Lin Yongnian’s face instantly turned very unpleasant, and the hand holding the dirty clothes awkwardly froze there.

Lin Jianshe glanced at his dad, then looked at his wife who looked wronged and unhappy, and chose to defend her. “Dad, how long has Qin Qin been married into our family? And you’re already asking her to wash your clothes?”

Lin Yongnian said, “She’s a daughter-in-law. What’s wrong with washing her father-in-law’s clothes?”

Is there a daughter-in-law who doesn’t serve her in-laws?

When he married Li Shuping, although they didn’t live with his parents, every festival or holiday when they returned to the rural hometown, cooking, washing clothes, and cleaning were all done by her as the daughter-in-law.

“So why don’t you let my eldest sister-in-law wash your clothes?” Lin Jianshe retorted.

Lin Guodong rolled his eyes and quickly said, “Dad, just leave the clothes there. After dinner, have Zhang Jiao wash them for you.”

Lin Yongnian threw the dirty clothes back into the hamper, feeling utterly disappointed with Lin Jianshe and Liu Qin.

“This is the daughter-in-law I paid almost over two thousand yuan for, including three rounds and one ring!”

Liu Qin was so angry her face turned bright red. “I married into your family to be Lin Jianshe’s wife, not your servant!”

“Is asking you to wash a few dirty clothes treating you like a servant? Go ask around the whole neighborhood— which daughter-in-law hasn’t washed clothes for her parents-in-law?”

“That’s because they’re willing to be degraded. I, Liu Qin, am not that kind of person.” After saying that, Liu Qin angrily stormed back into the room.

“…” Lin Yongnian was so angry he was speechless.

“Lin Jianshe, this is the good wife you married!”

Lin Jianshe didn’t reply but got up and went inside to comfort his wife.

Lin Yongnian sat on a stool, pointing at the door of Lin Jianshe and Liu Qin’s bedroom. “Look at your younger brother. All he sees is his wife. If I had known…”

If he had known, he would have opposed Lin Jianshe marrying Liu Qin with Li Shuping from the start.

When Li Shuping opposed it back then, Lin Yongnian supported Lin Jianshe and said Li Shuping was looking down on people, talking about matching families in this day and age.

Lin Guodong shook his head.

He couldn’t stand the way his younger brother was a slave to his wife.

What is a wife for?

She’s supposed to bear children and serve her husband.

But the younger brother treated Liu Qin like a princess, even unwilling to ask her to wash two dirty clothes for dad — so useless.

“Dad, rest assured, I definitely won’t be like the younger brother, and Zhang Jiao won’t be like that either.”

Lin Yongnian nodded, looking at his eldest son thinking, for old-age support, he still had to rely on the eldest couple.

The younger brother’s wife-slavery wasn’t reliable. He had to treat the eldest couple better.

At dinner, Liu Qin didn’t come out; it was Lin Jianshe who picked food for her and brought it into the room.

“Eldest sister-in-law, does the shredded potato with pork even have half a tael of meat?” Lin Jianshe was digging for meat in the potato dish.

“Why wouldn’t it? I bought two taels of meat.” Zhang Jiao lied without blinking.

Lin Jianshe chuckled, “You really don’t look like it.”

Lin Guodong said, “If you think your sister-in-law’s dish has too little meat, just let your Liu Qin buy more meat tomorrow and cook more.”

He didn’t believe Liu Qin could buy much more meat tomorrow.

Lin Jianshe picked up a forkful of shredded potatoes and ate. Why should his Qin Qin buy more meat?

They each got 2.5 yuan for groceries. Eldest sister-in-law secretly pocketed some to save money. Even the potato dish with pork had barely any meat — the meals were so cheap.

When it was Qin Qin’s turn, if the meals were better and cost more, wouldn’t they lose out?

“Zhang Jiao, after you finish washing the dishes, wash dad’s dirty clothes. The wind’s been strong at night these days; if you hang them overnight, they should barely dry.” Lin Guodong said to his wife.

Zhang Jiao frowned. She cooked and washed dishes, and now she still had to wash these clothes?

Liu Qin was also a daughter-in-law. Why should she be the one to wash her father-in-law’s dirty clothes?

Just because she was the eldest daughter-in-law?

“Eldest daughter-in-law, you help wash my clothes from now on. Don’t worry, I won’t make you wash for free. I’ll give you five yuan a month.”

“This month you won’t even wash many times, so here’s two yuan first.” Lin Yongnian took two yuan out of his pocket and put it in front of Zhang Jiao.

Zhang Jiao’s eyes lit up when she saw the money and quickly took it. “Dad, we’re all family. It’s only right I wash your clothes, why should you pay me?”

Liu Qin heard the word “money,” then quietly came to the door to eavesdrop.

Lin Yongnian deliberately raised his voice: “Dad, you know you’re a filial son. Filial people should get rewards.”

Liu Qin tightened her grip on her chopsticks.

She clearly heard that her father-in-law’s words were meant for her.

This old man was really hateful. When he asked her to wash clothes, he didn’t mention money, but when Zhang Jiao washed clothes, he paid her.

He was really biased to the extreme.

“Dad, this isn’t fair,” Lin Jianshe slammed his bowl on the table. “When you asked Qin Qin to wash your clothes, you didn’t mention money. Now you give eldest sister-in-law five yuan a month!”

Five yuan!

Liu Qin clenched her back teeth in the bedroom.

How often does the old man change clothes in a month?

Washing for him a few times and getting five yuan was way too easy money.

For Liu Qin, who only earned eighteen yuan a month, five yuan was not a small amount.

Lin Yongnian said, “She said she’s not my servant and refused to wash for me. If she washes for me and shows her filial heart, as a father-in-law, I naturally won’t let her wash for free.”

But unfortunately, she didn’t pass his test.

“Eldest sister-in-law didn’t agree either!” Lin Jianshe pointed at Zhang Jiao.

Lin Yongnian sneered, “Your eldest sister-in-law said in the morning she’d wash for me after work. But I saw she needed to cook. By the time she finished eating and washing dishes, it was already late, so I thought of asking Liu Qin to wash. Who would’ve thought…”

“…” Lin Jianshe was left speechless.

That night, Liu Qin complained to Lin Jianshe about Lin Yongnian for a long time, repeating how unfair he was.

The next day, Lin Yongnian wore clean but not fully dry work clothes and told everyone that his eldest daughter-in-law was filial and voluntarily helped wash his clothes.

…

Anning Street Subdistrict Office

“Director Zhao, I want to report Li Shuping from House No. 5, Yard 23.”

“What are you reporting her for?” Zhao Youqin put down the newspaper and frowned at the woman standing in front of her desk.

She had heard so many reports over the years that she now had a physical aversion to the word “report.”

“I want to report that she’s doing business at a street stall, engaging in capitalism.” The complainant Liu Mingxiang clenched her fists and spoke loudly.

Why could Li Shuping, a divorced old woman, run such a good and profitable stall?

She earned money, got perms, bought new clothes for herself and her child, and the family always ate well.

Her husband worked hard all month and earned only twenty-two yuan.

She saved carefully and wouldn’t buy new clothes for half a year, and if she spent money recklessly, she’d be scolded or beaten.

She couldn’t stand to see Li Shuping so proud after making money, so she had to report her—to shut down her dumpling stall and stop her from showing off.