By this time, a number of onlookers had gathered outside the courtyard gate.
"It seems like Lin's second sister-in-law is beating and scolding Fengnian and the others again."
"Sister-in-law Lin went in to stop them again, didn't she? You know what, Sister-in-law Lin treats her nephews like her own sons."
"Yes, that Song family is truly despicable; they've never treated their own son well since he was a child."
"Heaven is truly blind, to give four sons to such a wicked woman! Bah! Bah! Bah!"
The last woman's eyes were filled with resentment! This was Zhang Mei's former mother-in-law, Lin Gangzi's mother, Aunt Tietou.
The hatred in Aunt Tietou's eyes was not without reason. The original owner of this body always boasted about having given birth to four sons, while Aunt Tietou had given birth to four daughters in a row before finally getting a son.
Aunt Tietou always felt that the original owner was putting her down, and the two became mortal enemies, fighting every now and then.
Song Anxin sighed and thought, "To be honest, the original owner had a pretty strong mentality. Even though people were criticizing and gossiping about her every day, she still did what she wanted."
Song Anxin quickly stepped forward and closed the courtyard gate. Whew, now it's finally quiet.
The onlookers gradually dispersed after Song Anxin closed the door, except for Aunt Tietou, who spat and stomped on the door twice before walking away angrily.
When Song Anxin looked back, she saw that Sister-in-law Lin was still trying to pull Lin Fengnian and the others up from the ground.
"Stop pulling, Fengnian, all of you get up," Song Anxin said.
He then glanced at Sister-in-law Lin and said, "Sister-in-law, let's go inside and talk."
While speaking, Song Anxin tried her best to keep a straight face, and then walked towards the main room on her own.
This should be okay, right? I don't want to be a shrew, but I can't change too quickly either. I can't keep putting on this act forever, or I'll suffocate. I need to find a way to make them accept my change in the future.
Lin Fengnian, Lin Fenghe, and Lin Fengyao were all stunned.
Mother actually woke them up?!
If they upset their mother, they might have to kneel until nightfall, or even all night if they're unlucky.
Lin's sister-in-law was also stunned; Song hadn't even argued with her!
Every time she came to help her nephews, Madam Song would yell and curse at her. What was even more infuriating was that she could never win an argument with her. Madam Song had a very sharp tongue, and she would always make Madam Song so angry that her liver would ache.
What's going on today?
This shrew didn't make a fuss at all; she even invited me into the house.
Seeing that they were all standing there dumbfounded, Song Anxin was afraid that she would be exposed too quickly, so she said fiercely, "What, do I have to invite you in? If you don't come in, you can kneel until tomorrow!"
Upon hearing this, Sister-in-law Lin quickly pulled Lin Fengnian up. I said, "This Song woman has no good intentions."
The Lin family had three rooms and a courtyard in the middle. The original owner lived in one room, his four sons lived in another room, and the third room served as the main room and kitchen. There was also a dilapidated thatched hut next to it for storing firewood and other miscellaneous items.
Song Anxin glanced around discreetly. The houses were all mud-walled and thatched huts, looking dilapidated and probably drafty everywhere. They would surely freeze to death in winter. Fortunately, it was summer now, so it was relatively cool. Song Anxin was somewhat relieved.
Song Anxin walked into the main room, which was actually just a table and a few stools and chairs, all of which were incomplete. The table leg seemed to be missing a piece, and there were several stones underneath to prevent it from tilting.
Song Anxin casually found a stool and sat down, then said to the people who followed her in, "You can sit down too."
Then he called out, "Fenghe, pour your aunt some water."
Everyone was terrified, especially Sister-in-law Lin. What had gotten into Song Shi? In the years since the family split up, when had they ever drunk a drop of tea from her house? This wicked woman was incredibly stingy.
The eldest son, Lin Fengnian, quickly waved his hand and said, "No, no, Mother, you and Auntie sit down, we won't sit."
Lin Fengnian dared not sit down. He felt that his mother was acting very strangely. When he went to beg his mother, he had already thought about how angry she would be. He had already prepared himself for the punishment of kneeling for a day and a night without food.
He just wanted to fight for himself.
Who would have thought that after his mother scolded him, she would actually make him get up and come inside to sit down. He always felt that his mother's behavior made him even more afraid.
Lin Fenghe dared not disobey his mother, so he quickly poured a bowl of water and placed it in front of his aunt, and also poured a bowl for Song Anxin.
Song Anxin was surprised. She glanced at Lin Fenghe, probably because she noticed that Lin Fenghe's lips were too dry. This child is very thoughtful.
He was dying of thirst, probably because the original owner had been cursing for too long before he died, so he gulped down the water in two big mouthfuls.
Seeing that they were all too hesitant to sit down, Song Anxin didn't insist.
So he said, "Fengnian, tell your aunt again what you asked me for."
"What?! You want to marry Zhang Mei! That barren hen?! You, you, I, I..."
Sister-in-law Lin's mouth gaped open in an "o" shape, and after a long while, she couldn't get a coherent answer out of her mouth.
Lin Fenghe and Lin Fengyao were also shocked. When did their eldest brother fall in love with Gangzi's sister-in-law? No, now we should say ex-sister-in-law.
Song Anxin couldn't help but chuckle at the three people's gaping mouths. Lin Fenghe and Lin Fengyao accidentally saw this and were even more shocked! When had their mother, who always had a fierce look, ever smiled?!
"Aunt, please don't say that about her. Zhang Mei is a very good person. I don't care if I can have children or not," Lin Fengnian said, his face flushed.
Sister-in-law Lin probably realized that she had hurt her nephew's feelings by saying that: "Auntie didn't mean anything by it. Zhang Mei is a very good person. Since she married into our Lin family village, she has been hardworking and diligent."
She's such a quiet person, you can't get a word out of her. She was tormented by her husband's family for so long, and then they just dumped her like that. She's really pathetic.
Sister-in-law Lin felt indignant for Zhang Mei, and perhaps because she was also a woman, she felt sorry for Zhang Mei and even started to shed tears.
Lin Fengnian was moved by something, and he also started to shed tears and couldn't help but sob.
When the two younger children saw their older brother crying so sadly, they couldn't help but start crying too, and a chorus of sobs filled the air.
Song Anxin was completely bewildered; how could she suddenly start crying like that?
However, Sister-in-law Lin was indeed a kind-hearted person. In ancient times, being unable to have children would be condemned by everyone, yet she still spoke up for Zhang Mei.
As a modern woman, Song Anxin doesn't care about a woman's ability to have children. There are so many DINK (Double Income No Kids) couples these days. As long as the couple has a good relationship, having children is the icing on the cake. They can also enjoy a life as a couple without children.
If you really want a child, you can adopt one.
Before Song Anxin could even tell them to stop crying, the courtyard gate was suddenly flung open.
Immediately afterward, a figure rushed over and knelt down in front of Song Anxin, saying, "Mother, don't blame my eldest brother. It's all my fault. I'm the one who told him to keep it from you. If you want to hit someone, hit me."
This man was the second son, Lin Fengshou.
Disrupted by this, the four people who were crying their hearts out stopped and all looked at Lin Fengshou.
Lin Fengnian wiped away his tears and coughed awkwardly, saying, "Second brother, it's not about that."
Sister-in-law Lin said, "You brat, you scared me half to death! You went? What did you hide from your mother?"
Lin Fengshou immediately looked embarrassed, unsure whether to accept or not to respond to the question.
As soon as he arrived at the village entrance, he heard people saying that his mother was beating and scolding his older brother and the others again. He thought that his mother had found out that he had asked his older brother to cover for him and that he had secretly gone to work in the county.
"No, then why are you crying?" Lin Fengshou asked, realizing what was happening.
Song Anxin didn't want to know their little secrets. Although she had no experience raising children, she knew that she should respect children's privacy.
Song Anxin composed herself and said, "That's because there's some incredibly good news! Your older brother is getting married, to Zhang Mei!"
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