Lin Fugui responded, waved, and went home, tossing his pipe behind him.

The party was over, and Er Ya pulled Jiang's mother home. On the way, Jiang's mother was still a little incredulous. She knew her mother-in-law's usual character and had always looked down on her. Why would she stand up for her today?

Grandma Shen seemed to understand Jiang's mother's gaze: "What are you looking at? You're probably thinking bad things about me."

"No, Mother, why would I be like this? I'm just a little confused as to why you came to help me today."

Grandma Shen said in a domineering tone, "If we have disagreements in our own family, that's our own business. We can't let some family matters cause you to be bullied outside while I stand by and laugh. I'm helping you because I don't want you to embarrass the Lin family."

"Also, this incident will teach you a lesson. Your second brother told me that you went to cook. You should quit that job as soon as possible. Look at the mess you made today. You know how important a woman's reputation is without me having to tell you. If this happens again, you can expect to be sent back to your parents' home."

After saying that, he strode home like a victorious rooster, full of pride and arrogance.

Looking at Old Mrs. Shen, Jiang's mother was inexplicably moved. She said to Lin Jianguo, "We still have some meat at home. Let's cut some for Mother and take it over later. Look, she's injured on her face today."

Lin Jianguo nodded. He really hadn't expected his mother to come and help them today. Perhaps, as she said, she didn't want her family to suffer.

Er Ya held Jiang's mother's hand and said like a little adult, "Mom, are you alright? Next time something like this happens, just leave it to me. Don't rush in by yourself. No matter how angry you are, you have to think about your little brother. Don't be impulsive."

Jiang's mother felt a little scared. She had acted as if she had lost control, only thinking about tearing Han's mouth apart. She touched her pregnant belly and thought that she must not be impulsive again next time.

When I got home, the sun had already set. I gathered the medicinal herbs together and covered them with a cloth that was used to cover grain to keep out the dew.

After finishing her chores, it was already dark. Jiang's mother cooked a simple meal, cut about two or three pounds of meat for Lin Jianguo, and handed it to him, asking him to take it to the old house and come back to eat as soon as he finished. She then busied herself in the kitchen.

Lin Jianguo stumbled to the old house and heard people busy cooking inside. Old Mrs. Shen was yelling at Niu Shi to come and help with the cooking, saying that she always hid in the house pretending to be dead, and that she was too old to cook.

Upon hearing Old Madam Shen's outburst, Madam Niu, who was lying in bed, sat up abruptly and slowly walked over, trying to appease her:

"Mom, look at what you're saying. I was just tidying up clothes in the house. I didn't notice how it got dark, so I quickly came out to cook."

"You know what you're doing in the room. What are you tidying up? With your two tattered clothes, what's there to tidy up? Where's Daya? Where is that lazy girl hiding? She's a bunch of good-for-nothings. When it's time to work, you can't find her, but when she's eating, she just pops out from somewhere."

"Mom, why are you so grumpy today? Isn't Da Ya over there feeding the pigs? You should lie down and rest. I'll cook dinner."

Niu pushed Old Lady Shen out of the kitchen. If the old woman weren't there, she could sneak some food herself. She chuckled to herself, then looked up and saw Lin Jianguo coming over.

He said sarcastically, "Oh, what brings you here, busy man? We didn't cook for you!"

Niu, who was visiting her parents' home today, was unaware of what had happened. Otherwise, she would have rushed to the front to see Jiang's face, which had been torn apart.

Lin Jianguo ignored her and said to Old Lady Shen, "Mother, Er Ya's mother said you worked hard today. So when she came back today, the boss gave her some meat and asked you to bring some back."

Grandma Shen took the meat and pouted, "How much meat did I bring you? Why did you only send over this little bit? Is it enough for us to have a meal? This Jiang family will never get rid of their stingy habits. I even extorted five yuan from Han family, and they didn't even bring it back to show their respect to me."

That sounds nice, but Lin Jianguo thought to himself: Before, with so much meat, we could eat it for more than half a month if we ate it sparingly. I wondered why my mother had suddenly changed her mind, but it turns out she's still the same.

Lin Jianguo smiled awkwardly: "Mom, I heard you say you were still cooking. Here's the meat for you. I'll be going now. They're waiting for me to eat at home."

Just as he was about to leave, Old Mrs. Shen stopped him, pulled him aside, and whispered, "How much does Er Ya's mother earn a month at that restaurant? She must make quite a bit. Don't be so stubborn. Even if you have money, you can't forget your brother and nephew."

Upon hearing her say that, Lin Jianguo suddenly lost interest in chatting with her. He had thought she was finally treating his family better, but it turned out she was eyeing their money.

He chuckled and said, "She's only helping out for a few days. Once the shop's business stabilizes, she'll quit. You know she's pregnant, so we can't let her get too tired. The boss is a nice guy; he pays her one yuan a day. She's planning to quit tomorrow."

"What? One yuan a day? Are you stupid? Why would you quit? That's thirty yuan a month! So what if she's pregnant? That woman from so-and-so's family worked in the fields until she gave birth there, and she's still doing fine, isn't she? Listen to me, she can't quit this job. If anyone in the village talks nonsense again, and I hear it, I'll go and fight them. Just let her go to work in peace."

However, she should give me twenty yuan of the money she earned. I'll keep it and give it to you later so you won't spend it recklessly.

After hearing what he said, Old Man Lin felt a little embarrassed. The family had already separated, and his children were just thinking of him and bringing him something to eat. How could they ask for money right away?

She said to Lin Jianguo, "Go home and don't listen to your mother's nonsense. They're waiting for you, so we won't keep you any longer." She then pulled Old Lady Shen into the main room.

Old Mrs. Shen twisted her body and shouted at Lin Jianguo, "Remember what I told you, go home and tell Er Ya's mother that if she dares to object, you should beat her up. You can leave all the gossipy people in the village to me."

Lin Jianguo covered his ears and ran all the way home. He didn't know how to open his mouth to say those things to his wife, nor did he know how his wife had the nerve to say those things. He was so ashamed when he heard them.

To be continued!