Chapter 5: Half the Salary

Wang Yue, the eldest daughter-in-law, was already angry from being beaten, and when she heard the neighbors pointing fingers, she became even angrier.

“Do you have any ability to discern right from wrong? Didn’t you see me being beaten?”

The eldest son quickly came over to cover his wife’s mouth, what was the point of arguing with these old women, it was better to act pitiful and make everyone feel sorry for them, his wife just couldn’t keep her mouth shut!

“Your sister-in-law dared to hit you, you must have said something you shouldn’t have!” The neighbors said confidently, believing it was the eldest daughter-in-law’s fault.

The eldest daughter-in-law’s face turned red with anger, she wanted to retort, but her mouth was covered by the eldest son.

The second daughter-in-law glanced at her mother-in-law, seeing that they were all glaring at the eldest son and his wife with displeasure.

She patted the dirt off her clothes.

“Aunties and uncles, my sister-in-law called my mom an old hag, that’s why I hit her, don’t be fooled by her!”

“Oh my god! A daughter-in-law dares to curse her mother-in-law? There’s no justice in the world! I told you, this eldest daughter-in-law is no good!” Hu Dalaoba was like she had heard something incredible, her exaggerated expression, her high-pitched voice, it was as if her mouth was equipped with a loudspeaker.

The courtyard was filled with the echoes of her loud voice, if it weren’t for her gloating expression, everyone would really think she couldn’t stand the eldest daughter-in-law.

“Eldest brother, your wife is too much, no matter what, you can’t curse your mother-in-law! Besides, how has your mom wronged you? She’s been paying for your education for so many years, look at the cotton coat she’s wearing, there’s not much cotton inside, she’s not willing to change it, you treat your mom like this?” Lin Da姐 immediately spoke up for Wu Zhiqiu.

“That’s right, Old Li, you still have to go to the freight station to carry big bags after work, didn’t you give all the money to him? Xingguo, you can’t chill your parents’ hearts,” Ge Daye from the front courtyard also criticized the eldest son.

“Grandpa Ge, uncles and aunties, it’s not like that, my wife just spoke without thinking, she said the wrong thing, she wasn’t cursing my mom, she just said the wrong thing, we’ll apologize to Mom right away! My mom and dad worked so hard to pay for my education, how could my wife possibly curse my mom?”

It has to be said, the eldest son’s mouth was very good, his wife just couldn’t speak, she was naive, she didn’t really curse her mother-in-law.

After the eldest son finished speaking, he looked at Wu Zhiqiu, his eyes filled with pleading, if this got out, it wouldn’t be good for the reputation of the eldest son and his wife. They both worked in government departments, if they had this kind of reputation, they wouldn’t get any opportunities in the future.

Wu Zhiqiu remained expressionless, now he was begging her, when Wang Yue was pointing at her nose and cursing, why didn’t the eldest son say a word for her?

Although she had experienced all sorts of things in her previous life, she was still very desolate now.

“Eldest brother, since it was just a slip of the tongue, it’s good that the neighbors are all here, let’s not hide anything, let’s just make things clear.”

The eldest son thought that Wu Zhiqiu was going to help Wang Yue explain, he quickly nodded, “Don’t misunderstand! Wang Yue couldn’t possibly curse Mom!”

Wu Zhiqiu ignored him, she went to the door and looked at the neighbors.

She recounted what had happened, without adding fuel to the fire, after she finished speaking, she wiped the non-existent tears from the corner of her eyes with her sleeve, looking heartbroken.

“Oh my god! Your family married such a greedy and ungrateful daughter-in-law, why didn’t the eldest son beat her to death!”

“Which daughter-in-law gives her salary to her parents’ home after getting married, this is the first time I’ve heard of it!”

“With an attitude like that, how dare she curse her mother-in-law!”

“That’s right, that’s right! Isn’t her parents’ home a bottomless pit!”

“Sister-in-law, did you give eight hundred yuan in dowry when the eldest son got married, did you bring it with you?” Hu Dalaoba’s eyes were shining with gossip.

Wu Zhiqiu shook her head, “No! I didn’t see a penny!”

“Then does the eldest son give his salary to the family?” Hu Dalaoba continued to ask.

If anyone dared to ask at the time, Wu Zhiqiu would cover for the eldest son, allowing him to maintain the image of a filial and sensible eldest son among the neighbors.

Now, let’s see his true colors!

Wu Zhiqiu shook her head, “Our eldest son hasn’t given the family a penny since he started working!”

“Mom!” The eldest son exclaimed in disbelief.

“What’s wrong, did I say something wrong? Did you give it? Did I remember wrong?” Wu Zhiqiu pretended to be unsure.

The eldest son’s face turned red, his mother was saying this, how would he come back in the future, how would he face the neighbors?

“Oh my god! Old man! How can there be such a heartless son! You worked so hard to send him to university, and he doesn’t give anything back to the family after he starts working! What kind of books did he read?” Hu Dalaoba exclaimed dramatically.

The neighbors also pointed fingers, “He doesn’t care when his wife curses his mother, this son is a waste of raising!”

Wang Yue took advantage of Li Xingguo’s distraction and pulled his hand away.

“You don’t know anything, the family doesn’t lack money, why should Li Xingguo give his salary, we’re married, why should we still give our salary to the family!”

“You’re married, why are you still giving your salary to your parents’ home!” Lin Da姐 said disdainfully.

“That’s right, you got eight hundred yuan in dowry when you married him, you’re a member of the Li family, why are you still greedy?”

“Your in-laws still have younger brothers and sisters who haven’t gotten married or finished school, how can you say the family doesn’t lack money? The second son and his wife don’t work either, if the family didn’t lack money, would they have dragged it out until now?” Zhang Shenshi from the front courtyard also came over to join in the fun, they had lived in the same courtyard for so many years, everyone knew each other’s business.

“They’re all adults, what, do they still want to drink their big brother’s blood? If they want to find jobs, get married, or study, what does it have to do with us? Why should we give them money?” Wang Yue argued like a mad dog.

“Sister-in-law, I don’t like what you’re saying! Besides my little sister, ask your big brother, has he ever given us any money? Li Xingguo, you tell me yourself, all these years you’ve been in university, your tuition fees, living expenses, and dating expenses, weren’t they all paid by the family?

Did the family’s money belong to me, my big sister, and second brother? Have you ever given us a penny since you graduated? Even today, you two came back and you’re still thinking about the family’s money, and your parents’ jobs? How dare you let this shrew rant like this!”

The neighbors looked at the eldest son and his wife in disbelief.

They said, why was it so chaotic today, it turned out that the eldest son and his wife were still thinking about the old couple’s jobs, were they even human?

“Third brother, don’t talk nonsense, when did we ever think about Mom and Dad’s jobs?” The eldest son didn’t dare to take responsibility for this reputation.

“Humph, you dare to do it but not to admit it, then what did you come back for today, dare you say?” The third son looked at the eldest son disdainfully.

The eldest son also glared fiercely at his third brother.

“Eldest brother, you said you would start giving half your salary to the family this month, does that still count?” Wu Zhiqiu didn’t want to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

So many neighbors were watching, and in this situation, no matter how much Wang Yue barked, Li Xingguo still nodded.

Wu Zhiqiu quickly told the second son to get paper and pen, and told the third son to get the community committee member.

Under the witness of Ge Daye, Zeng Daye, and the community committee member, starting this month, Li Xingguo would give half of his salary to the family every month, as their parents’ living expenses.

The community committee member suggested setting a specific number, the eldest son’s salary was currently over seventy yuan, he suggested giving forty or thirty-five.

Wu Zhiqiu didn’t agree, she was joking, what could they do with forty or thirty-five in the future, she wanted half his salary, no matter how much it increased in the future, she would get half!