Chapter 4: The Arrival of the Mother-in-Law

The eldest daughter of the Lao Zhang family! Zhang's eldest daughter! Come out here! With a sharp and piercing shout, a middle-aged woman charged into the courtyard with great authority

Regardless of who she is, in the face-off between the two armies, the most crucial aspect is that the momentum must not be lost

Mian? Zhang Xiaodie timidly asked, "Elder sister, are we having noodles for dinner tonight? What kind of noodles are we having, and which shop are we going to buy them on credit?"

She turned her head to leave, only to find there was nowhere to go, so she had no choice but to stand under the jujube tree in the courtyard, fanning herself with her sleeve to cool off, completely ignoring Zhao Wangshi.

Zhang Qingting rolled her eyes dramatically, just as she was about to organize her words to give him a good scolding, unexpectedly, the person who was to teach her a lesson arrived first

Her gaze is much more direct than that of Zhang Qingtian, measuring every detail meticulously as if she were tailoring a garment, up and down, left and right

Ah, this time Zhang Xiaodie understood. She quickly ran to the water tank, scooped a large ladle of water with a gourd dipper, swayed it a bit, and handed it over, "Here!"

Oh dear! How are you serving me? Don't you have any sense of weight in your hands?" Zhang Qingting sighed while rubbing his forehead, wondering how he would get through the days ahead! Forget it, forget it, "Go! Bring me a basin of water to wash my face.

"No!" Zhang Xiaodie waved her hand, causing a considerable amount of water from the ladle to splash out, some of it hitting Zhang Qingtian's face. She frowned in displeasure, but the girl did not pay much attention to it. "Elder sister, isn't your sweat towel around your waist? That comb is kept by you; I see you usually place it in your collar."

Upon seeing the half-collapsed house at the front, the woman was somewhat taken aback, but she quickly regained her composure and began to scrutinize Zhang Qingtian up close

Zhang Qingting lowered her head and felt that there was indeed a small wooden comb with two broken teeth in her arms, with some black hair oil stuck in the gaps between the teeth, dirty and grimy, presumably left by her predecessor, Zhang Qingting. The sweat towel around her waist was already very old, even grayer than the rags her family used to have. Zhang Qingting sighed and handed the two items forward, saying, "Take these and wash them clean, then bring them back to me"

You? ! '' Zhao Wang's family gasped in surprise, this young lady is impressive

After returning to the human realm, Zhang Qingteng opened his eyes and stared at the sun for a considerable time, equivalent to the burning of an incense stick, before he finally turned his eyes around, raised his hand, and said, "Help me up!"

Upon seeing her, the group from the Zhang family scattered like mice fleeing from a cat. Zhang Qingting felt puzzled; could it be that the creditors had come knocking?

Clearly, there is nothing at home. She usually washes her face with the sweat towel tied around her waist. The only comb she has is one she keeps attached to her book. Now, if you ask her for it, where can she possibly get it from?

She is not tall, shorter by half a head compared to herself, slender and lean, standing straight like a bamboo pole. Her gray hair is tightly tied into a bun at the back of her head, which accentuates her bony cheeks and sunken eyes, giving her an overall sharp appearance

Seeing her so composed and calm, the woman was somewhat surprised. After sizing her up, she finally spoke, "I must say, daughter-in-law, your handling of this matter is rather improper, isn't it?"

However, Zhang Xiaodie is indeed capable, which is quite surprising. How could the elder sister bear to easily hand over something she usually cherishes like a treasure to her

In those years, which was actually just yesterday, when I was still in the residence, which day did I not have to endure the scrutiny and comments of my mother, concubines, maids, and servants? Zhang Qingteng stood very calmly like a green pine, allowing her to admire him to her heart's content

Fortunately, after many years, the official's daughter has been trained to appear calm and composed on the surface. She leisurely dusted off her clothes, adjusted her hair at the temples, and stood up, saying, "Madam, may I ask what guidance you have?"

Wife? She calls me wife? Zhang Qingtian's face slightly changed color

Previously, I only saw her skillfully slaughtering pigs, possessing considerable strength, and being well-proportioned with a slim waist and ample hips, making her a suitable candidate for childbearing. Thus, I was inclined to consider marrying her off to my eldest son to bring him good fortune. However, I did not expect this girl to be so sharp-tongued. If I cannot subdue her this time and establish rules, I fear she will be even more difficult to manage in the future

This old hag truly has some skills

Zhang Qingteng was taken aback, and it took her a long time to realize that the person she was looking for was herself

Without waiting for her to ask, the woman revealed, "Yes! I know you haven't entered the door yet, but your father, Zhang Facai, has already accepted the betrothal gifts from my family. The wedding is just around the corner, and you causing such a scene is deliberately making our Zhao family look bad and losing face in front of the villagers"

It was quite a challenge to pull the elder sister out from the rubble. I noticed a long red mark on her forehead, and it seemed she had stopped breathing, but when I touched her chest, it was still warm. The family was uncertain whether she was alive or dead. Without a pillar of support, they were like headless flies, not knowing what to do. They did not dare to enter the house, instead waiting outside the half-collapsed building for her to wake up.

Zhang Qingteng understood that this was the mother of the tuberculosis patient from the Zhao family, the mother-in-law of Zhang Qingting, Zhao Wangshi. She must have known that she had sought a premature end and had come to pick a fight.

Zhang Xiaodie took a half step back, not daring to speak. Although her elder sister was still as fierce as before, there seemed to be some differences; her manner of speaking and acting felt strange.

Seeing her silent for a long time, Zhang Qingteng raised his head and noticed her timid and bookish expression, which resembled that of the little maid by his side in the past. "You wouldn't tell me that your family actually has nothing, would you?"

She pretended to casually observe the old woman

What a shame! A young man of such stature still relies on his sister for support

Zhang Qingteng's mouth twitched a few times, "I need you to bring me a basin of water to wash my face!"

Dressed in a blue cloth garment, devoid of patches, yet heavily creased, upon closer inspection, one can still detect a strong camphor scent, suggesting that this is likely the only good piece of clothing kept at the bottom of the chest, rarely worn on ordinary days

Without giving Zhang Qingtian a chance to argue, she began shouting throughout the courtyard, "I say, in-laws! I have already entered the door, why are you not coming out to greet me? Zhang Facai! Old Zhang! Is this how you treat your in-laws after accepting my family's betrothal gifts? Do you want me to beat a drum and shout through the ten miles and eight villages?"

If your own son is destined to die, why drag someone else's daughter down with him? She secretly scoffed, letting out a cold hum, and said coolly: "This lady, you know that I am still an unmarried young woman, so what I choose to do is none of your business. If you are worried about being laughed at, then you shouldn't engage in such wicked and life-shortening deeds! Don't you think that makes sense?"

Little did they know that her younger siblings had never received any professional training as servants. One on each side, they suddenly yanked her shoulders upward.

Upon considering this, the Zhao family head became fully alert and said, "My daughter-in-law, is this how you speak to your mother-in-law? Which girl, after receiving the betrothal gifts from her husband's family, still dares to claim she is not part of the family? If you think that not having officially entered the household means it doesn't count, then fine! As your mother-in-law, I shouldn't quibble with you, but let your parents come out, and our Zhao family will send a bridal sedan chair to carry you away tomorrow!"

Seeing the middle-aged woman tense like a tightly drawn string, Zhang Qingteng appeared even more casual; this approach of using softness to overcome hardness is indeed the key to victory

Zhang Jinbao noticed that his elder sister seemed less angry, so he approached her with a sheepish grin and continued the previous topic, "Elder sister, tonight, um, what shall we eat"

Having grown up in a grand residence surrounded by women, how could she regard these tricks of hers with any seriousness? With a faint smile on her face, she waited until the other had finished speaking before calmly responding, "Dear madam, as long as you don't mind the fatigue, feel free to go around the neighborhood beating drums and making noise! While the sun hasn't set yet, you can certainly make a bit more commotion. I won't see you off!"

Is there really not even a basin or a cloth at home? And what about a comb and a mirror? Do I have to explain everything one by one? This is just too much of a blockhead; with just a little push or movement, Zhang Qingteng was quite angry