Wu Huiniang and her two children acted as if they hadn’t heard, continuing to hang the laundry.
Shen Qingyuan had already braced herself for this. After all, the original host had done so many outrageous things before.
It was only right that she wasn’t welcomed!
Shen Dali, afraid that Shen Qingyuan might be upset, looked at her with a fawning expression.
“Little sister, don’t mind them. I’ll teach them a lesson later.”
Shen Qingyuan was about to say, “It’s fine, we’re all family,” when Shen Dali went on making arrangements on his own.
“Your room has always been kept for you. You can stay there as before. Dabao and Erbao, being boys, can share a room with Erli. Sanya, being a girl, can sleep with her parents. What do you think?”
Shen Qingyuan hadn’t expected her honest and kind-hearted older brother to be so thoughtful, but she didn’t want to trouble her family.
“The children can stay with me!”
Wu Huiniang had already heard about Shen Qingyuan cutting ties with her in-laws, but she hadn’t expected Shen Qingyuan to return to her maiden home to stay long-term. She instantly exploded.
She had long hated this despicable sister-in-law who had drained the family’s resources and disrupted her son’s studies.
She had no intention of continuing to live a life enslaved by such a terrible sister-in-law.
She threw the clothes in her hands back into the basin and shouted at Shen Dali.
“I don’t agree! Hasn’t this family given enough for her? Now that all that effort has gone to waste, it’s one thing, but she’s been driven out by her in-laws. Why should I have to support her and the three burdens she brought back?”
“To fund Zhao Zhihong’s studies, every time she came back, she either took food or demanded money, emptying the house and even cutting off my son’s education! She’s nothing but a troublemaker!”
“Whether she crawls back to her in-laws or sleeps on the streets, she absolutely cannot stay in the Shen family!”
Shen Dali hadn’t expected Wu Huiniang to react so strongly and lost his temper as well.
“Who are you calling a troublemaker? Do you want a beating?”
Wu Huiniang thrust her head toward Shen Dali.
“You want to hit me? Go ahead, hit me right here!”
Shen Dali pushed Wu Huiniang away.
“Have you gone mad today?”
Wu Huiniang stumbled and nearly fell but was caught by Shen Erli.
“Hasn’t she done enough harm to this family? And now you want to bring this troublemaker back home? It’s you who are mad! Completely mad!”
Shen Erli frowned slightly.
“Little sister isn’t a troublemaker. Sister-in-law shouldn’t speak of her that way.”
Wu Huiniang stared at Shen Erli in disbelief.
“Even at a time like this, you’re still taking her side!”
“You and she are twins. All the eligible young men in the village are getting engaged or married. Why are you the only one left? Don’t you realize it’s all because of your dear sister?”
Everyone in Shen Village knew that Shen Qingyuan was a scourge who had drained her maiden family, yet the Shen family still spoiled her without limits.
What decent girl would want to marry into a family with such a terrible sister-in-law and suffer?
Shen Erli said indifferently.
“That’s my business. No need for sister-in-law to worry!”
Wu Huiniang trembled with anger, her lips quivering. She really wanted to shout: A family of lunatics.
Shen Dali said impatiently.
“Little sister is a member of the Shen family. We’ll give her whatever we want. It’s not your place as an outsider to interfere. Besides, it was my decision to cut off Zhou’er’s studies. Blame me if you must, not little sister.”
Shen Erli nodded in agreement.
“Yes, yes, yes, and me too. Sister-in-law can blame me if she wants.”
Wu Huiniang trembled all over, furious at this family of oddballs.
“She’s a member of the Shen family, but aren’t we too?”
“Zhou’er is your own flesh and blood. He’s already thirteen, only studied at the Enlightenment Academy for one year. At his age now, which Enlightenment Academy would still accept him? Even if he wanted to enter an academy, he’s fallen so far behind in his studies that he simply can’t pass the entrance exams!”
“Originally, we were counting on Zhao Zhihong to recommend him into an academy, but now that’s impossible too. His whole life is ruined! Ruined, do you understand!”
Hearing this, the Shen family fell silent.
Shen Zhou loved studying—he was the only hope for their old Shen family to change their fortunes. Now even that was cut off.
Shen Qingyuan was so angry her lips twitched uncontrollably.
The original host’s family was indeed quite absurd.
And Shen Dali—what kind of nonsense was he spouting!
She put down Sanya, whom she was holding in her arms, and said to Shen Dali.
“Sister-in-law married you, so she’s part of the Shen family. How can you call her an outsider, Big Brother? That’s too hurtful. Apologize to her right now!”
Shen Dali was completely dumbfounded.
“Little Sister, have you lost your mind? Wasn’t it you who said before that since she has a different surname, she’s an outsider?”
Shen Qingyuan choked, suddenly remembering that the original host, while plundering her family’s resources, had often quarreled with Wu Huiniang.
To vent her anger, the original host had frequently bad-mouthed Wu Huiniang in front of Shen Dali.
She said Wu Huiniang’s surname was Wu, not Shen, so she wouldn’t truly care for him.
Whereas she, Shen Qingyuan, shared the same blood as Shen Dali—they were true family, while Wu Huiniang was an outsider.
Shen Dali was already a doting brother obsessed with his younger sister, thoroughly brainwashed by the original host. The idea that his wife was an outsider slipped out of his mouth as smoothly as ever.
Shen Qingyuan felt slightly awkward—after all, she had inherited this identity! She had to clean up the mess left by the original host!
She walked up to Wu Huiniang and first bowed deeply.
“Sister-in-law, everything before was my fault. I apologize to you, to Zhou’er, and to the whole family. Please allow me to stay at home for three months. Once I earn enough money in three months, I’ll move out with the children and repay the family twenty taels of silver as compensation for the past.”
“I’ll also hire a tutor to make up for all the studies Zhou’er has fallen behind on, so he can continue his education. Is that acceptable?”
Wu Huiniang looked at Shen Qingyuan in disbelief.
Her utterly shameless sister-in-law was apologizing—was she dreaming?
But she quickly snapped out of her astonishment and sneered.
“Hiring a tutor costs two taels of silver per month in Shuxiu. Where would a woman like you earn that much money? I’m already sick of your empty promises. Don’t even think about deceiving me again.”
Shen Qingyuan had made plenty of promises to them before.
Like how once Zhao Zhihong passed the Xiucai exam, he would definitely take care of Zhou’er and repay the Shen family a hundred or a thousand times over.
And now?
What a joke!
All gone with the wind!
Nothing but lies!
Although Shen Dali had also grown tired of Shen Qingyuan’s empty promises, his little sister had already apologized. What more did Wu Huiniang want?
He completely lost his patience.
“Little Sister has already apologized. Don’t be ungrateful. If you can stay in this family, stay. If not, get out and go back to your parents’ home!”
Wu Huiniang never expected Shen Dali to drive her away. Tears instantly welled up in her eyes as she pointed at him and scolded.
“You heartless man! I bore you children, worked tirelessly for this family, and you’d drive me away for her sake!”
“Fine! I’m leaving right now. Do you think I care about this wretched family?”
With that, she turned and ran out of the courtyard.
“Sister-in-law, my brother’s words are all nonsense. Don’t listen to him!”
Just as Shen Qingyuan was about to chase after her, a wave of dizziness washed over her head.
She held her forehead with one hand while tugging on Shen Dali’s arm with the other, urging him.
“Big brother, hurry and go bring sister-in-law back.”
Shen Dali plopped down on a small stool in the corner, turning his head away.
“If she wants to leave, let her go.”
Shen Qingyuan had no choice but to call Shen Erli.
“Second brother, you go bring sister-in-law back.”
“Alright!”
Shen Erli immediately went after her, but before he could even run out of the courtyard, he heard Zhou Shi’s anxious voice calling from behind.
“Qingyuan, what’s wrong with you?”