Zhou did not expect that Yu would give her a hard time as soon as she arrived.
And she didn't say anything else, she just complimented how big her house was.
"What do you mean by that? Do you think that my coming to see you is a burden to you?"
In Zhou's eyes was a stubbornness and a sense of grievance, as if Yu had bullied her.
Madam Yu sighed, not wanting to explain further, and simply said, "That's not what I meant. I just wanted to ask you not to make things difficult for me in my husband's family. Everyone has their own struggles."
"I know, now that your family is rich, you look down on poor relatives like us! I'd rather die on the road like my parents than live and suffer like this!"
She cried as she spoke, and Madam Yu felt a headache coming on. Especially when she heard her mention her parents, Madam Yu's eyes instantly turned cold.
I found her a set of clothes to wear. The outer garment was a feather coat, very similar to the down jacket she was wearing, but the material was different.
She didn't care whether Zhou wanted it or not; if she didn't, she'd just freeze.
When Zhou saw that her attitude had turned cold, she dared not do anything more. If Yu kicked her out, she would really have nowhere to go during the New Year.
Outside, Sun Shi, He Jiu Niang, and the others were talking quietly. Qin Shi whispered, "I have a feeling that my sister-in-law is not someone to be trifled with."
He Jiuniang pouted: "Be more confident, and drop the 'feeling' part."
Everyone was stunned for a moment and looked at He Jiuniang.
He Jiuniang said, "No matter what, she is my sister-in-law's sister-in-law from her maternal family. We can't say too much, but we must be wary of others, especially about the sewing machines in the workshop or the recipes for food. We must not mention them easily. Let's observe for a while first."
“The third son’s wife is right. This Zhou woman didn’t come earlier or later, but she came right during the New Year. I don’t think it’s that simple. You all need to be careful.”
Sun has lived such a long life, she didn't live it for nothing, she can tell at a glance that Zhou is not a good person.
Of course, the reason they were so hostile to the Zhou family was mainly because they knew back in their hometown that the Yu family were all awful people, so they couldn't treat them with normal respect.
The Qin family and others immediately nodded, reaching a consensus.
Before long, Madam Yu brought Madam Zhou out. Madam Zhou was now extremely thin, and Madam Yu's clothes were a bit too big for her, but they were surprisingly warm.
"This dress is really nice. What's it filled with? It smells so good! Can you make one for me sometime?"
She was saying this when she came out, and He Jiuniang and the others heard her.
Everyone tacitly remained silent, wanting to see what Yu would say.
As expected, Madam Yu did not disappoint them, saying, "The weather will get hot soon after the New Year, this one is enough for you."
He Jiuniang and the others exchanged a knowing glance; their sister-in-law had indeed not disappointed them.
Sun was relieved. Although her eldest daughter-in-law's family were not good people, her eldest daughter-in-law was sensible and wouldn't let Zhou Shi cause too much trouble.
Zhou was a little unhappy, but seeing everyone busy in the courtyard, she didn't know what to say and turned to He Jiu Niang and the others with a pout.
Fortunately, her true colors were only revealed in front of Madam Yu. She was still very warm and easy to talk to when facing others. She squatted down in front of He Jiuniang and the others and said, "If there is anything else to do, let me do it. I may not be good at other things, but I can still do chores."
It was just a polite remark. I thought that since I had just arrived and was considered a guest, the Lu family would be polite to me.
Before she could finish speaking, He Jiuniang handed her the vegetables and said with a smile, "Okay, then I'll trouble you, Sister-in-law Zhou. I'll go to the kitchen to help you out."
In the dead of winter, the water was icy cold, and Zhou was instantly jolted awake, not reacting for a long time.
Seeing this, Mrs. Sun smiled and said, "From now on, we're all one family. I won't stand on ceremony with you. I'm getting old, and my back aches after squatting for a while. I'll go sit down for a bit."
Zhou thought to herself, "If you can't squat, you can make a small stool and wash together!"
Before she could even speak, Qin Shi and Lu Guilan both made excuses and left, each busy with other things. She was left alone, facing a large basin of ice water and a large portion of unwashed vegetables.
Zhou was so angry that she gritted her teeth, feeling that this family was deliberately targeting her.
She said it herself, so she not only had to wash, but she had to wash very diligently, otherwise she wouldn't be able to stand firm in this family.
He Jiuniang went to the kitchen and saw Yu Shi cooking silently, her eyes red, probably because she had secretly wiped away tears again.
He Jiuniang stepped forward and patted her hand, saying, "Sister-in-law, don't be sad. From now on, we are your family. Look, I don't have any either. Cheer up."
"Mmm! I just can't accept it right away, but it's okay, it'll be fine in a while."
Yu nodded with a forced smile, but He Jiuniang felt sorry for her.
Just as she was about to say something to distract her, she heard Madam Yu say, "Third sister-in-law, I know that my sister-in-law coming to see me will cause trouble for the family, but since she has come to our door, I can't just ignore it. My sister-in-law is not a good person. You don't need to treat her like you treat Sister Shen. If she does anything wrong, just tell her. If she doesn't change her ways, I will cut ties with her!"
He Jiuniang was somewhat surprised: "Sister-in-law, is that really what you think?"
She thought that Yu would be overly biased towards Zhou because she was the only family member from her mother's side.
"Yes, how could I not know what kind of person my sister-in-law is?"
Yu gave a bitter smile. She could turn a blind eye before, and not make a fuss for her elder brother's sake. But now that they lived under the same roof, if she could still turn a blind eye, she would be letting down her family.
“Sister-in-law, I’m relieved to hear you say that. We all understand your difficulties. As long as Sister-in-law Zhou doesn’t do anything outrageous, the family can still tolerate her.”
He Jiuniang didn't mean anything by saying this; she was just stating everyone's position.
Ms. Yu nodded repeatedly; she knew.
If her sister-in-law were sensible, like Shen, no one in the family would say anything.
The New Year's Eve dinner is a busy affair, lasting all day long.
Zhou watched as the Lu family served one meat dish after another, swallowing hard and staring intently at the table, afraid that the meat in front of her would fly away if she blinked.
She has done a lot of despicable things to survive to this day, and was even almost beaten to death, but wasn't it all for a bite to eat?
Seeing how well the Lu family is living, each one of them is living a comfortable life, she is absolutely insanely jealous.
My mind was wandering, but I snapped back to reality when I saw the Yu family bring out a plate of braised duck.
"Little sister, how were these ducks cooked? They smell so good!"
As she spoke, she felt another wave of regret. She should have gone to help in the kitchen; she could have seen the Yu family's recipes then.
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