The Peasant Wife: The Prime Minister's Beloved

"In the final analysis, we will not give you any money. My sister and I have severed all ties with the Chen family. We have no right to ask about your affairs, nor do we have any obligation to interfere."

After Chen Xi finished speaking, he held Chen Rong's hand tightly and slammed the door shut without hesitation.

Everyone outside the door froze in the sudden silence until a deafening roar suddenly erupted, breaking the silence like thunder. Only then did they wake up and look at each other with a mixture of surprise and embarrassment on their faces.

They wanted to go to the house to collect the debt, but they never expected that not only did they fail to get a penny, but they were also met with a cold refusal and returned home in disgrace.

Facing Chen Xi's resolute resistance, Old Man Li's face turned pale.

He suppressed his anger and warned in a deep voice: "Ten taels of silver, not a cent less, I will come to your house to collect it myself tomorrow. If you try to shirk and delay again tomorrow, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

After he finished speaking, he turned around angrily and left with his son, whose face was gloomy.

After the figures of the father and son disappeared around the corner of the street, Zhou Xuemei quickly stepped forward and carefully helped Mrs. Chen up.

She looked at the tightly closed door, her heart filled with confusion and uneasiness, and asked in a low voice: "Mother, why does that girl Chen Xi seem like a different person today?"

Old Mrs. Chen also looked confused, and she stroked her aching back.

She patted her back gently with her skinny hands while cursing indignantly, "You dead girl, you didn't marry Mr. Hu, who has a huge fortune, but you chose to follow a cripple with two burdensome children. You're going to be someone's stepmother right after you get married. I wonder how long you can be so arrogant! When the day comes when you're so poor that you can't even afford to eat, don't come to me for help!"

She gritted her teeth and uttered harsh words, but the room remained silent, as if Chen Xi didn't care about her threats at all.

Old Mrs. Chen had no choice but to drag her daughter-in-law away angrily.

Only when the noise at the alley gradually faded away and the surroundings returned to silence did Chen Xi slowly open the door and cautiously stick his head out to look around.

After making sure that no one was peeping, she closed the door with confidence. The heavy wooden door made a low muffled sound in her hands.

Back in the house, Xie Tianyi was leaning on the bed, staring at Chen Xi with soft and concerned eyes.

Seeing that Chen Xi looked calm and was not affected by the commotion outside, he asked, "What happened with all the noise outside?"

Chen Xi smiled faintly and responded in a relaxed tone: "It was just some scoundrels who came to make trouble and ask for money. I have already sent them away."

Although Xie Tianyi had some doubts in his heart, he understood Chen Xi's personality and knew that she didn't want to talk much, so he didn't ask any more questions. He just nodded silently, but the worry in his eyes had not completely disappeared.

The next morning, the sky was still hazy.

Chen Xi got up early. Smoke was rising from the kitchen. She had already cooked breakfast in the pot. The steaming aroma filled the air, bringing a touch of warmth to this simple little house.

Then she picked up the axe leaning against the wall and prepared to go up the mountain to chop wood.

There was very little firewood left at home, and she knew how hard life was, so she had to replenish it as soon as possible.

At this time, Chen Rong also rubbed his sleepy eyes and walked into the kitchen. Seeing his sister getting ready, he couldn't help but ask, "Sister, where are you going so early?"

Chen Xi turned around and said softly, "It's cool in the morning, just right for chopping firewood. There's not much firewood left at home, I'll go to the mountain to chop some back."

When Chen Rong heard that her sister was going to chop wood, she immediately became energetic and insisted on going with her.

Chen Xi couldn't resist his brother's insistence, so he agreed.

So, the brother and sister each carried a backpack and walked towards the rolling green hills, stepping on the morning dew.

Along the way, birds chirped and the breeze blew away their fatigue.

When they reached the middle of the mountain, Chen Xi spotted a dead tree with his sharp eyes. He stopped, put down his backpack, swung the hatchet in his hand, and started chopping it neatly.

As she was chopping, Chen Xi suddenly felt her eyes light up, and a hint of green not far away caught her attention.

She put down the hatchet in her hand, walked quickly forward to check, with surprise flashing in her eyes.

It really is a Nalan grass!

This rare medicinal material is extremely rare in the mountains and wilds, but I didn't expect to encounter it here.

Chen Xi squatted down carefully and used his fingers to gently push away the surrounding weeds, fearing that the precious herbs would be broken during the digging process.

"It really is Nalan grass. Such a rare medicinal herb is actually found here!"

Although Chen Xi was young, she had an extraordinary ability to identify various herbs due to her superb medical skills in her previous life. This Nalan grass naturally did not escape her keen eyes.

"Sister, what is Nalan grass?" Chen Rong asked with confusion on her face.

Chen Xi smiled slightly and patiently explained to his brother.

"This seemingly ordinary Nalan grass is actually a rare medicinal herb. All the major medicine shops in the town are fighting fiercely to get it. Once I free it from the soil and take it to the town's medical clinic for an appraisal, I may be able to earn a considerable amount of money."

Chen Rong's eyes widened, filled with shock and confusion. He simply couldn't connect the weeds covering the entire mountain with the priceless medicinal herbs.

He stared at his sister blankly, secretly sighing in his heart that such unexpected wealth was hidden in the mountains.

Seeing this, Chen Xi smiled slightly, then turned around and continued her treasure hunt.

Soon, her dexterous hands accurately dug out a complete Nalan grass.

She examined the treasure in her hand with satisfaction and gently put it into the backpack, every movement being cautious.

"Chen Rong, you just keep chopping wood here. I'm going to look around to see if there are any traces of Nalan grass."

After Chen Xi gave his instructions, he took brisk steps and headed towards the depths of the mountain to explore.

Sure enough, after walking a few steps, Chen Xi found a Nalan grass in a crevice between rocks. It swayed gently in the breeze, as if waving to her.

Surprised, she looked around and saw several plants of Nalan grass growing quietly in the sun as far as she could see.

She was filled with joy and immediately started swinging the hoe.

Half an hour later, the sun gradually climbed to the center of the sky, and Chen Xi's backpack was already filled with half a basket of fresh Nalan grass.

She looked up at the sky, where the sun was about to rise.

These precious herbs must be delivered to the town as quickly as possible; otherwise, once they lose moisture and their luster fades, their value will be greatly reduced.

So she quickly packed her luggage and walked quickly down the mountain with her full harvest.

At the foot of the mountain, Chen Rong had completed his firewood chopping task early, and a basket of firewood was neatly stacked on his back.

Seeing his sister coming back, he hurried forward to greet her.

Chen Xi excitedly told him: "Guess how much Nalan grass I dug today? I plan to carry it to the town immediately to see if the clinic is willing to buy it."