Wang Xiaoni was caught off guard for a moment while Li Banlian pleaded with a sobbing voice.
"Biaozi went to the back mountain with a few friends last night, hoping to catch some rabbits to present to Grandma. He only went because he saw that Grandma’s appetite was poor and thought that wild rabbit meat would be tender. But who could have expected that there was a military camp hidden in the back hill. Curious, they climbed the wall to take a look, and were discovered. They had to run back in a panic, almost scared witless."
"I heard early this morning that the village chief was going door to door to check who was missing from each household last night. My Biaozi has a good heart..."
Li Banlian’s words were sincere, but not even Yue Xiaohu would be fooled by such a lie.
He couldn’t help but mutter, "Who goes to the back mountain in the middle of the night to hunt rabbits? Do they have night vision or something..."
If it were any other day, Li Banlian and Wang Biao would have glared at him in anger, but today, considering that they were seeking a favor, they could only swallow their pride and continue to sob.
"Xiaoni, Biaozi is your nephew, and during the holidays he always thinks of his aunt. You wouldn’t stand by and let him die, would you?"
It was then that Wang Xiaoni felt a sense of inevitability.
Every time her sisters-in-law visited, it was either to ask for favors or to take advantage. The only thing she didn’t understand was what they wanted from her this time.
"Do you want me to pay money to help Biaozi with connections?"
Li Banlian quickly waved her hands, "No, no, we..."
Wang Biao fell to the ground with a thump, kowtowing to Wang Xiaoni.
"Aunt, please let Xiaohu turn himself in."
Wang Xiaoni could hardly believe her ears, "What did you say?"
Wang Biao wept without any regard for his image.
"Xiaohu is a minor, he’ll just be scolded and let go after some education, but if it were me, I’d definitely be put in jail."
It was only then that the old lady understood why her daughter-in-law and grandson had brought her along, and she felt the room spin.
"You! How can you say such a thing."
Wang Biao clung to Grandma’s trouser leg and begged, "Grandma, please let Aunt help me. I know I was wrong and I’ll never dare to do it again. I vow to turn over a new leaf and be a good person... I’ll go work in a factory, and I’ll do whatever you ask of me."
Yue Xingxing was so angry she cursed, "Are you even a man? Ugh, you’re not even human!"
Wang Xiaoni said nothing for a long time, her face void of any angry expressions, with only a sense of extreme absurdity.
Li Banlian had surpassed her expectations of shamelessness time and again.
Seeing no reaction from her, Li Banlian knelt down too, but this time facing the old lady.
"Mother, please persuade Xiaoni for me. From now on, I’ll treat you better than I would my own mother, I’ll give back everything I owe, and from now on, Liu Ping and I will take on all the household chores. You just sit back as a noble lady."
Her words were meant more for the mother-in-law to hear than for Wang Xiaoni.
To let her know that the old lady was still living with them.
If Wang Xiaoni did this favor, she would earnestly start treating the mother-in-law well.
But what if she didn’t help? The threat was left unsaid, but everyone could imagine.
Abuse of a mother-in-law doesn’t just mean physical and verbal abuse. Wang Xiaoni had her own family to care for; could she manage?
The old lady was overwhelmed with tears, "Xiaoni, you can’t help with this!"
She regretted not seeing Li Banlian for what she was before, letting such a viper into their family.
Li Banlian stopped crying, and through gritted teeth said, "Mother, think carefully before you speak. Biaozi is your sole blood grandson!" Xiaohu was just a grandnephew.
The old lady’s mouth opened, but no words came out. She certainly harbored some old-fashioned ideas about favoring boys over girls.
She didn’t treat her daughter as carefully as she did her sons.
But she would not let Xiaohu take the fall for Biaozi!
The old lady gritted her teeth and hurled herself at the door frame.
If she had to die today, she couldn’t let her daughter be threatened !