Chapter 39: The Evil Stepmother of the 1970s 6 New Story VIP “Mom I…

Chapter 39: The Evil Stepmother of the 1970s (6) – New Chapter VIP Release "Mom, I..."

Granny Xu's smile vanished as she got worked up. "I didn’t want to bring this up on such a good day, but you just had to jump in. What’s the meaning of spreading lies outside and throwing your sister under the bus? Since you were little, you’ve been pinning your wrongdoings on her. Now that you’re married, you’re still trying to slander her?"

Xu Ziyan’s face hardened as well. "Do you even know what happened before scolding me? Is Xu Xiuyun some perfect angel who can do no wrong? If she messes up, am I not allowed to call her on it? Is the whole village stupid? If I were lying, would everyone believe me? It’s obvious it was her doing, yet you still defend her. You just don’t care about me and are used to scolding me, aren’t you?"

Seeing the tense atmosphere, Xu’s mother tugged at her sleeve. Xu Ziyan turned to her parents. "Mom, Dad, look at this. She’s scolding me without even understanding the situation. Is this my fault?"

Old Man Xu frowned and rapped his pipe against the table. "Enough! Why bring up old matters? Xu Ziyan, you’re the younger generation. Don’t talk back to your grandmother. Is this how you show filial piety on her birthday?"

Xu Ziyan scoffed. "Respect is earned, not given. With biased and unreasonable people like you, how can you expect the younger generation to be filial? The only reason this family listens to you is because you still hold onto some money. Just wait till you’re bedridden—let’s see if you can still enjoy life then."

"The hell you say! How dare you say that?" Old Man Xu shot to his feet, raising his pipe to strike her.

Xu Ziyan dodged behind her father. "Dad, look at this. Your father, whom you’ve blindly obeyed for decades, is being unreasonable and trying to hit me. Whose side are you on?"

Granny Xu smacked her thigh and shouted, "This is outrageous! Absolutely outrageous! Second son's wife, grab her! I’m going to teach her a lesson today!"

Just then, Fang Nan and Fang Bei, hearing the commotion, rushed in. Taking in the scene, they immediately stood in front of Xu Ziyan and yelled, "Don’t you dare hit our mom! You’re all bad people!"

Xu Ziyan grinned. "Hear that? A house full of snakes. Didn’t you say a married daughter is like water poured out? I’m part of the Fang family now. You still want to hit me? That’s assaulting a soldier’s family, got it? Want to go to jail?"

Granny Xu trembled with rage. "Y-you’d send us to jail?"

Xu Ziyan turned to Xu Xiuyun, playing dumb. "The old folks are so angry because of you. Why aren’t you apologizing? Hurry up and calm them down!"

Xu Xiuyun, suddenly called out, flinched. "Me?"

Xu Ziyan said matter-of-factly, "This whole mess is your doing. If you hadn’t been gunning for me, would this have happened? Should we talk about how all the family gossip got out? How come your friends always seem to know what’s going on and rush to defend you? If you say you didn’t tell them, who’d believe you?"

"I didn’t! I really didn’t!" Xu Xiuyun teared up as she looked pleadingly at Song Dongbo.

Song Dongbo frowned and stood beside her. "Xu Ziyan, don’t push it too far. Give it a rest."

Xu Ziyan rolled her eyes. "What gives you the right, telling me what to do? Worry about your own paycheck so your wife can live well. Then maybe she won’t be jealous I married an officer and scheme against me."

Xu Xiuyun’s stomach dropped as she glanced at Song Dongbo, whose face darkened instantly. Her ex-fiancé had been an officer, and now Xu Ziyan’s words made Song Dongbo think she resented him for not being good enough. All her efforts to console him the past few days were ruined in an instant. Since when had Xu Ziyan gotten so clever?

Xu Ziyan continued, "And you’re a real piece of work. You promised to treat Xu Xiuyun well after marrying her, yet you’re never home. She does all the laundry, cooking, sweeping, feeding chickens, raising the kid, and even weeding the fields. How’s that right? What kind of life is that? It’s backbreaking."

Xu Xiuyun hurriedly said, "I’m not suffering, really."

Song Dongbo instinctively defended himself. "Isn’t this how everyone lives? Quit making waves."

Xu Ziyan feigned shock. "Where do you see everyone living like this? Look at me—I live next door. Have you ever seen me work? I married to live well, not to be a maid. The Fang family treats me right. Why can’t you? So your idea of treating her well is just empty words while you’re never home?

And look at Granny Xu—does she work much? How about Auntie and Third Aunt? They don't lift a finger, while my mom does most of the work. Don’t tell me you think sweet talk means my mom’s living high on the hog?"

Song Dongbo’s jaw tightened. Not a single curse, yet every word cut deep. But he hadn’t lied—his circumstances were clear from the start. He retorted, "Your sister knew I’d be away often when we got together. She had no complaints then. Why are you making her out to be some martyr for her now?"

Xu Ziyan feigned realization. "So she won’t stand up to you—she chose this herself. But seeing me live so well, she takes her frustrations out on me instead. Xu Xiuyun, what are you, chicken? If you’re unhappy, have it out with your husband! Too scared to confront him, so you kick me instead? Think I’m an easy target?

Well, you’re wrong. I don’t swallow insults from anyone. If you dare mess with me again, I’ll make your life hell. You won’t know peace!"

Xu Xiuyun started bawling. "I didn’t! I never thought that way! How can you say such things? How do I show my face now?"

Xu Ziyan looked away. "You’re human enough. No matter what you do, you’ll stay human. Stop pretending."

"Enough!" Granny Xu bellowed. "You have the nerve to criticize others? You’ve been stealing since you were little—my money—"

Xu Ziyan tossed a dollar onto the table. "I took fifty cents from you, and the whole village had me marked as a thief. If it wasn’t Xu Xiuyun spreading it, it was you guys—only you guys—never letting it go. The extra fifty cents is interest. Debt repaid. Now shut up!"

Granny Xu sank onto the heated bed, gasping for breath. Old Man Xu pointed at the door. "Get out! Don’t ever come back to the Xu family!"

Xu Ziyan calmly took a seat instead. "I’ll leave, but there’s one more thing to settle today. Mom, Dad, move out and live separately. Look at these people! They bully me relentlessly, then tell me not to come back. So I’m to have no family home, huh?

Fine, I won’t come back. But if you stay here, I’ll wash my hands of you too. If you move out, you’ll be my family home. Choose. Now."

The family was stunned before erupting. "A married daughter meddling in family affairs? What’s it to you whether we split or not?"

"Exactly! A junior dictating to elders? Get lost!"

"Second Brother, why aren’t you throwing her out?"

Xu Ziyan just watched her parents. They glanced between the family and her, at a loss. They’d obeyed their parents their whole lives, never faced such a choice. But recalling Xu Ziyan’s words—if they chose kowtowing to them, she’d never return or acknowledge them again—they’d lose their daughter.

And her warning about their old age—who in this family would care for them? They’d worked the hardest, yet when they couldn’t, likely they'd leave you to rot. The realization filled them with sorrow.

Now forced to decide, they exchanged a look. Xu’s father gritted his teeth. "We’re splitting! Whether you do or not, just separate us two."

Xu’s mother added, "This wasn’t Xiao Yan’s fault—it was Xiuyun’s. Bullying her like this is too much!"

Xu Xiuyun’s parents (the eldest branch) saw red. "Second Brother, have you lost your minds? Asking for a beating?"

Seeing them advance, Xu Ziyan upended the table!

The crash of shattering teapots and bowls stunned everyone, even drawing neighbors to peer over the wall.

Xu Ziyan said coolly, "Want to fight? Should I call the Fang family and friends to join? Or let the villagers judge? Let everyone see what a snake pit you are, exploiting my parents like slaves. Trying to be landlords or capitalists?"

The family paled, especially noticing the eavesdroppers outside. "D-don’t say such things recklessly…"

"Then hurry up and split!"

As Xu’s father began to say they could leave with just their clothes, Xu Ziyan cut in. "My parents have worked hard for years—the whole village knows. Hand over a hundred yuan today, and this ends. Otherwise, no one walks away clean."

Old Man Xu thundered, "You little brat want money? Dream on!"

Xu Ziyan shrugged. "Then let’s tell the villagers your secrets. Old man, why’d you sneak eggs to that widow? Eldest Uncle did too. Could it be… eww! Third Aunt, that night you—"

Third Aunt suddenly blurted, "Second Brother’s family worked hard. A hundred yuan is fair. Just give it to them."

Third Uncle’s face twisted—clearly hiding something. An affair?

As Eldest Aunt yanked Eldest Uncle’s ear demanding answers, Xu Ziyan added, "Eldest Aunt, how much have you secretly sent to your family home?"

Now Eldest Uncle found his voice, slapping her hand away as they argued.

Amid the chaos, Granny Xu slammed the kang and flung down a hundred yuan. "Take it and get out! From now on, don’t you dare step foot in the Xu family again, or I’ll beat you on sight!"

"Congratulations, Host, for completing plot: Disrupting Grandma’s birthday, infuriating her until she trembles, severing ties with family home. Congratulations, Host, for completing plot: Indirectly causing parents to be kicked out by Grandma."

Xu Ziyan beamed. Two plots cleared at once? Perfect!

She pocketed the money for her mother. "Go pack. I’ll wait outside."

Then she gathered all the gifts she’d brought. "Since you think Xu Xiuyun’s filial and scorn my presents, I’ll take them back. Wouldn’t want to offend your eyes."

Xu Ziyan left without hesitation, Fang Nan and Fang Bei trotting beside her, eyes shining. Their fairy was amazing! They loved their new mom.

Yay! A fairy for a mom! So great!