The weather was gradually getting hotter.
In the blink of an eye, summer had arrived, and the children in the compound had started their summer vacation.
The kids were all over the place during the holidays, hardly staying home. Hutou, Xiao Yanzi, and Li Weiwei, along with a group of other children, would grab bamboo poles and head to the small woods to catch cicadas, roast them, and eat them, having the time of their lives.
The adults were sweating profusely all day, and the little ones were also suffering. The baby’s neck had developed heat rash, and Zhao Guihua applied baby powder every day to soothe it. The little one smelled sweet, and now the baby had learned to roll over and sit up, though not for long. After sitting for a while, the baby would wobble and sway.
But the little one had already started expressing their desires. Early in the morning, the baby would stretch out their tiny hands, pointing outside and babbling, wanting to go out.
The baby also adored the older kids. Every time Hutou and Xiao Yanzi came around, the baby would squeal with excitement. At such moments, Xiao Yanzi would gently pat the baby’s chubby little hand and say, “Be good now, sister is going out to catch something yummy for you.”
With Xiao Yanzi’s soothing words, the two little ones would flash big smiles.
Xiao Yanzi would then add, “You two stay home and wait for sister, okay?”
The two little ones would giggle again, and Xiao Yanzi would seize the moment to make her escape.
When the babies saw their sister running off, they didn’t react at first, but soon burst into loud wails, leaving Zhao Guihua so frustrated that she started scolding. Since the babies didn’t like staying indoors, she pushed them out and placed them under the shaded eaves of the house, where it was cooler.
Recently, Zizhen hadn’t been coming over to help as a nanny. She had found out a few days ago that she was pregnant, over two months along. Da Qiang didn’t dare let her handle too much work, so after discussing it with her, they decided she wouldn’t come to “help out” anymore. However, she still visited every day. Although she lived in the neighboring compound, she was more familiar with this side, and there were more people here to chat with. Not only did they come over, but people from the neighboring compound also dropped by to sit and chat.
She would bring some sewing work with her, and everyone would gather together. Zhao Guihua would push her two little ones in their stroller, Aunt Zhou would push her seven-pound baby, and Aunt Wang and Li Fang would bring their chubby little girl, Zhenzhen. Even He Lan would come with her daughter, Qingqing.
Although Qingqing had the nickname “Xiao Bao,” everyone was used to calling her Qingqing, and hardly anyone used the nickname “Xiao Bao.” There were too many kids named Xiao Bao, and it was easy to mix them up. Qingqing was much cuter.
The five babies were all gathered together. Though none of them could talk yet, they babbled nonstop, as if they had their own little rhythm. When the babies were placed side by side, it was easy to see how much they resembled their parents.
With their parents around, it was instantly clear whose child was whose.
The two little ones from the Zhuang family seemed to have inherited the best features of Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei. When Zhuang Zhixi was around, they looked just like him, but when Ming Mei was with them, they resembled her more. Fortunately, both parents were good-looking, and the babies were fair and chubby.
Li Fang’s chubby little girl looked just like her and Aunt Wang, quite big for her age. Among the group of kids, it was obvious at a glance that she belonged to Li Fang. Little Seven Pounds, on the other hand, looked like Jiang Lu. Jiang Lu was the delicate and pretty type, and her son took after her, fair and clean, clearly destined to grow into a handsome young man.
This made Aunt Zhou so happy that she couldn’t stop praising how well her child had turned out.
Zhou Qun wasn’t much to look at, but his son took after Jiang Lu, which was a big improvement.
Every time Zhao Guihua heard this, she had her suspicions, but she knew better than to voice them. Still, she couldn’t help but think that Jiang Lu could be considered the “leading lady” of her own life. It seemed like, through a series of fortunate coincidences, she had managed to live a remarkably smooth life.
If Zhao Guihua hadn’t known certain things from her past life, she wouldn’t have given it a second thought.
Of course, even if she did know something, she would never say a word. It wasn’t right to be meddlesome.
When the kids in the compound got together, everyone would gather at Zhao Guihua’s doorstep. This was the usual spot for their daily chats. Normally, they would gather at the junction between the front and back courtyards, but that area didn’t have eaves, so it was too sunny in the summer.
The front courtyard only had a wide eave at Zhao Guihua’s place, so naturally, everyone came over.
Each baby had their own stroller. Zhao Guihua’s family had a double stroller, but the others had single ones. Originally, no one had thought of using strollers. Raising kids back then was a bit more rough-and-tumble. But when they saw how much easier Zhao Guihua’s life was with the stroller, everyone wanted one.
Carrying a baby all day made your arms ache.
So, everyone was willing to spend a bit of money.
Now, each baby had their own little stroller.
Xiao Tuantuan and Xiao Yuanyuan shared the same stroller, and they had grown accustomed to each other’s presence. Xiao Yuanyuan would grab her older brother Tuantuan’s hand and play for a while. With all the kids together, the adults could still get some work done. Zhao Guihua was busy sewing a caterpillar.
Aunt Zhou watched Zhao Guihua’s hands moving and asked, puzzled, “What… is that?”
Zhao Guihua replied, “I’m sewing a toy for the kids. Can’t you tell? It’s a caterpillar.”
Aunt Zhou: “…”
The others: “…”
Everyone stared at the caterpillar, at a loss for words. Aunt Wang didn’t hold back, saying, “Zhao Guihua, couldn’t you have sewn a cat or a dog instead?”
Zhao Guihua retorted confidently, “I’d need to know how to do that first!”
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to sew cute little cats, dogs, or bunnies, but she simply didn’t have the skill. Her sewing abilities were limited to making a caterpillar—a long, simple shape.
She added, “I can’t sew anything complicated. A caterpillar is good enough.”
Aunt Wang: “…”
After a moment of silence, she said, “A caterpillar is fine, but couldn’t you have used a uniform color? Look at this caterpillar, tsk tsk.”
The caterpillar was made of small fabric scraps stitched together, and it was covered in patches. Not only that, but the colors were all over the place, a chaotic mix that was downright ugly.
Zhao Guihua explained, “I deliberately used different colors. Do you know how much effort it took to find all these bright colors? I even had to ask Aunt Lian to get me some fresh ones. Babies love bright, vivid colors. I could have used the same color, but a dull, gray caterpillar wouldn’t make them happy.”
Zhao Guihua had her reasons for saying this. Her great-granddaughter, Hutou’s daughter, had loved ugly but brightly colored stuffed animals when she was little. Apparently, most kids were like that—they loved bright, eye-catching colors.
There was even some scientific basis for this, though Zhao Guihua, being a simple woman, didn’t understand it.
But even if she didn’t understand, she could still follow the principle.
Zhao Guihua believed she didn’t need to know all the theories; she just needed to know what would make the babies happy.
Zhao Guihua added, “Once I finish this one, I’m going to make another. One caterpillar isn’t enough for two kids.”
“Really? Do kids actually like something this ugly? Are you sure you’re not just saying that because they can’t talk yet?”
Zhao Guihua shot Aunt Zhou a look and said, “You just don’t get it.”
She continued sewing diligently.
“So, what are you stuffing the caterpillar with?”
Zhao Guihua replied, “Some leftover fabric scraps.”
She sighed, “You think this is easy? This caterpillar cost a lot to make.”
Aunt Wang nodded.
Li Fang chimed in, “It’s still better than buying a ready-made one. If the babies like it, we should make one too.”
Even though it was the 1970s, stuffed animals like dolls already existed, but most families couldn’t afford them. Or rather, they wouldn’t spend money on something so frivolous.
Aunt Zhou, never one to be left behind, immediately said, “Then we’ll make one for our family too.”
He Lan looked at her daughter and nodded as well.
In just a few months, her little Qingqing had transformed into a fair, cheerful baby who smiled often. Back when they were still with the Fan family, Qingqing had been so weak she could barely cry, her sobs as faint as a kitten’s meow.
He Lan didn’t dare leave her child at home. The nanny had actually pricked the baby with a needle, and He Lan had seen it when she wasn’t paying close enough attention.
It had been terrifying.
This is a newborn baby! How could they not spare even that?
So even though she had to work before finishing her postpartum confinement, she carried her child on her back. Back then, it felt like every day with her child could be their last. She was terrified that one day she might find her baby gone.
Thinking about those old times, she pursed her lips.
Fortunately, her life is much better now.
It’s only been a little over four months, but the baby no longer looks like it’s on the verge of dying. Instead, the little one is lively, waving its hands and kicking its feet, full of joy every day.
“Aunt Zhao, who can I exchange these scraps of fabric with?”
Such things aren’t exactly common, and they couldn’t gather enough on their own.
Aunt Zhao replied, “If you’re interested, go to Aunt Lian. She has a lot of connections.”
“Alright, I’ll remember that.” He Lan also knew about Aunt Lian. Two months after she arrived, she noticed that everyone else was raising chickens, so she asked Bai Fendou about it. As a man, Bai Fendou didn’t know much about these things, but Zhao Guihua introduced her to Aunt Lian.
Now, He Lan and Bai Fendou also have two chickens. They’re not breaking any rules, and with the chickens, they have eggs to eat.
In the countryside, eggs are like currency, but here, they mostly eat them themselves. Zhao Guihua even suggested a new idea: go to the hospital entrance. Many people from the countryside come there to sell things.
After all, patients need to recover, and selling around the hospital is much easier. So some bold folks sell things there, and if you’re careful, you can find them every now and then.
They don’t dare go to the black market, but the hospital entrance is no problem.
Everyone is very grateful to Zhao Guihua. If she hadn’t mentioned it, no one would have thought of it.
“If you want fish, you can also go to the riverside,” Wang Zizhen shared her little discovery. “A few days ago, I went fishing with Da Qiang, and I saw someone who caught fish but didn’t take them home. Instead, they gave them to someone else. I think they must have traded them secretly.”
By “traded,” she meant they sold them.
She added, “I’ve seen this happen once or twice before, but I didn’t think much of it at the time. It was Da Qiang who pointed it out to me, and then I understood.”
“Oh, I’ll have to check that out. Jiang Lu’s milk supply isn’t enough, so I want to buy some crucian carp to help with lactation.”
“Your little one sure eats a lot, doesn’t he?”
“Who can blame him? But what can you do? You can’t let him go hungry. By the way, Zhao Guihua, I saw you steaming eggs for your baby.”
Zhao Guihua replied, “My two are already six months old. They need some solid food now. Otherwise, they won’t get enough. It’s hot in the summer, and Ming Mei is also feeling the heat, so her milk isn’t enough. You’re lucky, with just one child. I have two. If I don’t feed them something else, they won’t be full. We even give them formula.”
Luckily, the babies aren’t picky. Whether it’s breast milk, formula, or egg custard, they eat everything happily.
A baby that isn’t picky is a lovable baby.
“Looks like I’ll have to do the same.”
He Lan chimed in, “We’ve been mixing feeds for a while now.”
All in all, as long as Li Fang isn’t affected, she can hold her head high. She’s usually low-key, but now she’s feeling proud. Not needing formula saves so much money!
Formula is much more expensive than malted milk, and it’s hard to come by.
She’s thankful she’s strong and healthy.
Aunt Zhou also sighed and said to Zizhen, “Zizhen, you’ve seen it yourself. Nutrition during pregnancy is crucial. Not only does it help you recover now, but it also ensures your baby is well-nourished after birth. If you’re healthy, you can breastfeed, which saves a lot of money compared to formula. Taking care of yourself now is a win-win.”
Wang Zizhen nodded. “I understand.”
She added, “Da Qiang often makes fish soup for me.”
The couple both enjoy fishing, so their household is never short of fish. Sometimes, they even share some with neighbors like the Zhou and Zhao families.
“You should also eat meat.”
“We buy it regularly.”
Wang Zizhen smiled. “We use all our meat coupons every month.”
Back when she was still Wang Zhaodi, she never imagined she’d marry such a good man and live such a life. Back then, she didn’t even dare to think about marriage, knowing she wouldn’t marry well. Even if she did marry, it would likely be jumping from one hardship to another.
She didn’t even have the courage to defy her parents, which is why she ended up in the city.
She knew exactly why she came to the city.
Back then, she only knew how to obey, not how to resist.
It was only after coming to the city that she began to change.
Although there were plenty of conflicts in the compound, and people often fought, even the women didn’t completely submit to their husbands. Mothers-in-law didn’t set harsh rules to torment their daughters-in-law.
Even someone as terrible as Aunt Su never resorted to violence.
Moreover, Aunt Su, Gou Lanxiang, had scared her.
This woman made her realize that even a mother might not truly love her child.
Su Pandi is still in prison.
If you don’t think for yourself and save yourself, no one else will. And as a daughter, you don’t have to obey your parents blindly, because parents don’t always love their daughters wholeheartedly—they might even scheme against them.
Especially in families like hers, obsessed with having sons and ignorant.
That’s why she gradually rose up.
Now, she feels that life is truly wonderful.
She and Da Qiang live together, each going to work in the morning—yes, Zizhen considers her work at two households as a job. Da Qiang’s wages, including subsidies, add up to a full 37 yuan.
That’s even more than she knew before they got married.
The loading team actually gets subsidies.
She earns 20 yuan a month herself. Da Qiang sets aside 7 yuan for his lunch since he’s a laborer and needs to eat well to keep his strength up. The remaining 30 yuan goes to Zizhen, who allocates 15 yuan for household expenses.
Their combined income leaves them with 35 yuan, which they save.
The 15 yuan for household expenses is more than enough because both of them are hardworking. They fish, forage in the mountains, and generally eat well, with some left over. They save the surplus to buy things for their home.
Oh, and two things happened. One was that Wang Zizhen insisted on returning the 50 yuan Aunt Zhou had given her. Although it was agreed upon when she first came—that if she couldn’t have children, she’d return 50 yuan when she went home—Zhou Qun never mistreated her, and she lived well in the Zhou household. She absolutely couldn’t let Aunt Zhou keep the money.
But Aunt Zhou refused to take it back.
In the end, Da Qiang went to the black market to exchange some fabric coupons, bought material, and made Aunt Zhou a set of clothes—a top and a pair of pants. They also bought her a pair of shoes.
The whole set, including the fabric coupons, cost less than 40 yuan, around 35 yuan.
This time, Aunt Zhou accepted it happily. Wang Zizhen also frequently sends fish and vegetables to the Zhou family, so they get along very well.
The second thing was that Zhao Guihua was like a fortune teller—she was absolutely right. Su Zhaodi’s in-laws did show up. Su Zhaodi’s mother-in-law was Wang Zizhen’s estranged aunt, who hadn’t been seen in ages. This aunt came pretending to be family, hinting at wanting benefits.
Fortunately, Wang Zizhen was prepared. She made such a scene that everyone knew about it.
Even if Wang Zizhen hadn’t cut ties with her family, who would believe an aunt she’d only met twice in twenty years? Coming here to act like a senior? She came twice, and the second time, her son got beaten up.
Yes, Su Zhaodi’s husband.
After that, the old lady didn’t dare show up again.
Zhao Guihua said it was just a scare, but Da Qiang thought people like that needed a lesson. Sure enough, they’re bullies who back down when confronted. After getting nothing and being beaten, they completely disappeared.
Da Qiang had already warned that family. If they dared to stir up trouble again or instigate Wang Zizhen’s side of the family to cause any issues, he would not hold back. Since they had already cut ties, there was no need to pretend to be family anymore. Whether it was them or Wang Zizhen’s relatives, if one came, he’d deal with one; if two came, he’d deal with both. Let’s see who ends up suffering!
This kind of tough, no-nonsense man was indeed intimidating, and that family didn’t dare to cause any more trouble. They slunk away, disappearing into the crowd.
Wang Zizhen’s life now was truly comfortable. She caressed her belly, a happy smile on her face.
Zhao Guihua: “By the way, didn’t Su Zhaodi’s in-laws come over a few days ago?”
Zhao Guihua had just remembered this.
Wang Zizhen: “Da Qiang dealt with them.”
She sneered, “They thought they could come here and take advantage of me. Who do they think they are? I don’t even give my own parents face, let alone them.”
“I know that family. They’re the type who bully the weak but cower before the strong. If you’re tough, they’ll retreat faster than a turtle pulling its head into its shell.”
“Hahahaha!”
Everyone burst into laughter. Zizhen: “That’s true.”
Aunt Zhou: “Our courtyard has been so quiet these past six months. I’m almost not used to it.”
Aunt Wang raised an eyebrow and said, “Why are you hoping for something to happen?”
As the courtyard manager, she didn’t want any trouble. Peace and quiet were best. If things got lively… tsk! Aunt Wang felt that managing the courtyard was exhausting enough. She truly hoped for tranquility.
Aunt Zhou: “I was just making an offhand comment.”
“Pah! Pah! Don’t jinx it.”
“Don’t say such things…”
They all laughed and chatted, but little did they know, Aunt Zhou’s words were indeed a bad omen.
At that moment, Old Man Liang hurriedly rushed home, out of breath, and said, “Wife, I’ve found out.”
Old Lady Hu immediately came out and asked, “What’s the news?”
Old Man Liang slammed a cup of water on the table in frustration and said, “Xiao Fen has indeed started working. She’s a full-time employee at the machinery factory.”
Speaking of this, he was particularly furious.
He said, “That ungrateful brat doesn’t care about our family at all. She got a new job and didn’t even bother to tell us. Didn’t we agree that she’d hand over part of her salary to the family? Now she’s not giving us anything!”
The old couple seemed to have forgotten that their daughter, Liang Meifen, had already given up her previous job to her younger brother.
“I think she’s doing this on purpose, deliberately refusing to help her own family. We’ve raised such a heartless daughter. Look, she hasn’t come home since last year. She didn’t even bring New Year’s gifts. She really doesn’t treat us as family anymore. What sin have I, Old Lady Hu, committed to have such a wicked daughter? Such a disgrace to our family!”
Liang’s daughter-in-law watched her in-laws’ tantrum with disdain but still chimed in to stir the pot: “I’ve always said that sister-in-law of mine is no good. Even before I married into this family, she was meddling and showing off everywhere. She didn’t consider that the high dowry I asked for would eventually benefit our own household. The more dowry I asked for, the more I’d bring back. It’s not like I was taking advantage. But she just had to make a fuss about it. If you couldn’t afford the dowry, my family naturally wouldn’t give much either. And now look, everything’s gone to waste. She’s just not a good person. Am I wrong?”
She sneered, “The way she’s acting now is just terrible. What kind of daughter doesn’t even tell her parents about her job? She doesn’t give a single bit of filial support. What a waste of raising her.”
Hearing this, the old couple was beside themselves with anger.
Old Lady Hu: “That ungrateful brat! I’m going to find her and give her a piece of my mind!”
She stomped her foot: “She must give me at least ten yuan a month. That’s the bare minimum!”
Old Man Liang: “Isn’t that too little?”
Old Lady Hu: “Fifteen!”
“That sounds about right.”
Old Lady Hu: “And she has to buy us a bicycle. Why should their family have two bicycles while we don’t even have one? This is just bullying!”
“Yes, yes!”
This old couple was truly insufferable, with their inflated sense of entitlement. They were already making plans as if they were in control. As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together, and Liang’s daughter-in-law was cut from the same cloth.
Her eyes gleamed as she came up with an even more malicious plan.
She immediately said, “Mom, Dad, listen to me. Since the job is in sister-in-law’s hands, whether she gives us money or not is entirely up to her. You can see from how distant she’s been that she’s unreliable. We can’t count on her. If you want to rely on her for support, it’s impossible. When it comes to taking care of you in your old age, it’s me and your son who will do it. Daughters can’t be relied on for that. Don’t you agree?”
“Yes, yes.”
Daughters are nothing. If you want reliability, it’s the sons who matter.
Liang’s daughter-in-law smiled slightly and said, “Then we should take that job from her. If she gives the job to me, our family will have two incomes. After all, she’s just contributing to the Zhuang family, not ours!”
She said maliciously, “But if the job goes to me, it’ll be different. Our lives will flourish.”
Hearing this, the old couple didn’t think twice and felt that their daughter-in-law was truly looking out for their family. After all, who else would care so much about their well-being? Only family could be so considerate.
Old Lady Hu slapped her thigh and said, “That’s a great idea! Yes, yes, make her give the job to you. Then you’ll both be working, and even if you get pregnant, the factory will cover the costs. This is perfect.”
“Exactly. I’m only thinking about our future. A job can be passed down to our children and grandchildren. This is a big deal for our Liang family.”
Old Lady Hu was already captivated by the rosy picture her daughter-in-law painted, completely forgetting that some people aren’t so easily manipulated. However, a brief moment of clarity returned to her.
But soon, she dismissed any doubts.
Even though her daughter hadn’t been home recently, she was still under her control. If she said east, Liang Meifen wouldn’t dare go west. After all, hadn’t she already given up her previous job for her brother? So giving up this one for her sister-in-law was only natural.
Although Zhao Guihua wasn’t easy to deal with, Liang Meifen had already given birth to two children and had married Zhuang Zhiyuan out of love. There was genuine affection there, so it wasn’t like she could just be sent back home.
Even if they divorced… it wouldn’t be a big deal. She could always remarry.
Her daughter was a high school graduate. Finding a new husband wouldn’t be hard. If she couldn’t find a first-time husband, she could always marry someone older but well-off.
Thinking this, Old Lady Hu felt quite pleased with herself.
She thought, “I’m really clever.”
“I’ll go find my daughter today.”
“Go straight to her workplace. If she refuses, make a scene! Don’t go to their courtyard. Zhao Guihua is not someone to be trifled with. If you make a scene at her workplace, she won’t dare do anything to you, her own mother!”
Old Man Liang was truly vicious.
He didn’t want to get involved himself, so he sent his wife to do the dirty work: “If she dares to say no, accuse her of being unfilial!”
Old Lady Hu: “Got it. Leave it to me. I’ll handle it perfectly. Don’t worry, I know my daughter. She cares about me and listens to me. If I talk to her nicely, she’ll agree.”
Liang’s daughter-in-law was also pleased and immediately said, “Mom, I’ll go with you to back you up!”
“Good, good. You’re so thoughtful.”
Everyone had their own ulterior motives and was quite pleased with themselves.
Old Lady Hu soon left with her daughter-in-law in tow.
The two of them headed straight for the machinery factory. This wasn’t just any ordinary factory—during these times, such factories were prioritized to ensure production, which spoke volumes about its importance. For Old Lady Hu and her daughter-in-law to just show up and expect to walk right in was out of the question.
They stood at the gate, gazing inside. They could’ve reached out to Liang Meifen in advance and asked her to come out, but Old Lady Hu didn’t want to do that. She remembered her husband’s advice and planned to confront Liang Meifen during the busy rush after work. If Liang Meifen refused, Old Lady Hu was ready to make a scene right then and there. She wasn’t one to drag things out; she wanted to get it done in one go.
Standing at the gate, she anxiously rubbed her hands together.
The security guard noticed them and approached, asking, “Is there something you need?”
Old Lady Hu replied, “I’m waiting for my daughter to get off work.”
The guard asked again, “Are you in a hurry? If you are, I can call someone for you.”
“No, no, that’s alright,” Old Lady Hu declined.
The guard didn’t press further and returned to his post. Zhang San, who was on patrol duty that day, strolled over with Li Si. Leaning against the gate, Zhang San asked, “What are they here for?”
“They said they’re looking for someone, but I’m not sure who,” the guard replied.
Zhang San walked over and asked, “Who are you looking for? Do you need me to call someone for you?”
Old Lady Hu answered, “Oh, I’m looking for Liang Meifen from the workshop. She’s my daughter. But there’s no need to call her; we’ll just wait a bit. We don’t want to disrupt production.”
Zhang San chuckled, “You’ve got a good head on your shoulders.”
Old Lady Hu smiled, “I may be old, but I know how these things work.”
Zhang San grinned and walked away. He found a secluded corner to sneak a cigarette. He had no choice—his wife was pregnant, and their home life had become quite strict. Li Si approached and said, “Give me one.”
Zhang San retorted, “Buzz off, I paid for these.”
But despite his words, he handed one over.
The two of them crouched behind the guardhouse, smoking pitifully.
As they puffed away, they overheard a conversation outside. It was Old Lady Hu and her daughter-in-law. The daughter-in-law, who was usually sharp-tongued and not particularly respectful toward her in-laws, was now putting on a sweet and flattering act.
“Mom, once I get a job, I’ll buy you a new outfit,” she said with a smile. “Look at my sister-in-law—she’s got a job but doesn’t spend a dime on you. That’s no way to treat a mother. I may be just the daughter-in-law, but I’m not like her. Once I get that job, you can count on me to contribute to the household expenses.”
Old Lady Hu beamed at her daughter-in-law’s flattery. “I always knew you were a good one.”
“Of course,” the daughter-in-law replied. Then she added, “But what if my sister-in-law refuses to give up the job?”
“She wouldn’t dare! I’m her mother. If she doesn’t give it up, she’s being unfilial! I’ll beat her senseless, that ungrateful wretch…” Old Lady Hu began cursing her daughter.
Zhang San raised an eyebrow and said to Li Si, “Cover for me for a bit. I’m going upstairs.”
Li Si nodded, “Go ahead.”
Zhang San quickly made his way to the office building. He arrived at the propaganda department and knocked on the door. “Xiao Zhuang.”
Zhuang Zhixi was organizing some documents. Seeing Zhang San, he smiled and stepped out, “What’s up?”
They lived in the same compound, so while Zhang San didn’t come back every day, he was a regular visitor. If he was coming to see Zhuang Zhixi during work hours, it must be something important.
“What is it?” Zhuang Zhixi asked as he stepped out.
Zhang San said, “Is your sister-in-law named Liang Meifen?”
This was only something he knew because they lived in the same compound. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have remembered the names of female colleagues. He vaguely recalled that being her name.
“Yes, that’s her. Why? Did something happen?”
Zhang San sighed and whispered a few words into Zhuang Zhixi’s ear. Zhuang Zhixi frowned, “This is really…”
Zhang San added, “Your family needs to be prepared for this. Otherwise, you’re going to get taken advantage of… I remember your sister-in-law already gave up one job, didn’t she?”
Zhuang Zhixi nodded, “Exactly! Her family just keeps taking and taking.”
Zhang San looked at Zhuang Zhixi sympathetically, “This is really tough.”
His own wife came from a well-off family, so he hadn’t experienced this kind of situation, but he genuinely felt for Zhuang Zhixi. Even though Zhuang Zhixi wasn’t the one directly involved, it affected the whole family.
Zhuang Zhixi said, “I understand. I’ll handle this first.”
He immediately went to his supervisor’s office to request an early leave. Leaving an hour early shouldn’t be a problem.
Zhang San said, “Alright, I’ll go back to patrolling.”
Knowing that Old Lady Hu and her daughter-in-law were waiting at the gate, Zhuang Zhixi left through the back door.
He jogged home. Ever since Ming Mei had returned to work, he no longer needed to accompany her to and from work. Ming Mei rode her bike now, which was more convenient since she had an hour-long break in the morning and afternoon to come home and breastfeed their child.
It wouldn’t make sense for Zhuang Zhixi to accompany her.
So now, Zhuang Zhixi walked to and from work. Taking the back door added some distance, but he jogged home, arriving out of breath. When he got there, he saw quite a few people in the courtyard, including his wife. He was surprised, “Why are you here too?”
Ming Mei pouted playfully, “Why can’t I be here?”
She had come home in the afternoon to feed the baby and hadn’t gone back. With the bosses out today, she decided to take the day off.
She smirked, “Why are you back? Is something wrong?”
Zhuang Zhixi replied, “Actually, yes. Mom, come here for a second.”
Zhao Guihua asked, “What is it?”
Zhuang Zhixi whispered something into her ear. Everyone else strained to listen but couldn’t catch what was said.
However, after hearing it, Zhao Guihua exclaimed, “To hell with them! They just keep taking and taking, don’t they? Now they’re coming after our family? They’ve got some nerve! If we don’t teach them a lesson, they’ll never learn!”
Without hesitation, Zhao Guihua declared, “You stay here and watch the kids. I’m going to deal with that old hag!”
With that, Zhao Guihua stormed off. Ming Mei, puzzled, asked, “What’s going on?”
Zhuang Zhixi replied, “Mom’s going to fight.”
Hearing this, Ming Mei immediately perked up, “I’ll go help her!”
This was something she couldn’t stay out of. Her mother-in-law, an elderly woman, might not fare well in a fight, but with Ming Mei by her side, it would be a different story.
Ming Mei insisted, “I have to go!”
She quickly handed the baby to Zhuang Zhixi, saying, “Take good care of the baby, okay?”
Then she hurried off after Zhao Guihua.
Recently, there hadn’t been much excitement in the compound, and everyone was feeling a bit restless. Hearing that Zhao Guihua was going to fight, Aunt Wang quickly said, “Li Fang, you watch the kids. I’m going to check on Zhao Guihua. We can’t let her get hurt.”
As long as the fight wasn’t in the compound, she wasn’t worried!
Aunt Zhou was also eager. How could she miss out on such an event?
She looked at Zhuang Zhixi like he was a lifeline and said, “Can you watch my Qijin for a bit? I’m going to see how your mom’s doing. Zizhen… I mean, Zizhen, come on, I’ll take you to watch the excitement… I mean, to help out.”
She was in such a hurry.
Wang Zizhen replied, “Alright.”
He Lan quickly picked up her child and followed. She wasn’t as close to the others in the compound, but after spending so much time together, she couldn’t help but feel concerned. She wasn’t there for the spectacle; she was genuinely worried.
Anyone who knew Zhao Guihua would understand that with her and her daughter-in-law teaming up, there was no way they could lose.
But He Lan didn’t know that. She followed Aunt Zhou, saying, “I’ll come with you. Maybe I can help.”
Aunt Zhou gave her a strange look, “What are you talking about? Zhao Guihua doesn’t need any help.”
He Lan was confused, “What?”
Everyone quickly gathered and followed along, including Aunt Su. The group was quite a sight.
The once lively compound was now quiet. Zhuang Zhixi shook his head helplessly, “Why are all the kids left with me?”
Li Fang said, “Can you watch Qijin for a bit?”
Zhuang Zhixi replied, “No need. Just leave them all here. They can play together.”
These kids were relatively easy to handle.
Well, to be precise, they weren’t exactly easy, but that’s just how babies are. When you put a bunch of babies together, they tend to cry less and play more. Babies are naturally curious about each other.
Zhuang Zhixi had just lined up the toy cars for the kids, and they immediately started happily blowing bubbles.
Zhuang Zhixi said, "You can go join the fun too. Zizhen will be fine here."
Li Fang paused for a moment, then replied, "Thank you."
She couldn’t resist the temptation and quickly slipped out the door.
Zhuang Zhixi chuckled, "You four little rascals are all in my hands now."
The kids giggled, bubbles still forming on their lips.
Zhuang Zhixi cooed, "Oh my, you’re all so adorable!"
He took a closer look and added, "Hmm, but my little one is definitely the cutest."
After all, his child was the best.
Meanwhile, Zhao Guihua and the others arrived near the factory just as the workers were getting off their shift. She stood still, arms crossed, glaring fiercely toward the factory gate. At that moment, Old Lady Hu and her daughter-in-law were peering into the factory grounds.
Just then, Liang Meifen walked out of the factory with a few female coworkers, chatting and laughing. As she reached the gate, she froze. It had been a long time since she had seen her mother, and the fact that her brother’s wedding had taken place without even notifying her left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Liang Meifen felt as though all her sincerity had been thrown to the dogs.
Though she had always defended her family in front of her husband, deep down, she had been holding in her frustration. And then, after the incident with Aunt Su, it really served as a wake-up call for those who blindly supported their families and siblings.
It was truly terrifying.
Aunt Su had shown no mercy in exploiting Su Pandi, and the whole ordeal had become infamous throughout the city. Su Pandi’s actions for the sake of her family had become the talk of the town, and the story spread far and wide.
This rare incident had opened many people’s eyes.
For someone like Liang Meifen, who was already harboring resentment, it hit even closer to home.
She stopped in her tracks, and one of her coworkers asked, "What’s wrong?"
Liang Meifen replied, "My family is here."
"Your family? What’s the big deal—" The coworker stopped mid-sentence, noticing Liang Meifen’s troubled expression.
Before anyone could ask further, Liang Meifen walked forward and called out, "Mom."
As for her sister-in-law, she didn’t even bother to acknowledge her. What a shameless woman.
Old Lady Hu immediately put on a stern face and snorted heavily. "How dare you call me 'Mom'! I don’t have a daughter like you. You don’t send gifts back home during the holidays, and you didn’t even tell us when you got a job. What, do you think we’re dead? We worked so hard to put you through high school, and this is how you repay us? You’re nothing but an ungrateful wretch! If I had known you’d turn out like this, I would’ve smothered you at birth!"
The harsh words made the onlookers glance at Liang Meifen with judgmental eyes.
This wasn’t going well.
Liang Meifen hadn’t expected her mother to immediately start listing her faults.
Feeling hurt, she fired back, "Mom, you’re being unfair. Why don’t you mention how I’ve been sending money home every month since I started working? Or how my younger brother keeps asking me for money? And what did I get in return? I gave up my job for him, and you turned around and told me not to come home anymore, saying I was meddling. You didn’t even tell me about his wedding! How could I dare to come back after all that?"
Old Lady Hu, furious that Liang Meifen dared to talk back, slapped her across the face.
"How dare you speak to me like that!" she shouted.
Liang Meifen’s sister-in-law chimed in, "Sister, look at how you’re making Mom angry. You’re really out of line. If we didn’t notify you, couldn’t you have found out on your own? Do you expect us to personally inform you about everything? Who do you think you are?"
"Shut up! This has nothing to do with you. If it weren’t for your meddling, I wouldn’t be in this situation with my family. Look at your ugly face, demanding all those expensive gifts for the wedding. It’s laughable, really. Ugh!"
Though Liang Meifen had grievances with her family, she still saw them as her own flesh and blood. Her anger was directed more at her sister-in-law, an outsider.
"How dare you insult me!" The sister-in-law, not one to back down, lunged at Liang Meifen.
Liang Meifen, who worked in the factory and was stronger than a housewife, thanks to the good meals at the Zhuang household, didn’t hesitate. She grabbed her sister-in-law by the face and slapped her several times. "I’ve had enough of you! Who do you think you are?"
The sister-in-law was no match for Liang Meifen.
Old Lady Hu, however, panicked. She wasn’t defending her daughter but her daughter-in-law. She tried to pull them apart, shouting, "What are you doing? Let go of her! You insolent girl! How dare you bully your sister-in-law! Have you lost your mind? Let go right now!"
The sister-in-law sat on the ground, wailing and kicking her legs. "This is bullying! The Zhuang family’s daughter-in-law is bullying me! Waaah!"
Old Lady Hu, gasping for breath, glared at her daughter. "Are you trying to ruin your brother’s family? You heartless wretch! Give your job to your sister-in-law, do you hear me?"
She revealed her true intentions.
Liang Meifen stared at her mother in disbelief, unable to comprehend how deeply she was being manipulated.
What did her mother think of her?
In that moment, Liang Meifen thought of Gou Lanxiang.
She took a deep breath and said firmly, "Dream on!"
She emphasized each word, "It’s never going to happen!"
Old Lady Hu, stunned that her usual tactics had failed, grabbed Liang Meifen and started hitting her. "I’ll beat you to death, you ungrateful wretch!"
By now, a crowd had gathered, watching the spectacle.
Old Lady Hu didn’t care about the audience. She shouted, "Everyone, come and see this unfilial daughter! This dis— Ah!"
Suddenly, she was pushed to the ground. Before she could react, an old woman appeared out of nowhere, sitting on her and slapping her repeatedly. "I’ll teach you a lesson, you old hag! You’ve been scheming nonstop, haven’t you? You took your daughter’s first job, and now that we’ve managed to get her another one, you’re here to steal it again! Damn it, I’ve been wanting to hit you for a long time. Did you think I was easy to bully?"
Zhao Guihua was furious, but she had held back initially to see how Liang Meifen would handle the situation. She was pleased with Liang Meifen’s response, but the more she looked at Old Lady Hu, the angrier she got.
All the old grievances came flooding back.
She slapped Old Lady Hu again and again. "Ever since your daughter married into our family, you’ve been taking advantage of us. Every year, we send fish and meat to your family, and all we get in return is cabbage. I tolerated it."
*Slap, slap.*
"I let it go because of the children. After all, Liang Meifen gave us a grandson as soon as she joined our family. But your son is useless—good for nothing but eating. He keeps coming to his sister for handouts. I thought, since Liang Meifen has a job and it’s her own money, I wouldn’t interfere."
*Slap, slap.*
"Your daughter said you supported her through high school, so even after marriage, she had to send money home. I put up with that too. But your family crossed the line when you tried to sabotage my third son’s wedding!"
By now, Old Lady Hu’s teeth were knocked out, and her hair was being pulled out in clumps. Zhao Guihua continued punching her. "You used your son’s refusal to go to the countryside as an excuse to take Liang Meifen’s job. You almost ruined my third son’s marriage! Do you know how hard it is for my eldest son to support four people on his salary? What were you thinking? You schemed against us, against my third son and his wife. Liang Meifen might be naive enough to trust you, but I know you’re up to no good!"
Her punches didn’t let up, and no one dared to intervene.
The onlookers winced, feeling the pain just by watching.
Aunt Zhou whispered, "I knew she wouldn’t let this slide."
He Lan shrank back, intimidated.
Zhao Guihua: "So, your family got what you wanted by tricking us out of the job, and now you’re scheming again, trying to make my daughter, who’s been married for nearly ten years, provide the 'three rounds and one sound' and 'thirty-six legs' for your son’s wedding. Look at yourselves! Who do you think you are? How dare you ask for so much! You’re just scamming people! Everyone, come and listen! This family wants their in-laws to pay for their son’s bride price. How shameless can you be? When you didn’t get what you wanted, you just kicked your daughter out and forbade her from coming back to her own family. Isn’t that you? It’s definitely your family! Your family is utterly disgusting. I’ve seen shameless people before, but never anyone as shameless as your family."
*Bang, bang, bang.*
"Now that we’ve finally managed to arrange a new job for our daughter-in-law, you hear about it and come to snatch it away again, this time for your daughter-in-law who doesn’t even know how to blush with shame. What’s wrong with you? Are we spoiling you now?"
She didn’t hold back at all. By this point, Old Lady Hu had already been beaten to a pulp.
The daughter-in-law with a pumpkin-shaped face saw her mother-in-law in such a state and cried out, "You… you’re bullying… ah!"
Liang Meifen grew angrier the more she looked at her. She stepped forward and kicked her, followed by a flurry of punches. "You keep running your mouth! You called me a slut, you cursed at me, you kicked me out, you said the Liang family has nothing to do with me, you stirred up trouble… Want the job? Go eat shit!"
If it weren’t for the hot weather making it too disgusting, Liang Meifen would have really wanted to shove this woman into a cesspool. After all, this wasn’t the first time she’d seen something like this!
She had learned her lesson. She grabbed the woman’s hair and yanked hard, determined to make her bald and ugly!
"Alright, alright, stop hitting her, stop making a scene…"
Finally, the security team stepped in, though it was understandable that they hadn’t intervened earlier since the commotion was outside the factory, not inside.
Zhao Guihua knew when to stop. She clapped her hands and stood up, saying, "I’ve put up with this for so many years, and today I finally got my revenge. Let me tell you, this isn’t over!"
She glanced at Liang Meifen and said, "Let’s go home!"
After taking a few steps, she turned back to look at the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law who had been beaten to the point of being unable to get up. "You just wait. Tonight, my husband and I are going to have a serious talk with your family. Let’s see how many disgusting things your family has done over the years. I’ve tolerated you out of respect for our in-law relationship. But since you’ve been pushing your luck and treating our family like a doormat, today I’ll show you what real fury looks like!"
"You… you… oh!"
Zhao Guihua let out a heavy snort, straightened her back, and walked away with her head held high.
The crowd silently parted to let her through. This old lady was truly ferocious!
"Isn’t that Old Man Zhuang’s wife?"
"Exactly."
"Well… no wonder Old Man Zhuang is always so meek and mild-mannered. Anyone would be with a wife like that. She’s too fierce."
"The ones who got beaten had it coming."
"That’s true."
"Damn, the way she pounced on them was like a tiger going for its prey."
"What’s going to happen to those two now…"
"Who cares? They’re not good people either. The old lady just couldn’t take it anymore. Oh, wait, are they going to have another fight tonight… Damn, where do they live? I want to watch!"
"Me too!"
...
Everyone chattered away, marveling at how fierce Zhao Guihua was, but no one felt much sympathy for the beaten mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. After all, it was clear from Zhao Guihua’s words that the two hadn’t been up to any good.
Although most people at the time favored sons over daughters, no one approved of scheming against one’s own daughter like this.
How could they expect their daughter to live a decent life after taking away her job once and now trying to take another one?
Some of the men with wives couldn’t help but think: What if their own wives gave their salaries to their parents and even handed over their jobs to their brothers? Just the thought made their fists clench. Everyone naturally sided with the Zhuang family, as they all had jobs and weren’t the ones trying to steal their sister’s livelihood.
With this in mind, the two women were met with nothing but disdain.
If this had happened decades later, the fight would have been reported to the police. But at that time, no one bothered with such domestic disputes.
Who would meddle in other people’s family affairs?
So, Old Lady Hu and her pumpkin-faced daughter-in-law had no choice but to endure the beating.
Old Lady Hu groaned as she struggled to her feet, wailing, "Zhao Guihua is inhuman…"
The crowd burst into laughter. "You’re even more inhuman than her!"
"That’s right!"
"Old lady, you can’t be so wicked…"
"Wait, isn’t her daughter-in-law really ugly? How dare they ask for so much in bride price? She’s not wrong—that really is a pumpkin face…"
The murmurs continued.
The two women were so angry they nearly fainted!
