"Whew," Sister Lan finally finished speaking. She quietly let out a breath and smiled in relief, like a blooming chrysanthemum.
She thought what her sister-in-law said last night was right. It's better to rely on yourself than on others. As a mother, she had to stand up for herself first so her children wouldn't be bullied.
Look at Fang's son. He even bullied and hit his own real sister, let alone his cousin.
As for smashing the fire basin or anything like that, she didn't care. Once people die, they're gone. Nothing matters anymore.
The only thing she really wanted was for her two daughters to have a good life.
"Well, well, you've gotten close to the fourth sister-in-law now, huh? Your words sound bold!" Fang said mockingly.
"Fang, what are you saying? I don't like what I'm hearing.
We're family. What's this about 'getting close'? It's just that the fourth sister-in-law sees I'm clean and tidy and knows that my ancestors served as imperial chefs, so she let me handle the food.
After all, it goes into our mouths, and we've got a lot of kids at home with weak stomachs. What if someone gets sick from the food? You'd feel bad too if your kid got a stomachache."
It had to be said, once a person has an awakening, their potential is limitless.
Sister Lan was no longer who she used to be. Now, she was Liu Niohulushi Guilan.
"Alright, that's enough. Let's eat. The weather's still cool, we've got a lot of work to do," Brian, the eldest, urged, not wanting his wife to keep arguing.
"Then let's divide the food. Dad, Mom, and the fourth brother can eat freely.
Yesterday, I earned eight work points. Two pancakes.
My husband earned ten work points. Three pancakes. Second brother earned nine. Three pancakes.
Second sister-in-law earned two work points. No pancakes. One cornbread.
Dan helped take care of Brian and chopped wood all day. Three pancakes. Plus your one yuan reward. Your little aunt will give it to you later.
Then my two daughters earned one work point each by cutting pig grass. One pancake each.
Cali, just a child, earned two work points. One pancake.
Daya earned one work point cutting pig grass. One pancake.
Zheni did nothing all day, just went around begging. So no pancake. Only one cornbread.
Alright, let's eat. From now on, anything good will be distributed based on labor. The more you work, the more you get. Fair and square, open and transparent."
"Fair, my ass. Why does my son get nothing?
He's the only golden grandson of the Xiao family.
Mom, are you just going to watch your real grandson starve?"
Fang didn't care that Bigui tried to stop her. She caused a scene. She wanted white flour pancakes too. Why should she and her son have nothing and eat only cornbread?
"Mom, you and brother can have mine." Daya looked at her father, who was gobbling down food, and reluctantly handed her pancake to Fang.
Slap. Fang knocked the pancake to the ground and slapped Daya hard across the face.
Daya's thin body fell to the ground like a leaf, stirring up a cloud of dust.
She sat helplessly on the ground, trembling, as if the wind could blow her away at any moment.
"Get lost, you little wretch, bad luck star. Acting all kind?
I knew you were no good. Almost killed me during childbirth, and now you're keeping your brother from eating.
Shameless brat. Why didn't you give the pig grass you cut to your brother?"
Fang glared fiercely at Daya, pouring all her anger on the girl as if Daya had murdered her father.
"Enough, Fang, are you crazy? That's our own daughter!" Bigui looked at Daya, who had blood coming from her ear, and heard Fang cursing so terribly. He immediately got angry and stepped forward, slapping her across the face.
"You damn plague-ridden dog of a man, how dare you hit me!"
Fang held her fat face, where the old wound hadn't healed and now had a new one. Her face full of rage, she rammed her head into Bigui's stomach, knocking him to the ground, then jumped on him and started scratching and hitting wildly.
"So lively! Is this a good show or what?" Freya had gotten up as soon as Brian went out. She quickly went into her space to take care of her personal needs. The toilet at home was just two wooden planks over a big pit, too risky. She was afraid of falling in. After washing up, she came out and arrived just in time for the drama.
She sat next to Brian, picked up a flatbread, rolled it with some cold wild celery, and ate while watching.
Brian was a bit worried at first that someone might get hurt, but seeing her enjoying herself so much, he relaxed and also rolled a flatbread to eat with her.
The others… it actually looked delicious.
Madam Hua helped Daya up from the ground, picked up the flatbread, brushed off the dirt, rolled some cold dishes in it, and handed it back to Daya.
Just like that, except for Zheni, everyone had a flatbread in hand, watching the fight while eating.
"Tsk tsk tsk… Brian, your strength really isn't up to par. Your face's all scratched up by Fang and you can't even fight back!" Freya gave a very honest comment while watching Bigui being pinned down and beaten by Fang.
"Maybe it's because he can't bear to hit his wife!" Brian, seeing Bigui unable to dodge and getting scratched again, subconsciously touched his own face and kindly tried to make his second brother look better.
In his heart, he quietly praised his own luck. He'd married such a gentle and kind wife.
(Brian, you might be a little mistaken about your wife.)
"Should we maybe stop them? If this keeps going, someone could get seriously hurt," Madam Hua said with some worry.
Although Bigui was a bit useless, he was still her son, and this time he had stepped up to protect their child.
"Waaahhh… Mom, don't hit Dad anymore!" Daya stopped eating her flatbread, crying and trying to pull Fang off.
"Good girl, don't go over there. You're too little to stop them." Madam Hua gently comforted her, holding her close.
"Normally, things between husband and wife aren't really for us to interfere with, but this time Fang really went too far. Brother, Sister-in-law?" Can we maybe help stop them? Second Brother's really in a pitiful state.
Brother Sheng cautiously glanced at the pair of drama-watchers already eating their third flatbreads, afraid they'd be unhappy.
"What you said makes sense. Sorry, we were too caught up in the show and forgot that Fang is the one who deserves the beating.
I don't support domestic violence, but since you brought it up, I can't ignore it."
Freya nodded, winked at Brian with her bright eyes, then gave Brother Sheng a big grin.
Brother Sheng… That's not what he meant.
She pulled out a whip from her waist and used more force than yesterday, lashing Fang square on the back.
"Ah!" Fang screamed, her strength loosening. Bigui seized the chance to turn the tables and pinned her down, slapping her several times.
"That should do it.
Justice may be delayed, but it always arrives.
Bigui, go! Take down the villain! You've got this!"
Freya pumped her fist in encouragement, cheering for Bigui.
"Go Bigui! Hang in there! Beat that wicked Fang!" Sister Xiao shouted excitedly.
Bigui may be a loser and disliked by both the village and his family, but he had never hit the kids and even gave them candy sometimes.
"Giggle giggle… Beat up Fang! Down with the villain!" Lai and Zhad found it fun and started bouncing and chanting.
"Hahaha! Beat up Fang! Down with her!" Zheni watched happily, shouting in excitement.
Everyone… definitely his real children.