Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Eccentricity
“What’s going on?” Gu Yan carried out the last bowl of pig’s blood.
The commotion in the courtyard was considerable. Gu Yan had already heard it while still in the kitchen.
Mrs. Zhang sneered, “Little brother, your timing is perfect. Take a look, what kind of food is this on the table? While you’re at home, your wife treats our family’s belongings , and you don’t even reprimand her, just letting her act recklessly?”
With another sneer, Mrs. Zhang continued, “Little brother, don’t you think you’re indulging your wife a bit too much?”
“Big sister-in-law, please don’t say that. The dishes sister-in-law made are all quite delicious, really. If you don’t believe me, you can try some,” Mrs. Chu couldn’t stand it any longer and spoke up for Su Yunjin.
“What a joke, as if pig’s blood that nobody eats would taste good?” Mrs. Zhang snorted disdainfully, and Mrs. Han joined in with a sneer, “Sister-in-law, even if the Gu Family can’t afford meat, it doesn’t mean we should stoop to eating unwanted pig’s blood, does it? And what about that pigweed? If you think it’s tasty, then you can eat it yourselves later. We certainly won’t eat those things meant for pigs.”
Mrs. Han deliberately emphasized the word ‘pig’ heavily.
“Don’t eat it then! Big sister-in-law, fourth sister-in-law, I prepared these dishes for people to eat. If you insist on considering yourselves as pigs and believe that these dishes are meant for pigs, then I have no objections.”
Su Yunjin’s words infuriated both Mrs. Zhang and Mrs. Han to the point where their faces contorted; they pointed at Su Yunjin, unable to utter a single word, “You—!”
Unable to contain her anger, Mrs. Han went to seek support from mother-in-law Mrs. An, “Mother, look at sister-in-law! Look at her! It was bad enough that sister-in-law served us pig food for lunch, and now she even talks to me and big sister-in-law . It’s simply too much.”
“Mother, it’s not entirely sister-in-law’s fault. Big sister-in-law and fourth sister-in-law are also in the wrong. Sister-in-law went through the trouble of cooking meals for everyone. It would have been enough for big sister-in-law and fourth sister-in-law not to appreciate it, but then they talked to sister-in-law in such a manner! Sister-in-law merely retorted once!”
Mrs. Chu spoke up from the side.
“Oh, fourth sister-in-law, you defend third sister-in-law so fiercely. Did she give you some kind of benefit in private? Is it worth it for you to shield her ?”
Mrs. Zhang, who had always been particularly intolerant of Mrs. Chu’s tendency to act like a good person everywhere, pretending to be so virtuous and generous. Wasn’t she just like the rest of them, trying to scoop up any benefit she could for herself?
“Enough, fourth sister-in-law, what fifth sister-in-law said isn’t wrong. Third sister-in-law, you kindly cooked meals for us all to eat, and it was indeed too much for you and your big sister-in-law to say those things about third sister-in-law,” Mrs. An said.
As soon as Mrs. An said this, Mrs. Han’s face fell, “Mother, you’re too biased, always defending sister-in-law. She serves us pig food, and you don’t even speak against her! Big sister-in-law and I just criticized sister-in-law a bit, and you start saying we’re in the wrong.”
Despite the nastiness of Mrs. Zhang’s and Mrs. Han’s words, they did have a point; Mrs. An too had never seen anyone eat pig’s blood and cold mixed wild greens. Looking at Su Yunjin, Mrs. An asked, “Third daughter-in-law, are you sure that this pig’s blood and wild vegetables are edible?”
“I’m sure!” No sooner had Mrs. An finished speaking than Gu Yan looked toward her and said, “Mother, everything Yunjin made is indeed edible. Before you all returned, I had already tasted these dishes.”
As if it were edible!
Mrs. Zhang and Mrs. Han both rolled their eyes at the same time, not believing a word Gu Yan said.