Fourth Aunt Shen’s face grew increasingly hard to maintain as she fiercely looked at Chen Guizhi, "Second Sister-in-law, how do you teach your daughter-in-law? Is this how she speaks to her elders?"
Chen Guizhi hesitated with her words, still somewhat unclear about the situation. What had they been saying? Why did they suddenly become angry?
Yang PeiMin took Chen Guizhi’s arm, feeling somewhat aggrieved, "Mom, Fourth Aunt is angry because I said she’s emptying her parents’ house to provide for her in-laws. Isn’t what I said the truth? Why is Fourth Aunt lashing out at me?"
Fourth Aunt Shen glared at her angrily, "Yiguang’s wife, you’re young yet your mouth knows no bounds. When have I ever come without bringing something? The fruits I brought for your mother, did they just magically appear at your house? I scold you for your own good, lest you get talked about by others outside."
As she spoke, her expression softened, and she looked at Yang PeiMin with a forgiving look, appearing not to hold her initial anger.
Yang PeiMin grinned, "Since Fourth Aunt has said so, I can’t not believe you. I apologize for what I said earlier, please don’t hold it against me. Looking at Fourth Aunt, you don’t seem like someone who would take advantage of her parents. Look, it’s getting dark and you still brought us fruits. Thank you. Let me pack a few buns for you to take back. Don’t mind that they’re vegetable buns. It’s still somewhat light outside; we won’t keep you for dinner, you should be able to make it back home."
Saying this, she swiftly went to the kitchen and wrapped six buns in wax paper in less than a minute, cutting off anything Fourth Aunt Shen wanted to say to Chen Guizhi.
She handed the buns to Fourth Aunt Shen, "These are the buns mom left for me this morning. Not many left, I’ve packed them all for you." Then turning around, she scowled at Chen Guizhi, "Mom, what are you pulling Fourth Aunt aside for? We all have to work tomorrow. While it’s still not totally dark, we should let Fourth Aunt hurry back, that’s the proper thing to do."
Chen Guizhi opened her mouth, glanced at the stern-faced Fourth Aunt Shen and seemed at a loss for words, nodded hurriedly without daring to look at Fourth Aunt Shen again, and lowered her head to continue stitching the soles of shoes.
Yang PeiMin went over and grabbed Fourth Aunt Shen’s arm, "Fourth Aunt, my mom just enjoys the bustle, she just forgot that the sun has set and it’s getting dark quickly. Let me walk you out."
Fourth Aunt Shen brushed her hand away unhappily, glanced at Chen Guizhi, who stood woodenly, and pent up her anger, "Second Sister-in-law has really made it big!" She kicked a chair nearby, turned, and stormed out. In her anger, she even kicked the door threshold and nearly stumbled, cursing in her irritation, "Can’t understand human speech! Even you treat me ! Cursed fools!"
Yang PeiMin didn’t care and cheerfully reminded her to watch her step, "Fourth Aunt, be careful, it doesn’t matter if you kick the threshold, just don’t chip your teeth. That would really be unsightly!"
After Fourth Aunt Shen had left, Yang PeiMin was in high spirits. She took down the smoked meat hanging under the kitchen eaves, preparing to stir-fry it with shredded radish.
Unable to sit still, Chen Guizhi came to help her with the fire, and started uneasily about Fourth Aunt Shen’s visit, "Your Fourth Aunt came to borrow money, right? How did you know cousin was going to get married? That’s what she came for. She said Yiguang’s second cousin got engaged, but the girl’s family asked for a betrothal of one hundred yuan. Fourth Aunt said they couldn’t come up with the money at once, and that cousin is stubborn, insists on marrying the girl."
Yang PeiMin sighed, she had known it.
"Mom, did she ask to borrow money from you?"
Chen Guizhi shook her head, "No, she just started to bring it up when you walked in. She didn’t have a chance to finish."
She paused before continuing, "Although Fourth Aunt has been closer with Uncle Yiguang’s family in recent years, she has often spoken up for me at Granny Yiguang’s. I have some money saved up, all sent back by Yiguang. We usually don’t use it and there isn’t much, just lending her fifty yuan, what do you think?"
Yang PeiMin gave her a look, feeling somewhat helpless. Chen Guizhi knew best what kind of person Fourth Aunt Shen was—a typical opportunist who would turn against you faster than you could flip a book if you were no longer of use to her, even though she had never truly seen it.
But according to what Shen Yiguang had described, Fourth Aunt Shen was crafty and eloquent. She had silently swindled Chen Guizhi’s dowry in the past, even taking the blanket that came with her dowry, and the emergency money meant for their third sister’s urgent medical needs was borrowed for her son’s snacks. Later on, she could still make people feel unable to get angry at her. When Granny Shen harried Chen Guizhi, Fourth Aunt Shen would always be conspicuously absent, hiding far away. As soon as there was a benefit for her, she would swarm around like a fly.
Such a person really didn’t deserve any help and might even ridicule you behind your back, calling you a fool.
It was a classic example of instant karma when Fourth Uncle got his leg broken during a fight a few years back due to overreaching and taking advantage of others. He ended up spending most of his time bedridden, unable to work, and with a penchant for drinking and a volatile temper, he often vented his frustrations on Fourth Aunt Shen.
With one less person contributing to household income, the quality of life at home had plummeted, driving Fourth Aunt Shen to visit her natal home with increasing frequency.
Although the elder sister-in-law and nieces-in-law from the main house derided her returns, she didn’t take it to heart, since her mother was still there, and she couldn’t easily be denied what she wanted.
She just didn’t expect to run into Yang PeiMin at Shen Erniu’s house.
"Mom, has Fourth Aunt returned the money and things she borrowed from us in the past?" she asked Chen Guizhi.
Chen Guizhi’s eyes darted away, knowing what she was asking about, and sighed, "No, she hasn’t returned them... but she came begging at our door, we can’t just..."
"Mom, you have a good heart, and it’s easy for you to be soft, and that’s exactly what they rely on when they keep coming to our door, asking for more. After demanding doesn’t work, they switch to a softer approach, and a few tender words seem to erase all past transgressions. But have you ever thought of the saying, ’A bushel of gratitude for a peck of injuries’?"
Seeing Chen Guizhi silent, Yang PeiMin pressed on, "Moreover, it’s not easy for Yiguang to make money abroad. He barely spends anything on himself and sends all he earns back home. We can hardly imagine the hardships he faces out there, and he doesn’t speak of them. Mom, you don’t know, but he has several gunshot wounds. One even barely missed vital organs, and on a few occasions, he surely risked his life to strive for a better future. I don’t know if he has mentioned this at home... We can’t squander his efforts; he didn’t risk his life to lend money to people who have harmed us."
Chen Guizhi covered her mouth, tears already streaming down her face, nearly sobbing, "He... he has gunshot wounds? He never mentioned it, this child... I didn’t know... it’s all my fault..."
Suddenly feeling guilty, Yang PeiMin went over and embraced Chen Guizhi, "Mom, I’m sorry... Actually, it’s not many, just two, and they’re healed now, all fine... Don’t be sad, it’s all my fault..."