Chapter 7: The Unreasonable Sister-in-Law

He Yuling rolled her eyes, but these were minor details.

The main point was what she said next: “Second brother and his wife both live at school and are busy all day. Since you’re more available here, you should go help out. After all, Mom and Dad aren’t young anymore; we can’t put all this burden on them!”

Zhou Changping couldn’t help but glance at his wife. “Don’t harbor any improper thoughts.”

Having been married for years, who didn’t know whom?

He Yuling glanced at the doorway and whispered, “How is it ‘improper thoughts’ from me? Mom and Dad are old. They can take care of Changdong now, but what about later? Who will take care of him then? We’ll also have a day when we can’t do it anymore. Won’t our Yongshun have to do it then? Do you really want Yongshun to waste his life?”

She and Zhou Changping only had one son. When she was pregnant with him, the Old Zhou family cherished her greatly, and she couldn’t control her appetite. In that era of scarce resources, she actually overate and made the baby a giant infant!

An eight-pound-plus baby, giving birth truly took half her life.

Although she delivered successfully in the end, it damaged her body, and she didn’t have any more children afterward.

This son was, of course, He Yuling’s lifeblood and the Old Zhou family’s only grandson at the moment!

Because Zhou Changan and Lin Fang had been married for so many years, and there was no sign of a child!

He Yuling had long suspected they couldn’t have children!

So, whose responsibility would her brother-in-law’s burden fall on in the future? Of course, her own son would take over!

She didn’t mind her son handling it because that was three thousand yuan!

One-third of a “ten thousand yuan household”!

And, there was still thirty yuan every month!

She knew her husband had worked for how many years, and his monthly salary was only forty!

“Alright, we’ll talk about these things later,” Zhou Changping said.

He Yuling knew his personality; he was just too concerned about appearances to say it directly!

However, He Yuling wasn’t in a hurry. Once Su Lüyun left, she would definitely discuss the ownership of those three thousand yuan with her mother-in-law!

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Meanwhile, after Wang Guifen returned to the Old Su family, her eldest daughter-in-law, Hou Cuicui, immediately came forward, “Mom, how is little sister doing? Is brother-in-law really a vegetable?”

After Zhou Changdong was carried back, it was her cousin Zhao Yuzhu who came to inform them.

Her voice was louder than a loudspeaker; now everyone in the area knew that the Old Su family’s promising son-in-law, who became a company commander at a young age, had become a vegetable and was carried back!

Wang Guifen sighed, “It seems he won’t get better!”

Hou Cuicui’s eyes widened. “Then what do we do?” Would that troublemaking sister-in-law come back to live at her parents’ house? How could that be?!

“We’ll talk about it after your dad and the others come back!” Wang Guifen could only say.

Hou Cuicui’s heart sank when she saw her mother-in-law’s expression.

If Zhou Changdong, the brother-in-law, became a vegetable, then her sister-in-law, with her temperament, would absolutely not stay. Ten times out of ten, she would divorce and come back to her parents’ house.

But if this sister-in-law were a good person, it would be fine. But what kind of person was this sister-in-law? She was the ultimate among the ultimate “unreasonable” types!

Saying she was a troublemaker was not wrong at all!

Hou Cuicui wished she would never come back!

However, given the current situation, that seemed impossible; her in-laws would definitely take her back!

Just as she was thinking this, her son Su Yang, and daughter Su Yuan, as well as her eldest niece Su Man, returned from school. As soon as Su Man came back, she put down her schoolbag and went to grab a broom to sweep the yard.

Su Yang and Su Yuan, the brother and sister, immediately yelled they were hungry when they got home. “Mom, is there anything to eat? We’re starving!”

Hou Cuicui was annoyed. “You come back and immediately yell you’re hungry? Are you hungry ghosts reincarnated?!”

“What are you saying? The children are hungry; give them something to eat first, don’t scold them!” Wang Guifen pulled three milk candies from her pocket, giving one to each of the three siblings, frowning.

Su Yang and Su Yuan happily took them. Su Man shook her head, “Grandma, I don’t need it.”

“If she doesn’t want it, give it to me!” Su Yuan said.

“One for each!” Wang Guifen didn’t waste words and directly gave one to her eldest granddaughter, whom her second daughter-in-law had brought into the family.

Hou Cuicui couldn’t help but say, seeing her mother-in-law hand out milk candy that cost 1.5 yuan per jin, “Mom, you say it lightly, but our family of four relies on Lüshan’s forty yuan monthly salary to live. If they eat like this, how much money will be enough?”

They were divided families, even though they still lived in the same house. After her brother-in-law got married, her in-laws split their family into two households. After all, how precious were houses in those days? Even if the workplace allocated housing, it was hard to get one.

The whole big family still lived together, but they ate separately, each providing their own meals.

Their family of four had to live on Su Lüshan’s forty-two yuan monthly salary, and while they could get by, it was a very tight existence!

After all, living wasn’t just about three meals a day; there were also social obligations, all expenses!

However, on regular days, her mother-in-law Wang Guifen would subsidize them a bit because her father-in-law Su Zhenguo’s salary was very high; he was a senior technician at his workplace.

Every month, he would subsidize both their families with ten yuan each.

As a result, their respective small lives were quite comfortable.

But Hou Cuicui knew very well that if her sister-in-law divorced and came back, there would definitely be no more subsidies!

She had once overheard her sister-in-law trying to persuade her mother-in-law to stop giving them subsidies, wanting to take both subsidies for herself!

Of course, Wang Guifen refused.

But Hou Cuicui held it against her sister-in-law!

Wang Guifen didn’t know about her displeasure and was annoyed when she heard the complaints. She glared at her and said, “You still think forty-two yuan a month for the eldest son is too little? Go ask around; how many people your age in this area earn more than him! If you took less back to your maternal home, would your brother and sister still starve?”

Don’t think she didn’t know that this eldest daughter-in-law loved to show off at her maternal home!

But she didn’t care how she showed off, as long as her grandchildren weren’t hungry; she was giving subsidies!

She could speak because she was giving money. If she hadn’t given money, she guaranteed she wouldn’t say a word!

Hou Cuicui didn’t want to argue with her mother-in-law and could only go into the kitchen to cook.

Su Yang was carefree and didn’t take his mother’s anger seriously. He ate his milk candy happily and took out his homework to start writing.

Su Yuan had originally wanted to come back and ask her mother for some pocket money to buy a hair tie, but with her mother in such a bad mood, what could she do?

After a slight hesitation, she smartly went into the kitchen to help her mother.

And, gritting her teeth, she peeled her own milk candy and offered it: “Mom, I know you’re working hard, have a candy.”

Hou Cuicui ate it without hesitation, which made Su Yuan’s heart ache!

But she didn’t forget to quietly ask her mother why she was in a bad mood.

Hou Cuicui snapped, “Your brother-in-law has become a vegetable, and your little aunt is likely going to divorce him and come back!”

Su Yuan exclaimed in surprise: “Really? Little aunt is coming back?” Little aunt is the most generous to her!

Hou Cuicui looked at her daughter’s face, which resembled her little aunt’s in some ways, and grew impatient!

She didn’t know what sin she had committed, but her own daughter didn’t resemble her; both her appearance and temper were like her sister-in-law’s!

Out of all people, why her sister-in-law? It was infuriating!

Since it was getting late, Su Zhenguo returned shortly after.

Wang Guifen saw him and quickly said, “Changdong is back!”

Before Su Zhenguo could happily say he wanted his son-in-law, whom he hadn’t seen in three years, to bring his daughter back for dinner, Wang Guifen recounted how her son-in-law had been carried back and was now a vegetable!

Su Zhenguo’s words caught in his throat, and he froze!

“What did you say? Changdong became a vegetable?”

“I went to see him myself, how could I be wrong? From the looks of it, there’s no hope!” Wang Guifen said.

Su Zhenguo was about to push the bicycle he had just brought into the yard back out; he had to go to the Old Zhou family to see.

Wang Guifen pulled him back, “Don’t rush over yet!”

She made him park the bike, then pulled him into the house to talk, explaining her desire for their daughter to divorce.

Su Zhenguo said, “Although doing so might seem a bit unfair to the Old Zhou family, it’s the only way.”

No one wanted to see their son-in-law in this state, but their daughter was still young and couldn’t be delayed like this forever.