Font Size:
Wang Yue, already furious from the beating, was even angrier at the neighbors’ pointed remarks.
“Do you even have any sense of right and wrong? Didn’t you see me get beaten?”
The eldest son quickly covered his wife’s mouth. What good would it do to argue with these women? Feigning helplessness to gain sympathy wouldn’t hurt, and his wife just couldn’t keep her temper.
“If your sister-in-law dared to hit you, it must be because you said something you shouldn’t have!” the neighbors insisted that the eldest daughter-in-law was in the wrong.
The eldest daughter-in-law’s face flushed red. She wanted to retort, but her mouth was covered by her husband.
The second daughter-in-law glanced at her father-in-law and mother-in-law, noticing their displeased expressions as they glared at the eldest son and daughter-in-law. She brushed the dust off her clothes.
“Aunties and uncles, my sister-in-law called my mother an old hag, so I hit her. Don’t be fooled by her!”
“Oh my god! A daughter-in-law dared to insult her mother-in-law? There’s no justice in the world! I knew that eldest daughter-in-law wasn’t a good person!” Hu Dala reacted as if she had heard something incredible, her exaggerated expression and high-pitched tone making it seem like she had a loudspeaker attached to her mouth.
The courtyard echoed with her loud voice. If it weren’t for her gleeful expression, everyone would have thought she disliked the eldest daughter-in-law.
“Eldest son, your wife is too much! No matter what, she shouldn’t insult her mother-in-law! Besides, how has your mother wronged you? She worked so hard to support your education for so many years. Look at the cotton-padded jacket she’s wearing; there’s barely any cotton left inside, and she’s unwilling to replace it. How can you treat your mother like this?” Sister Lin immediately spoke up for Wu Zhiqiu.
“Exactly! Old Li works hard at the freight station after work, and all the money goes to you! Xingguo, don’t break your parents’ hearts,” Old Ge from the front courtyard chimed in.
“Grandpa Ge, uncles, and aunties, it’s not like that. My wife spoke without thinking and said the wrong thing. She didn’t mean to insult my mother; it was just a heated exchange. We’ll apologize to Mom immediately! My parents worked so hard to support me, how could my wife possibly insult my mother?”
The eldest son was a skilled speaker; his wife was simply less articulate and lacked cunning. She hadn’t actually insulted her mother-in-law.
After speaking, the eldest son looked at Wu Zhiqiu with pleading eyes. If this got out, it would damage both his and his wife’s reputation. They both worked in government departments, and such a reputation would hinder their future opportunities.
Wu Zhiqiu remained expressionless. He was begging her now, but where was he when Wang Yue was pointing her finger at her and insulting her?
Despite the changes from her past life, a deep sadness still lingered in her heart.
“Eldest son, since it was just a heated exchange, and the neighbors are all here, let’s not hide anything and clarify everything!”
The eldest son thought Wu Zhiqiu was going to help Wang Yue explain, so he quickly nodded. “Don’t let everyone misunderstand! Wang Yue couldn’t possibly have insulted Mom!”
Wu Zhiqiu ignored him, walking to the entrance and addressing the neighbors.
She recounted the events without exaggeration, wiping a non-existent tear from the corner of her eye, feigning heartbreak.
“Oh my! You married such an ungrateful daughter-in-law, why didn’t the eldest son beat her to death!”
“Which daughter-in-law sends her salary to her parents’ home after marriage? I’ve never heard of such a thing!”
“With such audacity, she dares to insult her mother-in-law!”
“Exactly! Isn’t that parents’ home a bottomless pit?”
“Sister-in-law, didn’t you give eight hundred yuan as a bride price when the eldest son got married?” Hu Dala’s eyes shone with gossip.
Wu Zhiqiu shook her head. “No! I didn’t see a single cent!”
“Then does the eldest son hand over his salary to the family?” Hu Dala continued.
Normally, if someone dared to ask, Wu Zhiqiu would help the eldest son cover up, maintaining his image as a filial and responsible eldest son among the neighbors.
But now, let’s reveal the truth!
Wu Zhiqiu shook her head. “Our eldest son hasn’t given a single penny to the family since he started working!”
“What?!” the eldest son exclaimed in disbelief.
“What’s wrong? Did I say something incorrect? Have you given any?” Wu Zhiqiu feigned innocence as if she were genuinely confused.
The eldest son’s face turned crimson. With his mother saying this, how could he ever return home or face the neighbors again?
“Oh my! What kind of ungrateful son is this? After all the hard work to support him through university, he doesn’t give anything back to the family! What kind of education is that?” Hu Dala exaggeratedly shouted.
The neighbors began to murmur, “She insults her mother-in-law, and he doesn’t care? This son is truly a waste!”
Seizing the moment while Li Xingguo was distracted, Wang Yue pushed his hand away.
“What do you know? We’re lacking money at home! Why should Li Xingguo’s salary go to the family? We’re married now; why should he still give his salary to them?”
“You’re married, so why should you still send your salary to your parents?” Sister Lin scoffed.
“Exactly! You received eight hundred yuan as a bride price; you’re now part of the Li family! How can you be so ungrateful!”
“What about your in-laws? They have younger siblings who aren’t married yet and still need to finish school. How is it that they’re not lacking money? The second couple doesn’t even have jobs! If they weren’t struggling, would they still need to rely on anyone?” Aunt Zhang from the front courtyard joined in, knowing everyone’s business in their shared living space.
“They’ve all grown up; what do they want? Do they want to suck the blood of the eldest brother? Their need for jobs, marriages, and education has nothing to do with us! Why should we have to pay?” Wang Yue shouted like a mad dog.
“Eldest sister-in-law, I don’t like what you’re saying! Aside from the little sister, you can ask the eldest brother if he’s ever spent our money! Li Xingguo, you tell us, all those years in college, weren’t your tuition, living expenses, and dating costs all covered by the family?”
“Did the family’s money not include the contributions from me and the second brother? After you graduated, did you ever give us a single cent? And today, you two come back and still think about the family’s money, about your parents’ work? Are you implying that this shrew can say whatever she wants?”
The neighbors exchanged incredulous glances at the eldest couple.
They were stunned by how fierce the argument had gotten today. Was it true that the eldest couple was still thinking about the old couple’s work? Were they even human?
“Third brother, don’t speak nonsense! When have we ever thought about our parents’ work?” The eldest son was terrified of taking on this reputation.
“Hmph, if you dare to do it, you should be able to face it. What are you doing here today? Are you willing to say it?” The third brother scoffed at the eldest son.
The eldest son glared angrily at his younger brother.
“Eldest, you just said that starting this month, you’ll send half your salary home. Is that still valid?” Wu Zhiqiu didn’t want to miss this rare opportunity.
With so many neighbors watching, and in this situation, no matter how much Wang Yue barked, Li Xingguo still nodded.
Wu Zhiqiu quickly asked the second son to fetch paper and pen, instructing the third son to call the community director over.
With Elder Ge, Elder Zeng, and the community director as witnesses, starting this month, Li Xingguo would send half of his salary to the family, treating it as support for Li Mancang and his wife.
The community director suggested establishing a specific amount. Since the eldest son’s salary was over seventy yuan, he proposed thirty-five or forty yuan.
Wu Zhiqiu disagreed. “That’s ridiculous! What can you do with thirty-five or forty yuan? I want half of his salary! No matter how much it increases in the future, he’ll still have to give me half!”