After hearing what Madam Yang said, some of the old women began to speak up for Ning Huan, expressing their grievances.
Aunt Xiufen was the first to curse: "That old woman Yao, she doesn't appreciate her good life and instead causes trouble all the time. She'll get her comeuppance one day."
Zhu Dali's wife, Zhu Shi, nodded in agreement, "Auntie, you're right. In our village, Aunt Yao is the most fortunate. Her children are all easy to take care of, and she has such a promising son like Jing'an. Moreover, Uncle Zhou listens to Aunt Yao completely and does everything she says at home."
"As a result, Aunt Yao was always looking for trouble. If you ask me, she really had nothing better to do."
Zhu's words opened the floodgates for the other women to talk. The woman who had been trying to curry favor with Ning Huan nodded in agreement: "A child like Zhou's third son is a son that other families would beg for no matter how hard they try! But Yao doesn't care about him at all. She's always thinking about how to cause trouble for Jing'an."
Madam Yang nodded and said, "Yes, what family wouldn't like a child like Brother Jing'an! But Aunt Yao is different. Of all her children, Brother Jing'an is the most promising, and his wife is also quite capable."
Hearing this, Liu Feng rolled her eyes at Ning Huan again. But Ning Huan pretended not to see it, sighed and said helplessly, "It's a pity that no matter what everyone says, it's useless. My mother-in-law scolds me every day for being an unfilial daughter-in-law, and my husband is also scolded by her. Our family is really wronged."
"But no matter what my mother-in-law says, there's nothing she can do. We just need to know what's really going on in our hearts. As long as we can be true to ourselves and have a clear conscience, that's enough."
As soon as she finished speaking, many more old women began to echo Ning Huan's words. But Ning Huan continued, "However, the reason why my mother-in-law is so unreasonable is ultimately because my father-in-law spoils her too much, which allows her to make such a fuss without any restraint."
“When she came to our house to make trouble before, the village chief caught her several times. Knowing that my mother-in-law was being unreasonable, the village chief was so angry that he went to complain to my father-in-law and told my mother-in-law not to make trouble anymore. But my mother-in-law only became more and more outrageous. It is only because my father-in-law is backing her up that she can act so arrogantly.”
Aunt Xiufen nodded in agreement: "Jing'an's wife is right. Zhou Dashan really knows how to love his wife. No matter what Yao does, I've never heard Zhou Dashan say a word against it."
Zhu echoed, "I know that Uncle Zhou dotes on his wife. I heard that when he was young, he was so in love with Aunt Yao that he married her. My father said that Uncle Zhou almost had a falling out with his family before he agreed to marry her."
"But this is really strange. This Aunt Yao isn't exactly pretty, and she's shrewish and sharp-tongued. So why does Uncle Zhou dote on her so much?"
Aunt Xiufen chimed in, "That's true. This Yao isn't pretty, and I don't know what she's got that makes Zhou Dashan so infatuated with her. Zhou Dashan wasn't exactly honest when he was young either, and yet, even after most of their lives together, he hasn't taken a concubine or anything."
Upon hearing this, Liu Feng immediately perked up her ears and listened attentively.
Madam Yang said, "Aunt Yao is lucky. Not only does Uncle Dashan listen to her in everything, but her son is also so successful. Judging from Aunt Yao's usual shrewish and domineering manner, she doesn't seem like the type to raise such a capable child as Jing'an. Uncle Dashan doesn't seem like a smart person either. I wonder who Jing'an took after?"
The old woman who had spoken earlier clicked her tongue and said, "If the parents aren't good enough, there are still the grandparents, right? When the Zhou family patriarch was young, he was incredibly handsome. Not just in our village, but in the surrounding villages, many girls liked him."
"But then this week, the old man went to the capital. He's a very capable man, and he even went into the palace to do things for the nobles! But it seems that he offended someone and was kicked out, which is why he came back."
Zhu asked with some curiosity, "Oh my, those who come from the palace, must have a lot of good things on them, right?"
The old woman replied, "Of course, it's not just that Old Master Zhou himself has good things. Back then, he and Old Madam Zhou had two sons. The eldest went to join the army and never came back. Although it's heartbreaking for a parent to outlive their child, the army camp took out a lot of good things to compensate the Zhou family!"
Zhu said, "Oh my, so this Grandpa Zhou is so amazing, and Brother Jing'an is so promising. It's obvious that he inherited his ancestors' wisdom."
Ning Huan was hearing about these things for the first time; even Zhou Jing'an probably didn't know he had an uncle.
But now is not the time to listen to such gossip. She chimed in, "No matter what, my mother-in-law is someone who knows how to enjoy life. Don't let her current antics fool you. If my husband passes the imperial examination and becomes a high-ranking official, my mother-in-law might just become a Lady of Imperial Decree!"
The old woman who was about to speak asked, "Jing'an's wife, what exactly is a 'royal consort'?"
Ning Huan smiled helplessly and said, "They are officials' wives. They don't have to do anything. They just stay at home and the court pays them."
Hearing this, everyone in the car was stunned. They couldn't believe such a good thing had happened. Then they realized that such a good thing had actually fallen on Yao, who did nothing but throw tantrums all day.
As the saying goes, good people don't live long, but evil people live for a thousand years. But Yao, this evil person, not only lived for a thousand years, but also had such a good life.
"It's so unfair! How could that old woman Yao have such a good life!"
"There's no use in being envious; you can only say that they were born into a good family."
Ning Huan paused and said, "However, my mother-in-law had better not go too far. If she really annoys my father-in-law and makes him hate her, that's one thing. But if another woman takes the opportunity to get close to my father-in-law, then my mother-in-law will be in for a lot of trouble."
Yang echoed, "Hasn't Aunt Yao already been locked up at home by Uncle Dashan? Could it be that they've already started having conflicts? Or is someone around Uncle Dashan causing trouble?"
To everyone's surprise, Aunt Xiufen and the other women shook their heads and said, "They probably just had a tiff. Yao went too far this time and upset her husband!"
"It's impossible that someone is causing trouble. Zhou Dashan will be trapped in Yao's hands for the rest of his life."
"That's right. If you ask me, I'd have to praise any woman who could snatch Zhou Dashan away from Yao. But that's just impossible."
"I think so too. I'm afraid even if Zhou Dashan had two more lives, he wouldn't dare to do that with Yao's fierce temper!"
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