Not long after Li went to the kitchen, Xiao Yan quietly came to Old Lady Xiao's room.
"Mother, I heard from my eldest brother that Li Shi will no longer be allowed to cook or do housework!"
I'm getting married in about two weeks. I'll be a young mistress after I get married. Doing all this hard work at home has made my hands rough and my face chapped. What if my future husband doesn't like me and leaves me hanging?
If I marry into this family and am not favored, how will I provide for you and Father?
As soon as Xiao Yan made that grand promise, Old Mrs. Xiao couldn't sit still any longer!
"Hmph! Don't listen to his rude and ignorant nonsense. He only cares about such trivial matters!"
That guy is a good-for-nothing!
"Don't worry, Mother won't make you do any work. When the ancestral hall opens later, Mother will definitely give her a good sue. If she dares not to work, I'll beat her to death right here in the ancestral hall! That troublemaking, spendthrift woman!"
When Grandma Xiao heard that her daughter was going to take things from her husband's family to give to her as a sign of filial piety, she vowed to protect her daughter's interests.
No sooner had he finished speaking than Xie Yujiao sneaked in, clutching her aching back.
"Mother, I heard quite a commotion in this courtyard yesterday. Are you and Father alright?"
"You see, I'm heavily pregnant and it's inconvenient for me to come over, and I was also worried about hurting your precious grandson, so I didn't come last night. I came as soon as I woke up, though. Are my brother and the others alright?"
Although Xie Yujiao relied on Xiao Yuanhang and was also favored by Old Madam Xiao, he was not her own flesh and blood after all, and was still a little bit inferior. When something happened to her, Xie Yujiao did not even show her face, and she was still a little unhappy.
But as soon as Xie Yujiao mentioned her unborn grandson, Old Madam Xiao immediately beamed with joy.
"Oh! It's good that they didn't come over! Who knows what crazy thing that family is up to, they might run into my grandson!"
It's nothing! What could possibly happen? After all that tantrum, you just go back to doing what you were doing!
Just wait! Those two unfilial brats will get what's coming to them when the ancestral hall opens. They'll learn the price of disobedience and disrespect!
"Mother, I vaguely heard my eldest brother say yesterday that the housework should be done in shifts. Look at my body, I'm so heavy, what will happen if I tire out your grandson!"
"Don't worry! With me here, let's see who dares to make you work!"
Hearing what Grandma Xiao said, Xie Yujiao was completely relieved. She flattered her a few more times and used Xiao Yuanhang to paint a rosy picture for Grandma Xiao. For a while, the group was chatting happily!
Because the door was smashed, Li could hear some of what they were saying inside. Hearing them say that they would continue to exploit her, Li was furious and determined to fight back to the end!
After preparing the meal, Li brought it directly to her room: a bowl of millet rice, a boiled egg for each person, and a large bowl of smooth egg custard topped with scallions and glistening with oil. It made Tao Hua, who had just woken up, swallow her saliva!
Xiao Taohua had never tasted such fragrant steamed egg custard before, and she still couldn't believe it. She cautiously asked, her voice tingling with hunger.
"Mother, is this really for me to eat? Can I have my milk instead?"
Peach Blossom's question brought tears to Li's eyes, and Xiao Dayong also felt uneasy.
But the next moment, Li still firmly said...
"This steamed egg custard is for you. Not only you, but your brother and your father will also eat it. We'll eat it often in the future!"
"Your mother is right. From now on, your father will not let you suffer any more grievances!"
"We will protect you too!"
Qingsong and Qingbai also said that their younger sister almost died this time, and they regretted it all night, hating that they hadn't taken good enough care of her!
Actually, they were both being bossed around by Old Mrs. Xiao, doing the same work as the adults!
They're too busy taking care of themselves to do anything else!
Peach Blossom was very happy to hear this.
"Mom, you're so good! And Dad and brother are good too!"
Stop talking, eat it while it's hot, and then drink your medicine!
As Li spoke, she filled a bowl with steamed egg custard and a small bowl with millet porridge and fed it to Tao Hua.
Xiao Dayong also called his two sons to start eating!
The family ate heartily, and the steamed egg custard was served in a large bowl. There was even leftover after everyone had a bowl. No one gave them a hard time or hit them with their chopsticks. The whole family was extremely happy with their meal!
After feeding Tao Hua her medicine, Li Shi drank the steamed egg custard in her bowl, tears streaming down her face. This was only the third time she had eaten steamed egg custard in the fifteen or sixteen years since she married into the Xiao family. The first two times were the day after Sheng Qingsong and Qingbai, when she ate a bowl of steamed egg custard. She hadn't eaten it for so many years since!
Xiao Dayong advised
"There will be many more days of steamed egg custard to eat from now on, so hurry up and eat!"
Upon hearing this, Li laughed.
"Yes! Let's eat this often from now on!"
After finishing his meal in no time, he took the basin and went to wash the dishes!
They ate all the food clean, leaving not a single grain of rice!
Grandma Xiao and the others are still inside waiting for dinner!
The group was starving, and after waiting and waiting, Li Shi still hadn't served the meal. They wanted to urge her but were afraid that Xiao Dayong would go crazy, so they had no choice but to endure it.
But after waiting and waiting, they saw Li Shi come out of her room carrying a basin!
This is outrageous!
"Mom! My sister-in-law isn't going to eat alone, is she? She really doesn't respect you, her mother-in-law!"
Xie Yujiao exclaimed in surprise!
"Exactly! My brother and sister-in-law have really gone too far! After all, we didn't kick that girl. He's already gone mad, what more does he want!"
Xiao Yan echoed.
Grandma Xiao couldn't hold back any longer and dashed out.
"Li! You damned woman, where's the food?"
Upon hearing Old Madam Xiao's sudden outburst, Madam Li instinctively flinched, but quickly regained her composure and said coldly...
"Of course I ate!"
Dayong said, "I've been doing this housework for over ten years, it's time for a break! From now on, you all cook your own meals, wash your own clothes, and farm your own land. I'm not going to take care of you anymore!"
"You damned woman! You've gone too far! I'll beat you to death, you shameless bastard!"
When Old Mrs. Xiao saw that Li dared to talk back to her and refuse to work, she immediately raised her hand to hit her!
However, before they even got close, Xiao Dayong came out carrying an axe.
“Mom, I said that from now on, we’ll take turns doing the housework. As long as Xiao Yan hasn’t left the house, we’ll have to take turns doing the work! Now that she’s gone, Fourth Brother’s wife will have to take turns working too. We’re all sons and daughters-in-law, there’s no reason for us to do the work while they enjoy the benefits!”
Upon hearing this, Xie Yujiao was unwilling to accept that she would have to work in shifts.
"I'm pregnant!"
“Your sister-in-law worked until she gave birth to three children! We live under the same roof, you’re no more delicate than her!”
"Fourth brother is a scholar! I am a scholar's wife!"
"His scholar status was all thanks to my support. If you don't take turns and think you're superior, then I don't mind putting justice before family and going to the yamen to tell you how your parents were biased in giving most of the land to you to support your fourth son's education!"
"When the fourth son finally gets his scholar's degree, you and your sister-in-law will be equals!"
And you know what? People who usually seem quiet and reserved can be surprisingly decisive when they turn on you, and their words are always sharp and incisive. With just one sentence, they made Old Man Xiao and Xie Yujiao's faces turn pale!
If Xie Yushu were here, she would definitely give him a thumbs up! He's much more ruthless than Xiao Yi!
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