He started by killing his abusive father, and from then on, he embarked on the road to wealth.

Chapter 31 explains recent changes

Meng Fuqing had sharp eyes and clearly saw the four characters "ten and fifteen taels of silver" on it, and there was no official seal that should have been on it.

Having gained some understanding, Meng Fuqing leaned on his carrying pole and asked the village chief, "There's something I don't quite understand. Could you please enlighten me, Grandpa Village Chief?"

Meng Bochang knew from seeing her hit someone that the previous fights were just minor squabbles, and he felt somewhat helpless towards her. He waved his hand and said, "Ask!"

"Without an official seal, what's the difference between this contract and an IOU?"

"You know quite a lot, it makes no difference."

Meng Fuqing looked at the butler, "What do you say?"

The butler shivered again as the cold wind blew.

Many of the Lin family's servants hadn't registered with the government. If they had, they would have had to pay taxes. The servants were stupid and illiterate, so they naturally wouldn't know whether they had registered or not. They never expected to make a mistake in a rural area this time.

Seeing that things were about to go wrong, the butler dropped his pretense, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes. "You'd better think carefully about the consequences of offending the Lin family."

Meng Fuqing laughed and casually tossed aside the carrying pole. "I'd like to see what the consequences will be."

She turned to Shan Qiyu and said, "Mother, give them fifteen taels of silver as compensation, and Father will have paid off the money he owed for selling me."

Shan Qiyu lowered her head and wiped her eyes. "Yes, Mother will go get it right away."

Seeing that he couldn't get what he wanted, the butler tried to make an exorbitant demand: ...

After taking the silver, the steward, with a gloomy face, was about to leave when Meng Fuqing blocked his way.

"Either leave the IOU, or tear it up in front of me."

IOU, IOU, IOU from your second uncle!

The steward shivered from the cold, and his glare was no longer as imposing as before. He quickly tore up the indenture and got into the carriage, and the group sped away.

Before they left, Meng Fuqing quietly tied a vine to the side of the carriage.

Hearing the news, Meng Linlang led her friends to see the whole thing, but she never expected that the Lin family would be so easily dealt with, and that Meng Fuqing would even readily hand over fifteen taels of silver.

Before she arrived, she was conflicted. Meng Fuqing wasn't stupid; if she really became the old master's concubine, it would be difficult for her to call Meng Fuqing out and push her into the water. But she also really wanted to teach Meng Fuqing a lesson.

Seeing how easily the matter was resolved, Meng Linlang felt very frustrated. She thought it would be better to go see Doctor Zheng and see if the person had returned.

In her dream, Dr. Zheng's accident was just around the corner. If she could save him after the accident, she might be able to get him to take her as his apprentice.

Many people died or were injured on the way to escape famine, so it would be good for her to learn a little bit during this time.

Thinking this, Meng Linlang left quietly without telling her friends and headed towards Doctor Zheng's house.

The villagers were stunned by the fifteen taels of silver that Shan Qiyu pulled out.

Goodness, she became a widow and her life actually got better. Who would believe that?

The villagers who lived near Meng Fuqing's house were not surprised. These past few days, they could smell the aroma of meat and knew without a doubt that it came from this house!

While the villagers were talking to Shan Qiyu, Meng Fuqing quietly moved away from the crowd and ran in the direction the carriage had gone.

If she stays too far away from the vines, she won't be able to control them very well.

When the vines sensed that the carriage was about to cross the river, Meng Fuqing paused and manipulated the vines to crawl into the horse's ear.

The horse was startled and ran wildly, neighing, which greatly frightened the butler sitting in the carriage.

"Quick! Stop the horse!"

Even with several servants working together, they couldn't stop a frightened horse. The horse charged wildly and crashed headlong into the river, taking Steward Lin with it.

The servants, disregarding the cold weather, had no choice but to wade into the water to rescue Steward Lin.

Many villagers witnessed this scene, but they treated it as mere entertainment and showed no intention of helping.

The trip to Mengjia Village nearly cost Steward Lin and his servant half their lives, and not only that, they also failed to recover their carriage and horses.

They dared not linger there and had to hurry to the neighboring Shili Village.

When Meng Fuqing slowly walked back to his doorstep, he found that the village chief was still there.

Meng Bochang: "Qing girl, when did you learn to wield a stick?"

Meng Fuqing: "I used to not eat or sleep well, and I never knew I was so strong. Now that I'm healthy and can eat my fill, I'm naturally stronger and my mind is sharper."

Meng Bochang: ...

Don't think he didn't realize that she was definitely mocking her deceased father.

On second thought, he sighed again. No wonder the child resents this father!

Meng Fuqing was unaware of the village chief's thoughts and was still preoccupied with the Lin family's affairs. The person was already dead, yet he was still holding onto her. What was his purpose? She needed to find out more.

Afterwards, she personally delivered two fish to Yao Shanyun as a token of her gratitude, and Yao Shanyun held her hand and praised her profusely.

Yao Shanyun genuinely found Qingya to be pleasing to the eye. She was well-behaved and sensible in front of elders, and not afraid of strangers. This made her want to have her as her daughter-in-law. However, when she looked at her three simple-minded sons, she felt that they were not good enough for this girl.

After Qingya left, she pulled her second and third sons aside and whispered for a long time, telling the two unmarried men to be more attentive to Qingya, in case they took a fancy to her. She made the two sons blush and rush to do chores to cover up their embarrassment.

The eldest daughter-in-law, Cui, curled her lip at the sight. That girl was never one to behave herself; how could she possibly marry into the Ji family? The mother-in-law was getting senile.

When Meng Fuqing returned home, he saw Meng Ali carrying a carrying pole twice his height, walking unsteadily as soon as he entered the door.

"I want to be like my older sister when I grow up...!" He stumbled and fell to the ground.

"Be careful you don't stunt your growth." Meng Fuqing wasn't surprised at all by Meng Ali's actions. This child was curious about everything he saw, wanted to try everything, and wanted to imagine the future.

Meng Ali sat on the ground, blinked, and pushed the carrying pole aside, no longer wanting to play.

He won't be able to get a wife if he's not tall enough.

Meng Fuqing asked Meng Ranran, "Is Mother inside?"

Meng Ranran whispered, "Yes, Mother doesn't look well."

Meng Fuqing nodded without any surprise.

She went into the house. "Mom, I caught some fish today. Let's eat them for lunch."

Shan Qiyu came out of the house, her expression as usual. "Alright, Mother will cook fish soup for you."

Perhaps because she had vented her anger, she felt much better. When pushed to that point, a person can become a different person.

Meng Fuqing thought to himself that it wouldn't work to eat soup and water all the time; he would have to buy an iron pot.

"Mother, elder sister, I'm taking Ali out to gather some firewood," Meng Ranran called out from outside.

Dan Qiyu responded and was about to go to the yard to get busy when she was stopped.

“Mother, there’s something I want to tell you,” Meng Fuqing said.

When she first came into this world, she didn't trust anyone and was used to risking her life alone. Every time Shan Qiyu protected her, she felt very complicated.

Before the apocalypse, her parents divorced and remarried. She lived in her grandparents' old house, receiving a meager monthly allowance from her parents and earning money from part-time jobs, and completed junior and senior high school.

She got into a very good university after the college entrance examination. In order to earn tuition and living expenses, she worked part-time all summer. When she was so tired, she wanted to destroy the world. Unexpectedly, for the first time in her life, her dream came true.

She had never encountered a mother like Shan Qiyu before.

Since the other party has been genuinely committed, she is willing to place some trust in them, at least to provide an explanation for their changes.