Tao Wanniang returned with the others in the evening, bringing some of the day's dishes.
"Big sister, you're back!" Zhang Liang greeted Tao Wanniang politely.
"I've never seen you so attentive before, what's wrong today?" Tao Wanniang stopped in her tracks, curiously examining Zhang Liang. Oh, it's almost time for the three-month period; it's time for the detoxification.
"Elder sister, I think we don't have enough manpower at home. Let's hire another person." Zhang Liang didn't directly criticize Zhou Xiaoyun, but this veiled suggestion piqued Tao Wanniang's interest.
"What, you only have a few people in your family, do you need to hire someone to serve you?" Tao Wanniang sneered. "Tell me, what would be the point of hiring someone else?"
"Cooking, huh? Even if you're not here, there are still so many mouths to feed in this family!" Zhang Liang said with a half-smile.
Tao Wanniang looked Zhang Liang up and down. Gao Cuiniang helped take care of the children, do housework, and cook. Wasn't she able to manage all that?
“Zhang Liang, your words are ambiguous; this is not like you.”
"Big sister, go and see for yourself in the kitchen," Zhang Liang said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Tao Wanniang went straight to the kitchen.
At the kitchen door, Gao Cuiniang was looking after her eldest grandson and granddaughter. When she saw Tao Wanniang, Gao Cuiniang became a little nervous.
"The head of the household is back."
"Yes, you're back!" Tao Wanniang replied, striding into the kitchen, where she saw Xiao Qiao'er carrying a stool and cooking.
"Mother, you're back. Dinner is ready. I'll cook a few more dishes and we can eat." Little Qiao'er had some ash on her nose and smiled a little shyly when she saw Tao Wan's mother return.
Gao Cuiniang is taking care of the child, Xiao Qiao is cooking, and what about Zhou Xiaoyun?
Tao Wanniang frowned, but before she could speak, she saw Wang Hongyu rushing over.
"I knew the children were missing! They're here, Rui'er, Feng'er, come to your mother." Wang Hongyu breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the children.
"Where is Zhi'er?" Tao Wan Niang asked Gao Cui Niang.
"With the Second Madam..."
"What second wife? There's no master or young master in the family. Zhou Xiaoyun only cares about her own son, right?"
Tao Wanniang frowned slightly. "Tell me, how have you been these past few days while we were away during the day?"
Gao Cuiniang thought for a moment and then briefly recounted what had happened in the past few days. She looked slightly embarrassed and said, "The kitchen is a place where open flames are dangerous, and the children are too young for me to bring in. Miss is young, and I was worried that she might need help with something, so I brought Young Master Rui and Miss Feng'er here..."
"Alright, Xiao Qiao, you continue cooking. Hong Yu, bring the two children with me." Tao Wan's mother said gravely before walking towards the living room.
They ran into Ling Dahu, and Tao Wanniang instructed Ling Dahu to call Ling Dapeng and Zhou Xiaoyun over.
"Big sister, is there anything I can help you with?" Bai Yumei asked as she spoke with Chen Liansheng and saw Tao Wanniang coming over.
"Go to the kitchen and see how Xiao Qiao'er's cooking is going," Tao Wanniang said, intentionally sending the two away.
Bai Yumei was taken aback at first. What? Xiao Qiao'er was doing all the cooking at home? But she quickly understood, exchanged a glance with Chen Liansheng, responded, and came over together.
Soon, Ling Dahu called Ling Dapeng and his wife, along with their child, over.
"Mother, what's wrong? We just got back, and I haven't even had a chance to hold Zhi'er yet!" Ling Dapeng said with a complaining tone.
"You didn't have time, so you're holding it now?" Tao Wanniang said sarcastically. "Come on, sit down. Your belly doesn't look that big to me. I thought you couldn't get out of bed anymore!"
Zhou Xiaoyun's face stiffened. Her belly was starting to show, but it wasn't noticeable because she hadn't taken off her winter clothes yet.
"Mother, I'm pregnant and I just feel a bit tired," Zhou Xiaoyun said in a low voice, inwardly cursing Gao Cui's mother and Xiao Qiao'er.
"This isn't your first pregnancy, is it? You were cutting pig feed before dawn before, and nothing happened. Now, do you expect a maid to serve you tea and water?" Tao Wanniang said bluntly. "Don't think that just because you're pregnant, everyone should revolve around you. In this family, no one is idle."
Ling Dapeng really didn't know what had happened. Hearing Tao Wanniang speak so rudely about his wife, he felt uneasy.
"Mother, what happened? Xiaoyun is pregnant!" But Ling Dapeng couldn't help but speak up for his wife.
“So what if you’re pregnant? When I was pregnant with you, I was taking care of a baby all by myself!” Tao Wan’s mother glared at Ling Dapeng. “Zhou Xiaoyun, we’re hiring people to do things, not so you can be a hands-off manager. If you want to be your young mistress, then have your man take you there alone!”
Zhou Xiaoyun's face turned ugly, and she didn't know where she got the confidence from, but she said coldly, "Mother, what did I do? Didn't I supervise Zhi'er myself? Are you angry because Xiao Qiao'er is cooking? She has been learning from you for so long. Isn't cooking her own idea?"
“Things are different now than before. I…I…If I weren’t feeling unwell, I would work with you guys too,” Zhou Xiaoyun said deliberately, knowing that Ling Dapeng wouldn’t really make her tired.
"You really have the nerve to say that? Qiao'er is only eleven years old. What she can do is her own ability, but that doesn't mean she has to serve you!" Tao Wanniang scolded. "I've listed out everything in this household, and I'll tell you what your responsibilities are."
"If you don't want to do any work for the family, Ling Dapeng, take your wife and children and separate from the household!"
Ling Dapeng was still a little confused. What had his wife done to make his mother so angry?
"Mother, it's just Qiao'er cooking, let her cook if she wants to," Ling Dapeng said, trying to smooth things over. "Xiao Yun is pregnant after all!"
“I invited Gao Cuiniang to help with chores, thinking that since you’re pregnant, I could share the burden with you. But I just want to know, this isn’t about chopping wood, carrying water, feeding the chickens and ducks, washing clothes, or cooking. What are you so tired about?” Tao Wanniang scolded. “If you could lend a hand, Cuiniang could also free up her hands to cook. Why are you so precious?”
"Mother, I'm not precious, but at least I gave the Ling family a son, and now I'm pregnant again. What is Liang Linglong? She's an outsider, just because she's registered as your daughter, does that mean she should be raised like a rich young lady?" Zhou Xiaoyun said aggrievedly. "She doesn't have to do anything, and she has to learn this and that?"
"And that female tutor, I only said a few words, and she scolded me. She has no respect for me at all, even though she's an outsider." Zhou Xiaoyun was feeling wronged. Her father-in-law was a great general, and her husband was the second young master of the general's mansion. If it weren't for her mother-in-law's willfulness, they should be living in the general's mansion, and she would be carrying the great grandson of the general's mansion!
“Heh, heh…” Tao Wanniang chuckled a few times, looked at Ling Dapeng and said, “Let’s separate the family. There really is no mother-in-law in this world who has to support her daughter-in-law.”
"And you're right, you gave birth to a child of the Ling family, so what does that have to do with my surname, Tao?"
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