Over the past few years, Lin Fugui and his wife had used the twenty yuan Jiang Qiuyue gave them to marry off their second son, Lin Erzhu, and even managed to save a little extra.  

During the farming off-season, Lin Erzhu would take on odd jobs for others. Sometimes he’d be paid with two eggs, other times with a pound of grain coupons—but never any actual money.  

Lin Fugui and Wang Chunhua trusted their second son completely. Meanwhile, Lin Erzhu believed his wife was right—they would eventually split from the family, so it was better to have a small private stash.  

After four years of marriage, Lin Erzhu and Qian Li had secretly saved up over twenty yuan—and that was *after* deducting the money Qian Li regularly sent to her own family.  

Lin Erzhu told his mother to let go, but Wang Chunhua refused. “Erzhu, are you really my own son?”  

“Mom, how can you say that? Of course I’m your son!” Lin Erzhu was getting impatient.  

“If you’re really my son, how could you lie to me and your dad?” Wang Chunhua looked at her second son with hurt in her eyes. To her, her own flesh and blood should be of one mind—she never imagined he would deceive her.  

Lin Erzhu was speechless. “I saved a little money for Dabao’s sake. You know he was born premature—we might need money for him at any time.”  

“Second Brother, that’s not true,” Jiang Qiuyue cut in at just the right moment. “I’ve seen your wife giving money to her mother several times.”  

She continued, “Dabao was only born half a month early, and yet he gets the best of everything from Mom. Just look around the village—which child is as plump and fair as Dabao? If you have your own selfish motives, just say so. Why keep lying to Mom and Dad? Is this fun for you?”  

“Jiang Qiuyue, what the hell do you want?” Lin Erzhu finally lost his temper and shouted at her.  

His outburst startled Wang Chunhua so much that she let go of Qian Li.  

But Jiang Qiuyue wasn’t one to be intimidated. She raised her voice just as loudly. “Lin Erzhu, I’m doing this for the sake of the family! If you don’t see me as your sister-in-law, just say so. I’m ready to split the family anytime!”  

Leaning against the doorframe, she spotted her two children returning from outside and quickly waved them into the room.  

Lin Beibei tugged at his mother’s hand, silently offering to help, but Jiang Qiuyue still pushed him inside.  

She hadn’t fallen so low that she needed a five-year-old to fight her battles.  

At the mention of splitting the family, Lin Fugui barked, “Enough! All of you, shut up! Eldest daughter-in-law, you went to withdraw money today—where is it?”  

Jiang Qiuyue repeated, “I spent it all.”  

“What?!” Lin Fugui’s face darkened instantly. “You really spent *all* of it?”  

“That’s right. I’ve finally realized—the money Dazhu sends is meant for me and the kids to eat well and dress warmly, not for us to be your slaves. I’ve worked hard all these years, thinking sincerity would be met with sincerity. But Mom and Second Brother never treated me like family. At noon today, they wouldn’t even spare a bite of wild vegetable porridge for Beibei and Nannan. So why should I keep paying for the household?” Her tone was laced with undisguised mockery as she crossed her arms.  

Wang Chunhua had withheld food from the children at noon out of spite for Jiang Qiuyue’s defiance the day before, but she never expected the two brats would tattle.  

Even now, she refused to admit fault. “Other five-year-olds already help with chores, but those two just run off to play. I asked Beibei to carry some firewood, and he had the nerve to glare at me. As their grandmother, can’t I even discipline my own grandchildren?”  

Jiang Qiuyue waved Beibei over. “Beibei, Grandma says you refused to help. Is that true?”  

Beibei shook his head vigorously, desperate to defend himself. “Grandma told me to move firewood and wash dishes. I accidentally splashed water on Auntie Qian’s pants, and she pushed me hard and called me a ‘little bastard’!” His voice grew more and more choked up until he burst into tears. “Mom, I *did* listen! I helped!”  

“Don’t cry, Mom believes you.” Jiang Qiuyue crouched down to wipe his tears. “From now on, if Grandma or your aunt tells you to do something, don’t do it.”  

Beibei blinked in confusion. “But… you always said before that if me and Nannan worked hard, Grandma and Grandpa would like us.”  

“That was then. Now it’s different. Only listen to those who treat you well.” She sent him back to the room before turning to Wang Chunhua. “Mom, children don’t lie. You know what you did. I’ve changed my mind—over the past four years, I’ve paid 720 yuan for household expenses. By that logic, Second Brother should’ve paid the same. When he gives me 360 yuan, *then* I’ll start paying again.”

360 yuan was an astronomical sum for Lin Erzhu and Qian Li. After four years of scrimping, they had only saved a little over twenty yuan—there was no way they could come up with that much.  

Jiang Qiuyue was deliberately making things difficult for them. “If you don’t agree, we can call the village chief and the neighbors to judge for themselves. Let them see how I’ve been paying twenty yuan every month, yet you wouldn’t even spare a bite of wild vegetable porridge for Beibei and Nannan. What kind of logic is that?”  

With that, she slammed the door shut with a loud *bang*.  

In the courtyard, Lin Fugui glared furiously at his wife, son, and daughter-in-law. “All of you—get inside!”  

Once the door was closed, he slammed his hand on the table. “Didn’t I tell you not to go too far? If we’re too greedy, we lose the moral high ground. Wang Chunhua, what the hell were you thinking? Did you think Jiang Qiuyue didn’t have enough leverage already, so you had to hand her another reason at noon today?”  

With the old man raging, Wang Chunhua only dared to mutter under her breath, “You saw me not giving those two little bastards any food—why didn’t *you* say anything?”  

“You’re still talking back to me?!”  

Lin Fugui raised his hand, but his second son stopped him.  

“Dad, what’s the point of blaming Mom?” Lin Erzhu’s eyes flashed with resentment. “Mom’s always treated Sister-in-law this way. I think there must be a reason she’s suddenly changed.”  

“What do you mean?” Lin Fugui didn’t understand.  

Everyone turned to Lin Erzhu.