Chapter 428: Chapter 222 The Daughter-in-Law Who Returned on Her Own Initiative_1
It was the second watch of the night, time to seek the soft glow of pink.
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"You had barely left when she arrived in a carriage. Once she entered our shop, she rushed to your father and me, calling us ’Fourth Uncle’ and ’Fourth Auntie’ so sweetly," said Lady Zhang. "I didn’t have much to say to her, it felt awkward and I didn’t pay her any heed. Then, she, she just dragged me into the carriage to come back with her."
’To pay heed,’ in the dialect of Thirty Mile Camp, means the same as to pay attention or acknowledge someone.
Lian Manman pressed her hand to her forehead; Lady Zhang always suffered from her inability to face embarrassment.
"I know what she was after. Remember how arrogant she was the day she left? Without being invited or called for, she just returned like this. How could our main gate be so easily entered? By pulling me along, she was just looking for a face-saving excuse," muttered Lady Zhang. "It’s strange, though, why did she come back today on her own?"
"Does she even need to ’save face’?" Lian Manman mused. "Mother, I think even without your company, she could have entered our house with her head held high. Didn’t you see? She acted as if nothing happened and went straight to the Upper Room."
Mother and daughter began speaking almost at the same time, with Lian Manman only hearing the latter part of Lady Zhang’s sentence after she had finished her own.
"Why did she come back today? ... Mother, on the way here, did Zhao Xiue tell you anything?"
"Not much, she just kept asking if our family had visitors today. I told her that someone from Huahua’s maternal family in the county town had come, and then she kept asking who it was... Hmm, she wouldn’t have returned just for this, would she?" pondered Lady Zhang. "Could it be that she wanted to come back but lacked an excuse, and thought she could clear the air today by using the presence of guests so that grandfather and grandmother, in front of the guests, wouldn’t make things difficult for her?"
"Mother, you always think so positively," Lian Manman shook her head, holding a different view from Lady Zhang’s. "Even if she returned because we had guests, it’s unlikely it was for the reason you mentioned. Do you think she’s the kind of person who needs an excuse?"
Originally, the Zheng Family had become in-laws with the Lian Family largely because Lian Shouren was a Scholar with plans to purchase an official position, and their daughter was married into the prestigious Song Family in the county town. After Lian Shouren returned from the county town, the Zhao Family even boasted about throwing a banquet in a town’s inn to show off towards the Lian Family.
Now, Lian Shouren’s prospect of becoming an official had failed, but the connection with the wealthy and prestigious Song Family remained. With the Song Family visiting now, could it be that Zhao Xiue came back specifically for the Song Family’s presence?
It was very possible, too possible indeed. Otherwise, how could Zhao Xiue’s return have been so timely and proactive?
"I’ll take a look."
As she spoke, Lian Manman left the West Wing Room and headed towards the Upper Room.
In the kitchen outside the Upper Room, Lady Zhao was tending to the fire for cooking, while Lady He, Lady Chiang, and Lian Yeye were busily chopping vegetables and meat, preparing to cook. Zhao Xiue, with a smile on her face, rolled up her sleeves and offered to help.
"Mother, why don’t you go take care of the fire, and leave this to me. Sister-in-law, these meat cubes are good. Sister-in-law, you must be tired after working hard all this time, go rest and spend some time with Niuniu, let me do this."
Lady Chiang also wore a smile but didn’t make room for Zhao Xiue.
"Xiue, when did you arrive? I’ve almost finished all the work here; you and Erlang can go rest," said Lady Chiang.
Erlang had already followed Zhao Xiue from the East Wing Room, and stood within the outer kitchen, his eyes following Zhao Xiue’s every move, looking somewhat dumbfounded, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the right words.
"Xiue, you... why did you come back?" After a long pause, Erlang finally managed to squeeze out such a sentence.
"You muddlehead, listen to what you’re asking. Isn’t this my home? Why can’t I come back? It was just a bit of a quarrel with you, such a trivial matter, and you left without returning to town for days, and didn’t even come to fetch me?" Zhao Xiue glared at Erlang, then approached him and poked his chest with her snowy white finger, giving him a flirtatious look at the same time.
Erlang actually stumbled backwards, as if Zhao Xiue’s finger carried an almighty force - but it was really the power of her sultry gaze.
Zhao Xiue then giggled.
"What’s the matter?" She shot Erlang another look, this one soft and tender, causing Erlang to scratch his head and start chuckling stupidly.
In the outer kitchen, in front of everyone, the two of them were playfully teasing and flirting. Lady Zhao bowed her head, eyes fixated on the stove pit. Lady Chiang had already turned her back, and Lian Yeye stood there, unsure whether to approach or retreat.
Lady He, on the other hand, was much more composed.
"Xiue, didn’t you say you weren’t coming back, that you wanted to sever ties with our Old Lian Family? We didn’t invite you, so how come you’re back?" Lady He asked straightforwardly.
"Mother, I was just a little too hasty that day. When I got back, my mother scolded me. These past few days, I’ve been staying at the home I share with Erlang. Mother, my mother sent me half a pig’s head, and tomorrow I’ll cook pork head meat for you," Zhao Xiue’s expression changed slightly, but she still managed to smile.
As Zhao Xiue spoke of "the home I share with Erlang," Lady Chiang paused in her vegetable chopping for a beat, but then quickly resumed her task as usual.
"You think you can bribe me with a piece of pork head meat and bygones will be bygones? Do you still see me as your mother-in-law, and do you still acknowledge your husband? Or was that slap you gave Erlang for nothing?"
Upon hearing about the pork head meat, Lady He swallowed, but her face quickly clouded over once more. She still remembered Zhao Xiue slapping Erlang, and she remembered the Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou decreeing that this time they must stand firm—better to lose Zhao Xiue as a daughter-in-law than to let her go on misbehaving, to adjust her attitude and teach her the household rules. Otherwise, Erlang would be the one being mistreated, and Zhao Xiue would never take her mother-in-law seriously.
"Mother, why are you being so petty?" Zhao Xiue seemed somewhat impatient, but she still held back, her face still adorned with a smile, "It was an accident when I carelessly made a mistake, I didn’t do it on purpose. Let Erlang beat me, I won’t even blink an eye."
"...You need to change your temperament in the future. As for this matter, I won’t hold it against you," Erlang said, clearly reluctant to punish his charming new bride.
"Mother, didn’t we have guests over today? Let’s put this aside for now. I’ll apologize to Erlang and bow to you," Zhao Xiue said, "I’ll go help with the cooking, to give Erlang, give you, give our Old Lian Family a good name. Let the people in the county town know that our Old Lian Family is not just any ordinary family."
Lian Manman watched Zhao Xiue putting on an act and couldn’t help but feel astounded. Zhao Xiue was truly talented, with a fierce slap ready for men and such sweet words that could almost kill with kindness.
Erlang and Lady He were thus completely taken in by her, but it remained to be seen whether the rest of the Lian Family would be as easily swayed by her.
Zhao Xiue spoke sweetly but refused to stoke the fire, insisting on competing with Lady Chiang to cook.
Lady Chiang’s demeanor was very accommodating, yet she did not yield an inch.
"Xiue, why don’t you go inside for now and chat with your father-in-law, mother-in-law, and the guests? Grandma specifically instructed about the dishes, so there’s no need for you to get involved," Lady Chiang said.
Lady Chiang, though usually gentle and polite, was quite adept at handling things. Zhao Xiue, no matter how brazen, was unable to take the work from Lady Chiang’s hands.
"Xiue, we’ve already met with the Song Family’s people, and we haven’t seen you, the new bride, yet," Lady Chiang said with a smile, "Why don’t you go meet them? Are you afraid that grandma and grandpa will criticize you?"
Lady Chiang’s comment struck at Zhao Xiue’s sore spot. Of course, she wanted to go inside to meet the Song Family’s visitors, but there was a prior incident. She had come uninvited with the intention to first impress with a lavish meal outside, to win Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou’s favor and to show off her capabilities before the Song Family’s people.
But Lady Chiang was not willing to let her have her way, even subtly provoking her and laughing at her for not daring to go inside to meet Old Master Lian, Lady Zhou, and the guests.
After becoming connected with the Lian Family by marriage, Zhao Xiue had spent much effort to inquire about the Lian Family’s situation. She considered herself superior in looks, speech, cunning, and tactics to anyone in the Lian Family. Upon entering the Lian Family’s home, she did not see anyone, including Lady Chiang, as worthy of her notice. She believed that, relying on her capabilities, she could easily walk all over the Lian Family. Therefore, she was particularly intolerant of Lady Chiang, her sister-in-law’s provocation.
To go inside was to go inside; with her abilities, what did she have to fear? She did not believe that, with guests present, Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou could really pull a long face and scold her. After all, her return to the Lian Family today was a boon they should be hurriedly seizing, shouldn’t they?
With these thoughts in mind, Zhao Xiue grabbed Erlang and twisted her body to enter the house.
Inside, everyone was chatting, but they had heard some of the commotion from the outer room.
Upon seeing Zhao Xiue, Lady Zhou’s face twitched involuntarily.
"Father, mother, uncle, aunt..." upon entering the room, Zhao Xiue assumed a calculated posture and gracefully bowed down. She then forcefully glanced at Aunt Sun and Xiao Hong, "Do we have guests today? Who might these two be...?"
Old Master Lian coughed once, turned away his face towards the direction of the window, seemingly too indolent to look at Zhao Xiue.
"Erlang, when there are guests in the house, who do you think you’re bringing inside?" Lady Zhou spoke sternly, "Take her out, let her go back to her Old Zhao family. Our temple is too small to accommodate such a grand deity."
Against Zhao Xiue’s expectations, Lady Zhou did not give her any face at all!
Zhao Xiue was stunned for a moment, and even with her thick skin, she couldn’t help but blush with shame. She didn’t care about the Lian Family’s opinions, but given the two guests’ attire and mannerisms, which clearly did not belong to an ordinary family, where could she put her face now?
"Are you not leaving yet, standing here as if you’re a door guardian deity?" Lady Zhou glanced at Zhao Xiue with disgust.
Zhao Xiue covered her face, turned around, and stormed out of the room, with the curtains flapping behind her as Erlang hastily followed her out.
The conversation inside continued, with Aunt Sun chatting and laughing as if she had not witnessed the incident just moments before.
Lady Chiang was busy frying dishes when she saw Zhao Xiue emerge from the room, her face covered. Lady Chiang slightly pursed her lips, then turned her face away, choosing not to look at Zhao Xiue.
Zhao Xiue rushed to the doorway, and Erlang reached out to pull her back.
"Xiue..."
Zhao Xiue’s face turned a deep red, and turning around, she raised her hand and swung it towards Erlang’s face.
However, that slap was ultimately never delivered.
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Delivering the second update, seeking your pink support.
The weather has gotten cold, everyone take care to keep warm. Don’t be like Ruoyan, catching a chill at night and getting a swollen, inflamed throat, 555. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you’re welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
