The tycoon's wicked wife from the era of literature has been reborn.

Chapter 19 What are grown men afraid of?

Sister-in-law Zhou Guihua put down her heavy basket, straightened her back, and walked up to Zhou Zhenghua with shining eyes.

They practically have the word 'gossip' tattooed on their faces.

Zhou Zhenghua's left cheek was red, looking a bit like a handprint.

"Zhenghua, you weren't beaten up, were you?"

Zhou Zhenghua: "No."

After a pause, he said, "Allergic reaction."

Sister-in-law Zhou thought to herself, "Who would believe that? These five finger marks are too obvious."

Thinking back to what Gao Qinghe had just told her, Sister-in-law Zhou carefully compared the two and realized that the size was exactly the same as a woman's palm print.

She wanted to ask a few more questions, but Zhong had already finished pounding the herbs and came over.

With a slanted eye, he launched into a tirade: "Are you blind? Don't you know how to come over and help? All you do is stand there and slack off, huh!"

Sister-in-law Zhou jumped, then chuckled sheepishly, "Mom, what are you saying? I just brought back a basketful of vegetables."

She quickly reached out to take the medicine from her mother-in-law's hand.

Zhong waved her outstretched hand away, saying, "You don't need to pretend. Zhenghua is my son, not your brother. He hurt you without feeling any remorse."

Sister-in-law Zhou is wronged! She only asked a few more questions, and her mother-in-law scolded her like that.

Normally it would be fine, but it had to happen in front of my brother-in-law.

A wave of grievance welled up in her heart, and Sister-in-law Zhou's eyes reddened slightly.

Zhou Zhenghua awkwardly reminded his mother, "Mom, don't say that about my sister-in-law. When I wasn't home, my sister-in-law was always busy with everything, both inside and outside the house. If it weren't for her taking care of you at home, I wouldn't feel comfortable studying away from home."

After speaking of his mother, he then said to Sister-in-law Zhou, somewhat embarrassed:
"Sister-in-law, Mom may be sharp-tongued, but she's not a bad person at heart. Don't take it to heart."

When people feel wronged, they are most afraid of being comforted.

When Sister-in-law Zhou heard her brother-in-law's words, she sniffed and almost burst into tears.

However, she felt more relieved than anything else.

At least someone will remember what she did for this family.

"It's nothing." Aunt Zhou turned away, quickly wiping away tears from the corners of her eyes, and asked with a smile:
"Look at your clothes, they're covered in grass. Apply the medicine and change them, I'll wash them for you."

Zhou Zhenghua said gratefully, "Thank you, sister-in-law, you've worked so hard."

"It's okay, it should be."

Sister-in-law Zhou secretly glanced at her mother-in-law, and seeing that she didn't say anything more, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhou Ersao Chunfang walked in from outside the gate, holding a handful of melon seeds in her hand.

She listened at the door for a while, waiting for her mother-in-law to finish scolding her sister-in-law and for the argument to stop before going inside.

However, seeing how attentive Sister-in-law Zhou was to the third brother, I couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of sunflower seed shells.

"Sister-in-law is so hardworking, why don't you wash my and my second brother's clothes too?"

Guihua's lips twitched, and she retorted, "Do you want me to feed you shit too?!"

Chunfang choked, "Sister-in-law, why are you cursing me? I was just asking. If you don't want to wash it, then don't. I'll wash it myself later."

"Unlike some people who don't have hands and are too old to ask their sister-in-law to do their laundry."

He gave Zhou Zhenghua a meaningful smile.

Zhou Zhenghua wasn't stupid; he knew this was aimed at him, and he looked embarrassed.

"Sister-in-law, you don't need to wash mine, I'll wash mine myself in a bit."

Before Guihua could respond, Zhong said, "Let your sister-in-law help you wash."

"Your hands are for holding pens, washing clothes is a woman's job."

He glared at Chunfang again, "Don't think that just because you're carrying my precious grandson, I won't dare to do anything to you!"

"Now that you've entered the Zhou family, you're my Zhou family's daughters-in-law. Anyone who causes trouble in the household can immediately go back to their own family home and see if their brothers can tolerate them!"

Upon hearing this, both daughters-in-law's expressions changed.

That was the panic and lingering fear of having no confidence behind one's back.

Girls like them are said by their parents to be raised for someone else's family from the moment they are born.

In that house, there wasn't even a bed of one's own.

When they reach marriageable age, they immediately have to make way for their brothers in the family.

Ideally, they should receive a high dowry so that their own brother can bring his wife back.

She's a truly sensible and good daughter; her parents didn't raise her in vain. Perhaps some families are good to their daughters, even buying them two quilts after receiving the bride price.

But if you want to go back to your parents' home after getting married, they will only let you stay for one or two nights at most.

Over time, she started receiving all sorts of cold treatment and was disliked by her sister-in-law and brother-in-law.

Faced with Zhong's threat to "go back to your parents' home".

Even Chunfang, who was known for her fiery temper and was doted on by her brothers, felt a pang of unease.

Zhou Zhenghua saw the expressions on his two sisters-in-law's faces and sighed inwardly.

He snatched the bowl of herbs from his mother's hand, his face darkening, his voice sharp:

"Mom, this is a new society now. Women can hold up half the sky. You are a woman yourself, how can you say such a thing!"

Unexpectedly, her son scolded her.

Mrs. Zhong was stunned for a moment, then immediately cried out in grievance:

"Who am I doing all this for? They're all so ungrateful!"

She turned and stormed back to her room, yelling:
"I'm old, and you all dislike me. I'm not going to care anymore. Do whatever you want. I might as well just die."

The eldest and second sons of the Zhou family each carried a full load of firewood back home.

Hearing his mother's cries and seeing the strange atmosphere between his wife and third son, he realized that...

They all sighed inwardly.

It's obvious without even guessing that Mom got "educated" by the third son again.

In this family, Mom dotes on the third child the most.

The third child is the one I fear the most.

Only he can cure my mother's feudalistic old ideas.

In the end, Zhou Zhenghua's clothes were taken by his sister-in-law Guihua to be washed together.

Because of his facial 'allergy,' dinner was prepared and served by his second sister-in-law, Chunfang, who was pregnant.

Zhou Zhenghua took the initiative to set out the bowls and chopsticks and serve the rice.

The two sisters-in-law felt that he had helped them a lot.

Much better than my own lazy, irresponsible husband!

The village store at the entrance.

With Gao Qinghe's strong voice: "Gao Qingmiao!"

A group of seventeen or eighteen-year-old young men squatting on the edge of the field smoking suddenly shuddered.

When Gao Qingmiao was called out by name, she turned around and was so frightened that she immediately dropped the cigarette butt in her hand.

"Sis, what brings you here?"

He waved his hand to quickly dispel the smell of smoke from his body.

But the smoke exhaled by his companions kept drifting onto him.

Gao Qingmiao glared at them irritably.

The group laughed and greeted Gao Qinghe.

Xiao Hu teased, "Miao Miao, what are you panicking about? It's just a cigarette, what's a grown man afraid of!"

He then enthusiastically asked Gao Qinghe if she wanted to smoke some too.

Gao Qinghe glanced at them coldly, ignoring these young rascals who hadn't even grown their hair yet.

He waved to Gao Qingmiao.

Gao Qingmiao immediately ran over and obediently followed behind her sister.

Xiao Hu and the others called after him, but couldn't get him to come back.

He shouted mockingly, "Gao Qingmiao, you're just a coward!"

Gao Qingmiao turned around angrily, "Zheng Xiaohu, you..."

"Come back!" Gao Qinghe shouted in a deep voice.

Gao Qingmiao's imposing manner suddenly diminished.

He gestured with his middle finger at Zheng Xiaohu and the others, saying, "I'll come back and deal with you guys later!"

He endured the snickers and laughter of his peers, and followed Gao Qinghe with a grim expression.

(End of this chapter)