Chapter 83: The Captain’s Wife, Madam Liu, Complains About Her Daughter-in-law

In the depths of winter, the ditches had all run dry. Inside, there was nothing but soil and a layer of withered leaves.

“Pah! Pah! Pah!”

Lin Xiaodou spat out the leaves in her mouth as she dusted the dirt off herself.

Liu Yan’er had also managed to get up by now. “Xiaodou, are you all right?”

“I’m fine.” Lin Xiaodou looked up and saw the little girl’s head covered in leaves.

She couldn’t help but twitch her lips. This kid looked so comical, as if she’d built a bird’s nest on her head.

What Lin Xiaodou didn’t know was that her own hair was decorated with just as many leaves.

Liu Yan’er apparently noticed as well. “Xiaodou, there’s—on your head…”

The two girls looked at each other, and burst out laughing.

After a good round of laughter, Liu Yan’er, cheeks flushed, apologized, “Sorry, Xiaodou. The bike hit a lump of dirt, and the handlebars got stuck—I couldn’t keep control and we fell.”

Lin Xiaodou waved her little hand dismissively. “No worries. Let’s hurry up and go.”

When they finally lifted the bicycle, they saw that the handlebars were bent out of shape.

No wonder her father hadn’t ridden the bike out today, Liu Yan’er thought with some embarrassment. That explained it.

With the handlebars askew, the bicycle was impossible to push, so Lin Xiaodou simply hoisted it onto her shoulder.

Liu Yan’er stared in awe, her eyes practically shining with admiration.

She followed after Lin Xiaodou, chirping away the whole journey. It wasn’t until they reached home and saw the tall figure standing by the door that she finally quieted.

“Big Brother! You’re back!” Liu Yan’er ran over, her face alight with joy.

“Little sister!” Her brother, Liu Jianjun, was dressed in his military uniform, looking full of spirit.

“Big Brother, you’ve been gone for two years! I’ve missed you so much!” Liu Yan’er clung to his arm, her smile radiant.

Liu Jianjun was just about to speak, when a sarcastic voice rang out nearby:

“Well, some people really don’t know shame, do they? Already a grown woman, and still clinging to her brother out in public.”

The speaker was Liu Jianjun’s wife—Sister-in-law Liu. Ever since she’d married into the family, she and Liu Yan’er had never gotten along; they quarreled every time they met.

“What did you say? It’s been ages since I’ve seen my brother. What’s wrong with being affectionate?” Liu Yan’er’s face flushed with anger.

When she was little, her big brother would carry her in his arms all the time—what was the harm in hugging his arm now?

It was supposed to be a festive day; she hadn’t wanted to argue at all. That was why, when she saw her sister-in-law earlier, she’d simply ignored her. Yet, even without a word from her, the woman still managed to stir up trouble.

Sister-in-law Liu lifted her nose and snorted. “Hmph, so young, and not a shred of decency.”

“You’re the one with no decency!” Liu Yan’er retorted hotly, her temper flaring. “You’re always taking my brother’s salary to support your family back home. Your whole family is living off my brother, and you still have the nerve to show your face here!”

At these words, Sister-in-law Liu’s expression changed instantly.

“So, Liu Jianjun, is this what your family says about me behind my back? If that’s how little you think of me, maybe I should just divorce you!” With that, she ran off, covering her face and sobbing.

“Yan’er, that was too much—you’ll have to apologize to your sister-in-law later,” Liu Jianjun said reproachfully, casting a worried glance at her before hurrying after his wife.

“Xiaodou, was I wrong to say that?” Liu Yan’er stood there, pale and at a loss.

She’d always been close to her brother and their family had once been harmonious. But ever since her sister-in-law married in, there had been endless quarrels. Seeking peace, her brother had brought his wife to live with him in the army. Two years had passed, and even her doting brother seemed to care less for her now.

It wasn’t Lin Xiaodou’s place to comment on other people’s family matters. She could only change the topic. “Come on, let’s go tell your mother what happened.”

Once they reached the kitchen and recounted the incident, Liu Yan’er’s mother responded in a way that surprised Lin Xiaodou.

“If she wants to leave, let her! Does she really think the Liu family is so easy to bully? If she goes, she’d best not come back!”

After two years without seeing her son, today should have been a happy reunion for Liu Yan’er’s mother, with both son and daughter-in-law home. But the joy had barely lasted before her daughter-in-law spoiled it.

She’d been busy in the kitchen when her daughter-in-law came in, offering to help. Pleased that the young woman was finally showing some sense, she’d agreed.

But before long, the daughter-in-law began dropping hints, asking about the family’s savings.

Curious, Liu Yan’er’s mother inquired why she wanted to know.

Her daughter-in-law replied that her brother was getting married, but the family couldn’t afford the bride price, so she wanted to help.

That didn’t sit well with Liu Yan’er’s mother. The woman had married into the Liu family, yet kept sending money home.

Still, for her son’s sake, she said nothing—just asked how much the bride price would be.

Her daughter-in-law answered, “When I married Jianjun, the bride price was sixty-six. My brother can’t have less than I did. The bride’s family is asking for a hundred and sixty-six, as well as the three major wedding items. I’ll have to pay for all of it.”

At this, Liu Yan’er’s mother’s heart dropped.

This was no small sum. Did her daughter-in-law’s family have no savings at all? And in the past two years, her son hadn’t sent home any of his salary—surely they should have saved up enough?

With these doubts, she asked.

But her daughter-in-law calmly replied, “My brother’s getting married, and the house is too old; it needs to be rebuilt. So I gave all our savings to my family.”

Liu Yan’er’s mother was dumbfounded.

Her daughter-in-law came from the neighboring village, and she’d heard that her in-laws were building a new house. Rumors had even reached her ears, saying her son’s wages were supporting his wife’s whole family. She hadn’t believed it—just yesterday, she’d laughed about it with her younger daughter.

She’d never imagined the rumors were true.

What mother-in-law would tolerate a daughter-in-law sending endless money home? That money didn’t grow on trees—it was earned with sweat and toil.

Worse still, after spending all her son’s money, her daughter-in-law now had her eye on the Liu family’s savings.

“Get out! You’re not helping, you’re just giving me a headache!” Even the usually mild-tempered Liu Yan’er’s mother lost her patience, scolding her daughter-in-law and driving her from the kitchen.

Humiliated, the daughter-in-law went outside to weep. Liu Jianjun was consoling her when his little sister came home, and so the daughter-in-law’s ire was redirected at her.

Learning the full story, Liu Yan’er suddenly understood. “No wonder she was so irritable—it all started earlier.”

Her mother snorted. “Exactly. I’ve had enough of her. If anyone wants her, they can have her!”

She’d always been dissatisfied with this daughter-in-law: lazy, ill-tempered, and after two years, still not a sign of a child. There was nothing she could do well, and Liu Yan’er’s mother was tired of putting up with her.

“Mom, what if my brother sides with her and causes trouble…” Liu Yan’er asked, uneasy.

“He wouldn’t dare!” Her mother’s gaze hardened. “If he dares stand up for his wife against me, then let him take her back to the army and never return to the Liu family!”