“Hisst”
The crowd drew in a sharp breath their gazes turning wary as they settled on the old woman. “That’s downright cruel. That girl wouldn’t have grown up at all if it weren’t for Lifen and her husband.”
“Exactly any other grandmother would’ve let her perish long ago.”
“She looks so kind and gentle but turns out she has a heart as cold as ice. Truly never judge by appearances” agreed a neat faced woman. “I may not be my mother in law’s favorite but she’s always treated my two girls well never let them go hungry or cold.”
“You don’t know what you’ve got till you see how bad it can be.”
Flustered by the sudden shift in mood the old woman planted her hands on her hips and snapped “What do you all know? Girls are nothing but a loss we’re already doing her a favor keeping her fed. A grandson is worth far more.”
“A grandson carries the family name carries on the line brings honor to our ancestors! A girl just marries into someone else’s family how could they ever be the same?”
“Daughters belong to another family from the day they’re born. It’s their duty to help their brothers and when they get mistreated in marriage it’s their own family they’ll come running back to for protection.”
“Besides the second son has only one daughter no son at all. Once she’s married won’t it be my grandson Huzi who looks after them in their old age?”
She spoke with smug satisfaction looking at Xu’s mother as if bestowing charity. “Wife of the second son I’ve spoken with the eldest son already. If you leave everything to Huzi he’s promised to care for you both in your declining years.”
Xu’s mother was trembling with rage. “The hell he will! I have a daughter why would I need anyone else to look after me? Our daughter and son in law are devoted to us. Even if I gave everything away to strangers it would never go to him!”
All those years she’d let that boy get away with hurting her daughter nearly killing her and now he dared come after what was hers? An ungrateful cur no matter how well she’d treated him. They’d all been waiting to bleed her dry. If she hadn’t woken up in time she’d have lost her daughter entirely.
Wang Xianglian was equally furious and spoke up “It’s shameful you are a woman yet you treat girls like trash! You call her worthless is a daughter not human?”
The old woman puffed out her chest. “I serve the Xu family! It’s different I’ve done everything for this family. I’m a pillar of it!”
“Spare us the noble talk it’s plain old prejudice” scoffed Wang Xianglian. “You’ve already split from the family yet you show up uninvited! I’d be too ashamed to show my face if I were you.”
“And you had the nerve to ask Yaoyao to treat you to a state run restaurant did you even bring a gift? Empty handed making demands do you think Lifen and her daughter are easy targets?”
She stood tall stepping protectively before Xu’s mother.
The old woman scoffed. “An outsider meddling in family business? Don’t think I won’t stand my ground.”
She’d heard the second son’s family had received a handsome dowry and their son in law was an army officer they clearly had money to spare.
Jiang Chiye had heard enough. He stepped forward from the crowd which parted for him. The old woman looked up and saw a tall broad shouldered man in a crisp military uniform his features sharp and his expression dark as storm clouds. Her confidence faltered. “You are my grandson in law?”
Jiang Chiye’s smile never reached his eyes. “You know who I am?”
He walked over and slipped an arm around Xu Yaoyao’s waist. She blushed and gave him a playful glare really now was not the time. Smooth talking man.
The old woman beamed instantly. “Yaoyao has done well! Landing such a fine man an officer no less! Blessings on our family!”
Jiang Chiye lifted his gaze cold and dismissive. “I am the fortunate one to have married Yaoyao. But earlier you claimed her parents would have no one to care for them and you were counting on their property.”
“And who told you Yaoyao and I were married?”
Xu Yaoyao’s eyes narrowed. A cold thought struck they’d had no contact in over a decade. Why today? Nothing about this felt accidental.
The old woman shifted uncomfortably. “No one told me! I simply missed my granddaughter is that a crime?”
“Is that so?” Jiang Chiye’s voice was sharp. “Then why are you so nervous?”
“I’m not nervous!” Her eyes darted away.
Xu’s mother cut in “I knew it years of silence and suddenly you turn up now? Someone put you up to this!”
“We have no money for you and certainly nothing of Yaoyao’s. Go back where you came from this is the capital and no one will come looking if you get lost.”
The old woman dropped to the ground wailing at the top of her voice. “Help everyone look they’re mistreating an elder! I traveled so far and they won’t even feed me they’re driving me out into the street! Where is the justice!”
Onlookers fell silent. Dealing with such unreasonable stubbornness was exhausting Xu Lifen had her hands full. Privately many felt their own mothers in law seemed far more reasonable by comparison.
Xu Yaoyao sighed. “Mother what do we do?”
“We’ve done nothing wrong so why should we fear?” her mother said firmly. “Let’s go inside. Let her shout nearly ninety degrees out here. We’ll see who lasts longer.”
Reason was wasted on someone so unreasonable firmness was the only way.
Xu Yaoyao nodded and followed Jiang Chiye indoors. The crowd drifted away losing interest. The old woman panicked shouting insults and curses growing harsher as the afternoon wore on.
By four o’clock the sun blazed overhead. The shouting had long since stopped. Xu Yaoyao bit into a slice of watermelon Jiang Chiye handed her. “Mother do you think she’s all right?”
“She’s shrewd enough don’t worry” her mother replied biting into her own slice. She glanced at the young couple. “Chiye don’t spoil her let her feed herself.”
Xu Yaoyao pouted. “My husband loves spoiling me so what?”
Jiang Chiye smiled and gave her another piece. “It’s true I do.”
Her mother rolled her eyes. We’ll see if you still feel the same ten years from now.