Shen Meng watched Wu Xianglan stagger out, merely scoffed coldly, looking forward to their mutual backstabbing like dogs.
A commotion broke out at home, Mingyang took a broom and swept around the yard, Ming Liang carried a basin of water, and together with Ming Fang, they sprinkled water in the courtyard.
Their disdain for the Lai Zi family was more than obvious.
The lunch was prepared by Lu Zhenping, who unexpectedly got hold of some eels and volunteered to make eel noodles.
Shen Meng was not fond of these, so Lu Zhenping stir-fried a separate dish for her, heated two buns, and also made a meatball and radish soup. Before they finished eating, a ruckus erupted outside once again.
Shen Meng had a notion of what it was and, with glee, carried Lu Mingkai out to enjoy the commotion. The little one was dazed while being carried, still chewing slowly, with greasy hands resting on Shen Meng’s shoulders, smearing her clothes.
She was too preoccupied with the excitement ahead to mind these details.
Over there, a dogfight was erupting; Wu Xianglan was mounted on Liu Suqin, vigorously slapping her face with both hands. Thinking of the money she scrimped and saved over the years, only to end up in this woman’s pocket, she itched with hatred.
Lu Jiahe, being a sturdy farmhand, was always concerned about him not eating or sleeping well. Even the goodies given to the kids by others she would save for her own man. Her sincere love was wasted on an ungrateful dog; her heart was bleeding.
"You slut, ridden by thousands - today, I’ll take good care of that itch in your pants, daring to seduce my man. I’ll beat you to death."
"Wu Xianglan, you bitch, how dare you hit me! I have a family, you dare smear my name, there’s no justice in this, no justice at all, help, she’s going to kill someone! A Lu family’s daughter-in-law is gonna kill someone!"
"You still dare to deny it? I’ll smash your mouth to pieces."
Lu Jiahe, when he ran over and saw Liu Suqin’s swollen and bruised face, felt some pity, but with so many onlookers, he couldn’t admit to anything and had to pull Wu Xianglan away.
Then he turned around fiercely and slapped her across the face.
"Ouch, that hit was so hard."
"Shh~"
"Even the Lord would wince!"
The crowd was abuzz with comments, but no one stepped forward to intervene. After all, some things are well known to everyone; it’s just that they hadn’t yet open to the public.
"You hit me?"
"That’s right, I hit you. Instead of going home to eat at noon, what are you doing causing trouble at someone else’s house? Liu Suqin and Man Cang, the couple, were living their lives just fine, yet you barged into their home, beating and accusing them like this, and those words! How could you possibly say such things?"
Lu Jiahe practically spat out these words while gritting his teeth, and he even used his gaze to threaten Wu Xianglan to hurry back home. He was a man who treasured his reputation above all, and now this woman was shaming him in front of so many people. How could he face anyone after this!
"Great, just great! This shameless woman seduces you, you roll in the sheets with her, ruining a pair of shoes, and now you’re taking your anger out on me, Lu Jiahe? Over these years, I’ve born and raised your children, washed your clothes, cooked your meals. Whenever there was anything good in the house, even if it was just a peanut candy given by someone else, I’d save it for you to eat. Yong Qiang and Yong Li, they’ve grown so much and have never once worn new clothes or shoes, always wearing hand-me-downs. When your elder sister-in-law divided the family assets and gave us five yuan, I wanted to buy some fabric to make clothes for the children. You said you needed it, and I gave it to you without a word. How many times have I wronged the children for you over these years, yet you kept it secret from me and gave all the money and good things to this woman. Lu Jiahe, do you have no conscience, wuuuuu..."
Having been husband and wife for so many years, even if Lu Jiahe had little affection left for Wu Xianglan, he couldn’t help but feel guilty when he heard her words. His attitude softened, and he reached out to pull Wu Xianglan, but she shook him off forcefully.
"Enough, Xiang Lan, stop making a scene. This is someone else’s home. Even if you have complaints against me, that is between the two of us. What does it have to do with Sister Suqin and her husband? Is there any need to make a scene in front of them?"
This was quite a rare good attitude from Lu Jiahe, but to Wu Xianglan, it sounded incredibly ironic.
"Is there a need? How could there not be a need? Liu Suqin seduced my husband, transferring all our belongings into her hands. And you still ask if there’s a need? I must be the biggest fool, sparing myself from eating and wearing nice things, suffering alongside my children for so many years. In the end, who reaped the benefits? Wuuu, Lu Jiahe, how could you treat me and your daughters like this? Aren’t you afraid of being struck by lightning for your affair with Liu Suqin?"
"Don’t spout nonsense at me! Your husband ruined your family, and that’s between the two of you, don’t involve me. If you want to fight, go back and do it on your own kang bed. Killing one is still one, just don’t cause trouble in my house, or I won’t let you off lightly. Also, Wu Xianglan, you’ll need to compensate for the things you’ve broken in my house today, and for the injuries you’ve inflicted on me!"
"Compensate my ass, pssh, shameless woman."
As Wu Xianglan said this, she was about to lunge and fight, but Lu Jiahe grabbed her and dragged her towards the outside with all his might. Meanwhile, Lu Changzhu and Liu Sanjin also rushed over, with Zhou Jiaojiao following them.
They had been informed about the incident, and the old couple’s faces were red with embarrassment. They didn’t want to come over, but they did, fearing that someone might get killed. Liang ManCang was not someone to be trifled with; if their second son truly slept with another man’s wife, he could have his legs broken.
Zhou Jiaojiao was equally astonished. Liu Suqin was a sister from the same village a few years older than her, who had taken care of her after marrying. Zhou Jiaojiao had discovered the affair between Liu Suqin and Lu Jiahe by accident, and she had warned them. In broad daylight, how could they have been caught in the act?
Wu Xianglan usually got along best with Zhou Jiaojiao. In the original story, after Zhou Jiaojiao became wealthy, she helped Lu Jiahe and Wu Xianglan become rich too. Once they had money, he and Liu Suqin became even more brazen.
Every time Wu Xianglan felt wronged or provoked, she would go to Zhou Jiaojiao to complain, little knowing the place Liu Suqin held in Zhou Jiaojiao’s heart was much more significant than that of a useless, brainless second sister-in-law.
Shen Meng held her child and watched with delight. The reason she brought Lu Mingkai to see this spectacle was to show her son the drama she had personally designed for him. The little guy had suffered so much from both families in his previous life, and now it was a small part of the repayment.
"Second sister-in-law, second sister-in-law, what are you doing? This is so embarrassing. By saying such things about second brother and Sister Suqin, how are Yong Qiang, Yong Li, and the two children of Sister Suqin’s family, as well as Brother Man Cang, supposed to live? Listen to me, just go back home, will you?"
"Second daughter-in-law, what’s with this fuss? You’re throwing away all of the Lu Family’s face. Go back to our house quickly, or you’re no longer welcome in this home."
"What a disgrace. Second brother, what are you staring at? Take your wife and go home!"
Normally, as long as Zhou Jiaojiao said something, Wu Xianglan would definitely listen. But today, upon seeing Zhou Jiaojiao, Wu Xianglan’s thoughts were consumed by Shen Meng’s words. Jiaojiao knew everything from the beginning, she always knew, yet she didn’t tell her.
Ever since Zhou Jiaojiao married into the family as her younger sister-in-law, Wu Xianglan had always been kind to her, protecting her in every situation. But she didn’t expect that she was nothing to Zhou Jiaojiao but an ungrateful wretch, who had backstabbed her so dreadfully, it was just too cruel.