The argument took place at the house next door to Zhan Chunlan's house, belonging to Aunt Wang.

"You unlucky bastard, you deserve to be cut into a thousand pieces! You can't even cook a meal, and you flip the table if I say a few words to you? I work so hard to take care of your kids, are you trying to starve me to death?! I'm telling you, watch out, you might get struck by lightning!" Aunt Wang's voice was full of energy, and every word she shouted could be clearly heard throughout the entire residential compound.

"I'm working overtime at the factory today, so I'm cooking when I get home. You're home all day and can't even take care of the kids properly, and now I have to work overtime to cook for you? Do you expect me to be struck by lightning? You're the one who should be struck by lightning for saying those things!" This was her daughter-in-law, Deng Xiaomei. She had worked a long day doing manual labor and was already exhausted. When she got home, the whole family was sitting there waiting for her to cook, which made her unhappy. But the old woman wouldn't let up and kept making a scene.

Although she's called an old woman, she's actually only in her forties. She came to help take care of the baby after Deng Xiaomei got pregnant.

They say they take care of the child, but in reality they just leave the child aside and let him crawl on his own, not caring about anything. They won't even pick up an oil bottle if it falls at home, and the daughter-in-law, who works, has to come back and cook the meals.

One time, when Deng Xiaomei came home, she saw her son sitting on the floor playing with poop, which was all over his body.

Her mother-in-law, who claimed to be visiting the child, was sitting far away on a stool chatting with others. When she saw her return, she said, "Xiaomei, you should cook the meal first before working on the beam diagram. I'll be watching, it's fine."

She was so angry she was trembling all over. Liang Tu was her own grandson, and this person didn't even bother to take good care of him, expecting her to serve him all day long. How could she have encountered such a person?!

That day was the first time she lost her temper at the Liang family's house. She didn't cook; instead, she washed her son first and then took him back to her parents' home.

Her husband, Liang Chao, came to pick her up that very day. At the time, Deng Xiaomei thought it was because he cared about her and her daughter. But later she gradually realized that he didn't care about them at all; he just had no one to cook for them and no food to eat.

After her mother-in-law, Aunt Wang, arrived, Deng Xiaomei finally saw her husband, Liang Chao, for who he truly was.

At home, he doesn't care about anything. He doesn't care who does the housework or cooking, because he doesn't have to do anything. So as long as his interests aren't harmed, he doesn't care, and he even uses the guise of filial piety to tell his wife not to talk back to the elders.

Today was no different. Deng Xiaomei worked overtime in the workshop and didn't get back until 8 o'clock.

When they got home, the lights weren't even on. Old Mrs. Wang was the first to attack, speaking sarcastically: "Oh dear, you must be tired from work. I'm an old woman, busy taking care of the kids, I don't have time to cook for you. Liang Tu and I are still hungry."

Deng Xiaomei patiently explained, "When a machine breaks down, it's hard to know how long it will take to fix. Our workshop has been working overtime every day for the past month until the machine is repaired."

"I'm an old woman, I don't understand any of your stuff. Anyway, whatever you say goes, you know what I mean?" Although Wang Da Niang said she didn't understand, her words implied that Deng Xiaomei was deliberately coming home late to force the old woman to cook.

Liang Chao was also hungry, so he quickly persuaded Aunt Wang, "Mom, stop arguing and let Xiaomei cook first."

Deng Xiaomei stared at Liang Chao for a moment, then slowly went into the kitchen. With a clattering sound, two dishes, stir-fried cabbage and stir-fried konjac, were served.

During the meal, Old Lady Wang acted up again, picking at the konjac with her chopsticks a few times but not putting it in her own bowl: "The konjac hasn't absorbed the flavor yet, it's a bit bland."

Deng Xiaomei rolled her eyes and buried her head in her food.

Aunt Wang reached into the cabbage plate again, rummaging through it from side to side, inside and out, top to bottom, but she just wouldn't put any of the cabbage into her own bowl.

Liang Chao couldn't stand it anymore. The perfectly good dishes had been turned into a mess. "Mom, what are you doing? There are only two dishes. Just pick whichever one you want. Why are you turning them over and over?"

When Aunt Wang saw that it was her son speaking, she pursed her lips, but still picked up a piece of cabbage and put it in her bowl. Before she even ate it, she said, "Xiao Mei, your cabbage isn't cooked properly. It's still green."

This is too bland, that's not cooked through. If you're so capable, why don't you make it yourself?

Deng Xiaomei finished the rice in her bowl, felt that she was probably full, and then carried her son back to the room.

He came out and immediately overturned the table: "If you don't like what I made, then don't eat it."

Then the scene at the beginning appeared.

“I left my farmland back home to help you take care of your children, and you still complain that I haven’t taken good care of them. Now you won’t even let me eat. I might as well just die.” Aunt Wang was so frightened by Deng Xiaomei’s words that she sat down on the ground and wailed.

Upon hearing his elderly mother say that he was unfilial and didn't want to live anymore, Liang Chao immediately stepped forward to help her up: "Mom, the ground is cold, please get up first."

Then he said to Deng Xiaomei, "Mom was just hungry today. She said a few words, but she didn't argue or make a fuss. Why are you getting so angry?"

"You haven't made a fuss even after all this? What do you consider a fuss? Like this?" Deng Xiaomei was probably driven by the resentment of a working-class person, which propelled her to this action. She had been holding back all along.

"You even help us take care of the kids, acting like you're making some huge sacrifice. We give you 20 yuan a month for living expenses, and you don't accept it? All you do is leave the kids to play around. You've only been here a short time, and you've already traveled all over the place. I don't even know this area as well as you do. I'm the one who washes the kids' clothes and diapers when I come back, I'm the one who cleans the house when I come back, and I'm the one who cooks the meals when I come back. What have you done?" Deng Xiaomei hadn't planned to say anything, but the more she talked, the more aggrieved she felt, and the more she couldn't stop talking.

"I paid my mom 20 yuan to come help me take care of the kids, and I could at least have a hot meal when I got home. How dare you say that? You're only in your forties. Look around at other people in their forties. Aren't they all still working? If they're not working, aren't they all busy with their own lives? With your lifestyle, even the landlords of the old days weren't as comfortable as you... um..."

Liang Chao was still shocked that his wife could talk so much in one breath. As she talked more and more out of control, even using terms like "landlord," he quickly stepped forward and covered her mouth: "Xiao Mei, you can't say that."

He patted her back to help her calm down, saying, "Don't be angry, don't be so upset, let's talk it out."

When Aunt Wang saw her son comforting his wife, she was displeased: "Deng Xiaomei, you should speak with a clear conscience. If it weren't for me, would Liang Tu have grown up like this?"

Hearing this, Deng Xiaomei's emotions, which were almost calmed down, exploded again: "Is that how you take care of a child? You play with so many old ladies every day, have you ever looked at how other people take care of their children? There are so many families in the neighborhood, which one just leaves their child at home to play outside like you do?"

"You're such a grown-up, haven't you had enough fun yet? You can't see others, look at yourself! You're lucky to have a good mother-in-law who helps you take care of the kids and cook for you while she's still alive. And you? You don't take good care of the kids, and I have to go to work every day and come home to serve your whole family. Am I some kind of livestock?"

The Liang family argued all night, keeping Zhan Chunlan up all night. She had a lot of dreams, sometimes running, sometimes digging for ginseng, and sometimes arguing and overturning tables. She was so busy.