Font Size:
Old Tan and Wan Chunmei lingered at the door for a moment before stepping into the house.
Tan Xiaomei rose with a smile and asked, “I thought I heard someone outside earlier. What were you talking about?”
Wan Chunmei laughed as she recounted the story about the tree.
Tan Xiaomei’s expression instantly dimmed. “So, it was a gift after all…”
Old Tan stepped forward to console her. “Alright, Xiaomei, there’s no such thing as free pies falling from the sky. Let’s just keep working hard.”
Wan Chunmei took little Qiyue from her arms, smiling as she added, “But you’re right about one thing—our little Qiyue is indeed a lucky star, the blessing of our Tan family.”
Tan Xiaomei quickly joined in, “Yes, yes, she’s our little lucky star!”
Their laughter filled the dilapidated three-room mud house with warmth and joy.
With the tree settled, a mason hired, and the family stocked with firewood, grains, and cooking oil, everything seemed ready to start building the house.
But the night before construction was to begin, a visitor from Qiuyang Village arrived at the Tan family’s door.
“Dear in-laws! Are you home?!”
The visitors turned out to be Tan Xiaomei’s mother-in-law, Old Lady Jiang, and her husband, the eldest son of the Jiang family.
Old Tan and Wan Chunmei were just about to visit the Yu family when they heard the voices outside. Peeking out, their faces immediately darkened upon seeing who it was.
“Well, that didn’t take long. Just two days, and here they are,” Wan Chunmei muttered disdainfully.
Little Qiyue, who had been napping on the bed, opened her eyes slightly and turned to gaze out the window.
The two outside, seeing no movement in the house, knocked again, their voices tinged with irritation. “Dear in-laws, are you there?”
Tan Xiaomei shivered at the sound and quickly stepped back to hide.
Wan Chunmei grabbed her hand firmly and reassured her, “Don’t worry, Xiaomei. With your big brother and sister-in-law here, they won’t dare lay a finger on you!”
With that, she rose and headed for the door.
Old Tan called out, “Where are you going, Wife?”
Wan Chunmei raised an eyebrow and replied, “I’m going to deal with these two nuisances myself.”
Without waiting for a reply, she flung open the door and strode out.
Old Lady Jiang’s expression softened slightly when she saw Wan Chunmei. She smiled and said, “Dear in-law, is Xiaomei back?”
Wan Chunmei nodded. “Yes, she’s back.”
Old Lady Jiang peered into the house and said, “We’re here to take her back home today.”
Wan Chunmei’s voice grew louder. “How wonderful of you to come! I was just about to ask why you dared to lay a hand on my little sister!”
Old Lady Jiang face darkened, and the eldest son of the Jiang family expression turned furious as he glared at Wan Chunmei.
Wan Chunmei had no intention of being polite. She raised her voice further. “When my sister came home, her body was covered in injuries. You’d better give us a proper explanation for this!”
“Our family matters are none of your concern!” the eldest son of the Jiang family roared.
Old Lady Jiang quickly pulled her son back and forced a smile at Wan Chunmei. “In-law, you’re taking this too seriously. How could we bear to hit her? Those injuries? She did that to herself! When she found out our Eldest was taking a concubine, she cried, made a fuss, and smashed things. She must’ve hurt herself during all that chaos.”
Their blatant lies were infuriating.
Old Tan, unable to contain his anger, stormed out. “Nonsense! The five-finger marks on her body—are you saying she hit herself?”
Pointing angrily at the two, he continued, “If you don’t like my sister, then send her back and settle the matter with a divorce. What kind of people lay hands on others?”
Old Lady Jiang smile vanished instantly, revealing her true colors. “Calling you ‘in-laws’ is already elevating you! It’s not just your sister who’s uncouth—your whole family lacks manners!”
She shot a venomous glare at Old Tan and sneered. “Divorce? Your sister marrying into our family was already above her station. In a year, all she’s done is eat, eat, eat, and she hasn’t even laid an egg. If anyone’s calling for separation, it’ll be us filing for repudiation, not you asking for a divorce!”
Old Lady Jiang arrogance was palpable, and the eldest son of the Jiang family chimed in, “Mother, don’t waste words on them. Tell that worthless woman to get back home now! The pigs need feeding, the floor needs sweeping, meals need cooking, and the vegetable patch needs fertilizing!”
This was the last straw for Old Tan. It was clear they weren’t here out of regret—they just wanted their servant back.
He straightened and said firmly, “If you look down on my family, then we’ll have it settled here and now. Divorce! Let’s divorce!”
Old Lady Jiang curled her lips into a cold, mocking smile. “I’ve already said it—divorce is impossible. Unless it’s repudiation, there will be no separation!”
Wan Chunmei, seething with rage, stepped forward, abandoning all pretense of civility. “You venomous old hag! You’ve turned a healthy girl into this shell of a person, and you still have the audacity to talk about repudiation? Fine, fine, fine! We won’t discuss divorce or repudiation today. Instead, we’ll talk about her repudiating your useless good-for-nothing son!”