Chapter 23: Driving Away Li Hongjuan

As she wailed, she stole glances at Zhang Chunxue’s expression from the corner of her eye, hoping to see some sign of softening on that icy face.

Zhang Chunxue, however, could not even be bothered to lift an eyelid, clearly having reached the absolute limit of her patience.

"Are you finished with your performance? If you're done, can you get out?"

She turned her head, her gaze piercing Zhong Chengfa like a blade. "Zhong Chengfa! Are you going to keep standing there like a door god? Why aren't you packing up your ex-wife’s belongings yet! I’m telling you, I’m watching you pack right here! If you dare to tuck even a single thread belonging to our Zhong family into her bag, you can pack up your bags with this fine ex-wife of yours and get the hell out of here!"

When Li Hongjuan heard the words "ex-wife" tumble from Zhang Chunxue’s lips, her mind went blank, as if an explosion had gone off inside her head.

At this, she completely panicked, forgetting even to cry.

That old hag… she was serious! She was truly going to drive her away!

Li Hongjuan finally broke down. She dropped to her knees, clutching Zhong Hongqing, and burst into tears.

"Mom! I was wrong! It was all my fault! I won't ever dare do it again. Please, with your magnanimity, don't chase me away!"

She wiped away her tears while shuffling toward Zhang Chunxue’s feet. "I won't ever eat an extra bite again, and I won't ever say another word against Chengfa… Mom, I’ll kowtow to you to apologize, won't that do?"

If she were truly sent back to her maiden home, where would she hide her face?

Besides, a married daughter is like spilled water; there was no place for her at her parents' house anymore!

Zhang Chunxue didn't even give her a proper look, stating coldly, "Save your breath! I am no person of magnanimity; I am the wicked mother-in-law you claim abuses her daughter-in-law!"

She turned and glared at Zhong Chengfa. "Zhong Chengfa! What are you still standing there for? Pack her things and get your wife out of here!"

Being singled out, Zhong Chengfa shrank his neck, not daring to meet Li Hongjuan's eyes, which were filled with a desperate hope that he might say a kind word. He could only respond in a submissive, hushed tone: "Oh… right…"

Li Hongjuan was so furious she wanted to punch the wall.

Did this spineless man truly intend to send her away?

Zhong Chengfa shuffled to the kang, rummaged through the chest for Li Hongjuan’s clothes, shoes, and socks, grabbed the few coins and two old towels she had hidden under her pillow, and shoved them all into a tattered cloth bag.

Seeing this, Li Hongjuan grew even more frantic. No longer caring about subtle pleas, she lunged forward, grabbed Zhong Chengfa’s arm, and refused to let go, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Chengfa, hurry and beg Mom for me. I really can't go back to my maiden home—those sisters-in-law of mine are just waiting to make a joke out of me!"

Zhong Chengfa gritted his teeth and muttered, "Who told you to be so greedy and make Mom angry?"

"You!" Li Hongjuan’s eyes widened as she looked at her husband’s pathetic demeanor. She was full of anxiety and hatred, but what energy did she have left to cause a scene?

She wanted to beg Zhang Chunxue again, but seeing the look of disgust and cold indifference on the older woman’s face, a surge of resentment flared within her.

She thought of how Zhang Chunxue’s attitude had shifted lately. She had gone from being a prized daughter-in-law who bore a grandson to being worth even less than that little harlot Zhou Mingli, who only bore a girl. Li Hongjuan’s anger bubbled over.

She had never had a pleasant temperament to begin with; it was only Zhang Chunxue’s suppression that had kept it in check. Now, faced with being swept out the door, Li Hongjuan snapped.

She stopped pretending.

She turned to Zhang Chunxue, pouring out all the fury in her heart: "Zhang Chunxue, what makes you so righteous! You used to be obsessed with boys and treated Xiaoxiao like a servant. Now that Xiaoxiao has gotten into school and been praised by the leaders, you’re crawling to her to curry favor? You have the nerve to lecture me now? What, are you not afraid of the villagers pointing at your spine, saying you flip your face faster than turning a page?"

"Bah!" Zhang Chunxue couldn't even be bothered to engage with her. She simply swung a wooden firewood stick and smashed it hard against the edge of the kang. "One more word out of you, and next time I’ll break your legs so you can’t even crawl out of this door!"

The sound was thunderous, startling all the chickens, ducks, and dogs in the yard into a chorus of noise.

Li Hongjuan let out a shriek of terror, springing up as if startled by a spring and scrambling into the corner, not daring to even draw a full breath.

Zhong Chengfa dared not delay any longer. He shoved the bundle into Li Hongjuan’s arms and pushed her toward the courtyard gate.

"Hurry up, or you’ll really get a beating from Mom if you stay!"

Once outside the gate, the wind whistled by. Standing under the locust tree, Li Hongjuan wanted to make one last stand. She hugged her child and wailed loudly.

"What kind of disaster is this?! We’re being driven out like this, how am I supposed to hold my head up? It’s all that heartless old hag’s fault—she’s trying to tear our little family apart because she’s jealous that we’re doing well!"

She then spun around to point an accusing finger at Zhong Chengfa. "And you’re a spineless coward, only knowing how to listen to that old woman. If you have any guts, come back to my maiden home with me and see if you can still eat free meals!"

Zhong Chengfa’s expression was complex. He looked down, kicked a stone, and whispered, "Just go back for a few days and let Mom cool off. I’ll find a chance to put in a good word for you, and I’ll definitely bring you back."

He paused and added, "Who told you to be so greedy? Now look at this—it’s all your own fault."

Hearing this, Li Hongjuan felt a slight sense of relief; she finally felt there was still room for reconciliation.

She wiped the snot and tears from her face, sloppily cleaned the child’s face with her sleeve, and cast a parting threat: "Remember what you said today! Don't think it’ll be so easy for you to get me to come back later!"

After saying this, she picked up Zhong Hongqing, held her head high, and marched out of the village, heading toward her maiden home in the next village over.

Once the courtyard gate was shut, Zhong Chengfa snuck back into the house, cautiously poking his head into the kitchen door. "Mom, about that… truth is, I only drank a small bowl of the fish soup. Shall I boil some noodles for Mingli? Or maybe I can buy some tofu tomorrow…"

Before he could finish, he saw Zhang Chunxue glaring at him with a dark, heavy gaze as she slammed a wooden stick onto the chopping board!

"Don't try to play games with me! That fish soup was meant to nourish Zhou Mingli’s health; there was never a share for you. Now that your wife and son have finished it all, you have to replace it! Don't think about sleeping in this house until you've caught two crucian carp! If you can't catch them, you can go guard the riverbank for me!"

Zhong Chengfa’s face turned green. He hunched his shoulders and muttered, "Mom, I… I only tasted a little bit, I really didn't drink much."

Zhang Chunxue didn't even lift an eyelid. Her voice was as cold as ice shards: "Your wife ate it, your son ate it—the root of it all lies with you! You are the one who must pay this debt!"

She paused, her eyes slicing across him like a knife: "Besides, that fish soup was meant to keep Mingli alive. When did it ever become your concern?"

Zhong Chengfa was so choked up he couldn't say a word, his face flushed red with indignation.

But with his mother’s temper at its peak, how could he dare to argue back?

Resigned to his fate, he grabbed the tattered bamboo basket from the corner and headed toward the riverbank, looking back every few steps, while inwardly cursing Li Hongjuan to hell and back.

Zhang Chunxue watched his retreating figure disappear at the gate and let out a heavy snort.

She turned back into the kitchen, washed the rice, cleaned the pot, and started over.

Tongues of fire licked the bottom of the pot, and fresh fish soup began to bubble, the savory aroma gradually filling the air.

But with all the trouble, the sun had already leaned to the west, and they had clearly missed the lunch hour.

Zhong Chengren and Zhong Chengyi returned from the fields one after the other, starving.

As soon as they entered the yard, they smelled the aroma of fish drifting from the kitchen, yet the dining table remained empty.

Zhong Chengren furrowed his brows and shouted impatiently, "Mom, what’s going on today? What time is it, and the meal still isn't ready?"