Li Guangyuan coaxed with a gentle voice, “It’s not necessarily them who took it. What if you remember it wrong? Both Dongmei and Hongmei are not at home now. What do you want me to say to my mom? If it turns out you remembered wrong, it’s going to be so awkward for the whole family.”
“I couldn’t possibly remember it wrong. I clearly put 120 yuan in here, and now there’s only 100 yuan. This is the hard-earned money of us both. We don’t even have vegetables to sell now; we are counting on using this money as capital to do other businesses.”
Li Guangyuan seemed unconcerned. In this freezing weather, what other business could they possibly do? It’s better to have a good rest, stay home for the winter, and wait until spring next year when the vegetables are ready again to continue selling. He’s well-versed in that business and can make money, he doesn’t want to bother with other things. However, he also knew that if he said this, Lin Jiayi definitely wouldn’t agree.
“A hundred yuan is enough to do other businesses.”
“It’s not about whether it’s enough or not, it’s that they are stealing my money again. What did you promise me last time, have you forgotten?”
Li Guangyuan got a bit impatient, “I’ve told you, maybe you remembered wrong. All this talk about stealing, it’s so unpleasant when family talks like this.”
“When I say stealing, you find it unpleasant. Why didn’t you find it distasteful when they did it? I’m their sister-in-law, going through my stuff without my permission is stealing…”
With a loud clank, a noise came from outside followed by Old Mrs. Li in the yard, cursing at the chickens.
The noise just now was from her setting down the chicken feeding pan.
“Day after day, not laying a single egg, yet you still have the face to strut around here? Fed and cared for every day, what more do you want? Are you some kind of golden phoenix or what…”
Lin Jiayi’s expression instantly darkened, and pointing outside she said to Li Guangyuan, “Are you just going to stand here and listen to your mom talk in riddles?”
Li Guangyuan was a little irritated, “What do you want now? Where is my mom talking in riddles? Can’t she blame the chickens without your interference?”
“Is she really cursing the chickens?”
They had been married for less than half a year, and her stomach showed no sign of a baby, which Old Mrs. Li had been unhappy about for some time.
Previously, when Lin Jiayi and Li Guangyuan were doing business outside and were seldom at home, yet money was coming in, Mrs. Li had been at ease.
Now that there was no work in the fields and no business to attend, the old lady had started making trouble out of nothing.
The scolding was not really about the chickens not laying eggs; it was an indirect criticism of her.
While they were talking, Li Hongmei and Li Dongmei entered from outside, each holding a net bag filled with various goodies and another hand carrying a bag of meat buns.
Entering the courtyard, they said to Old Mrs. Li, “Mom, look, I brought you some meat buns.”
Old Mrs. Li immediately beamed with happiness, “My girls are so filial, always thinking of their mother.”
“Of course, you are my mom.”
Watching the tender mother-daughter moment in the yard, Lin Jiayi couldn’t hold back anymore and stormed out.
“Li Hongmei, Li Dongmei, did you two mess with my things?”
Li Dongmei took a step back with a guilty look, while Li Hongmei appeared indifferent, “Who messed with your things? Don’t slander good people without evidence.”
“Is it a slander? 20 yuan is missing from the purse where I keep my money. If you didn’t take it, how did you get the money to buy these things and the meat buns?”
They actually bought two bagfuls; when did their family become so generous?
“Oh, sister-in-law, listen to yourself, when did we ever say we were out of money? We bought these things with the money Mother gave us,” she said, then turned to ask Old Mrs. Li, “Mom, isn’t that right? The money you gave me?”
Old Mrs. Li, with her eyes narrowed to slits, didn’t confirm or deny, her gaze shifting to Lin Jiayi, “I’m talking to you, Guangyuan’s wife. Is this how you behave as the older sister-in-law? Blaming your younger sister-in-law without looking for the fault in yourself, how does tarnishing your sister-in-law’s reputation benefit you? I’ll tell you what, even if Li Dongmei and Li Hongmei did take the money, they have every right to. They’re your sisters-in-law; shouldn’t they spend some of their brother and sister-in-law’s money? You should be giving them pocket money every month.”
Li Hongmei and Li Dongmei’s eyes lit up when they heard Old Mrs. Li say this. Lately, their brother and sister-in-law had made some money by selling vegetables, yet never handed it over to their mom. If they were given pocket money every month, they would find it acceptable.
Lin Jiayi almost spat out a mouthful of blood, “On what grounds?”
“On the grounds that you are their brother and sister-in-law. I’ll say it again, Hongmei and Dongmei are grown up now. You, as their sister-in-law, instead of buying them some clothes to dress up nicely, dress yourself up flamboyantly every day. What are you trying to do? The old lady here isn’t dead yet, you’re trying to trample on my daughters’ reputations?”
After she finished speaking, she directly summoned Li Guangyuan, “Keep your wife in check. She doesn’t do anything productive all day and causes turmoil in the household, spoiling the home peace. It’s all because you’re too lenient with her.”
Then, turning around, she put on a different face, smiling and calling her two daughters into the room to talk.
Li Dongmei and Li Hongmei supported Old Mrs. Li from either side, with Li Hongmei even making a face at Lin Jiayi.
Furious, Lin Jiayi stomped her feet, and Li Guangyuan wore a stern face, “Have you caused enough trouble?”
Lin Jiayi looked incredulously at Li Guangyuan; since their marriage, he’d never spoken harshly to her, even when she had conflicts with his mother and sisters, he would always pacify her. But now he was accusing her of causing trouble, when it was clearly their fault.
Li Guangyuan also felt he had been harsh, yet he didn’t want to back down and turned to go back to his room.
Lin Jiayi chased after him in a few steps, “Li Guangyuan, explain yourself clearly. Who’s causing trouble? You don’t care when your sisters steal money, yet you accuse me of causing a scene. Are you even a man?”
“They’ve already said they didn’t take your money.”
Li Guangyuan was frustrated, why must families bicker over such trivial things? But Lin Jiayi was always insistent on separating ’yours’ and ’mine,’ making a big fuss over minor issues.
“So what, are you implying I’m lying?” Lin Jiayi trembled with rage.
Was he unaware of what kind of people his sisters were?
Last time, they had taken her dowry to make clothes for themselves, and now it was clear they had taken their money to buy things.
“I didn’t say that, you did,” said Li Guangyuan, sitting on the kang bed, not even looking at her.
Lin Jiayi couldn’t stand it anymore, rushed over and started to hit him, “Are you even a man? You can’t even stand up for your own wife, you good-for-nothing…”
Li Guangyuan’s shoulders took a couple of punches, and a glint of coldness flashed through his downcast eyes, his fingertips involuntarily curled.
Just at that moment, Lin Jiayi suddenly cried out “ow,” clutching her stomach and crouching on the ground.
Li Guangyuan gave her an indifferent glance, noticing her face had gone deathly pale, and she was breaking out in cold sweat—it didn’t look like an act. He then bent down to help her, “What’s wrong?”
“My stomach… it hurts so bad…”
Realizing what might be wrong, Li Guangyuan quickly lifted her onto the kang, “Wait here, I’ll go and find a doctor.”
There was a barefoot doctor in the village, and Li Guangyuan quickly brought the doctor back.
The three people in Old Mrs. Li’s room had already been watching through the window as Li Guangyuan rushed out with his bicycle.
Now, seeing him return with the barefoot doctor, Li Dongmei whispered curiously, “What happened?”