Zeng Shuyi cooked a huge pot of rice, using every good ingredient she could find to prepare the meal.
Lin Jiazhen, thinking of her eldest son and daughter-in-law in the hospital, ate just a few bites before heading to deliver food to them.
As for Zeng Shuyi and the others, they ate until their bellies were full and round.
Zeng Xiangmin sat back in his chair, legs spread wide with satisfaction.
“Third Sister, I wish we could have meals like this every day — big fish and meat.”
“Then go earn some money,” Zeng Shuyi replied.
“Earn money, my foot. Dad insists I be an apprentice. Two years without wages, and then whatever I earn after that, I have to give a cut to Master.” Zeng Xiangmin didn’t want to continue, but he wasn’t tough enough to tell his family no.
While the siblings chatted, the Wang family returned.
Wang Weiguo came in looking dejected and went straight to his room. A loud “clang” made He Dong flinch.
Wang Weibing looked at the empty bowls on the table, nearly in tears. “Mom, Dad, they ate all the fish and meat in our house!”
“Go eat at the store yourself.” Wang Zhigang gave his youngest son fifty cents.
He didn’t dare upset Zeng Qingliang now, so after sending his son away, he smiled and went to see Zeng Qingliang.
“In-laws, have you eaten your fill?”
Zeng Qingliang snorted, “And you can still smile?”
Zeng Shuyi quietly said, “Before, when you all came to our house, my mom was busy running around serving tea and snacks. Today, there’s no tea, and we have to cook our own food. Uncle Wang, Aunt Wang, isn’t it too much to ask for a cup of tea?”
“Not at all.” Wang Zhigang didn’t dare refuse.
He glanced at his wife and told her to boil some water.
He sighed after looking at Zeng Qingliang, rubbing his eyes. “Xiao Juan’s situation… it was an accident…”
“Hey Uncle Wang, that’s not right. Didn’t you know my eldest sister-in-law was pregnant?” Zeng Shuyi spoke up. She had long disliked the Wang couple, and now, backed by her father, she felt she had the upper hand to confront them.
Wang Zhigang knew very well. “When the Ming family suddenly called off the engagement, none of us expected it. The fight was an accident—at that moment, who cared about anything?”
“So when my eldest sister-in-law went to give the betrothal gift, you thought of her. But when the fight started, you forgot all about her?” Zeng Shuyi snorted, “Don’t look at my dad. He said to me, today I should talk to your family. Dad, isn’t that right?”
Zeng Qingliang nodded in agreement.
He Dong kept silent, while Zeng Xiangmin spoke for his sister. “Yeah, Uncle Wang, you just talk to my third sister.”
“In-laws, how can you let the kids be the ones to speak for this?” Wang Zhigang was a little worried about Zeng Shuyi.
The last time she came asking for the old hen, he had already experienced how formidable she could be.
Zeng Qingliang said, “She’ll speak first. If anything’s wrong, I’ll add on. I don’t want to talk to you Wang family anymore.”
Just looking at Wang Zhigang made Zeng Qingliang furious.
Saying he didn’t want to talk shut Wang Zhigang’s mouth completely.
Tian Xiaohua brought over hot tea. Zeng Shuyi took a sip before saying, “Uncle Wang, Aunt Wang, previously, to gather the betrothal gift for Wang Weiguo, my eldest sister-in-law took fifty yuan from my parents, plus some from her own money. This sum doesn’t need debate—it should all be returned, right?”
The matter of the fifty yuan was only known to Zeng Shuyi that morning after hearing her father scold someone.
Thinking about it, she was inwardly glad her father got what he deserved.
“Shuyi, your parents’ fifty yuan, we will definitely return. But the part from Xiao Juan…” Tian Xiaohua hesitated, “The rest is Xiao Juan’s money, which should also be returned to her, right?”
Daughters’ money?
Tian Xiaohua was naive to think they wouldn’t have to return that.
“Is that so?” Zeng Shuyi chuckled, “Aunt Wang, you are kind to my eldest sister-in-law, considering her family. You definitely wouldn’t ask for that money afterwards. But today, we want that money back. Just say if you will give it or not.”
Tian Xiaoyi tried to speak, but Wang Zhigang pressed her arm down and said he’d pay.
“At once, then.” Zeng Shuyi wasn’t about to spare feelings when talking money with the Wang family.
Wang Zhigang had no choice but to tell Tian Xiaohua to bring out one hundred yuan.
But Zeng Shuyi refused it. “Besides the money, I remember my eldest sister-in-law also had people buy thermos bottles and such. You decide — do we convert those into money, or do we take the thermos bottles away?”
“Shuyi, we’re all family. Xiao Juan is still our daughter. Do you have to be so calculating?” Wang Zhigang almost lost patience.
Zeng Shuyi raised an eyebrow. “Fine, I won’t count those. But ask my dad—my eldest brother doesn’t have a son. Who will we rely on in the future? To you, daughters are useless; only sons can provide for old age and funeral rites.”
Mentioning this made Wang Zhigang lose his temper immediately.
He told his youngest son to bring out the thermos bottles and bedding.
Zeng Shuyi told her brother to take the bedding, “Just what our family lacks.”
She looked at the Wang couple again. “All these years, my eldest sister-in-law has given you ten yuan a month as filial support. That’s what a daughter should do, and I don’t oppose that. But she was so good to you, and now because of you and the Ming family, she can’t have children anymore. Who knows what aftereffects this will leave? Uncle Wang, Aunt Wang, you must have received quite a compensation from the Ming family, right?”
From the moment Wang Zhigang entered, still smiling, Zeng Shuyi could tell he was pleased with the compensation from the Ming family.
Wang Zhigang denied it. “The Ming family only gave medical expenses for Xiao Juan, plus ten yuan to buy her nutritional supplements. Don’t worry, we feel sorry for Xiao Juan. I’ll add another forty yuan, making fifty in total for her care. She’s our daughter; we care about her.”
“Not likely.” Zeng Shuyi looked at her brother. “You go to the Ming family and ask clearly how much compensation they gave the Wangs.”
“Eh, no need to go again.” Wang Zhigang panicked. “We’ve cut ties with them; it wouldn’t be good to visit. Shuyi, don’t you trust us?”
Zeng Shuyi nodded seriously. “Of course not. Are you people trustworthy?”
Wang Zhigang: … Damn girl, such an annoying mouth.
Zeng Xiangmin sprinted off, promising to return as soon as possible.
Zeng Shuyi turned to Wang Zhigang. “Uncle Wang, Xiangmin’s already gone to the Ming family. You might as well tell me the truth. No need to make things uglier than they are.”
At that moment, Wang Weiguo burst out, pointing at Zeng Shuyi and shouting, “Our business with the Ming family is none of your damn concern! Zeng Shuyi, you opportunistic, bad element, get out of here!”
“Fine, then I’ll go out and say it.” Zeng Shuyi stood to leave but was stopped by Tian Xiaohua.
“Weiguo, stop talking!” Tian Xiaohua tried to pull her son away. “Isn’t your married family messy enough? Shuyi, don’t listen to him. Let’s just talk inside.”
There had been so much going on at home these past days that the neighbors were all watching the spectacle.
If word got out that they caused their daughter to become infertile, how would they ever show their faces in this alley again?
Zeng Shuyi said, “We can talk inside, but if I hear that nonsense again, don’t blame me if I take a big loudspeaker to your workplace. I don’t have a job, so I don’t care about face or disgrace.”
She sat back down. “Over the years, my eldest sister-in-law has taken a lot from your family. Adding it all up, it’s at least fifteen hundred yuan, if not two thousand.”
Tian Xiaohua denied it. “That much? How’s that possible?”
“Fine, if you say no, then no.” But Zeng Shuyi had done the math — ten yuan a month for living expenses, gifts and money for holidays, plus money for Wang family brothers’ work and schooling, all paid by Wang Juan.
Now, whether or not her eldest sister-in-law wanted to make the Wang family bleed, for her own benefit, she should ask for more. “My eldest sister-in-law needs rest. Does she need my mom to take care of her, or should she be discharged back to the Wang family?”
Wang Zhigang hurried to say, “She married into your Zeng family, so naturally she’s one of you. If she comes back for postpartum care, people will gossip.”
“Well, if my mom is to take care of her, her health must be restored first, and that costs money.
” Zeng Shuyi said, “Next is compensation for my eldest sister-in-law. She can’t have children anymore. For a woman, you know what a big price that is.”
She could choose not to have children, but she couldn’t lose that right because of others.
Wang Zhigang’s anger flared.
He ordered his youngest son to bring out the thermos bottles and bedding.
Zeng Shuyi told her brother to take the bedding, “Just what we need at home.”
She looked at the Wang couple again. “All these years, my eldest sister-in-law gave you ten yuan every month as filial respect. That’s her duty as a daughter, and I don’t oppose that. But she was so good to you, and now because of your family and the Ming family, she can’t have children. Who knows what aftereffects remain? Uncle Wang, Aunt Wang, you must have gotten quite a compensation from the Ming family, right?”
Wang Zhigang, who had been smiling when he came in, no longer smiled.
Zeng Shuyi saw that he was quite pleased with the Ming family’s compensation.
Wang Zhigang said no, “The Ming family only paid for Xiao Juan’s medical bills, and ten yuan for her nutritional supplements. Don’t worry, we feel sorry for Xiao Juan. I’ll add another forty yuan, making fifty yuan in total for her care. She’s our daughter; we also care about her.”
“Not likely.” Zeng Shuyi said, looking at her brother. “You go to the Ming family and ask clearly how much they actually gave the Wangs.”
“Eh, no need to go again.” Wang Zhigang became anxious. “We’ve cut ties with them; it’s not good to visit anymore. Shuyi, don’t you trust us?”
Zeng Shuyi nodded seriously. “Of course not. Are you trustworthy people?”
Wang Zhigang: … That stubborn girl, what an annoying mouth.
Zeng Xiangmin ran off, promising to return soon.
Zeng Shuyi looked at Wang Zhigang. “Uncle Wang, Xiangmin’s already gone to the Ming family. You might as well tell me the truth. No need to make things uglier.”
At that moment, Wang Weiguo charged out, pointing at Zeng Shuyi and yelling, “Our business with the Ming family is none of your concern! Zeng Shuyi, you opportunistic troublemaker, get out!”
“Fine, then I’ll go out and say it.” Zeng Shuyi stood up but was stopped by Tian Xiaohua.
“Weiguo, stop talking!” Tian Xiaohua tried to pull her son back. “Isn’t your married family messy enough? Shuyi, don’t listen to him. Let’s talk inside.”
These days, there had been so many incidents at home that neighbors were watching the spectacle.
If word got out they caused their daughter’s infertility, who would want to marry into the Wang family?
Zeng Shuyi said, “We can talk inside, but if I hear that again, don’t blame me if I take a loudspeaker to your workplace. I have no job, so I don’t care about face or shame.”
She sat down again. “Over the years, my eldest sister-in-law took quite a lot from your family. Adding it all up, it’s at least fifteen hundred yuan, maybe two thousand.”
Tian Xiaohua denied it, “How could it be that much?”
“Fine, if you say no, then no.” But Zeng Shuyi had calculated: ten yuan monthly living expenses, gifts during holidays, plus money for Wang family brothers’ jobs and schooling — all paid by Wang Juan.