Jiang Zao came in with his face covered, and Gu Xiufang felt that the room was instantly bright!
Not only the room, but her heart also brightened up. She was so angry at the mother and daughter that she was speechless just now, but as soon as her beloved daughter-in-law came in, she felt full of energy!
"My dear daughter-in-law, those women are not beggars. They are Qin Taoxian and Huang Wanqing, the women your father brought back from the countryside."
After saying this, Gu Xiufang almost laughed out loud.
Jiang Zao walked around to Qin Taoxian and Huang Wanqing and looked down at them.
When Qin Taoxian heard the words "beggar", "poor" and "smell of rat", his back tensed up.
In the countryside, she was a famous beauty in the surrounding villages. When she went to work in the fields, men from the production team outside would come to see her and tease her.
After not seeing each other for decades, when they met again, Xiao Chengda was so bewitched by her that he lost his mind.
Although she was born in a humble family, she was full of pride. Jiang Zao's words broke all the bones in her body. Her good temper and endurance, which she was proud of, almost made her lose her strength.
She raised her head to see Jiang Zao's appearance, and was stunned the moment she saw him.
Even more inferior.
The young wife in front of me is so perfect, good-looking, well-dressed, and looks like she has a job. Everything about her makes people envious.
Qin Taoxian looked over and saw Jiang Zao smiling at her, which made her instantly understand what provocation and smiling with a dagger hidden in one's heart meant.
Jiang Zao smiled and said, "So it's you guys."
"You two, how come you don't know what politeness is?"
"My father-in-law is a man. It's understandable that he takes care of you and your mother even though he has no relatives or friends. You're also right to call him brother. My mother-in-law was born and raised in the county town. Her parents are both wealthy and influential. When did a younger sister like you appear out of nowhere?"
"If you're talking from my father-in-law's side, we can't be considered sisters. This is the 1980s, a new society. It's not like the old days when concubines in wealthy families had to call the mistress "sister." Hurry up and change your words. Getting people laughed at is a small matter, but affecting my father-in-law's work is bad."
"In the new society, men are not allowed to have three or four wives. If they are caught by their employer, be careful that they will lose their jobs and have no salary to support you. You will be left with nothing."
Jiang Zao said this with a smile, his eyes full of amusement.
Huang Wanqing was furious.
"Who are you? Why are you scolding my mother? My mother came here to say goodbye and to clear the air with Uncle Xiao. You troublemaker, if you dare to scold my mother again, don't blame me for being rude."
As she was about to roll up her sleeves and stand up, Qin Taoxian grabbed her and said, "Wanqing, stop talking nonsense and apologize to your second sister-in-law!"
Huang Wanqing was about to curse when she felt a gaze so cold it made her teeth chatter. She looked over and met Xiao Shuisheng's gaze, which was as if he was looking at a dead person.
She had seen how powerful Xiao Shuisheng was. With just one word, he drove her out of the research institute.
Huang Wanqing was frightened like a quail and hid behind Qin Taoxian.
Xiao Shuisheng retracted his gaze and pulled Jiang Zao to sit on the sofa: "Be careful with your words, I don't mind letting my dad accompany you to drink the northwest wind."
Qin Taoxian knew how Huang Wanqing was kicked out of the research institute.
She guessed Xiao Shuisheng's identity and didn't dare to doubt him: "Wanqing, apologize to your sister-in-law quickly."
Huang Wanqing endured it and said, "I'm sorry, sister-in-law. I just said the wrong thing."
Jiang Zao didn't continue the topic: "I just heard at the door, are you going back to the countryside?"
"You apologized to my mother-in-law before you left, right?"
The topic returned to the main track, and Qin Taoxian nodded: "Yes."
"I didn't know that Xiao...Xiao Chengda had helped us, but you misunderstood him and got him beaten like that. I hope that after I come here to explain, your family can return to its usual harmony."
"Sister Gu, don't think too much. There's nothing wrong between us. If you don't believe me, go ask around in our production team. Although I'm a widow, I've never had any involvement with any man. If I hadn't been unable to survive..."
"He's a good man, you have to cherish him."
As she spoke, she started crying again.
Gu Xiufang was so angry that she wanted to hit someone.
Why are you pretending to be virtuous by running to her?
"Peach Fairy!"
"W-Why are you kneeling here and crying?"
"Who told you to kneel here?"
Qin Taoxian calculated the time and came over, knelt down, and said what she had just said, because she knew that Xiao Chengda would be going home at about this time.
Xiao Chengda ran in and dragged Qin Taoxian's arm to help her up, but Qin Taoxian was kneeling on the ground and couldn't get up.
"I won't. Chengda, leave me alone. I am a sinner, a bad woman. Please give me a chance to confess my guilt, let Sister Gu know that there is nothing between us, and let me return the family to you."
Qin Taoxian usually doesn't have much strength, she just knows how to thread a needle and sew clothes. But at the critical moment, she can be very strong, shake off Xiao Chengda's hand and kneel down again.
"Sister Gu, please don't think too much. I'm going back to the countryside this time and I won't come back."
"I won't...meet Chengda again."
After more than 30 years of relationship and having given birth to children for Xiao Chengda, Gu Xiufang never thought that one day she would see him so nervous about another woman.
She sat there, almost dead.
Qin Taoxian's tears are fake.
The bleeding in Gu Xiufang's heart is real.
During this period of time, she relied on hatred and anger to plot revenge on Xiao Chengda, paralyzing her nerves and making her life less painful.
At this moment, the pain of being paralyzed was returned thousands of times.
It hurts so much...
The pain also extinguished the last spark of hope in her heart.
Jiang Zao patted Gu Xiufang's hand distressedly and said, "You can go. Take out the clothes, shoe soles, and money in your luggage."
"Even brothers should settle accounts clearly. This house belongs not only to my father-in-law, but also to my mother-in-law. The money you spend, the house you live in, the fabrics you buy, and the food you eat all have all been paid for by my mother-in-law. We won't pursue the things we can't see, just treat it as sending away beggars to accumulate good karma. But bring out the things we can see, so we can see your resolve."
Isn't it necessary to have backbone?
Integrity is not a free thing.
Qin Taoxian came here because she was angry with Gu Xiufang. She took the opportunity to pretend to be miserable so that Xiao Chengda would pity her. The two had a quarrel and divorced.
She had never expected that there would be such a person in the Jiang family.
It's no exaggeration to say that when she faced Jiang Zao, she was scared before the battle even started.
She had no intention of going back to the production team. If she didn't go back and her things were left behind, would she have to go out and beg for food?
Qin Taoxian secretly gave Huang Wanqing a look.
Huang Wanqing burst into tears, "But we don't have money for the trip, and we don't have money for food. Can you please leave some money for us, otherwise we will starve to death."
"Uncle Xiao, I know we were wrong. We shouldn't have come to you and shouldn't have made your family angry, but we can't just wait to die."
Qin Taoxian frowned and scolded: "Wanqing, don't talk nonsense. Uncle Xiao has his own life to live."
Xiao Chengda couldn't hide his disgust. "Gu Xiufang, look in the mirror and see how vicious you are! Life is already very difficult for them, mother and daughter. You've been living with me, and you've never had to worry about food or clothing. Your children are both successful and have everything they want. Why do you have to force them into this?"
"They came to apologize, and you actually made them kneel here, bringing your daughter-in-law to bully this poor mother and daughter. I originally thought you were a kind person, but I didn't expect you to be so vicious!"
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