Chapter 95 Ancient World: Stepmother (12)
"What? You want me to cut the lawn on my way back from the fields?! And do the laundry tonight?"
Zhao Lianhua stared wide-eyed in disbelief at the self-righteous Li Qingyue before her.
This is really going to kill her.
These past two days have felt like the most exhausting days of her life. She finally managed to get some of the work out today, but now it's all being dumped on her again.
Li Qingyue frowned, looking somewhat helpless.
"Xiangling isn't familiar with the mountains and almost got bitten by a snake. Her hands are covered in wounds now, how can she work? Mom, you're used to doing manual labor, so please bear with her a little longer. She'll be fine once Dad comes back."
This cry of "Mom!" came much earlier than in the main story, but it didn't move Zhao Lianhua to tears.
She didn't even notice Li Qingyue calling her "Mom." Her mind was filled with thoughts of "What should I do? What should I do?" She was truly overwhelmed with work and exhausted these past few days, her back aching terribly.
Li Qingyue, unaware of her predicament, became somewhat angry when he saw that she didn't react and instead shrugged.
"If that doesn't work, why don't you hire someone to help with the work? There should still be some money left at home, right?"
Zhao Lianhua was stunned, and her heart clenched even more.
Hire someone to do the work?
You don't know how hard it is to earn money until you're in charge of the household. A family needs to eat, wear clothes, and especially someone who needs to go to school. The little you earn from the fields is hardly enough.
"Or you could ask Li Changqing to come and help."
Seeing her hesitation, Li Qingyue spoke again, which made Zhao Lianhua's eyes light up.
So Zhao Lianhua went to the old house again.
The old house, after renovation, is not exactly brand new, but it's not bad either. The drafty places have been patched up, the roof tiles have been rearranged, and most importantly, the surrounding weeds have been completely cleared. Even the path has been paved with gravel.
"Hiring people for even simple repairs is such a waste of money!"
Zhao Lianhua's dissatisfaction resurfaced, and she approached with a frown.
As a result, the first thing you smell is the aroma of meat.
Eating lunch in the middle of the day?
What a waste of food!
She was even angrier and suddenly pushed the door open.
Sure enough, the two siblings were sitting at the table, eating and talking quietly. On the table was a plate of stir-fried wild vegetables with meat, and there was also a large pot of chicken soup!
"You guys are eating at home in the middle of the day, and such a waste! Are you trying to drive me crazy?"
Zhao Lianhua felt a pang of heartache and immediately began to lash out.
The daughter, Li Huanxi, was also somewhat surprised, her expression a little astonished. She subconsciously hid the bowl behind her back and lowered her head.
However, Changqing did not show any surprise. He even picked up a large piece of half-fat and half-lean meat and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing it noisily.
"What? Li Fusheng's family is starving? Do you want to borrow some food from me? I don't have anything to lend you."
His first words were sarcastic, which made Zhao Lianhua so angry that she forgot why she had come to ask him to do chores. She pointed at Changqing with a face full of accusation.
"You, is this how you talk to your mother? I've wasted my life giving birth to you!"
Changqing ladled himself another spoonful of soup, and a large piece of egg in it caught Zhao Lianhua's eye. She angrily stepped forward and slammed the bowl in Changqing's hand.
"Eat, eat, eat! All you ever think about is eating!"
Changqing naturally wouldn't let her knock over his bowl. He turned around, and Zhao Lianhua's slap missed.
Zhao Lianhua's face turned ashen instantly.
Her son! How dare he dodge her slap!
"you!"
Just as she was about to reprimand him, Changqing waved his hand.
Snap!
He slapped her across the face.
"Zhao Lianhua! How dare you! Our family is eating together, who gives you the right to lecture us!"
Changqing opened his mouth and made a very old-fashioned sound, which frightened Zhao Lianhua so much that her face turned pale.
"Who...who are you?"
She took a step back and asked in a trembling voice.
At this moment, Li Huanxi raised her head, called out "Mom," and pointed to the table. Zhao Lianhua followed her gaze and was immediately terrified.
On the opposite side of the table was a memorial tablet that read "The Spirit Tablet of the Late Father, Li Fuguan". In front of it was a small bowl of food with a pair of chopsticks stuck upright in it.
Zhao Lianhua couldn't read, but she understood the gesture perfectly; it was a way of paying respects to their ancestors.
Changqing flicked his arm, rolled his eyelids, and revealed the whites of his eyes.
"Who am I? Zhao Lianhua, can't you even recognize my voice? You wicked woman, not only are you unchaste, but you also dare to collude with outsiders to bully my children! You deserve to be beaten!"
Snap!
Another slap landed on Zhao Lianhua's other cheek, causing her to stagger and her face to swell up.
"Fu, Fu Guan?"
At this moment, Zhao Lianhua finally remembered that the voice was so familiar, exactly the same as her deceased ex-husband's.
This is a miracle!
She was so frightened that she almost fainted. She swayed and quickly knelt down.
"Lord Fu, please spare me! For the sake of raising my two children, I... I truly haven't mistreated them..."
These days, everyone believes in ghosts and gods, and given that Changqing really looked like one, Zhao Lianhua had absolutely no doubts.
Changqing grunted and kicked her in the shoulder.
"You remarried, fine, but where did you spend all the money from renting out all that land I left behind? I'm a grown man, how come my son is so thin and weak because of you?!"
A barrage of questions sent chills down Zhao Lianhua's spine, making him feel like a sieve, and he couldn't utter a single word.
Ultimately, she was just an ordinary rural woman. She had a natural psychological advantage in front of her children, thinking "I gave birth to them, so I'm in charge," but in front of men, she was completely vulnerable, especially since it was her deceased ex-husband who had appeared to her.
Changqing knew that scaring her again would be useless, so he immediately let out another cold snort.
"Get out of here. Go be a good stepmother from now on. If you ever dare to set foot in my house again, I'll kill your whole family, even if it means going against the natural order!"
Zhao Lianhua really scrambled out of the courtyard.
She looked terrified, and after getting outside, she kowtowed several times to the house before stumbling away.
He didn't utter a single word to ask anyone to do anything.
After she walked away, Changqing's eyes lit up, and he immediately returned to normal, sitting down to continue eating.
"Brother, you didn't seem to be acting just now. Could it be that Dad really possessed you?"
Li Huanxi's hands trembled slightly. Although her brother had told her before that he wanted to use this to scare their mother, she hadn't expected it to be so realistic. She felt that even if someone was truly possessed by a ghost, it wouldn't be that convincing.
Changqing chuckled.
“My father has been dead for so many years, he has long since been reincarnated, how could he possess her? I was just scaring her.”
As he spoke, he rolled his eyelids, and his pupils disappeared again.
"See? Just a little trick. Hehe." His voice also became hoarse.
puff!
Li Huanxi was amused by him, and she patted her chest.
"Brother, you really scared me to death just now. Mom will never dare to come here again."
Changqing returned to normal in a second.
"It's good that they don't dare to come. I'm afraid they're still up to no good and want to use us as long-term laborers."
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