Su Qingzhi was completely unaware of Zhu Xiuqin's thoughts.

She was in the kitchen, gripping the edge of the pot lid tightly in her hand.

Every now and then, gently lift the lid to peek at the stewing process.

Simmering the braised chicken with some dried wild mushrooms over a low flame.

She made this pot of chicken especially for Shen Cunpu.

I specially selected cuts with a good balance of fat and lean meat, and also added dried and treasured wild mushrooms.

When the aroma wafted out, she couldn't help but close her eyes and take a deep breath of the warm air.

The scene at lunchtime is still vivid in my mind.

It was midday and the sun was shining brightly. Shen Zhiyu was unable to go home because he was on duty at the supply and marketing cooperative that day.

Shen Cunpu was also temporarily called by the production team to go to the commune to participate in the public meal task, and did not return in time.

In the end, only Su Qingzhi and her two nephews were left at home for dinner.

Add to that the old sister-in-law who can never find a kind word to say.

The four of them barely managed to squeeze together at the same square table to eat.

The four people sat around the table eating, but did not exchange a single word.

The air was oppressive and cold.

The mother and her two children lowered their heads and ate the food in their bowls.

Zhu Xiuqin, on the other hand, had a sneer on her face, occasionally glancing sideways at the other person's expression.

After the meal, Zhu Xiuqin hurriedly tidied up and went out to cut pig feed.

Taking advantage of this moment, Su Qingzhi hurriedly returned to the house, took out the bags of wild mushrooms she had brought from her spatial storage, and carefully spread them out in the yard to dry.

She plans to wait until the mushrooms are completely dried, then take them to the market to sell at a suitable time to earn some pocket money.

The sun slowly sank in the west, and a few streaks of sunset appeared on the horizon.

As Shen Cunpu carried his hoe into the yard, before he could even catch his breath, he heard a sharp scream coming from inside.

"Can't you buy something for the rest of the family with the money I gave you? Don't you understand the importance of being filial to your mother-in-law and loving your younger brother? Did I do something wrong? Now you're feeling wronged!"

"Remember this: in this house, my word is law! If you continue to be so clueless, then get out of here!"

Su Qingzhi stood there, clutching the clothes in her hands tightly.

"Today you gave me money in front of Aunt Liu and the others, asking me to buy clothes for Cunpu. How come you want to give them to Zhiyu to wear now? Why don't you just give these clothes to someone else? I'll call all the neighbors and we'll see which side is right!"

"You want to break up this fight? You want people to know what you've been doing behind my back?"

Zhu Xiuqin's voice grew louder and louder.

"If I had known you would be so immature, I shouldn't have let him marry you! You've brought a jinx into our family!"

Su Qingzhi really didn't want to listen anymore, so she simply ignored her and reached out to snatch the clothes back into her hands.

"What...what are you trying to do? Are you trying to take the clothes back? Haven't you made enough trouble? These clothes are too eye-catching. Wearing them out might bring bad luck. Won't they shorten your man's lifespan?"

Su Qingzhi's eyes turned cold, and she asked indifferently, "Who are you talking about?"

Shen Cunpu was standing outside the courtyard.

He was just passing by, but he was taken aback by the question.

He heard it clearly, his heart skipped a beat, and his head suddenly went blank.

It felt like a heavy stone was pressing on my chest, making me feel suffocated and even my breathing became heavy.

He was actually quite physically strong when he was young.

Unfortunately, his family was poor, and he often went hungry and cold, and had to do heavy labor.

Year after year of hard work gradually wore down my physique.

Especially in winter, when the cold wind blows, he becomes sickly.

The cough was like a shadow that wouldn't go away, and it was even worse at night.

"Mom, you know I won't live long if I keep going like this."

As Shen Cunpu pondered this, he clenched his fists and walked step by step into the courtyard.

His face was now even more ashen and pale.

Zhu Xiuqin was arguing with Su Qingzhi over clothes in the yard.

Unexpectedly, her son suddenly spoke, his voice icy cold.

Startled, she loosened her grip and quickly forced a smile: "Eldest brother, that's not what Mom meant."

"What does that mean?"

Shen Cunpu's brows furrowed deeply.

"You gave Qingzhi money to buy new clothes first thing in the morning, and then you scolded her for dressing so brightly. What's the point of all this?"

"She's my woman, the wife I married. If you can't tolerate her... then don't force me, let's separate!"

Zhu Xiuqin was stunned for a moment, then her expression changed drastically.

"Separate...separate the family?"

Suddenly, she let out a loud wail.

As she shouted, she looked up at the sky and gestured.

"Oh my god! Open your eyes and look! My own son, whom I raised with such care and love! He has forgotten the kindness of raising him for a woman, he has no conscience! He's driving his old mother to her death!"

Then her crying became even more shrill.

"I raised you with great difficulty!"

Su Qingzhi glanced coldly at Zhu Xiuqin, holding the Zhongshan suit in her hand, and slowly walked up to Shen Cunpu.

Her tone was calm and composed.

"Honey, do you like the color of this outfit? I think this blue suits you very well."

"Bang--!"

The door was suddenly kicked open with a loud and piercing sound.

Immediately afterwards, Shen Zhiyu stormed into the courtyard with an angry expression.

His eyes were bloodshot, and he went straight to his mother as soon as he came in.

"Mom, I heard you crying at the door just now. Su Qingzhi must have bullied you, right?"

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