Old Master Lian made a concession.
By this ti, Lady Zhou, with the help of Lian Xiuxiu and Lady Chiang, had already wiped her hands and face clean.
"Everyone thinks you’re the good person, so I have to play the villain? I don’t care, send as much as you want, send it all away, I dare not say anything," Lady Zhou said with a dismissive expression. Although Old Master Lian had made a gesture of retreat, Lady Zhou saw right through it. The at and cakes had to be sent no matter what. Lady Zhou had never been a fool.
Old Master Lian took a mont to regain his composure. Having lived with Lady Zhou for most of his life, he knew that when it ca to temper, he was no match for her. Life had to go on, and problems had to be resolved.
So Old Master Lian started to take action, picking cakes and ladling out food from the basin until only half a basin of cakes and a small basin of food were left.
Lian Shouxin quickly stood up, thinking he might as well just take what was left and not eat there.
Before Lian Shouxin could speak, Old Master Lian saw his intention and waved him off.
"Old Fourth, no matter what you say, you must eat here. Later, you’ll join your dad for a couple of drinks. Old Three’s wife, have your al a bit later and take these to Old Fourth’s wife and the kids," Old Master Lian instructed.
Lady Zhao ca over to carry the basin, and Lian Yeye followed along, intending to help Lady Zhao deliver food to Lian Manman and the others, but then she thought better of it and stopped.
If both she and her mother went to deliver the food, they might have nothing left to eat when they returned. White flour cakes, pork stewed with vermicelli—these were delicacies they couldn’t enjoy often throughout the year. She and her mother had also worked hard, so why should they miss out?
"Mom, be careful on your own on the way," Lian Yeye said to Lady Zhao, "Your portion, I’ll have Granny set aside, and I’ll save it for you."
"Mhm," Lady Zhao replied, and then she headed out with the basin.
Lady Zhou heard Lian Yeye’s words, turned her head, and glared fiercely at Lian Yeye. Lian Yeye pretended not to see and climbed onto the kang bed to sit next to the table, waiting for Lady Zhou to distribute the food.
Both tables were full, everyone was tired and hungry. Once the food arrived on the tables and Lady Zhou and Old Master Lian announced the al, everyone buried their heads in eating, as if the recent quarrel had never happened.
Humans have a remarkable capacity for adaptation. They had grown accustod to the constant squabbles in this household, and no amount of noise could dampen their appetites.
Lian Shouxin was usually one of them, but today, he found himself unable to swallow his food.
After they finished planting the fields, Old Master Lian ward a pot of wine for the table to share. Among the Lian Family n qualified to drink, apart from Old Master Lian, Lian Shouren, Lian Shouyi, and Lian Shouxin, only Lian Jizu from the grandsons was eligible, and now there was also Erlang.
After two cups of wine, the n’s spirits were enlivened, and their conversation flowed more freely.
"Old Fourth, don’t take offense at your older brother’s words. Can’t you handle the house? As n, if we can’t even take charge of our wives and children’s ho, what kind of n are we?" Lian Shouren said earnestly to Lian Shouxin.
"Big brother, what are you talking about? I don’t understand," Lian Shouxin replied.
"Let’s not talk about anything else, just today’s issue," Lian Shouren took another sip of wine, snapped up a bite of food, and then calmly put down his chopsticks. "What made our mother angry? It’s because you can’t handle your household. You said, bring your whole family to eat, but your wife outright refused. Are you just going to indulge her? If you could take charge of your household and bring everyone along, would any of this have happened? Would our mother have almost co to blows with our father?"
The phrase "整个是" is a local expression from Thirty Mile Camp, roughly equivalent to causing trouble.
Lian Shouxin’s face flushed red again. Lian Shouren blad everything on Lady Zhang. But if Lady Zhang had co, would Lady Zhou have been happy? Seeing Lady Zhang, Lian Zhizhi, and Lian Manman eating her white flour cakes and pork stewed vermicelli, could Lady Zhou not feel heartache, could she give Lady Zhang and her daughters a kind face?
Thinking back to what Lady Zhang said before coming, all for his sake, not wanting to upset Lady Zhou or bring sha to Old Master Lian. Yet this was how Lian Shouren spoke of Lady Zhang.
"Dad, think about it, why does my mom have no status at ho?"
The words of Wu Lang echoed in Lian Shouxin’s mind.
Why was that? The answer was on the tip of his tongue because he, as a husband, had never stood up for Lady Zhang. Whenever there was conflict, he always let Lady Zhang back down. His own wife had no status at ho, let others bla and lecture her, and even his sons and daughters felt they had no dignity. What about him, as a husband, as a father? Just accept it passively? Just because they were his father, mother, brothers?
He was being goaded for not being able to run a household, yet his wife and children were belittled. Lian Shouxin’s hands clenched into fists under the table.
"Old Fourth, have so food. What are you daydreaming for?" Old Master Lian added a piece of at to Lian Shouxin’s bowl.
"Old Fourth, you need to take so responsibility. This can’t go on," Lian Shouren continued.
Lian Shouxin slowly raised his hands and pushed his bowl and chopsticks further into the table.
"Dad, I’m full. You all eat up, I’m heading back," Lian Shouxin said, then got up, put on his shoes, and headed outside.
He had barely started eating and hadn’t finished a single cake, so how could he possibly be full.
"Old Fourth, why aren’t you eating?" Old Master Lian put down his chopsticks hurriedly and asked.
Lian Shouren’s face turned a shade darker. Although Lian Shouxin hadn’t said anything, his actions were clearly a response to what had just been said, showing him disrespect.
Lady Zhou at the head of the kang heard the commotion and also set down her chopsticks, looking toward Lian Shouxin.
"Dad, I’m fine, I’m just full," Lian Shouxin said, "We originally planned to just help Dad finish planting the fields and weren’t planning to co for a al. It was just , craving so wine, coming over to accompany Dad for a couple of drinks... Dad, Mom, you all eat up, I’m leaving."
After speaking, Lian Shouxin turned around and left with brisk steps.
×××......×××
Second update, asking for pinks. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welco to vote for recomndation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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