Chapter 5: The Eldest Sister-in-Law Ruined Her Reputation

Li Lan stormed out of the south room, her face filled with anger.

Su Tang, holding half a sunflower seed cake, sat leisurely at the doorway, cracking sunflower seeds. She smiled gently at Li Lan. “Eldest Sister-in-law is so idle, running around all day. I’ll tell Mom when she gets back.”

“Tell her what? Mom agreed I don’t have to work,” Li Lan snapped, her anger flaring at the sight of Su Tang.

It’s just because she’s pretty! She tricked the foolish Third Brother, and even charmed the Second Brother’s wife to her side.

“As the eldest sister-in-law, you’re stirring up trouble between your sisters-in-law.”

“I, when did I ever stir up trouble between you?” Li Lan vehemently denied.

“Just now,” Yu Miaomiao appeared from nowhere, leaning against the doorframe, yawning. She looked perpetually sleepy. “Third Sister-in-law, Eldest Sister-in-law just said a lot of bad things about you in my room.”

Li Lan: !!!

Is this backstabbing? Are they crazy?!

She even kindly helped mend the curtains!

“Sigh, I just got married, my in-laws haven’t said anything yet, and the eldest sister-in-law already dislikes me. I can’t live like this, I want a divorce…” Su Tang sobbed, though not a single tear fell.

Li Lan remembered hearing Yu Miaomiao mumbling about divorce in her half-asleep state earlier in Yu Miaomiao’s room.

Now Su Tang brought it up again, and she felt a pang of anxiety.

These two, are they trying to swindle the Mu family’s betrothal gifts?

If this really leads to a divorce, she would become the eternal sinner of the Mu family!

Before Li Lan could figure out a response, two heads popped up over the wall to the left: “Third Brother’s wife, what’s wrong?”

It was the Mu family’s nemesis: Old Lady Gao and her second daughter, Gao Chunyan.

The two houses were separated by a wall, built by both families. But during construction, both families tried to minimize their effort and materials. They almost fought over who would build half a foot less of the wall.

This afternoon, these two lazybones didn’t go to work. Hearing gossip from the Mu family, they immediately got excited.

“Nothing, nothing, the three of us were just joking around!” Li Lan quickly forced a smile, winking at Su Tang. “Don’t say anything!”

Su Tang pretended not to see, continuing to showcase her acting skills, crying convincingly. “Eldest Sister-in-law said bad things about me, I’m so heartbroken…”

Li Lan had never seen someone so good at pretending!

But she had no way to deal with Su Tang, so she gritted her teeth and said in a low voice, “I apologize! Is that okay?”

Su Tang wouldn’t let her off so easily.

The so-called intimidation is to strike back hard when others try to intimidate you.

“Words are just words, you can say anything. But deep down, it’s not sincere,” Su Tang said.

“Then what do you want?”

“My heart is bitter, my mouth is bitter too, I want candy…”

Li Lan was so annoyed by Su Tang that she felt a pain in her chest and prepared to ignore her.

But Old Lady Gao asked kindly, “Third Brother’s wife, what exactly did she do to you? Tell us, and Auntie will help you!”

“Yeah! We’ll all help you,” Gao Chunyan chimed in.

“Then I’ll tell you.” Su Tang took a sip of water, clearing her throat, ready to speak.

Li Lan covered her mouth, “Half a block of rock sugar!”

“Deal!”

Su Tang stopped when she had the upper hand, smiling at Old Lady Gao. “Auntie, my eldest sister-in-law wants to give me half a block of rock sugar, but I don’t want it, so she’s angry!”

“Uh…”

Old Lady Gao and Gao Chunyan looked at each other in bewilderment.

Rock sugar is so precious, only a fool would give it away. Only a fool would refuse it.

So it’s two fools, they wasted their effort climbing the wall.

Li Lan turned to get the rock sugar, but heard Yu Miaomiao calmly say, “Auntie, my eldest sister-in-law is so generous, she also wants to give me half a block of rock sugar!”

Li Lan:………

Gritting her teeth, she found a block of rock sugar from the cabinet, broke it in two, and gave it to Su Tang and Yu Miaomiao.

“Thank you, Eldest Sister-in-law!”

“Eldest Sister-in-law is so kind.”

Li Lan was already too heartbroken to speak.

She wanted to stir up trouble between them, but instead, they ganged up on her!

After Old Lady Gao and Gao Chunyan left, she whispered, “Don’t tell Mother about the rock sugar. Or you’ll be sorry!”

“Okay.”

Su Tang replied obediently.

Li Lan’s blood pressure soared again, and she muttered curses before returning to her room.

Yu Miaomiao walked across the courtyard to Su Tang and gave her her half-block of rock sugar. “You eat it, I don’t like it.”

“Thank you, sister!”

The original owner had low blood sugar and fainted several times while working in the drama. Li Lan spread rumors in the village that she was faking illness and being lazy, ruining her reputation.

And this rock sugar was originally a gift from the original owner.

To marry Mu Jingzhou, the original owner not only fawned over Mu Jingzhou but also tried to please Li Lan. She gave her rock sugar and cloth, hoping Li Lan would speak up for her.

And the result?

After receiving the gifts, Li Lan went around belittling her: “She keeps running to our house, no girl would be so eager to get married!”

“She’s probably not clean… our Mu family wouldn’t want someone like that…”

It can be said that Li Lan ruined a large part of Su Tang’s reputation.

Su Tang broke the rock sugar into small pieces, put one in her mouth, and wrapped the rest in paper into two small packets. She put the larger packet in the house and kept the smaller one in her pocket for easy access.

Although she didn’t work, she still took precautions. She didn’t want to fall and injure her face, affecting her career after the divorce.

“I think you’re just lacking nutrition, I’ll take you to the city to eat meat tomorrow,” Yu Miaomiao said.

Su Tang rolled her eyes. “Sister, too many empty promises are not sweet.”

“Really. I have money.” Yu Miaomiao pulled out five yuan from her pocket. “Look.”

“Wow! Five yuan!” Su Tang’s eyes lit up.

“Look at you, so unworldly, like you won five hundred,” Yu Miaomiao laughed.

“Where did you get the money?”

“Mu Jingyun gave it to me this morning.”

Su Tang was envious. “He gave you control of the household finances?”

“I’m a stand-in, how could he possibly give me all his money? He just gave me five yuan as pocket money,” Yu Miaomiao said.

“It’s better than me, a lickspittle. Sigh! Mu Jingzhou, that bastard, is going to sleep me to death, and he hasn’t given me a single cent,” Su Tang sighed sadly.

Yu Miaomiao patted her and comforted her, “Mine is yours.”

“Mmm.”

Su Tang smiled outwardly, but secretly vowed: Tonight, I absolutely will not sleep with Mu Jingzhou!

There are no wives who sleep for free in this world!

He can’t sleep with her while saving money for his white moonlight.

If he’s saving, it should be for her!

Li Lan, having mended a curtain and lost a piece of rock sugar, was angry in her room and decided to open the window for some air.

As soon as she opened the window, she saw the two women sitting opposite, cracking sunflower seeds and chatting, and slammed the window shut.

Bang! A cloud of dust rose from the window crack.

Su Tang is too good at pretending.

Before, she would call the eldest sister-in-law sweetly and gave her sugar and cloth, very sensible.

Now, just after getting married, she got back the rock sugar she gave. Truly a slave turned queen! Perhaps she wants to get back the cloth she gave as well.

No!

Li Lan took out the cloth, hid it in her clothes, and secretly went out.

Su Tang caught sight of a piece of new floral cloth peeking out from under her old clothes and winked at Yu Miaomiao.