Chapter 26: Resentment and Blame – The Daily Drama of a Sickly Sister-in-Law in the Courtyard

Chapter 26: Resentment and Blame - The Daily Drama of a Sickly Sister-in-Law in the Courtyard

The following day, Jiang Yang and Lin Shu were scheduled to go and propose marriage.

Jiang Yang had already taken leave from work for the proposal, but at that moment, his mother was still in the hospital with an injured hand. He himself was covered in bruises. What was he supposed to do?

Was he really going to propose while looking like this?

It wouldn’t look good if his mother missed the proposal day. But not going wasn’t an option either. He had already mentioned the proposal when he asked for leave from the factory, and he had been quite proud of the fact that he was going to marry a beautiful wife. By now, most people in the factory had probably heard about it. Unfortunately, the fight his mother got into the night before had stirred up trouble, and now the proposal might hit another snag. How frustrating!

At that moment, he blamed all his troubles on Mother Jiang. If it weren’t for her reckless behavior—first by provoking Cen Gong’s wife and then by antagonizing Mother Gu—they wouldn’t have had to pay medical bills over and over again the previous night.

Thinking about all that money still made him wince. Now, with the proposal and the need to discuss the bride price with the girl’s family, his mother’s injury meant she couldn’t be there. This might give the girl’s family a reason to ask for a higher bride price. What if they took advantage of the situation?

Zhang Mei and Lin Shu got up early to clean the house thoroughly, determined to make a good impression on this prospective son-in-law.

Mother Lin, being older, didn’t need much sleep, so she had gotten up early too. Seeing the mother and daughter working, she was reminded of when Cen Xi came to propose, and she had been busy back then too. They had been lazy before, but now they seemed to know how to hustle.

But she didn’t interfere. After eating breakfast early, she wandered out. She was so old; it wasn’t right for the mother-daughter pair to make her work, right?

Over the years, she didn’t want Nuan’nuan to become estranged from her brother, and she was also afraid that Nuan’nuan would have a hard time at home, so she had endured the mother-daughter pair without giving them too much trouble. Thinking back, when Lin Shu wanted to snatch Jiang Yang from her matchmaker, she had really wanted to blow up. But her Nuan’nuan was always so sensible, mediating to prevent conflicts between her parents and her elder brother.

Now that Nuan’nuan was married, she could finally enjoy her old age. In two more years, her husband would retire, and both of them could enjoy their later years in peace.

She had already planned it all out. Once her husband retires, they’ll have enough from his pension to live comfortably without relying on their son. Besides, Nuan’nuan wasn’t the type to cut off ties with her family after marriage. She’d probably want her and her husband to live with her!

Thinking about the night before Nuan’nuan’s marriage, when they had a private conversation, Nuan’nuan had said she really wanted to pack her and her father off to live with her husband. Thinking about this made her heart feel infinitely comforted.

From now on, she planned to enjoy life and stay healthy to help raise her grandchild!

As for her son’s family, if they were sensible, they could live with them. If they weren’t, they could get out. After all, this house belonged to her and her husband.

Zhang Mei had thought Mother Lin would help since she had gotten up so early, but after breakfast, her father-in-law went to work, and her mother-in-law disappeared.

“Why is your grandmother acting like this? We’re swamped, and she’s nowhere to be found!” Zhang Mei complained to Lin Shu.

Lin Shu felt some resentment too, remembering what her grandmother had said just the day before.

Really, if she wasn’t going to help, fine, who was begging her? Hmph!

Zhang Mei was already upset, and seeing her daughter not joining in to criticize her mother-in-law made her even angrier, so she turned to Lin Feng to vent.

“Look at your mother. When my brother-in-law came to propose, she was busy helping. But now, when it’s your daughter’s turn, she’s just slacking off. Is this how a grandmother should act?”

Lin Feng was also a bit troubled. Recently, Zhang Mei had been nagging him a lot, and after hearing so much, he understood how differently his parents treated his younger sister and his daughter. His heart couldn’t help but feel resentful. Why should there be such a distinction between his daughter and his younger sister?

Just as Mother Lin reached the downstairs, she suddenly remembered she had forgotten something, so she wandered back home. To her surprise, as soon as she entered the house, she heard her daughter-in-law complaining about her. Judging by her son’s expression, he probably blamed them as parents too!

Her heart felt a sense of desolation. Although her daughter was very considerate, her son was also a part of her. Although her son had been silent all these years, his wife had been causing trouble. But she understood that this was something her eldest son allowed. If they truly respected them as parents, how could they let their daughter-in-law act so defiantly?

Neither Lin Feng nor Zhang Mei noticed the door, so they didn’t see Mother Lin, who had poked half her body inside. Lin Shu, however, turned around and saw her.

Lin Shu was flustered, and she could still clearly hear her mother complaining about her grandmother.

“Mom!” Lin Shu quickly interjected, trying to stop her mother from continuing.

“What are you shouting for? Why so loud?” Zhang Mei, already irritated, snapped angrily.

Zhang Mei turned around and saw Mother Lin standing not far behind her at the door. When Mother Lin was spotted, she didn’t panic. She walked in slowly, one step at a time.

In comparison, Zhang Mei was quite flustered. Judging by her mother-in-law’s expression, had she overheard their earlier complaints?

"Mother?" Zhang Mei forced a smile and called out awkwardly.

Lin Feng was also stunned this time. He didn’t expect his mother to suddenly appear.

"I didn’t expect you, Zhang Mei, to resent me so much. Do you feel the same way, eldest son?"

Lin Feng’s face paled slightly. He quickly shook his head, "No, it's not like that, not at all..." But by then, his denial wouldn’t change anything. His earlier expression had already revealed everything.

"Since this is the case, after we finish with Lin Shu’s wedding, you all can move out!" Mother Lin made the final decision.

Mother Lin didn’t want to argue with them anymore. From the resentful expressions on their faces just now, she understood that it would be impossible to rely on them for old age care. It was better to see this clearly sooner rather than later!

She would talk to her husband about this when he got home from work.

"Mother, how can this work? We’re supposed to take care of you in your old age. How can we move out?" Zhang Mei was unwilling to move out. If we moved out, how could life be as comfortable as it is here? Plus, moving out means paying rent. There are plenty of rooms here, so why should we have to move out?

No, absolutely not. We can’t move out.

Thinking about how much the old couple loves their daughter, what if they give the house to her in the future?

Lin Feng was also unwilling to move out. He was the only son in the family. If his parents kicked them out, wouldn’t that imply they were unfilial?

That accusation would be unbearable!