Free Web NovelChapter 53: Chapter 53: Old Accounts (Part 2)
"Alright. Since your family is aware of the situation, I won’t waste any more words. Things have come to this, and it’s no longer realistic for our daughter to stay with your son. Our hope is that if we can come to an agreement, we can honor the bond we once had and part on good terms." Seeing Gu Wu nod, Zhang Dazhuang laid his cards on the table.
"My daughter-in-law is a good woman. It’s my eldest son who wasn’t fortunate enough to deserve her, and we have wronged her." Guilt was written all over Gu Wu’s face. "State whatever demands you have. As long as they’re within my power, I won’t object."
"Absolutely not! On what grounds..." Chen Suxiang shrieked, but a single glare from Gu Wu cut her short. Gu Jinhua quickly grabbed her arm, whispering, "Mom, Mom, calm down. Let’s hear what they have to say before we speak."
Only then did Chen Suxiang clamp her mouth shut, her face grim.
’Getting slapped by Gu Wu in public had, contrary to his intent, ignited her fighting spirit and strengthened her resolve. Even if Gu Wu hit her again, she wouldn’t yield on what was non-negotiable. If things got ugly, so be it. She was used to his beatings anyway. Could that damned old man really beat her to death right here and now? The worst that could happen was being bedridden for a few more days. And with her second daughter-in-law around now, she wouldn’t even have to drag herself out of bed to cook.’
’And at a crucial moment like this, her second daughter-in-law had made herself scarce the moment she returned. Couldn’t she come out and offer a little support?’ Chen Suxiang fumed. ’It just goes to show you can’t rely on someone who isn’t your own flesh and blood...’
Zhang Dazhuang, Wen Xiu, and the others looked at Chen Suxiang, who was watching them like a tiger ready to pounce. They knew the rest of this conversation would be anything but pleasant.
’Who’s afraid of whom?’
Wen Xiu knew her husband had a mild temperament and didn’t like to get into arguments, but this was no time to be a pushover. She didn’t expect him to change overnight, so she pushed him aside, rolled up her own sleeves, and stepped into the fray. Without even glancing at Chen Suxiang, she fixed Gu Wu with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. "Gu Wu, our families have been joined by marriage for many years. You should know that the Zhang family are not unreasonable people, right? Normally, there’s no point in dredging up the past. But I can’t stand by when certain people not only act outrageously but also have a vicious tongue. There are probably some things you’ve been kept in the dark about. So today, I’m taking this opportunity to say a few things that must be said."
"Speak."
Gu Wu saw that although Wen Xiu was furious, her words remained articulate and methodical, devoid of the wild, rambling insults he might have expected. His expression softened, and he nodded.
"Let’s talk about the furniture for your new house. My family provided the labor, working for you for over a month for free. Even though it was the slack season for farming, it’s not like our fields were completely tended to. Back then, our families were on good terms and you were facing difficulties, so we didn’t think twice about helping you out. We not only delayed our own farm work, but we also passed up on odd jobs that could have brought in extra income for our family. We did our very best for you, didn’t we?"
"For that, the Gu family is grateful to you."
"We don’t need your gratitude. We’d be content if your family didn’t resent and slander us behind our backs. We only helped you because we were family. We thought that by helping you save some money, you would in turn treat our daughter well. I’m not bringing this up today to ask for your gratitude. I’m bringing it up because I feel like I’ll suffocate if I keep these words bottled up any longer."
As Wen Xiu spoke, tears welled up and streamed down her face, her voice catching in a sob.
"Is there some misunderstanding here?"
Gu Wu was stunned, finding her words hard to believe. ’What is she talking about? Our in-laws helped us with our work. We should have been nothing but grateful. How could it have turned into resentment and slander?’
Misunderstanding?
Hmph—
Wen Xiu ignored his question, wiping her tears and continuing at her own pace. "Back then, my husband and two youngest sons were working at your house. But do you have any idea what they were given to eat? Forget having no meat or oil in the food. My husband and my boys have seen hard times; we aren’t so petty as to quibble over that. But to not even give them enough staple food to eat their fill? And to serve them dishes that were either burnt to a crisp or so salty they were inedible, forcing them to fill their stomachs with cold water? What kind of treatment is that? Even the stingiest landlords of the old days weren’t as outrageous as your family!"
This was the first time even Zhang Wei Qiang and Zhang Minzhen were hearing of this. They knew their father and two younger brothers had helped the Gu Family, but neither sibling had known that this was how the three of them had been treated. Only Lin Qin had known the truth, and she had been instructed not to tell them.
Zhang Wei Qiang’s fists tightened, and his face darkened.
Zhang Minzhen’s eyes reddened. "Mom," she asked Wen Xiu, her voice choked with tears, "why didn’t you tell me about this back then?"
"And what good would telling you have done? Would it have helped for you to start a fight with them?" Wen Xiu’s voice was tinged with helplessness. The reason she and her husband had endured it was simple: they hadn’t wanted their daughter to have a falling out with her in-laws. It wasn’t because they were cowards who could be easily bullied. On the contrary, her husband knew a bit of practical Kung Fu, and with their eldest son’s presence, even the local thugs and ruffians rarely dared to cause trouble for them while they ran their small stall over the years.
"But still, Dad and my brothers shouldn’t have been wronged like that!" The thought that her father and brothers had worked for her in-laws for free, only to be denied even a full meal, made Zhang Minzhen despise her own weakness and helplessness over the years all the more.
"I didn’t let them suffer. I started packing steamed cornbread buns for them to eat on their way home. And once they were home, I always made sure they ate well. How could I not feed them properly when they were doing such hard physical labor? Honestly, I’m in the middle of something here. Don’t interrupt. We can talk more about this after we get home." Wen Xiu stopped her daughter from dwelling on it and turned back to Gu Wu, waiting for his response.
Wen Xiu’s words made Gu Wu feel so ashamed he wished the ground would open up and swallow him.
It was true that he didn’t like to meddle in household affairs, but that didn’t mean he was ignorant of propriety or indifferent to social obligations. On the contrary, certain principles were carved into his very bones, making him value such things more than anyone else in the family.
When his in-laws had come to help, even though it was framed as "helping," there was so much furniture to be made for the entire house. How could he possibly let them work for free? The family wasn’t that destitute. His wife knew he had some old valuables stashed away, so he had specifically taken out one of his gold bars. He had told her to exchange it for cash in secret so that not only could they feed their in-laws well while they worked, but they could also give them proper payment as a token of appreciation once the job was finished.
