Ming Zhu actually wanted to share some of her uneaten hard bread with Lady Jiang, but it really didn't taste very good.
Yet she feared it would be too abrupt. She dared to share, but would Lady Jiang dare to eat it?
Before Ming Zhu could speak,
Lady Lin had already begun talking.
Lady Lin saw that her youngest son had devoured the bread in just a few bites and was still licking his fingers.
She couldn't help but say, "Mother, our Little Bean is also ten years old, he could be given a piece of bread. The child often says he's not full..."
Old Granny Zhang scoffed with a cold laugh, "Eat, eat, eat, that's all you ever think about! He won't be ten for another two months, but now you're already coveting that half piece of bread. Why don't you worry about my life? Are you eating bread? You want to eat my old bones, don't you!"
Lady Lin's voice went down a few notches, "He's halfway to being a grown boy and he's not full, he won't grow tall in the future, and he won't be able to do the work in the fields well..."
As she spoke, she also glanced at Wang Yongfu, hoping her husband would say something on her behalf.
Wang Yongfu dared not speak, but he took one of his two pieces of bread, broke off half of it, and put it in his younger son's bowl, signaling to his wife to say less and not to upset Mother.
This further irritated Old Granny Zhang
She snatched that half piece of bread and put it back in Wang Yongfu's bowl.
"Eldest Brother, are you trying to ruin the rules of the Old Wang Family? You're the head of the household, if you don't eat well, how can you do your work? How can you support such a large family of young and old? These little rascals spend their whole days doing nothing at home but eating and wasting food. Having half a piece of bread is already not bad."
Then, she unleashed her full firepower on Lady Lin.
"Eldest Daughter-in-law, do you have a complaint against our Old Wang Family? Go out and ask around; which family is as generous as ours? Who else gives their kid half a piece of bread? Living on just plain rice soup, it's fine as long as no one starves to death. As for us, our lives are a little better than others, but that doesn't mean we spoil the kids with whole pieces of bread... Eating without gratitude or conscience, I'd rather raise a dog; at least it'd be loyal."
Lady Lin was sprayed in the face with these words, and all the little morsels on the table quivered in fear.
Lady Jiang was even more afraid of being implicated, her head nearly dipped into the bowl of rice soup.
Being publicly scolded as a dog by her mother-in-law was nothing new for Lady Lin.
She glanced at Ming Zhu beside Old Granny Zhang.
She timidly said, "The child's Aunt also does nothing after eating her meals. Why does she get two pieces of bread and even eat eggs? I work in the fields like a man all day, and I only get one piece of bread..."
This truly enraged Old Granny Zhang.
"You shameless rotten good-for-nothing, you petty and despicable thing! Heart blacker than coal, you stupid idiot, they say an older sister-in-law is like a mother, but what about you? Your heart is smaller than a needle's eye. Our Zhuzhu is grown now, how many more years can she stay at her parents' house? And you can't stand her so much? You also want to compete with our Zhuzhu? Is she eating your food? She's eating her brothers', our old couple's food. If you want to eat good food, go back to your own family home to eat. I'm afraid your family is even poorer than the Old Wang Family, not even giving you a piece of bread to eat!"
Old Granny Zhang then directed a snot and tear-filled tirade at Wang Yongfu.
"Eldest Brother, do you also resent your own sister? You only have this one sister. When I was pregnant with her, I took care of you four brothers and hardly ate anything good myself; I gave it all to you, which made your sister weak in the womb. She was born with all sorts of problems. You all swore at your weddings that marrying a wife would not make you forget your mother and that you would take care of your sister. Are those promises nothing now?"
"It's disheartening! My poor Zhuzhu! You've just come back from the brink of death, and I made you an egg soup. Now your brother and sister-in-law hold a grudge, wanting to kick us both out of the house! My poor, dear daughter!"
She wailed, her voice carrying through the air, both mournful and melodic.
Ming Zhu struggled to hold back, barely containing herself from spitting out her food.
On the other side, Wang Yongfu's face had turned red and his neck bulged; he raised his head and slapped Lady Lin across the face.
The slap turned Lady Lin's cheek bright red.
"Kneel down and apologize to my mother! If you cause her any harm, I'll divorce you!"
Then, Wang Yongfu knelt down first, "Mother, please don't be upset, I've always remembered what I said. I will definitely discipline Lady Lin properly. I won't eat myself but will never mistreat my own sister. Rest assured, I stand by these words at all times. I only ask that you don't be angry..."
The children on the table were scared silly.
Ming Zhu was also shocked.
Although the original host's memory contained many such instances, witnessing this scene with her own eyes felt different!
Impressive, very dominating! Very noisy!!
Lady Lin was beaten, and finally submitted to the authority of her husband and mother-in-law, kneeling down reluctantly.
"Mother, I was wrong, please don't be angry," she said.
Old Granny Zhang was certainly not going to let it go at that.
Her son had bowed his head; why miss an opportunity to further reprimand her daughter-in-law?
"Is that how you apologize? With such reluctance? In the Old Wang Family, we don't have daughters-in-law who say one thing and mean another, who are duplicitous. If you really resent this, you can roll back to your parents' house, or go wherever you love to, before you also wanted to find a doctor to check your 'woman's illness,' without feeling ashamed, you old thing! The way you are, even if you were given away for free, no one would want you! Back then your Lin Family demanded such a high bride price, a wife bought with money is a slave in our house. Considering that you've borne three sons, providing you with food is already generous enough. Yet you still dare to be so insolent."
She cursed with spit flying everywhere, some even landing in the bowls of food.
Such fighting spirit!!
Powerful enough to make one shiver!!
Hey, I don't mind you arguing, but could you please leave me out of it!!
Being stuck in the middle feels so awkward!!
The stronger Old Granny Zhang was, the more Ming Zhu felt people's resentment drifting towards her.
The steamed bun she was originally struggling to swallow now became even more difficult to eat.
Wang Laozhu, who had been silent all along, finally spoke up, "Everyone, say less, let's eat."
Old Granny Zhang objected, "I'm the mother-in-law, disciplining my daughter-in-law is my business, it doesn't concern you old man. Today she, Lady Lin, wanted to turn the tables and take charge, disregarding the elders. If we don't properly discipline her now, who knows when she might instigate my sons and grandsons to turn their hearts away from us. Such a vile woman still thinking of eating two steamed buns, even giving her a bowl of coarse rice porridge would be too good for her! Heart full of malice and rotten to the core. To think of my poor old daughter, who barely escaped death, and now she's despised by her sister-in-law to this extent, you want to drive us, mother and daughter, to death..."
"Slap!"
Wang Yongfu slapped Lady Lin on the face again.
Both sides of Lady Lin's face were red from slapping, her dignity completely lost.
But she dared not make a scene any longer.
If she did, it would be even harder for her to face the consequences today.
She might even be divorced and sent back for good.
"Mother, I was wrong, I truly was. Please, as your elder, don't hold this small person's mistake against me..."
Lady Jiang also began to speak in a trembling voice, "Mother, please look after your health, don't be angry anymore, the eldest sister-in-law didn't mean it..."
PS, the aloof author never speaks, doesn't ask for votes, doesn't ask for collections, and doesn't ask for comments~~