Ye Shiqi... quietly ate a little with her elder sisters, and a phrase had already come to mind, "House fighting begins!"
That day, Aunt Lai was not content to dine and drink in her small house, and when Hongji’s father was busy, she would enter the small house to hide.
Although she had already seduced that man’s heart, she was still of low status in the family, not yet secure enough to be unafraid of Mrs. Lai when her husband was away.
She was ordered to do this and that; but she came here to be the young madam. She refused to serve that old woman.
After her husband went out, Mrs. Lai did exactly that, sending the little maid to knock on Aunt Lai’s door, calling her over.
The little maid dared not disobey Mrs. Lai, fearful she would pinch her angrily in secret.
"Concubine, the old madam calls for you!"
Inside, Aunt Lai was silent. She wasn’t foolish enough to go out. After being tormented by that man at night, she hadn’t had enough sleep and now was the perfect time to catch up on some sleep.
She thought contentedly, although not married to a young lad here, and not the legitimate wife, as long as she had good food and clothes.
And without having to do any work, this was far better than marrying some village lad.
Aunt Lai appeared again during mealtimes when her husband returned, playing the role of a considerate woman.
Having married into this family, she finally saw the older cousin today. Seeing her older cousin looking younger and more handsome only stirred something within her.
She dared not overtly stare at the older cousin, but couldn’t help gazing at him occasionally during the meal.
Hongji would stay out working half the day. If not for his hunger forcing him home for meals, he would have stayed in the factory to avoid coming back.
This woman had married into the family, and although he was provided a separate house, he still came to eat with them, enduring their presence.
Only because his father had said they were now family and should dine together. Though they didn’t live together, he, as a son, couldn’t refuse too vehemently.
He felt that ever since this woman entered their home, it was filled with more conflicting words.
In the past, Mrs. Lai would occasionally speak of her son, daughter-in-law, or granddaughters during meals, but now her attention had shifted to Aunt Lai.
Yet every time she picked a fight, she was scolded by Hongji’s father, filling her with even more hatred.
Caught up in the sweetness of his new marriage, Hongji’s father increasingly showed a bad attitude towards Mrs. Lai, finding her voice irritating.
Ye Shiqi watched from the sidelines and thought the grandmother showed great courage. Usually so imposing towards them, she seemed less forceful when dealing with Aunt Lai.
That country woman, Aunt Lai, appeared quite scheming indeed. It seemed they would have to be wary of her in the future.
She and her sisters, along with their mother, had not helped their grandmother. Although Aunt Lai was an outsider, the grandmother hadn’t been kind to them over the years, and even in the matter of their grandfather taking a concubine, they felt no sympathy for her.
A pitiful person often has their detestable side. This was the karma she brought upon herself; let her slowly bear it!
Ye Shiqi could foresee that this already unsettled home could potentially become even less peaceful in the future.
Her elder sisters didn’t know how to cope, but she felt it was best to play it by ear.
This place might not be where they would stay forever.
Ye Shiqi felt herself too young to venture outside on her own. For now, she could only let her parents develop their place here.
They would have to ensure that her parents firmly held the financial power of this home.
Mrs. Li was no longer naive. Ever since she realized money could change their mother and daughters’ fate, as well as the family’s, she had grasped both the managerial power and wealth in the past two years.
Now with an outsider entering the picture, this intruder could potentially seize their wealth.
As the mother of six children, Mrs. Li was already guarded against this woman who had entered their home, wary she might use their father-in-law to snatch their current assets.
Just considering that this woman’s father and brothers were long-term workers on their estate.
They had previously turned a blind eye to their laziness out of kinship, but what about now?
During the recent wedding celebrations, when work commenced on the estate, this woman’s father and brothers did not participate or even ask for leave.
But they were not indispensable workers, and others could be hired; their attendance or absence was immaterial.
Thus, another restless night fell. Hongji, in a good mood, returned for a meal. Before, he would discuss the factory over dinner.
Today he remained silent. Occasionally, he caught Aunt Lai’s glances but didn’t even look at her, not even acknowledging her with a greeting.
He had imagined a thousand times over that seeing this woman, now his father’s, would irritate him, an irritation he could only endure.
Aunt Lai continued to feign gentleness, doting on her husband by adding dishes to his plate and occasionally showing concern for Mrs. Lai.
Every time Mrs. Lai chastised her for not understanding propriety, questioning what right a concubine had to sit and dine, suggesting she should eat alone like the servants.