Chapter 14 – If You’re Eating for Free, Don’t Talk Too Much

As soon as Song Kexia stepped into the bathroom, she overheard Song Zhengli comforting Song Leyi, promising to take her out tomorrow and telling her not to be upset. Song Leyi acted coy, naming several places she wanted to visit.

Hearing this, Song Kexia’s lips curled up in delight. Perfect. In this household, only Song Zhengli and Song Leyi didn’t have jobs, and she had been wondering how to get them out of the house tomorrow. She hadn’t expected them to volunteer to go out, making it all the more convenient for her plan.

When Song Kexia returned to her room, Song Leyi was already lying in bed. Upon seeing her walk in, Leyi’s eyes flashed with jealousy and loathing.

Kexia was beautiful—especially after a bath, when her long, silky black hair draped over her shoulders like satin, her skin fair and smooth, and her large almond-shaped eyes lively with a slight upward tilt at the corners, carrying a trace of allure.

But so what if she was pretty? In the end, she was still going to marry an old man. Leyi gave a gloating snort, turned her back, and ignored her.

Kexia was in a good mood and didn’t bother arguing. She dried her hair, sat at her dressing table, and picked up her jar of snow cream.

But as soon as she opened it, she noticed a chunk had been scooped out. She didn’t need to think hard to know who had done it.

The dressing table had long been taken over by Song Leyi. To make up for her shortcomings, Li Yunmei had bought Leyi many things. Almost everything Kexia had, Leyi had too. Who would have thought she would still sneakily use Kexia’s things?

Kexia found it disgusting—especially since it was Leyi who had touched it—so she tossed the cream aside and went straight to bed.

Even though she had already sold her job, she still got up at the same time she used to for work. Seeing Leyi still asleep, she deliberately made loud noises to wake her—just to make sure she wouldn’t oversleep and skip going out today.

Annoyed at being woken, Leyi snapped, “Song Kexia, are you sick? Just because you have to go to work doesn’t mean you should stop other people from sleeping!”

She was still sore all over and had only fallen asleep in the early hours. Being woken now made her irritable.

“Yes, I did it on purpose. What are you going to do about it?” Kexia replied.

Leyi glared, wishing she could bite her to death.

Kexia smiled faintly. “Have you forgotten what it felt like to be whipped with a belt yesterday? Want to try again?”

That shut Leyi up, though her anger nearly made her faint. She went running to Li Yunmei to complain.

“Mom, look at her! She wakes me up on purpose, and when I say something, she threatens to hit me! What kind of attitude is that?”

Li Yunmei, seeing Kexia come out of the room, immediately scolded her. “Leyi doesn’t need to work. She just wants to sleep in. Why do you have to wake her up? Go apologize to her.”

Seeing her mother take her side, Leyi looked smug.

Kexia glanced at her, then said to Li Yunmei, “It’s not just that she doesn’t work. Every day all she does is eat and sleep. Even pigs aren’t that lazy.”

“What did you say?!” Leyi shouted, jumping to her feet.

Kexia only felt more pleased. The angrier Leyi got, the more likely Zhengli would take her out to cheer her up—and that meant Kexia’s plan was set.

“I said you’re lazier than a pig. You’ve been here over a month. You don’t work, fine—but you don’t even help with housework. Meals are served and you eat, then you toss your bowl aside and go watch TV. Sister-in-law works all day and still does chores after she gets home. Why should she wait on you like a servant?”

Shen Ru, the sister-in-law, silently nodded. She had long been unhappy—if Leyi didn’t work, she could at least help with chores. But she never lifted a finger. If not for her fear of her mother-in-law, she’d have cursed her out long ago. Kexia, at least, knew how to speak up for her.

Kexia saw the look in Shen Ru’s eyes and knew she’d successfully sown discord. It might not cause much trouble right now, but at least Shen Ru would make Leyi’s life harder.

Li Yunmei coughed. “Enough fighting in the morning. Come eat before you’re late for work.”

“I’m not eating, I’m leaving.” Kexia turned away, smirking at Leyi in open provocation before walking out.

The glare Leyi sent her could have burned holes through walls.

“Mom, you’re just going to let her go?”

“She has to work. Don’t be angry. Come sit down.”

But when Leyi saw the table—plain congee and pickles—she instantly lost her appetite.

“Sister-in-law, why are you making the same stuff again?”

“Isn’t porridge in the morning good enough?” Shen Ru replied.

“I’m sick of porridge every day. Can’t you make something else?”

That was it—Shen Ru’s patience snapped.

“You eat for free, never lift a finger, and still have the nerve to be picky? I have to go to work too. Where would I find time to make more?”

“Then get up earlier. I heard other families have buns, soy milk, and fried dough sticks for breakfast. Why do we have this plain watery stuff?” Leyi stirred her congee with obvious distaste. “This is just throwing something together to get it over with. Who can eat this?”

Shen Ru nearly poured the hot congee over her. “If you’re so picky, why don’t you get up early and make it yourself? You don’t work, you just wait around for free food. Eat it or don’t.”

It was the first time Leyi had seen Shen Ru lose her temper, and she froze before running to Li Yunmei again.

“Mom, did you hear what she said?”

“Xiao Ru, how could you speak like that? Leyi just didn’t want porridge and asked for something else. Why get so worked up?”

Shen Ru still feared her mother-in-law’s authority. Hearing this, she immediately backed down. “I wake up early to make breakfast and get criticized. I only said a few words.”

Leyi scoffed. “You married into our family. Doing chores is your job. What, do you expect my mom to serve you?”

If looks could kill, Shen Ru’s glare would have ended her on the spot.

Song Zhengyu came out, sat down to eat, and—completely oblivious to the tension—said cheerfully, “Why are you all just standing around? Sit down and eat. We have to get to work.”

Shen Ru felt like screaming. Was he blind and deaf? Didn’t he see her being bullied? All he cared about was eating.

After leaving the house, Kexia went to the breakfast shop across the street so she could keep an eye on the courtyard.

Once Song Jianshe, Li Yunmei, and the others had gone to work, it wasn’t long before Zhengli and Leyi also left. Most people in the compound had gone out.

It was time for her to act.

Paying for her meal, she walked outside and spotted Qin Muye standing not far away, a square-faced man beside him.

She walked over quickly. “You’re here. Have you eaten? If not, let me treat you. This place has great soy milk with fried dough sticks, and their buns are thin-skinned and full of filling—you should try them.”

Qin Muye looked at her coldly. “No need.”

The air instantly turned awkward.

Qin Muye, however, remained calm, seemingly unaware anything was wrong.

Kexia felt a little embarrassed. For someone who kept saying he wanted to marry her, his attitude was doing her no favors.