Zhang Qian froze, instinctively asking, "What?"
"Elder Sister Zhu did come to me to buy mung bean cakes, and she did bring money. But all she had was a crumpled fifty-cent note. I've never heard of anyone supporting their family with just fifty cents."
As Si Nian finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent.
Zhang Qian opened her mouth but hesitated. She had seen Zhu Yun handing over money but hadn’t noticed the amount.
Zhu Yun was also stunned, staring at Si Nian in disbelief.
Si Nian glanced at her coolly and said calmly, "I saw how hard Elder Sister Zhu worked and remembered how she helped out tirelessly during my wedding. That’s why I gave her extra, which must have made everyone think she spent her own money on so many cakes.
Truthfully, I didn’t charge her. Not only that, but I also planned to ask Elder Sister Zhu to help me buy mung beans so I could start a small mung bean cake business. The money she had was meant for buying mung beans. I just didn’t want her to tell anyone yet, so she had to lie, making you all think she’d secretly saved up. Right, Elder Sister Zhu?"
Zhu Yun hadn’t fully processed the situation, still dazed.
Only when Si Nian winked at her did she snap out of it, realizing Si Nian was covering for her.
If things went according to Si Nian’s explanation, her mother-in-law would have no proof that she’d hidden money, and she wouldn’t be forced to leave or divorce her husband.
Zhu Yun never expected Si Nian to help her like this.
They weren’t close—they’d only met the day before Si Nian’s wedding.
Zhu Yun was quiet by nature, so she’d barely exchanged more than a few words with Si Nian.
If it hadn’t been for her pitying the children and wanting to buy them mung bean cakes, they wouldn’t have interacted at all.
Yet here Si Nian was, lying for her sake.
Tears welled up in Zhu Yun’s eyes as she looked at Si Nian gratefully and nodded. "Yes, that was Si Nian’s money..."
The crowd was taken aback by this revelation.
But Si Nian’s explanation made sense. Most of them had attended her wedding.
Many had tasted her mung bean cakes and praised her skill.
The Zhou Family was the wealthiest in the village, and Zhou Yueshen’s obvious affection for Si Nian had earned her respect. Everyone wanted to stay on her good side.
With Si Nian speaking so confidently, no one doubted her.
But Zhang Qian didn’t believe it. She hadn’t seen Si Nian give Zhu Yun any money—this was clearly a lie!
She immediately retorted, "You’re lying! That money was definitely my sister-in-law’s secret savings! Just now, she even said it was from selling her needlework! If you gave it to her, why wouldn’t she say so? Sister-in-law, how could you team up with an outsider to deceive us? Do you think we’re fools?"
Madam Zhang, who had been wavering, turned grim at these words.
Her gaze at Si Nian turned unfriendly.
This city girl’s marriage into their village had already been controversial.
Though everyone sang her praises, Madam Zhang thought it was just bootlicking—people trying to curry favor with the Zhou Family.
She had no patience for it. Her family wasn’t so poor they couldn’t afford meat. She didn’t need to flatter some young upstart for scraps.
Now Si Nian was meddling in her family affairs? Even more infuriating.
Si Nian shrugged, unfazed by their skepticism, and said lightly, "I didn’t say anything because I’m just starting out. Why would I spread word of a business that might fail? To avoid embarrassment, I asked Elder Sister Zhu to keep it quiet. I never imagined it would cause her trouble."
"You and my sister-in-law barely know each other! Who would believe that?"
Si Nian smiled. "Whether you believe me or not is your business. I don’t even know you—why should I care what you think?"
Zhang Qian’s face flushed with anger.
The crowd, seeing Si Nian’s unshaken confidence, was convinced.
But Madam Zhang refused to let it go. The money might be small, but every bit counted. Once money was in hand, she wasn’t about to give it up. She scoffed, "What nonsense! You and Zhu Yun aren’t close—why would you ask her? And we don’t even have that many mung beans at home!"
"Elder Sister Zhu and I aren’t familiar, but I noticed how diligently she worked when helping at my wedding, so I remembered her. Seeing how much she liked my mung bean cakes gave me the idea to start selling them. She mentioned her family had mung beans, so I asked for her help. Is it such a crime to ask someone to buy ingredients?"
Si Nian sighed. "I’m new here and don’t know many people. Elder Sister Zhu was kind enough to help me, so I wanted to return the favor—even planning to invite her to join the business. I didn’t expect you to distrust me so much, Auntie. Fine, I won’t bother in the future."
Her words were so sincere that the onlookers grew sheepish.
Si Nian had only been in the village a short while, and most had only gotten to know her after her wedding.
Rumors of her cooking skills had spread—people passing by the Zhou household would pause just to smell the aromas.
Workers at the farm raved about the delicious meals she prepared for Zhou Yueshen.
Everyone envied him.
Now, learning that Si Nian was willing to teach Zhu Yun her recipes out of gratitude, it all made sense.
No wonder Zhang Qian had seen Zhu Yun giving money to her family.
Zhang Qian and her mother were left speechless.
They didn’t believe it, but Si Nian’s reasoning was airtight.
"Si Nian, if you’re teaching Elder Sister Zhu to make mung bean cakes, could you teach me too? My kids love yours—I’d love to try making them myself!"
"Me too! Everyone says your cooking is amazing—we’d love to learn!"
"Do you need mung beans? I have some—I’ll sell them to you cheap!"
The crowd’s attention had completely shifted to Si Nian’s offer to teach them.
Not only were the cakes delicious, but learning to make them could be a side income. Who wouldn’t want that?
They envied Zhu Yun’s opportunity and thought the Zhang family were fools for squandering it. Even beyond the cakes, befriending Si Nian could mean discounts on meat in the future.
Just when they expected Si Nian to refuse, she smiled. "Of course, anyone who wants to learn is welcome."
It wasn’t like she relied on this for a living. Using it to build goodwill was no loss. Mung bean cakes might sound simple, but not everyone could make them well.
The crowd buzzed with excitement.
"You’re so generous! Unlike some people."
"I’ve got plenty of mung beans—take them, no charge!"
"Same here! I’ll even pay you for teaching us—we won’t take advantage."
Just like that, the Zhang family’s conflict dissolved.
As Si Nian stood surrounded by eager villagers, Madam Zhang was filled with regret.
She never expected things to turn out this way. Her daughter had brought her a few pieces of mung bean cake, and when she tasted them, she found them so delicious that she assumed her daughter-in-law had spent a fortune on them, which made her particularly angry.
If she could really learn how to make such delicious treats, it would be a great opportunity to start a small business in town someday.
But who would have thought such a golden chance would slip away just like that?
Madam Zhang had no intention of currying favor with the Zhou Family, but seeing such a juicy piece of meat slip from her grasp was unbearable.
Unable to hold back, she blurted out, "Little Zhou’s wife, I’m not blaming you. It’s just that my third daughter-in-law didn’t tell me anything, so I was completely in the dark and misunderstood. Please don’t let this ruin your relationship with the younger generation. I actually really hope you all get along. In fact, it was me who sent my little Yun to help your family back then."
The onlookers immediately cursed her for her shamelessness.
Madam Zhang was clearly worried that Si Nian would refuse to teach her family now, which was why she suddenly changed her attitude.
Just moments ago, she had been making snide remarks.
Instead of taking offense, Si Nian responded with a gentle smile, "Auntie, you’re overthinking it. How could I blame Sister Zhu Yun for this? She’s already suffered enough because of me—I’m nothing but grateful to her."
Just as Madam Zhang was left flustered, Si Nian added, "Actually, it’s my fault. I asked Sister Zhu Yun to keep it a secret, which led to your misunderstanding. None of this is your doing—it’s all on me."
Her magnanimous words earned her widespread admiration.
People couldn’t help but praise her, "What a kind-hearted girl!"
"Exactly! Madam Zhang, your daughter-in-law is a grown woman—isn’t it normal for her to have a little privacy? You made such a fuss over a few coins spent on mung beans, even threatening divorce. Talk about blowing things out of proportion!"
"Thank goodness Si Nian came to clear things up. Otherwise, if something really had happened, the blame would’ve fallen on her."
"No kidding. These days, who doesn’t have a few coins to spare? Making a mountain out of a molehill."
Everyone rallied behind Si Nian, speaking up in her defense.
Madam Zhang felt something was off, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
Under the collective scolding, she began to doubt herself, unable to utter a single word in response.
Zhu Yun stared in disbelief at the scene.
Normally, everyone got along fine, but whenever conflicts arose between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, people preferred to stay out of it, enjoying the drama at most or advising her to endure it quietly.
That’s why Zhu Yun had never dared to argue back before.
Yet now, Si Nian had effortlessly turned the tables with just a few words, rallying everyone to her side and even chastising her mother-in-law.
Madam Zhang was a bully at heart, only daring to throw her weight around at home. Now, faced with public criticism, she grew fearful—afraid of humiliation and the shame it would bring to the Zhang family name.
She was left speechless.
Meanwhile, Zhang Qian stood nearby, stomping her foot in frustration!
She knew better than anyone—this wasn’t the truth at all.
She was close with Zhou Tingting, and during their last phone call, Zhou Tingting had repeatedly warned her that Si Nian was a cunning, malicious woman!
At the time, she hadn’t believed it.
But now, she was convinced!
She had hoped to get her hands on Zhu Yun’s money to buy herself new clothes.
Now, not only was the money out of reach, but she was also being publicly shamed.
As an unmarried young woman from a respectable family, how could she face anyone if this got out?
Worst of all, her mother was too afraid to speak up, and if she stepped forward, all eyes would inevitably turn to her.
Fuming, she found herself momentarily robbed of words.
Just when she thought the ordeal was over, Si Nian spoke again, "It’s all my fault for not noticing Zhang Qian earlier. If she hadn’t seen it and misunderstood, she wouldn’t have thought the money was Sister Zhu Yun’s secret stash for her family or accused her of wasting it on snacks. I was careless, and that’s why she jumped to conclusions."
Her remorseful expression instantly drew everyone’s attention to Zhang Qian’s grimacing face.
Right—it was Zhang Qian who had claimed to witness Zhu Yun hiding money and giving it to her family, sparking this whole mess.
If she had really seen it, why hadn’t she asked for clarification instead of spreading such a misunderstanding?
Had she been eavesdropping?
The possibility made the crowd look at Zhang Qian with disdain.
After all, sneaky behavior was beneath contempt.
Si Nian then graciously added, "But it’s alright. I’ve cleared things up now. I just hope next time, Zhang Qian, you’ll ask me directly if you’re curious—there’s nothing shameful about it."
"Exactly! If you saw something, why not just ask openly? Why stir up trouble?"
"Your third brother isn’t even back yet, and you nearly cost him his wife over your mistake. That’s not right, Zhang Qian!"
"Honestly, Zhang Qian, what’s with the sneaking around?"
"You almost made everyone misunderstand."
Bombarded by the crowd’s reproach, Zhang Qian could barely lift her head.
She glared hatefully at Si Nian. This wretched woman had twisted the truth!
Why was everyone so quick to believe her?
Furious, Zhang Qian snapped, "That’s not what happened at all! What I heard was completely different!"
She desperately tried to defend herself—if she didn’t set the record straight, how could she ever show her face again?
Si Nian gasped in mock surprise, "Oh! So you really were eavesdropping? I thought you’d just seen it from afar and misunderstood."
Zhang Qian: "...Damn it."
The crowd’s disapproval deepened, their expressions a mix of scorn and contempt.
A grown woman, actually sneaking around to listen in on private conversations?
The villagers couldn’t help but pity Si Nian—just trying to start a pastry business, only to be spied on and falsely accused.
How unfair.
They comforted her, urging her not to take it to heart. Most people in the village were kind—it was just a few bad apples.
Zhang "Bad Apple" Qian: "..."
Escorted by the sympathetic crowd all the way to the Zhou Family’s gate, Si Nian watched as they reluctantly dispersed.
She found it both amusing and heartwarming.
Though these people were quick to believe rumors, most were simple and kind-hearted—which was why they were so easily misled.
This time, she had deceived them to help Zhu Yun, but Si Nian considered it a white lie.
After all, she did plan to teach a few neighbors how to make pastries—not only to strengthen bonds but also to bolster the Zhou Family’s reputation.
(Note: Merged two chapters into one—this one’s 4,000 words.)
