Free Web NovelChapter 109: Chapter 109: The Entitled Weakling
As the business grew larger and larger, Li Family Village became increasingly bustling. Li Hongqin had hired most of the women in the village, as long as they were of good character.
Some were even hired as couples. In a single leap, Li Hongqin had become a more influential figure in the village than even the village chief.
Li Family Village was thriving, and several nearby villages were incredibly envious. The people from Xinghua Village were particularly covetous.
Amidst all this envy, Su Xing and Brother-in-law Su arrived at Su Li’s door with gifts.
They had come to thank Su Li. Su Li had taught Su Xing several knitting patterns for sweaters. Su Xing was quite dexterous and a quick learner. Over the past few days, she had knitted a few, and Brother-in-law Su had tried selling them at the market the day before.
To their surprise... they sold out in a flash.
And this was during spring, with summer just around the corner. If they sold them in the fall or winter, they would do even better.
Holding the money they had earned, the couple felt like they were in a dream. They were ecstatic.
So, they had made a special trip today to thank Su Li.
"...I originally planned on selling them for three yuan a piece. I quoted four yuan, intending to leave some room for bargaining, but I never expected someone to buy it without haggling at all..."
The three of them were talking in the kitchen when they heard a cold snort.
Su Li turned around to see the furiously retreating back of one of the Tang family’s sister-in-laws. Su Li watched her, her brow furrowed.
’Was she eavesdropping on their conversation?’
This Sister-in-law Tang had indeed been eavesdropping. It wasn’t entirely intentional; she had just happened to overhear Brother-in-law Su mention selling things for money as she came in, and her ears perked up.
She was furious after hearing everything and marched straight to Mrs. Tang’s room to complain.
Su Li followed her to the door of Mrs. Tang’s room and heard her complaining inside. "...Once you marry into the Tang Family, you belong to the Tang Family! How can she only look out for her own maiden family? Aunt Tang, it’s not my place to say, but she should be introducing us to these money-making opportunities too."
This sister-in-law rattled off a whole slew of complaints, the central theme being that Su Li’s sense of duty was lacking.
Su Li let out a cold laugh. She turned to the panicked and apologetic Su Xing and Brother-in-law Su in the courtyard and said, "Don’t pay them any mind."
Su Li said to ignore them, but this Sister-in-law Tang stubbornly stayed with Mrs. Tang, crying and refusing to leave.
The grating sound of her wailing made Su Xing and Brother-in-law Su feel like they were sitting on pins and needles. In the end, they couldn’t even stay for the meal and hastily excused themselves.
After Su Xing and Brother-in-law Su left, Sister-in-law Tang immediately helped Mrs. Tang out of the room. She wanted Mrs. Tang to speak on her behalf, and her point was essentially this:
She wanted to learn how to knit sweaters too, and she wanted to make money too!
Su Li had to teach her; she couldn’t only teach her own family.
"...My family is in such dire straits, and my child is sickly, constantly needing shots and medicine. Life is just too hard. Su Li, you have to help me..."
Mrs. Tang had only gotten halfway through her sentence when this Sister-in-law Tang took over, starting to cry about how poor and pitiful she was.
"Su Li, you’re a teacher now, a respectable person. Since your life is going well, you should help us out. We’re all one family, how can you just ignore us like this..."
Although this Sister-in-law Tang was crying, her attitude was actually very aggressive. It was the kind of crying that meant, ’You have to help me.’
"...Is there any yarn left in the house? Su Li, you can just teach me today."
Su Li gave her a cool glance. "I won’t."
The Sister-in-law Tang shot up to her feet. "What? You won’t?"
"Why not? You’re a teacher with a good salary, and Tang Yuanxiao sends money home too. You don’t need the money at all, so why won’t you teach me? My family is so poor and struggling!"
She yelled, and Mrs. Tang stood to the side looking conflicted, but it was obvious she approved.
Su Li looked at them and laughed, then retorted calmly.
"So you’re right just because you’re poor? You’re justified just because you’re weak? I have to help you just because you’re poor and weak? What kind of logic is that?" ƒrēewebnovel.com
The sister-in-law was livid. She spat on the ground.
"What do you mean, ’what kind of logic’? Am I the one who’s being unreasonable? Isn’t it only natural for relatives to support each other? It’s always been this way!"
Su Li actually laughed. "’It’s always been this way...’"
The Sister-in-law Tang immediately nodded and continued.
"Exactly! How can you only help your sister from your maiden family? Tell her to stop knitting and let me do it instead. My family has it harder than hers! Besides, you’re part of the Tang Family now, so you should be helping the Tang family. It’s always..."
Su Li had no patience to let her finish. She cut her off, once again retorting calmly, "Just because it has always been this way, does that make it right?"
Sister-in-law Tang had no idea what Su Li was talking about, but she could clearly understand the mockery on her face.
"Su Li, what’s that supposed to mean? You’re just unwilling to teach me, aren’t you? Have you no conscience!"
She started yelling and crying again. Mrs. Tang rushed to console her, then turned to Su Li. "Su Li, just teach them. Their family really is very poor..."
Su Li cut Mrs. Tang off, her gaze cool. "If you’re so intent on helping them, why don’t you just give them all the money Tang Yuanxiao sends you? That’s helping too, isn’t it?"
The moment Su Li said this, Sister-in-law Tang’s eyes lit up, while the color drained from Mrs. Tang’s face.
"What nonsense are you spouting? How is that the same thing?"
she berated Su Li.
Su Li scoffed. "How is it different? Didn’t you say her family is poor? Instead of having her painstakingly knit sweaters, isn’t it better to just give her the money directly?"
Mrs. Tang was left speechless.
"The day you’re willing to subsidize them with your own money is the day you can come ask me to teach her how to knit."
Su Li’s gaze toward Mrs. Tang was icy. Without waiting for a reply, she ignored them and walked out. "I’m going to class."
"Su Li, how could you be like this..." Sister-in-law Tang immediately burst into tears, but Su Li didn’t even glance back.
Even from a good distance away from the Tang home, she could still hear the sister-in-law’s dreadful wailing.
Disgust filled Su Li’s eyes.
’The sanctimonious fakers and two-faced schemers in the world were annoying enough, but what was even more annoying—terrifying, even—was the professional victim.’
’They believe they’re right because they’re old, they’re right because they’re miserable, they’re right because they’re poor. They can greedily demand help and take small advantages with an air of complete and utter righteousness.’
’I’m weak and I’m poor, you’re strong and you’re rich, so it’s only natural that you take care of me.’
’Many people might occasionally have such thoughts without even realizing it, but... it was truly detestable.’
Su Li went off to her class, paying no more mind to that Sister-in-law Tang.
That Sister-in-law Tang, however, now hated Su Li to the core. Starting that very afternoon, she went around everywhere, embellishing the story and spreading gossip. She told everyone that Su Li only cared about her maiden family, how black-hearted and cold she was, and on and on.
In doing so, she successfully found a kindred spirit in Zhao Wenming’s mother, Fang Yulan.
Fang Yulan also hated Su Li’s guts.
The two had never even interacted, but because Su Li’s very existence had caused her precious son, Zhao Wenming, to completely lose face, she hated Su Li to the bone.
’It’s all Su Li’s fault! If it weren’t for her, how would people be saying those things about my Wenming!’
’It’s all Su Li’s fault! If it weren’t for her, my Wenming would never...’
In short, she blamed every single one of Zhao Wenming’s setbacks on Su Li. To her, Su Li’s very existence, her every breath, was an unforgivable offense.
Fang Yulan, who had been held firmly in check by Zhao Wenming and couldn’t make any moves, had now found a perfect reason to attack Su Li. She and Sister-in-law Tang immediately formed a Su Li-bashing alliance.
As luck would have it, the very next day, after much painstaking effort, Fang Yulan managed to use a relative’s connection to get a job making school uniforms in Li Family Village.
