Lady Zhou began to feel frightened. Her fourth son had always been obedient and docile; all his thoughts were transparently laid out before her. He had never said "no" to her, let alone acted petulant or scheming. Compared to her eldest and second sons, this fourth son was clumsy and sincere—easy for her to manipulate.
This son cared deeply about filial piety, and as long as she accused him of being unfilial, he would satisfy all her demands. And if she cried, this son would be even more terrified, completely at her beck and call.
Her fourth son would never kneel before her with tears, begging for her to strangle him!
Not only had she failed to secure a generous dowry for her eldest daughter, but she also had to face losing complete control over her fourth son!
With that thought, Lady Zhou collapsed onto the kang bed, bursting into tears.
"You ungrateful bastard, I raised you for nothing, I raised you for nothing..."
"Fourth Brother, what are you doing? Do you want to drive our mother to her grave?" Lian Xiuxiu yelled at Lian Shouxin.
Lian Manman watched Lady Zhou and Lian Xiuxiu in silence. Sotis, the people and events of this world were so wondrous. For instance, after carefully observing Lady Zhou and Lian Xiuxiu these past few days, she felt that their current behavior was not an act. Their emotions were genuine; they truly believed they were in the right, that they were wronged.
And therein lay the wonder of the situation.
Lian Manman recalled a saying, "One can use others as a mirror to see themselves." It’s essential to interact with the outside world often to continually adjust one’s behavior and thoughts. Lady Zhou had spent so many years in the Lian Family ho, and under the influence of both subjective and objective factors, she had completely ford a set of moral standards that revered herself. She asured everything against this standard, which could only survive in the closed courtyard of the Lian Family.
Lady Zhou was fortunate—she was the highest-ranking woman in this household, and her descendants had no choice but to endure her standards. Although it’s uncertain whether her descendants would tolerate them forever, Lian Xiuxiu would eventually have to leave this ho. Carrying these standards into a new environnt, she would likely end up in serious trouble.
Unless, by so chance, she beca the master of the new environnt. Yet in this society, a bride who has just entered a new family is often seen as a junior, unable to beco the master. Everyone is born a daughter and marries to beco a daughter-in-law; nobody marries to beco a mother-in-law at once. No one is born with a brood of children at their beck and call.
Lian Manman was so lost in thought that she even forgot to refute Lian Xiuxiu’s words.
"Mother, let’s not bother with him, with that heartless man. Please, stop crying..." While consoling Lady Zhou, Lian Xiuxiu herself also started to cry piteously.
Lady Zhou and Lian Xiuxiu cried so sorrowfully, as if Lian Shouxin had wronged them, even though the reality was quite the opposite. Lian Manman rubbed her forehead, bringing her thoughts back to the present.
"Dad, let’s go," Lian Manman said as she reached for Lian Shouxin. After so reflection, she had given up on reasoning with Lady Zhou and Lian Xiuxiu.
"Mm," Lian Shouxin replied as he slowly stood up.
"Mother, I don’t want to say anything that might hurt feelings, but so things, we all clearly understand in our hearts," Lian Shouxin said to Lady Zhou, "Mother, if you have any reasonable demands, as your son, I have nothing to say. But let’s not have any more incidents like today."
"Yes, exactly," Lian Manman couldn’t help nodding. This attitude of Lian Shouxin’s was correct.
Lian Shouxin and Lian Manman walked towards the exit, but when they reached the door, Lian Shouxin stopped once more.
"Mother, if you want to call unfilial, go ahead. Curse at ho or outside; it’s all up to you. I’ve co to terms with it," Lian Shouxin said, and then he led Lian Manman out of the Upper Room.
Lady Zhou, jolted by Lian Shouxin’s last words, stopped crying abruptly. It wasn’t until Lian Shouxin had left that she ca back to her senses, furiously flinging the needle and thread basket and the dustpan to the floor.
Having co to terms with the empty value of "filial piety," what leverage could she hold over Lian Shouxin now? She had lost her grip on him completely.
"You conscienceless wretch... may you face retribution..." Lady Zhou cried out in despair.
As Lian Shouxin and Lian Manman reached the middle of the courtyard, they heard Lady Zhou’s cries of despair. Sensing the hopelessness in her voice, Lian Shouxin hesitated.
Lian Manman quietly sighed; she knew that Lian Shouxin had spoken those harsh words out of desperation, pushed to the limit by Lady Zhou’s actions. At heart, Lian Shouxin was a tender man. Kind-heartedness led to confusion, to compromise, especially when the other party was one’s own flesh and blood.
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