Even now, Zhao Simei still refuses to believe, or perhaps she dares not believe, that her most trusted and beloved husband, like everyone else, has betrayed and abandoned her. "It's all these vile women talking nonsense. They're causing trouble in our Xiangyang Village. Father, you must quickly direct the villagers to drive them away..."
Zhao Guoming replied coldly, "I'm not the captain, and I'm certainly not your father. Don't try to claim kinship with me!"
Aunt Lu looked at Zhao Simei again, no longer showing the affection she once had. "You brought all this on yourself. The whole commune knows Zhou Tianfu is unreliable, but you were still devoted to him. You can't blame anyone else for being deceived."
Deng Xiunü put her hands on her hips and launched into a tirade against Zhao Simei, “You’ve harmed your adoptive parents who raised you, and you still expect the Zhao family to help you? You’re dreaming! You ungrateful wretch! If you’re going to sever ties with someone, you should do it properly. You have absolutely no blood relation to the Zhao family.”
"Your own father, mother, and brother are still lying in their graves on the mountain. All you need to ask for is for them to protect you. Maybe they can even float down from their graves to help you!"
Sun Chunlian picked up on her sister-in-law's words with a sarcastic tone, "Sister-in-law, her biological parents favored boys over girls, otherwise they wouldn't have abandoned Zhao Simei back then. In the past twenty years, Zhao Simei has hardly ever gone to offer incense or sweep her biological parents' graves. It's no wonder her parents would bless her and Zhou Tianfu. If you ask me, starting this year, her parents don't need to help sweep the graves anymore. They're not our ancestors. Let Zhao Simei, their own daughter, go by herself."
“Sister Zhao, our Zhao family has nothing to do with you. Remember that. Logically speaking, you used to be a daughter of the Zhao family, and your parents-in-law gave you a house as a dowry, so we couldn’t say anything. But now you’re no longer your parents-in-law’s daughter, so shouldn’t you return the house to us? After all, you’re an outsider and have no right to live here!”
"Why should I? Once it's given to me, it's mine. There's no reason for me to take it back," Zhao Simei retorted angrily.
Deng Xiunü spat fiercely in her direction, "You're not even Zhao's biological child. You've never given half a penny of your salary to your in-laws. You eat Zhao's food, use Zhao's things, and even live with Zhao's family. If you insist on arguing, calculate the upbringing expenses for over twenty years. Can your Zhou Tianfu's meager temporary salary afford to pay for it?"
"Hey, if anyone in the village wants to adopt a child in the future, they should take a look at the Zhao family's example. If they have the ability, they should have their own children. If they really can't, they should adopt good children with high moral character like Sister Wan's twins and Sister Qingtang's children!"
Only in this united front against a common enemy would Sun Chunlian and Deng Xiunv share a common hatred. "Although you live in the house, the owner of the house is your father-in-law in black and white. Fortunately, your parents-in-law were careful and worried that Zhou Tianfu would secretly dispose of the house, so they did not transfer the house to you."
“We’re not your biological children, so we have to be clear about everything. You either move out or pay rent to continue living here. Don’t dream of living here for free. Don’t try to talk to us about blood ties. You, Zhao Simei, don’t deserve it.”
That being said, Sun Chunlian was actually eyeing the old house and couldn't wait to kick Zhao Simei and Zhou Tianfu out so she could ask her in-laws for the house. She thought that if she and her husband had more children next year, it would be enough for them to live in. The second branch of the family would have their own space, and more importantly, they wouldn't have to face their in-laws and sister-in-law every day. They could each live their own lives behind closed doors!
As for the house they currently live in, the second wife can't compete with the first wife, since the first wife will be responsible for taking care of their parents-in-law in their old age.
Deng Xiunü and Sun Chunlian had been sisters-in-law for several years, and the two had been secretly fighting for a long time. How could she not see through Sun Chunlian's little scheme? It was obvious that she had her eye on the old house in Zhao Simei's possession and planned to kick the people out and take it for herself. In the past, she might have fought to the death for it, but now she had no interest in this kind of dilapidated house.
Let the sisters-in-law take it if they want. If Deng Xiunü wants it, why doesn't she just pay for a luxurious new house herself?
There's no other way; having money in your pocket gives you confidence.
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