Chapter 29

Chapter 29

But with Gao Mingzhu changing the subject like that, Mother Huo’s mood wasn’t quite as down. When she got back to the old house, the family had just finished eating. Not a single person said a word when she walked in.

Lin Meilan and her two boys, Niuwa and Zhuwa, deliberately snorted and rolled their eyes in disgust.

Old Man Huo just sat there like a statue, puffing on his pipe without a word.

Mother Huo’s heart sank even more. Forget it.

She’d originally planned to go work in the garden plot, but that idea was totally gone. None of them gave a damn about her, so why should she kill herself for them?

It was already dark. She got some water to wash up and then went to bed.

Outside, it was a racket—Huo Weicheng and Lin Meilan yelling at each other, Lin Meilan and Sister-in-law Huo hollering at the kids to go bathe, and the children’s shouts all mixed together.

Mother Huo couldn’t get to sleep. She also noticed Old Man Huo coming in and out of the room a few times, even opening the wardrobe—probably to grab some clothes to go wash up outside.

But even after the main house and the second house quieted down and everyone went back to their rooms, Old Man Huo still didn’t come back to bed.

Mother Huo just felt even more miserable inside.

Old Man Huo must have been sleeping on that beat-up lounge chair in the main hall—this wasn’t the first time.

He often didn’t come back to the bedroom and just slept on that lounge chair.

Normally, Mother Huo didn’t care. They were an old married couple, and sleeping together or apart didn’t make a difference.

But today, after the fight, being treated like that by her stepson, stepdaughter-in-law, and grandkids, with not a single word of comfort from Old Man Huo, it stung extra hard.

After tossing and turning for half the night, she was just starting to get sleepy when the door creaked open.

A beam of flashlight shone in.

He actually came back?

It was indeed Old Man Huo, heading straight for the bed as soon as he walked in.

Mother Huo usually slept on the outside of the bed, with Old Man Huo on the inside.

Today, she was curled up, taking up only a small part of the bed, leaving plenty of room behind her for Old Man Huo to go around from the foot of the bed.

But he wouldn’t. He shined the flashlight right in Mother Huo’s face and shoved her, talking like it was his right, like ordering a servant: “Move over!”

This was their everyday life. In Old Man Huo’s eyes, he was the “boss” of the house, and everyone—especially Mother Huo—had to do what he said.

Normally, Mother Huo wouldn’t want to fight and would silently move over.

But she wasn’t going to take it anymore. Blinded by his flashlight, she swung her arm and knocked it away, snapping back angrily: “Are you crazy? Are you blind? Isn’t there plenty of room behind you to walk? Why do you have to crowd me?”

Old Man Huo was stunned, staring at her in disbelief, and roared: “What did you say? You’re giving me lip?”

“So what if I am? You think you’re the emperor? Do I have to kiss your ass?” Mother Huo had had enough and shot back.

“You!” Old Man Huo’s face turned red with rage. After a moment, he raised his hand like he was going to hit her. “You’ve gone too far! Talking to me like that? Believe me, I’ll smack you!”

“Go ahead and hit me!” Mother Huo sat up abruptly, lifting her face, unafraid as she glared at him. “You’ve never treated me like a wife anyway. I’m just a free maid in the Huo family! If you’ve got the guts, just beat me to death!”

“You!” He was so furious his face and neck were bright red, glaring viciously at Mother Huo.

Mother Huo didn’t back down, facing him off in the darkness.

The atmosphere in the pitch-black room was tense, like the air itself had frozen.

Mother Huo thought Old Man Huo would either slap her in anger or storm out the door.

Instead, after a standoff, he actually pulled the light cord, turned off the flashlight, and looked at Mother Huo on the bed, his tone unexpectedly softening: “Are you upset because of Second Brother’s Wife?”

Mother Huo was taken aback, then sneered: “So you know I’m upset? Huo Weiguo, I’ve been married to you all these years, and I’ve been good to you! I’ve been good to your two biological sons too, haven’t I? I’ve worked like a mule for you and them, and you know how much I’ve given! And what did I get in return? What did you do? You didn’t even say a word!”

“Oh, come on, they’re just a couple of clueless kids. They were craving meat and said some stupid stuff.” Old Man Huo frowned in defense, then muttered, “Besides… I was angry too!”

“Kids can just spout nonsense like that?” Mother Huo had just shot back when she was caught by his last remark. Frowning, she pressed, “What were you angry about?”

“What was I angry about?” At this, his temper flared again, his voice rising. “I’m angry that my youngest son and his wife made all that good food and didn’t even consider me, their father! They called you over, but didn’t bother to call me! What do they take me for, their father? Huh?”

Mother Huo was stunned by his outburst.

So, he had a point being angry?

She wanted to speak up for Gao Mingzhu and Huo Huaichuan: “They didn’t mean not to call you. It’s just…”

“Just what?” he pressed.

Lin Meilan had told him that Gao Mingzhu had called Mother Huo over, and he’d been waiting eagerly for them to call him too. But he waited and waited, and nothing came. He’d been holding onto that grudge until now.

Mother Huo was at a loss for words, unable to find a good excuse.

Seeing her unable to answer, Old Man Huo said bitterly: “See? You can’t even find words to defend them! Don’t think I don’t know—that daughter-in-law, Gao Mingzhu, doesn’t respect me, her father-in-law, at all! Not calling me to dinner today is one thing, but yesterday she even came at me with an axe! It’s lawless! Rude! Crude!”

Mother Huo had been feeling a bit guilty, but hearing him badmouth Gao Mingzhu, she bristled: “Don’t talk about Mingzhu like that! She’s a good girl! She treated you that way because you didn’t treat her well first! She’s just direct—she’s good to those who are good to her!”

Old Man Huo was even more displeased: “Why didn’t I treat her well? Because she’s unreliable! Look at her, with that soft skin! She can’t carry or lift anything—how is she fit to be a wife? She’s a princess we’ve brought home!”

“That was before! She’s changing now!” Mother Huo defended Gao Mingzhu.

Old Man Huo snorted dismissively: “I don’t believe it! A spoiled girl who’s never done a day’s work in decades can suddenly become hardworking?”

He seemed to think it over and decided it wouldn’t do. He sat down on the edge of the bed and patted the spot beside him, signaling Mother Huo to move closer, putting on a sincere tone: “Old woman, I think this won’t work! Gao Mingzhu definitely can’t take care of Huaichuan! She’s not someone who can endure hardship! Look—yesterday she ate chicken, today duck and spare rib soup! That three-thousand-yuan compensation in her hands will be blown in no time! We need to take the money back! When Huaichuan really needs it, we’ll give it to him!”

This sounded like a good father thinking deeply about his son’s well-being.

But Mother Huo immediately shook her head: “No! If we take the money back, it’ll end up being split among the whole family in the end!”

Why had Mingzhu insisted on splitting the family? Wasn’t it to keep the money from falling into the common pot and being gobbled up by the main and second branches?

She couldn’t fully figure out Mingzhu’s nature, but she knew the Huo family—especially Huo Weicheng and Lin Meilan—inside out!

“You!” Rejected, Old Man Huo fumed, “That’s Huaichuan’s compensation! Would I let the main and second branches spend it? If you don’t trust me, then fine—we’ll get the money back, and I’ll go deposit it with you! The passbook will be in your hands! Is that good enough? Can you sleep easy now?”

Mother Huo thought this plan seemed… feasible? After all, she also felt Gao Mingzhu was a bit careless with money, and saving it might rein her in.

But after careful thought, she still shook her head: “No. Mingzhu won’t agree. What if she thinks I’m eyeing that three thousand yuan and guarding against her?”

Mingzhu was so good to her now; she didn’t want to alienate her over money.

Old Man Huo was truly furious: “This won’t work, that won’t work! Then what do you suggest? I absolutely won’t let that three thousand yuan all fall into Gao Mingzhu’s hands!”

“What good does you not wanting it do?” Mother Huo was angry too, snapping back, “The family’s already split! Huaichuan is willing to let Mingzhu hold the money! If you’ve got the guts, go ask for it yourself and see if you can get it back!”

Old Man Huo: “…”

He suppressed his anger and changed to a confiding tone: “That boy Huaichuan is muddle-headed, completely bewitched by Gao Mingzhu. We, as his parents, have to think more for him! How about this—we don’t take back all three thousand, just two thousand eight… no, two thousand nine! They still get thirty yuan a month anyway, leaving them a hundred yuan to spend, isn’t that enough?”

“Go talk to her yourself!” Mother Huo, annoyed and unsettled, lay down flat, turning her back to Old Man Huo, unwilling to argue further.

She vaguely felt something was off about Old Man Huo today, but couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

Old Man Huo stared incredulously at Mother Huo’s indifferent back.

Had he wasted all that breath for nothing?

Now he was truly furious. He stood up abruptly and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

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