Chapter 116: Meeting the Bride

Second Aunt Li always prided herself on being younger and having a better family background. Yet, despite both marrying into the Li family, Li Zhirong treated his wife a thousand, no, ten thousand times better than the second brother treated his.

She refused to believe her own husband was at fault, choosing instead to blame Mrs. Fang. She convinced herself that it was only because of the comparison to her sister-in-law that her own life felt so difficult. From then on, she found fault with Mrs. Fang at every turn, constantly belittling her. Later, after Li Zhirong’s incident and the brothers officially split the family—effectively severing ties—Second Aunt Li would still frequently go out of her way to antagonize Mrs. Fang.

Mrs. Fang had never found favor with her mother-in-law or her sisters-in-law. She was constantly ostracized and subjected to cold, biting sarcasm. Because of this, she rarely went out, preferring to stay home, focus on housework, and care for her children and the elders. Though Mrs. Fang was a simple woman with limited worldly experience, she understood propriety. She never spoke of these family grievances to her children, especially not to her new daughter-in-law, Tang Xin. She loved Tang Xin and didn't want her to know about the dirty laundry of the Li family’s extended relatives.

However, the children were grown, and having spent their days running wild outside, they were more or less aware of the situation. With their little tongues wagging, Li Jiang and Li Hai told Tang Xin everything they knew. Upon hearing this, Tang Xin could only shake her head. She said directly to her mother-in-law, "Mother, you are too kind. If they mock you, why don't you mock them back? Is there really any need to hide in the house just because of them?"

In truth, Mrs. Fang wanted to explain that she didn't stay inside out of fear of Second Aunt Li; it was just her nature to be homebody. She wasn't a gossip and couldn't relate to the women in the production team who loved to pry into others' affairs. But seeing that her daughter-in-law meant well, she simply smiled and didn't continue the discussion about her sister-in-law.

Because of this, Tang Xin became even more convinced that Second Aunt Li was a villain who had frequently bullied her mother-in-law. So, when she saw Second Aunt Li arrive uninvited, clearly looking to take advantage of someone, Tang Xin didn't hold back. She immediately took the flower tea and the snacks from the table and went into her room to put them away.

Just as she stepped back out, she heard the woman outside speaking to her mother-in-law in a snide, passive-aggressive tone: "Oh my, sister-in-law, you spend all day long just sitting at home without even going out to work. You certainly have an easy life."

Tang Xin sneered inwardly. *I was just looking for a chance to stand up for Mother, and here you are, delivering yourself to be scolded.*

She started with a sweet "Second Aunt," then laughed and asked, "Second Aunt, did you put too much vinegar in your stir-fry for lunch today?"

Second Aunt Li replied without hesitation, "Of course. At our house, we use plenty of oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar in everything."

*Oh, really?* If you used that much salt, would the food even be edible? In reality, Second Aunt Li’s household couldn't bear to buy such seasonings. Even the eggs they saved were only traded for goods at the commune right before the New Year; they never dared to eat them themselves. As for her cooking, she never used oil, preferring to simply boil everything in water. She only claimed otherwise because she didn't want to lose face, especially not in front of her sister-in-law.

Tang Xin guessed the truth but didn't expose her. Instead, she kept smiling and said, "That makes sense. It must be the extra vinegar—no wonder your tone is so sour today."

At this, Second Aunt Li realized the eldest daughter-in-law was mocking her, and her face darkened instantly. "You young woman, what kind of way is that to talk?"

Tang Xin giggled. "Oh, Second Aunt, are you angry? I was just joking with you. Why take it so seriously? Surely you aren't that petty?"

Second Aunt Li couldn't admit to being petty, and she was somewhat intimidated by Tang Xin’s status as an educated youth from the city and the daughter of a cadre. She didn't dare to throw a tantrum, but seeing Mrs. Fang nearby, she looked over indignantly. "Sister-in-law, are you just going to let your daughter-in-law bully me like this?"

Before Mrs. Fang could speak, Second Aunt Li unleashed another barrage of barbs: "Come to think of it, your daughter-in-law is quite something. She stays home all day without doing a lick of work, and you all have to wait on her hand and foot."

Tang Xin remained cheerful, her tone perfectly polite and courteous, even if the content was sharp: "I bring benefits to this family, allowing everyone to improve their diet with regular meat and fish. Given that, what is wrong with doing less labor? Second Aunt, isn't it the same at your house? Since Second Uncle is busy working, surely he doesn't have to do chores at home either?"

Second Aunt Li’s expression grew even uglier, and she didn't know how to retort. She had heard that since this educated youth married into the Li family, life for the eldest brother’s household had improved significantly. Many in the team mocked Tang Xin for being a fool who emptied her own parents' home to subsidize her in-laws, but the men in the village were actually deeply envious of Li Zhirong and his wife.

Second Aunt Li pulled a long face and huffed, "If that's the case, sister-in-law, why haven't I seen you subsidizing your own brothers?"

Because the woman’s husband was her brother-in-law, Mrs. Fang remained patient and silent. Tang Xin, however, didn't care about such niceties. She deliberately exclaimed, "Second Aunt, didn't your family split from ours a long time ago? Besides, you looked down on my parents for being poor, and our families stopped associating years ago. What do you mean by that? Are you trying to take advantage of us?"

Second Aunt Li was choked for words. Usually, as fellow villagers in the same production team, people kept a pleasant facade even if they didn't get along. She had never encountered an educated youth like Tang Xin who spoke so directly, all while keeping a smile on her face that made it impossible to accuse her of bullying. Yet, the content of her words felt incredibly uncomfortable.

Tang Xin didn't care. For a woman like Second Aunt Li, who arrived uninvited only to antagonize the host, Tang Xin felt no need to be polite. Just as she was about to say more, she heard Second Aunt Li say, "Sister-in-law, what about what I told you last time?"

Tang Xin: "?"

Mrs. Fang frowned and said, "If you want to play matchmaker for Gu the Third, speak to him yourself. Why must you use me to pass the message?"

For several years, because Old Li wanted to look after Gu Nan, Gu the Third and his son often came to the Li house for meals. But Mrs. Fang knew that rumors could be lethal; she was always very cautious, only showing kindness to Gu Nan. As for Gu the Third, she kept a strict distance, knowing that their circumstances were such that even standing together would invite gossip. After all, Gu the Third was a strong laborer, and despite being a widower with a child, he was considered a decent catch.