They've all separated, so what does it matter to me if they get poorer and poorer?

Chapter 62 Sowing discord
Zeng Xiaoyan was so angry that she was about to break down. Her elder sister knew perfectly well that she had married poorly, knew perfectly well that she had no decent dowry, and knew perfectly well that no matter how she lived, her father and stepmother would never care about her. Yet, she still sent her maid to say those things to humiliate her.

Besides, no matter what her husband's family is like, it has nothing to do with her. Why should she meddle?

Seeing that her tears were about to fall again, Aunt Zhu quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe them away and gently patted her back: "Don't be sad, don't be sad, it's not worth it."

Xu Zhichun looked at Liang Mingliang, then at her, and gently patted her on the back. "Xiaoyan, Liang's third brother, I think that Cuiqiao is just trying to sow discord between you two."

Zeng Xiaoyan and Liang Mingliang were both stunned.

Liang Mingliang, confused by these intricacies, asked, "Huh? How... how do you say that?"

Zeng Xiaoyan suddenly realized what was going on and became even angrier.

“My elder sister is still so vicious! I was so angry that I lost my mind. If it weren’t for Sister-in-law Zhichun’s reminder, I almost wouldn’t have thought of this.”

She glanced at Xu Zhichun with lingering fear, a cold sweat running down her back.

There were some things Zeng Xiaoyan couldn't explain, so Xu Zhichun spoke to Liang Mingliang on her behalf: "That Cuiqiao clearly has ill intentions. She keeps saying she's doing it for Xiaoyan's own good, but every word she says is belittling and insulting your family. She's deliberately trying to provoke your anger, make you take your anger out on Xiaoyan, blame Xiaoyan, or even argue with Xiaoyan, or even fight with her, or even tell the village head and your aunt. Everyone will probably blame Xiaoyan, and that's how she achieves her goal."

Xu Zhichun could tell that Liang Mingliang was actually affected, otherwise he wouldn't look so unwell.

Given how harsh Cuiqiao's words were and how she made such a scene in public, Liang Mingliang must have endured countless strange looks and scorn. This was probably the first time he had ever faced such a situation. It was already quite remarkable that he didn't immediately turn on Zeng Xiaoyan.

The Liang family and he knew in their hearts how they treated Zeng Xiaoyan. How could he not feel resentful and angry when he was accused and humiliated by Zeng Xiaoyan's "family"?

Therefore, having seen through Cuiqiao's—or rather, that Miss Zeng's—malicious intentions, Xu Zhichun deliberately spoke as bluntly as possible to bring Liang Mingliang to his senses.

Liang Mingliang understood immediately and said angrily, "That girl is too wicked!"

Zeng Xiaoyan sneered: "She was my elder sister's dowry maid, her yes-man and lackey. She couldn't have done it without my elder sister's orders. It was all my elder sister's doing."

Liang Mingliang was stunned.

Zeng Xiaoyan glared at him, then angrily turned her head away, refusing to look at him.

She pursed her lips, looking aggrieved again.

She had told him before about the grievances she felt at home, but he didn't take it seriously at all, thinking she was making a mountain out of a molehill. He thought that having no worries about food and clothing and being waited on hand and foot was the life of a god, so how could she possibly feel wronged? Even if the sisters sometimes bickered—what a small matter!

He had no idea how miserable she was in the Zeng family's inner quarters.

Do you understand now?
Liang Mingliang said blankly, "I thought that girl really wanted to stand up for you, but I didn't expect... I didn't expect... But what good would it do for her... for Miss Zeng?"

Zeng Xiaoyan stomped on his foot and sneered, "What benefits does she want? She just doesn't like me. She's happy as long as I live a chaotic and messy life!"

"what?"

"You do not believe?"

"No, no, no, that's not it!" Liang Mingliang found it unbelievable. His wife glared at him angrily, and he shook his head and waved his hands, stammering, "I...I...I just think, how can there be such a ridiculous person in the world? I can't even imagine it, I can't even imagine it!"

Zeng Xiaoyan thought about it and got even angrier, feeling frustrated by the lack of communication: "After all this talk, you still don't believe me!"

"I really don't."

Liang Mingliang protested, saying he was just a little doubtful about life and felt dazed.

Brothers and sisters-in-law quarrel and even fight, it happens in the countryside too, but it's always for profit, or even for someone to get an extra bite of food. He really never thought that there would be people who were so bored and so selfish.

What’s the point?

Isn't that just plain stupid?
Could it be that my sister-in-law is actually mentally ill?
Zeng Xiaoyan turned her head away angrily, "I don't believe you!" Aunt Zhu looked at Xu Zhichun: "What should we do?"
Xu Zhichun didn't know what to do either, but now that they knew about Miss Zeng's sinister intentions, they wouldn't quarrel or fight because of it, and they could always communicate well about other things.

Minor issues are not problems.

It is the issues of principle that are fatal.

Xu Zhichun: "We still have quite a few konjacs at home, why don't you go back and rest for a while?"

Zeng Xiaoyan was still seething with resentment, but she couldn't vent it in front of Xu Zhichun and Aunt Zhu'er, so she nodded and said, "We'll go dig konjac in a bit. You and Aunt Zhu'er don't need to go, Sister-in-law Zhichun."

Aunt Zhu'er laughed and said, "That's fine. We don't need to dig too much. I'll peel the konjac at home."

Zeng Xiaoyan and Liang Mingliang returned home and, without prior arrangement, pretended that nothing had happened. They handed over the money as usual and went back to their rooms.

Liang Mingliang breathed a sigh of relief and patted his chest. He had thought his wife would give him a hard time in front of his mother, but thankfully she didn't.

Zeng Xiaoyan collapsed onto the bed and cried, barely daring to make a sound, her shoulders heaving as she sobbed and shed tears.

Liang Mingliang was startled and hurriedly ran over to hug her shoulders, saying, "Wife, wife, please don't cry. I was wrong, I'm sorry, please don't cry."

Zeng Xiaoyan turned to look at him, her voice choked with emotion, and asked, "What did you do wrong?"

Liang Mingliang paused, "I...I...I was wrong, I was wrong!"

Zeng Xiaoyan felt even more aggrieved: "You don't believe me."

"I don't!"

"My elder sister is really wicked."

"I understand, I understand."

"Do you think that a life without hunger and cold and with servants is necessarily a good life? Have you seen my elder sister's heart today? My stepmother is much worse than her. They have done far too much in the past. What makes you think I am ungrateful and greedy?"

When she talks about what happened today, Liang Mingliang still gets a little scared when she thinks about how she was surrounded, looked down upon, and accused.

He said from the bottom of his heart, "They are really bad, I really understand now! Don't worry, we'll just ignore them and live our own lives. Anyway, if we're unlucky enough to run into them again, no matter what they say, I won't believe it, and you shouldn't believe it either. If we can't afford to mess with them, we can at least avoid them."

Zeng Xiaoyan chuckled.

That's it.

She can't even beat them, so how can she expect her husband to beat them?
He's right, if you can't afford to offend them, you can always avoid them.

Out of sight out of mind.

Anyway, she doesn't rely on them for food anymore, and there aren't many opportunities to meet, so it's fine for everyone to stay out of each other's way and remain strangers.

Zeng Xiaoyan finally calmed down a bit.

However, the thought of having to go back to celebrate her father's birthday soon made her feel uneasy.

When she said that, Liang Mingliang got annoyed too.

He knew that his parents-in-law looked down on him, and he was even more disgusted by his sister-in-law's viciousness. The thought of the unavoidable birthday banquet, which was going to be a big one this year, was really annoying.

The two looked at each other, at a loss: What should they do? Not going didn't seem like an option either.

(End of this chapter)