Joyful Motherhood in a Rural Family

YingEr initially wanted to come with her today, but considering the attitudes of those at the old house, she left YingEr behind instead.

Guihua was helping to wash the white turnips, carrots, cabbages, turnip leaves, and Chinese cabbage on the side. These were all for pickling with water in the afternoon, ready to be eaten at the table tomorrow.

Upon hearing this, she clicked her tongue.

“Tsk! Your mother-in-law is really something! She wants to use that half piece of pork — about fifty or so catties — to serve thirty tables! That’s too hard on the cooks.”

She wiped away the mud that had gotten on her face.

“She’s been eyeing the dozen rabbits and wild pheasants at our house! As soon as I came over today she brought it up, but I played dumb and brushed her off. The weather’s getting colder and Ye Lei needs nourishment. That’s why I kept these things — they’re for his health, not for others.

While Liu Sisi was talking, she put the peeled taro in a basket to one side.

Guihua continued her vigorous washing and scrubbing, “I suggest you go and talk to your mother-in-law about this! Otherwise, when the banquet is ready, she might criticize you right in the middle of things. If she accuses you of not slaughtering the chickens or rabbits…what could you say? People might even think you pocketed those meats and vegetables and have been skimming food!”

“That’s their problem! As long as I have a clear conscience, that’s enough for me.”

Whether the banquet is successful or not, the one who takes part in it is always under pressure from both sides, so why should she do it?

“That may be true, but you know your own mother-in-law, don’t you?”

Wanting Ms. Zhao to change her opinion of the third family branch seemed harder than scaling the heavens! Upon some thought, Liu Sisi realized this was the situation.

“If that’s really the case…”

She quickly thought of something, whispered in Guihua’s ear, then took off her apron, bypassed the stoves being set up by the cooks, and went to find Ms. Zhao in the main house.

Ms. Zhao was also looking upset today.

In order to save face, she had specifically ordered Little Cui — the temporarily renamed Ms. Xin — to rent a room and move out of her house for the wedding. However, what she didn’t expect was that Ms. Xin would actually invite the bouncers from the brothel to deliver her dowry. Wasn’t this slapping the Di Family in the face publicly?

Ms. Zhao was so angry that she couldn’t catch her breath, and had to suppress the urge to tear the dowry to shreds on the spot!

But she had to put on a smile! Endure the mockery of the fellow villagers!

She managed to send those people away, but her face immediately darkened! She began to swear at people.

When Liu Sisi came out of the kitchen, Ms. Zhao was cursing loudly at the door of the left wing room.

Normally, the youngest son shouldn’t live in the left wing room. However, after Di Hongyuan left and never returned, and Di Ah-Bao gradually grew older and could live independently, Ms. Zhao suggested to Elderly Mr. Di that Di Ah-Bao should be placed in the left wing room.

At this moment, naturally, the room being decorated as the bridal chamber was Di Ah-Bao’s usual residence – the left wing room.

When Liu Sisi came out of the kitchen, she raised her head, and met the eyes of Ms. Wang, who stood under the eaves leisurely peeling melon seeds, her face full of mockery.

Although Ms. Wang was her sister-in-law, there was a vast age gap between the two of them. Moreover, due to the past incident of Ms. Wang forcibly grabbing food from the Di Family upon first arriving, the two of them naturally felt uncomfortable at the sight of each other.

Liu Sisi was covered in dirt with her hands in a mess.

Ms. Wang, in her mandarin-collared, bright red, butterfly-patterned dress, was leaning against a pillar. Her beautiful features made her look attractive, an embodiment of the saying that beauty increases with age!

Of course, it would be better if her face didn’t look so scornful.

“Humph! Brownnoser!”

Ms. Wang gave a scornful gasp, ignoring Liu Sisi, and strutted with her bucket into the side room.

Liu Sisi stood stunned for a moment before remembering that Ms. Wang was probably referring to the clothes she had gifted to Ms. Zhao.

Shaking her head, she turned to look back at Ms. Zhao, who was still ranting and raving non-stop, and paused in her steps.

Going over to her now would be asking for trouble.

She lifted her head, just in time to see Di Wei hurrying over from outside. She quickly called out to her.

“Di Wei! Di Wei, come over here.”

Di Wei stopped in her tracks, looked left, then right, and finally rushed over to Liu Sisi. She liked Liu Sisi, but ever since not taking Little Aunt’s side last time and getting beaten by her own mother, she had been speaking to Liu Sisi behind her mother’s back.

“Auntie, you called me?”

“Why are you running in such a hurry? What happened?” Liu Sisi asked curiously.

Di Wei glanced at the doorway again before leaning towards Liu Sisi’s ear: “It’s about the fish! Grandma had planned to buy fish from Zhao Family’s fishpond, but when my father went there just now, the Zhao Family said that they had sold the lot of fish to someone else. My father accused the Zhao Family of going back on their word out of greed. The Zhao Family retaliated with a few unpleasant words, and my father started fighting with them. Then he sent me back to bring the news.”

So that was what happened!

“How long has this been going on? Who all got involved?”

Di Wei shook her head: “Uncle Zhao and my father were the only ones fighting. This happened right before I returned.”

“Oh, I see–”

She leaned in and whispered a few quick words into Di Wei’s ear, then briskly walked into the left-wing room. Ms. Zhao was still spouting abuse!

When she saw Liu Sisi coming in, she didn’t miss a beat in her tirade.

“Mother, it will be dark soon. The doctor is on his way to change Di Yelei’s bandages, so…”

Before Liu Sisi could finish speaking, Ms. Zhao switched targets and unleashed a torrent of abuse at her.

“What kind of time is this?! We’re at a hair’s breadth from disaster and you need to go back and change bandages? He wouldn’t die if he didn’t change it for one day, will he? It is not like all the people in the family are dead…”

Even though Liu Sisi was prepared for a scolding, she got angry as soon as she heard this!

“Mother! Even if we’re not blood-related, can’t we be a bit understanding? I’m a stepmother too, but I’ve never met anyone like you! Besides, it was your precious daughter who caused trouble for Ye Lei! If you make things go too far, I won’t mind letting people know that Ye Lei has a murderous little sister!”

“You, you…”

Ms. Zhao, furious, dug in her heels and argued: “Now that the Third Son is a constable, what should be said is up to you guys. Even if you say white is black, who dares to object?”

Liu Sisi burst into laughter.

“Mother makes a good point! However, the ones who accused Little Sister of hiring assassins were the Grandmasters of the Goddess of Mercy’s temple. Since mother is so articulate and convincing, why not go to the temple and argue with the Grandmasters?”

While speaking, she went over to Ms. Zhao, a fierce look flashed in her eyes.

“Since you know that Ye Lei can make white black and black white, you better watch your mouth in the future!”