Please remember the domain name of this site:

Chapter 32: The Wicked Mother-in-law

Liu Si Niang took a few steps and found that she could walk. She thanked Su Zhi again, then bent down and began to pick up the corn stalks scattered around. She had just carried a lot of corn stalks on a backpack, and the rope on it was untied. It must have broken suddenly. She was light and the firewood was too heavy. She couldn't keep her balance and fell down.

A back rack is a tool commonly used by farmers. Unlike a backpack, it is easy to make. It only requires a few pieces of wood and two ropes. It is very convenient for carrying firewood or other things.

Shen Zian also had a backpack, which he had just made. Su Zhi watched him quickly make a backpack, and then use it to carry corn stalks to make nests and pens for chickens. She thought it was really convenient. She had also seen some women use it to carry firewood, but they didn't carry much, and it looked very light, unlike Liu Si Niang, who carried so much. It looked heavier than her whole body!

"Fourth Lady, why are you carrying so much? Carry less, or your waist and back will be strained. Look, you just twisted your foot. Where is your husband?"

Su Zhi asked. She looked at Liu Si Niang's temperament and the tone of her voice, and guessed that the family she married must have a powerful mother-in-law or a powerful husband, otherwise she would not give people such a masochistic feeling. There were many such things in ancient times, and Su Zhi felt that her guess was almost right.

Liu Si Niang lowered her head and said weakly, "My husband is not at home."

Su Zhi thought that they had just met and were not very familiar with each other, so she did not ask anything. However, seeing Liu Si Niang's depressed expression when she heard her asking about her husband, she knew that she was really not doing well. She did not ask any more questions. She could not do such a thing as exposing someone's scars when they just met. She would naturally know when they got to know each other better.

"Little sister, why did you say your name is Su Zhi just now? If I didn't know you were my little sister, I would have thought I had recognized the wrong person."

While tying the corn stalks tightly with ropes, Liu Si Niang asked Su Zhi, she felt that this little sister was different from the little sister she remembered when she was a child. The little sister at that time was quite coquettish and a little overbearing, but the little sister now gave people a very comfortable feeling, like the breeze blowing on the face, or like the sunshine in winter. Could it be that she became like this because of all these years in a nunnery?

“That’s a nice name.”

Su Zhi said that she didn't want to explain any more about the name, as the more she explained, the more confusing it would become. People in this era didn't care so much about what they called each other anyway, and she didn't want to change her household registration, she just liked people calling her that.

Liu Si Niang was not the type to ask questions. After listening to Su Zhi's answer, she nodded and said, "I also think the name Su Zhi is nice. Little sister, no, Su Zhi, you have been away for such a long time, you really look different. You look more noble than the daughter of Mr. Li from our village... Yes, you look noble."

Su Zhi smiled and was about to say something when she heard a hoarse voice coming from a distance.

"Well, you lazy idiot, you're actually lazing around here!"

Su Zhi saw Liu Si Niang tremble and her originally sallow face turned pale. She thought that he was scolding Liu Si Niang. There was no one else around. She raised her head and saw an old woman rushing towards them. She looked very imposing and intimidating.

"You've been out for so long and you're not back. You're just here chatting with people! Talk, talk, can you tell me about money? Can you tell me about your food? You might as well not eat and just stand outside and chat with people every day. I think you can still live a good life!"

The old woman continued to yell and curse as she walked, completely ignoring the fact that there was someone listening nearby. It seemed that she didn't even give Liu Si Niang any face at all.

Liu Si Niang looked pale and lowered her head, saying softly, "Mother, I just fell down accidentally. I didn't mean to be late. Mother, I will go back now."

Su Zhi looked at Liu Si Niang's trembling face and felt sorry for her. How could such a gentle and capable woman have such a mother-in-law? How would she live in the future?

The old woman was obviously better dressed than Liu Si Niang. Although her clothes were not new, they were not patched. Her hair was neatly combed. She was thin, with a pair of triangular eyes and thin lips. She looked like someone who was not easy to mess with. She had just seen Liu Si Niang standing with someone else, and she was also wearing coarse cloth. She thought she was a girl from the village, so she didn't care and came over while scolding her. Now that she was close to her, Su Zhi turned around and met her face. She saw clearly that Su Zhi's face was covered. She glared at her and took a few steps back in fear.

"You, you are the fourth daughter-in-law of the Shen family?! That unlucky one?!"

Su Zhi raised her eyebrows, wanting to hear Liu Si Niang say that it was this old woman who prevented her from seeing her. Now it seems that this old woman really cares about her illness and reputation.

"I did. Si Niang sprained her foot. I reconnected the dislocated bones for her. Try not to let her do too much work these days, otherwise she will often suffer from this disease. Then you will have to hire a doctor, which will cost money. Otherwise, you will have to wait for her to become lame. You don't want to have a lame wife, do you?"

Liu Si Niang looked at Su Zhi with gratitude, thinking that Su Zhi was a really good person because she was able to speak up for her when she was scolded by her mother-in-law.

But the old woman didn't appreciate it at all. She stared at Liu Si Niang's feet with her triangular eyes and shouted, "Don't try to fool me! You are a country woman, and you know how to do the work of a doctor? You are fooling the devil! This lazy girl must have just twisted her foot, and you tricked her into saying that it was dislocated. She is a fool, of course she will be fooled, but I am not that stupid. You want to trick us into remembering the kindness of you, a lucky star? Dream on!"

Su Zhi frowned, thinking that it was really a case of a scholar meeting a soldier.

Liu Si Niang said, "Mother, I really dislocated my arm and couldn't move. It was Su Zhi who cured me."

"Shut up! You idiot who only knows how to eat!" The old woman turned around and scolded Liu Si Niang, with a vicious look and spitting foam at the mouth, "You protect her so much, do you want to be lazy?! I tell you, don't even think about it! Why do you still do what you should do for me, or don't eat! And you, you lucky jinx, this idiot must have sprained her ankle because of you! Otherwise, how could she sprain her ankle on such a flat ground? Why did she sprain it earlier or later when she met you?! A lucky jinx should stay at home. If she comes out to cause trouble to you, be careful not to be drowned!"

Su Zhi was really annoyed. She wondered how she could have met such an evil woman. She was really good at confusing things. However, she also realized that her reputation as a jinx would bring her unnecessary troubles. She must get rid of it as soon as possible!

"You lazy bastard, why don't you leave? You're waiting to lay eggs here! Go back quickly, there's still a pile of clothes to be washed at home! I'm so unlucky to marry you, I should ask my son to divorce you!"

Su Zhi saw the old woman glaring at her and then hurried away. It seemed that she was worried that there was some bad luck about her.

Liu Si Niang looked at Su Zhi apologetically, then limped away with the rack of corn stalks on her back with difficulty.

Su Zhi looked at Liu Si Niang's body which was pressed down by the corn stalks which looked like a small mountain, and then looked at the old woman in front of her who kept yelling and cursing, and sighed.

***

Thanks to sakyazhe for the review and update votes, and thanks to xinqingxiaoqin for the PK votes. Eguang does not plan to enter the PK list, so if you have this vote, you can vote for other authors you like to support them in the list. I am very happy to leave it here, but I feel it is a waste. I am very happy to have your support.