Chapter 121: A Cut Below

In addition to this, Mrs. Fang stir-fried some garlic sprouts with bacon, prepared a cold cucumber salad, and included the zucchini and tomatoes brought over by Gu the Third’s family.

The meal was quite appetizing, so it was only natural to invite Gu the Third and his son to join them.

Seizing the opportunity, Tang Xin said to Gu the Third, "Third Brother, my parents and I are going to my sister-in-law's house tomorrow. Would you like to come with us?"

Since Gu Nan addressed them as "Big Brother and Sister-in-law," Tang Xin didn't want to be addressed as someone younger, and Gu Nan looked about the same age as Li Sheng, so she simply called him Third Brother.

Gu the Third was momentarily stunned, looking a bit at a loss; for years, he had rarely interacted with young women. Although Tang Xin had been married into the Li family for several months and they had even spent the Lunar New Year together, he and Tang Xin were not actually very close. He had intentionally avoided interacting with Mrs. Fang and Tang Xin, his mother-in-law and sister-in-law, as he was a widower with a child.

However, since Father Li was also going, Tang Xin added, "There is strength in numbers, after all."

Gu the Third found it difficult to refuse. Li Xiyue, standing nearby, giggled. "Why talk about strength in numbers? It’s not like you’re going there to fight."

Tang Xin pursed her lips. Wasn't that exactly what they were going to do? That Qian Darong and his family had gone too far, bullying the Li family’s eldest daughter to this extent. Even if they had to duel, they were determined to bring the eldest sister back. Of course there was strength in numbers. In the past, they had been perceived as simple-minded and easy to bully, but this time, Tang Xin wanted the Qian family to know: Hmph, don't mistake a tiger for a sick cat!

On the day they were to set off for Qian Darong’s house, Tang Xin woke up unusually early. After washing and getting dressed, she made herself look clean and polished. When she stepped outside, the younger ones kept praising their sister-in-law, saying she was as beautiful as a celestial being—ever since they started school, they had picked up all sorts of new vocabulary. Even Li Xiyue, who had become much more submissive and stopped mocking her at every turn, couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. She muttered, "You're only going to the eldest sister's house, not... why dress up like this?"

She nearly blurted out her true thoughts, but fearing criticism from her parents or having her "witchy" sister-in-law withhold her favorite treats, Li Xiyue swallowed the nasty words.

Tang Xin, looking nonchalant, replied, "I am naturally gifted with beauty, so I dress casually at home, but when I go out, I must look put-together. Being slovenly is a sign of disrespect to oneself and to others."

Although she still grumbled about her "witchy" sister-in-law, Li Xiyue had to admit that she seemed to be right.

Li Kai, who had arrived in the main hall a moment later, breathed a sigh of relief. He was glad he had kept his mouth shut; if he had said something wrong and offended his sister-in-law, what would happen if his eldest brother punished him upon his return?

Similarly, Father and Mother Li were also dressed in their finest. Father Li, in particular, had been nagged by his wife to wear the new clothes made from fabric their son and daughter-in-law had bought for the New Year. Although he had acted as if he were annoyed by his wife's nagging, he had ended up wearing them by the time they left. Even Gu the Third, who had taken time off, looked fresh and sharp in his well-groomed attire.

Seeing Gu the Third like this, Tang Xin finally understood why the young widow from the neighboring brigade was trying every trick in the book to marry him. They were used to calling him Gu the Third, but his given name was Gu Changfu, and he was only three years older than Li Sheng. His wife had passed away, and he had a child who was already old enough to look after himself and help with chores. Furthermore, Gu Changfu was diligent and good-looking. While young maidens might not necessarily look his way, to widows or other unmarried women of a certain age, he was truly an ideal marriage prospect. A thought flickered through Tang Xin’s mind, but it felt unrealistic, so she let it go.

Compared to the honest and plodding Father and Mother Li, Gu Changfu was clearly more capable; he had actually managed to borrow an ox cart from the brigade leader. In truth, this wasn't entirely due to Gu Changfu’s influence—the brigade leader had heard that Tang Xin was planning to go out, and since the brigade’s ox cart happened to be free that day, he had agreed to lend it to Gu Changfu. Anyone else would not have been so fortunate. Of course, it was fair to credit Gu Changfu, as Father and Mother Li were not the type to lower their pride and run to the brigade office to borrow a vehicle.

Riding the cart was, of course, much easier, sparing them the physical exertion and moving much faster. In just over half an hour, they arrived at the brigade where the eldest sister’s in-laws lived. Like their own Harvest Brigade, it was under the Red Star Commune, but because it lay in the opposite direction, it was quite a distance away.

As the story went, Li Xihua had been the one to insist on marrying into the family for the sake of the groom’s dowry, which was why, even after learning that their daughter was being mistreated by her mother-in-law, Father and Mother Li felt they had no standing to go and demand justice for her. Moreover, every time Qian Darong’s sharp-tongued mother saw them, she would be sarcastic and never give them a pleasant look.

Just like this time, as the group reached the outside of Qian Darong’s house, before they could even enter, they heard a sharp, shrill voice erupting from within:

"Isn't that sister-in-law of yours quite capable? Her maiden family is wealthy and brought so many good things. You stayed there for so long during the New Year—why didn't you know how to scrape some of it over here?"

Li Xihua’s voice followed: "It wasn't all from my sister-in-law; much of it was earned by my eldest brother." Her voice was filled with pride for having such an excellent brother.

"Never mind the New Year—didn't you get a share of wild boar meat before that?"

"That’s right. My eldest brother was the one who found the wild boar, so he gave my maiden family a few extra portions. During the New Year, we ate meat every day."

Hearing this, Tang Xin didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The eldest sister’s mouth was truly... truly hopeless; she never knew how to speak properly. If she were Li Xihua’s mother-in-law, she certainly wouldn't like such a daughter-in-law either.

Sure enough, the voice replying to Li Xihua sounded even sharper, loud and dripping with malice: "Eating meat every day—I hope it chokes you! I've never seen such stingy in-laws as your parents. With so much meat, they didn't know how to let you bring some back for your husband? Damn it, I must have had eight lifetimes of bad luck to end up with a daughter-in-law like you!"

Even through the wall, one could easily imagine the old hag pointing at Li Xihua’s nose and hurling abuse. In truth, if one were to consider who had truly had eight lifetimes of bad luck, it was the Li family for letting their eldest daughter marry into such a household.