Free Web NovelChapter 45: Chapter 45: Li Xiu Falls Out (Part 1)
Everyone stared, stunned, at Li Xin’s angry face. She had barged in without greeting her elders, not even calling Zhou Lian "Sister-in-law." Where were her manners? She was already fourteen years old, yet even Li Miao, a little girl of six or seven, was more sensible than her.
Grandma Li exploded with anger. "Li Xin, where are your manners! Not greeting your elders and shouting at your sister-in-law! Who taught you to be like that!"
Zhou Lian just smiled. Li Xin had always been ill-mannered, in both of her lifetimes. Among Li Xiu and his five siblings, only Li Xiu had been taught by their grandmothers as a child. The rest had been raised by their mother to be selfish, greedy, and utterly without manners.
Grandma Li stood up and said to Aunt Li, "Hua’s mother, come with me to your second brother-in-law’s house. I want to see just how that sister-in-law of yours is teaching the Li family’s children to be so disrespectful!"
Aunt Li quickly said, "Mother, don’t be angry. I’ll go with you. Children can be taught slowly, don’t rush!" She had wanted to say the child was still young, but one look at Li Xin and she couldn’t bring herself to say it. ’Fourteen years old, and she’ll be of marriageable age in another two years. With manners like these, her future in-laws will curse her to death!’
After a moment of thought, Grandma Li said to Li Yun, "Yun, you support your sister-in-law and stay close behind me. Don’t let any of those tactless fools bump into her!" ’Those rotten boys from the second son’s family are all brainless idiots. If they accidentally hurt Zhou Lian, my dear eldest grandson would go mad!’
Li Yun glanced at her grandmother, then at Li Xin, who was now silent, and said with a smile, "Grandma, don’t worry. I’ll take good care of Sister-in-law."
As she spoke, she gave Li Fen a meaningful look. Li Fen nodded in understanding. The two of them flanked Zhou Lian, each taking an arm, and followed slowly behind Grandma Li and Aunt Li.
Grandma Li watched Li Yun and Li Fen’s actions and nodded in satisfaction. ’They’re good children, raised well by my eldest daughter-in-law.’ Looking down at Li Xin, whom she was dragging by the hand, a wave of irritation washed over her. ’How did I ever let my son marry such a wretched woman!’
Seeing his mother and sister-in-law leading his daughter-in-law and nieces, with his mother dragging Li Xin by the hand, Second Brother Li was dumbfounded. His mother and sister-in-law both looked furious. ’What happened?’
"Mother, Sister-in-law, you’re here! Please, sit down!" Ge Er Ya said with a smile, seeing her formidable mother-in-law and sister-in-law arrive. Inwardly, she cursed. ’My daughter must have offended them, giving them an excuse to come and make trouble for me.’
Only after everyone was seated did Grandma Li speak. "Second Son’s wife, don’t blame me, your mother-in-law, for shaming you in front of the younger generation!"
She yanked Li Xin forward and pointed at her. "Li Xin is already fourteen! How have you been teaching her? Huh? She doesn’t greet her elders, she shouts at her sister-in-law, she won’t even call her ’Sister-in-law’!"
Hearing his mother’s words, Second Brother Li was dumbstruck. His own mother was talking about his daughter. Even a three or four-year-old child knew to greet their elders!
"Li Xin!" Second Brother Li roared angrily. "Where are your manners! Is this how your mother taught you!"
Li Xin kept her head down and said nothing. ’My mother said they aren’t good people. Why should I greet them!’
Seeing his daughter standing there with her head bowed in silence, Second Brother Li was overcome with rage. He pointed a trembling finger at her and yelled, "Speak! Where are your manners?"
Hearing the real anger in her father’s voice, Li Xin looked up and said nonchalantly, "They aren’t good people. Why should I greet them?"
Then she pointed at Zhou Lian and said, "It’s all her fault! Otherwise, why would my big brother have split from the family? All that stuff belonged to me and my mother, and now Big Brother has given it all to her. I’ll never call her Sister-in-law!"
"Oh, Li Xin," Grandma Li asked, so angry she began to laugh. "Tell your grandma, who told you that everything your big brother has should belong to you and your mother?" ’How ridiculous! Is that what a real mother would say?’
"But it’s true! My mother said so too!" Li Xin shouted angrily. "Big Brother gets nice things and good food now, but he doesn’t know how to be filial to his parents. He never sends anything home!" ’That watch and gold bracelet should have been mine!’
Zhou Lian smiled and said, "Father, during the spring plowing, Li Xiu got some cured meat. He sent some to Grandma, Eldest Uncle, and Third Uncle. The portion for the main house was given to Third Aunt’s youngest daughter to deliver. Did she not bring it over?" ’My father-in-law may be selfish, but he wouldn’t lie.’
Second Brother Li whipped his head around to glare at Ge Er Ya, his voice tight with suppressed anger. "That cured meat... didn’t you say your nephew from your parents’ home sent it because he felt sorry for you?"
’She claimed the filial gift from our own son was from her family. Is she even a real mother? No wonder Eldest Son hasn’t come back since he split off!’
Ge Er Ya looked at her furious husband, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law, then at her nonchalant daughter-in-law. Her initial fear turned to anger. ’What kind of daughter-in-law is this? She doesn’t know her place at all! She isn’t close to me, her own mother-in-law, but instead fawns over the grandmothers!’
"Sister-in-law, you tell me, what kind of daughter-in-law are you? Since the day you married into this family, have you ever once shown me, your mother-in-law, any respect?"
Seeing her mother-in-law’s furious, embarrassed expression, Zhou Lian just smiled and said, "Li Xiu makes all the decisions in our house. He’s the one who won’t let me come to the main house or interact with anyone from here. He said he’ll be filial to his parents himself."
Everyone looked at each other in stunned silence. That sounded like something Li Xiu would say, but you couldn’t just say it so bluntly!
"Li Xiu said that he was the one who married his wife; his parents didn’t marry a wife for him. In the future, he’ll be the one to support his parents in their old age. His wife just needs to manage the household and raise the children well. He’ll handle everything else!"
Zhou Lian said it all casually. ’It’s good that this is all coming out into the open. There’s not a single good person in the main house. Even if we can’t sever ties completely, they need to understand what lines they can’t cross!’
"Sister-in-law, you’re so rude! How can you speak to our parents like that!" Li Hua, who had been silent on the side, suddenly scolded Zhou Lian.
"Little Brother-in-law," Zhou Lian said calmly, looking at the clueless Li Hua, "there are several elders present. It’s not your place as a younger brother-in-law to pop up and lecture your elder sister-in-law." ’What a clueless fool. His mother has twisted them all!’
"Li Hua, shut your mouth! If you dare to be disrespectful to your sister-in-law again, see how I’ll deal with you!" Second Brother Li shouted, quickly silencing him as he glanced at his calm daughter-in-law. ’My eldest son dotes on his wife. This boy doesn’t know what’s good for him!’
Grandma Li laughed. ’He’s nineteen. It’s too late to teach him now. Is that a real mother? To raise her children like this... my second son’s children are all ruined.’ "Li Hua," she said, "there are some things you should understand. Your big brother has no obligation to support you. Do you understand?"
Seeing Li Hua’s indifferent expression, Aunt Li shook her head and said to Second Brother Li, "Second Brother, a person needs to have a conscience. You need to teach these children properly. Here at home, no matter how angry the family gets, it won’t go too far. But out in the world, if you do something wrong, you’ll have to pay a heavy price!"
Second Brother Li nodded grimly. ’Their mother has corrupted and spoiled these children. I just don’t know if they can be straightened out.’
Seeing Aunt Li lecturing her father, Li Xin quickly shouted at Zhou Lian, "Sister-in-law, the cured meat Li Miao delivered wasn’t even half of what Third Aunt’s family got! How could you do that? She’s your own mother-in-law!" ’To think she gave our family so much less than Third Uncle’s. What kind of daughter-in-law is she!’
"Little Sister-in-law, your big brother was the one who divided the meat. I don’t know the exact amounts, but have you ever stopped to wonder why? Why would your big brother give less to his own parents than to his uncles? That meat was only for his father and mother to eat, not for his younger siblings. As for Eldest Uncle’s and Third Uncle’s families, their portions included enough for their children, your cousins. Do you understand now?" Zhou Lian said, looking at her with a mocking expression. ’There has to be a limit to a person’s selfishness!’
"On what grounds?" Li Xin yelled at Zhou Lian in disbelief.
"On the grounds that the children from Eldest Uncle’s and Third Uncle’s families treat him like a real older brother. What have you, his own siblings, ever done for your big brother? If you want to get something, you have to give something first. It’s a two-way street. Don’t you even understand that basic principle of how to be a person?" Zhou Lian retorted mercilessly. ’Who spoiled her into this habit of shouting and screaming at the slightest provocation?’
Hearing his daughter-in-law’s words, Second Brother Li lowered his head. ’She’s right. Why should Eldest Son give and give to his siblings when they just take and take? No wonder he once said that whoever brings children into the world is responsible for them.’
Li Hua and his three brothers couldn’t sit still after hearing what Zhou Lian said. It had always been this way before. Why should it be different now?
