Zhou Xia looked at Luo Fengtang with great displeasure and said, "So big and strong, you're actually this intimidated by women. I'm getting anxious for you!"

Luò Fēng Táng said dismissively, "I'm willing. Stop beating around the bush and get to the point!"

Zhou Xia frowned, this time reluctantly looking at Yang Ruoqing.

Only to see Yang Ruoqing had already found a stool and sat down, even crossing her legs.

He was even carrying melon seeds, sitting there leisurely cracking them.

Let me know if you have any other text you'd like me to translate!

Zhou Xia rolled her eyes...

"Stop rolling your eyes, they don't even look convincing! You look like a dead man hanging from a tree. Just spit it out if you have something to say!" Yang Ruqing spat out a watermelon seed shell on the ground and waved her hand dismissively.

Zhou Xia said, "You lend me one hundred taels of silver, and I'll do something that will make you feel happy, about the Cao family."

Yang Ruqing sized Zhou Xia up, "Spill the beans. What's going on? I need to see if the satisfaction your deed brings me is worth a hundred taels of silver."

"It's no fun if you reveal it; there's no thrill or surprise left." Zhou Xia said.

Yang Ruqing smiled, "If you were to spit on the door of the Cao family or throw a bucket of urine and feces on their walls, the satisfaction I'd get from that wouldn't even be worth ten cash."

Zhou Xia's face darkened, "I would never do such a thing. It's too underhanded, it would tarnish my image."

Yang Ruqing laughed even harder, "What image do you have left? You're just a pretty face hiding a bunch of uselessness!"

“You…”

“What do I, what do I?” Yang Ruqing retorted with a glare.

"Now you're borrowing money from me, the one borrowing is your grandson. Be honest with me!" Yang Ruqing continued.

Zhou Xia gritted her teeth, forcing the anger back down her throat.

"Well, I can only reveal a little, it's about Cao Caotingtong, the second young lady of the Cao family. As for the rest, I can't say much. Anyway, you'll know when the time comes. It's guaranteed to make you happy!" Zhou Xia said.

Yang Ruqing raised an eyebrow, suddenly guessing something.

She nodded and said, "Alright, since that's settled, I'll give you thirty taels as a deposit first. The remaining seventy taels will be paid after the matter is completed."

"Of course, if things go wrong, or if I'm not happy with the outcome, you'll have to give me back the thirty taels of silver. Otherwise, I'll sell you to a brothel. You'll stay there until I make a hundred taels, then I'll let you out. My word is my bond!"

Zhou Xia glared at Yang Ruoqing with a mixture of anger and helplessness, struggling for a moment. "Alright, bring the silver!" she said.

Yang Ruqing smiled again, “I heard Tang Yazai say that you borrowed this money for your man?”

Zhou Xia nodded. "Yes, we want to open a shop on the street. We've figured out that the cost will be about sixty taels of silver. Including other operating expenses, having a hundred taels in hand makes me feel more at ease."

"Where is your husband then? Why don't we see him?"

Zhou Xia said: “He went out to collect debts. He's too pathetic. He used to make some money from his small business, but several unreliable relatives borrowed it all and never paid it back!”

Yang Ruqing said, "Thirty taels of silver can't give you back your husband. Go to the inn and get it from me yourself."

"Yang Ruqing, how can you bully me like this?" Zhou Xia cried out.

The shout roused the old woman in the opposite house from her defensive post.

The old woman stood at the doorway, peering inside but not coming in.

Yang Ruqing continued to Zhou Xia, "Zhou Xia, I don't believe your character. You might be using the excuse of lending money to your husband's business as a cover, and once you get the money, you run away with it!"

"I won't!" Zhou Xia shouted.

She pointed with her finger at the old woman standing at the doorway, peeking in but not daring to enter. She said to Yang Ruoqing, "Ask her, I've been back with my son for over a month now. Have I run away? Every day I live a peaceful life, doing laundry and cooking!"

Yang Ruqing was a little surprised, and then immediately looked at the old woman.

The old woman nodded lightly and said, "Right now she's still behaving herself, hasn't run away."

This made Yang Ruqing laugh, but it angered Zhou Xia even more.

“What do you mean ‘didn't run’? Pay attention to your words when you speak to me!” she shouted at the old woman.

The old woman smiled apologetically at Zhou Xia, "My wife just speaks her mind. Don't get so worked up, dear daughter-in-law. The neighbors might think we're making a spectacle of ourselves..."

Zhou Xia was so angry that she rolled her eyes again. She had been sold by human traffickers to a man in his thirties who ran a small business for just ten taels of silver. As the once-respected Xuewu County princess, how could she not be ashamed? She had lost face long ago and had nothing left to fear from ridicule.

Here, Yang Ruqing ignored Zhou Xia who was fuming with anger and her chest heaving violently. She turned to the old woman and said, "Auntie, when will your son be back?"

The old woman said, “He went out to collect debts early in the morning. He probably won't be back until late at night.”

Yang Ruqing said, "Alright, let's wait for him to come back and have him go to our inn to find us. We'll lend him some money to do business."

The old woman's face was full of surprise and gratitude, nodding repeatedly.

Zhou Xia's mother-in-law, the elderly woman who had been so grateful earlier, saw Yang Ruqing and Luo Fengtang out at the gate. As they were leaving, Luo Fengtang went to turn the carriage around.

The old woman accompanied Yang Ruqing waiting by the roadside. The two chatted, their topic naturally revolving around Zhou Xia.

“Auntie, how did my cousin end up becoming your daughter-in-law? She didn't explain anything clearly, we are all in the dark.”

The old woman was still thanking Yang Ruqing and Luofeng Tang for their generosity when she heard this question, and hurriedly replied: “This daughter-in-law, my son bought her from a human trafficker in Changhuizhou while he was doing business there for ten taels of silver.”

Let me know if you have any other text you'd like me to translate!

"How could she have fallen into the hands of human traffickers?" Yang Ruqing asked again.

Could it be that someone went to the capital to find Empress Dowager Xiangyang, and fell into the hands of human traffickers when passing through Changshui Prefecture?

The old woman's voice rang out again, pulling Yang Ruohua back to reality: "Well, I'm not entirely sure about that either. When my son goes to the inn to find you later, you can ask him. He might know."

Yang Ruqing curled her lips and continued, "My cousin used to be a proud and arrogant person at home. Do you think she would willingly stay in your family as a daughter-in-law?"

Hearing this, the old woman immediately became worried and said: "Miss Yang, you...you wouldn't want her family to come and take her back, would you? Please don't! She was bought back by my son for ten taels of silver,"

Although there wasn't a formal marriage ceremony, she is truly my daughter-in-law.

"If, if you feel that this is unfair to her, when my son makes some money, during the New Year, I'll have him buy wine and meat to go to Zhoujia Village, as a proper way to make amends and become in-laws. What do you think? Just please don't take her back..."

>

The old woman looked like she was about to kneel before Yang Ruqing, so Yang Ruqing quickly helped her up.

Let me know if you'd like to translate anything else!

(Editor in charge:define novel)