Qin Erniu was trembling all over, clutching a kitchen knife tightly. Before she could speak, her grandmother fainted from fright.
Similarly, she was also terrified and confused about what was happening.
When Qin Sanwang entered and saw his sister holding the knife with their grandmother lying on the ground, he stumbled backward and ran out screaming, “Murder! My sister killed someone!”
He shouted hysterically, trembling with fear.
Zhao Hui and the others, who had nearly finished eating inside, rushed out immediately upon hearing about the murder. They ran to the Qin residence and saw Qin Erniu’s pale face on the ground, then turned to check on Wu Yue’e.
After repeatedly confirming that Wu Yue’e had no wounds and pressing her philtrum to revive her, she finally regained consciousness.
Fortunately, no lives were lost. Zhao Hui breathed a sigh of relief.
Wu Yue’e was drenched in cold sweat from the scare. As she sat up and met her granddaughter’s icy gaze, she shuddered. “You… you wretched girl, what are you trying to do?”
Qin Erniu kept gripping the knife, deaf to others’ words, muttering, “I won’t listen to you, I won’t!”
“How dare you raise a knife against me!” Wu Yue’e, having just recovered, still subconsciously viewed her granddaughter as timid and submissive. She charged forward, but the girl slashed the knife, nearly cutting her hand. Enraged, she yelled, “You dare try to kill me with a knife? You wretched girl, I’ll beat you to death!”
The child she had raised for over a decade had always been submissive—now she was resisting. Though confused about the reason, Wu Yue’e was determined to make Qin Erniu pay.
As Wu Yue’e charged again, Director Tang arrived with others and stopped her. “Enough! How far will you push Erniu? Can’t you be reasonable? Erniu is also your granddaughter—can’t you treat her better?”
“Granddaughter? Have you ever seen a granddaughter like this?” Wu Yue’e sneezed—having frozen outside all night, she had caught a cold. “Locking me and Sanwang out all night—is that what a granddaughter does? Do you want her?”
Director Tang was well acquainted with Wu Yue’e’s unreasonable behavior. “Granny Wu, calm down. The pension your son left includes Erniu’s share. It’s not you supporting her—she’s entitled to that money, understand?”
“Bah! My son’s money is mine! She’s just a girl—what right does she have to his pension?” Wu Yue’e claimed the money as hers without hesitation. “If I hadn’t raised her and given her food, she’d have starved to death long ago!”
Director Tang frowned deeply. “That’s not true. If you didn’t raise her, an orphanage would take her in. You’ve abused her for years—aren’t you afraid of ruining your family’s reputation?”
“My reputation is just fine—I don’t need you lecturing me!” Wu Yue’e continued arguing stubbornly. Just then, her eldest grandson Qin Daxi returned. Seeing him, she burst into tears of self-pity. “Daxi, you’re finally back! Look what your sister has done—she locked me and Sanwang out all night and tried to stab me with a knife! I can’t go on living—I might as well join your parents!”
With that, she pretended to ram her head against the wall. If not for her eldest grandson holding her back, she would have actually done it to intimidate Director Tang and the others.
Qin Daxi had taken leave and returned home upon learning about the recent troubles in his family. Frowning at his grandmother, then glancing at his sister sitting on the floor, he tugged at the old woman’s sleeve and whispered, “Grandma, with so many people around, could you please stop crying for now?”
Not only were the Women’s Federation staff present, but Zhao Hui and others were there too. If this got back to the military unit, how could he ever hold his head up?
Wu Yue’e wept uncontrollably, gasping for breath. “Now I’m not even allowed to cry? You all think I’m a burden because I’m old, don’t you?” She had thought her eldest grandson would stand up for her, but instead he criticized her right away, deepening her sorrow.
“We don’t think that,” Qin Daxi said irritably. “Please stop crying. I’m back now, so let’s address the issue properly. Alright?” Leaning closer to her ear, he added in a hushed tone, “The army comrades are watching. Don’t you want me to get promoted?”
Those who associated with Zhao Hui were either young elites or came from similar backgrounds—circles Qin Daxi could never hope to match. In the army, he had always tried to win their favor and avoid losing face in front of them.
Just then, Zhao Hui spoke up. “Qin Daxi, everyone here witnessed your grandmother exploiting her age. What’s wrong with having a daughter? Aren’t girls human? Your family is being utterly unfair!”
“Regiment Commander Zhao, it’s a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding. My grandmother may have a sharp tongue, but she’s soft-hearted—she talks tough but would never truly harm my sister,” Qin Daxi attempted to smooth things over. “Now that I’m back, you have my word—I’ll handle this family matter properly.”
Bai Shijian chuckled coldly. “Look at your brother and sister—one is skin and bones, the other robust and healthy. And you claim your grandmother hasn’t mistreated her? The favoritism is obvious. If she hadn’t pushed your sister to the brink, would the girl be so terrified?”
Qin Daxi flushed with shame. He rarely involved himself in family affairs, usually turning a blind eye to his grandmother’s behavior because he knew his sister was too timid to resist. It had never occurred to him that she would one day fight back.
Hearing her grandson being criticized, Wu Yue’e charged forward. “Who the hell do you think you are? Keep your nose out of our family business! All of you, get out of my house!”
Bai Shijian and the others were too furious to speak. As grown men, they couldn’t possibly lay hands on an old woman, and Wu Yue’e’s shameless antics left them at a loss.
Director Tang was equally exasperated. Reasoning with someone like Wu Yue’e was pointless.
When Xu Xia arrived at the doorway, she saw Wu Yue’e berating Bai Shijian. Smiling, she said to Director Tang, “Director Tang, you’ve seen for yourself what kind of person Wu Yue’e is. If Erniu continues living with her, it’s only a matter of time before someone gets killed. Surely the Women’s Federation doesn’t want that outcome?”
Uncertain of Xu Xia’s intention, Director Tang remained silent.
At the sight of Xu Xia, Wu Yue’e grew even more agitated. “What does any of this have to do with you, you vixen? Get out! You’re not welcome here!”
Xu Xia maintained her smile. With Zhao Hui present, she had no fear of Wu Yue’e turning violent. “I came to offer a solution. Why mistake kindness for malice?” She walked over to Qin Erniu, gently took the knife from her hand, and patted it softly. “It’s not worth using a blade against someone like your grandmother. You’re young with a bright future ahead—why throw it all away over trash?”
Qin Erniu’s lips trembled as she watched Xu Xia, tears falling one after another.
Xu Xia continued, “As far as I know, since Qin Erniu’s father passed away, the government has been providing survivor’s pension to the Qin family. Although the amount isn’t large, it’s enough for their basic sustenance. Additionally, this house also belongs partly to Qin Erniu. Director Tang, why not separate Qin Erniu and her grandmother? We can assign rooms clearly, and as for the pension, it could be distributed through the Women’s Federation each month, allowing each to claim their share.”
As soon as Xu Xia finished speaking, Wu Yue’e shouted in refusal, “Why should my son’s money be given to someone else? I don’t agree!”
“What do you mean by ‘someone else’? Isn’t Erniu your son’s daughter? If your son and daughter-in-law were watching from above, they’d probably wish they could drag you down to hell sooner!” Xu Xia emphasized each word deliberately, then turned to Qin Erniu. “Erniu, what do you think?”
The Women’s Federation couldn’t arrange work for Qin Erniu, and she was still young. If she were sent Down to the countryside now, life would be even harder.
It would be better to split the pension. Even though the amount Qin Erniu would receive was small, it would still be better than her current situation.
Qin Erniu immediately nodded, “I’m willing. I don’t want to live with Grandma anymore—she really might beat me to death. Director Tang, please be kind, do the right thing, or I truly won’t survive.”
Director Tang also thought it was feasible. After all, the original funds remained unchanged, so she didn’t need to apply for anything extra. Moreover, if Wu Yue’e continued to control all the money, Qin Erniu might not survive, and if a tragedy occurred, it would reflect poorly on everyone.
Wu Yue’e still refused, yelling, “No! You officials can’t bully people! That’s my money—I won’t share it with this wretched girl!”
Xu Xia glanced at Zhao Hui, who immediately understood and said to Qin Daxi, “Qin Daxi, what do you think?”
Under the pressure from Zhao Hui, Qin Daxi had no choice but to agree. “Grandma, stop making a scene. Do you want people to laugh at us?” He pulled his grandmother behind him and said, “Director Tang, let’s do as this…” He didn’t know Xu Xia until Zhao Hui introduced her as his wife, so he continued, “Let’s do as Sister Zhao suggested. You can rest assured—if I say it’s fine, then it’s fine.”
Xu Xia smiled slightly at Qin Daxi. “At least there’s one reasonable person in your family. Since you’ve decided, we won’t interfere further. Let’s go. With Director Tang here, things will be sorted out fairly. I trust Director Tang’s integrity.”
By praising Director Tang highly, she made the task more comfortable for her to handle.
After Xu Xia and the others returned, she invited Bai Shijian and the others to have tea. “Zhao Hui will take care of the dishes and utensils. I’m lucky to have married a man like Zhao Hui, who is considerate in every way—it’s my good fortune. Let me brew some tea for everyone. This is Da Hong Pao, given by my father-in-law. We usually hesitate to bring it out.”
Only after she said this did Zhao Hui remember the unwashed dishes and voluntarily went to wash them.
Bai Shijian and the others were stunned. Whether married or not, in their understanding, washing clothes and cooking were women’s tasks. Yet today, they saw Zhao Hui making dumplings and even washing dishes.
Xu Fengshou grew anxious and, after helping carry the bowls to the kitchen, whispered, “Brother-in-law, go join them for tea. I can handle the dishes.”
“No, your sister said that on purpose—she wants me to wash them. She cooked, and I’ll wash. It’s fair,” Zhao Hui insisted.
Xu Xia made tea for Bai Shijian and the others. After a while, when Zhao Hui came out, she proactively said, “You men have your own matters to discuss. I’ll go take out the trash. If you don’t like the tea, have Zhao Hui make you some sweet water instead.”
She called her younger brother to join her in taking out the trash, then they went to sit in the pavilion.
“Sis, you’ve been ordering Brother-in-law around all day today. Aren’t you afraid he might get upset?” Xu Fengshou couldn’t help but worry again.
“Well, if I ask you to do work, would you be unhappy?”
“Of course not. If I have time, I should help with chores,” Xu Fengshou said.
“Exactly. He’s just like you—both are part of this family. I already cooked the meal and hosted his friends. Is it too much to ask him to wash the dishes?” Xu Xia didn’t think it was excessive at all. Managing a household requires division of labor and cooperation; it shouldn’t all fall on her alone.
“Besides, I praised your brother-in-law. Didn’t you see the corners of his lips curling up?”
Xu Fengshou said he hadn’t noticed.
“You worry too much. Why think so much at such a young age?” Xu Xia ruffled her brother’s head. “Let me tell you, when you grow up and get married, you can’t be chauvinistic. There’s no rule saying household chores must be done by women and not men. Understand?”
“Oh, oh.” Xu Fengshou nodded.
Xu Xia yawned and said they’d head home in another half hour.
Xu Fengshou obediently sat beside his sister until Qin Erniu arrived, at which point he reminded her.
When Qin Erniu saw Xu Xia, she immediately knelt down. “Sister Xu, thank you for helping me come up with a plan.”
Xu Xia was momentarily stunned. “What are you doing? Get up quickly. I didn’t really help you. I just couldn’t stand your grandmother, and causing her some trouble made me happy.”
She helped Qin Erniu up. “So, has Director Tang divided everything fairly?”
“Yes, it’s all settled. My eldest brother and I pressed our thumbprints, and he’ll give me an extra five yuan every month,” Qin Erniu said.
“Well, your eldest brother certainly knows how to put on a show.” Though Xu Xia hadn’t interacted much with Qin Daxi, she could tell he was a deep thinker. “Since he’s giving it to you, just take it. Erniu, your life is your own to live. As I said before, the only person you can truly rely on in this world is yourself. Everyone else is unreliable.”
“Yes, yes, I understand. I’ll learn from you,” Qin Erniu said, feeling hopeful about her future.
After chatting with Qin Erniu for a bit, Xu Xia checked the time and, seeing it was about right, took her brother home.
As they passed the Qin family’s house, she happened to lock eyes with Wu Yue’e. She provocatively raised one eyebrow.
Wu Yue’e wanted to curse at her but remembered her eldest grandson’s advice. Just wait, she thought. When her grandson outranks Zhao Hui, she’ll make sure Xu Xia regrets this!
Xu Xia returned home in high spirits. Bai Shijian and the others tactfully took their leave. After seeing them off, Zhao Hui had something to discuss with Xu Xia.
“Just now, Old Bai and the others told me that Political Commissar Hao is moving, and it’s quite close to us—right across the street,” Zhao Hui said, adding that he had to go down to the troops that evening. “Political Commissar Hao is on good terms with my parents, and he’s also my superior. After he moves in, take some food over to show our goodwill.”
Xu Xia understood. Having married Zhao Hui, she naturally had to help manage these interpersonal relationships. “Does Political Commissar Hao live alone?”
“Most likely.”
“Then I’ll invite him to have dinner with Mom and Dad when the time comes. If we only invite him, he might feel awkward. With Mom and Dad there, he’ll be more at ease,” Xu Xia said. “If you can take time off, try to get leave to help. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me alone to help him move.”
Zhao Hui agreed, “I’ll see if I can swap shifts with someone when the time comes. If not, I’ll have to trouble you.”
“No trouble at all. We’re one as husband and wife – your dignity is mine. I’ll definitely make proper arrangements for you,” Xu Xia said, then brought up the dishwashing incident from earlier. “Fengshou was worried you might be upset, but I think being able to consider you in everything shows I treat you as my closest person.”
Sweet words came easily to her. Seeing Zhao Hui’s lips curve upward, she thought to herself that men really do love hearing such things. “Don’t you think so?”
Zhao Hui nodded in agreement. Previously he had thought Xu Xia’s reluctance to follow him to the military base might mean she wasn’t that close to him.
But now it appeared Xu Xia considered him in everything, which showed she held him in her heart. She must love him very much.