Cheng Su left as soon as she said she would, not only shocking the Qi family but even her own aunt was stunned.
She really hadn’t expected Cheng Su to have such a fierce temper. After all, once they had given her face, she should have just taken the opportunity to de-escalate the situation. But Cheng Su was serious and truly left, carrying her luggage bag with her.
Heaven, to have such a hot-tempered daughter-in-law, how her own sister could endure it was beyond her!
Father Qi was the first to react; when he chased after her, Cheng Su’s shadow was nowhere to be seen.
He became frantic with anger and bellowed at his son, "What are you standing there for? Aren’t you going to chase after your wife? It’s already dark. Even if she doesn’t come back, at the very least you should escort her to her parents’ home!"
"What’s there to chase? If she wants to leave, let her leave! If she has the guts, then she better not come back!" Mother Qi was so angry that she was fuming.
She had thought Cheng Su’s temper had subsided, but who knew it had only grown fiercer? It was like she wanted to turn the world upside down!
"Shut your mouth!" Father Qi roared at her.
A perfectly good daughter-in-law, driven away just like that, and during the New Year’s no less. It was all her elder sister’s fault for making a mountain out of a molehill. Visiting others and failing to restrain herself, who did she think she was?
Taiguo had already run outside.
In the darkness, the Cheng family was getting ready for dinner when suddenly the gate was being loudly banged on.
"Who is that? Xiaozhi, go have a look," Mother Cheng said while dishing out the rice, instructing her son.
Cheng Zhi went out and soon came rushing back in, shouting, "It’s serious, Mom, my sister has been sent back by her in-laws!"
Bang!
The rice bowl in Mother Cheng’s hands fell and shattered into pieces.
Cheng Su walked in with her luggage, tapped Cheng Zhi’s head, and said, "What are you talking about? What do you mean I’ve been ’sent back’?"
"Isn’t it so? You just went back today, and now you’ve run back here, still carrying your bag. If that’s not being ’sent back,’ what is it?" Cheng Zhi pointed at her bag.
"How is it? Just because I’m married, I can’t come back to my parents’ home anymore?" Cheng Su rolled her eyes.
"What’s this all about? Why have you come back at this hour? What happened?" Mother Cheng, not caring about the broken bowl on the floor, advanced and grabbed her, demanding answers.
"It’s nothing."
Mother Cheng, getting anxious, pinched her, "You stubborn girl, are you trying to worry me to death? If it’s nothing, would you be coming back in the middle of the night carrying a bag? Spit it out quickly, what’s going on? Did you have a row with Taiguo?"
"Ouch, Mom, doesn’t pinching hurt?" Cheng Su dodged and said, "I didn’t argue with him. I just had a few words with his aunt. I didn’t want to make a fuss at their home, so I thought I’d come back and stay for a few days."
Before her mother could speak, she continued, "Mom, are you not welcoming me? If that’s the case, I’ll just go stay in town!"
With that, she turned to leave. Beside her, Cheng Zhi clicked his tongue twice, thinking to himself that his sister was getting craftier by the day. Look at how she was strategically retreating to get her way - she was getting quite skilled!
"Who said we’re not welcoming you? But you better explain things clearly before you think about staying. Out with it!" Mother Cheng pulled at her, chiding.
Cheng Su had no choice but to recount the affair with the aunt who paraded around in her moral righteousness. When she finished, she said, "That’s the way it is. Tell me, if she really had walked out, wouldn’t I be drowned in spit tomorrow? With that kind of talk, I might as well leave. Who cares about squeezing into a big family like that and waiting on them? I’d rather come back home and live like a queen!"
"You’re right, that aunt was too overbearing, making a fuss over nothing. As a guest, she was too domineering, and the Qi family did nothing to stand up for you," Father Cheng, having heard the whole story, looked displeased and asked, "You came back by yourself? Did Taiguo follow and escort you back?"
If he didn’t even come after her, that son-in-law was no good.
Seeing her father frowning in anger warmed Cheng Su’s heart — after all, her own family would always come to her defense!