuxue's attitude was firm and left no room for negotiation, Tian Zhaodi grew angry. "You greedy little wretch who only wants to keep everything for yourself! So young and yet you have no respect for your elders. I gave you face and you had no shame..."

Before Tian Zhaodi could finish cursing, Tong Chuxue picked up the large broom standing nearby and swept it across Tian Zhaodi's legs. "Second Aunt, you better watch your step. We don't have time to sweep this courtyard during the day, so there's dust everywhere. Mind your footing."

In retreat after retreat, Tian Zhaodi stomped back to the Luo family residence in the dark, boiling with rage.

She had sneaked out of the Luo family compound in the first place, and returning from the outside at this hour, she was immediately caught by the sharp-eyed Zou Hongping.

"Oh, look who's coming back from goodness knows where in the middle of the night, Second Sister-in-law."

Tian Zhaodi looked up to find the entire family's gaze focused on her. She swallowed hard, her mind racing at top speed as she forced a smile. "I just went out to probe Tong Chuxue for some information."

Upon hearing this, Old Madam Tong's expression instantly darkened.

"Second Sister-in-law, you didn't actually believe the ghost stories of that little hussy Tong Chuxue and think there's some money-making business, did you? Let me tell you, if you dare to instigate Mother into selling the land, I'll be the first one to object." Zou Hongping narrowed her eyes in displeasure.

"Eldest Sister-in-law, don't get angry yet. How could I possibly want to sell our land? I just think that girl Tong Chuxue is acting suspicious." Tian Zhaodi scurried over to Old Madam Tong's side in two or three steps. "Mother, don't you think something is strange? Little Xue used to do chores at home every day; how could she possibly know any methods to get rich? Could it be that her ideas actually belong to the Tong family in the first place?"

After Tian Zhaodi's analysis, Zou Hongping, who had just been brimming with aggression, also felt there was some sense to it. She said calmly, "Second Sister-in-law makes a valid point. Mother, how could a young girl who has barely stepped outside her own threshold know so much? She must have stolen some secret recipe from the Tong family."

Listening to the women gossip from the side, Old Master Tong took a puff of his dry tobacco pipe and denied, "The Tong family doesn't have any secret recipes."

Unexpectedly, Old Madam Tong agreed with her daughters-in-law. "Not necessarily. Who knows, maybe Old Master really left something behind back then."

"Didn't I know better than anyone what my father left behind?!" Old Master Tong grew somewhat irritated.

"That's not certain either," Old Madam Tong said, suddenly energized. "Old man, think carefully about it. Maybe Father really did leave something behind, or else where would that damned girl have gotten a secret recipe from?"

The more they stirred the matter up, the more real it seemed. Not waiting for Old Master Tong to reply, Old Madam Tong returned to her room and began rummaging through boxes and cabinets.

In the main room, Zou Hongping pulled Tian Zhaodi aside and whispered, "Sister-in-law, it looks like Mother really has hidden quite a few good things away."

Tian Zhaodi muttered vague agreements. Initially, this theory was just something she had fabricated on the spot to fob off Zou Hongping, but thinking about it carefully now, it might actually be true. Perhaps the truth had been guessed by her own accidental strike of luck.

By the next morning, Old Madam Tong naturally hadn't found a single thing, but once the seed of suspicion was planted, even if it wasn't true, it was impossible to view the situation objectively anymore.

Early the next morning, just as the sky was turning pale, Old Madam Tong sat up in bed and reached out to shake the sleeping Old Master Tong awake. "Old man, wake up. I remember now—did Father ever give us a box of things back then?"