She was in a good mood, her skin was glowing, and her smile was dazzling.

Second Sister-in-law Lu was so angry that she almost saw stars. “You sly Lin Shu!”

She wanted to play tricks on Lin Shu but ended up being shown off by her, stuck between anger and frustration.

Lin Shu teased, “Second Sister-in-law, don’t be mad.”

Eldest Sister-in-law Lu Da overheard and came over, “Oh, don’t show off. I saw it the other day. The third daughter-in-law’s needlework is really good, as good as my mother’s. I wanted to ask you to help me make some but felt bad to trouble you.”

Usually, they wore straw shoes, but during holidays and when visiting their parents, they needed cloth shoes.

She always prided herself on being good at housework, cooking, and needlework.

But after getting married, her husband always belittled her, and her mother-in-law didn’t let her…

She didn’t cook or do needlework; everyone turned to Lin Shu for that.

She was gradually coming to terms with the fact that Lin Shu was indeed better at cooking and sewing than she was.

Lin Shu said, “Making shoes for my sister-in-law Lu Da is no trouble. This is what family is for. Besides, my eldest sister-in-law next door is returning my fabric, so I can make them for you.”

Sister Lu Da replied, “I don’t want to take advantage of you. I’ll go back to my family and bring some fabric with me.”

Her mother had been weaving since she was a teenager and still made time to weave the cotton given to their team.

Back then, she relied on weaving to exchange for cotton and make warm clothes for her children.

She was a very capable and frugal old woman, and Fang Dihua admired her. However, she didn’t expect Sister Lu Da not to inherit her mother’s shrewdness.

Fang Dihua said, “Don’t be so shameless as to ask for it. Just bring a couple of dollars and buy it from your in-laws.”

She was always blunt with Sister Lu Da, not bothering to be polite.

Sister Lu Da said, “Mother, that’s my mother. If I say I need something, she’ll be happy to give it to me.”

Fang Dihua didn’t argue further. She would just give money for the fabric later.

Sister Lu Er added, “Mother, I’ll also find time to visit my family. Can you give me…”

Fang Dihua replied, “You’re so busy. Why go back to your family?”

“Can your family compare to mine? When you go back, it’s like a battle, with large and small packages. And your mother might not even be satisfied.” Fang Dihua was truly frustrated, feeling like she was being pecked by a wild goose.

She wasn’t in the mood to deal with her daughters-in-law’s petty issues; her eyes were hurting.

Every daughter-in-law her sons married had problems.

The eldest daughter-in-law was a tall and strong woman who could probably beat a man, but when she was around men, she acted like a submissive wife, eager to serve on her knees.

The second daughter-in-law seemed fine when they first met—smart, attentive, hardworking, and good with words. Her parents were decent too, and she seemed to match well with the reserved second son. But after marrying in, she changed completely, calculating behind the scenes, pretending to be nice but sabotaging others, treating her husband and daughter harshly, and even mistreating her younger sisters-in-law.

As for the third daughter-in-law…

Originally, the family owed Lin Nai a favor.

When Lin Nai proposed a marriage alliance, she even asked the third son if he had someone he liked in the army. When he said no, she arranged the match.

He had high standards, and ordinary women didn’t catch his eye. Lin Shu was the most beautiful and gentle girl she had ever seen and might have been able to win his heart.

But the third son ran away just three days after the wedding and hasn’t returned since!

One after another, they all caused trouble!

At least the third daughter-in-law had changed drastically.

She was no longer as easily fooled as before and wasn’t as timid as a mouse anymore.

Now, she was brave and assertive.

Yes, quite impressive.

She could even get things from Zhao Meifeng, which, although it might be a set up trap, still showed some ability.

Thinking this way, Fang Dihua felt more satisfied.

As long as one of the three daughters-in-law was reliable, the family wouldn’t fall apart.

Second Sister-in-law Lu felt sour and bitter, seeing her mother-in-law allow the eldest daughter-in-law to visit her family but not her.

Lin Shu’s mocking smile only made her feel more humiliated.

She twisted her waist and returned to her room.

Lin Shu called after her, “Second Sister-in-law, don’t be angry.”

Second Sister-in-law Lu got even angrier.

The previous Lin Shu used to sulk all the time, providing her with entertainment. But now, she suddenly realized something was wrong.

Her mother-in-law always protected Lin Shu, always helping her confront others, especially herself and the elder cousin-in-law from the separate branch of the family.

Her mother-in-law treated the eldest daughter-in-law with a certain closeness, although she scolded her, it was with a hint of affection.

But with her, it seemed quite distant?

No, her mother-in-law also scolded her, but it was genuine scolding without any sense of closeness?

The more Second Sister-in-law Lu thought about it, the more upset she became, and she started to sulk like the old Lin Shu used to.

Feeling aggrieved, she wanted to vent her anger on someone.

Seeing Lu Cuicui coming back excitedly, she grabbed her by the ear.

Lu Cuicui cried in pain, wanting to shout, but Second Sister-in-law Lu clamped her mouth shut.

She threw Lu Cuicui onto the edge of the bed, scolding angrily, “All you do is wander around all day. So young and already thinking of seducing men?”

Lu Cuicui didn’t dare to talk back.

If she didn’t, the beating would be lighter. Talking back would result in a tenfold beating.

Second Sister-in-law Lu, seeing her not dare to talk back but with a stubborn look, got even more dissatisfied and whispered angrily, “Look at you, ugly and unpleasant, why don’t you try to please your grandparents to win their favor?

Look at the two little ones from the third family, always sweet-talking and getting their grandparents to favor them, always giving them malted milk.

Lu Cuicui, hearing her mother call her ugly, couldn’t help but cry even more.

Is it my fault that I’m ugly? Isn’t it because you gave birth to me?

My dad is so handsome, why did you give birth to me so ugly?

The Lu family was full of handsome people.

Not to mention Lu Shaotang and Old Man Lu, who were exceptional, even Elder Brother Lu and Second Brother Lu were strikingly handsome men.

Among the younger generation, Tian Tian and Pan Pan were so pretty they looked like porcelain dolls.

Lu Ping and Lu An were a bit darker due to their mother’s influence, but they were still handsome.

The only exception was Lu Cuicui. As Fang Dihua put it, even if you looked through several generations of the Lu family, you wouldn’t find someone as unattractive as her—her dark skin was notably unpleasant.

Lu Cuicui had narrow eyes, a snub nose, and a mouth like a sausage.

Second Brother Lu Erge often said that girls change a lot as they grow older, or that Lu Cuicui took after her uncle, who was also dark-skinned with a snub nose.

Now, instead of reflecting on herself, Lu Cuicui’s mother blamed her daughter’s looks for her own dissatisfaction, claiming that she was less attractive than Tian Tian and Pan Pan.

She hit her daughter and scolded, “Are you cursing me in your heart? Don’t think I can’t hear you! You came from my womb, so I know exactly where you’re being difficult. Your father and I aren’t ugly, so why are you? Isn’t it because of your own behavior? Look at Tian Tian and Pan Pan—they got good genes from their parents!”

She went on about how Tian Tian and Pan Pan were favored by their grandparents and Lin Shu, while Lu Cuicui’s ugliness was a source of shame for her mother.

At night, Lu Cuicui couldn’t run away, so she was forced to listen to her mother’s complaints and could only cry.

She wondered why her grandparents didn’t seem to hear her mother’s scolding.

Did they hear and ignore it, or were they pretending not to hear?

Why didn’t they show her any affection? Was it truly because they disliked her looks?

But her grandparents did give her milk and never complained about her appearance. Her grandfather even bought her a red hair ribbon.

It seemed that they treated Tian Tian and Pan Pan much better, giving them many more things.

Thinking about this made her feel even worse.

Just then, Lin Shu’s sweet voice came from the west, “Sister-in-law Lu Da, you’re digging so fast. Tomorrow I’ll be able to plant the sunflower seeds. Look, the chrysanthemums you helped me plant are growing so well.”

Sister Lu Da replied, “It’s nothing. Just make more eggplants to eat.”

Lin Shu giggled and said, “Don’t worry, sister-in-law. When our eggplants are ready, I’ll make them every day—stewed eggplant, braised eggplant, stir-fried eggplant, roasted eggplant, garlic eggplant salad, and fried eggplant patties.”

Sister Lu Da was drooling as she heard this and worked faster in the faint starlight.

Lu Cuicui suddenly felt a surge of anger. Her third aunt had previously been the family’s punching bag, subject to everyone’s criticism without ever daring to retort.

Why had she changed now?

Her third aunt had become assertive and was protected by the grandparents, even fighting with outsiders on her behalf!

She felt utterly abandoned, a constant target for others’ anger, with no one to protect her.

Why didn’t Grandma protect her? Why was Grandma so biased?

She hated it so much.

Second Sister-in-law Lu muttered angrily, “You little vixen.”

Second Brother Lu Erge came in after washing clothes and saw Second Sister-in-law Lu holding their daughter, who was sobbing. “What’s going on?”

Second Sister-in-law Lu Er snapped, “This little brat runs wild every day and doesn’t do any chores at home. Today, she dared to play by the river. If I don’t beat her, one day she’ll be dragged away by a water demon and never come back.”

Second Brother Lu Erge glanced at his daughter. “Take off your clothes, and I’ll wash them for you.”

Second Sister-in-law Lu Er dragged her daughter to the small side room to change clothes.

The three of them lived in two rooms.

The west room had a bed for the couple, and the east room had a small partitioned bed for the daughter, with the south side serving as an open area used as a living room.

Second Brother Lu Erge took his daughter’s clothes and said, “Come home right after school and help your Third Aunt with some chores. Don’t play by the river or in ditches. If you fall in, no one will be able to pull you out.”

In the 1950s, the area had built many water channels and wells, which were deep and dangerous.

Every year, people fell in and couldn’t be rescued.

Lu Cuicui nodded while crying, feeling more and more resentful.

Why should she help her Third Aunt?

What was so special about her?

Second Brother Lu Erge then said to his wife, “Just talk to her; don’t hit her.”

Their family had a habit of only hitting boys, not girls.

When his younger sister was mischievous and made mistakes as a child, their parents never hit her.

Second Sister-in-law Lu Er, looking upset, said, “If she makes mistakes, she won’t learn unless she’s punished. I won’t let her grow up to become someone’s stepmother! Men handle boys, women handle girls. Stay out of our women’s business.”

Seeing her badmouthing his younger sister, Second Brother Lu Erge didn’t know how to respond and went back to washing clothes.

Second Sister-in-law Lu Er felt even more aggrieved by his lack of support. She turned around and lay down to sulk, just like the old Lin Shu used to.