Chapter 502: Chen Zhao Extra Chapter_2
 

Today, our family is able to enjoy a wealthy and stable life thanks to her efforts. I am content and dare not ask for too much.

When I was young, I was often scared of my mother’s scolding and beating. I always imagined escaping from home, getting away from my mother, even if it meant becoming a concubine in a rich family. I didn’t want to stay at home.

After my mother passed away, I realized that life with her was not so bad after all. As long as she wasn’t in a bad mood or beating me, she would mend my clothes and would always sneak me a piece of meat during the festive seasons.

So, I decided to stay at home, to take care of my younger brother, and to ensure he grew up healthy.

Luckily, I fulfilled this. Not only did I earn money for my brother, but I also found him a wife and built a large inn for him.

People said that I was foolish. My in-laws and sisters-in-law cursed me for only caring about my own family. They forgot that their family was once poor and that I sustained them by doing business. I even upgraded our simple thatched hut into a large five-room brick-built house.

Thankfully, my husband protected me. He forbade the family from saying a word against me; otherwise, he would have nothing to do with them. Only then did my in-laws, big sisters, and my younger uncle-brothers calm down.

I was too busy to bother about their constant complaints behind my back.

Later, Dongchen Village started to become more and more famous. Observing the situation, I quickly bought several plots in the vicinity and built a large courtyard house where I moved in with my children and husband.

When my brother needed more money, I shamelessly asked others to lend him some. I helped him buy a piece of land and repaid the loan after a short while because our own business was doing very well. From morning to night, people came to eat and drink.

The customers said that our food could cure illnesses, so they wished they could eat five meals a day here.

I later found out that the reason they dined at our restaurant was that all our vegetables were grown in the Array. They said that the vegetables were blessed by the Divine Tree and were Spirit Food.

Since then, I gritted my teeth, hung a sign at our door stating that all the dishes at the restaurant are from Divine Tree Village and can prolong one’s life.

Later, I raised the prices for each dish, five times the original price. But the locals never came to eat. My customers were all wealthy people from out of town.

They didn’t care about the money. The more expensive, the more willing they were to buy the dishes. In this way, I made a fortune.

Some people called me a profiteer, saying that it’s no wonder that businesspeople were looked down upon. But who could remember when I had integrity? I had been eating coarse grain and washing clothes in a hole cut out in the ice during winter with fingers frozen like radishes.

Now that I am rich, housework is done by servants, and my grandchildren can go to school in Divine Tree Village, studying in the same school as princes and princesses.

Perhaps my granddaughter could even marry one of the noble family’s sons in the future and become his wife.

I delightedly thought to myself, I’m really lucky that I listened to Yingbao’s advice in the past and set up a small stall in the market, despite getting married and never leaving the village.

Now, looking back, Yingbao was my lucky star. I truly don’t understand why my parents abandoned her.

At this moment, my younger daughter ran upstairs to inform me that the Commandery Princess had returned and was talking to people in the village. She urged me to come down and have a look.

As if possessed by a divine envoy, I followed my daughter back to the village.

However, I couldn’t get close because a large number of people surrounded the Jiang Family. Most of them were members of the Imperial Army and children of noble families.

Surprisingly, they were not making noise but quietly listening to what Yingbao was saying.

She said she wanted to choose a group of children to go with her and return ten years later, and asked if anyone was willing.

No one would refuse such an offer. Everyone raised their hands, including me.

I felt guilt-free raising my hand because I assumed Yingbao had not noticed me. To my surprise, YIngabo, who was initially standing in the middle of the crowd, suddenly came before me and asked me earnestly if I truly wished to go with her.

At that moment, I blinked back tears, nodded, and then shook my head, saying, “I raised my hand for my son. He’s not here; he’s at school.”

My daughter became anxious and quickly said, “Mother, what about me? I also raised my hand.”

Yingbao smiled and agreed to take both my daughter and son.

I looked at Yingbao with tears streaming down my face. I realized she was still willing to help me.

After that, my children went with Yingbao, and they were gone for ten years. When they returned, their status was different.