/
Old Ding’s family regretted to death. Why did they choose to ask Old Lin’s family for help.
As soon as they arrived, their family was already so terrified. Due to this, Old Ding’s family was held back and the scenario they wanted to create has collapsed.
The Lin family did not realize that they were a hindrance. In fact, what they were planning was to offer food so that they could reason out with Gao Xiulan.
Just as they trembly offered the food, Gao Xiulian revealed a smiling face.
Hence, the family of four did not dare speak for fear of destroying the beautiful atmosphere. A harmonious relationship.
Gao Xiulan weighed the cloth bag in her hand. There was almost one catty inside. Once this was boiled into a paste, that would be just enough for one meal. She smiled a bit more politely, “You’re too polite. They’re all my grandchildren. How could I feed them less?”
Old Lin’s family could only let out a laugh, not daring to speak. In their hearts they thought, you don’t dare feed them less, so you have them dig up earthworms to eat among themselves? It was widely circulated among the villagers that the children were drooling at the sight of earthworms. They must have been so hungry to drool while looking at those things. Even those who are starving would eat earthworms with eyes closed and a pained expression.
They’ve practiced these words several times now, intending to say it all to Gao Xiulian. However, now that they are in front of her, they did not dare say these words.
If they said this…
Ai, let’s just forget it. As long as this woman surnamed Gao gives the children a bite to eat, they can endure it. It’s no big deal, there’s no need to be angry. You truly can’t be angry.
Gao Xiulian was very satisfied with the item in her hand. She then looked at Old Ding’s family. Seeing them empty-handed, the corners of her mouth turned down and pulled a long face. “Yo, our Ding family in-laws are here too. Did you come here to eat? Unfortunately, we just finished our meal. Why don’t you wait for evening to come so that we can eat together? White rice is really delicious.
This made the Lin family immediately happy. They knew that this old woman was going to say that.
The faces of Old Ding’s family changed at once.
Su Qinghe was aware of Gao Xiulian’s powerful temper and that she was not afraid of offending others. However, Su Qinghe felt that the atmosphere right now was quite good, and it’s naturally much better to keep it harmonious. They went here to see their daughter, there is no need to worsen the mood. Thus, she quickly tried to smoothen things out, “Aunt and uncle, mother was just joking around. You came a long way to see Second Sister-in-Law, right?”
Gao Xiulian chuckled, “Qingmiao’er, you’re just too kind to see it clearly. I’ve never seen someone visit their daughter empty-handed. Do they really miss their daughter, but they can’t even spare a little food? It’s really the family of Eldest’s Wife that is more thoughtful.”
The Lin family had a relaxed smile on their faces.
Lin Shuhong: ……
Although she was glad that her family did not quarrel with her husband’s family, why was it that seeing her parents like this… Why can’t she bear to look at them?
Contrary to the Lin family’s relaxed state, Ding Laosan and Madam Ding were so angry that their hearts hurt.
What kind of relatives are they, ah? Traitors! Traitors!
Madam Ding clutched at her heart, stimulated by the Lin family’s actions and Gao Xiulan’s sarcastic words. No, she should say the words in her heart, “Even if I bring anything, it wouldn’t go to my daughter’s belly. What’s the point of bringing something?”
Ding Guihua immediately raised her head, “Mom, you’re saying nonsense again. Why don’t you go back to work? Is it not busy in the production team?” She thought her mother must be confused. The Lin family already acted like that, why would she come and make trouble?
“I’m not saying nonsense. I’m serious.” Madam Ding was so angry that she did not care about anything else. Disregarding Gao Xiulan’s dark face, she pointed directly at the children and said, “Who does not know that the Old Su family’s children are going out to dig earthworms to eat. They even drool while looking at it. What kind of starvation are they going through to become like this?”
Everyone in the Su family was dumbfounded. Who the hell is spreading this nonsense? Su Qinghe was also stunned. So they really came here to start something… Her mother truly had discerning eyes ah.
However, this was a complete misunderstanding ah. Su Qinghe immediately clarified, “Auntie, that’s just a misunderstanding, the earthworms…”
Gao Xiulian caught her arms and placed her behind her back, “Don’t worry about it, Qingmiao’er. Whether it’s a misunderstanding or not, it’s not a lie to say that they came to our house to cause trouble!”
Ding Guihua was so anxious. She did not know who dare speak nonsense. She said, “Mom, it’s really not like that. Don’t say nonsense things. The children are being fed.”
“Eat fart!” Madam Ding shouted angrily.
Gao Xiulan said with a cold face, “Even if they eat fart, they did not starve to death ah. What’s wrong? You don’t trust our Su family can raise these kids? You’re not the ones raising them at home.”
“Why should I, ah? That’s not my kid.” Madam Ding said. “The children have their father, mother, and their mother’s milk. Why should their grandmother raise them?”
Gao Xiulan walked right in front of her, hands stuck to her waist, and said, “So you do know that it isn’t your family’s children? Why do you have to suddenly run in front of me and shout? Should I just allow you to take care of our old Su family’s affairs? Don’t salt radishes and worry all day long[1]. What? You saw that my temper has improved recently, so you think that I’m easy to bully?” While saying this, she reached out and pulled at Madam Ding’s skirt with a murderous face and aggressive attitude, “I understand now. You’re so idle that you came here to find trouble with me. Do you think that there’s no one here in the Old Su family?”
[1] idiom / metaphor for people who do not know the truth of the matter yet is still there to mind other people’s business without contributing / helping.
“I… I…” Madam Ding was frightened by her murderous look. She was not here to fight. She was a reasonable person that just likes to run her mouth! The main point here is that she is not able to fight!
Ding Guihua came over hurriedly, “Mom, my mother doesn’t mean that. Why don’t you calm down”
Gao Xiulan swept them a sharp glance and said, “Get out of here. Our family must have been cursed to be unlucky. We got a daughter-in-law like her and her maiden family even came to bully her mother-in-law.”
Being scolded by Gao Xiulan, Ding Guihua did not dare speak.
Ding Laosan and Madam Ding looked at Gao Xiulan and were going to reach out to push her a bit, but Su Aiguo and Su Aiping came over to block Gao Xiulan from them.
Ding Laosan and Ding Jianjun were instantly abashed.
Ding Jianjun frowned and looked at his brother-in-law, “Brother-in-law, you also don’t care ah?”
Su Aiguo looked at his brother-in-law, “You’re making it difficult for me. One is my mother and the other is my mother-in-law. My mother-in-law is causing trouble at my home…”
Ding Jianjun knew that his brother-in-law was trying to evade. This was because the old lady of the Su family obviously did not suffer any loss. He was naturally on the side of Guan Xianlan.
Why did his sister choose such a person?
He looked at his sister again, “Sister…”
Ding Guihua was feeling depressed. Why didn’t her mother and family say something before coming here? She could only stand stupidly. Anyway, her mother-in-law really didn’t do it. She’s going to get hit… She’s gonna get beaten up because of her mother.
Ding Jianjun immediately lost hope. It’s over. His sister has changed.
Gao Xiulan was very angry at the moment. Damn, they’re really bullying her in front of her house. Do they really think that Gao Xiulan is easy to bully? If she was really easy to bully, this widow and her children would have long been bullied to death.
“What? Aren’t you guys looking for trouble with our Old Su family? Come on, come on! Are we going to fight or what?”
Madam Ding was about to cry. What’s the matter ah. The Old Lin family betrayed them and her husband and son had their fires extinguished. What can she do alone?
She thought that the words her son said on the road were really unlucky. They weren’t there to cause trouble.
Su Qinghe saw that Gao Xiulan’s complexion was getting restored. Thus, she quickly stepped towards her, “Mom, I’m feeling a bit dizzy. Why don’t we go inside the house and check it? I’m not sure but it might be the same as before.”
Gao Xiulan was holding onto Madam Ding’s collar and did not want to let go. When she heard her daughter’s words, Gao Xiulan immediately released Madam Ding and turned around. She looked at her worriedly, “What’s wrong? Are you uncomfortable again? Go inside your room and lie down. You must have lacked food recently. I’ll go and make egg drop soup for you.”
Then, she turned around and faced Old Ding family, “Go go go, I don’t have time to argue with you.”
After saying that, she went straight into the house.
The three Su brothers were also worried about Su Qinghe and immediately followed suit. However, they were expelled from the room as soon as they entered.
“Leave, leave, leave! Go and serve your father-in-laws. All of you are white eyed wolves, unfilial sons!”
Su Aiguo and Su Aihua: “…”
Su Aidang said happily: “I don’t have a father-in-law.” Then followed in quickly.
Seeing Gao Xiulan gone, Madam Ding felt relieved, her legs going weak. Her husband, Ding Laosan immediately went to support her, “Jianjun’s mother, are you alright?”
Madam Ding burst into tears and pointed at him, “Do I look like I’m fine? Both of you are cowards.” Then pointed at the Old Lin family, “Cowards!”
The Lin family shrunk back. You are also a coward…
Ding Guihua did not want to see her mother cause more trouble, “Mom, just go home and work. We are doing fine here. Don’t worry about us.”
Madam Ding felt aggrieved when she heard this, “You’re too heartless. Who do you think I’m doing this for?”
“For me, for me.” Ding Guihua succinctly said, “However, mom, you’re really in the wrong here. The children aren’t digging earthworms to eat. It’s to feed the chickens. Didn’t my mother-in-law  raise a chicken before? She wants to feed it with earthworms so that it could lay eggs.”
“Bullshit! Women can’t even give birth. Can that hen still lay eggs?” Madam Ding said in disbelief.
Why can’t it lay eggs? It even gives two a day! However, she cannot say this to her mother.
Ding Guihua spoke, “…It’s because it isn’t laying eggs, that’s why the children were asked to go and dig for earthworms. So that we can see if it will lay eggs. Mom, you’re really mistaken. Don’t you see the children are doing good? They are even more spirited than their peers.”
All the children nodded.
Yes, we had eggs today. However, grandma said that we aren’t allowed to let other people know that we can eat eggs! When other people find out, they will come to our house and borrow eggs and we won’t have any eggs to eat.
Hearing what Ding Guihua said and seeing the children nodding, the three members of the Ding family were stunned. Madam Ding said, “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
Ding Guihua said gloomily, “I wanted to tell you, but you did not even let me speak and fought with my mother-in-law. It’s already useless for me to tell you…” She already did her best, she just hoped that her mother-in-law would leave the matter at that.
The Lin family was relieved that they did not make a fuss earlier. Aiyo, it’s too scary.
Inside the house, Gao Xiulan held an enamel jar and drank cold water. As she was drinking, she told her daughter, “Qingmiao’er, remember this. You should rush forward and deal with your enemies immediately. It’s a pity that the old woman of the Ding family is too spineless. I just grabbed her and she already couldn’t speak. I didn’t even have a chance to beat her. If anyone made me unhappy when I was younger, I could chase people for four to five miles with a rolling pin.”
Su Qinghe said, “Mom, why didn’t you let me explain it to them clearly?” It was obviously a misunderstanding. Why couldn’t they just talk about it.
“Why should you explain? If you explained it to them clearly, then the matter is already over? That’s not going to work. They went to our house to make trouble, then they should finish it. If it was a misunderstanding, we should just forget about it? Then if it wasn’t a misunderstanding next time, wouldn’t they come back and cause trouble again? We have to let them know, regardless of whether it is a misunderstanding or not, that it is our business and nobody should care about it!”
Gao Xiulan spoke righteously.
Su Qinghe thought that her mother’s words were reasonable.
The two of them were still talking in the room. The three brothers came but did not dare to enter the room. They just stood at the door and talked.
“Mom, are you alright?” Su Aihua asked.
Su Aiguo then said, “Why don’t we get another bamboo bed and send younger sister to the county hospital?”
Su Aidang chipped in, “I can also walk fast with her on my back.”
Su Qinghe said quickly, “Brother, it’s alright. Don’t worry. I was just dizzy earlier. I’m alright now.”
Gao Xiulan was disgusted listening to the noises outside the room, “Okay, okay, hurry up and go to work. By the way, those people from the Old Lin family and Old Ding family should not stay for dinner.”
Su Aihua and Su Aiguo immediately said, “Let’s go, they’re all gone.” This was their house. Their in-laws suddenly went here to make a fuss and angered the old lady. This made them feel uneasy.
Hearing that her in-laws have left, Gao Xiulan relaxed. “Then you should hurry up and work. Your sister is tired because of malnutrition. You guys are so incompetent. Otherwise, we would not suffer like this. The eldest and second’s mother-in-laws deliberately came here to make trouble. You’re preventing your sister from feeling better. You are all things whose conscience has been eaten by dogs. You ate eggs at noon, wiped your mouth, and stopped recognizing people.”
Su Aiguo thought for a while, “Mom, when did Shuhong’s family make trouble ah?”
“They came with the Old Ding family. What kind of good intentions do they have?”
Su Aiguo: “…”
Su Aihua: “…”
Su Aidang felt lucky that he was not married. If he got married, wouldn’t it cause more trouble for Mom?
Old Ding and Old Lin family sneezed on their way back. They did not take it to heart as they were all busy bidding goodbye to their daughters and giving them words of advice.
Madam Lin rubbed her nose and continued talking to her daughter, “Your mother-in-law’s too powerful, Shuhong. Your father and I are useless. We can’t defeat your mother-in-law. Find an opportunity to talk to Aiguo and split up. It’s not unfilial, you’ll be fine. After splitting up, you can contribute food and help them a little. These days would be comfortable for you. In the future, when your mother-in-law grows old and cannot move, you can take care of her in your home.”
Lin Shuhong said in her heart, that’s what she also thought before. However, she can’t do that now ah. Their family is well off compared to others. A few days ago, they had soup, and now, they’re having steamed egg custards. Other families would only dream of having such a life. She was satisfied living with her mother- and sister-in-law. She does not want to split up with the family.
Unfortunately, she can’t tell her mother about these things that are happening at home, “Mom, actually, my mother-in-law is actually a person with a sharp mouth and a soft heart. She’s usually quite nice. Besides, Aiguo is the eldest. If we split up, people will gossip.”
Madam Lin sighed, “What do you mean good ah? If she was good, she would be treating everyone fairly without bias. Don’t I treat you and your elder brother the same way? How your mother-in-law treats your sister-in-law, everyone in the entire village knows. I heard that she’s too lazy to cook and even when she’s that old, she does not go out. In our village, she’s old enough to work and earn points.”
Lin Shuhong used to have a lot of complaints with her lazy little sister-in-law. After all, her children cannot eat if they still feel hungry, but this little sister-in-law can turn on the stove whenever she wants. However, as the saying goes, the mouth that eats the food of others is softened; the hand that receives gifts is shortened [2]. Now that she has eaten a lot of things from sister-in-law, how could she say that sister-in-law is not good ah? Thus, it is only natural for her to recite the words that Su Aiguo usually says for her mother, “Mom, my sister-in-law is actually quite good. My mother-in-law loves her, that’s only natural. She only has this one daughter, if she doesn’t love her, then who would ah? My father-in-law died before she was born and she has never eaten anything good since she was born. Her health is also not good and would feel uncomfortable when she works. Mom, don’t say anything bad about her. I feel bad hearing that.”
[2] idiom that means gifts will blind the eyes (of shortcomings)
Madam Lin looked at her blankly, “Shuhong, what’s wrong with you? You actually think your mother-in-law being partial is fine?”
Lin Shuhong: “…” Isn’t it alright?