Chapter Fifteen: Where Is His Fierce Wife?

Liao Shuxia was so infuriated by the old woman that she nearly fell over backward. By nature, she had a fiery temper—though she’d reined it in considerably in modern times. But after coming to this place, these outrageous relatives had managed to bring her temper roaring back. She was just about to unleash a torrent of curses when she caught sight of Lin Hongda signaling at her with his eyes. Instantly, she forced herself to calm down.

No, this old crone was putting on a wailing performance for all to see—clearly trying to paint the picture that their little family of three was bullying her. If Liao Shuxia started hurling insults, wouldn’t that be playing right into her hands? Her mind raced. When someone came causing trouble before, what had her daughter done?

“I can’t live like this! How could I have such a son and daughter-in-law?” Lin Zhangshi was still bawling.

One of the more reasonable neighbors spoke up, “Auntie Lin, what are you making a scene for? Your third son’s family already has a hard enough time as it is. You shouldn’t make things harder for them.”

“How am I making a scene?” Lin Zhangshi’s eyes widened. “I worry about them every day! I didn’t even eat dinner tonight, just came over to check on them. Not only did they not invite me in to sit, but they started scolding me! How am I supposed to go on living?”

“Who scolded you?” Lin Hongda felt his temples throbbing.

“Look at that! Just listen to the way he’s talking to me now!” Lin Zhangshi acted as if she had perfect reason, and a few of the neighbors felt that Lin Hongda was indeed in the wrong. In their minds, filial piety was the highest virtue; whether parents were good or bad, children owed them respect.

“Lin Hongda, really now—even if your mother comes over, you should at least invite her in for a cup of water.”

“Are you upset that she hasn’t helped you much in the past? Every family has its troubles—maybe she wanted to help but couldn’t.”

“She’s already over sixty—why argue with her?”

Only the first neighbor who had spoken, Uncle Qin, seemed to see through Lin Zhangshi’s act and kept casting accusatory glances her way.

“It’s not what you think,” Lin Hongda tried to explain, but the neighbors all spoke at once, drowning him out. Inside, he seethed. Lin Zhangshi had abused the original Lin Hongda since childhood, forced him to do all the work, let the elder brothers enjoy all the blessings, and never cared about his family’s poverty. Why should he be expected to be filial to her? What’s more, she’d certainly come today after hearing something from his elder brothers, hoping to get something out of them.

“It’s easy to talk when the whip hasn’t landed on your back,” Lin Sangqian said crisply.

“What do you mean by that, girl?” Lin Zhangshi hadn’t waited for Lin Sangqian to reply before leaping up. “You wretched brat, money-losing girl! Always taking your mother’s side, egging your father on to be unfilial! I’m telling you, hand over that basket right now, or I’ll skin you first!”

“If you took something, just give it to your grandmother. She’s your grandmother—are you really that stingy?”

At that moment, Liao Shuxia suddenly collapsed to the ground, startling everyone. Even Lin Hongda was alarmed and hurried to help her up, but before he could reach her, she looked at him with tear-bright eyes and said, “Mother, please, don’t make things any harder for us.”

Lin Hongda: “?”

Where had his fierce wife gone? Had Lin Sangqian possessed her or something?

Even Lin Sangqian hadn’t expected her mother to pick up that trick from her. Liao Shuxia, after all, had read plenty of novels—playing the weak to defeat the strong was easy enough to learn. Sitting on the ground, she covered her face and sobbed, “Qianqian is still a child. She hasn’t eaten much these days—she’s starving. We just went to the mountain to dig some wild vegetables, hoping to boil them for a bit of food. Mother, please, have mercy on us. Please, let us keep these few wild greens.”

She whimpered again, her face still buried in her hands so no one could see whether she was actually crying. Still, her pitiful appearance aroused a wave of sympathy among the onlookers. Thinking of how hard Lin Hongda’s family had it, the crowd began to look at Lin Zhangshi with visible displeasure.

“Auntie Lin, you’re living with your second son now—you have enough to eat and wear. Why come to take these wild vegetables from your third son’s family? Really, you should know better.”

“Even if you’re the elder, you can’t act like this. Isn’t this just abusing your age?”

“Look at how thin your third son and his family are from hunger.”

“If you won’t help them, the least you can do is not make their lives harder.”

“You—how can you all talk like this?” Lin Zhangshi was annoyed. “Weren’t you just defending me?”

“That was before we knew you’d come to rob them. What, your second son doesn’t feed you?” Uncle Qin said sarcastically.

“So this is what your second son is like, huh.”

Lin Zhangshi panicked. “Don’t talk nonsense! My second son is the most filial of all—he’s nothing like what you’re saying!”

A dull ache suddenly gripped Lin Hongda’s chest; he clutched his heart, knowing it was the residue of the original host’s emotions. After all, in all his years, Lin Zhangshi had never defended him like that. He remembered once as a child, he’d gotten into a quarrel with some other kids, and they’d angrily called him a bastard. When he’d told Lin Zhangshi, she’d sneered, “Aren’t you a bastard?” And now, just one word against his second brother and she’d flown into a rage.

“If that’s the case, then hurry home and eat, what are you still doing here? Do you have to fight your third son for something to eat?”

“You say your third son and his family cursed you, but from where I stand, it’s you bullying them. Look how your third daughter-in-law is crying!”

Still covering her face, Liao Shuxia sobbed, “Mother, if you really want our basket of wild vegetables, then take it. We’ll just go hungry for another day or two—it doesn’t matter.”

Having been put in such a position, Lin Zhangshi dared not touch the basket. She shot Liao Shuxia a venomous glare and spat, “You little wretch, just you wait!” Then she stormed off, and the neighbors dispersed as well.

Lin Sangqian committed to memory all the neighbors who had spoken up for them, especially Uncle Qin.

Lin Hongda helped Liao Shuxia to her feet and, seeing not a trace of tears on her face, burst out laughing. “Not bad, but our daughter actually managed to cry real tears when she used that trick.”

Liao Shuxia gave him a swift kick, snapping, “I did my best, didn’t I?”

“Mum, I didn’t expect you to pick that up so quickly,” Lin Sangqian said with a smile. “But the act of playing weak can only be used so many times. If you overdo it, it loses its effect.”

Liao Shuxia nodded in agreement. “True enough. If I keep crying and pretending to be pitiful, people will just get annoyed. But judging by their attitudes, they won’t give up easily. If they come back again, what should we do?”