Chapter 465: Chapter 241: The Art of Struggle_2
""Do you think I have idle time on my hands?" Lady Zhou’s tone rose several degrees, clearly indicating her temper had flared. "Slaving away all day, you finish dinner, slap your backside, and off you go, leaving all the chores for us mother and daughter!""
""Enough, stop talking nonsense and make haste to clear out the chicken coop." Old Master Lian’s voice dropped a bit, trying to smooth things over."
"The chickens, pigs, and all sorts of food, especially the chickens, were entirely under Lady Zhou’s control, as though they were as precious to her as life itself. Even Old Master Lian had no right to overstep his bounds. That’s why he had to speak to Lady Zhou about clearing out the chicken coop."
"The room fell silent for a moment."
""Old Fourth’s family bought such a huge plot of land, how could they possibly not have room for more chickens? Just for one chicken coop, he has to fight with me?" Lady Zhou said."
Lian Manman raised an eyebrow, Lady Zhou obviously didn’t want to give up the chicken coop.
""What are you talking about, aren’t you afraid of the children feeling disheartened, making outsiders laugh if they heard you?" Old Master Lian’s voice grew even lower, "When we divided the property, it was made very clear that the land the chicken coop stands on was given to Old Fourth. The Lizheng and the neighbors were all present at the time, and now you’re making this scene. Do you think too highly of your reputation, or is our family not rowdy enough for you?""
""If he wants the chicken coop, let Old Fourth come speak with me." Lady Zhou said."
""I’m talking to you nicely here, but today, the chicken coop absolutely must be cleared. If you won’t go, I will."" Old Master Lian said, beginning to walk outside.
""Clear it, I will clear it for him."" Lady Zhou said resentfully, finally slowly starting to put on her shoes. She had no right in this, with the original property division agreement and many witnesses to it. Once Old Master Lian insisted, Lady Zhou had to give in. All her chickens were in that coop, and she didn’t trust anyone else to handle them."
Although she had agreed to clear the chicken coop, Lady Zhou still felt uneasy inside.
""""...It was Manman who came to you asking for the coop to be cleared, wasn’t it?""" Lady Zhou asked Old Master Lian while putting on her shoes."
""Whether Manman asked or not, shouldn’t you have cleared out the chicken coop a long time ago?" Old Master Lian said."
""I knew it, it was that girl causing trouble. Just now, when someone came, she only asked for you, didn’t even bother to blink at me. Xiuxiu asked her what she wanted, and she wouldn’t say... It’s that Old Fourth’s wife who has spoiled her, just a few days after moving out, and she’s already lost all sense of respect... As if I could eat her...""
Lian Manman had only heard this much when she hurriedly left for the courtyard. Lady Zhou could get angry and rant all she liked, Manman wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of responding; that would only leave Lady Zhou’s frustrations to simmer within her."
Old Master Lian emerged from the Upper Room, followed by a grim-looking Lady Zhou, and Lian Xiuxiu, who didn’t know where to place herself."
When Lady Zhou came out, her eyes darted everywhere, not seeing Lady Zhang; then her gaze fell on the two baskets at the doorway of the West Wing Room, each containing young chicks."
""How many chickens did you buy?" Lady Zhou asked."
""My mother bought them, I didn’t count."" Lian Manman said softly, a few steps away from Old Master Lian and the others, not sure if he could hear her."
Lady Zhou was clearly not satisfied with this answer.
""Your mother bought the chickens, so is it for me to move heaven and earth to clear a chicken coop for her?"" Lady Zhou raised her voice again.
"Mama," Lian Manman hurriedly called out to the West Wing Room, "Grandma is out clearing the chicken coop, so Mama, that garment of Dad’s, you can sew it later, come out quickly and help Grandpa and Grandma with the chores."
"Alright, I’m coming." Lady Zhang hadn’t done anything in the room, just waiting for Lian Manman to call her. Hearing the call, she immediately came out of the room.
The provocations Lady Zhou had prepared were all skillfully deflected by Lian Manman—so much so that even if Lady Zhou looked unfavorably upon Lady Zhang, Lian Manman, and Lian Zhizhi, she couldn’t find a reason to flare up at that moment.
Stifling a belly full of anger, yet still had to clear the chicken coop.
Lian Manman, Lady Zhang, and Lian Zhizhi started cleaning the path outside the Upper Room East Room, moving everything out. Old Master Lian also lent a hand, while only Lady Zhou stood at the door with Lian Xiuxiu, all talk and no action.
After a while, Lady Zhao and Lian Yeye came back and started helping Lian Manman move things as well.
Lady Zhou’s face was ugly, but she didn’t utter any scolding. The commotion that day was so intense that even the most unfeeling of people would have been moved by it. In the past couple of days, Lady Zhou hadn’t scolded Lady Zhao and Lian Yeye, but for some reason, she had adopted an attitude of ignoring them entirely.
Not sure if it was an illusion, Lian Manman always felt that sometimes Lady Zhou would stealthily glance at Lian Yeye. During those moments, Lady Zhou’s eyes were a bit complicated. Lian Manman could only be sure of one thing: it definitely wasn’t affection. Lian Shouyi’s wrist still bore two rows of deep bite marks, likely to linger for a while.
Having cleared the things from the eastern path, Lady Zhou finally opened the door to the western chicken coop and shooed several egg-laying hens and a bunch of chicks into the eastern path.
Lady Zhou and Lian Xiuxiu took away the chicken feeder and also removed the door of the chicken coop. The eastern path had a ready door, but Lady Zhou said that it couldn’t be used for the chicken coop.
"Grandma, it would be okay to exchange that door for ours," Lian Manman suggested.
"I still need this door," Lady Zhou responded immediately, positioning herself in front of Lian Manman as if afraid that Lian Manman would snatch the wooden door.
"Manman," Lady Zhang pulled Lian Manman aside. Lady Zhou already had a combative stance, and Lady Zhang, not skilled in confrontations and preferring peace, was willing to take a small loss for some tranquility, provided that Lady Zhou had already cleared the chicken coop.
Lian Manman knew this reasoning all too well. Facing Lady Zhou, who still had a puffed-up angry expression, she turned to look at the newly acquired chicken coop, already smiling broadly.
Lady Zhou, thinking she had put Lian Manman in her place, waved her hand and left with Lian Xiuxiu for the Upper Room.
The Lian Manman family began surveying their chicken coop, which was empty, leaving behind only chicken feathers and droppings.
"These are valuable things, they can be used as fertilizer for the fields," Lian Manman said with a smile.
***...***
Here’s one update, asking for your pink tokens of support.
The pink tokens were so few yesterday, I dropped out of the top ten rankings, so I’m asking for your pink token support, and I’ll provide another update later. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
