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Chapter 265: Chapter 265: Midnight Sobs
Zhang Lijuan, although feeling a bit embarrassed, agreed with Chen Jinlan’s words.
Even though Lin Fengying is kind to her now, no one knows what the future holds. If she ever uses the fact that she and Si Boyi ran away together against her, it won’t do.
And there’s Tong Yao too, she comes from a better background and she’s talented. If she is below Tong Yao in this aspect, she’ll forever be dominated by Tong Yao.
If the news spread to the village, it wouldn’t look good. She must cry a bit to let everyone know that when she married Si Boyi, she was a virgin.
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The Si family’s three rooms have old wooden doors that serve no real purpose, so thin that a finger could slip through the cracks, offering no soundproofing. Otherwise, Lin Fengying wouldn’t have been able to hear Zhang Lijuan’s crying.
At first, she had no idea why Zhang Lijuan was crying. She thought the couple had had a quarrel. Now that she knows the reason, she can’t help but feel a bit upset.
She had been through this stage herself. How could she not know what it feels like?
It was painful, but crying all night was a bit too much and dramatically exaggerated. If word of this got out, people would laugh their heads off.
Fortunately, her daughter wasn’t at home to witness all this nonsense.
Zhang Lijuan’s crying was quite loud, not only could it be heard in the hall, but also in Tong Yao’s room. Ever since Si Chen had left and returned, she had guessed what might have happened and now that Zhang Lijuan was still crying, she was somewhat perplexed. She poked her head out of the covers, resting it on Si Chen’s arm, and said,
"Isn’t this a bit too much?"
While the pain was certainly real, and she would understand a bit of crying, but making such a scene, crying so loudly and for so long resembled a funeral procession, which was really overly dramatic.
Did Si Boyi act too brutally?
That doesn’t seem right either!
Although Si Boyi appeared big and clumsy, he did not seem to be the sort of person who would not know how to care for his wife, or hurt Zhang Lijuan that badly.
Si Chen slightly furrowed his brow. Although he wasn’t a woman and couldn’t feel the pain, he was a doctor and did understand physical construction. Zhang Lijuan’s actions obviously had a huge element of performance.
As a big brother, it wasn’t his place to say anything, but it made him more determined to leave for Kyoto sooner than later. He gently patted Tong Yao and said, "Don’t worry about her. Let’s sleep!"
Surprisingly, Tong Yao was really sleepy. Since crossing over, her schedule had become very regular, going to bed early and getting up early. She yawned, and in no time, she fell asleep.
Lin Fengying who was in the hall couldn’t sleep due to the noise. The young couple in the next room continued their activities for more than half an hour. Even though the crying had stopped, the squeaking of the bed had started. The noise wasn’t loud but in the silent night, it was especially jarring.
It was like a fly buzzing in your ear. Though the sound was not loud, it was extremely annoying.
Lin Fengying could relate to the young couple’s first night of marriage. So she pretended to sleep and didn’t even dare to turn over. She had been sleeping in this bed for many years and knew that even a slight movement would cause a loud noise. If her son heard that she was still awake, it would be extremely awkward.
Lin Fengying stayed still, only managing to fall asleep when dawn was breaking. When she woke up in the morning, she had dark circles under her eyes.
"Mom, didn’t you sleep well last night? Your dark circles are so heavy!" While eating, Si Xiaohui pointed out Lin Fengying’s dark circles, drawing a severe look from her, which made her close her mouth.
Zhang Lijuan and Si Boyi seemed to guess something; their faces turned red as if they had done something guilty.
Tong Yao pretended not to understand anything and quietly ate her steamed bun with porridge. Lin Fengying might have done it on purpose, but there were no stir-fried dishes that morning, just some pickles. Fortunately, Tong Yao liked pickles. If it had been the previous owner sitting there, she probably would have thrown a tantrum and refused to eat.
Remembering Chen Jinlan’s instructions, Zhang Lijuan knew that as a new bride, she had to get up early and offer to wash the dishes after the meal to impress Lin Fengying and outshine Tong Yao. So, after the meal, she quickly helped Lin Fengying clear the table. She thought Tong Yao would also rush to help, but to her surprise, Tong Yao just sat there like a lady of leisure, showing no intention of helping at all.
Suddenly, Zhang Lijuan felt her actions were meaningless. She understood that because she subconsciously felt inferior to Tong Yao, she was always comparing herself with her, trying to make a good impression in front of Lin Fengying.
But Tong Yao didn’t want to compete or try to impress Lin Fengying. It was her own insecurities that drove her to find some way to get ahead of Tong Yao. In the end, she just made a fool of herself.
With these thoughts, Zhang Lijuan felt uncomfortable. Holding the dishes in her hand, she felt like smashing them to the ground. When she saw Si Boyi sweeping the floor, she put on a long face and said, "Boyi, can you take these dishes to the kitchen? I suddenly have a stomachache and need to go to the toilet."
Si Boyi, without any suspicions, hurried over to take the dishes from Zhang Lijuan. "Go to the toilet quickly then! I’ll wash the dishes."
Si Boyi was a straightforward man who didn’t overthink things. He believed everyone in the family should help out and not stand on ceremony. If Zhang Lijuan wanted to wash dishes, she could. But if she didn’t want to, he or his mother would do it. In any case, it wouldn’t be too burdensome.
So, when Zhang Lijuan wanted to wash the dishes, he didn’t deliberately stop her.
He also didn’t think that it was inappropriate to let the new bride work on the second day of marriage and completely failed to see Zhang Lijuan’s little trick.
The moment the couple left the hall, Si Xiaohui remarked scornfully, "Lazy people always have excuses, she just pretends to be diligent but doesn’t actually want to work." To give Si Xiaohui credit, she had a more clear understanding of the situation than Si Boyi.
There wasn’t much to do during the New Year, so Si Xiaohui spent all day visiting other homes in the village, watching TV dramas, and racing off after meals. Staying at home felt like sitting on a bed of nails, she just couldn’t sit still.
Tong Yao and Si Chen exchanged a glance and shrugged their shoulders, giving each other a wry smile. "Mom is still angry, even our meals have been downgraded."
Si Chen ruffled her hair, raising his eyebrows, "I’ll cook at noon, what would you like to eat?"
Tong Yao thought for a while, and said cheerfully, "Let’s have some braised pork! I find the pork in the village tastier than the pork in Kyoto. Just a little salt makes it delicious."
Si Chen nodded in agreement, and the couple, having nothing better to do at home, took a walk around the nearby village. In the kitchen, Lin Fengying, seeing her eldest son and daughter-in-law go out, looked even more upset.
Although what Mrs. Wang said yesterday was exaggerated, and she didn’t fully believe it, one thing was true, her eldest son’s world was now all about his wife and there was no place for her in it.
With her sons and daughters grown and married, she was now the most tired person in the family. Despite suffering much hardship to raise three children, she believed life should have gotten better. Instead, it seemed everyone had become indifferent to her.
How had she been so wrong in bringing up her three children?
