Chapter 122: Fame Won in a Single Battle

Li’s parents wore deeply sullen expressions. Even as an outsider, Gu Changfu was furious when he heard what had happened.

Lowering his voice, he said, “So this is how Xihua lives at her husband’s home? Her mother-in-law curses her whenever the mood strikes?”

They had never heard of the old woman beating her, but with Li Sheng, such a formidable elder brother, around, the old crone from the Qian family presumably would not dare lay a hand on Li Xihua.

Cursing, however, was another matter. They had come on impulse today and had neither sent word nor asked anyone to pass along a message, so the Qian family had no idea they were coming.

Judging by this, Li Xihua must normally live through days like these at home as well.

And to think that whenever she was with her own family, she was always singing the praises of that old woman from the Qian household, saying that although her mother-in-law was somewhat stingy, she was otherwise good to her.

She called this “good”?

Tang Xin was seething. If she had encountered a mother-in-law like that, she would have turned the entire household upside down long ago.

Unwilling to let herself suffer any more indignity, Tang Xin gave Gu Changfu a meaningful glance. He immediately shouted across the courtyard, “Big Sister, are you home?”

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, who had been talking inside, fell silent at once. Qian Old Woman especially craned her neck and peered outside.

Unfortunately, Tang Xin and the others had arrived by cart and had taken the broad main road in front of the house. With the screen wall blocking the view, the old woman could not see a thing.

The Qian family was, in fact, fairly well-off. Otherwise, Qian Darong could never have afforded the bride-price in those days. It was simply that Li Xihua had never enjoyed a good life after marrying into the family.

Whenever there was anything tasty in the house, it naturally went first to Qian Darong and then to Old Man Qian. Li Xihua was left with coarse grain and wild greens.

But Qian Old Woman did not eat anything good herself either, so Li Xihua could hardly challenge her on that point. Instead, influenced by her mother-in-law, she had come to believe even more firmly that women held no status in the home and that all the good things should be reserved for the men.

Still, Qian Old Woman was somewhat frightened. In a low voice, she asked her daughter-in-law, “Has your younger brother come?”

They had never met Gu Changfu, so naturally they could not recognize Third Gu’s voice.

Li Xihua knew it, however. She was puzzled too, though she showed nothing on her face.

“I don’t know. Why don’t you go and see for yourself?”

But Qian Old Woman lost her nerve. Throughout the villages around Red Star Commune, there was no one who had not heard of Li Sheng’s reputation. He had made a name for himself in a single fight when he was still very young.

Ever since then, even those who wanted to make a spectacle of the Li family had only dared whisper behind their backs. Qian Old Woman had long been dissatisfied that her daughter-in-law was a barren hen, but because of Li Sheng’s reputation, she had never dared go beyond verbal abuse.

Li Xihua found it strange as well. She turned around the screen wall and walked out through the gate, only to see her sister-in-law’s radiant little face first.

Behind her stood the worried-looking Madam Fang.

This had been Tang Xin’s idea. Someone had to keep watch over the ox cart, and it was better not to let the enemy learn the full extent of their strength all at once.

Thus, Tang Xin and Madam Fang had gone forward as representatives, while Li’s father and Gu Changfu stayed behind temporarily as reinforcements, observing the enemy’s movements.

When she explained this, even the few people who had been feeling gloomy could not help laughing. They unanimously decided to treat the operation as an important mission and carry it out properly.

Li Xihua rarely saw her mother leave the courtyard, let alone go beyond the brigade.

She hurried over, taking three steps in two, and supported Madam Fang as she asked anxiously, “Mother, what brings you here? Has something happened at home?”

“Bah, what an ill-omened thing to say! How could anything happen to our perfectly fine household?” Tang Xin spat at her sister-in-law, then continued, “Mother and I came to see you. Can’t we also pay you a New Year visit while we’re here?”

Tang Xin had left Li Xihua utterly speechless. The first month of the year was nearly over, and they had chosen this moment to visit someone for the New Year?

Still, Li Xihua was delighted to see her own mother. She had no interest in quarreling with her sister-in-law and first invited Madam Fang into the courtyard.

Meanwhile, Qian Old Woman had learned that Li Sheng had not come—that only her in-law, Madam Fang, and the eldest daughter-in-law of the Li family had arrived.

What could two delicate-looking women possibly do?

At once, she felt her backbone stiffen. She watched Li Xihua help Madam Fang into the courtyard without making the slightest effort to greet them.

Finally, Li Xihua said irritably, “Mother, my mother and my younger brother’s wife have come to see you.”

Only then did Qian Old Woman let out an exaggerated “Oh,” and drawled, “Coming to visit me empty-handed? Your in-law certainly has some nerve.”

Tang Xin truly did have plenty of nerve. Smiling brightly, she handed over what she was carrying.

“My mother has plenty of nerve, indeed. When my sister-in-law came back to her family during the New Year, you only had her bring home a handful of little cabbages. This time, we’ve specially brought you two tomatoes. Aren’t we treating you better than you treat us?”

In the countryside at this time of year, tomatoes were a rare delicacy.

Qian Old Woman’s face turned white with fury. Li Sheng had actually married a woman like this?

She looked pretty enough, but her tongue was sharp and vicious. Surely Madam Fang must suffer greatly at home every day?

With that thought, Qian Old Woman’s mood improved inexplicably.

The Li family’s daughter-in-law was dressed in bright, fashionable clothes, and she was even wearing a pair of gleaming cowhide shoes. Her appearance alone was enough to intimidate the old woman of the Qian household.

All Qian Old Woman could do was snort through her nose. “Two tomatoes? You have the nerve to bring those here? You ate meat every day during the New Year. Why didn’t you think to give Xihua some?”

The old woman was not entirely stupid. She knew that she had to preserve her family’s reputation in front of outsiders, which was why she said such a thing.

Tang Xin, however, looked bewildered. “Wasn’t Big Sister staying at her family’s home for half a month? Didn’t she eat meat with us? Her husband, on the other hand, must truly be busy. We didn’t see him when we got married, and we didn’t see him during the New Year either.”

She was openly criticizing Qian Darong. After all, during the New Year, the son-in-law was supposed to visit his wife’s family first.

The truth was that before the New Year, Qian Darong and Li Xihua had quarreled over some minor matter. Their unpleasantness had continued from before Li Sheng’s wedding all the way through the holiday.

Qian Old Woman naturally refused to believe that her son was at fault. No matter how she looked at it, all the blame fell upon Li Xihua, that barren hen.

In reality, Qian Darong was narrow-minded and petty. After learning that his elder brother-in-law had married an educated youth from the city—one who was not only beautiful but also came from a well-to-do family—he had been consumed by resentment. After making inquiries, he began picking all sorts of reasons and excuses to quarrel with Li Xihua.

Qian Old Woman also disliked the fact that the Li family’s daughter-in-law carried herself with an air of refinement that surpassed their own. So she brought up the fact that Li Xihua had been married for years yet had not borne a child—or even conceived once.

That finally enraged Tang Xin. She rattled off a torrent of words, then concluded:

“Whether a couple can have children isn’t necessarily the woman’s problem. It could be the man’s problem too. Neither of you has ever gone to the hospital for an examination, so how do you know it’s my sister-in-law’s fault? What if your son is the one who can’t have children?”