To slander his wife in front of him, Zhang Liunian would be less than a man if he could tolerate it.
"It's not your place to say whatever you want about my Qingqing. If you dare to speak such words again, I won't let you off." Zhang Liunian's words enraged Wu Gudi, who was kicked to the ground.
She was Zhang Liunian's sister-in-law, and for Zhang Liunian to dare hit her was outrageous. "Ah! Zhang Liunian, you ungrateful wretch! I, Wu Gudi, have been married into the Zhang family for over ten years, washing your clothes and cooking for you. Is this how you repay me now that you're living a good life?"
"Washing clothes and cooking? That's hilarious.
You married my elder brother, but you separated the family less than two months later. Touch your conscience and tell me what you've done to help me?"
"I..."
Wu Gudi was speechless, but she still wanted to muddle through. "Even if I haven't helped you, I'm still your sister-in-law. If you have something, it's not too much for me to take some, is it!"
"Taking without permission is stealing."
"Who stole? It was clearly your wife who was with someone else."
"Slap!" This time, before Zhang Liunian could react, Zhang Liushui stepped forward and slapped his own wife. "Apologize to third brother, and give back everything you took. Otherwise, I'll send you back to the Wu family today."
"Zhang Liushui, you hit me too! Both of you brothers hit me. There's no justice. I don't want to live anymore. I don't want to live anymore."
Wu Gudi would never agree to return the items to Zhang Liunian; they were worth more than ten yuan.
Especially the coal stove, which sold for 15 yuan in the county town. She would rather die than give it back.
Zhang Liushui, having been her husband for so many years, knew her nature well. He personally went back into the house and found all the items that did not belong to their family.
Wu Gudi was unhappy when she saw this. She pounced forward, not forgetting to slander Jiang Qingqing. "Zhang Liunian, you're not a man. No wonder Qingqing is with that mute. Someone like you deserves... Ah!"
Before Wu Gudi could finish speaking, Zhang Liunian kicked her again. "Don't you dare speak about Qingqing."
When Jiang Qingqing arrived, she happened to overhear this exchange. Her eyes were red as she stood outside her elder brother's courtyard gate, her small hands gripping the doorframe, looking both touched and angry.
She was touched by her husband's defense of her, and angry at her sister-in-law, Wu Gudi, for going too far and even mentioning her being with a mute.
She was too much.
Didn't the whole village see her feelings for Liunian?
Otherwise, she wouldn't have chosen to marry him when she could have returned to the city.
"Zhang Liunian, you coward, you only hit your sister-in-law."
"Wu Gudi, I think you don't want to live with me anymore. I'll take you back to Wu family village right now. I can't afford a wife like you."
Before Wu Gudi could finish, Zhang Liushui stepped forward, grabbed Wu Gudi, and dragged her out. But just then, his three sons rushed out, all clinging to his thighs, begging him to let their mother go.
"Dad, don't send Mom away."
"I don't want to be without a mom."
"I don't want a stepmother, I'm scared."
"..."
Zhang Liushui looked at the three sons clinging to his legs, and his hardened heart softened a little.
"Big brother, let it go!" Jiang Qingqing, being pregnant, couldn't bear to see such a scene and stepped forward to speak.
Seeing his wife arrive, Zhang Liunian turned and hurried to support her. "Why are you here?"
"I was worried about you." Jiang Qingqing extended her small hand and placed it into Zhang Liunian's palm. He then held her hand tightly.
"Qingqing, I'm sorry. It's my fault for not controlling her mouth. Don't worry, I won't let her slander you." Seeing Jiang Qingqing arrive, Zhang Liushui quickly asked Wu Gudi to apologize to Jiang Qingqing.
"Wu Gudi, I'm giving you one last chance. If you apologize to third brother and admit you were talking nonsense, I won't send you to the Wu family."
Wu Gudi was furious upon hearing this. She didn't want to admit her mistake, but then she heard Zhang Liunian say, "Brother, your savings."
Upon hearing the word "savings," Wu Gudi immediately became flustered and shouted, "What savings? Where would we have any savings? Zhang Liunian, don't talk nonsense. Besides, it's just an apology, isn't it? I'll say it, I'll say it."
Her reaction made Zhang Liushui realize something. He looked up at his third brother, who held out his hands to show he had nothing.
Zhang Liushui's heart sank to the bottom. His family's savings were gone?
Heh! Wu Gudi, you're really something.
"Qingqing, I'm sorry. Sister-in-law was talking nonsense just now. Please don't be angry."
"Sister-in-law, don't say such things again."
Jiang Qingqing appeared very magnanimous, drawing praise from the villagers who had gathered upon hearing the commotion. Wu Gudi, who had slandered her sister-in-law, was met with a barrage of criticism.
Zhang Liunian wasn't interested in standing there listening to the villagers' evaluations of Wu Gudi. He took his wife home.
Zhang Liushui abandoned Wu Gudi and personally helped his third brother deliver the items home.
"Qingqing, in the future, you don't need to be polite to sister-in-law. She's not a good person," Zhang Liunian instructed on the way home, worried about his wife.
After hearing her husband's words, Jiang Qingqing's small face broke into a bright smile. "Sister-in-law was indeed excessive this time, saying that about little sister and the mute, and then about me and the mute. Doesn't she know how important reputation is to us?"
"What? She slandered little sister too? It seems I didn't hit her hard enough." Zhang Liunian's chest heaved, wishing he had made Wu Gudi's face swell up.
Jiang Qingqing grasped Zhang Liunian's hand and soothed him, "It's enough. She definitely won't say such things again this time."
Zhang Liunian sneered. Won't say it again? There's nothing Wu Gudi wouldn't say.
Never mind, he wouldn't think about her anymore; it was unappetizing.
"Liunian, I haven't asked you yet, why did you buy a coal stove and an iron pot?" This morning, her husband had brought back quite a few things, but she hadn't examined them closely, and then this incident occurred.
Now that she had the time, she was naturally curious about why he needed a coal stove, especially in the middle of summer when heating wasn't necessary.
"That's the equipment I'll use to make braised dishes," Zhang Liunian said, hugging his wife as they walked back.
"Braised dishes? Can you do that?" Jiang Qingqing looked at her husband doubtfully. How did she not know he knew how to do such things?
Seeing the confusion in his wife's eyes, Zhang Liunian said very naturally, "A while ago, I rescued an old man on my way home. He gave me a recipe for braised meat, and I wanted to see if it would work."
The story was true, but the timing was a bit off. In his previous life, the old man who gave Zhang Liunian the recipe hadn't appeared yet.
"So that's how it is," Jiang Qingqing realized with a sudden understanding. "You definitely can. I believe in you. You're the best."
Regardless of whether Zhang Liunian succeeded or not, Jiang Qingqing immediately offered three statements of trust, making Zhang Liunian beam with joy. "Qingqing, don't you already know if I can or not?"
Jiang Qingqing didn't react immediately to this statement. But when she felt his large hand land on a sensitive spot behind her, her mind seemed to short-circuit, and she instantly understood what he meant by "can or not."
Naughty! How could he say such things so boldly while they were still outside? It was so embarrassing.
And couldn't this large hand just behave? She reached out to lift her husband's hand from behind her and said with a blush, "Don't do that."