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On the east side of the river, the Daliang’s family had just finished their dinner. There wasn’t much left on the table, clearly showing how hearty their appetites were. Sitting beside the table were the satisfied Zhao Dazhu’s family members.
Zhang Qingniang felt very unlucky. Her life had been so difficult. Finally, she married a man who seemed decent and capable, although he had a previous wife who had left. Now she was Zhao Daliang’s only wife, looking forward to a peaceful and stable life ahead—raising children and living a simple life. Little did she know, his family was quite something. His tricky mother-in-law and trouble-making younger sister were one thing, but now his eldest brother’s family, who had been adopted into another family, always came to stir up trouble. They even thought they would inherit her property in the future. What did this all mean?
Thinking back to the past, Zhang Qingniang felt uneasy. She knew her mother-in-law favored Tiedan, who was her only grandson. So when Tiedan clamored for a large garden, her mother-in-law would usually go along with him, although she might not actually expect her to pay for the house. But she still felt uncomfortable. Looking at Dazhu’s wife sitting beside her, picking her teeth with a bamboo stick after a hearty belch, Zhang Qingniang thought about how their family always came to feast and drink. With such family members, it was no wonder Liu Siniang had such a tough time.
Thinking about how comfortably Liu Siniang lived now, Zhang Qingniang sighed inwardly and grew angrier about her own situation. Even as a remarried woman, Liu Siniang lived so well. Why did she have to live like this now?
“I feel dizzy. I’m going back inside to rest.”
Despite her displeasure, Zhang Qingniang wouldn’t lose her temper in front of her family. She wasn’t that kind of person. She knew she couldn’t outwit Dazhu’s wife, and she had to maintain her dignity. Moreover, marrying Zhao Daliang after his divorce from Liu Siniang had already tarnished her reputation somewhat. She didn’t want it to get worse. So if she had to do something, she would do it discreetly.
Now, Zhang Qingniang just wanted to keep her distance from the eldest brother’s and his wife. She was annoyed just looking at them.
Zhao Xiaohua stood up and said, “Sister-in-law, let me help you back to your room.”
Zhang Qingniang shook her head. “No need. Stay here with Big Brother, Big Sister, and Tiedan.” With that, she had the maid support her as she walked away.
Zhao Xiaohua felt a bit disappointed. She loved visiting this sister-in-law’s room. Every time she went there, she might find something good, like beautiful jewelry, sachets, or clothes. However, she didn’t get many chances to go because this sister-in-law didn’t like others entering her room. If she didn’t allow it, it wasn’t easy for anyone to enter, and Zhao Xiaohua had only been inside a few times, which could count on one hand.
Just as she thought this, Zhao Xiaohua suddenly remembered Liu Siniang. Perhaps it was easier to bully Liu Siniang.
Dazhu’s wife saw Zhang Qingniang leaving and blinked her eyes. “Little sister-in-law has a headache, that’s troublesome. We should have the doctor look at her before it turns into something serious. In my mother’s village, there was someone who always had headaches. Eventually, they went crazy and foolish, forgetting everything that happened before.”
Dazhu pulled his wife aside, wondering how she dared say such things. Didn’t she see everyone’s expression darken?
Zhao Daliang said unhappily, “Big Sister, Qingniang just feels a bit dizzy. She just needs some rest. Why do you make it sound like a serious illness? It’s lucky you’re part of the family, or I’d think you were cursing her. Don’t say such things in front of her in the future. Otherwise, you might not be welcome in this house.”
Dazhu grinned apologetically at Zhao Daliang. “Younger brother, don’t be angry. Your sister-in-law is just a blunt person.”
“You’re the blunt one.”
Dazhu’s wife shot a glare at her husband.
Old Aunt Li cleared her throat, lifting her eyelids to gaze at Dazhu’s wife. “What kind of person you are, that’s for your husband to decide. Can you even scold him in front of me, an old woman? Do you still think little of me? If you don’t respect me, then get out. I don’t want to see you.”
Seeing her angry, Dazhu’s wife quickly plastered on a smile. She couldn’t afford to offend this mother-in-law. If she did, she might lose the chance to take advantage of things. If she couldn’t get this large garden in the end, it might not belong to them. Dazhu’s wife had always wanted this house.
“Mother, it’s my fault. I spoke out of turn. I’m not very articulate, please don’t be angry with me. You know I have a straightforward personality, but I am filial to you and take good care of the household. It’s not worth being angry with me. If you get upset, I’ll feel uneasy.”
Dazhu’s wife knew how to scold and please people with her words. She nudged her son to help speak up.
Tiedan was accustomed to his mother’s instructions and began to act cute towards his grandmother, finally making her laugh.
Old Li was fond of Tiedan and softened a bit at his call. After exchanging a few words with Tiedan, she looked back at Dazhu’s wife and huffed. “Be more careful with your words in the future. Don’t corrupt my grandson. If you do, I won’t spare you. You’ll go back to your mother’s house, and I’ll raise my grandson myself. I’ll definitely raise him better than you and maybe even turn him into an official.”
Dazhu’s wife listened quietly beside them, not speaking aloud but feeling furious inside. She thought the old lady was trying to scare her and even wanted to take her son away. It was wishful thinking.
“Mother, I understand now. I was just worried about little sister-in-law. I’m straightforward and say what I know. If she’s really sick, shouldn’t we take care of it sooner? Since little sister-in-law came here, she’s been dizzy often. Can I not worry?”
Dazhu’s wife was still unwilling to give up. She finished what she wanted to say earlier, looking at Zhao Daliang’s expression. She thought to herself, “I said it for her own good. What can he do to me? I meant well.”
The old woman pondered for a moment. She thought of telling Zhao Daliang to have a doctor look at Zhang Qingniang, but hesitated. After all, it would cost money to hire a doctor. Zhang Qingniang seemed fine usually, not showing signs of illness. Maybe they shouldn’t call a doctor. If they did, it might make her actually sick. She was reluctant to spend money and needed another reason.
“My wife isn’t sick, it’s just too hot these days, and she hasn’t rested well,” Zhao Daliang said, casting a warning glance at Dazhu’s wife, signaling her to stop. He knew Zhang Qingniang wasn’t suffering from headaches, and he also knew she was avoiding his elder brother and sister-in-law, hence the excuse to avoid them. Truth be told, he didn’t want to see them either, but with his mother around, he couldn’t easily turn them away.
Zhao Xiaohua added from the side, “Yes, these days I’ve been feeling off too, like my whole body isn’t right. It seems I need to replenish myself well in this heat.”
She mentioned wanting to eat good supplements, watching Su Zhi’s increasingly beautiful skin, and felt jealous and envious, so she thought about eating some supplements and could also change her skin for the better
Upon hearing this, Zhao Daliang sighed inwardly. He had been away for several years, and upon returning home, he found his family had somehow changed.
Finally, Zhao Dazhu pulled his wife and child away. He felt that staying any longer might upset his younger brother. If he couldn’t come back here in the future, it wouldn’t be good.
Zhao Daliang returned to his room and spent a while coaxing Zhang Qingniang until she was happy again. They strategized together, thinking they couldn’t let Zhao Dazhu and his family visit too often.
“Don’t speak ill of Qingniang in front of Mother and Second Brother anymore. Be careful, or you might not be welcome here anymore. Qingniang isn’t someone easy to deal with. A country woman like you can’t afford to provoke her,” Zhao Daliang warned.
Zhao Dazhu held his son, Tiedan, who was already dozing off and snoring softly. He admonished his wife, knowing he wasn’t foolish and sometimes saw things clearly. He had naturally noticed that his wife was scheming against Zhang Qingniang today.
Dazhu’s wife retorted, “I’m doing this for our own good. What I said earlier wasn’t just talk. If Zhang Qingniang gets sick, it would be good for us. If she really goes crazy and forgets everything, it would be even better. Then everything she owns would be ours.”
“Don’t talk nonsense. Second Sister-in-law just has a bit of dizziness. It’s normal in this heat. She’s obviously used to a good life. Coming to this poor place and having health problems wouldn’t make sense. Why are you dreaming of her going crazy? Stop saying such things in the future.”
“I’m just dreaming. What’s wrong with that? Hmph, it’s just to plant a seed in Mother’s mind. If anything happens in the future, we can say she went crazy and benefit from it.”
Dazhu’s wife thought to herself that her mother-in-law wasn’t easy to get along with. Zhang Qingniang was clever, but if she found a way, she could still make the mother-in-law dislike her. Then, she could make it seem like Zhang Qingniang had gone crazy. Right now, she was just planting a seed in her mother-in-law’s mind, but maybe this seed would come in handy in the future.
Dazhu’s wife thought it would be best if Zhang Qingniang was treated as a crazy woman. Then all her dowry would belong to their Zhao family, and she could benefit from it.
“You’re always thinking about these things. I wonder if it’ll bring any good karma for our son,” Zhao Dazhu said. He liked taking advantage of situations too, but he couldn’t plot against his family like this. Hearing his son’s snoring, he scolded his wife with just a few words.
Dazhu’s wife huffed, “What, are you feeling sorry for her because she looks good?”
“What nonsense are you talking about?” Zhao Dazhu exclaimed. In the darkness, no one could see his face clearly, but it turned completely red. He enjoyed looking at beautiful women but only dared to do so discreetly. Now that his wife had mentioned it, he felt genuinely worried.
Before Dazhu’s wife could argue further, she suddenly exclaimed, “Oh my god!” It turned out there were several dark figures moving not far ahead, some emitting green light, which looked terrifying in the night.