Old Mrs. Fan sent the Fan Family’s eldest sister-in-law to cook, then closed the door to whisper with her son for a long time, and eventually agreed to take the eldest daughter-in-law to the Gu Family to fetch Gu Honglian.
Upon hearing the news, Fan Family’s eldest sister-in-law was furious and took it out on her husband, saying she’d never been so humiliated since marrying into the Fan Family.
In the entire Wild Bull Valley, she was the first eldest sister-in-law who had to bow down to her younger sister-in-law.
Fan Family’s eldest sister-in-law pretended to be sick in bed, not wanting to go to Qinghe Bay Gu Family, but her mother-in-law scolded her, calling her petty and unconcerned for Fan Tong’s future. Even an old woman like herself could lower her head to the Gu Family; why couldn’t the eldest daughter-in-law?
Fan Family’s eldest sister-in-law suppressed her anger and got up to follow her mother-in-law to Qinghe Bay Gu Family.
Fan Tong went along as well.
Lying on a flatbed which his elder brother was pulling, accompanied by uncles and aunts from the clan who were influential.
The uncles were quite displeased, as it was harvest season and nobody’s wheat could go unharvested.
Afraid of being beaten, Fan Tong called upon the clan to show respect for Gu Honglian.
He only hoped that Gu Honglian wouldn’t continue to hold grudges and would agree to return to the Fan Family for the sake of so many people.
The wheat at home was ripe; delaying a day could mean missing an entire year’s harvest.
Tong Huaqiong saw a large group passing by her weaving workshop’s door early in the morning.
Seeing Old Mrs. Fan and Fan Family’s eldest sister-in-law, she knew they had come to surrender to Gu Honglian.
"Honglian’s elder sister-in-law." Old Mrs. Fan greeted Tong Huaqiong enthusiastically.
Tong Huaqiong returned a cold face.
Old Mrs. Fan awkwardly, suppressing her anger, went to the old house.
Tong Huaqiong, with a mindset of a bystander, also rushed to the old house.
Gu Honglian hadn’t arisen yet, and Mr. Gu and Mrs. Gu felt no need to be welcoming to people from the Fan Family, given the situation.
The fact that the Fan Family came to fetch someone despite Fan Tong being beaten so badly suggested the eldest daughter-in-law’s strategy was effective.
This meant the Fan Family feared the Gu Family.
With the excuse that Gu Honglian hadn’t woken up yet, they left them in the courtyard without even a cup of tea.
Old Mrs. Fan’s face fell.
During the wheat harvest season, every girl was a main labor force, yet Gu Honglian was sleeping at her parents’ house until late morning.
More annoying was the Gu Family’s righteous attitude, using Gu Honglian’s sleeping in as a reason to leave them hanging.
An inn daughter-in-law like this deserves a bit of a beating in the Fan Family.
"Mother-in-law, do you have objections my daughter sleeping in at her parents’ house?" Mrs. Gu saw Old Mrs. Fan and was eager to scratch at her.
Old Mrs. Fan thought of her son’s future, forced a smile, and said, "How could I have objections?"
Mrs. Gu said, "If you have no objections, don’t put on a long face. My daughter doesn’t usually sleep late, why was she slow getting up this time? Isn’t it because she’s been tormented by you and your good eldest daughter-in-law since marrying into your family two months ago."
These words were quite blunt.
Old Mrs. Fan said, "The daughter-in-law is young and sometimes doesn’t know better. As the mother-in-law and the elder sister-in-law, teaching her is hardly torment."
Meaning Gu Honglian was too delicate.
Neither Mrs. Gu nor Mr. Gu appreciated this.
"No torment? No torment and you left my daughter covered in scratches. I wouldn’t mind you disciplining her, but you shouldn’t have beaten her, and certainly shouldn’t have allowed your eldest sister-in-law to beat her." Mrs. Gu got angrier as she spoke.
Gu Honglian, inside the room, heard her mother’s conversation with her mother-in-law, and slowly got up to wash.
The sun climbed higher; the early summer sun was hot, and having waited a long while without seeing Gu Honglian appear, the Fan Family couldn’t sit still anymore.
"Mother-in-law, could you please call for my daughter-in-law to get up?" Old Mrs. Fan was irate.
Out of line.
She had personally come to the Gu Family to fetch them, yet they were still acting superior.
Just how pampered is Gu Honglian?
Even if she were a Commandery Princess, she couldn’t treat a mother-in-law like this.
She couldn’t believe, with so many people present, that the Gu Family would have the nerve to let Gu Honglian sleep in.
Mrs. Gu said, "You’re instructing me? Honglian will naturally wake up on her own. Poor Honglian, marrying into the Fan Family for less than two months, and hasn’t had a single good rest."
Then she went on discussing Gu Honglian’s experience at the Fan Family in front of the Fan Family clan and the people of Qinghe Bay.
Since things had come this far, it was unnecessary to hide it.
The eldest daughter-in-law was right, caring too much about appearances was ultimately hurting Gu Honglian.
She ought to properly publicize what the Fan Family had done.
The Fan Family’s faces displayed awkwardness.
Even though a mother-in-law could sternly deal with a daughter-in-law, being publicly pointed out for mistreating a daughter-in-law was certainly embarrassing. It got out into the public, how could any girl be willing to marry into the Fan Family?
The clan leader’s daughter-in-law couldn’t help but advise, "Every family has its own disagreements, mother-in-law, aunt, disciplining the daughter-in-law hurriedly caused a misunderstanding, but her intentions are not ill. Who doesn’t have friction in daily life? Once Honglian bears a son, she will understand her aunt’s intentions."
These words further angered Mrs. Gu, who shouted, "Everyone, listen to these words; once a son is born only then can you appreciate this old hag’s intentions. My daughter Honglian does want to bear a son, but with this old hag in the Fan Family, one fears the family line will end."
Everyone looked at each other.
The Fan Family was incredibly angry; this constitutes a curse.
Mrs. Gu pointed at Old Mrs. Fan saying, "What mother-in-law is like you; whose son will have his lineage abruptly ended. You mother-in-law shamelessly listen to your son’s and daughter-in-law’s private conversations; if you want a man, remarry. I thought our Dasheng laws don’t prevent widows from remarriage; eavesdropping on your son’s private conversations – what do you mean by that?"
The onlooking crowd was stunned.
There’s no shortage of mother-in-laws who torment their daughters-in-law in a village, but a mother-in-law listening to her son’s private conversations had never happened in Qinghe Bay.
Not just in Qinghe Bay, possibly nowhere across Dasheng.
Everyone was amazed.
Even the modern Tong Huaqiong, who had seen plenty of bizarre events, was equally astonished; Old Mrs. Fan seemed to want to create an ancient version of "gentle times" here.
"Could it be that Fan Family’s mother-in-laws are all like this? No wonder a group followed the old hag to my house, turns out eavesdropping on your son’s private conversation is considered normal by you."
The clan leader’s daughter-in-law was frozen, regretting speaking actively earlier.
Other Fan Family women looked mortified.
They truly hadn’t expected Old Mrs. Fan to do such a thing; otherwise, they’d never have agreed to follow her to Qinghe Bay to lose face.
They still needed to marry daughters-in-law!
Old Mrs. Fan was red-faced from Mrs. Gu’s words, defending herself, "I’m just worried that the young couple wouldn’t understand; my son needs to study, he might ruin his body and delay his examination results."
Mrs. Gu spat on her face, cursing, "Stop talking nonsense, if you want a man just say, it’s not shameful. You’re worried he’ll ruin his body, but your eldest daughter-in-law received heart pain and let her brother-in-law attend to her all night, are you not afraid of spoiling your son’s body?"
Mrs. Gu then pointed at the Fan Family’s eldest sister-in-law, "No wonder you and your mother-in-law team up to bully my daughter, could it be you and your mother-in-law sleep under the same blanket, thinking everyone like you don’t know shame. When the upper beam isn’t straight, the lower beam is crooked; the elder sister-in-law felt pain in her heart originally let the younger brother-in-law attend to her, whether lacking in men or sons, clinging onto the younger brother-in-law. Turns out a chaotic mess is normal in your Fan Family, but pity my Honglian."
The crowd uproared again.
It was already explosive just now, and now there’s another explosive news.
Of course, the Fan Family wasn’t that chaotic, but Mrs. Gu chose to say so.
The Fan Family’s eldest sister-in-law, being hit where it hurts, angrily said, "Stop talking nonsense."
A figure swiftly came in, followed by a sound "smack" on Fan Family’s eldest sister-in-law’s face.