Chapter 19

“He was the one who tried to snatch my eggs first!”

Tang Zhou calmly explained, though his tone was steady and unyielding. He glanced nervously at Lu Huaijing, worried he might blame his sister.

“Did you try to take Zhou Zhou’s eggs?” Wang Dani glared at Lu Qiming, frustrated. “Qiming, what did I tell you before I left? Zhou Zhou is a guest here, and you’re not to bully him. Did you just ignore your grandma’s words?”

Wang Dani had long been displeased with Li Cuihua, and seeing her bad influence on her grandson only made her angrier.

“Mother, your grandson got beaten by an outsider, and instead of taking his side, you scold him?” Li Cuihua yanked her husband, the mild-mannered Lu Huairen, forward and pointed accusingly at Tang Zhou.

“Lu Huairen, your son got bullied, and if you don’t stand up for him, we’re getting divorced!”

“Third Brother,” Lu Huairen looked helplessly at Lu Huaijing. “Your brother-in-law hit Qiming…”

“It was Qiming’s fault to begin with,” Lu Huaijing interjected coldly. He wasn’t one to play favorites and gave Tang Wan a reassuring glance before continuing with a stern expression. “Is this how you treat guests in your home?”

“Mother…” Lu Huairen looked to Wang Dani for support, clearly hoping she’d defend his eldest grandson.

But Wang Dani’s face darkened, and she scolded Li Cuihua harshly. “How many times have I told you? If you let him steal small things as a child, he’ll steal big things as an adult! Today, he dares to snatch his third uncle’s brother-in-law’s food—what’s next? Robbing a bank?

And you still have the audacity to demand justice? I’ll teach him a lesson myself!”

Wang Dani grabbed a large broom from the yard and struck Lu Qiming several times.

“Grandma, I won’t do it again! I promise, I won’t!” Lu Qiming cried out in terror. He turned to his mother for help, wailing, “Mom, help me! Didn’t you say Auntie wouldn’t dare tell Grandma about this because she’s from the city?”

“You little brat, shut your mouth!” Li Cuihua’s face turned pale at her son’s words. Tang Wan, watching with an amused expression, said mockingly, “Oh, so it was Sister-in-law who taught him this. No wonder Mother’s so angry.”

“I didn’t!” Li Cuihua shouted, her face red and her neck bulging with veins as she glared at Lu Huairen.

“Lu Huairen, are you just going to stand there like a statue?”

“Cuihua, you were wrong to do this. How could you teach Qiming to behave like that?” Lu Huairen finally understood why his mother had always called Li Cuihua a troublemaker. It all made sense now why she had opposed their marriage.

“Lu Huairen!” Li Cuihua looked at her husband in disbelief. Even Lu Huaijing was standing up for his wife, but her own husband was criticizing her? Furious, she turned to her two daughters, Da Ya and Er Ya, who were trembling in the corner.

“You two useless girls, what are you standing there for? Come and help!”

Da Ya and Er Ya flinched. Since they were little, their mother had favored their brother and often beat them. Fortunately, their grandmother still cared for them.

“Stop shouting and go make dinner!” Wang Dani tossed the broom aside and turned to Tang Wan with an apologetic expression. “Third Daughter-in-law, it’s my fault for not managing the household better. Qiming, apologize to your uncle!”

“Sorry,” Lu Qiming mumbled, looking like a mouse facing a cat. He didn’t dare rebel in front of Wang Dani.

Tang Zhou responded graciously, “It’s okay. You didn’t mean it. I forgive you.”

His words made Li Cuihua’s face flush red. The implication that Qiming was following her orders stung, especially as Tang Wan smiled so brightly. The sight filled Li Cuihua with even more resentment.

Just then, the second son of the Lu family, Lu Huaide, returned from the city with his wife and daughters. Lu Huaide and Wang Shuhua had two daughters. As soon as they stepped into the house, they noticed the tense atmosphere.

“Mother, what’s going on here?” Lu Huaide asked, frowning slightly. He had no interest in family drama and was already itching to head back to the city.

“It’s nothing serious.”

Wang Dani’s loving gaze fell on her two granddaughters, and she quickly introduced Tang Wan and Tang Zhou to them.

“This is the third son’s wife and her younger brother.”

“Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law,” Tang Wan greeted politely, her expression flawless.

Lu Huaide smiled kindly at Tang Wan’s gentle and dignified demeanor. Turning to his two daughters, he said, “Xiao Kui, Xiao Ju, greet your Third Aunt.”

“Third Aunt.”
“Third Aunt.”

The two children, aged five and three, were well-cared for, their fair complexions making them more likable compared to the children of the eldest brother’s family.

“Yes,” Tang Wan responded warmly, pulling out two White Rabbit candies from her pocket and handing them to the children. Nearby, Li Cuihua curled her lips in disdain.

Two girls got White Rabbit candies, but her son didn’t get any?

“Third Sister-in-law, you can’t play favorites. My Qiming didn’t get any.”

“Shut up!” Wang Dani’s face twitched with anger at her troublesome daughter-in-law. Her son had just snatched someone else’s food, and now she wanted candy for him? Dream on!

Tang Wan calmly took out two more candies and handed them to Da Ya and Er Ya but deliberately excluded Lu Qiming. Lu Qiming glared resentfully at his two sisters.

“Thank you, Third Aunt,” the two girls said timidly, shrinking away from their mother’s and brother’s sharp gazes.

“What are you two brats eating for? Give it to your brother!”

Li Cuihua reached out to grab the candies, but Wang Dani smacked her away with a broom. “Stop stirring up trouble!”

“Mother!”

Li Cuihua tried to argue, but the usually quiet Lu Huairen slapped her across the face.

“Can’t you behave for once?!”

“You…” Li Cuihua glared venomously at Tang Wan. It was all her fault for not giving her son a candy. If she had, would she be getting hit and scolded?

Tang Wan: …

Wang Shuhua, disgusted by the chaos, pulled her two daughters back, clearly weary of such antics.

Lu Huaide ignored the commotion as best as he could. Smiling, he said to Lu Huaijing, “I heard from Eldest Brother that your wedding is tomorrow. I came back in a rush and didn’t bring much, so don’t hold it against me.”

“No need to be so formal among family,” Lu Huaijing replied coolly. Wang Shuhua merely nodded at Tang Wan before intending to take her children back to their room.

At that moment, Li Cuihua, who had always disliked Tang Wan, had a sly thought. Remembering some gossip she overheard earlier, she couldn’t resist making trouble.

“Mother, I heard from the village folks that the third son’s wife made the team leader’s daughter, Hongying, cry today.”

“Eldest Sister-in-law, who told you that?” Tang Wan’s heart sank, and she quickly glanced at Lu Huaijing. Could the team leader have been looking for trouble with him earlier?

“Everyone’s saying so,” Li Cuihua gloated. “You’ve got some nerve, offending the team leader as soon as you arrived!”

She cast a deliberate glance at Wang Shuhua. That proud Second Sister-in-law might not care about much, but surely she cared about the family’s reputation. After all, they hadn’t divided the household, so anything bad would reflect on the entire family.

“You’re mistaken, Eldest Sister-in-law. My wife didn’t do anything. I’m the one who made Hongying cry,” Lu Huaijing said, leaving the Lu family stunned. A grown man making a young woman cry?

At that moment, Lu Huaimei, who had just returned from school, overheard the conversation and stormed in angrily.

“Third Brother, Hongying has waited for you so long she’s practically an old maid, and you still made her cry? How could you be so heartless? I can’t believe I have such an inconsiderate brother!”

She was close to Lu Hongying, who had sobbed to her earlier. Lu Huaimei’s opinion of her new sister-in-law instantly plummeted.