Madam ng ultimately didn’t give a clear answer, but just stood at the door, chewing over what Hua Xiaomai had told her before suddenly sneering.
"You just take good care of the one in your belly, there’s absolutely no need for you to ddle in this. I’ve lived all these years, and nobody has ever taken advantage of !"
Having said that, she put on a lofty air, as if looking down upon the world, and stord out with great montum, closing the door behind her.
Hua Xiaomai gazed at her retreating figure with almost reverential eyes, taking a long while to regain her senses.
Before getting married, she was made anxious and insecure by the public opinion in Fire Knife Village, but now, she was truly grateful to have such a mother-in-law—her temper might be foul indeed, but with Madam ng around, how much trouble had she avoided!
However...
It turned out, the old saying "a hundred kinds of people are nurtured by the sa grain" was spot on; in this world, there will always be so people whom Madam ng can’t handle.
And the Tang Maolin family was evidently one of those people.
Their interest in the small restaurant to the east of the village was obvious; they wanted a slice of the pie. If they had directly caused a ruckus with loud voices and jumping feet, then, with Madam ng’s capability, she probably could easily throttle them one by one. The problem was, they remained very calm all the ti—as if that day when Dongyan tailed Hua Xiaomai going to the small restaurant was just her illusion.
Ding and Dongyan, still smiling every day, diligently helped Madam ng with the household chores, and when they had the chance, they pulled Hua Xiaomai aside to chat and laugh, to relieve boredom. As for Tang Maolin, he no longer wandered outside but stayed within the ng Family compound every day, quietly repairing all the wooden furniture and utensils, anything made of wood.
From large cabinets and wooden shelves to small tables, chairs, and stools, even the wooden tubs for bathing and laundry were all checked and repaired by him. Thus, from morning to evening, the ng Family’s compound was filled with the constant sounds of "ding ding dong dong," which wouldn’t stop until it was ti for dinner.
Engaging in carpentry in this weather was really not easy. A person would be sweating from just a little movent. The tiny wood shavings were sharp and irritating, sticking to the skin, and within a short ti, one’s whole body would be itching. It was truly exhausting. Tang Maolin busily repaired everything in the house for five or six days straight, toiling under the hot sun until he seed to have gotten a shade darker. He never bragged or showed off his efforts, but whenever he had a mont, he would drag either Madam ng or Hua Xiaomai to look at his refurbished items and then "hehe" with a simple, honest smile.
The ssage seed quite clear, didn’t it? Look, my craftsmanship is beautifully and fairly priced, honest to all ages, and that little restaurant is being renovated; letting work there would surely satisfy you!
It’s hard to reprove soone with a smiling face, so Hua Xiaomai was dazzled by his glaring smile. After several such occasions, she could hardly resist and took the opportunity when there was no one around to pull Madam ng aside to discuss.
"I think uncle’s craftsmanship is quite good, and our little restaurant is still under construction, why not..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Madam ng glared at her fiercely.
"Has your brain been pecked by a chicken?" the fierce woman, with hands on her hips and glaring eyes, retorted, "He’s my own brother. I’m more eager than any of you for him to earn money and support his wife and daughter, but once our relatives get involved with the small restaurant’s business, it will be you who has had enough of the hassle later! Tell , if you let him help with the renovation now, and later when the small restaurant reopens, his wife wants to help work there too, will you agree?"
Before Hua Xiaomai could answer, Madam ng continued her tirade.
"Your renovators normally work together, and now you want to forcibly squeeze soone in—it would look ridiculous. Dealing with relatives is the most difficult. If he makes a mistake, you can’t scold him as you would a regular renovator, nor dare you easily dock his pay. Over ti, what was originally a simple matter becos complicated!"
How could Hua Xiaomai not understand these reasons? Yet... Your hardness of heart, how can ordinary people endure Tang Maolin’s innocent smile filled with hidden expectations?
"Don’t concern yourself with this any longer; I will talk to him about it tomorrow."
After dropping this remark, Madam ng turned and walked away. The next day, as expected, she summoned Tang Maolin and began to speak with a stern face.
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