This feeling of inferiority is like a heavy stone pressing on my heart.
However, as time passed, with the growth of his daughter and Xu Qinghe's selfless help, the family's financial situation improved greatly, and Zhou Yuan gradually straightened his back.
At this moment, Zhou Yuan felt unhappy when he heard Xie Di accusing Xu Qinghe of being ungrateful.
"Sister-in-law, this may not be pleasant to hear, but my third brother and his wife hosted the village chief for a reason. They wanted to express their gratitude to the relatives who came to visit. Our family is limited, and the chickens we caught on the spur of the moment aren't enough to share. If our whole family goes, I'm afraid the village chief and relatives will laugh at us and say we don't know etiquette."
Zhou Yuan's tone was filled with unquestionable determination. "As family, we should understand each other. It's fine if you didn't help at a time like this, but why are you still gossiping behind our backs? Isn't this family members destroying their own family? If you really considered your third sister-in-law family, you should have offered to help last night and brought a chicken instead of hiding here and making sarcastic remarks."
As she spoke, Zhou Yuan deftly fetched some water and carefully washed her face and hands. Her movements were smooth and confident, unlike her usual restraint. It seemed as if she had already anticipated that Xie Di might bring up the past, and she was no longer afraid of the harsh words about Wu Zi.
Old Mrs. Yin was upset by what Xie Di and Yin Xiaoyu said. She felt that Xu Qinghe's behavior was indeed inappropriate, as if he had ignored the existence of herself and her husband.
Although she didn't go to Xu Qinghe to argue immediately, she kept this account in mind.
However, the second daughter's words reminded her of Xu Qinghe's comment on her eldest daughter-in-law, saying that she was not generous enough.
Indeed, for such a small matter, Xie Di brought Yin Xiaoyu to him to cry and complain, as if she wanted to drag him to judge the case, but in the end, he ended up looking petty.
The third son's daughter-in-law is very clever, and she would be asking for trouble if she went there. Old Madam Yin doesn't want to worry about this matter anymore.
Xie Di had never expected the Second Sister's wife to refute her so directly. Anger instantly surged in her heart. Just as she was about to retort, she was interrupted by Old Lady Yin: "Did you hear that? They say you're narrow-minded. You don't even lend a hand when you need a meal. Besides, when have I ever let you go hungry in this family? You bring Xiaohua here to complain. What do you want? You don't teach her to be a good girl. She's just thinking about taking advantage of others and eating all day. She won't be able to get married in the future. I'll teach you a lesson!"
Old Lady Yin swept a stern look over Xie Di and her daughter, then stood up and walked towards the kitchen, where the food was already steamed. It was time to prepare dinner, and she was in no mood to continue the argument.
As soon as Old Lady Yin left, Xie Di seized the opportunity to attack Zhou Yuan again: "Second family, don't think that just because the Third family gave you a little favor, you've forgotten who you are. You can't give birth to a son. Even if life is better now, there will still be no one to support you in your old age. What's there to be proud of?"
This has always been Xie Di's method of suppressing Zhou Yuan. Zhou Yuan is most sensitive to the pain of being childless, so usually, she chooses to remain silent.
But today, Zhou Yuan was no longer the submissive woman. Far from feeling ashamed, she let out a cold sneer. "No son, no son. He's gone, so who cares? Look at Jian Xiaoyue, the most promising girl in our village. Isn't she also a girl? Sister-in-law, you may have a son, but with Xiangyang's condition, can you really count on him to support you and your brother in your old age? If the illness can be cured, that would be best. But if not, you'll still have to rely on his wife, and isn't she also a girl?"
What Xie Di was most taboo about was Yin Xiangyang's illness. In the past, in order to maintain the face of the eldest wife, her family never talked about it publicly, and even provided help in private.
Now, Zhou Yuan can no longer tolerate it. Since Xie Di can use the fact that she has no children to attack her, why can't she give her a taste of her own medicine?
"Respect is mutual."
Zhou Yuan's voice was calm and firm.
"Second sister-in-law, try saying it again!"
Xie Di stood up suddenly and was about to approach Zhou Yuan when she saw Yin Lao Er standing in front of Zhou Yuan. He said to Xie Di with a serious face, "Auntie, we are all family. Why can't we talk peacefully? You usually say those more unpleasant things, and we two haven't said anything. Why do you want to hit me after I said a few words to you today? Are you the only one who can talk in this room?"
Yin Laoer usually speaks very little, as if every word needs to be carefully crafted, but at the critical moment, especially when he noticed Xie Di's malicious eyes lingering on his gentle and virtuous daughter-in-law Zhou Yuan, that silence instantly turned into the power of action.
He stood up like a brave knight in ancient times, guarding his territory and not allowing any infringement.
His silence is not due to his poor speaking ability, but a profound choice. He believes that many trivialities in life are not worth wasting words on.
But this time, he heard a resonance deep in his heart, which resonated strongly with Zhou Yuan's words. It was an understanding and support that did not require many words.
On weekdays, men always choose to stay away from the quarrels between women in the neighborhood, as if it were a disturbance from another world.
Xie Di, who was used to men retreating, never expected that Yin Lao Er would be the one to break the rules. She resolutely stood up and built a solid line of defense for Zhou Yuan.
This action, like a raging fire in winter, ignited the anger in Xie Di's heart. She turned her spearhead and directed it at Boss Yin, who was squatting at the doorstep and leisurely smoking his pipe, with a bit of unwillingness and indignation in her voice.
Boss Yin, a man who seemed dull but actually knew what was going on, simply raised his eyes slightly and responded to Xie Di's accusations in an almost lazy yet dignified tone, as if to tell her that he never took other people's gossip to heart.
However, Xie Di felt as if her heart was being pricked by needles. All her efforts and sacrifices seemed to be misunderstood and ignored at this moment. The grievances in her heart were like a flood that broke through the dam and almost drowned her.
Yin Xiaoyu, the clever child, had already smelled the gunpowder in the air and wisely chose to stay away from the center of the storm. Yin Xiangyang and Su Qifen, one was immersed in his own world, and the other seemed to have some subtle expectations for this family dispute. Xie Di looked around and found that no one could give her a bit of comfort, and she couldn't help feeling a deep chill in her heart.
She continued the Yin family's bloodline and gave birth to the eldest grandson. This achievement was as heavy as Mount Tai in her heart. However, at this moment, no one seemed to care.
Faced with such a situation, even though Xie Di was extremely unwilling, she could only endure it silently. After all, she knew very well that she had no chance of winning in the confrontation with Yin Lao Er.
She could only chew on this helplessness and frustration alone, swallowing the bitterness caused by her husband's inability to protect her.
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