Chapter 3: The Second Branch Slacked Off, the Sisters-in-law Were at Odds

Da Ya’s hair was messy, like a short mop. Hearing her mother’s words, she timidly opened the door and, after speaking word by word, Zhao Menglan gave a cold laugh.

“So what if she’s pregnant? Does she think she’s some sort of treasure? I have plenty of grandsons, not lacking this one. Hurry up and get to work.”

There was no sound from inside. Seeing that Zhao Menglan was about to rush in and drag her out, Da Ya blocked her grandmother.

“Grandma, I’ll do the work. I’ll go cook now. My mother isn’t feeling well—let her rest.”

Seeing her eldest granddaughter stopping her, Zhao Menglan unhappily poked Da Ya’s forehead with her finger.

“You sure care for your mother, but your mother doesn’t care for you at all.”

Although Zhao Menglan liked grandsons, granddaughters were also of the Lu family’s blood—they weren’t born to be maids. The Second’s Wife, relying on her pregnancy, hadn’t worked for days.

She was probably holding in some bad intentions too. She mustn’t be allowed to copy the third branch’s example and, using the excuse of being pregnant, demand to split from the family.

Ye Qiu could go so far as to stop eating and drinking, but it wasn’t because Zhao Menglan looked down on Wu Laidi—rather, even if Wu Laidi had three times the courage, she wouldn’t dare joke about the child in her belly.

“If you don’t work today, then don’t bother eating at noon. I’ll be glad to save one person’s portion of food.” Zhao Menglan shouted loudly in the courtyard, then carried the two steamed buns in her arms and went back inside.

Lu Zhongming, the head of the household, sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, puffing on his dry tobacco pipe. Hearing his wife’s shouting, he remained unmoved—after all, it was just some trivial household quarrel, and such noise would pass quickly.

Zhao Menglan took out the two still-warm white flour steamed buns from her bosom, speaking with satisfaction.

“Old man, look what this is?”

Lu Zhongming opened his eyes, his expression startled.

“Where did those come from?”

“The third branch gave them to me. When I went over today, the third branch had really changed her temper. She smiled three points when she saw me—I was so startled I thought she wanted to ask us for money again.”

“She just doesn’t know how to manage a household. Bacon that should only be eaten during New Year’s, she’s eating now. There was both meat and vegetables on the table—it was almost like they were having New Year’s dinner.”

“The allowance Chuanzi sends is enough for the three of them to eat and drink. Let’s not meddle too much. Otherwise, if Ye Qiu gets angry and takes the things back to her mother’s house, what will happen to the two children?”

Clearly, Lu Zhongming understood Ye Qiu’s temper well—if there was a disagreement, she would leave the children and return to her parents’ home. If she was wronged at her in-laws’, with her looks, it would be easy for her to remarry.

Zhao Menglan knew as well. The third son had been serving in the army for many years, doing dangerous work with his head tied to his belt. To put it bluntly, if something happened to him, he needed to leave behind a descendant.

It was precisely for this reason that they tolerated Ye Qiu making a fuss in the Lu family for so long. If it had been either of the other two daughters-in-law, Zhao Menglan would have directly sent them back to their parents’ homes.

In the kitchen, Da Ya, quick to read the situation, ran forward and squatted beside the stove.

“Eldest Aunt, I’ll help you.”

Relying on the child in her belly, Wu Laidi had become a hands-off manager. Zhuang Meifeng, having cooked for several days in a row, had already started to feel resentment, and even looked at Da Ya with a bad face.

Her tone carried a touch of sarcasm.

“Did someone tell your mother’s fortune? She’s being treated like some precious treasure. If it’s really a boy, won’t she be pushing her luck and making me serve her during her confinement?”

Da Ya bit her lip, not daring to speak. Zhuang Meifeng was merely venting her anger—she wouldn’t go so far as to make things hard for a child. After finishing cooking, she went straight back to her room.

When Lu Hailiang came back from work bare-chested, he saw his wife sitting on the bed sulking. He went over, wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and asked with a smile,

“What’s wrong? Who made you angry again? Was Tianjie being naughty?”

“Stop blaming everything on our son.” Zhuang Meifeng snorted coldly. “It’s the second branch. Pregnant and already thinking she doesn’t have to work. Who’s as delicate as she is?”

“She’s just trying to compete with the third branch. But does she think she has Ye Qiu’s good looks?”

Just talking about Wu Laidi irritated Zhuang Meifeng. She herself had been cooking and washing clothes at home all day, busy without a moment’s rest, while Wu Laidi did nothing.

What could Lu Hailiang say? She was the Second’s Wife—he was a man, and it wasn’t his place to criticize too much. He could only try to comfort her gently.

When it was time to eat, before the dishes were even served, they saw Wu Laidi straighten her back, touch her still-flat belly, and cautiously sit down on the bench.

Zhuang Meifeng glanced at her with disdain and couldn’t resist mocking her.

“They say idleness makes your hair grow long. I see the old saying is true—look, in just a few days, Second Sister-in-law’s hair has grown a lot.”

“Pity us, though—we’ve been working for days on end, more diligent than a donkey grinding beans.”

In the past, Wu Laidi would have lowered her head and kept quiet. The Eldest Sister-in-law had married into the Lu family and given birth to a son, Lu Tianjie. Later, Ye Qiu married in and gave birth to two sons in just a few years. Only she had given birth to two girls in a row, unable to lift her head in the Lu family.

Even her own husband couldn’t hold his head high. Wu Laidi felt she owed him, so she let her in-laws boss her around at home. But now, she was pregnant again.

She had secretly gone to the blind old woman in the village to have her fortune told—this child was definitely a boy.

In the future, Wu Laidi would also have a son at her side. Why should she be afraid of Zhuang Meifeng? So, after Zhuang Meifeng finished speaking, Wu Laidi was not to be outdone. She softly said,

“Eldest Sister-in-law, once I give birth, I’ll be able to work alongside you again.”

“What do you mean by that?” Zhuang Meifeng was instantly furious. Giving birth was still seven or eight months away—did Wu Laidi think she was some ancestor, to be waited on hand and foot until then?

“So I can only stop working once you’ve had your baby? Wu Laidi, you wish!”

Zhuang Meifeng slapped the table and stood up, ready to argue with Wu Laidi. Lu Hailiang quickly grabbed her arm and whispered,

“Meifeng, calm down. Second Sister-in-law didn’t mean it that way.”

Beside them, Lu Huaiguo looked a bit embarrassed. Seeing Zhuang Meifeng’s anger, he quickly joined in to appease her.

“Eldest Sister-in-law, don’t worry. Later, I’ll have Laidi do the dishwashing.”

Just then, Zhao Menglan came in and heard their noisy arguing. With a gloomy face, she scolded softly,

“What’s all this racket? Have you eaten too much and nothing better to do?”

Zhuang Meifeng, still feeling wronged, was just about to explain when she noticed the two white steamed buns in her mother-in-law’s hands, and her eyes lit up.

“Mom, where did the white steamed buns come from?”

“The third branch gave them, said they were for us old couple to nourish ourselves. Your father couldn’t bear to eat them and told me to give them to the children.”

When Lu Hailiang and Lu Huaiguo learned that Ye Qiu had brought them for their parents, they felt a little embarrassed and declined.

“Mom, since Third Sister-in-law gave them to you, you two should eat them. We can eat anything—it’s all the same to us.”

But Zhuang Meifeng didn’t like what her husband said at all. What did he mean: “it’s all the same”? Eating cabbage and potatoes wasn’t the same as eating meat. Otherwise, why would the village brigade raise pigs instead of just planting cabbage?