Qin's words, "If you're not going to eat, then get out," really stirred up a hornet's nest.
Lianhua's two sisters-in-law started arguing and dragged the child, who was still grabbing food from the table, away.
Lotus Mother put down her chopsticks and cried, "What kind of life is Lotus? She gave birth to a daughter and was treated like this. They even chased us, her family members, away when we came to eat."
Qin was so angry that she cursed loudly: "Who are you trying to impress with that cat urine? How have I ruined the lotus flowers? You're the one who refused to eat this food."
She and Lianhua, her mother and daughter-in-law, were from different families. One had a loud voice, and the other cried easily. The two families would quarrel whenever they stayed together during their escape.
Outside, Lianhua's two sisters-in-law, holding their crying children, complained to the villagers who came out after hearing the noise: "Lianhua has been mistreated since she married into the family. Now that she has finally given birth, there isn't even a decent piece of furniture in her bedroom."
Most of the residents in Xujia Village are now outsiders, so I must spread the word about the Qin family's past.
The Tian family lived closest to the house. Tao'er's mother came out carrying her child and heard Lianhua's two sisters-in-law say this. She quickly replied, "Everyone has just renovated their houses and still owes money to pay back. We haven't bought any new furniture."
Others echoed this sentiment: "Yes, we're all busy, and we'd like to wait until next year when we have more free time to add more."
When the mosquito coil workshop shuts down next year, and I have both money and free time, I can hire a carpenter to make cabinets and tables at home. For now, everyone is just making do with bamboo tables, stools, and beds.
No one can equip themselves with everything at once, and besides, using bamboo utensils in the summer is perfectly normal.
Sister-in-law Lianhua didn't believe it and kept shouting, "Your village can sell grain and has workshops. My brother-in-law works in a pharmacy and earns at least two taels of silver a month. You can just buy ready-made food in town. This is stingy. They don't want to give my sister Lianhua any money."
Tao'er's mother thought that her noisy and disruptive behavior was unpleasant, and that regardless of who was right or wrong, Lianhua and Genqing would feel ashamed in the future.
She immediately took Lianhua's two sisters-in-law back to her own home: "Sisters, it's so hot outside, you can't stand the sun. Come to my house, have some water, and have a bowl of rice!"
Lotus's two sisters-in-law also wanted to talk to her, and went as soon as Peach's mother called.
Meanwhile, in the main room of the Qin family, Lianhua's mother was arguing with Qin, talking about trivial things that happened on the road before.
In the bedroom, Xia's mother was trying her best to comfort Lianhua, telling her not to worry about what was happening outside, and that with Village Chief Jiang there, the problems would always be solved.
A woman who has just given birth three days ago cannot get angry. Getting extremely angry will directly cause her to stop producing breast milk, which will be painful for both the baby and the mother. The worst thing is that she will bleed, which could be fatal.
Even an upright official finds it difficult to settle family disputes. Jiang Zhi had no idea where this sudden commotion came from, so she could only tell Qin Shi to shut up.
Then he called Xu Genqing over and asked Lianhua's family what they were up to, as this was not the kind of attitude one would expect from relatives.
Xu Genqing was furious that the baby's third-day celebration had turned into this mess: "As soon as Lianhua's two sisters-in-law came, they asked who was in charge of the money at home. I told them that mine was with Lianhua."
They then asked about the money from selling grain to make mosquito coils. I said that it was money my mother earned through her own work, and she kept it herself.
The two sisters-in-law and mother-in-law were a little unhappy, saying that all the money in the house should go to Lianhua, and that my mother was greedy and would squander it.
Jiang Zhi was also unhappy when she heard this.
She knew that Lianhua collected Xu Genqing's wages at the pharmacy, and that Qin Shi also had an income from farming and making mosquito coils, so she kept her by her side to buy things for convenience, and was also planning to make bracelets for the children.
When Qin was a daughter-in-law, she had no opportunity to manage the finances. Later, her stepdaughter took over the household, and when her eldest daughter-in-law entered the family, she became even more marginalized.
I finally earn my own money and can spend it myself, but now outsiders are eyeing it.
Lianhua's family wasn't wealthy either; they could barely afford to feed themselves. But when the war broke out, they fled, and when they returned, they had lost everything. They had to start all over again from scratch.
But last year, Lianhua's family was better off than Xujia Village's family. At least their house was still there, and they could eat as long as they grew crops in the fields.
The fire in Xujia Village left no place to take shelter from the rain. When the heavy rain came, Qin's shack collapsed, and she was still standing in the rain crying.
The poor have no relatives and have to rely on themselves for everything. The two families tacitly agree not to have any contact.
It wasn't until Lianhua became pregnant and Xu Genqing started working at the pharmacy that Qin proudly sent Dragon Boat Festival gifts to Lianhua's family, and their relationship resumed.
Now that Lianhua has successfully given birth, things should be peaceful and joyful, but her family home has started to be haunted again.
Jiang Zhi's face darkened as she asked Xu Genqing, "What do you and Lianhua mean by this?"
These kinds of things are always difficult for young couples.
Xu Genqing spread his hands: "Aunt Jiang, don't laugh at me, I know exactly what's going on."
Lotus's mother and sisters-in-law said it was for Lotus's own good, letting Lotus manage the money.
Actually, it would be easy to take it back to my parents' home, and all of this was caused by my eldest sister.
Eldest sister?
She was the stepdaughter of Qin, who married into a nearby town. She was Xu Genqing's half-daughter and only four years younger than Qin.
Xu Genqing continued, "She doesn't get along with my mother!"
Actually, he didn't get along well with his stepsister either.
My older sister used to favor my older brother and was very cold to me. She often spoke ill of me and my mother.
After my father and grandmother died, my eldest brother was still not married. All the uncles and elders said that my mother was not good enough and were afraid that my eldest brother would suffer.
So the family was still managed by the married stepsister, and life was very difficult for the mother and herself.
However, as she grew older, her mother started arguing with her older brother and sister-in-law more often.
Jiang Zhi sighed, "One is a twelve-year-old stepdaughter who wants to protect her younger brother, and the other is a sixteen-year-old stepmother who gave birth to her own son. If this relationship were in a family drama, it would be enough to write three episodes of melodramatic plot every day. In real life, every minute is a battlefield."
To resolve this mess, the Xu family used the simplest and most brutal method: to completely suppress one side, and the easiest one to control was naturally the Qin family.
And the reason is quite valid: elders should give way to younger generations.
When Qin became a mother-in-law, she still harbored resentment for many years and suppressed her stepdaughter, stepson, and stepdaughter-in-law, leading to one family drama after another.
Fortunately, the Qin family no longer has to suffer injustice. No matter what others say, as long as the family is united, they can withstand any external storms.
Ultimately, it all comes down to what the young couple thinks.
After finding out Xu Genqing's plans, Jiang Zhi went into Lianhua's bedroom.
But then he saw Lianhua crying and exclaimed, "Are you stupid?! You'll go blind from crying now. Who will you hurt in the future? Only yourself! We've survived the chaos of war. Genqing is good to you, and your mother-in-law is good to you too. What problem can't we solve?"
Xia's mother, who was standing nearby, also said, "Your Aunt Jiang is right. The better days are yet to come. You have to take good care of yourself."
Lianhua wiped away her tears: "Auntie, my sister-in-law said that her family has no money to eat, and now that I'm doing well, she wants me to send some food and money back home every month. This is not right!"
Xia's mother sighed, "Don't agree. You have two older brothers and sisters-in-law. This is not something that can be done for a married woman like you."
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