Chapter 1882: Chapter 959: Guidance (2)
"No holiday, no festival, Erlang and your brother, you were the one who sent word for them to come back?" Lady Zhang nodded and suddenly asked Luo Xiaoyan.
"Mm." Luo Xiaoyan quickly glanced at Lady Zhang, "Yes, I sent word for them to come back. It’s not right to delay work, and I don’t like it either. Delaying work means delaying wages. But I heard Uncle Four and Aunt Four came back, and they have to come and pay respects to them and meet them."
"Also, about my father-in-law, I’ve noticed he won’t let it go. Behind my back, he’s telling my mother-in-law to have Uncle Four make the decision to divorce me, and even wants the Government Office to punish me. I’m anxious and scared."
Lian Manman stood by and couldn’t help but smile. Luo Xiaoyan misunderstood Lady Zhang’s question as a sign of blame, which is why she explained so much. It was really unnecessary, as Lady Zhang was never someone to be overly suspicious, nor did she speak with hidden meanings.
"Don’t worry, we just advised your father-in-law and mother-in-law." Lady Zhang quickly reassured her, "Divorce is out of the question; the Old Lian Family has no such rules."
"Second sister-in-law, as long as you’re upright and honest, our parents will stand up for you." Lian Manman added, giving Luo Xiaoyan further reassurance.
"Everything is ultimately about reason; everyone can see who is right and who is wrong. If you’re in the right, there’s nothing to fear. We all know you’re doing your best for the family and living properly." Lady Zhang continued.
Luo Xiaoyan sat there, pulling out a blue handkerchief to wipe her tears.
"Aunt Four, I have so much to say, and no one to talk to, except you." Luo Xiaoyan wiped her tears and then spoke, "Ever since my father-in-law and mother-in-law moved next door, I’ve been serving them day in and day out. My mother-in-law doesn’t lift a finger, doesn’t touch the kitchen tools. I have no complaints, it’s just some chores, and working doesn’t kill. But I live in constant fear, worried about when they’ll gamble and cause trouble."
"To keep an eye on them, our family hasn’t had a single peaceful day. My father-in-law scolds and hits, but we endure it, no one talks back..."
Luo Xiaoyan went on to recount her family’s difficulties.
"I haven’t seen this, but I can imagine it." Lady Zhang said, "You’ve had it hard. Once their tempers change, it’ll get better."
"I didn’t hit my father-in-law; he pushed me, and I dodged, that’s how he fell." Luo Xiaoyan tried to clarify that she hadn’t hit Lian Shouyi, knowing the seriousness of the matter. Even though there was a big issue with stopping Lian Shouyi from gambling, this was still not the right thing to do.
"Father-in-law and mother-in-law want to enjoy life, I serve them drinks too, I dare not be lazy. If I’m not around, they refuse to do anything themselves, and if I’m slightly slow to respond, they scold me." This was about complaining to Lian Shouxin about her poor treatment, saying she wouldn’t even get a drink without begging.
"There are no outsiders here; it’s your duty to be filial to your parents-in-law. But at their age, with no illnesses, why must everything be handed to them?" Lady Zhang said.
Lady Zhang did not approve of Lian Shouyi and Lady He’s reliance on Luo Xiaoyan for everything. Being a diligent person, even with a household full of servants, she preferred to do things herself when possible, rather than constantly being served.
"People are different." Comparing herself to Lady He, Lady Zhang sighed.
"Doing more work doesn’t kill you, and I don’t mind it. My mother-in-law treats me like a maid, and I’ve accepted it. I just want them to live peacefully and not roam around too much. I’d rather serve them in everything... for Erlang’s sake." Luo Xiaoyan said.
The Luo Family didn’t like visiting others, so they disapproved of Lady He’s habit of visiting others frequently. That statement about doing it for Erlang reflects Luo Xiaoyan’s understanding that their family’s current life was thanks to Erlang, feeling indebted to him.
Lian Shouyi and Lady He’s laziness was looked down upon by Lady Zhang, but she felt helpless. They could support Luo Xiaoyan in dealing with Lian Shouyi’s gambling, but asking her to supervise their work was difficult to articulate. Therefore, earlier, Lady Zhang only advised Lady He.
"... And one more thing, Aunt Four, I’ll be honest with you. The money I took from my father-in-law, I had no choice. My father-in-law accused me of hiding it to give to my parents and brothers." Luo Xiaoyan told Lady Zhang, "I swear, I had no such intention. I haven’t touched a single coin of that money. I just kept it to prevent my father-in-law and mother-in-law from gambling it away or spending it inappropriately."
It seems Luo Xiaoyan was well aware of Lian Shouyi’s concerns, hence she confessed everything to Lady Zhang.
"We’ve already talked to your father-in-law and mother-in-law about this." Hearing Luo Xiaoyan, Lady Zhang nodded, "Your father-in-law wanted the money, but your Uncle Four didn’t agree. Your Uncle Four also said the money will remain with you and Erlang, and in the future, if the elderly couple needs money, they’ll tell you to handle it for them."
"That works." Luo Xiaoyan immediately agreed, "Aunt Four, that’s what I was thinking too."
...
It’s the 30th, please check if there are any votes, and support generously. It seems like you can only vote twice a day now, so if you have multiple votes, don’t wait until the last day or they’ll go to waste.
I’ll sink down and write more, aiming for three updates later.
Four consecutive days of three updates, rolling requests for votes. (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to visit qidian.com to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
