Spicy Daughter-in-Law and Evil Mother-in-Law
Lin Shaocheng looked hesitant and asked, "Do you really want to live at home? Home isn't as free as the dormitory."
Li Guorong grew up in a large family. The quietness of her small family in her previous life made her uncomfortable. There was nothing in the dormitory, and she had to endure strange looks from others when she went shopping. "I'll just stay here. I'm so bored. If I can't get used to it, I can go back to the dormitory."
Li Guorong walked to the window, opened it, and saw green willows stretching their branches outside. Unidentified birds chirped and chattered, but there were no annoying noises or the thumping footsteps of people going up and down the stairs.
The street was clean and flat, without puddles or ditches, but it was still filled with a lingering stench and mosquitoes.
Li Guorong turned around, the light streaming through the window illuminating her radiant beauty. She opened her arms, full of vitality and hope, and shouted loudly;
Let's start a new life together.
Lin Shaocheng gave a helpless smile, "Alright then."
As the days passed, Lin Shaocheng's family and Li Guorong got along well over the past two weeks. Lin's mother even had some woolen fabric to make a woolen overcoat for Li Guorong, which made the neighbors quite envious. This continued until Lin Shaocheng had to drive to Hebei for a few days to pick up the goods.
At 5 a.m., there was a loud knocking on the door.
Li Guorong clutched her chest. Just as dawn was breaking, there was another knocking at the door. She hurriedly put on her slippers and opened the door.
Lin's mother, dressed neatly, looked her up and down with a critical eye and asked, "Why are you up so late? Hurry up and change your clothes."
Li Guorong felt a little dizzy. She used to get up at 7:30 and eat breakfast, and she had never gotten up at 5:00 before. But seeing her mother-in-law's bad expression, she still obediently changed into a dress and put on a coat.
The mother-in-law looked at him with disdain, "Fuchsia and green, your colors are so ugly. You can tell at a glance that you're from the village. You haven't improved at all in the few months you've spent with my son."
Lin's mother casually walked into the room. The wardrobe was crammed full of bright red, green and floral patterns, which made her roll her eyes. She took out the only black sweater and gestured for Li Guorong to put it on.
Li Guorong lowered his head to change his clothes. He wore a black sweater, dark khaki pants, and a fuchsia coat. The two of them carried a vegetable basket as they went out. Several acquaintances saw Li Guorong and Lin's mother and quickly greeted them.
Have you eaten?
"No, I'm going to buy groceries."
"Xiao Rong looks quite fashionable today."
"Just something I wore." Lin's mother glanced at Li Guorong as if it were nothing.
Li Guorong's face flushed, but luckily it was dark and no one could see. She was holding a vegetable basket. Was her taste really that bad? Lin Shaocheng had never commented on her clothes.
The market was bustling with activity at 5:30 a.m., with vegetables, meat, and fish available, though some items required coupons while others did not.
"Freshly picked bok choy."
"A freshly slaughtered pig." Half a pig lay on the chopping board, along with a huge pig's head.
"Fish, live fish!" One by one, the fish darted happily in the basin.
Li Guorong felt familiar with everything, like birds flying in the forest and fish swimming in the water. He skillfully haggled with people in the market with a menu in hand, picked out fresh vegetables, and filled his basket with satisfaction. In his previous life, Ye Fan was the one who cooked, but he was still as good as ever.
Lin's mother sneered and said, "You've just arrived at our home, and we were afraid you wouldn't be used to it, so we haven't told you about the situation here. Shaocheng made and bought all this breakfast this morning. You're a wife, you should know how to cherish your husband."
“He cooks breakfast every morning, goes to work, cleans the house when he gets home, and does laundry. Even a long-term laborer wouldn’t be this tired.”
Li Guorong lowered her head in shame. She hadn't expected Lin Shaocheng to be so tired. She had noticed that there was a part-time housekeeper at home and assumed that the breakfast and clothes were made by that housekeeper.
“Our family’s financial situation isn’t good, and we can’t afford to hire a part-time worker. My back isn’t very good either, so from now on, our family will have to rely on you.”
Li Guorong nodded and said, "Mom, don't worry, I've got it covered."
Lin's mother nodded with a smile, "Come to the market at 5 a.m. to buy the freshest vegetables. I like milk for breakfast. The rest of the boys need soy milk or soy juice. Make some steamed buns for them, and just make me a sandwich."
Li Guorong was a little embarrassed. She didn't know how to make sandwiches or buns. Her family ate sweet potatoes. Later, after she got married, Ye Fan cooked all the meals. She only knew how to make a few dishes. But in the past month, she had really done a bad job, but she didn't dare to say anything.
Lin's mother continued, "Put the newspaper next to Grandpa during meals so he can read it. Clean up after meals, I don't need to tell you that, right? The sheets in each room need to be washed every three days, and the sheets need to be laid out and swept clean every day. Open the windows to make sure the sunlight shines in. The floor needs to be swept and mopped every day. Is that all right?"
Li Guorong's mouth gaped slightly; why were there so many things going on?
Lin's mother seemed to have no end to her complaints: "The clothes I change out of every day have to be washed and dried on the same day, the toilet has to be scrubbed every day, and the table has to be wiped every day."
Hearing this made Li Guorong's head ache even more from not sleeping well that morning. She opened her mouth, wanting to refuse, or else she would pay to hire a part-time worker.
A heavily pregnant woman came over with a shopping basket. "Good morning, Aunt Lin." Lin's mother's eyes lit up. "Xiao Hui is so virtuous. She's so pregnant and still comes out to buy groceries."
The two chatted for a while before leaving. Li Guorong didn't have the courage to speak again. This Xiao Hui was from the city. She cooked for her family in the morning, went to work while heavily pregnant, and did housework when she came back. Compared to her, she seemed lazy and greedy.
The two carried steamed buns, fried dough sticks, soy milk, and soy juice home. Li Guorong went into the kitchen to prepare sandwiches, trying hard to recall the sandwiches she had seen in TV dramas in her previous life.
She poured lots of oil into the frying pan, and when the oil was hot, she put in the egg. With a sizzling sound, she grabbed her hand that had been splashed with oil, picked up the spatula and flipped the egg over. The yolk flowed out, becoming a disgusting puddle.
She took out some hot sauce, spread it on both sides of the bread, put the egg inside, and placed the last breakfast in front of her mother-in-law.
Lin's mother's lips turned down, her eyes full of disgust. "Why aren't there any lettuce or tomatoes here? Didn't we buy them?"
Li Guorong sat in her seat, head down, not daring to look at Lin's mother. No one at the table spoke to her. At this moment, she missed Lin Shaocheng.
"The bread wasn't even heated up. How can anyone eat that? You have to be careful when you do things."
Li Guorong looked up, swallowing his grievances, and said, "Mom, I'm not very good at it. Can you teach me next time?"
Lin's mother sneered, "If you don't know how to do it, ask early on. Don't wait until you're in a real crisis to realize you don't know how."
Grandpa Lin was no longer as amiable as he had been a few days ago; he said sternly, "Let's eat."
Lin's mother took a bite of the sandwich, spat it out, sweat beading on her forehead, took a big gulp of milk, and scolded, "What did you put in this sandwich?"
Li Guorong's face turned pale. She said, "I just added the sauce normally. It's nothing."
Lin's mother opened the sandwich, and the spicy smell inside made her eyes sting. "Who told you to put hot sauce in it? Don't you know I don't eat spicy food?"
"But I didn't see any other sauces, and this hot sauce isn't spicy at all."
Lin's mother asked angrily, "You've made it this spicy, and you still think it's not spicy? My tongue isn't as insensitive as yours."
Lin Yicheng also spoke up: "That's how people in your area do things. They can't even cook a simple meal properly. The new bride doesn't serve her in-laws or work. She spends money on clothes every day. There aren't any clothes in my brother's closet. They're all yours. If you don't want to live a good life and just want to make a quick buck, just say so. Don't ruin my brother's sincere feelings."
Li Guorong felt cold all over, her mouth felt like it was glued shut, and her back was sweating. She wanted to scream and shout, she wanted to throw a tantrum, but none of the people who loved and cared about her were around. Who would support her? Who would tolerate her?
Li Guorong apologized softly, "I'm sorry, I'll be more careful next time."
Lin's father and grandfather remained silent, continuing to eat and read the newspaper. Li Guorong secretly observed their expressions.
Lin's mother glanced at Lin's father, who said helplessly, "You are the eldest son and eldest daughter-in-law in the family. The family may seem prosperous, but the reality is not so good. Traditional Chinese medicine is declining now, and the family income is much less. It is mostly supported by the eldest son. You need to observe more, think more, and do more."
Li Guorong's eyes sparkled as she listened, though she didn't quite understand.
Lin Yicheng scoffed, "Even if you work more and spend less, the landlord's family can't keep up with your spending. You only need to buy a few good sets of tableware. Why do you buy so much junk every day, along with colorful fabrics and clothes that only people from the previous life would wear?"
Tears welled up in Li Guorong's eyes. She was very hungry, but now she was feeling nauseous.
Grandpa Lin finally spoke, “Guorong, you are the eldest daughter-in-law of the third generation in the family. You must be down-to-earth and hardworking. I don’t want to see things like Shaocheng doing housework and washing clothes for you again.”
Grandpa Lin's words dealt her the final blow. Her mouth tasted salty and bitter, and tears streamed down her dark khaki pants. She dared not look up.
The footsteps faded away one after another. It was a long time before Li Guorong looked up. The living room was empty, with leftover food on the table. Her stomach was rumbling, but she was very full.
She reflected on her life after marriage, which felt like a dream. Lin Shaocheng seemed to be omnipotent, managing everything at home and outside. She only needed to have fun every day and did not fulfill her responsibilities as a wife, only cooking a bowl of millet porridge for Lin Shaocheng.
Li Guorong stood up, the burn on her hand from that morning throbbing with pain like a leech. Shao Cheng would carefully take her hand, apply the medicine, and tell her not to get it wet.
Her tears flowed like a burst dam. If she had never experienced warmth, she could have endured loneliness and indifference. Lin Shaocheng had really spoiled her.
The family from the machinery factory downstairs was home today. They were talking quietly downstairs, and Lin Shaocheng's name could be faintly heard once or twice. She quietly pressed her hand against the door on the second floor.
The woman downstairs said, "I really envy the woman upstairs who has a good life. I have to work every day after I finish work and then go back to work. All the money in my family goes to the children for food and drink. I don't have any money to buy clothes for myself all year round."
Another woman said, "His eldest son does all the work himself and doesn't let his wife do it."
The woman downstairs seemed to be the homeowner and said, "Keep your voice down, the people upstairs can hear you."
"They all went to work or school today, and I guess the mother-in-law took her daughter-in-law shopping again. No matter how loud she was, no one paid any attention."
"How come other people's mothers-in-law are so kind."
"What's so great about it? It was all paid for by the eldest brother. If he didn't pay, how could someone as arrogant as Teacher Lin upstairs take his rural daughter-in-law shopping?"
"I'm so envious. I really regret it. Back then, you told me to pursue Lin Shaocheng, but I didn't because I thought he wasn't favored at home."
"You'll regret it. A man only has the confidence to pamper his wife if he is capable himself."
"How could Lin Shaocheng marry such a wife? She doesn't deserve her at all."
"Then you deserve it."
"Of course I deserve it. There's no wall in this world that can't be pried up."
Li Guorong didn't want to listen anymore. What did she not deserve? In her past life, she had managed everything at home and outside. She stood up, full of energy again, picked up the remaining buns on the table, and swallowed them in big gulps.
She mustered her spirits to clear the table, determined to make everyone feel worthy of Lin Shaocheng. But then she slipped, scattering the dishes across the table. With a crash, one of her mother-in-law's favorite plates broke, and her face turned pale instantly.
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