NOVPUB
Chapter 563: 553
Shen Yunfang turned around and walked upstairs, leaving those troublemakers outside chatting away to their hearts’ content. Since they had no shame, she didn’t mind losing face and joining them in their game.
The few people downstairs watched Shen Yunfang turn and walk away without giving them any respect, feeling secretly angry inside.
"Everyone saw that, huh? Ah, it’s tough being an elder these days, even tougher as a mother-in-law. My family here has spent years raising a son through hardships, and now it seems he was raised for another family. It really is like getting a daughter-in-law and forgetting one’s own mother. Thankfully we have Hongqi, otherwise, who knows what your daughter-in-law might reduce you to in the future," Zheng Guilin’s mother spoke as if she understood others well, meanwhile blackening the reputation of the second son’s couple and elevating her own son-in-law.
Several elderly ladies nearby nodded in agreement; they were all mothers-in-law and had more or less some conflicts with their daughters-in-law. Crows never see their own blackness, so of course, the problems must lie with the daughters-in-law.
"Geez, as a mother-in-law, how could you let your daughter-in-law get the upper hand?" Sun Fengzhen blinked, instigating trouble, "No matter what, you’re her mother-in-law. Your son’s home is also your home. Why can’t you enter your son’s house when he’s not there? If it were me, I couldn’t tolerate it. It’s really funny, you have so many people, but why can’t you subdue her?" In the countryside, beating was the most common means of dealing with daughters-in-law. In the past, not only the men could beat the daughters-in-law, but mothers-in-law and sisters-in-law joining in was also a common occurrence. A daughter-in-law had no choice but to endure even if she was beaten.
"You talk less, this is someone else’s family business," an older lady said, disliking Sun Fengzhen’s troublemaking and tried to persuade her with a few words.
"I didn’t say anything. I was talking about my daughter-in-law. If my daughter-in-law did that, I would’ve slapped her long ago," Sun Fengzhen said nonchalantly. She didn’t say anything, she was just talking about her own family’s affairs. Even if Shen Yunfang was beaten up, it wouldn’t be her problem, would it?
"Right, mom, it’s really inappropriate for Shen Yunfang to be so unfilial. We can’t let her bully us like this. Let’s go upstairs and knock on the door. We just want to go in; what can she do to us?" Zheng Guilin was somewhat impulsive, the first to be instigated among the four.
"I don’t think it’s a good idea; she can be fierce..." Qiu Shuping still remembered the kick her daughter-in-law had dealt to her son and couldn’t guarantee the daughter-in-law wouldn’t dare to aim her big foot at her too.
"Come on, we’ll go up with you and see for ourselves. In our area, we’ve never seen such an unfilial daughter-in-law," Sun Fengzhen excitedly added fuel to the fire, loving the chaos. After all, she didn’t have to rush to the front. It was still fine for her to just stand behind and stir things up, wave the flag, and cheer.
"Mom, we can’t go," Li Hongqi remembered those kicks all too well. He dared to provoke Shen Yunfang only with words; he definitely didn’t want to come into close contact with his sister-in-law.
But with all the commotion in the group, nobody listened to what he said.
Zheng’s mother was indifferent; going or not was all the same to her, as long as she could just pull her daughter aside later to simply watch the commotion.
And so, a group of them climbed up to the third floor, surrounded by a bunch of meddling older women.
Shen Yunfang had just put on her apron at home when she heard someone knocking at the door.
"You kids play nicely inside, don’t come out. Mommy will go answer the door," Shen Yunfang instructed the children before going to open the door.
As expected, at the door stood the shameless group of four, of course accompanied by a bunch of nosy elderly women who loved a big scene.
"What do you want?" Shen Yunfang asked coldly, holding the door.
"I, I..." Qiu Shuping, facing her indifferent daughter-in-law, felt angry but momentarily didn’t know what to say.
"You, sister-in-law, how can you say that? This house was bought by your second brother, wasn’t it? As his mother, how come you don’t have the right to even enter the house?" Zheng’s mother couldn’t help but interject at this moment, although she wanted to stay out of it.
This in-law is useless; you can’t count on her when it matters.
"Xiaoshen, it’s not that we’re nosy, but we as neighbors can’t stand the way you treat the elderly. Even though your mother-in-law isn’t your biological mother, she is your man’s mother. Since you and your man are a family now, you should treat your mother-in-law with the same respect and filial piety as you would your own mother. Even I, who am not well-educated, understand this, and you’re a college graduate. How can you not know these basic principles?" Sun Fengzhen criticized in a tone that implied you were very naive.
"Exactly, exactly. You have a son too, and one day you’ll be a mother-in-law yourself. Aren’t you afraid that your son will follow your example and treat his wife’s mother the same way in the future?" Another old lady also spoke sensibly.
"Right, this is my son’s home..."
Qiu Shuping hadn’t finished speaking when she saw her son sent flying out again.
"Ah..." A shrill scream pierced the air.
Outside, chaos reigned.
"Son, son, how are you? Talk to mom." Qiu Shuping saw the situation clearly and took a big step, rushing to Li Hongqi, who had fallen at the entrance of Sun Auntie’s home.
"Hongqi, Hongqi, where are you hurt? Talk to me. Mom, mom, are you alright?" Zheng Guilin also ran over, first concerned about Li Hongqi above and then asked about her mother Zheng, who had been pinned underneath.
The group of old ladies around were left dumbfounded. Things escalated so quickly, with fists flying before a full conversation could even happen.
Shen Yunfang gave them a cold look, "I’ll be a mother-in-law one day, but I won’t be the type who eyes her daughter-in-law’s purse or the one who favors her younger son and makes her daughter-in-law’s life difficult. If you’re done here, I’m going back to cook. And let me warn you one last time, don’t disturb my life anymore. Otherwise, I’ll retaliate every time I see you, even if it’s just for knocking on my door." After saying this, Shen Yunfang slammed the door shut with a bang.
The group of nosy old ladies were taken aback, not expecting that the normally gentle and smiling Xiaoshen could be so intimidating when angered.
"Oh my, it’s getting late, I have to go back and cook for the kids, or they’ll start whining when I get back." One old lady mustered a strained smile, quickly making up an excuse to clomp down the stairs.
"I’ve got a pot on the boil at home. I need to go check on it, or there will be nothing left to eat if it burns." After saying this, another old lady hastened down the stairs as well.
"My old condition is acting up again, my back is killing me. I need to go lie down at home. I’ll be going then." Another old lady made a quick exit.
Soon enough, all the old ladies who had gathered to gawk had found various reasons to leave.
Of course they ran; should they wait around for someone to open the door and kick them out too? Curiosity is one thing, but personal safety is the most important. You can’t risk your life just to spectate.
Sun Fengzhen also wanted to go home and calm her startled heart, but she couldn’t enter because the spot where Li Hongqi ended up was right in front of her door. With several people there crying and wailing, she had no choice but to wait on the side, rubbing her hands together.
Li Hongqi lay on the ground, while his mother-in-law, Zheng Mother, whom he had been laying on top of, crawled out with the help of Zheng Guilin. She didn’t have any serious injuries, just pain in her waist from the fall, making it difficult for her to stand up straight.
Li Hongqi was in a worse state; for the third time in as many days, he had been kicked in the same spot. How could he not feel miserable?
