“Father, Mother, Brother is not young anymore. It is time for him to marry,” Lin Siya said. She wanted to fulfill the original owner’s final wish. She did not want to divorce Zhao Tianlei, which meant she would definitely return to the Zhao household. But she was no longer the Lin Siya of the past.
As for the Zhao family’s attitude, she could already guess a thing or two. She had no fond feelings toward the Zhao household at all. Returning there, she would not allow herself to suffer any losses.
Hearing their daughter say this, Father Lin and Mother Lin paused. Before they could respond, Lin Jianshe spoke first. “Xiao Ya, your brother is not in a hurry.”
“When the Zhao family comes to apologize to me, I will go back,” Lin Siya said softly, her voice tinged with a cold edge. “Zhao Meiyun will marry out sooner or later. I need to play the weak one. Only then will Zhao Tianlei lean toward me. Once he feels guilty, he will no longer believe anything the Zhao family says. I want the Zhao family to regret what they have done.”
Father Lin and Mother Lin exchanged glances. They felt that their daughter had changed. But when they thought about how everything had been forced by the Zhao family mother and daughter, their gentle daughter now learning to scheme only deepened their hatred for the Zhao household.
“Alright. We will listen to you.”
Lin Siya scooped a few spoonfuls of egg custard from her bowl for Father Lin, Mother Lin, and Lin Jianshe. “It tastes better when we eat together.”
The meal was warm and harmonious. Afterward, Father Lin, Mother Lin, and Lin Jianshe all went to work. Mother Lin had originally planned to stay behind to care for her daughter, but Lin Siya insisted that she had recovered quite a bit. It was the busy farming season, and taking too much leave was not appropriate. With no other choice, Mother Lin went to work.
Lin Siya then took a small pinch of spirit soil from her space and scattered it into the vegetable patch in the yard. The previously wilted vegetables instantly perked up.
Seeing this, Lin Siya felt very satisfied. She returned to her room, entered her abode space, and began to get busy. Not enough to eat, not warm enough to wear? No problem. She had space. She could plant more spiritual vegetables and spiritual rice there. After finishing her tasks, she sat down and began cultivating.
At the Zhao household.
Zhao Tianlei returned home with a trace of resentment in his heart.
Seeing that no food had been left for him in the kitchen, he cooked a simple meal for himself.
“Zhao Meiyun, Mother, go apologize to Xiao Ya. As long as you apologize, she will forgive you, and this matter will be over,” Zhao Tianlei said.
Zhao Meiyun was unwilling, but one glare from her brother frightened her into silence.
Mother Zhao was different. “Shitou, is she already fine? I am her mother in law. Why should I apologize? Does she not want to come back?”
“Mother, killing someone requires paying with one’s life. Right now, Xiao Ya is only asking you to apologize. Do not think that just because I am a soldier, you can get away with anything,” Zhao Tianlei said displeased, his brows lifting slightly.
“Lin Siya was bought into our Zhao family,” Mother Zhao blurted out.
Zhao Tianlei’s face turned cold. “Mother, if those words spread, do you know what will happen? You would be struggled against.”
Mother Zhao glanced outside nervously.
How could she not know the consequences of a struggle session?
A few years ago, a family had been struggled against just for raising one extra chicken, accused of undermining socialism.
It seemed that Mother Zhao had targeted Lin Siya so harshly because of the bride price. But that money had been saved by him.
He had not taken a single cent from his mother to marry his wife.
Was it just because of that money that his mother looked down on Lin Siya?
He truly did not blame the Lin family for ignoring him now.
“Mother, do not forget, when you grow old, it will be Xiao Ya and me who support you, not Xiao Yun. If you want Xiao Yun to support you, I will not say anything either. After all, I am stationed in the army year round.”
He had heard comrades complain about conflicts between mothers in law and daughters in law. He used to think Lin Siya was gentle and virtuous and would not clash with his mother. After all, Xiao Ya was their only daughter in law. Once Xiao Yun married out and he was away in the army, Xiao Ya would be the one caring for his parents. But his mother clearly had not thought that far. She was fixated on those two hundred yuan.
Zhao Meiyun retorted, “I will support them then.”
“Really?” Zhao Tianlei’s cold gaze swept over Zhao Meiyun.
Mother Zhao began to think carefully about her son’s words.
Her son was away in the army all year, rarely returning home. Xiao Yun would certainly marry out someday. When they grew old, who would care for them?
It would definitely be their daughter in law. But she had offended Lin Siya badly this time. Would Lin Siya still take care of them in the future?
“Mother, do not worry. I will take in a live in husband,” Zhao Meiyun said. She did not want to apologize to Lin Siya. Why should she apologize? Lin Siya had spoken with an educated youth. She had only said a few words. Lin Siya had chosen to drink poison herself. It was not as if they had forced her.
Mother Zhao stared at Zhao Meiyun in shock.
“Zhao Meiyun, you are unwilling to apologize to your sister in law, is that it?” Zhao Tianlei snorted, his patience with Zhao Meiyun wearing thin.
Mother Zhao looked at her son. Over the years since he had joined the army, their bond had weakened. His demeanor had grown colder. Still, he sent money home every month.
Zhao Meiyun immediately rebelled, lifting her chin defiantly. “Why should I apologize to Lin Siya? I only said a few words. She felt guilty and could not take it.”
“Mother, what do you think?” Zhao Tianlei asked.
Mother Zhao naturally sided with her daughter. “Xiao Yun is right. Your wife felt guilty, so she drank the poison.”
Zhao Tianlei suddenly laughed. “Earlier, Big Brother asked me to choose between divorce or separating households. I chose neither. Now you have made the choice for me. I will take Xiao Ya with me to follow the army. Since Xiao Yun is willing to support you, then I, as your son, will be considered married out. As for the monthly money, we can forget it. After all, a married daughter is like water that has been poured out.”
Mother Zhao panicked immediately. “Son, son, you are my son. How can you be married out? No, no.”
“Why not? Did Xiao Yun not say she would take in a live in husband and support you?” Zhao Tianlei replied.
His heart felt deeply uncomfortable. He knew that since joining the army, he had rarely been home, and it was his sister who had accompanied their parents. But he had been sending money home every month.
When he first enlisted, he earned only a few yuan a month, barely enough for a growing young man. After a year of hardship and bloodshed, he finally became a squad leader, and only then did his rations and pay increase.
“Zhao Tianlei, I will support them. All these years, while you were away, I was the one accompanying Father and Mother,” Zhao Meiyun said proudly, chin raised.
“Mother, do you think the same? Is that why you slandered my wife? Have you forgotten the saying that one prospers together and one suffers together? If something truly happened, our Zhao family’s reputation in Zhaojia Village would be completely ruined,” Zhao Tianlei said calmly.
His words carried sharp sarcasm toward his mother’s short sightedness.