Zhang Dahe and Fang Xuehua were indeed a couple, their thoughts aligning perfectly. Upon seeing a stranger at their door, they warmly invited her in. Wu Caiwei didn't stand on ceremony.
"Our conditions aren't great, and we don't have good tea to offer. Please don't mind," Fang Xuehua said somewhat awkwardly as she poured tea for her.
Wu Caiwei thanked her profusely. Although her earlier attitude towards Zhang Changhe hadn't been favorable, she couldn't pass judgment without understanding the full story. She actually felt a good impression of the woman before her. She was simple and unpretentious. While she seemed on the verge of collapse earlier when facing Zhang Changhe, the villagers' attitudes and Zhang Changhe's calm gaze suggested that he hadn't been a good person.
He himself wasn't that kind of person, but the young man named Zhang Changhe, before he entered this body, might have been.
Seeing her brother-in-law enter, Fang Xuehua tactfully excused herself. Wu Caiwei teased, "You're not doing too well here, are you? Want to consider living off someone?"
Zhang Changhe immediately grinned. He knew she was joking. Although she hadn't been here long, she had likely realized that the original owner of this body was a scoundrel who only cared about his own comfort and not his family's well-being.
When Zhang Changhe first arrived, he had absorbed the original owner's memories and couldn't help but curse him. He knew the coming days wouldn't be peaceful. The reason was that Zhang Changhe had been handsome since childhood and had a sweet tongue, which endeared him to his parents. While other poor children started working to help their families early on, his intelligence prompted his parents to scrape together enough money to send him to a private tutor.
This led to unforeseen consequences. Although the tutor often said he wasn't cut out for studying, Zhang Changhe was skilled at painting a rosy picture. He vividly described the scene where everyone would look up to his parents once he became a scholar, making them truly believe him and lose their bearings.
He had also done many things that infuriated his elder brother and sisters. For instance, to extort a larger betrothal gift, he married off his sister as a second wife to someone else. Or, if his sister had a sweetheart, they would break them up simply because the sweetheart couldn't afford a hefty betrothal gift for the Zhang parents, leading to her current miserable life and a significant estrangement from her maternal family, with visits mostly limited to Chinese New Year.
The hardest hit were his elder brother and sister-in-law. For years, most of the money Zhang Dahe earned doing odd jobs went towards Zhang Changhe's expenses. He had once felt that this situation was unsustainable, but he couldn't endure the hardship of working outside and simply pretended to be ignorant to continue relying on his family.
Because of this, his sister-in-law often argued with his brother. However, she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart, and would relent after a few words from her husband. Zhang Changhe, having long mastered his family members' personalities, became even more reckless. Incidents like today had occurred countless times. His sister-in-law would always pick on him, but she still ensured he had food and drink, which he had grown accustomed to.
He hadn't been here long, and now everyone distrusted him. The Zhang parents had passed away, leaving him with no one on his side. If he made the slightest move, his sister-in-law would berate him, and the neighbors had long grown accustomed to it. Many even advised him to find a job or learn a trade to support himself, but the original owner couldn't bear such hardship.
Today was a complete misunderstanding. He had been here for a while and, knowing what the original owner had done, had been much more low-key. His sister-in-law was relieved to see him behaving himself at home recently, as his inactivity meant he wouldn't ask them for money, reducing family conflict. However, he had gone out for a stroll today and returned wanting to borrow some money from Zhang Dahe to set up a breakfast stall at the crossroads.
His sister-in-law, Fang Xuehua, was furious. Over the years, there had been various excuses for asking for money, but this was the most ridiculous. He wanted to set up a stall to sell breakfast? Who would believe that? Given the original owner's ignorance of farm work, how could he possibly wake up early to knead dough, make steamed buns, or cook porridge? He would likely sleep until noon, waste the money, and still not accomplish anything.
The original owner had tried to explain further, which led to the scene they had just witnessed. His sister-in-law was fierce, but Zhang Changhe could sense she was at the breaking point. If he had said any more, his family might have fallen apart. After all, his sister-in-law had seen no hope for years, and countless compromises had only led to worse behavior.
A while ago, his sister-in-law's younger brother fell ill, and they lacked money for a doctor. She had lost sleep for nights, especially after the doctor said her brother had a serious illness that required expensive medicine to survive. Her brother was the only man in their family. Many times, seeing his sister-in-law's worried face, he had wanted to say he had a solution, but he knew no one would believe him. Fortunately, it was only about money and not life-threatening for now. He could treat him later when he was on his feet.
Fang Xuehua vented her anger and exhaustion, feeling much better after expressing her grievances and complaints. Her stress had been immense lately.
Seeing Wu Caiwei, Zhang Changhe breathed a sigh of relief. Judging by her attire, her family's financial situation seemed to be good. With her help, he believed his brother and sister-in-law would have a better life. Let alone living off someone, in his heart, they were already one. What was his was Wu Caiwei's, and what was Wu Caiwei's was his. He would certainly make it up to her in the future for this debt.
He glanced outside but didn't see a third person. However, he noticed gray fabric by the door and knew the two were hiding nearby, eavesdropping, fearing he might say something inappropriate. But he suspected his performance today would disappoint them, so he said shamelessly, "Sure, who wouldn't want to live comfortably? Unless they're an idiot. But I have conditions. My brother and sister-in-law have taken care of me for so many years; I must get them some money to improve their lives."
Fang Xuehua and Zhang Dahe, who were hiding outside the door, truly wished they could walk up and tap his head to see if water had gotten in. However, his last remark was quite touching. For the first time in years, he had spoken like a decent human being. In the past, he either asked them for money or schemed against them. They had thought he was ungrateful, that all their hard-earned money was wasted on him. But it seemed he still had some conscience and wasn't entirely beyond hope.
Wu Caiwei looked at his nonchalant demeanor and smiled silently. She took out twenty taels of silver from her pocket and handed it to him. "I happened to pass by today and didn't expect to find you here. I only have this much. If I had known, I would have brought more."