Chapter 464: Chapter 241: The Art of Struggle_1
Although she said she would take action herself, Lian Manman wasn’t someone who acted recklessly. She preferred to follow protocol before resorting to force—the necessary formalities still had to be observed.
"Mom, you go back to your room first and let my sister handle this. I’m going to talk to my grandpa and grandma and ask them to clear out the chicken coop for us," Lian Manman said to Lady Zhang, "When it’s time for you to help, I’ll call for you, Mom."
Lady Zhou’s animosity towards Lady Zhang had grown stronger recently. If Lady Zhang were to ask her to clear out the chicken coop, given Lady Zhou’s temper, she would undoubtedly feel pressured by her daughter-in-law and who knows how she would react. Lian Manman wasn’t afraid of Lady Zhou making a scene, but if it could be avoided, she preferred to avoid it as much as possible.
"Okay, call me if you need anything, Manman."
Lady Zhang understood this as well and agreed. She placed the basket she was carrying at the entrance of the West Wing Room and went to call for Lian Zhizhi.
Lian Manman then made her way to the Upper Room.
When she lifted the curtain of the eastern room, Lian Manman saw that Lady Zhou and Lian Xiuxiu were the only ones there, sitting on the kang bed, rummaging through shoe patterns. Old Master Lian wasn’t in the room, so Lian Manman didn’t go inside.
"What brings you here?" Lady Zhou and Lian Xiuxiu, hearing movement at the doorway, both looked over. Lady Zhou’s eyelids flickered disdainfully upon seeing Lian Manman and she turned her head back to her shoe patterns. It was Lian Xiuxiu who asked the question.
"Grandma, Aunt, I’m looking for Grandpa," Lian Manman said with a smile, "Where has Grandpa gone?"
"What do you want with your Grandpa?" Lian Xiuxiu asked guardedly, not revealing Old Master Lian’s whereabouts to Lian Manman.
"I’ll look for him then."
Lian Manman laughed and pretended not to hear Lian Xiuxiu’s question. She let down the curtain and stepped back from the doorway.
Even though Old Master Lian wasn’t there, Lian Manman didn’t plan to directly speak to Lady Zhou and Lian Xiuxiu about clearing out the chicken coop. Lady Zhou was already stewing with unresolved issues piling up, brimming with anger with nowhere to vent. Lian Manman didn’t want to become a scapegoat at this moment. Just as Old Master Lian adeptly avoided difficulties when managing the household, Lian Manman also intended to steer clear of the ticking time bomb that was Lady Zhou and instead find the relatively amiable Old Master Lian.
Once she found Old Master Lian, if he were the one to tell Lady Zhou to clear out the chicken nest, whatever anger Lady Zhou had should be directed at Old Master Lian. Lian Manman inwardly chuckled to herself at the thought.
At this Chinese hour, Old Master Lian should have been at home. They hadn’t seen him on their way in, which meant Old Master Lian had likely gone to the backyard.
Lian Manman pushed open the back door and went to the backyard to find Old Master Lian.
The weather had warmed, and the bark of the willow trees was gradually turning green, small buds sprouting on their branches. Old Master Lian was impatient by nature, currently wielding a hoe, turning over the soil in the backyard vegetable garden.
"Grandpa, take a break," Lian Manman approached with a cheerful smile and said to Old Master Lian, "Why are you turning the soil so early?"
"It needs to be done sooner or later, and I’m idle anyway," Old Master Lian said, pausing his hoeing and standing up straight, "Once the backyard is done, we’ll have to start on the front yard. Your father is busy with shop work and can’t spare time. When the time comes, I’ll turn over the soil in your garden as well."
Old Master Lian was different from Lady Zhou; he knew how to say comforting things. Moreover, Lian Manman believed that the words spoken by Old Master Lian weren’t just lip service.
"Grandpa, my mom just caught thirty little chicks," Lian Manman said, grinning, "Grandpa, could you help us take a look?"
"Caught thirty, have you?" Old Master Lian laughed heartily, "Alright, let’s go and take a look."
Old Master Lian set aside his hoe and walked with Lian Manman to the front yard.
"Has your grandma cleared out the chicken coop for you?" Old Master Lian asked while they walked.
"Not yet," Lian Manman replied in a deliberately soft voice, "Grandpa, my dad is tidying up the shop and hasn’t come back yet. My mom and I, neither of us dares to mention clearing the chicken coop to Grandma."
Saying this, Lian Manman smiled sheepishly. She believed that Old Master Lian could see right through her little plot.
"Your grandma, at the end of the day, she doesn’t have a bad heart. It’s just that she’s sharp-tongued, temperamental!" Old Master Lian remarked.
"Temperamental" was a local expression meaning that someone had a quirky personality, differing from most people.
"I’ll get your grandma to clear out the chicken coop right away," Old Master Lian said, as they reached the outer room and he turned into the eastern room.
Lian Manman didn’t follow him inside but stood in the outer room, listening to the sounds from inside.
"Both you and Xiuxiu put down what you’re doing and clear out the chicken coop for Old Fourth Family," Old Master Lian declared as soon as he entered, "We’ve discussed this several times already, why has there been no movement? The kids have already brought the chicks home, and you haven’t cleared out the coop yet."
