Mr. Feng’s face turned pale. He did not open the door but instead ran back inside to call Feng Bao.
Feng Bao, filled with anger, opened the door and imdiately started cursing, "It’s Chinese New Year, what is this about? What happened to my sister? You brought her here? Brought what exactly? She has been with your Xu Family for so many years, she even bore you three children, she’s long been one of your Xu Family. What face do you have to send her back? Get lost, get lost, we don’t want her even if you send her back."
Mrs. Feng was originally hoping that her younger brother could lend her a hand.
To her surprise, Feng Bao imdiately launched into that tirade upon opening the door.
Mrs. Feng’s heart felt ice-cold upon hearing this.
"Bao, I’m your sister, I’m nearly frozen to death, quickly have a word with father, let go back inside, okay?"
Feng Bao turned his face to see Mrs. Feng, "Go back in? You still have the face to co back? You even ca back empty-handed during the New Year, you’re so miserly and you still have the face to return?"
Xu Zhiyong intended to say sothing, but Xu Zhiqin pulled him aside.
In front of Feng Bao and Mr. Feng, Xu Zhiqin loudly declared, "My second brother has already given Mrs. Feng the divorce docunts, we the Xu Family no longer want her. Over the years, Mrs. Feng has been constantly wailing in our ho, treating my parents poorly, my second brother earns quite so money and she can’t even save any, don’t know what she did with it, probably kept a gigolo, thus we treated it all as feeding a dog. This Chinese New Year, she fought with my mother, angered my elder sister-in-law to the point of suicide. We the Xu Family cannot afford such a daughter-in-law, she’s your Feng Family’s daughter, we are sending her back to you, do as you please."
As Xu Zhiqin spoke, he had Xu Zhiyong push Mrs. Feng forcefully forward, directly shoving her into the Feng Family’s gate.
Then, Xu Zhiqin called to the people from Xiao Guan Village who followed, "Let’s go, let’s hurry back, if we don’t leave now, everyone will be going to my house for a drink."
They didn’t care about Mrs. Feng anymore, lighting their torches and trotting away as if they were being chased by dogs.
Feng Bao was stunned, and when he recovered, he cursed: "Why are you running? Co back, damn it, have you no sha? Fine, wait, tomorrow I must make trouble at the Xu Family, I won’t take the surna Feng if I don’t smash that den of son-of-a-bitches."
Mrs. Feng sobbed woefully.
Feng Bao frowned, "What are you crying for, you still have the face to cry? You tell , isn’t it shaful? In our village, which girl gets sent back by her husband during the New Year? How nice for you, this is unprecedented! Oh dear, having you as a sister, I’m nearly dead from sha, how am I even supposed to go outside?"
Mrs. Feng eventually ca out. Seeing Mrs. Feng crying like that, and considering the freezing cold outside, she beseeched Feng Bao, "Bao, let your sister warm up inside the house, we can ask her properly what happened later. Also, the Xu Family can’t just send your sister back like this, tomorrow we should still take your sister to the Xu Family for an explanation."
Feng Bao thought about it and still let Mrs. Feng enter the house.
It wasn’t that he pitied Mrs. Feng.
But he was thinking about causing a commotion at the Xu Family tomorrow, or perhaps even extort so money from them, hence he relented a bit. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have blinked if Mrs. Feng froze to death outside.
Though Mrs. Feng was allowed into the house.
However, when it ca ti to sleep, she was not allowed to sleep in a warm room.
The Fengs were very lazy and miserly with outsiders, and in their eyes, Mrs. Feng was an outsider. Why should they burn more coal for her?
Hence, Mrs. Feng directed Mrs. Feng to sleep in the firewood shed.
Not only did she have to sleep in the firewood shed, but she was also given only a thin quilt.
Mrs. Feng, pushed into the firewood shed, clutched the thin quilt for a long while unable to regain her composure.
She looked at the ice-cold ground; it was really unsuitable for sleeping. Mrs. Feng had no choice but to spread out the stacked firewood on the ground, then found so dry straw to lay on top before lying down again, and it wasn’t so cold anymore.
But the shed was extrely cold, without a trace of warmth, large cracks in the door let the cold wind continually pour in, and covering herself with the thin quilt couldn’t block the wind at all, making Mrs. Feng curl up into a ball from the cold.
Yesterday, she was still sleeping in a warm room in the Xu Family’s house, covered with a thick quilt, comfortably sleeping until dawn.
But today, she could only sleep in such a cold firewood shed.
Thinking about the vastly different circumstances, Mrs. Feng couldn’t help but cry again.
She began to hate Anning.
If not for Anning, would she be in this situation?
She hadn’t done much, had she? Just spoke so truths in her heart. Yet Anning took it too hard, attempted suicide, which forced Xu Zhiyong to grant her a divorce and heartlessly send her back ho.
Mrs. Feng sobbed and cursed under her breath.
She thought about her years spent at the Xu Family, clearly as a daughter-in-law of the Xu Family, yet Anning lived comfortably doing nothing, still being picky and critical. The Old Madam didn’t scold her, instead, she praised her all the ti.
She, Mrs. Feng, was also a daughter-in-law of the Xu Family, so why did she have to do all the dirty, tiring work and endure beatings and scoldings every day?
Moreover, Anning caused the death of the Xu Family’s Eldest, yet the Old Madam didn’t send her back to her parental ho.
She just spoke so words, and they treated her like this, just because they saw her as honest and easy to bully.
Thinking of these, Mrs. Feng cried even harder. Why, why?
Mrs. Feng truly suffered imnsely that night.
anwhile, Anning enjoyed the care and concern from everyone.
The Old Madam was extrely caring towards her, afraid that she might get despondent again.
Several children also clustered around her, joking, even the youngest, Xu Minchang, carefully watched her expressions, occasionally trying to make her smile.
Xu Minruo was particularly attentive, constantly bringing her food and chatting with Zhou Yu’er about happenings in the village.
After returning from the Feng Family, Xu Zhiyong and Xu Zhiqin greeted her through the window.
Xu Zhiyong felt especially guilty: "Elder sister-in-law, don’t be sad, Mrs. Feng has been sent back. From now on, no one will make you upset, you must take good care of yourself, this matter... it is my fault."
Xu Zhiqin also said: "Elder sister-in-law, if you feel aggrieved, just talk to father and mother, if they can’t manage, we two brothers are here, and if not, there are the clansn. Our Xu Family is not without support, there’s no reason for anyone to bully you."
Anning smiled and said: "Thank you, second and third brother, for your concern. I’m fine now, it’s so cold, you should both head back soon."
Afterward, Anning said to Xu Zhiyong: "Second brother, since Mrs. Feng has been sent back, and there’s no one to take care of your ho currently, why not let Minruo and Minchang stay here with ? After all, I have many children here, it’s more lively."
"Thank you, elder sister-in-law."
Xu Zhiyong was almost moved to tears.
He felt especially sorry for the elder sister-in-law, yet she still cared about them, and worried that the children might be neglected, wanting to keep them close and take care of them.
"We are all one family, there’s no need for courtesy."
Anning’s voice was very gentle but filled with warmth: "Alright, hurry back now."
After Xu Zhiyong and Xu Zhiqin left, Anning leaned on the bedside and chatted and laughed with the children.
The stove in the room was burning very warm; Anning felt a bit hot even under a thin blanket.
But the children were still worried she might get cold, occasionally tucking in the blanket for her.
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