The Wealthy Eldest Sister Rules Supreme

“But let me make it clear, I didn’t make these shoes specifically for those two little rascals. I just did it because I was bored and didn’t have anything else to do, so I just made them without even checking their size. If the shoes are too big or too small, they better not come looking for me.”

“Got it, got it,” Zhuang Qingning said, laughing as she tucked the shoes away.

She shook her head and sighed.

They say someone can have a sharp tongue but a soft heart, and Mrs. Wen was that kind of person.

“Now that you mention it, that old fool of a village chief has been messing around with beans lately, and it seems to be working out quite well. Was that your idea?” Mrs. Wen asked.

“Aunt Wen, do you have the eyes of a god?”

Zhuang Qingning said, smiling sweetly.

“No such thing. I just know that Zhuang Jingye is all about face and showing off, but he’s not smart. The fact that he took up this project must be because someone else was pulling the strings. And the only one who’d bother about beans in the village is you.”

Mrs. Wen sneered, “Speaking of which, your involvement with beans reminded me, I have a few acres of land at home. I’m too old to work them, so I let Wencheng’s family take care of it. They just pay me a bit of rent every year.”

“The reason I brought this up is to ask if you’d like to farm this land. If so, I could let your family have it, and accept tofu as rent.”

“Frankly, I don’t get much from the rent anyway. That Mrs. Wang is too sly, giving me less and less each year, blaming poor harvest. I know I’m old, but I’m not blind! Can’t I see how the crops are doing? It’s just that Wencheng is a good kid, so I just turn a blind eye and keep quiet.”

“This time, it seems the Wangs aren’t planning to plant a lot of beans, and they don’t seem interested in this new bean species. If you want these new beans, I can take back the land, and you can grow them there.”

For a common farmer, land is the most essential thing. No matter what happens, as long as one has land, there’s a glimmer of hope, and it’s the final safeguard for survival.

Mrs. Wen’s intention was to give Zhuang Qingning something she could fall back on in case anything unexpected happened, something she could rely on.

“Aunt Wen, I understand and appreciate your concern for me,” Zhuang Qingning said with gratitude, smiling at Mrs. Wen. “I know you mean well, but right now I’m busy with the tofu shop. I won’t have time for anything else in the near future. If I took this land, I probably wouldn’t be able to take care of it, which would be a waste.”

“Plus, since you’ve been letting Brother Wencheng’s family farm this land, if you suddenly give it to me, I’m afraid it would cause a fuss in Brother Wencheng’s family…”

“Afraid of Mrs. Wang? She’s nothing. With just a few words, I can get rid of her. She’s no match for me in a fight, and she doesn’t have the guts to challenge me here,” Mrs. Wen said, curling her lips dismissively.

“If she dares to interfere in your business, don’t be polite to her. Give her what she deserves. Don’t worry about neighborhood relations. Some people, the more respect you show them, the more they look down on you.”

Mrs. Wen’s words were filled with resentment, clearly she was pretty dissatisfied with Mrs. Wang.

This prompted Zhuang Qingning to purse her lips. “Of course, Aunt Wang can’t do anything to you, Aunt Wen, let alone me. But I’m concerned about Brother Wencheng. He’ll be stuck in the middle between you and Aunt Wang, having it tough on both ends.”

“Aunt Wen, you’ve always had a soft spot for Brother Wencheng. You probably wouldn’t want to make him uncomfortable. You’ve allowed Mrs. Wang to get away with a lot all these years, probably for this reason, right?”

“You’re thoughtful and see things clearly, child,” Mrs. Wen said, giving Zhuang Qingning a playful tap on the forehead. “You should be grateful for all the care Brother Wencheng showed you in the past.”

“They say ‘gratitude should be as endless as the flowing stream.’ I can’t make a stream flow, but I should at least return the favor in some small way. That’s the only way I can be at peace,” Zhuang Qingning said, laughing.

“Is it really just gratitude?” Mrs. Wen looked at her sideways.

“Of course, what else could it be?”

Zhuang Qingning looked at Mrs. Wen in surprise.

“You know, Wencheng may seem mild-mannered, but he’s always been very discerning. He wasn’t willing to hang out with ordinary kids when he was little, but for some reason, he took special care of you. Have you ever thought about why?”

Mrs. Wen’s eyes narrowed even further, a mischievous grin on her face. “Though you share the same surname, tracing back, you do come from the same ancestor. But you’re distantly related enough for marriage to be permissible, and there’s nothing for outsiders to pick on.”

“In my opinion, you and Wencheng make a good match in appearance, and your characters are also similar – you’re both dutiful and sensible…”

“Aunt Wen, please stop joking around,” Zhuang Qingning stood up exasperatedly. “This has nothing to do with that. I’m still young, and I’m not thinking about such things yet. Besides, I’ve always considered Brother Wencheng as my brother, nothing more.”

“Girls are always shy when it comes to this topic, I understand…”

“Aunt Wang is a tough nut to crack. Even though I’m not afraid of her, I don’t want to live a life of constant bickering. ”

“Don’t worry, Wencheng will definitely protect you. If not, I can step in and see if she dares to stir up trouble!”

“But I truly don’t have those kinds of feelings for Brother Wencheng. Aunt Wen, please stop persuading me.”

“Marriage has always been arranged by parents and matchmakers. Isn’t it true that couples begin to build their lives together after marriage and gradually develop feelings for each other? Who falls in love at first sight?”

Oh boy, what has she gotten herself into lately? People around her are either matchmaking or straight up trying to set her up with someone. There’s even a so-called “marriage stone” in the virtual world.

Are they determined not to rest unless they set her up with someone?

Probably because of the addition of two peach trees in the yard of her new house. She had thought to enjoy the peach blossoms in spring and refreshing peaches in summer, but who’d expect it to cause a peach blossom disaster so soon?

No, it won’t do. She must remove those peach trees soon and replace them with apricot trees and plum trees, so she can get some peace and quiet.

After a lengthy argument with Mrs. Wen, Zhuang Qingning decided to use her trump card: “Aunt Wen, if you keep trying to play cupid for me, I’ll have to leave the management of the tofu shop to Mingliang. I won’t be able to set foot in here again.”

Saying this, she turned away, no longer engaging Mrs. Wen in conversation.

“Look at you, getting mad over a few words. So sensitive,” Mrs. Wen scoffed. “Fine, if you don’t want me to talk about it, I’ll drop it, alright?”

With plenty of time left and Zhuang Qingning still young, there would be plenty of opportunities to bring two people together in the future.