Chapter 3

Li Linxi: "What do you mean?"

"Linxi, the government provided a pension of 650 yuan for Lin Nan. Here it is," Jiang Manzhu began, her expression a little awkward and embarrassed because the original owner had indeed planned to run off with the money.

It could be said that if she hadn't suddenly transmigrated here, the original owner's plan to flee with the money would have succeeded, though the escape had failed.

The Li family's fate, however, was not looking good.

Jiang Manzhu had thought long and hard about whether she should give the money to Li Linxi or keep it for improving the family's meals.

Both options had their pros and cons. Giving it to Li Linxi would help clear her name and allow her to stand confidently, but it would leave her with no way to improve the household's meals later on.

If she didn't give it to him, she could control the money and spend it on the Li family's needs. After all, she was part of the family too.

But Li Linxi would then assume she had kept Lin Nan's pension for herself. Without knowing how much she had spent, he would always suspect she still had the money.

Plus, the pension was Lin Nan's, so it was only right that it be given to his younger brother.

Jiang Manzhu took out the 650 yuan from her pocket—six 100-yuan bills and five 10-yuan notes stacked neatly—and spread them out, offering them to Li Linxi.

"Count it yourself. This is the amount the government set," Jiang Manzhu reminded him, sighing afterward. "Linxi, our family consists of the old, the weak, the sick, and the young. You're the pillar of our family now. We'll be relying on you from now on."

Her eyes, as bright as stars, looked directly at Li Linxi. From this close, he could even see the fine hairs on her delicate face. Her pink, soft skin didn't resemble the rough complexion of someone used to working in the sun and rain in the village.

At this moment, her eyes were filled with hope, as if the entire household could only rely on him.

Indeed, the woman before him didn't look like someone capable of hard labor. With his mother seriously ill and his younger brother still too young, the burden of the family suddenly fell on his shoulders.

However, Jiang Manzhu didn't think too deeply about this. After all, as the male lead, he carried a special aura of fortune.

Raising a family? How could that possibly be a problem for the great male lead, Li Linxi?

"Hmm." Li Linxi responded coolly, taking the money from her hands. After pausing for a couple of seconds, he handed one of the 10-yuan notes back to her.

"What?" Jiang Manzhu stared in confusion at the 10-yuan bill handed back to her. She shifted her gaze from the note to Li Linxi. What was this for? Pocket money?

Wait—could it be that the male lead was this generous? Had she gained this much favor from him after clearing just a fraction of her reputation?

Oh, how touching! She was determined to be the best sister-in-law for the male lead for the rest of her life!

Just as she took the 10 yuan, she heard Li Linxi say, "That money is for today's doctor visit, and don't forget you promised Xiaobei you'd buy him candy. Next time, don't forget. Also, use the remaining money to buy two pairs of shoes for Mom and Xiaobei in town, and as for buying meat…"

He meticulously arranged how the 10 yuan would be spent. His voice was clear, gentle, and pleasant to hear.

But at that moment, Jiang Manzhu was too stunned to appreciate it. She stared at the large amount of money. Based on Li Linxi's plan, there wouldn't be much left of it, right?

When he finished speaking, Jiang Manzhu hesitantly asked, "Linxi, haven't you rarely been to town? How do you know the prices of things? And for buying meat, wouldn't you need meat coupons?"

As expected of a man who would one day become the richest man—so sensitive to money and numbers, truly impressive!

"Hmm, I'll give it to you then," Li Linxi acted so mature and steady in front of Jiang Manzhu, which didn't really match his youthful appearance!

"Alright, Linxi, you should get some rest, and we'll talk more in the evening," Jiang Manzhu thought he had just returned home, had to tidy things up, and in the afternoon, he would still need to help with chores like fetching water for the vegetables. She figured they could discuss things properly during dinner when the whole family was together.

However, Li Linxi misunderstood Jiang Manzhu's words.

The young, handsome boy stared coldly at the beautiful and alluring woman in front of him, his expression indifferent. Suddenly, his aura became icy. "What did you just say?"

"Linxi, I know you're very sad about losing your two older brothers, but no matter how sad you are, life must go on. Your mother and Xiaobei are still here, and they need your care now. You must stay strong," Jiang Manzhu thought Li Linxi was still struggling to accept the family's tragedies, so she softened her tone, as any good sister-in-law would when taking care of her younger brother's emotional well-being. Look at me—gentle, virtuous, yet strong and resolute. Don't you think I could be like a 'big sister acting as a mother'?

Remember to be filial to me in the future!!!!

Her gentle voice seemed to soothe Li Linxi. As he lay on his bed that afternoon, thinking for a long time, he realized Rome wasn't built in a day. Li Linxi's blackened heart was the result of being beaten down by society, hardened by years of struggle.

Even though the original owner tried to flee with the money, she hadn't succeeded, right? His mother's illness hadn't worsened because of it, and his younger brother hadn't suffered either.

Besides, Li Linxi had been in high school before this and hadn't had much interaction with the original owner.

So maybe Li Linxi hadn't turned dark yet, and her journey to becoming the 'perfect sister-in-law' might not be so difficult!

Li Linxi didn't respond, silently watching her.

Jiang Manzhu started to feel uneasy. What was happening? Did mentioning his two older brothers upset him? Was he about to turn dark?

"Linxi, don't stress too much. We're all family. I'll help you take care of Mom and Xiaobei," she added, mentally noting that when he became successful in the future, he shouldn't forget her contributions.

Her voice was filled with strength, and she nodded firmly, almost pounding her chest in assurance.

After she finished speaking, Jiang Manzhu eagerly looked at Li Linxi, her bright, clear eyes full of anticipation.

The next moment, the door slammed shut.

With a 'bang,' Jiang Manzhu, still standing outside, grew angry and knocked twice on the door. "You almost hit my nose, you know that?"

So rude!

So impolite!

Inside the room, Li Linxi stared at the familiar yet unfamiliar surroundings, his heart trembling. After a few seconds, the corners of his lips curled into a cruel, sinister smile, though he suppressed any sound at his throat.

Covering his face with his hands, he hid all his emotions. So good…

…

Meanwhile, Yuan Fengxin had suffered a huge loss this time. He had gone to make money but ended up losing all his savings.

With the villagers glaring at him like tigers watching prey, Yuan Fengxin had panicked, his mind going blank, and was forced to pay his debts.

After they left, his face turned dark, and he gritted his teeth so hard it seemed like he wanted to tear Jiang Manzhu apart. "Jiang! Man! Zhu!"

He had no choice but to return to the educated youth's living quarters. When the others saw his foul expression, they thought something had happened. "What's wrong, Yuan Zhiyouth?"

Yuan Fengxin was too annoyed to pay attention to anyone. With a cold face, he stormed back to his dorm room.

Damn it! How could he have failed? That Jiang Manzhu, that wretched woman—could it be she didn't want to return to the city anymore?

Impossible! Who wouldn't want to go back to the city? He didn't believe Jiang Manzhu was the type to endure the hardships of village life.

With her pampered, delicate appearance… He had originally planned to sweet-talk her into sneaking into the woods today. After all, with that face, that figure…

Tsk, what a pity! Married to Li Lindong, that country bumpkin, and now she's just a withered flower.

Lying on the hard bed, Yuan Fengxin angrily pounded the bedboard. Damn Jiang Manzhu! She tricked me!

No, wait, that doesn't make sense. There must be something else going on. He refused to believe that his charm was inferior to that of a mere farmer.

Ah, of course, it had to be because the villagers showed up, so Jiang Manzhu had to change her stance to avoid getting caught.

In his mind, Yuan Fengxin desperately came up with excuses for Jiang Manzhu. Yes, that must be it. She had no choice but to put on a show in front of everyone and hit him because Li Linxi was also there, so she had to do it.

After convincing himself, Yuan Fengxin's scowl finally eased a little, and he calmed down before heading out.

Even though he looked down on the other educated youths, he still kept up appearances, maintaining a friendly but superficial relationship with them.

"Sorry, my stomach was a bit upset earlier, but I've just taken some medicine…" He smiled warmly and apologized. He had a decent face and was good at sweet-talking, which was how he had managed to charm the proud, swan-like Jiang Manzhu.

"It's alright, it's nothing," one of the educated youths waved dismissively, indicating that it was a small issue and that they didn't take it to heart.

…

On the other side, Jiang Manzhu was still upset about Li Linxi slamming the door earlier, almost hitting her nose. As the sun began to set, she immediately knocked on his door. "Linxi! Linxi! There's no firewood left at home, go up the mountain and gather some dry branches and firewood!"

"Linxi, get up!!" Jiang Manzhu had no intention of acting like a doting sister-in-law. How could she appear gentle, virtuous, and considerate without actually doing anything? Haven't you seen how many tragic stories are full of characters who never speak up, giving everything while the ones with prejudice remain blind to their efforts?

I'm different. I may not be good at hard work, but I'm good with words.

"Linxi, as the older brother, do you really expect Linbei to go up the mountain to chop wood? Xiaobei, Xiaobei, we're going up the mountain to chop wood. Your brother isn't feeling well, so let him rest a bit."

Her knocking woke up Li Linbei. The moment she mentioned taking Li Linbei up the mountain, the door swung open.

Li Linxi walked out, his handsome and aloof face darkened slightly. "Xiaobei can help at home. The mountain is dangerous."

"That's right, sister-in-law, you shouldn't go either." Little Xiaobei, not thinking much of it, immediately chimed in after hearing his third brother's words.

In Xiaobei's eyes, Jiang Manzhu was his sister-in-law and a member of the family.

His pure yet slightly raspy voice, still affected by adolescence, was full of concern. However, his words nearly caused Li Linxi to explode with anger. So, sister-in-law shouldn't go, but third brother should?

"Xiaobei is so thoughtful, always looking out for sister-in-law. Our family wouldn't be the same without you." Jiang Manzhu praised Li Linbei. What should have been a simple statement turned into something that made him feel proud.

The key was that the listener was happy. He wouldn't overthink the logic behind it, only that his sister-in-law praised him again.

He's amazing!

"Linxi, chopping wood is your responsibility. In this family, no one else can do it but you. Sister-in-law knows that even though you may be a scholarly and delicate type, you're no less capable than the other strong men in the village."

Her grand and encouraging words placed a figurative crown on Li Linxi's head, stirring a sense of duty.

Unfortunately, the listener was Li Linxi.

As Li Linxi listened to Jiang Manzhu's words, he gave her an odd look, as if he were inspecting something.

"Linxi, what are you looking at?" Jiang Manzhu was shocked by his gaze. Young man, how can you look at your good sister-in-law with such eyes?

Her expression, full of suspicion about what he might be planning, made Li Linxi withdraw his gaze. "Indeed, Mother is still seriously ill, and Xiaobei is too young to do any hard work. So, what about you, sister-in-law? What are you planning to do?"

"Linxi, as you said, Mother is sick. Of course, I'll be taking care of her. Xiaobei, tell me, isn't Mother the most important in our family?"

Jiang Manzhu's self-righteous tone made her words seem beyond question, and she even turned to ask Xiaobei.

Xiaobei was stunned for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, Mother is the most important."

"Linxi, do you think Xiaobei is capable of taking care of Mother?" Sensing that Li Linxi was getting upset, Jiang Manzhu pulled Xiaobei closer, standing in front of Li Linxi. Look at your brother—can't you see the situation?

Li Linxi remained silent.

"Linxi, go ahead and bring back some firewood, and don't forget to fetch water for the vegetables. You can leave Mother and your brother to me." Jiang Manzhu patted her chest in assurance. However, right after she finished speaking, she suddenly felt a terrifying murderous aura emanating from Li Linxi's body.