Just then, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate, along with Old Lady Shen's shrill voice: "Lin Wanqiu! You come out here! Where did you hide my Tingzhou's pension? If you don't hand it over today, I'm not finished with you!"
Lin Wanqiu's face darkened, and she stood up, holding Shen Nian'an in her arms. This old woman, Shen, was like a persistent ghost; she'd just been rebuffed yesterday, and today she was back again, bringing up the matter of the compensation. Shen had already taken Shen Tingzhou's compensation under the pretext of "keeping it for Nian'an," and now she was trying to extort money from her.
“Mom…” Shen Nian’an was startled by Grandma Shen’s voice and shrank into Lin Wanqiu’s arms, her little body trembling slightly.
Lin Wanqiu patted his back and gently comforted him, "Niannian, don't be afraid. With Mommy here, no one can bully us."
She carried the child to the door, opened it, and saw Old Mrs. Shen standing in the yard with her hands on her hips, followed by her sister-in-law Zhang Lan. Both of them had angry expressions on their faces and looked like they had come on a fierce mission.
"Lin Wanqiu! You've finally come out!" As soon as Old Madam Shen saw her, she pointed at her nose and cursed, "You jinx! You killed my son, and now you want to embezzle his compensation money! Let me tell you, that compensation money belongs to the Shen family, and you must hand it over!"
Zhang Lan chimed in, "That's right! Wanqiu, you're just a woman with a child, what do you need so much money for? Why not give it to your mother to keep? When Nian'an grows up, it can help him find a wife."
Lin Wanqiu held Shen Nian'an in her arms and looked at them coldly: "Survivor's pension? Old Mrs. Shen, how dare you mention survivor's pension? After Tingzhou's sacrifice, you took the fifty yuan survivor's pension issued by the brigade that very day, saying you would keep it for Nian'an. Why are you asking me for it now? Are you senile, or are you deliberately trying to extort me?"
"I...I was just temporarily holding it for you!" Old Mrs. Shen was exposed, her eyes showing some panic, but she still stubbornly insisted, "Nian'an is not feeling well now and needs money for treatment. Take out the money, and I'll take you to see a doctor for the child!"
"I don't need your concern." Lin Wanqiu sneered. "I've already cured Nian'an's illness, so you don't need to worry about her. But you, taking Tingzhou's pension, are living a life of luxury at home, making yourself look sleek and healthy, while Nian'an is left to eat meager rations. How dare you ask for a pension?"
As she spoke, she hugged Shen Nian'an closer, letting Old Mrs. Shen and Zhang Lan see her clearly: "Look at Nian'an, hasn't she gained a little weight and become more energetic in the past month or so? I've been using my own money to supplement her diet, it has nothing to do with your Shen family!"
Grandma Shen and Zhang Lan looked at Shen Nian'an and saw that although the little guy was still thin, his complexion was much rosier than before, and his eyes were brighter. He was no longer as timid as before, and he was indeed much better than before.
Old Mrs. Shen felt even more resentful. She originally thought that Lin Wanqiu would be destitute after losing her husband and raising a child, and that she would have to beg her for help. But she never expected that Lin Wanqiu would not only not starve to death, but also raise the child better and better. How could she be willing to accept this?
"Where did you get the money to supplement the child's health?" Old Mrs. Shen stared at Lin Wanqiu with suspicion in her eyes. "You're a widow. Besides the little grain distributed by the brigade, what other money could you possibly have? I bet you've hidden Tingzhou's secret stash of money!"
"Whether I'm hiding money or not is none of your business," Lin Wanqiu said firmly. "If you keep making trouble here, I'll go to the brigade headquarters and ask the captain to settle this with me, so everyone can see how you, as a mother-in-law, are bullying an orphan and a widow!"
Mentioning the brigade headquarters made Old Lady Shen's heart skip a beat. Last time during the grain distribution, Lin Wanqiu had argued with the team leader and gotten back her rightful share. If she made a scene at the brigade headquarters again this time, she knew she wouldn't get away with it. But she wasn't willing to just leave like that. Her eyes darted around and she saw the cloth covering the stove. An idea came to her.
"I don't care if you've hidden money or not, I'm here today to see if you've been abusing Nian'an!" Old Mrs. Shen said, rushing towards the stove. "I heard you've been cooking delicious food at home every day lately, but you haven't given any to Nian'an. Have you been secretly eating it all yourself?"
She reached out to lift the cloth, but Lin Wanqiu reacted quickly and stopped her, saying, "Grandma Shen, what are you doing? This is something I made myself, it has nothing to do with you!"
"How can it not be related? Nian'an is a member of the Shen family, so he should have a share in what you've made!" Old Madam Shen pushed Lin Wanqiu forcefully. "Today I want to see what good things you've been hiding!"
The two started pulling at each other, and Shen Nian'an was so frightened that she burst into tears: "Mommy! Mommy!"
Zhang Lan watched from the side, not only not offering any advice, but also secretly pushing Lin Wanqiu from behind. Caught off guard, Lin Wanqiu stumbled and almost fell, while Shen Nian'an, who was in her arms, was so frightened that she clung tightly to her neck.
Lin Wanqiu was both angry and anxious. Seeing the faces of Old Madam Shen and Zhang Lan, her anger flared up instantly. She steadied herself and shoved Old Madam Shen hard. Old Madam Shen lost her balance, stumbled back a few steps, and fell to the ground with a thud.
"Ouch! My back!" Old Mrs. Shen sat on the ground, clutching her back and wailing, "Lin Wanqiu, you shrew! How dare you hit me! I don't want to live anymore! My son is dead, and now even a widow is bullying me!"
When Zhang Lan saw Old Lady Shen sitting on the ground crying, she also started wailing, "Everyone come quick! Lin Wanqiu is bullying my mother-in-law! She pushed her to the ground and is trying to embezzle the compensation money! Is there no law anymore?!"
Her shout drew the attention of the neighbors, who gathered around and stood at the gate, pointing and whispering.
"What's wrong? Why is Grandma Shen sitting on the ground crying?"
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