Jiang Youzhi watched the siblings from the side, silently.
Yun Jiao heartlessly pushed Gu Chuan away and turned to leave.
As she passed the entrance of Aunt Wang's house next door, Gu Mei suddenly ran out and blocked her way.
Gu Mei stared at the bundle in Yun Jiao's hand, "You can leave, but the stuff stays!" That's worth more than ten taels of silver!
Jiang Youzhi saw Gu Mei and hurriedly stepped back a few paces, turning away.
He had no intention of involving himself in their sisterly matters and was worried about touching Gu Mei. That would be hard to explain.
Yun Jiao bent her elbow and pushed Gu Mei away, "I must take these things with me. I have use for them."
It wasn't that she was greedy for the family's riches. As an heir of a family of medicine, golden and silver needles were her tools for survival; having a set in hand kept her calm.
Her family's medicine store had only herbs, none for acupuncture.
And, as far as she knew, there weren't any silver needles for sale even in the county. They couldn't be bought.
Gu Mei stubbornly chased after her again, "You have no right to take this!"
"This stuff is meant for passing to the male heirs!"
Gu Chuan looked up beside them, "Since it's mine, I'm willing to give it to second sister!"
Gu Mei pointed at him, "You ungrateful fool! She's already married off, you still expect her to take care of you?"
"You're siding with her? Isn't it me who cooks for you every day?"
Gu Chuan pressed his lips and stayed silent. He knew if he wanted to survive in this family, he couldn't offend his elder sister.
Yun Jiao patted Gu Chuan's head, "These things, I'll return to you in the future."
"Now, I'll let second sister borrow them for a bit."
After saying that, she stared at Gu Mei, "Move aside."
Gu Mei spread her arms, "I won't let you!"
She turned to Gu Chuan, "Xiao Chuan, go find second uncle and third uncle, tell them your second sister wants to take our family heirloom to her husband's home."
Jiang Youzhi frowned slightly at the words, they implied the Jiang Family was taking advantage of the Gu Family.
Gu Chuan didn't move and pleaded with Gu Mei, "Second sister said she'll return it to me, let her use it for now, won't you?"
Gu Mei spat, "Fool, she wants to trade it for silver! She'll never return it!"
Yun Jiao frowned. If this continued and caused too much commotion, really summoning second uncle and third uncle would be troublesome.
At that point, she might not be able to take the stuff and would waste her time.
Thinking that, she simply drew out the machete tucked at her waist, "Are you moving or not?"
Gu Mei instinctively shrank back seeing the long knife, but she was certain Yun Jiao was just trying to scare her and wouldn't really act, so she puffed her chest, "Go ahead, chop here! Am I afraid of you?"
Yun Jiao feigned raising the knife high, while Gu Mei's attention was fixed on the knife, her feet suddenly moved, she kicked Gu Mei's calf.
Gu Mei's body tilted to the side, and she fell to the ground.
Yun Jiao bypassed her and swiftly walked away.
By the time Gu Mei got up from the ground, she only saw the corner of her clothes disappearing around the bend.
She didn't pursue her.
She thought of a question, wondering why her usually honest and obedient sister seemed to have become a different person.
Could it be, like her, she had been reborn?
On the country path, Yun Jiao and Jiang Youzhi continued walking one behind the other.
After a short distance, Jiang Youzhi noticed Yun Jiao shifting the bundle from her left hand to her right, and then from her right hand to her left, realizing she was struggling to carry it. He thought for a moment, then caught up with a few quick steps, "If you trust me, I can carry this for you."