"You... you..."
Aunt Chen was so mad at Chen Xiaoli she almost rolled her eyes back. Seeing this, the people around them quickly took a few steps back.
This Aunt Chen had a son and a daughter. Her daughter was the apple of her eye, spoiled rotten since childhood, and had never worked in the fields. Her son, on the other hand, was like a weed—poorly fed, poorly clothed, and saddled with all the hard, tiring chores at home.
After her son married, Aunt Chen was still the one in charge. All the grain and money her son and daughter-in-law earned from working the fields had to be handed over to the family, allowing her daughter to eat and drink for free without lifting a finger.
And what do you know, her daughter got married a few days ago. Aunt Chen gave all the family’s money to her daughter and even let her take their grain to spruce up her trousseau, claiming it was all part of the dowry.
When the daughter-in-law found out, she couldn’t take it anymore. She took her child and went back to her parents’ home.
Her stance was simple: if they wanted to stay married, they had to split the household. Otherwise, it was divorce.
When Aunt Chen learned of this, she ran to her daughter-in-law’s parents’ house, sat down at the entrance, and started cussing up a storm, spewing the foulest curses she could think of.
But the other family wasn’t one to be trifled with. The daughter-in-law’s mother came out and gave Aunt Chen a good beating. Now Aunt Chen didn’t dare go to her daughter-in-law’s parents’ home anymore, so she just stayed at her own house, screaming at her son to get a divorce.
The whole affair had become the laughingstock of the Qingshan Team.
Aunt Chen’s body trembled with rage, but she couldn’t utter a single word in rebuttal.
Gu Jiaojiao stood to the side, looking at Chen Xiaoli with admiration.
’She liked this fiery personality.’
Unable to win against the fiery Chen Xiaoli, Aunt Chen turned her spear on Gu Jiaojiao.
"You, girl! Have you no sense? Can’t you see I’m not feeling well? Don’t you even know to come and help me up!"
She couldn’t out-argue the fiery Chen Xiaoli, but Gu Jiaojiao was different. The girl looked sweet and obedient, with a pretty little face and eyes as clear as spring water. She looked like an easy target.
Gu Jiaojiao understood.
’This woman is just an old hag who bullies the weak and fears the strong.’
Her tone was sweet and soft. "Aunt Chen, even if you’re not well, I can’t help you. You should get used to it now. After all, a mother like you—who forces her son and daughter-in-law away and whose favoritism knows no bounds—will only have her son to care for you when you’re old and your daughter-in-law is gone. But what a shame, your son has to be in the fields earning money. There’ll be no one to look after you then. Falling down at home will probably be a common occurrence for you, so you might as well start practicing today!"
Aunt Chen clutched her chest.
She had only been pretending before, but now, it was starting to feel real.
But Gu Jiaojiao quickly interjected, "Aunt Chen, you have to be strong! When you’re all alone at home, you’ll need to learn how to call for help in a situation like this. Otherwise, you’ll just be lying helplessly in the courtyard, with no one to answer your cries."
Aunt Chen was defiant. "I have a daughter! My daughter would never abandon me."
"That’s right! But your daughter married far away. By the time she gets back, it’ll be too late. Besides, she has her own children and her own husband. Do you really think she can watch over you every day?"
"In the end, aren’t your son and daughter-in-law the ones who stay by your side? When you were younger, you could bully her. But she’s only getting stronger, while you’re getting older. You tell me, after you’ve tormented her like this, will she be good to you when you’re old? If someone treated you this way, would you be good to them?"
’I couldn’t.’
It wasn’t just Aunt Chen; there were other women present who also didn’t treat their daughters-in-law very well.
They had been bullied by their own mothers-in-law when they were young. And what had they done in turn?
When their mothers-in-law grew old, they had wished for nothing more than for the old bags to drop dead.
At this thought, a chill went through the hearts of the other women.
’No way. We have to be nicer to our daughters-in-law when we get back.’
Aunt Chen’s case was even worse. Her own mother-in-law had been awful to her, and when the woman became bedridden, Aunt Chen had tormented her every single day.
When Aunt Chen thought about the things she had done and imagined herself meeting such a miserable end, a boundless terror rose within her.