Xifeng was the sa. She hadn’t talked much to Shen ng recently. After her son went out to play, he surprisingly brought back a bag of dumplings for her. Gao Gao repeated what Ming Liang had said, and the couple was very happy, knowing in their hearts that Shen ng had truly changed for the better and would live a stable life from now on.
"Head of the household, Zhenping’s wife is raising four children alone. Aunt Sanjin is not as nice as people say. When you’re not busy, why not help Zhenping by delivering so firewood and fetching so water, right?"
Lu Yongjun nodded again and again, taking the dumplings from Gao Gao and feeding one to Xifeng.
"Ah, I understand now. You eat first. Wake up our daughter too and let her eat a couple; Mingyang’s mother has given us so much. It’s clear that it’s ant for our whole family to eat. Quick."
"Alright."
A eting was held in the threshing ground. The tense autumn harvest had ended. After delivering the public grain to the storage, the remaining grain was to be distributed. There wasn’t much to be distributed this ti; the bulk ca at the end of the year.
Starting today, Shen ng planned to go out. She slung a dustpan over her shoulder, leading Ming Kai with one hand and holding a grass-cutting shovel in the other. Ming Fang also followed behind them wearing clean clothes.
They hadn’t walked far when Wu Xianglan, munching on pumpkin seeds, leaned against the wall and called out to her.
"Elder sister-in-law, you’ve recovered? What are you up to?"
In the original story, Wu Xianglan was Zhou Jiaojiao’s lackey. Shen ng initially didn’t want to engage with her, but considering that this person had a simple mind and loved to gossip, she could easily be swayed and might be useful in the future.
"Yes, I’ve been feeling a lot better these days. I can’t just lie around all day, so I’m going to cut so grass to dry, which can be used to start a fire later."
Wu Xianglan examined Shen ng, as well as Lu Mingkai and Lu Mingfang. It had been a while since she had seen them. Not only did Shen ng look healthier, but the children were also better dressed and better fed. She rembered what her younger siblings had said: the elder sister-in-law was pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger, aiming to take over the brick house and monopolize the things that the eldest brother sent back.
"Elder sister-in-law, look at how busy I’ve been these days. I haven’t had the ti to visit you. Don’t take it to heart, sister."
"How could I? You have work every day and have to take care of the kids after. We’re all family; what’s there to be upset about? Xiang Lan, why aren’t you working today?"
Wu Xianglan happily told Shen ng: "Sister, you don’t know, but early this morning, Second Aunt’s family got into a fight. It was fierce. Second Aunt caught Sister-in-law Lianhua and gave her a thrashing; she nearly beat sense into her. Daqing and Erqing, both children, were so scared that they hugged their sister and cried. Brother Yonggang didn’t even try to protect her; he was actually passing the broom to his mother. Heavens, I’ve never seen such a man behave like that."
Shen ng’s eyebrows furrowed. She did not believe it at all. If they had really fought fiercely, the village would have been abuzz by now.
"Elder sister-in-law, haven’t you heard? Let tell you, Second Aunt was scolding and fighting behind closed doors. This morning, when I went out to pick vegetables, I happened to hear it. Climbing up the wall to have a look, tsk, tsk, it was a terrible sight. The eldest couple was also adding fuel to the fire and lecturing Sister-in-law Lianhua. You know, we sisters-in-law usually get along well without any grudges, and the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship is also good. Elder sister, didn’t your eldest brother send any sugar tickets this ti? The colder it gets, the worse I feel. Heh heh heh, could you lend a couple of sugar tickets?"
"My eldest brother only sent so money this ti, nothing else. Even our house has run out of sugar. Look at these two kids, their faces are yellow from the lack of sugar. Tell what happened to Sister-in-law Lianhua that she got beaten?"
Wu Xianglan was a bit unhappy. How co this woman was now so shrewd, not willing to lend tickets, and still wanting to hear gossip? She was like a miserly rooster that won’t let even a feather be plucked.
"Hmph, it’s just Wang Lianhua’s little girl. Early in the morning, she was eating a dumpling made of mix-flour, and she was caught red-handed by her elder aunt Zhao Jingui. It’s pretty much an accusation that their side of the family is hoarding food, and a fight broke out."
Shen ng opened her mouth in shock, when Ming Fang behind her clenched a fistful of her clothes tightly. She let go of Ming Kai and gently patted her.
"Xiang Lan, you go on with your work, I won’t be cutting grass today. Ming Kai, Ming Fang, let’s hurry up and leave."
"Hey, elder sister-in-law, where are you going? You haven’t made it clear about the sugar tickets," Wu Xianglan called out several tis but Shen ng didn’t look back, infuriating her. She spat on the ground and cursed: "Runs faster than a rabbit, doesn’t look sick at all—clearly fine, just faking it, damn drama queen."
Shen ng, pulling the two kids with her, ran towards Chen Zhaodi’s house. The dumplings were from her, a token of thanks for Wang Lianhua’s care for the children, but if her action caused harm to them, it would be her sin.
Wang Lianhua was lying on the kang, groaning in pain, while Chen Zhaodi stood at her door, jumping and cursing.
"Low-life, goddamn cursed spirit, reincarnation of a starving ghost, bitch-bred scum, daring to steal my food and money. Dumplings with mix-flour at filling, I’ve barely had them a few tis in my life, and you sneakily make and eat them. And then you’re still worth sothing? Can’t think of your brothers when you get sothing good, only stuffing your face. Are these even ant for you? From now on, you’re like water poured out, eating one more bite of food from the Lu Family is profiting. We fed you well and now at such a young age, you’re learning from that whore of a mother. If you dare steal again, I swear I’ll beat you to death, you little wretch."
Yaoyao was terrified and trembling, hiding in the arms of her two brothers and not daring to speak. Daqing and Erqing clenched their teeth and didn’t dare to reveal the dumplings ca from Shen ng. Their mother was beaten near death, and seeing their father, he went to work as if nothing happened.
"Sob sob, grandma, please stop scolding, we know we were wrong. The dumpling was given by soone else, it really isn’t the food or money my mom hid, my mom has no money, grandma, please stop scolding."
"Hmph, Daqing, you can’t be muddled. You’re a boy, the grandson of the Lu Family, you can’t be like your mother and sister, after all, they’re outsiders."
"If they are outsiders, what are you then? Do you carry the Lu surna? You’re not a Lu, you’re a Zhao, Zhao Jingui, aren’t you an outsider yourself?" Shen ng had been listening at the door for a while, and the more she heard, the angrier she got, until she finally kicked open Chen Zhaodi’s door.
With a "bang," the old wooden door, long due for repairs, hung crookedly by a half, almost falling to the ground.
"Good grief, you almost scared to death! Shen ng, what are you doing here? This is my family’s business, what’s it to you? You can’t even clean up your own ss, and here you are, causing trouble in my house."
Chen Zhaodi had always looked down on Shen ng, considering Liu Sanjin to be a daughter-in-law with too many sches in her heart, especially since, being from the sa Lu Family, Liu Sanjin’s sons were exceptional in every way—Lu Zhenping was doing well in the army, not to ntion Lu Jiaxuan, the warehouse manager of the production team.
Outsiders had no idea how many felt inferior to Liu Sanjin.
"Second Aunt, I didn’t co here to cause trouble, I ca to fight for justice. My man is a soldier, I’m a military family mber, and when I see injustice, I definitely have to step in. Ming Fang, go quickly and call the village chief and the won’s director over here. Tell them there is soone abusing a woman, and your Aunt Lianhua might not make it."
"Alright, mother, I’m on it." The little girl replied and ran off faster than a rabbit, disappearing in a flash.
Chen Zhaodi couldn’t even shout her back and could only glare hatefully at Shen ng.
"You’re asking for death! What are you causing a scene at my house for?"
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