Meng Yu froze in place, turning to look at Fan Cuixiang.
“Mom?”
Fan Cuixiang hurried forward, snatching the match from Meng Yu’s hand, then gently pushed her toward the door.
“Go, don’t stay in the kitchen. You go back to your room, I’ll call you when lunch is ready.”
Meng Yu twitched her lips.
No…
“Mom? You’ve all been working since morning. Let me help make some food…”
“Forget it.” Fan Cuixiang waved her hand dismissively. “You’d probably set the kitchen on fire if you tried. You know how to cook?”
While saying this, she continued to push Meng Yu out of the kitchen.
Once Meng Yu was out, Fan Cuixiang muttered to herself.
“The Meng family really does make things difficult! She can’t do anything at all!”
Meng Yu awkwardly fidgeted with her fingers.
It was true—she couldn’t do anything, and even if she tried, she wouldn’t do it well.
Her heart ached, and she didn’t know what to do.
Standing in the yard and looking around, she had originally wanted to find something to do for herself, but in the end, she realized she really couldn’t manage anything.
Fan Cuixiang was busy in the kitchen, and when the meal was ready, she came out and saw Meng Yu squatting in the yard, looking as pitiful as an orphan.
Fan Cuixiang wasn’t a cruel mother-in-law by nature, and now she sighed helplessly.
“What are you doing?”
Meng Yu turned, looking at Fan Cuixiang with a pitiful expression.
“Mom, am I too useless?”
The words…
Yes, they were a little true, but Fan Cuixiang, being kind-hearted, didn’t want to say it outright.
After all, she was her eldest daughter-in-law and deserved at least some encouragement.
“What nonsense are you saying? Even if you’re scared of bugs, does that make you useless? I was scared when I was young too. The more you handle them, the less you care.”
As she spoke, she saw her eldest daughter-in-law’s face scrunch up like a bitter melon.
Better not say anything more.
“If you’re scared, then you don’t have to go anymore. Don’t worry, the family isn’t short of your work points.”
Meng Yu really hadn’t expected Zhou Snian’s words to be true—her mother-in-law really didn’t force her to work in the fields.
“Then… I also don’t know how to cook…”
“I’ll do it when I come back!”
“I don’t know how to clean the house…”
“Zhou Snian will handle it!”
“I don’t know how to feed the pigs or ducks…”
By now, Meng Yu really felt she was overstepping.
She was purely someone who ate her fill but was completely useless.
After saying that, she hung her head in shame…
Fan Cuixiang remained silent.
She looked at her eldest daughter-in-law crouched on the ground, so embarrassed she wished she could bury her face in the dirt.
Tentatively, she asked,
“Then… why not have a child?”
Her words shocked Meng Yu into lifting her head!
“…Mom, no… no, I’d rather go work in the fields.”
Fan Cuixiang immediately rolled her eyes at Meng Yu and returned to her room.
Outrageous! She would rather let her go face the bugs she screamed at than have her eldest son’s wife bear a child. How frustrating!
She should have forced her to work in the fields!
Exhausted her, scared her, and then she’d know how good it would feel to have a child!
Fan Cuixiang’s face twitched in anger, and she even felt a pang of her morning efforts ache a little.
She touched her face and spat fiercely.
“Damn you, Dong Xiufang! If I get another chance, I’ll make you pay!”
Meng Yu looked at her mother-in-law leaving angrily and patted her chest.
“That scared me.”
Her mother-in-law really spoke shocking words. If she actually had to stay home to have a child for Zhou Snian, she might as well summon all her courage and crush the bugs herself!
Crush them!
Thinking of those fat, disgusting bugs, Meng Yu rubbed her arm in disgust.
When the whole family returned from the fields, no one showed any displeasure.
Xin Hongmei, too, had heard Meng Yu’s terrifying screams earlier.
“Sis-in-law, are you okay?”
Xin Hongmei looked at her with concern.
Meng Yu smiled awkwardly.
“I’m fine.”
Xin Hongmei nodded, worried that Meng Yu might be traumatized, trying to reassure her.
“At first, I was scared too, but bugs… they just look scary. They can’t actually bite us, right?”
Bite?
Meng Yu’s eyes widened in shock!
“All right, all right, don’t mention that, sis-in-law.”
Receiving a glance from her elder brother, Zhou Fengnian quickly pulled his wife aside.
Xin Hongmei scratched her head awkwardly.
“Sis-in-law, I’m sorry…”
“It’s nothing.”
Meng Yu waved her hand.
No need to apologize—she knew Xin Hongmei meant well. Her fear of the bugs was real.
Lunch was the usual fare. Meng Yu hadn’t done much work in the morning, but crying had worn her out. She was hungry but could only manage a few bites.
Zhou Snian frowned slightly but didn’t say anything.
After lunch, Zhou Snian prepared his marching bag and took out money and tickets.
Meng Yu looked on curiously.
“You’re not going to work in the fields. Even though Fengnian and the younger sister-in-law are kind and won’t say anything, as the eldest, you should make some kind of gesture.”
Meng Yu nodded.
She may have been useless with chores, but she wasn’t clueless about social etiquette; her mind was sharp.
Thinking this, Meng Yu hurriedly pulled out her dowry money from the cupboard and handed it to Zhou Snian.
“Use this!”
Zhou Snian glanced at it.
He knew the origin of that roll of money better than anyone.
Probably in Dafen Village, Meng Yu’s reputation wouldn’t be great—people might even call her a murderer.
After looking away, Meng Yu said, “No need, I have it here.”
She stepped forward two steps.
“Use mine! Use mine! Since I’m not going to work in the fields, it’s only right to use my money.”
Meng Yu felt it was important to be clear about this.
But Zhou Snian pushed her hand back.
“Keep it for later. You don’t need it now.”
“But…”
“You want to go crush bugs in the fields?”
That one sentence was like a death blow.
Meng Yu immediately became obedient, shrinking back without a word.
Not using her own money was fine. Not having to go crush bugs in the fields was even better!
After preparing the money and tickets, Zhou Snian went out.
Zhou Fengnian and his wife were resting. Little Bao had been taken by Xin Hongmei’s parents a few days ago. Xin Hongmei’s mother had twisted her ankle recently and was stuck at home, so she took Little Bao to look after him, helping the Zhou family earn some work points.
When a knock sounded at the door, Zhou Fengnian was explaining the situation to his wife.
Xin Hongmei had no objection, but she also listened to her husband.
Opening the door, they were surprised to see their elder brother.
“Elder brother?”
Zhou Snian gave a small nod, didn’t enter, and handed the money and tickets to Zhou Fengnian.
“Your wife is delicate. She probably won’t be able to go to the fields in the future. Consider this money and tickets as her work points.”