“Hongxia, your Sister Ziyu is something. Just look at her, then look at yourself…” Wang Jingui muttered while washing vegetables.

Xia Hongxia rolled her eyes, instinctively retorting, “Something? If she was something, she wouldn’t have had to run away.”

“But those two people said she’s made it big in Hong Kong, and she’s coming back soon to get your Uncle and Aunt out of prison, plus she’s looking for her brother Xia Junbao’s whereabouts—”

Wang Jingui’s rambling irritated Xia Hongxia immensely.

Her mind was in chaos.

Xia Ziyu was capable – Xia Hongxia had to admit that.

Ordinary people couldn’t get into university. Even if you tied Xia Hongxia to a chair to study, she couldn’t learn – she simply wasn’t cut out for it.

Ordinary people couldn’t steal Xia Xiaolan’s boyfriend. Though Xia Hongxia never got along with Xia Xiaolan, she had to admit Xia Xiaolan was bewitchingly beautiful.

But Xia Hongxia wasn’t some inexperienced country girl anymore.

She certainly hadn’t become a good person, but she wasn’t as foolish anymore… No matter how capable Xia Ziyu was, she had never beaten Xia Xiaolan! Xia Hongxia didn’t know how powerful Xia Xiaolan was now, but Xia Ziyu had been the loser before, fleeing from criminal charges.

Now, with people claiming to be sent by Xia Ziyu, Xia Hongxia felt uneasy.

She wasn’t excited – she was afraid.

When immortals fight, mortals suffer.

Whether Xia Ziyu could defeat Xia Xiaolan, she didn’t know.

But whoever won or lost, wouldn’t benefit her, so why drag her into it?

She had already given up on marrying a big boss or finding a university graduate, content with earning an honest living – why wasn’t that enough?

As Wang Jingui continued rambling, Xia Hongxia irritably interrupted:

“Mom, if you think Xia Ziyu is so great, why don’t you make her your daughter instead? No matter how successful she becomes, what good will it do us? Look at what she did – why are Uncle and Aunt in prison while she ran away?”

Xia Ziyu was someone who could get into university.

Someone cunning enough to steal another’s boyfriend.

But not someone with a conscience.

Such people’s success rarely benefits their relatives. When trouble comes, relatives are the first to be thrown under the bus.

What aunt, third uncle, or cousin – Xia Ziyu could abandon even her own parents and brother? Xia Hongxia used to follow Xia Ziyu’s every word, but now she feared her.

Wang Jingui was stunned by Xia Hongxia’s words:

“So what are you saying? We shouldn’t help?”

“Help with what? If Xia Ziyu is so capable, why secretly send people back? If she wins, we get nothing; if she loses, think about how Xia Xiaolan will deal with us – aren’t you afraid?”

Wang Jingui shrank back a little.

She didn’t even know about Liu Fen marrying the mayor, but she knew that after Liu Fen and Xia Xiaolan left the Xia family, they only prospered more.

Xia Xiaolan hadn’t spared even her father, getting Xia Dajun fired.

Perhaps Xia Dajun and Fan Yu’s departure from Pengcheng wasn’t so simple – maybe Xia Xiaolan was behind it.

Didn’t Boss Ke says that Golden Sand Pool was Xia Xiaolan’s project… Goodness, how much money was that worth?

Was money useful?

Incredibly so!

The most vicious people would kill for just a bit of money.

Wang Jingui was a mother, and her daughter Xia Hongxia could order her around only because Xia Hongxia could earn money.

Money could make ghosts turn millstones – with Xia Xiaolan having so much money, Wang Jingui truly dared not provoke her.

Back in Dahe Village’s Xia family, Wang Jingui often bullied Liu Fen while being crafty, making Liu Fen do extra work.

When Grandmother Xia scolded Liu Fen, Wang Jingui had fanned the flames.

That time in Yangcheng when they met Liu Fen, they’d only cursed at her a few times with Xia Dajun, yet they were locked up for so long.

Was it really because they lost their introduction letter, or was Xia Xiaolan pulling strings?

Thinking of these things made Wang Jingui cower.

Xia Hongxia added coldly:

“Boss Ke was so powerful, but look what happened to him? Shot.”

She had personally testified at the police station.

That time, there was Xia Xiaolan, Zhou Cheng, Du Zhaohui… Not only could Xia Ziyu not beat Xia Xiaolan, but even major gangsters couldn’t get the upper hand.

The spark of hope in Wang Jingui’s heart these past days was immediately extinguished. She scrubbed the potatoes in the basin vigorously, as if scrubbing Xia Ziyu’s face: “You’re right. Even if they were sent by Xia Ziyu, she’s too cunning. Remember back home, your aunt had the easiest time, supposedly tutoring but secretly running a snack shop in the county… This family of three always pushed us to the front. No, no, we can’t be fooled again!”

Wang Jingui quickly found an excuse for her cowardice.

Hah, it wasn’t that she feared Xia Xiaolan – she just didn’t want to be fooled by Xia Ziyu again!

Xia Ziyu was strange. As a child, she didn’t seem particularly clever, just like Hongxia. Among the three Xia girls, Xia Xiaolan had been the sharpest. But somehow, Xia Ziyu mysteriously improved in middle school, gradually getting better at studies, learning to please people, and even changing her name from Xia Chunhua to Xia Ziyu.

“Yu” had too many strokes and wasn’t a common character. Wang Jingui’s eyes had blurred looking at it initially, and she’d made a fool of herself not recognizing it.

She was the first in the Xia family to suddenly become clever.

The second was Xia Xiaolan, who survived hitting the pillar and became even more formidable than Xia Ziyu.

Best not provoke them!

As for her Hongxia, for some reason, she never showed signs of such transformation.

They were all Xia family seeds – why couldn’t Hongxia do it?

Xia Hongxia was puzzled by Wang Jingui’s stare:

“Anyway, we’re not getting involved in their business. Whoever wins or loses has nothing to do with us! That messenger was strange too.”

“Yes, strange indeed. Asking about Xia Xiaolan makes sense, but why ask about your Second Aunt?”

Liu Fen had changed a lot.

Money naturally allowed for better grooming.

But wasn’t it Xia Xiaolan who put Zhang Cui and Xia Changzheng in prison and forced Xia Ziyu to flee from criminal charges?

“…Could it be that Xia Ziyu is targeting your Second Aunt this time?”

Surely not.

What was the point of going after Second Aunt?

Xia Hongxia couldn’t understand and felt troubled.

She wouldn’t help Xia Ziyu anymore, but surely they wouldn’t expect her to be righteous and warn Xia Xiaolan?

Xia Ziyu had no conscience, but Xia Xiaolan wasn’t a good person either – why should she help either of them?

Xia Hongxia and Wang Jingui agreed to help neither side and pretend nothing had happened. As for Xia Hongbing… He hadn’t worked these past few days, probably out gambling again. Somehow, Xia Hongbing was no longer the family’s pillar and decision-maker. He remained Wang Jingui’s husband and Xia Hongxia’s father, but beyond these empty titles, what had he done for the family?

Even Xia Junshan and Xia Junfeng’s school fees were paid by Xia Hongxia.

Xia Hongbing worked half a month and rested half a month, spending all his earnings on cigarettes and gambling, never contributing to the household.

In the countryside, husband was heaven, and father was heaven, but things seemed to have gradually changed in the city.

Why?

Neither Xia Hongxia nor Wang Jingui had pondered this question – they just unconsciously excluded Xia Hongbing from their discussions.

Mother and daughter reached an agreement, but the next day, the messenger returned.

Xia Hongxia and Wang Jingui kept their heads down working, one serving food, the other collecting money, completely ignoring the person.

The messenger just smiled:

“How much can you earn doing this?”

They tossed an envelope onto Xia Hongxia’s food tricycle and left.