“Even if Dad didn’t become the village chief, he was still the backbone of everyone,” Jiang Nuan showered Old Man Huang with compliments without reservation. “In all the surrounding villages, you won’t find anyone as insightful and kind as Dad.”
“That’s not true,” Sister-in-law Huang chimed in. “Our elders are known for their kindness; everyone in Huangjiakou praises them.”
“You sisters-in-law just love to say nice things,” Old Mrs. Huang said, her eyes crinkling into slits with laughter. “We’re not exactly kind, we just live by our conscience. Nobody’s heart is made of stone. If you treat others sincerely, they will treat you sincerely in return.”
“That’s exactly right. Take our family, for example. Even if we split up, it’s the same as if we never split up. We’re still living in harmony.” Old Man Huang nodded repeatedly.
After a round of commercial flattery, Old Man Huang finally remembered his business. "You all have a good chat. I'm going to the clan chief's house to finalize this matter and avoid any trouble."
"Dad, do you want me to go with you?"
Jiang Nuan felt a little embarrassed; she had caused the trouble herself, yet the old man had to take care of it.
“No need, I can do it myself,” Old Man Huang raised his eyebrows and put his hands behind his back. “Your father has some influence with the clan chief, so I’ll definitely get it done.”
“Okay,” Jiang Nuan nodded with a smile, “I’ll wait at home for your good news.”
"Mmm." After saying that, Old Man Huang put his hands behind his back, pouted, and slowly left with a bag of brown sugar.
“Your father hasn’t moved in a long time, he must be very happy,” Grandma Huang said, taking a sip of tea and squinting her eyes. “Since we have some free time today, let’s have a good chat.”
As soon as Old Mrs. Huang finished speaking, Sister-in-law Huang looked at Xie and said, "Nephew's wife, shouldn't Daya be breastfeeding? Why don't you go back and check on her?"
Upon hearing this, Madam Xie's face fell.
She wanted to say that her eldest daughter was being taken care of by her sister-in-law, but the long-term oppression made her afraid to argue.
Forcing a smile, Xie said, "Auntie is right, I'll go back now."
“Oh yeah, it’s all my fault,” Jiang Nuan slapped her forehead in annoyance. “I forgot that Daya is still too young to be separated from her mother. I should have known better than to let you come along.”
"Mother, it's alright."
Xie smiled sweetly, but the wicked person in her heart was in tears.
She wanted to say that wasn't the case, that it was just an excuse for the old woman to get rid of people.
However, he could only think about it in his heart and dared not speak it out.
In the end, they could only leave reluctantly.
After Xie left, Jiang Nuan noticed that the atmosphere in the hall instantly became more relaxed.
"The eyesore is finally gone," Old Mrs. Huang said bluntly.
These words made Jiang Nuan's face stiffen. She paused for a moment and then softly defended herself, "Mother, my daughter-in-law is excellent. She is lively, clever, capable, and very sensible and filial."
"Mmm," Sister-in-law Huang replied perfunctorily, "It's the same old line again. I'm sick of hearing it."
“Sister-in-law,” Jiang Nuan had a bad feeling for some reason and spoke sincerely, “I’m just telling the truth.”
"Silly child," Grandma Huang shook her head, "You've always been gentle. If they were really that good, why would you look unhappy? As the younger generation, you should be filial to your elders. If they're not filial, you should be doing them a favor by not giving them free meals. Why are you still making excuses for them?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Nuan felt as if a flock of crows had flown by.
She understood why these people disliked Xie Shi; it was Jiang Shi's doing all along.
The white lotus's methods, though despicable, are exceptionally effective.
Taking a deep breath and suppressing the urge to curse, Jiang Nuan forced a smile and explained, "Mom, you've misunderstood. My daughter-in-law is wonderful, obedient, sensible, and filial. My unhappiness is definitely not because of them."
“Yaya,” Sister-in-law Huang said, “you can’t be so soft-hearted. We elders are the backbone of the family. How can you act like this? I know you want to save face for them, but they don’t deserve this.”
Taking a sip of tea, Sister-in-law Huang continued, “Look at my daughter-in-law. She used to be a shrew. As soon as she married in, she wanted to take over the management of the household. Now, if I point to the east and she dares to go west, I’ll send her back to her parents’ home immediately. No matter how tough she is, she’ll be fine after a few lessons. But you’re the softest-hearted one.”
"Sister-in-law, I'm not that kind of soft-hearted person," Jiang Nuan said, feeling a little upset. It seemed difficult to explain things clearly in this situation.
She truly admired Jiang Shi to death. How could she be so outstanding, managing to manipulate dozens of people so easily?
It's so difficult to hate someone so much that you grit your teeth, but you can't show it.
Taking a deep breath, Jiang Nuan continued, "My daughters-in-law are really wonderful. If you don't believe me, come home with me and see for yourself. To be honest, I'm just a lazy bum at home. It's all thanks to my two daughters-in-law who take such good care of me that I can live such a comfortable life."
"You silly girl," Old Mrs. Huang shook her head helplessly, "You're always like this at home, so soft-hearted, like a puddle of water. Luckily, you're not like this with outsiders, otherwise your father and I would be so worried that we wouldn't be able to eat."
"Mom, I didn't," Jiang Nuan said with a dark expression. "I'm just not the kind of person with a good temper. If anyone messes with me, I'll give them a good beating."
"Let's talk about that after you've recovered," said Sister Huang, looking Jiang Nuan up and down. "Ya Ya, you look much better."
Grandma Huang squinted her eyes and said, "That's right. Her face has more color, and she's not so weak that she can't stand up anymore. She's definitely better."
After a pause, Old Mrs. Huang's expression softened. "Those brats still have some conscience; they knew to get medicine and see a doctor for you."
“Mom, they have always been very filial,” Jiang Nuan said with a radiant smile. “Having such filial children is my blessing.”
Jiang Nuan, too excited to see, did not notice that the two people who heard this exchanged glances and disagreed.
"Yaya," Old Mrs. Huang sighed, "Although they are my grandsons, I have to say something fair: those brats have no conscience."
"You're so sickly, you can barely walk. You're so ill, and they still won't call a doctor for you. My poor Yaya has raised a bunch of ungrateful wretches."
Old Mrs. Huang wiped away her tears, her voice filled with indignation, "Those brats, they spend four taels of silver a year to pay off their corvée labor but refuse to hire a doctor, what a tragedy!"
These words made Jiang Nuan's smile freeze instantly. "Mother, it's not like that. It's my own fault for not calling a doctor. It has nothing to do with them."
Quickly gathering her thoughts, Jiang Nuan tried to persuade Old Lady Huang, "Mother, my body is just a little weak, there's nothing seriously wrong with me, I just can't do heavy work, and seeing a doctor won't help, so let's not waste this money."
“It was my decision to pay back the money to offset the corvée labor. The food at home was poor, and the children were not strong enough to begin with. The corvée labor was too heavy, and it was unknown whether they could come back after going there. They were all born from my ten months of pregnancy, and I dared not gamble.”
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