The moment the word "but" was uttered, the entire family reflexively turned their heads.
Shen Xiuwen frowned, about to say, "What kind of time is this for you to still be acting like a spoiled young lady?"
But Jiang Si cut him off first. "Dad, I don’t know when I’ll be back from this rural assignment."
"I remember Mom left me a piece of mutton-fat jade before she passed. I want to take it with me, as a keepsake."
Two years ago, when the political movement first began, Shen Xiuwen had used the excuse of avoiding ostentation to replace all the family’s antiques, paintings, and furnishings with ordinary items.
Jiang Si’s jewelry and accessories had also been confiscated by him.
Most of these items had already been secretly transported to Yangcheng.
But this mutton-fat jade had been specifically left to Jiang Si by Jiang's mother.
Shen Xiuwen didn’t dare go too far, afraid Jiang Si might one day make a scene over it, so he had locked it in the safe.
Compared to the other valuables already in his possession, this piece of jade was hardly worth mentioning. Since Jiang Si had asked for it outright, Shen Xiuwen saw no reason to refuse.
Soon, he retrieved a sandalwood box from the bedroom.
Suppressing her excitement, Jiang Si carefully inspected the item several times. After confirming it was genuine, she quickly tucked it into her pocket.
At that moment, however, Shen Qingqing felt an inexplicable pang of unease.
"Dad, Sister is going to the countryside to lay low."
"Maybe she shouldn’t take this with her. What if someone sees it? It might cause trouble..."
"Hah, how amusing. Since when do you have a say in the Jiang family’s belongings?" Jiang Si scoffed coldly.
"I..."
Shen Qingqing didn’t understand her own reaction.
It was just a piece of mutton-fat jade—nothing particularly rare or valuable.
So why did she feel this sudden emptiness, as if she had lost something important?
Had she grown so accustomed to taking things that she couldn’t bear to let even this go?
Of course, Shen Qingqing couldn’t make sense of it—after all, she hadn’t awakened to self-awareness.
But Jiang Si was different.
After securing the jade, her mood visibly brightened.
This wasn’t just any family heirloom—it was the vessel for the female protagonist’s golden finger!
In the novel, to emphasize the heroine’s personal abilities, the golden finger had been described rather vaguely.
Jiang Si only knew it contained a spatial dimension, but what exactly was inside remained unclear.
Still, that didn’t matter.
If it belonged to the Jiang family, then this golden finger was hers for the taking!
And she wasn’t stopping there—she intended to demand even more.
Perhaps emboldened by the golden finger, Jiang Si spoke with newfound confidence.
"Dad, how much money are you giving me for this trip?"
"Don’t worry, I know you can’t handle hardship."
Shen Xiuwen had already discussed this with Lin Yueru long ago.
Too much would be inappropriate, too little would raise eyebrows.
In the end, they settled on 2,000 yuan plus 200 jin of national grain coupons.
With that, Shen Xiuwen pulled out a bankbook from the same sandalwood box.
"The government provides subsidies for rural assignments, so you’ll take those with you."
"This account has 2,000 yuan, and I’ve also managed to exchange some national grain coupons for you."
"We’ve arranged for you to go to Heilongjiang. We’ve heard the farming workload is lighter there, and you’ll have several months of winter downtime."
Jiang Si couldn’t listen any longer and cut him off. "Dad, with this little money, do you expect me to live on air in the countryside?"
"2,000 yuan—that’s not enough?"
"No, it’s not!"
Jiang Si nodded, her expression unapologetic. "You’re always saying I’m lazy and clueless about basic life skills. Do you really think someone like me, who can’t even cook, will survive on farm labor?"
"Heilongjiang might be nice, but it’s freezing!"
"Don’t I need extra quilts? And what about padded pants, coats, shoes, socks—all of that costs money!"
"The dresses and leather shoes in my wardrobe won’t be suitable there, so I’ll need a whole new wardrobe, head to toe."
"Also, I’ve heard from factory workers that rural assignees sleep in crowded dormitories—rooms smaller than our kitchen."
"No way! I want my own house built."
"That means construction costs, furniture, pots, pans—all of that adds up."
"Once I’m there, I’ll need a bicycle for shopping trips."
"And a TV—four or five months of winter downtime would be unbearable without one."
"Oh, and all these things require coupons. Each coupon costs at least a few dozen yuan!"
"And that’s not even counting a wristwatch or a sewing machine..."
"Enough, enough—" Shen Xiuwen couldn’t take it anymore.
"With your spending habits, even 10,000 yuan wouldn’t be enough!"
Lin Yueru’s face darkened. She had assumed Jiang Si would obediently accept the arrangements.
Instead, the girl was making outrageous demands!
Forget whether this was even allowed—if memory served, Jiang Si already owned multiple watches!
"Si-Si, don’t you already have several watches?"
Jiang Si didn’t even glance at her. "Those are all foreign brands. Are you trying to get me killed?"
"And by the way, I’m talking to my father. Must you keep interrupting?"
Shen Qingqing was still lost in her earlier gloom and didn’t react immediately.
But her two younger brothers, seeing how Jiang Si treated their mother, instantly flared up.
"How dare you! Mom has doted on you like her own eyes all these years, and this is how you repay her?"
"Dad, say something!"
"You can’t keep spoiling her like before. No one spends this much for a rural assignment!"
The third brother finished, and the eight-year-old fourth brother chimed in, "Yeah! She’s just a girl—why should she get so much money? I don’t agree!"
The words left his mouth before Lin Yueru could stop him.
SMACK!
Jiang Si lunged forward and slapped both boys hard across the face.
Before securing the golden finger, she might have held back.
But now? They could go to hell!
The brothers were stunned. "You—you hit us?"
"Yes, and I’d do it again to ungrateful brats like you!"
Jiang Si’s voice was icy. "Seems like you’ve already forgotten what I said yesterday."
"Fine, let me repeat myself."
"You, and you—every bite of food, every stitch of clothing, every penny you’ve ever spent came from the Jiang family! Even this house you live in is the Jiang family’s ancestral home."
"'I don’t agree'? Who the hell do you think you are?"
"Let me make this clear—the Jiang family’s money is mine to spend however I please!"
"If I feel like throwing it into the Huangpu River just to hear the splash, that’s my business—not yours!"
"Waaahhh—I hate you, you awful woman!"
The fourth child burst into loud sobs, while the third remained silent, glaring darkly at Jiang Si.
"Shut up! Cry again, and I’ll break your legs and toss you into the Huangpu River for the fish!"
Lin Yueru, both furious and heartbroken at seeing her son struck, spoke with noticeably sharper anger than before.
"Si, Little An is still young."
"He doesn’t know any better. Why take it so seriously?"
"If he doesn’t know better, then he should be taught properly. At such a young age, spouting nonsense like ‘worthless girl’ one moment and ‘awful woman’ the next—who knows where he picked that up!"
Jiang Si had no patience for misplaced mercy. Those two slaps were just the beginning. Once she had the chance, she’d make sure they received a proper "gift" in return.
With that, ignoring the fourth child’s wails, she turned her gaze directly to Shen Xiuwen—
