Chapter 17: No One Washes the Dishes in the Lu Family, Chen Guizhen Complains

At the Lu household.

There were four members in the Lu family, along with Lin Xuewei and Li Moli—six people total sitting at the dining table.

It was a long table, and Father Lu sat at the head.

On either side sat Chen Guizhen and Lu Yanzhi.

Li Moli had rushed to sit beside Lu Yanzhi. She picked food for him and said sweetly, “Brother Yanzhi, Auntie’s beef is delicious. You have to try some.”

“These days, Li Zhi has been acting like a lunatic, constantly bothering you. You’ve lost so much weight. Eat more and nourish yourself. I even gave Auntie money to buy all these ingredients.”

Although she had liked many men, aside from He Guangyao (who was just a temporary fling), all the others were just backups. The one she truly liked most was the handsome Lu Yanzhi.

But Lu Yanzhi treated her with complete indifference, which only fueled her desire to conquer him.

He was the man Li Zhi couldn’t have. If she could steal him away, Li Zhi would be furious—what a satisfying thought!

Lin Xuewei had no choice but to sit one seat down. She glanced sideways at Li Moli fawning over Lu Yanzhi, feeling sour inside. The hot food suddenly seemed hard to swallow.

As dinner was wrapping up, Chen Guizhen clutched her waist and groaned, “Aiyo, my back! I’m getting old. Just cooking made it hurt so bad—I need to go rest. Jiaxin, you wash the dishes later.”

Lu Jiaxin pouted and dodged the chore. “Mom, Moli and I are going shopping soon. I don’t have time. Besides, I’ve never washed dishes before—I wouldn’t get them clean.”

“You silly girl, already grown up and still don’t know how to wash dishes. Aren’t you worried no one will want to marry you?”

Lu Jiaxin looked at the greasy dishes with distaste. “They’re so oily. Once my hands touch oil, they stay greasy all day—it’s awful. I’m not washing them. It’s not like I’m the only one who ate. I won’t do it. Brother Fu can cook and clean, and his family has money. Once we get married, we’ll just hire a maid, and I won’t have to do anything.”

She had been spoiled since she was young and couldn’t do any chores. Chen Guizhen couldn’t do anything about it.

After a few complaints, Chen Guizhen stopped nagging her and turned to Lin Xuewei. “Xuewei, you don’t have anything urgent later, do you? Why don’t you help Auntie wash the dishes?”

Lin Xuewei seemed to have expected this. She wore an awkward but polite smile.

In a gentle voice, she said, “Auntie, Huanhuan is sick and needs constant care. I barely even have time to eat. I only came out for a quick bite while she’s asleep. I need to head back soon or she’ll cry when she wakes up and doesn’t see me.”

Huanhuan’s fever had just broken, and she had been discharged earlier that afternoon.

Her late husband had been a company commander, so she had been assigned housing in the family compound. She lived there most of the time and only stayed with the Lu family when she came to the district.

Chen Guizhen grumbled, “It doesn’t take long to wash a few dishes.”

Lin Xuewei put down her utensils and held her forehead. “Auntie, I think I’m coming down with something. If I wash dishes now and spread my germs to everyone else, that’d be my fault. Can I wash them when I’m better?”

Chen Guizhen was annoyed. She suddenly remembered how good Li Zhi had been—giving up her college entrance exam to take care of her in the hospital for three months.

Lu Yanzhi spoke up, “Mom, Xuewei really isn’t feeling well. Don’t force her.”

Hearing her son say that, Chen Guizhen bit back the words she was about to say. She turned to Li Moli instead. “Moli—”

She had heard that Li Moli had always been pampered at home, even more than Jiaxin, so she didn’t have high hopes. But she really didn’t want to wash the dishes herself.

She wasn’t some servant—she was the lady of the house!

Li Moli immediately declined, “Sorry, Auntie. I’ve never washed dishes at home and don’t know how to wash them clean. I’m heading out with Jiaxin. If you really can’t wash them, maybe Uncle or Brother Yanzhi can do it. At home, it’s always my dad and brother who do the dishes.”

If she didn’t wash at home, why should she wash here? Her hands were for playing piano, not scrubbing plates.

Hands are a woman’s second face. She’d worked hard to keep hers soft and fair—no way was she going to ruin them washing dishes!

She was only here as a guest, all for the sake of Brother Yanzhi and Li Zhi.

Chen Guizhen protested, “Housework is a woman’s job. How can you expect a man to do dishes? Only useless men do housework. The three of you aren’t even worth one Li Zhi.”

“Mom, what’s so great about Li Zhi? She hit my brother with a kettle and extorted money from you. Even if she begs to come back to our family, I’d never allow it. You think she’s the only diligent woman in Yangcheng?”

“There aren’t many who are diligent and rich.”

Li Zhi had always rushed to help whenever she visited. She never had to be told.

She knew how to take care of people and was willing to spend money.

Chen Guizhen suddenly regretted turning against Li Zhi. If she had kept pretending and waited until the wedding, she could’ve done whatever she wanted afterward.

What a loss!

After dinner, Lin Xuewei went back to care for her daughter.

Lu Jiaxin and Li Moli went out shopping.

Chen Guizhen gathered the dishes and headed to the kitchen. As she washed, she grumbled and slammed dishes into the basin with loud clang clang bang sounds, expressing her frustration.

She ranted alone in the kitchen, and with no one paying attention, she got angrier, shouting as she scrubbed, “I’m such a pitiful old woman! My back is breaking, yet I still have to serve this whole bunch of able-bodied people. I cook with all my effort, and when it comes time to wash dishes, everyone makes excuses. They eat and leave—freeloaders who don’t lift a finger.”

“I cooked for you all for nothing! Why is my life so hard? Other women my age are enjoying peace at home, doing nothing. But me? I have to slave away like a beast of burden for a bunch of lazy freeloaders. Am I your maid?”

In the living room, Lu Jiande frowned and barked, “It’s just a few dishes. Stop complaining so much. We have guests—you’re embarrassing us.”

Chen Guizhen angrily slammed an enamel bowl into the basin, splashing water everywhere.

“Can’t I even vent a little? You’re not the one cooking or washing dishes. You sit there like a lord, and then complain when I say something.”

“Housework is for women. I’m a man. Only losers do housework.”

“You think being a man makes you superior? Didn’t you hear Li Moli say that in her house, it’s the men who do the dishes? Is Li Yongge a loser? He runs a factory and earns a fortune. All his sons are successful. If you don’t want me to complain, then come wash the dishes yourself.”

Chen Guizhen’s mindset about “housework is for women” was entirely instilled by Lu Jiande.

But what Li Moli said awakened something in her—men doing housework didn’t mean they were losers. The Li family was proof.

Men who do housework are the ones who truly succeed.

Lu Jiande snapped, “If you think other men are so great, then go live with them. Don’t hang around the Lu family if all we do is annoy each other.”

“You think I’m clinging to the Lu family? I’ve been your wife for years, held this household together, and raised our two kids on my own. Now that I’m older, you want to kick me out to bring in some cheap woman? Dream on!”

“What cheap woman? You’re talking nonsense!”

“You think I don’t know about that shameless widow Liu Cuihua from Alley No. 8 on the south side?”

The couple hurled accusations at each other, digging up old grievances. Their shouting and the loud clatter of dishes nearly raised the roof. Neighbors came by to eavesdrop on the drama.

Oh ho~ So Lu Jiande’s got a thing going with Widow Liu?

Is there a reward for reporting this?