The footsteps stopped outside the room.
Yehua sat on the bed and stared at the doorway.
A moment later, a woman appeared.
She looked to be in her late forties.
Her skin was tanned from years of working under the sun. Her back was slightly hunched, and even though her face was weathered, it was obvious she had once been quite beautiful.
Her clothes were old and patched.
But they were clean.
Very clean.
The woman stood in the doorway and looked at Yehua.
Yehua looked back.
Neither of them said anything.
The woman frowned.
Yehua frowned back.
She looks scary.
The woman narrowed her eyes.
Yehua tilted her head.
But she doesn't seem like a bad person.
The woman suddenly felt something strange.
She had clearly heard a voice.
But Yehua's lips hadn't moved.
She glanced behind herself.
Nobody.
She looked back at Yehua.
Why is she staring at me?
Yehua started feeling a little uncomfortable.
Am I too pretty?
The woman's eyebrow twitched.
Mother Su, look away.
"..."
The woman slowly looked away.
Yehua nodded to herself.
Good.
The woman immediately looked back.
Yehua's eyes widened.
Why did she look back?!
The woman's face darkened.
"Is something wrong?"
Yehua finally spoke.
The woman stared at her.
"No."
She paused.
"Why are you looking at me?"
Yehua blinked.
"I wasn't."
The woman almost laughed.
"You were staring right at me."
"Was I?"
"Yes."
"Oh."
Yehua looked away.
The woman kept staring at her.
This girl was strange.
Really strange.
She had been told this daughter-in-law was quiet and obedient.
But the girl standing in front of her didn't look obedient at all.
She looked...
Annoyed.
The woman cleared her throat.
"I am your mother-in-law."
Yehua nodded.
"I know."
"You should call me Mother."
Yehua looked at her.
"Mother."
The woman nodded.
"Good."
Silence.
Then Yehua thought:
She doesn't look that old.
The woman's face softened a little.
Then the next thought came.
Actually, she looks like someone who'd beat people with a broom.
The softness vanished.
The woman's mouth twitched.
This girl!
Yehua didn't notice.
She was still looking the woman over.
Her clothes are patched.
Her hands are rough.
Her kitchen is empty.
She's probably having a hard time financially.
Yehua sighed inwardly.
Poor woman.
The woman froze.
For some reason, those two words felt strangely sincere.
Then Yehua's next thought came.
No.
I can't feel sorry for her.
If I treat her nicely, she'll like me.
I don't want her to like me.
The woman's face filled with confusion.
What kind of person didn't want her mother-in-law to like her?
Yehua kept thinking.
I need to make her dislike me quickly.
As soon as my cultivation reaches Mid Rank, I'll leave.
I'll leave enough resources for her to live comfortably until her son comes back.
Then I'll disappear.
The woman was stunned.
Her son?
This girl actually cared about her missing son?
No.
That wasn't the important part.
She had heard something else.
Mid Rank?
What was that?
Was this girl a cultivator?
The woman looked Yehua over carefully.
Yehua noticed.
Why is she looking at me like that?
Mother Su quickly looked away.
She had no idea what was going on.
But one thing was certain.
Her new daughter-in-law was definitely not normal.
---
Yehua stood up.
Her stomach growled.
Loudly.
Mother Su looked at her.
Yehua looked up at the ceiling.
"..."
Mother Su turned toward the kitchen.
"You haven't eaten?"
"No."
"You woke up late."
Yehua looked at her.
"What does that have to do with food?"
"You were supposed to get up early."
"I was tired."
"You're a daughter-in-law."
"So?"
Mother Su's eyes widened.
So?
This girl actually said so?
She had bought this daughter-in-law because she thought having someone in the house would make things easier when her son eventually came back.
Instead, she had apparently bought herself a headache.
Mother Su walked into the kitchen.
After rummaging around for a while, she came back with two steamed buns.
She held them out.
"Eat."
Yehua looked at the buns.
They were small.
Really small.
And a little dry.
She took one and looked it over.
"Is this all?"
"Yes."
"Only two?"
"Yes."
Yehua raised an eyebrow.
"You got up late, so this is your punishment. This is your meal for today."
Mother Su said it sternly.
But Yehua immediately noticed something.
The buns were still warm.
She looked toward the kitchen.
This old hag is such a liar.
Mother Su's face stiffened.
These buns were made with the last of the ingredients in the house.
She doesn't even have anything to eat herself.
Yehua glanced at Mother Su's face.
And look at her legs.
They're shaking from hunger.
She's giving me the last food in the house and pretending she's punishing me.
Mother Su clenched her hands.
How could she tell this girl?
Yesterday, she had traded a catty of vegetables and some salt for the ingredients to make those buns.
She couldn't let her daughter-in-law know there wasn't enough food in the house.
A mother-in-law needed to keep her dignity.
"Why aren't you eating?"
Mother Su asked.
Yehua looked at the buns again.
Then she deliberately made a disgusted face.
"Old hag, keep your buns."
Mother Su's eyebrow twitched.
"They're too small and dry."
Yehua put the bun down.
"Do you really expect me to eat this?"
Mother Su nearly blew up.
If she hadn't heard the girl's thoughts, she would have already started yelling at her.
But...
This girl was insulting the buns while secretly knowing exactly why she had made them.
It was so irritatingly contradictory.
Mother Su snorted.
"Eat it if I give it to you little wench. Otherwise, you'll go hungry today."
Yehua narrowed her eyes.
How dare this tsundere old hag call me a little wench?
Mother Su:
"..."
I have more than ten thousand catties of food in my space.
Mother Su froze.
Why would I go hungry?
Mother Su's eyes widened.
Ten thousand catties?
Food?
This daughter-in-law was rich?
Really rich?
If only this old hag would faint from hunger.
Mother Su's face darkened.
Then I could go into the mountains and accidentally find some food.
Mother Su stared at her.
"..."
This girl wanted her to faint?
A moment ago, she had been feeling touched.
Never mind.
She took that back.
Yehua stood up.
"I'll go into the mountains and find some wild vegetables."
Mother Su immediately stood up.
"I'm coming."
Yehua stopped.
"...Why?"
"I'm your mother-in-law."
"So?"
Mother Su's eyebrow twitched.
"Because I said so."
Yehua stared at her.
Mother Su stared back.
The two women silently faced each other.
Finally, Yehua sighed.
"Fine."
Mother Su nodded proudly.
She had won.
Then she heard Yehua's thoughts.
This old hag is such a pain.
Mother Su's proud expression froze.
How am I supposed to secretly take food out of my space with her following me?
Mother Su's eyes narrowed.
Space?
If she sees food appearing out of thin air, won't she think I'm a demon?
Mother Su's eyes widened.
Food...
From thin air?
Fairy?
Demon?
She looked at Yehua again.
Yehua looked perfectly ordinary.
Except...
She had apparently just claimed to have ten thousand catties of food.
And she wanted to make food appear out of thin air.
Mother Su suddenly felt a headache coming on.
Maybe the fortune teller from the county town had been right.
Maybe this daughter-in-law really was strange.
Yehua walked toward the door.
"Let's go."
Mother Su followed.
Just as they stepped into the courtyard, Yehua stopped.
She turned around.
"Wait."
Mother Su looked at her.
"What now?"
Yehua pointed at the steamed buns.
"Take them."
Mother Su blinked.
"What for?"
"You haven't eaten."
"I'm not hungry."
Yehua rolled her eyes.
"Your legs are shaking."
Mother Su immediately straightened her back.
"They aren't."
"They are."
"They aren't."
"They are."
"They aren't!"
Yehua sighed.
"Old hag, just eat."
Mother Su's face flushed.
She quickly picked up the buns.
She didn't know why, but for some reason, those three words—
just eat
—felt different from an insult.
Yehua walked ahead.
Mother Su followed behind.
Neither woman noticed the small smile that briefly appeared on the other's face.
Then Yehua's voice sounded in Mother Su's head again.
This old hag really is stubborn.
Mother Su's smile disappeared.
"..."
She had spoken too soon.