Wu Jinfeng felt a little guilty. Indeed, when she entered the room, she didn't call Zhao Yunxiang by name, but used "two unlucky stars" instead. In Wu Jinfeng's mind, "two unlucky stars" referred to Zhao Yunxiang and Zhou Yuanyuan. Unfortunately, Zhao Yunxiang didn't acknowledge her and didn't pay any attention to her. So what?
Zhao Yunxiang's face darkened a trifle when Zhou Yuanyuan reminded her of this. It didn't matter what her mother-in-law scolded her; she was a daughter-in-law from another family, so she could just endure it. But now, she was scolding Yuanyuan too? How deep of a grudge could she have to have her own grandmother call her own granddaughter a jinx?
"Old Third, tell me yourself, are you going to pay for Zhimei's medical expenses?" Wu Jinfeng's eyes rolled, and she quickly changed the subject to Zhou Zhimei's medical expenses. If she continued, Zhao Yunxiang and her daughter would almost tear her face off and trample on her like the soles of their shoes.
Wu Jinfeng was used to showing off in front of Zhao Yunxiang, paying no attention to her tone or address. If Zhao Yunxiang didn't take it personally, she could still lie to herself and say she had greeted her. But if she took it personally, the three words "death star" would be enough to bring the Zhao family father and son to her house.
"No." Zhao Yunxiang replied slowly, put away the washed dishes and prepared to leave the kitchen.
"It doesn't have to be much, just give me ten or eight yuan." Wu Jinfeng didn't wait for Zhao Yunxiang to answer, and kept chattering. As soon as she finished speaking, she heard clearly what Zhao Yunxiang said.
Ten or eight yuan? Zhou Yuanyuan's eyes widened. Two months ago, after Zhou Miaomiao pushed her into the pond, she developed a fever and spent several days in the hospital, spending less than six yuan. Zhou Zhimei's foot was only dislocated; she could just go to the hospital and see a doctor to fix the joint, without even needing a hospital stay. And yet Wu Jinfeng had the audacity to ask for ten or eight yuan?
"What? Third Brother's, Zhimei was injured by your broken bicycle, and you won't even pay for the medical expenses?" Wu Jinfeng jumped three feet high, stretched out an arm and pointed at Zhao Yunxiang and cursed: "Even before you entered my Zhou family, I knew you were a black-hearted and rotten-lung woman, and I wouldn't let Third Brother marry you. What's the matter? After entering the family, you pretended to be a good person for several years, and now you can't pretend anymore? I'm telling you the truth, Zhao Yunxiang, you have to pay for Zhimei's medical expenses today, otherwise I'll go to town and call Zhixin and ask him to come back and divorce you."
"Hurry up." Zhao Yunxiang curled her lips, not wanting to waste any more time on Wu Jinfeng. For years, Zhao Yunxiang had worked like a slave for her parents-in-law at the Zhou family, exhausted to the point of being unable to straighten her back every day. And Wu Jinfeng actually accused her of being faking it? Why hadn't the other two sisters-in-law tried to put on a show?
Zhao Yunxiang was irritated by old lady Wu Jinfeng's constant antics. At this moment, Zhao Yunxiang not only resented Wu Jinfeng but also blamed Zhou Zhixin, who was thousands of miles away. Zhou Zhixin often said: "Old people are old people after all, and younger generations should be more accommodating."
Bah! Zhao Yunxiang felt that she had already indulged such an unreasonable elder.
"What?" Wu Jinfeng still didn't understand.
"I told you to call Zhixin right away; the town post office will be closed soon," Zhao Yunxiang patiently explained to Wu Jinfeng. Who are you trying to scare? A mother-in-law who's split up the family property is always threatening to divorce her daughter-in-law. It depends on whether your son listens to you.
"Oh my! You are such a black-hearted and rotten-hearted person! Are you going to say something that will make me, an old woman, mad to death?" Seeing that the situation was not good, Wu Jinfeng sat down on the ground and started to throw a tantrum.
Here we go again! Zhou Yuanyuan rolled her eyes and walked over to pull Zhao Yunxiang's hand.
Zhao Yunxiang followed Zhou Yuanyuan's instructions and took a few deep breaths before she finally suppressed the irritation she was feeling. Wu Jinfeng had used these tactics so frequently that Zhao Yunxiang's immunity to them had improved significantly.
"Since my mother-in-law likes to hang out in my kitchen, let her stay as long as she wants!" Zhao Yunxiang was so disheartened that she couldn't even say "Mom". This life was unbearable. Even a good bicycle placed against the wall would attract a lot of attention.
Zhao Yunxiang held Zhou Yuanyuan's hand, ignored Wu Jinfeng who was crying, turned around and left.
Huh? What's going on? Shouldn't Zhao Yunxiang come and apologize with a blushing face? Why didn't she continue with the plot she had in mind? Seeing Zhao Yunxiang leave, Wu Jinfeng didn't care to cry anymore and climbed up from the ground.
Zhao Yunxiang took Zhou Yuanyuan back to the room. After closing the door, Zhao Yunxiang sat down tiredly on the edge of the bed.
These days, Zhao Yunxiang wakes up around five every morning to make fish balls. She and Aunt Qiuju work until half past ten, making over two hundred kilograms of fish balls, which they then deliver to town. At eighty yuan a day, after a tiring week, Zhao Yunxiang has already earned over five hundred yuan.
Despite such high-intensity labor every day, Zhao Yunxiang didn't feel tired. Considering that she could earn a lot of money, she even felt that such days were full of hope.
The last time Yuanyuan fell into the water and was hospitalized, Zhao Yunxiang followed Zhao Qingshan back to Zhaojiagou and lived there for over a month, which was considered a rift between her and the Zhou family elders. Under Zhao Qingshan's persuasion, Zhao Yunxiang deeply reflected on herself.
Zhao Yunxiang was so busy and frustrated at the Zhou family, working herself to death every day that she neglected to take care of her two children. She felt suffocated when she thought of her daughter and son being wantonly bullied by the Zhou family's cousins in a place where she couldn't see them.
The letter Zhao Yunxiang wrote to Zhou Zhixin was written in that mood. In the letter, Zhao Yunxiang did not pick out the good things as she had done in the past, but instead recounted to Zhou Zhixin in a flat manner every detail of her and her children's years in the Zhou family.
Over a month passed, and the supposed reply hadn't arrived. Even the remittance slips Zhou Zhixin had been sending her every month were missing. Every time she woke up in the middle of the night, Zhao Yunxiang couldn't help but wonder: Was it because Zhou Zhixin didn't like hearing her criticize her parents-in-law that she didn't reply? Was it because Zhou Zhixin didn't trust his family to stop treating her and her two children the way they did, and thought she, Zhao Yunxiang, was talking nonsense?
As she thought about it, Zhao Yunxiang's hopes gradually faded. She had seen couples sometimes quarrel over matters concerning their elders. When they were young, Zhou Zhixin's heart had been with her, Zhao Yunxiang. After all these years, perhaps in Zhou Zhixin's heart, the three of them combined couldn't compare to the Zhou family. After all, they were his closest relatives, weren't they?
Thinking of Zhou Zhixin's delayed reply and Wu Jinfeng's repeated unreasonable outbursts, Zhao Yunxiang felt exhausted. If even Zhixin couldn't understand her predicament, then why should she stay here and be hated by everyone?
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