“We three grown men wouldn’t do these things,” Lin Yongnian said confidently. “Liu Qin just married into the family; it’s unreasonable to expect her to do housework right after coming in.”

Old Madam Li sneered, “I’m just the lowly one, the old workhorse and servant of the Lin family. Even though I ended up in the hospital because of all this, you still expect me to come back and clean up?”

“You…” Lin Yongnian was momentarily speechless. “Who treats you like an old workhorse or servant? You used to do all these chores yourself and never once complained. But as soon as Liu Qin came, you started grumbling. Do you just hate Liu Qin that much?”

Lin Yongnian thought maybe she was unhappy with Liu Qin as a daughter-in-law, that was why she acted this way.

He never considered that Liu Qin wasn’t really at fault, and that she was quite respectful toward him as her father-in-law.

That old man was really good at shifting blame.

She clearly said it was their problem — she ended up in the hospital, and they still expected her to come back and do the work.

It was clearly a family conflict between her and those men, but he twisted it into a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law issue.

“I don’t hate Liu Qin. I just see right through you men. Over the years, I’ve worked outside, done the laundry and cooking, taken care of the children — all by myself. If I don’t do the housework, and Xiao Yu doesn’t do it, then no one will. You men show zero gratitude for what I’ve done for this family. Instead, you act like it’s all just normal and owed to you…”

“That’s how it should be!” Lin Yongnian rudely interrupted. “In every family, these chores are the woman’s work. Xiao Yu is just a girl and should be more diligent. If she doesn’t do housework now, when she marries out and is lazy at her husband’s, won’t people say we, her parents, didn’t raise her right?”

Old Madam Li looked at Lin Yongnian with utter disappointment, thinking there was no point trying to reason with him.

Lin Yongnian continued, “Besides, you’re not working now, so you’re the only one at home doing nothing. If you don’t do the chores, then who will?”

Old Madam Li trembled with rage, grabbed Lin Yongnian’s water cup from the table, and smashed it on the floor, yelling, “I’m doing nothing! I’m doing nothing!”

As she spoke, she threw anything she could find in the living room to the ground.

“I’m doing nothing! I’m doing nothing!”

In her past life, the phrase “doing nothing” followed her through the latter half of her life.

She didn’t have a job, earned no salary, and had no pension.

Even though she helped raise the children and lived with her son’s family doing housework, both the old man and her son and daughter-in-law treated her as if she was just freeloading and a burden.

Because she was “doing nothing,” she wasn’t allowed to express dissatisfaction, couldn’t be picky, and had no right to voice opinions on anything.

Even when her son and daughter-in-law called her freeloading to her face, she had to force a smile.

She had worked hard all her life for the children and family — how could she be just “doing nothing”?

Lin Yongnian didn’t know why the old woman suddenly lost control.

Seeing her about to smash the hot water bottle, he quickly caught her.

“Li Shuping, what are you going crazy for again? Do you want to get beaten?”

Lin Xiaoyu was scared and worried her dad might hit her mom.

She quickly dropped her book and grabbed her dad’s hand, “Dad, you can’t hit Mom.”

“What’s going on now?” Neighbors in the yard heard the commotion and gathered outside the Lin family’s door.

Before Lin Yongnian could say anything, Old Madam Li sat down on the floor, patting her chest and crying loudly.

“Ah, uh uh uh, ah…”

Her cries were so mournful, as if burdened by the world’s greatest grievance — truly heart-wrenching.

“Mom, Mom…” Lin Xiaoyu hugged her mother and cried along.

Lin Yongnian was stunned. The old woman went crazy and started crying first.

“Did Lin Yongnian hit Shuping again?” Aunt Wang squeezed into the kitchen and glared at Lin Yongnian angrily.

“Men never change, dogs never stop eating shit, and men never stop hitting their wives!”

“I—I didn’t hit her. She suddenly lost it on her own,” Lin Yongnian protested helplessly, he hadn’t even laid a hand on her.

Old Madam Li, tears streaming, glared at Lin Yongnian, “You didn’t hit me, but your words could kill me.”

“Since I married into the Lin family, I’ve respected my in-laws, borne your children, managed all the housework, and worked. Have you, Lin Yongnian, ever cared about the kids? When the oil bottle fell, you never even helped pick it up. I’m not unemployed. Like you, I work too — I’m a grade-seven seamstress at a garment factory making eighty yuan a month!”

“Now, so that the second son can get married, I gave my job to him. In this family, and in your mouth, Lin Yongnian, I, Li Shuping, am ‘doing nothing’!”

“I’m doing nothing! I’m freeloading off the Lin family!” Old Madam Li slapped her chest hard, tears pouring down, heartbroken.

“Look, Old Lin, what you said was wrong. Even if Guodong’s mom isn’t working now, she runs the whole household and takes care of the grandson.

When you come home from work, there’s hot food on the table, clean clothes to wear, and a tidy home. How can you say she’s doing nothing?” Old Liu, a welder from the same workshop as Lin Yongnian, said disapprovingly.

Old Liu’s wife also doesn’t work and runs the home, raises children, and he’s never called her a freeloader.

“That’s right. Li Shuping has worked so hard for your family. For you to say something like that is truly hurtful,” Aunt Zhao angrily scolded Lin Yongnian.

Aunt Wang pointed her finger in Lin Yongnian’s face. “Lin Yongnian, if anyone’s contributed to this family, it’s Shuping. For over twenty years, she’s worked, raised kids, and done housework. When your mother was sick for half a year, it was Shuping who took care of her, spoon-feeding and nursing her, even giving her a clock as a gift.”

“What have you done, Lin Yongnian? Just work your job and sit at home like a lord waiting to eat and drink. What right do you have to say Shuping does nothing?”

Lin Yongnian: “I…”

“Old Lin, don’t argue anymore. Apologize to your wife now.”

“Yes, apologize quickly. Shuping has taken care of you and your sons comfortably, yet in your eyes, she’s a freeloader.”

Lin Yongnian had no comeback, so he swallowed his pride and apologized, “Wife, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have said you’re doing nothing. I’m sorry, please don’t be angry.”

It was the first time in his life he apologized to anyone.

He hoped Li Shuping would let it go and not press the issue.

Old Madam Li looked up and glared fiercely. He apologized for calling her a freeloader, but she knew in his heart he still believed it, and it wouldn’t change.

In fact, in many years to come, he would keep saying those words and believe she depended on him and the sons.

Suddenly, she realized something: the children’s attitude toward her was completely influenced by Lin Yongnian.

He never acknowledged her contributions and always spoke to her impatiently and scolded her, telling her what she did wrong without holding back in front of the children.

The children learned from him.

The two daughters-in-law learned from their husbands.

After all, if the sons didn’t respect their own mother, how could the daughters-in-law?

“You’re not wrong…” Old Madam Li shook her head. “I’m the one who’s wrong — wrong for being blind to marry you, Lin Yongnian, and for degrading myself to be a servant and housekeeper for your family.”