Now that Lian Manman’s family situation is different, Lady Zhang, Lian Manman, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi are not easily manipulated by Lady Zhou, and Lian Zhizhi is about to get married. Therefore, if Lady Zhang and the children are present, even if Lady Zhou wants to scold Lian Shouxin, she would restrain herself.
Lian Manman suggesting they go together was to help Lian Shouxin, so naturally, Lady Zhang had no objection.
"What could be the problem, let’s all go together," Lady Zhang said.
Lian Shouxin was the happiest to have his wife and children go together.
After tidying up a bit, Lian Manman packed so snacks in a food box, and they headed to the old house. Zhang Caiyun, unwilling to stay ho alone, joined them.
As they approached the village entrance, they could hear Lady Zhou’s voice from a distance.
"Who is she cursing this ti?" Lady Zhang whispered.
"Who knows," Lian Shouxin replied with a frown.
There were villagers at the entrance, and seeing Lian Shouxin’s family coming, they quickly greeted them.
"Visiting the Old Master and Old Madam again?"
"Yes."
"The Old Master doesn’t go out much these days, but I saw him, still robust as ever. He’ll easily live to eighty. As for the Old Madam, with that loud voice and that energy, there’s nothing to worry about."
This was one of the villagers known for speaking bluntly.
Speaking bluntly is a local saying at Thirty Mile Camp, usually describing soone who speaks directly and hits the nail on the head, though such words are often unpleasant to hear.
Reaching the gate of the old house, Lian Shouxin pushed open the door, and the family went in.
Like every farmyard, the old house’s courtyard was lush and green this season, with only a narrow pathway in the middle, and various lons, fruits, and vegetables planted on both sides. Three pigs were being raised in a pigsty on one side. The pigs, already half-grown, ran to the door of the sty eagerly snorting for food upon hearing people approaching.
In another pigsty was storage for so miscellaneous items, among which the most conspicuous was a millstone.
Ever since Lady Gu passed away, Old Master Lian had decreed to dismantle the stone mill so that the daughters-in-law of the Lian Family wouldn’t have to grind grains anymore.
Lian Yaya was standing at the door of the east wing holding Er Niuniu, while Lady He was beside her, and Lady Zhou stood at the door of the Upper Room, leaning against the door fra and pointing at Lady He and Lian Yaya while cursing.
Lady Zhou’s cursing was diverse, but when cursing the daughters-in-law or granddaughters, the most common phrases were "black-hearted, rotten through, never enough to eat, good-for-nothing..." and so on.
Lian Shouxin led Lady Zhang and the children into the courtyard, and without looking up, Lady Zhou cursed more vigorously. Yet, her curses shifted.
"... Double-dealers who only think about taking from the family, what good is raising you? Do you even rember your surna, rember who your father is, if you’re so capable, why don’t you leave this door and call so Zhang or Li your dad... Don’t be a Lian, don’t acknowledge us as your parents, then you can cozy up to whoever you want. You look down on us, don’t you, then leave, double-dealers, such a big face..."
Saying so, Lady Zhou actually raised a hand and slapped her own face.
Usually, people slap themselves out of sha, but with Lady Zhou raising her hand high and landing it gently, it was clearly to sha others.
Her words were completely different from before, not directed at Lady He or Lian Yaya, but at those who had just walked through the door.
"It’s always like this," Lady Zhang said softly, slowing her steps beside Lian Shouxin. Every ti they ca to the old house, they were greeted by Lady Zhou’s insults.
Lady Zhou never dared to curse Lady Zhang, Lian Manman, and others to their faces, always using innuendo instead.
"Who is Aunt cursing?" Zhang Caiyun picked up sothing from Lady Zhou’s curses and asked loudly. Her nature was like Lady Zhang Wang’s, very feisty and intolerant of injustice.
"Sister Caiyun, you haven’t figured it out yet," Lian Manman imdiately interjected, glancing over at Lady He and Lian Yaya, "Grandma’s cursing my Second Aunt and Yaya; it shouldn’t have anything to do with Er Niuniu, who’s still a baby in arms."
"Second Aunt, Yaya, what happened again that made Grandma so angry?" the family asked Lady He and Lian Yaya as they reached the door of the Upper Room.
"... The chickens ran into the garden and weren’t watched..." Lian Yaya replied timidly.
Lady Zhou had transplanted so gourd seedlings in the morning and asked Lian Yaya to keep watch so chickens wouldn’t enter the garden. But Lian Yaya hadn’t kept watch, letting chickens run into the garden, though they were discovered and driven out before harming the seedlings.
Such a trivial matter, yet Lady Zhou could scold for half an hour nonstop. One wouldn’t know and would think so terrible thing had happened.
"That’s the matter, huh? Then it deserves a scolding," said Lian Manman, "Grandma, you’re right to scold."
Lian Manman stepped forward, smiling broadly at Lady Zhou.
"But, you have to know how to scold. If my Second Aunt and Yaya did sothing wrong, then you should scold them for that, and everyone would say you’re right. But how co you won’t let Yaya bear the Lian surna, and tell her to call so Zhang or Li her father, what do you an by that, how should the neighbors think?" Lian Manman said loudly.
"For one’s own children, it’s fine to beat and scold, nothing wrong with that. But this is family; how can you keep pushing them to the brink? Those who know you around here all know of your kind heart and soft nature, but if those who don’t know hear this, what will they think of you? You’re such a good-natured, compassionate person at your age; wouldn’t it sound terrible to be bad-mouthed behind your back?" Lian Manman continued with a cheerful smile.
Lady Zhou’s face froze imdiately.
*********
Here’s the first update, hopefully, another update later.
Begging for pink votes. (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to vote for recomndations and monthly tickets on Qidian (qidian); your support is my greatest motivation.)
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