Because he never asked her for help and had even hit her, his sister-in-law.
To get retribution from Zhang Liunian, she had enlisted outside help and was waiting for her in-laws to return and settle the score.
"If I can't have a good life, then neither can you? Don't forget that my eldest brother is helping me with my business. If I can't operate independently, where will my eldest brother get his salary?
So, what are you so happy about?" Zhang Liunian knew Wu Gudi's sensitive spot was money, and he targeted it directly.
As expected, his words instantly cleared Wu Gudi's head.
That's right. If Zhang Liunian couldn't operate independently and couldn't pay her husband a salary, wouldn't the promised fifty yuan a month become a worthless check?
Would their good life still exist?
Wu Gudi fell into a dilemma. Her younger brother, Wu Xiaoxiang, watching his sister like this, turned his head to look at Zhang Liunian.
He quickly averted his gaze after just one look because Zhang Liunian was too handsome, and a single glance made him unbearably jealous.
Zhang Liunian noticed him, glanced at him indifferently, and said nothing more.
By the time they reached the village entrance, Wu Gudi seemed to have made up her mind. She dropped a parting shot, "If you dare to shortchange my family's earnings, I'll fight you to the death."
She said this behind Zhang Liunian's back. After speaking, she pulled her brother along and headed home.
"Look how capable she is," Zhang Qian said, looking displeased upon hearing that.
Zhang Liunian patted his shoulder and jumped off the tractor to return home.
Du Ziteng followed Zhang Liunian into the house, only to see Zhang Liunian's daughter playing hide-and-seek with the chicks inside. His mouth twitched, and he crouched down to tease Huabao.
"Huabao, do you like the chicks or your dad more?" Du Ziteng was deliberately teasing the little one.
Huabao, however, thought he was serious and stopped her game to ponder deeply. "I like both."
"So, your dad is as important as the chicks?"
"Yes."
"So, your dad weighs the same as the chicks."
"That's right!"
Du Ziteng laughed. Looking at Zhang Liunian, who was processing pork, he called out, "Big Brother, Huabao says you weigh the same as the chicks, hahaha..."
"Bang!"
Before Du Ziteng could finish laughing, Zhang Liunian threw the sole of a shoe at him.
Du Ziteng was sent sprawling to the ground by the shoe sole, making Huabao giggle uncontrollably.
Hearing his daughter's laughter, Zhang Liunian raised his head and said, "Huabao, go play. Don't pay attention to this uncle."
If Du Ziteng hadn't become his helper, he wouldn't have brought him home. With this thought, his gaze fixed on Du Ziteng. "Go light the fire."
Du Ziteng dared not disobey. He got up, dusted himself off, and went into the kitchen.
Jiang Qingqing and Zhang Xiaomei were cooking in the kitchen. When they saw Du Ziteng enter, they both glanced at him before continuing their work.
"Qingqing, Xiaomei, you must be hungry! Go eat quickly, I'll come out after I finish the pig liver," Zhang Liunian said, finishing preparing the braised meat. He then turned and went to the kitchen to usher Jiang Qingqing and Zhang Xiaomei out to eat.
"Third sister-in-law said she wants to eat with you, Third Brother. Hurry up!" Zhang Xiaomei said this before leaving the kitchen.
This made Jiang Qingqing extremely shy. "No, don't listen to Xiaomei's nonsense."
"If there's no such thing, then there's no such thing!" After living there for a while, Zhang Xiaomei had even learned to tease Zhang Liunian and his wife.
Zhang Liunian looked at his wife's blushing face and shook his head at Xiaomei.
Du Ziteng, who was stoking the fire, looked at Zhang Liunian like this, a hint of envy in his eyes.
Having interacted with them for the past two days, he knew that Zhang Liunian and Jiang Qingqing had a very good relationship.
Add to that the fact that he was handsome and she was beautiful; they were truly a match made in heaven.
If he could marry a woman like Zhang Liunian's wife, he would surely wake up smiling in his dreams.
"What are you thinking about? Let's go eat." Zhang Liunian carried a large bowl of fragrant pig liver to the main hall.
Du Ziteng eagerly followed to eat.
At the dinner table, it was another display of affection.
"After you're full, go rest. I'll clean up," Zhang Liunian said, reaching out to stop his wife when she intended to clear the bowls.
Jiang Qingqing smiled like a blooming flower. "It's fine. After eating, it's good to get some exercise."
"You're pregnant, don't get tired."
"This little bit of work is nothing."
"..."
Zhang Xiaomei watched her third brother and sister-in-law bicker at the table for a long time. In the end, she simply did the chores herself, saving them the trouble of arguing, and filling herself up.
"It's all your fault that Xiaomei has to wash the dishes again. You can't stop me tomorrow. Washing dishes really isn't any trouble for me, not tiring at all." Jiang Qingqing admonished Zhang Liunian with a hint of grievance as he supported her into the room.
Zhang Liunian chuckled awkwardly, not agreeing or disagreeing. After his wife sat on the bed, he told her about their parents possibly returning that afternoon.
Jiang Qingqing's attention was immediately captured by his words.
"What should we do? What should we do? Won't Mom and Dad interfere with us?" Hearing that her in-laws were returning, Jiang Qingqing panicked.
They had finally managed to pay off their debts. If their in-laws returned and objected to them operating independently, deeming it disgraceful or beneath them, what would they do?
Seeing his wife's extreme panic, Zhang Liunian wrapped his arm around her, comforting her. "It's alright, we just won't listen."
"But they are our parents, after all." Jiang Qingqing had always followed her parents' arrangements in life, except for her marriage to Zhang Liunian.
In other words, she was someone who greatly cared about the opinions of her elders.
If her in-laws wished for them to give up, she would take their words to heart and might consider acting according to their wishes.
However, she now knew clearly that she couldn't follow their arrangements or act according to their wishes because their family still had a lot of debt.
Therefore, she couldn't avoid being conflicted.
"You are my wife. By marrying me, you belong to me, not to them.
So, you don't need to consider their thoughts because their thoughts will never overlap with yours.
What you need to do is only consider me, understand?" Zhang Liunian said, holding his wife and declaring dominantly that she belonged only to him and only needed to consider him.
Jiang Qingqing's face turned red at his words, and she lightly punched him. "What are you saying? You're making me blush."
In broad daylight, why was he stirring her heart like this?
Zhang Liunian loved seeing her shy expression. He said seriously, "I'm not saying anything. I just want to say that everyone thinks from their own perspective, and no one can ever understand our thoughts.
So, we just need to live our own lives well, understand each other, and not pay attention to others."
Zhang Liunian's words meant that they only needed to care about each other and didn't need to pay too much attention to anyone outside of the two of them.
Furthermore, they couldn't possibly please everyone.
After hearing this, Jiang Qingqing felt as if her heart had been struck a heavy blow because no one had ever told her these things before.