Chapter 83: Standing Here Like Door Gods?
Shen Meng glanced at Lu Zhenping, turned her head, and as she turned back, tears welled up in her eyes, completely losing the defiant look she’d had moments before.
“What nonsense are Father and Mother saying? How could I possibly hit Father? I’m just a wife from a different family. My husband is often away, and I’m a woman raising children, struggling to make a living. Every time I send money, Mother and Xianglan, Jiaojiao, and the two younger sisters-in-law always say it’s useful, borrowing a few yuan here and there, time and again. Very little of it goes to me and the children. Even the brick and tile house we lived in when we got married, Mother demanded that I give it up, and I’m left to live in the old courtyard’s dilapidated house with the children. Isn’t it all for the sake of family harmony? I, as a daughter-in-law, feel like I’ve done enough, yet they still think I’m troublemaking. Wuuwuwuwuu. I really don’t want to live anymore…”
The villagers had mostly heard about these things when they happened. But Shen Meng felt Lu Zhenping didn’t know. Sometimes, a woman’s tears are quite effective. Her face, coupled with her sniffling sobs, Shen Meng felt was quite impactful. After dealing with this, she could feign anger that evening and prevent Lu Zhenping from entering the bedroom. She found this strategy quite workable.
Lu Zhenping: “…”
How could she transform from defiant to fragile in an instant? And those tears, how could they just appear and disappear like that???
He observed carefully, but still couldn’t figure it out, and could only conclude that she had suffered too much.
Seeing his wife’s display of weakness, and noticing how his sons, Mingyang and the others, looked distressed, he turned to Liu Sanjin and Lu Changzhu.
“Father, Mother, stop pretending it’s for my good. How could I not know what’s really in your hearts? Shen Meng hitting back is clearly inappropriate. How could she raise a hand to her husband?”
Lu Changzhu and Liu Sanjin’s hearts sank. Before they could speak, Lu Zhenping continued, “But if my father-in-law finds out about this, it won’t be good. If he decides to take action, I won’t stop him. However, since Shen Meng has spoken, Mother, and the two younger sisters-in-law, please return the money you borrowed from Xiao Meng. Mother, prepare to return the money borrowed by Miaomiao and Lanhua as well. There are so many people watching, it’s not good to keep owing money.”
Their faces turned livid. After all this, he wasn’t just worried about Shen Meng’s family finding out, wanting Shen Fugui to come and beat him up, he was also calculating the family’s money! This scoundrel, he truly wasted his time raising him! If he had known he was this self-serving, he should have strangled him at birth.
“You… you really are my good son!” Humph!
Lu Changzhu turned and walked away. Liu Sanjin wanted to follow, and Wu Xianglan and Zhou Jiaojiao hung their heads. Where would they get the money to return? The money they’d borrowed had long since been spent.
“Hey, don’t leave! We need to sort this out!”
“You, Lu Zhenping! Do you have any sense of filial piety? Today, you disgraced your parents in front of everyone. What is your intention? Have you gone mad?”
People outside began to talk. Before, when Lu Zhenping sent money home and wrote letters, everyone praised him. Now, what’s going on? He’s only thinking about his wife, not his parents. If they had given birth to this kind of son, it would have been better not to have him at all.
Zhou Jiaojiao and Wu Xianglan, and Lu Jiahe, who was trying to slip away, also felt that their brother was acting strangely. Previously, whenever he came home, he was always so amiable. When had he become this extreme?
Lu Zhenping lost the relaxed demeanor he’d had earlier. His face grew stern, his eyes cold, and he stared at the crowd. This shift in expression made people pause slightly.
“Mother, there are things I don’t want to say directly. Do you remember the Duanwu Festival when I was five years old?”
Liu Sanjin’s face went ashen. She stared at Lu Zhenping, her eyes wide with disbelief, then trembled, pulling at her sleeves and looking around nervously. Finally, she looked at Lu Zhenping again.
“You… you know… Fine, fine. Miaomiao and Lanhua borrowed money from Xiao Meng. I’ll give it back for them. I’ll go get it. Jiaojiao and Xianglan, get the money back to your sister-in-law right away.”
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She trembled and ran away. Lu Jiahe rushed forward to support her, his brow beaded with sweat in fear.
Wu Xianglan had no money, and Shen Meng had never looked favorably upon her, never lending her much. Now, with so many people watching, she could only brazenly say, “Brother, look, I don’t have any money. Can we write a promissory note? I’ll pay it back. I definitely will.” Heh, heh!
“Mingyang, get the paper and pen from your schoolbag. Let Second Aunt write a promissory note. Make her put her handprint on it.”
Lu Mingyang mumbled “Yes” and immediately pulled out paper and pen from his schoolbag, handing it to Wu Xianglan. Seeing that she couldn’t write, he looked to his father for instructions.
Lu Zhenping sighed, reluctantly starting to write.
Wu Xianglan spoke too quickly, and Zhou Jiaojiao couldn’t stop her. Zhou Jiaojiao actually had quite a bit of money, some from her family, some from the dowry Lu Jiaxuan gave her when they married, and some she’d managed to steal from her mother-in-law. She’d spent almost all the money she’d taken from Shen Meng.
She bit her lip. Writing a promissory note was embarrassing. Returning the money was the priority. She had to appease her brother and sister-in-law to ensure her husband’s job was safe.
“Brother, Sister-in-law, I’m going to get the money right now. Life was difficult at home, and we had to ask Sister-in-law for money. Now that Jiaxuan has a job, I don’t care about anything else. As long as he’s well, I’ll have a future to look forward to. Sister-in-law, you’ve been wronged today. Later, I’ll have Jiaxuan buy you some meat at the supply and marketing cooperative to make up for it. I’ll get the money now. Wait for me!”
She ran off, not looking back at Wu Xianglan’s calls. The money she had was valuable. She couldn’t possibly repay Wu Xianglan’s debt. Their family was a bottomless pit. If she helped them pay, she’d have nothing left.
Lu Zhenping collected the promissory notes, smiling and saying to those who hadn’t left, “We have more things to attend to at home. Let’s not keep you here any longer. We can talk another time.”
He closed the door, including Lu Jiasheng, who had been standing beside him. He picked up his bag, looking at the four of them.
“Go inside. Still standing here like door gods?”
Shen Meng looked down at the young ones. It was almost time for school. They’d been arguing for so long, it would definitely affect their studies.
“Don’t go to school today. Mother will take you to school tomorrow and explain everything. Don’t get punished.”
Mingyang and the others obviously didn’t want to go, their eyes fixed on Lu Zhenping’s retreating figure, a strange mix of fear and distrust in their gaze. Shen Meng almost laughed. Good children, now they were on her side.
