Chapter 9: Malicious Intentions

This was the first time Lin Yue had pretended to be a green tea and played the victim. She felt like she was overdoing it, and goosebumps appeared all over her body.

She raised her hand to wipe away the nonexistent tears on her face and said in a pitiful voice, “Although I died once during childbirth and my two children are only surviving on that little bit of goat’s milk,

You know me. If there was more goat’s milk, even if I had to stop giving it to my own children, I would still give some to Little Xi.”

Although she wouldn’t actually do that, the original owner would have.

As she spoke, she pulled Zhang Xiaoxi up and half-hugged her shoulder, turning her towards the crowd. She gently wiped her tears.

“Good girl, why are you crying so much over this? There, there, don’t cry. Didn’t Sister-in-law give you peanuts? Doesn’t Sister-in-law love you the most?”

With the light of the flashlight, everyone could see the “grieving girl, who was wronged and crying on her mother’s lap.”

As expected, Zhang Xiaoxi’s face didn’t show any signs of crying. Her mouth was stuffed full of peanuts and beans she had just taken from Lin Yue. Now, with so many people watching, she closed her mouth tightly and didn’t dare to chew.

Sun Hongmei hadn’t expected Lin Yue to come. She thought Lin Yue lived far away and wouldn’t hear about it.

Her original plan was to ruin Lin Yue’s reputation tonight without her knowing. With Lin Yue’s timid nature, she wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. After it was over, who would listen to her explanation?

Sun Hongmei didn’t like her eldest son and had no affection for his children.

She had separated from her daughter-in-law not only because she didn’t want to take care of a pregnant woman but also because she wanted her daughter-in-law to starve.

She didn’t care if the two children had no milk to drink or if they would starve. She felt relieved if they were unhappy.

But for the past month, their mother and son’s life had visibly improved. They had no worries about food and drink, and people even went to Lin Yue’s house to chat. This had never happened before.

And look at that, this little vixen, she had become assertive after having children, and she was even pretending to be virtuous in front of her.

She had to tear off that hypocritical mask today.

The more Sun Hongmei thought about it, the angrier she became. She stood up and cursed, “You wicked woman, your father-in-law, mother-in-law, little sister-in-law, and two younger brothers are all struggling to make ends meet at home. They’re about to starve, and you’re inviting so many people to your house to eat and drink all day long.

You have so much grain, why don’t you send some to your father-in-law and mother-in-law? You’re heartless! You’re a cruel daughter-in-law, just watching us all starve!”

Lin Yue’s voice immediately became choked with sobs, “Mother, you’re making me lose face. The neighbors are just helping me because I just gave birth. How can you say that? Besides, don’t you know how much food we have? When the autumn grain was distributed, didn’t you go to my house and take half of it?”

Sun Hongmei didn’t know when her daughter-in-law had become so sharp-tongued. Even though she looked down on her daughter-in-law, she was speechless for a moment.

She avoided mentioning the grain and retorted confidently, “You’re blaming me for not taking care of you during confinement.

I have a whole family to look after. If I went to take care of you during confinement, who would take care of everyone else? You’re heartless, only thinking about your own comfort, ignoring everyone else’s well-being.

When I gave birth to Little Xi, I didn’t even stay in confinement for a day. I went to work in the fields. Look at the village, which woman is as delicate as you when they give birth?”

Lin Yue choked back a sob and said, “Mother, don’t say that. I didn’t mean for you to take care of me during confinement.

When I married into this family, I wanted to take good care of you two and fulfill my responsibilities as a daughter-in-law and sister-in-law.

Everyone in the village knows how filial I am and how much I’ve done for this family…”

Sun Hongmei shouted, “Don’t talk nonsense! Before we separated, you were clumsy and careless. What could I expect from you? Don’t talk about filial piety. If we had really taken your food, would you even be alive today? Now you say you’re filial, who saw you come back to help us with any work? Tell me, how are you filial to us?”

Lin Yue pretended to be wronged and cried loudly, “Mother, you say I’m not filial, but I do everything you say. You told me not to contact Yuandong, afraid that your heart condition would worsen. I haven’t contacted him once in all this time since we got married.

Yuandong sends home 28 yuan a month, and I didn’t take a single penny. I gave it all to you.

When we separated, I thought of it as Yuandong and I being filial to you two, and I didn’t mention the allowance once…”

Sun Hongmei, hearing her mention the allowance, finally became anxious. “You little vixen, I’m going to tear your mouth off! There’s no such thing as an allowance! There isn’t! Don’t talk nonsense! You’re a heartless, wicked thing. You don’t know how much you’ve gotten from my son, and now you’re even eyeing my old-age money…”

Just as they were arguing fiercely.

Suddenly, a roar came from the crowd, “What’s all this commotion? It’s freezing cold outside, and you’re all standing in the street. Don’t you want to get sick?”

Everyone looked back and saw Liu Yiliang, the village secretary, Zhang Zhiqiang, the brigade leader, and Lin Yue’s father-in-law, Zhang Zhiwei, walking towards them from the crowd. They had been chatting at the brigade headquarters when they heard someone say that Sun Hongmei was causing trouble in the street, so they rushed over.

Zhang Zhiwei didn’t know about Sun Hongmei’s outburst tonight. He didn’t even know that his daughter had gone to his daughter-in-law’s house to demand goat’s milk.

When he heard people say that his wife and daughter-in-law were arguing in the street, he felt embarrassed and just wanted to go back and separate them quickly.

As he got closer, he heard the crowd discussing the allowance and immediately felt a sense of dread. He quickly squeezed into the crowd.

In these times, you weren’t afraid of thieves stealing, you were afraid of them wanting to steal. Everyone was struggling to get by. If others knew that his family had so much money, it would be a disaster!

Zhang Zhiwei finally squeezed into the crowd and saw someone shining a flashlight on his wife, who was stamping her feet in anger and speaking rudely. He felt a wave of dizziness and didn’t care about anything else. He rushed forward, grabbed Sun Hongmei, and told her to shut up.

Liu Yiliang and Zhang Zhiqiang also squeezed in from the crowd and scolded, “What are you all gathered here for? I think you’re all too idle. You’re all itching for a fight! And you, Wang Baodong, are you showing off your flashlight? Turn it off!”

The young man named Wang Baodong didn’t take it seriously. He grinned and waved the flashlight, refusing to put it down.

They couldn’t do anything about this scoundrel, so they just pretended not to see him.

The village secretary said to Sun Hongmei, “Zhiwei’s wife, I’m not trying to criticize you, but you’re a grandmother. Why are you making such a fuss? Don’t you know you should set a good example for the children?”

Sun Hongmei had a good relationship with the village secretary’s wife. Now, seeing the brigade leader and village secretary, she acted as if she had been wronged. She sat down on the ground, slapped her legs, and started crying about her daughter-in-law’s unfilial behavior again.

Su Dashen, as the women’s director, was also present. She was trying to persuade Sun Hongmei to calm down with another aunt.

Sun Hongmei was resentful that she was biased towards Lin Yue and scratched her several times with her nails.

Moreover, she had just shoved Su Dashen against the doorframe while arguing with Lin Yue.

Su Dashen was also angry now. Seeing that the person she had just pulled up was sitting down again, she felt a toothache.

She had no patience for Sun Hongmei’s behavior and retorted, “You’ve had enough! It’s freezing cold, and you’re not afraid of the cold ground.

You say your daughter-in-law is unfilial, but we never knew that your eldest son sent home so much allowance. It was all earned by Yuandong, who risked his life for the country. His wife and children didn’t spend a single penny, it all went to you. Why aren’t you satisfied?”

Sun Hongmei was furious. She wanted to rush over and cover Su Ximei’s mouth, but unfortunately, Zhang Zhiwei was holding her down tightly. She could only curse endlessly, “I spit on you! That’s my son’s money. It’s not for his father and mother, so it must be for some vixen outside, right? You want to pry a single penny from my hand? Not a chance!”

Zhang Zhiqiang was also unhappy, “What kind of language is that? We’re cadres here to mediate your conflict. Are we wrong? Yuandong is a soldier defending the country. You’re a military family member, and his wife and children are also military family members. You can’t treat them so harshly.

Of course, if you have any difficulties, tell us, and we’ll see if we can help you solve them.”

Liu Yiliang, hearing the word “military family member,” remembered what Principal Xu had said to him a while ago. Now that things had come to a head, he couldn’t ignore it. He could only say with concern, “Yes, yes, if you have any difficulties, tell us. We’ll all try to help you figure out a solution.

Little Huigou’s wife, don’t just keep crying. You speak first.”

Lin Yue kept her head down and didn’t speak. Some of the onlookers couldn’t hold back and shouted, “What kind of difficulties? This new daughter-in-law, she’s only been married for less than a year, and she’s pregnant. Her mother-in-law kicked her out of the house, she has no food or drink, and she’s living in a broken warehouse.

You’re asking what difficulties she has? She’s about to starve!”

Lin Yue kept her head down, twisting her clothes in her hands, and said in a good-natured voice, “I still have food. My father-in-law and mother-in-law left me some when they went to get grain. I still have some to eat.”

It was a perfect portrayal of a meek daughter-in-law, but her voice was not low at all. Everyone could hear her clearly.

Jin Ajie sat astride the wall of her own house. She had been watching the show for a long time. Now, she pinched her voice and shouted, “This daughter-in-law is so kind. Even in this situation, she still says she has no difficulties.

Lin Yue, don’t be so coy. If you have any requests, just make them. After you leave this village, if you and your children starve to death at home, no one will remember your kindness!”

Sun Hongmei picked up a stone from the ground and threw it at her, “I spit on you! Jin Ajie, don’t think I can’t tell it’s you just because you’re pinching your voice! Who are you trying to be sarcastic to? Your own family is so poor that even the rats have to take a detour. You can’t stand seeing other people living a good life. You’re green with envy!”