However, after the brief moment of happiness, when Fan Cuixiang thought about that troublesome eldest daughter-in-law, her smile faded slightly.
“So… what about your wife…”
Zhou Snian shook his head.
“It’s fine. Let her stay at home.”
Sighing, Fan Cuixiang nodded.
“That’s all we can do.”
Since Zhou Snian refused the money and tickets, Fan Cuixiang put them away again and told him to save them for his future son’s wedding.
Zhou Snian stayed silent.
His wife was completely scatterbrained, and a son wasn’t even on the horizon.
But he didn’t want to crush Fan Cuixiang’s hopes, so he said nothing.
The entire noon passed like this. Once everyone had gone off to work, only Meng Yu remained alone in the house.
She stood there, closed her eyes, and lifted her hands.
Just as she had done countless times before, she began to simulate playing the violin.
Whenever she felt upset, Meng Yu would vent her emotions through practicing music.
As she tirelessly mimicked playing, her mind spun with thoughts.
In this era, she was useless—but she refused to accept being useless.
She couldn’t do farm work, so what else could she do?
She had read plenty of “era novels” where there were treasures in the mountains or opportunities to become a black-market boss.
But first, her limbs were untrained, and second, she didn’t know grains from weeds.
In her world, aside from the violin, there seemed to be nothing else.
She stopped moving her hands.
The imagined beautiful music also ceased in that instant.
“What can I do?”
She whispered to herself.
No answer came.
Thus, Meng Yu became the laziest person in the entire village. When she had nothing to do, she would sit at the village entrance. Over time, she grew close to the children there.
Gradually, she even began teaching them posture and violin techniques.
Passersby would see a “madwoman” leading a group of “little madmen” at the village entrance, gesturing wildly with no instruments.
Soon, rumors spread throughout the village that the eldest daughter-in-law of the Zhou family was crazy.
Because of this gossip, the number of children at the village entrance dwindled until only three remained.
Meng Yu looked down at the three children still following her and rubbed their little heads.
“Aren’t you afraid people will say we’re crazy?”
The three children looked up at her with the purest eyes.
“Yu-jie isn’t crazy! Yu-jie is teaching us to play the violin!”
Er’ge shouted indignantly!
Gouhua and Chunni nodded vigorously as well.
They weren’t ungrateful. They knew Yu-jie treated them well.
Meng Yu raised an eyebrow.
“Well, someone’s got a sweet mouth.”
Just as she was about to start her little “Sunflower Mom” class, a woman came rushing out from afar, grabbing Er’ge by the arm and pulling him aside, turning to glare fiercely at Meng Yu.
“You’re crazy yourself, don’t infect my son!”
Meng Yu froze, her gentle smile vanishing instantly.
Gouhua and Chunni shrank behind her, frightened.
“Mom! Why are you scolding Yu-jie! She’s teaching us to play the violin!”
Er’ge spoke up in defense.
But his mother twisted his ear even harder!
“Shut your mouth! What violin! Where’s the violin? She’s crazy! All day wandering around the village like a fool! And you’re the only idiot treating her like a good person!”
Her insults were indirect but sharp.
“Er’ge’s mom,” Meng Yu said calmly, “if you don’t want him to come, just say so clearly. Why be so passive-aggressive?”
She then looked at the hand still twisting Er’ge’s ear.
“That’s your son. Do you intend to twist his ear off?”
Er’ge’s mom quickly let go but still glared at Meng Yu viciously.
“My business isn’t yours! Hmph! False kindness!”
She tried to drag Er’ge back.
“Stop.”
Meng Yu called out, stopping her.
Though she had yelled at Meng Yu earlier, being stopped made her uneasy.
“You… what do you want to do? You’re going to hit me, aren’t you?”
Seeing this woman act all fierce, Meng Yu couldn’t help but find it absurd and ridiculous.
Her gaze fell on Er’ge, who was grimacing while rubbing his ear.
“Er’ge has an extraordinary musical talent. As a parent, I hope you won’t stifle it.”
“Bah!”
Almost immediately, Er’ge’s mother spat viciously at Meng Yu!
“You ill-intentioned thing! Are you trying to ruin my son? You want him learning that bourgeois nonsense? You won’t get away with it!”
Then she lunged at Meng Yu, growling.
Before Meng Yu could react, she was shoved hard.
“I’ll beat you to death, you wretch! I’m going to report you to the village chief!”
The pain in her tailbone made Meng Yu snap to attention. She wasn’t about to be passive. Her intentions had been purely to nurture talent, but this ungrateful woman even attacked her!
And so, they started fighting!
“They’re fighting! They’re fighting! Snian! Your wife is fighting with Er’ge’s mom at the village entrance!!”
Zhou Snian and the laborers were working in the fields, sweat dripping like raindrops.
Hearing the shouts, Zhou Snian froze, then threw down his hoe and ran out!
Those around exchanged glances, dropped their tools, and ran to watch the commotion!
When Zhou Snian arrived, all he could hear was shouting and cursing nonstop!
Among them, his mother Fan Cuixiang and Er’ge’s aunt Dong Xiufang were the loudest and most fierce in their argument.
“Snian’s here! Snian’s here!”
Someone in the crowd shouted.
People parted ways, and Zhou Snian saw his troublesome wife in a pitiful state.
Meng Yu’s slightly yellowed braided hair was pulled loose, her face scratched, clothes filthy. She was now protected behind Fan Cuixiang, and as her eyes met Zhou Snian’s, she looked both pitiful and stubbornly defiant.
Zhou Snian…
“This is too much! The Zhou family is out of control! The Zhou family is bullying people!”
A sharp voice rang out, and Zhou Snian glanced over, twitching his lips.
He had thought Meng Yu already looked miserable, but seeing Er’ge’s mother’s face, scratched and bald in patches, he realized Meng Yu had only minor “surface injuries.”
Er’ge’s mother had suffered such indignities—of course she couldn’t let it go!
“I’m going to the village chief! I’m reporting the Zhou family as traitors!!!”
Fan Cuixiang’s eyes widened.
Zhou Snian’s face darkened.
“Shut up!”
He shouted fiercely.
“Traitor”—those words were too heavy. How could any farmer bear them?
But Er’ge’s mother didn’t care!
Though startled by Zhou Snian’s scolding, she gritted her teeth and pointed at Meng Yu.
“It’s her! She’s the traitor! She wants to teach my son that capitalist nonsense! She even said my son has some damn talent! Isn’t she a traitor?”
“Village chief! Where’s the village chief?”
Er’ge’s mother screamed wildly.
She had lost face today, humiliated in front of everyone by this little brat.
She would not let this brat go unpunished!
At that moment, Zhou Snian frowned at Meng Yu.
But Meng Yu straightened her back and raised her chin!
The village chief arrived just then.
“What are you all shouting for! Stop lighting fires! Are you neglecting the fields? Don’t you care about your work points?”