As they were talking, Zhang Xiulan saw Wang Sanni and became more vocal. "I know Mother doesn't believe me. You can ask my second brother's wife about this. Did Du Zhiqing go to my third brother's house to fetch water for him?"
Wang Sanni was afraid her mother-in-law would misunderstand, so she quickly explained, "That's not the case. Du Zhiqing was carrying water for my third sister-in-law, but she didn't want it and even beat him out. My brother and I were there at the time, and my brother even helped chase him away."
"Ha, I'm telling you, second sister-in-law, you're the only one who believes this. Do you understand how to put it on display for others to see? You also said that you and your brother were there at the time. What else did you want to do if you didn't chase them away? Did you let them sit on the kang..."
"That's enough," Mother Lu interrupted Zhang Xiulan when she heard her words becoming more and more outrageous.
"I believe the third daughter-in-law on this matter. Others can say whatever they want, but we in our family are a little more careful about what we say. Eldest daughter-in-law, if you continue to make up rumors about the third daughter-in-law, you'll have to go back to your parents' home. Listen to what you just said. Is that what a sister-in-law should say?"
"Mom, I'm not the only one saying this, everyone in the village says this. If you don't believe me, go and listen," Zhang Xiu Lan was unconvinced, feeling that her mother-in-law was biased.
Even though so many people saw it, her mother-in-law still wanted to take sides.
"I don't believe what I hear, I only believe what I see. I'm putting it here. If you don't believe me, just try it. Where's the eldest brother? Go wake him up and ask him to fetch a few buckets of water for the third brother's house."
This was indeed something she had overlooked. The third son's wife was so thin, how could she possibly carry water?
Zhang Xiulan sighed, "Mom, you asked Lu Hui to fetch water for the third brother's wife? Aren't you afraid of gossip from the villagers? How can an uncle fetch water for his younger brother's wife?"
"I don't know if others have spread the gossip, but I think it will come from you first. If the eldest brother doesn't go, you should go. Today, you should fill up the water for the third brother's house."
Zhang Xiulan was about to say something when Wang Sanni interrupted, "Mom, sister-in-law, you don't have to go. My fourth brother filled up the water tank at my sister-in-law's house before he went back. I think it will last for a few days."
Zhang Xiulan didn't mention it anymore, but she wasn't idle either. "Sister-in-law, your family really misses you. It's only been a few days, and your brother came to see you again. I'm so envious. I saw he brought a big bag. What's in it? Why didn't you bring it back?"
"Those are the chestnuts my third sister-in-law wanted. My mother's family happened to have some, so I sent them to her."
Wang Sanni didn't think there was anything she couldn't say about this matter.
When Zhang Xiulan heard it was chestnuts, her eyes lit up a bit. "So you gave that whole bag to the third brother's wife? I say, second sister-in-law, you're really obsessed with it. We're all family, why are you only thinking about the third brother's wife? Don't you see that mother hasn't had any to eat yet?"
Upon hearing this, Mother Lu was immediately dissatisfied. "Old lady, I told you that any money you get from your parents is yours. Don't bring me up again. I don't care about anyone's family's things."
"This isn't a matter of whether or not Mom cares about it. This is a filial gift from a child. It's such a big bag, shouldn't I give Mom some of it as a token of my appreciation? If it were me, I would at least give Mom half."
Wang Sanni explained in a low voice, "Then Li Zi's third sister-in-law didn't ask for it for nothing. She paid for it. Mother knows about it."
When Zhang Xiulan heard that Li Zi wanted more money, she wanted to speak again, but Mother Lu said directly, "Old man, what have you been doing out early in the morning these past two days?"
Zhang Xiulan immediately shut up, her eyes evasive. "I...what can I do? I saw my second and third brothers working on the river to earn work points, and my eldest brother couldn't do that kind of work, so I thought I'd go to the back mountain to see if I could pick up something to help support the family. But I was unlucky and didn't find anything..."
Mother Lu looked at her until she was exhausted. "Mom, why are you looking at me like that? You agreed that Lu Hui wouldn't go to work on the river. Have you forgotten that he nearly died that year while digging a canal? He was sick the whole winter. He's just not cut out for that kind of work."
Mother Lu said, "I didn't say he was working as a river engineer. I was talking to you. Don't do anything out of line, or I won't forgive you."
Zhang Xiulan watched Lu's mother enter the house, then looked at Wang Sanni with grievance, "Look at this family, do I still have a say? Am I wrong? Mom is the same, now she has turned the tables, she started with her own family, and she thinks I am easy to bully."
Wang Sanni didn't want to listen to what her sister-in-law said at all, so she turned around and went into the house with the child in her arms.
Zhang Xiulan: “…”
Everyone dared to turn their backs on her. Just wait and see, it would be best if this pregnancy gave birth to a son, otherwise, let's see if there will ever be a day when she can beg for help.
……………………
Although she said that, when she thought about Du Zhiqing going to her third son's house and her son was not at home, Lu's mother was worried and went to her third son's house whenever she had time.
As soon as I entered the yard, I heard laughter and chatter coming from the house, and I knew it was the voices of little girls.
Wang Fang had nothing to do today. She had said a long time ago that she wanted to learn knitting with Jiang Wanwan, so she came to see her today with wool and knitting needles made from bicycle spokes.
She had also heard some rumors these days. Thinking of how those rumors forced Jiang Wanwan to marry Lu Xiao, Wang Fang was quite worried about her and came to see her.
As a result, as soon as I entered the Jiang family's door, I felt the warmth in the house. Looking at the whole house, although it looked shabby on the outside, there was a different world inside.
The tables, chairs and benches are all clean and tidy. Although small, it has everything and is kept clean.
Especially some details, which show the care.
This was her first time visiting Jiang Wanwan's house.
My father was the party secretary, and our house was the only one of its kind in the village. It was made of blue bricks with high beams and five rooms in a row.
But this house is far less warm and comfortable than Jiang Wanwan's home.
When talking about the furniture in the house, Jiang Wanwan took her aside and introduced which piece of furniture was new and which one was made specially for her by Lu Xiao, her eyes full of pride and admiration.
Everyone said that Jiang Wanwan had to marry Lu Xiao because of those rumors, but in fact she had no feelings for Lu Xiao at all.
Some people also say that Jiang Wanwan is frivolous and willful, and she married Lu Xiao just to spite herself with Du Zhiqing. Even now, she is still thinking about Du Zhiqing, and she married Lu Xiao just to have less work.
If you don't really like someone, how could you have this expression when you mention him?
Wang Fang thought that most of those words were said to her by Qiao Wenwan, because she knew that Qiao Wenwan was Jiang Wanwan's friend and also an educated youth at the educated youth point, so she never doubted her words.
Now that I think about it, some people are really good at disguising themselves, and she was just being too serious.
And you don't need to ask to understand that those rumors outside are just rumors.
How could Jiang Wanwan, such a person, go back to Du Jiaming after marrying Lu Xiao?
The Jiang Wanwan she knew was not the kind of person who would change her mind frequently.
The two of them were sitting on the kang at this moment. Jiang Wanwan was preparing to knit a pair of woolen trousers for Lu Xiao and had already started knitting a section.
Wang Fang didn't know how to knit at all, so Jiang Wanwan started teaching her from the most basic flat stitch. However, although Wang Fang was enthusiastic, she was clumsy. She either dropped needles or made extra stitches, and her fingers were all red from being poked. She hadn't knitted much yet, which made her very disgusted.
Wang Fang was not discouraged and did not take Jiang Wanwan's words to heart. In short, she was determined to blame her.
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