Chapter 6: When My Heart Is Troubled, I Curse!
“Shen Zhiyu, actually, really, Qi Huan—”
“Enough!”
Seeing Qiao Qian insist on bringing up Qi Huan, Shen Zhiyu’s temper flared. Narrowing her eyes, she looked at her sharply. “Qiao Qian, you’ve been praising Qi Huan in front of me all this time. Could it be that you’ve set your sights on him?”
“Don’t worry, if you like him, I really won’t mind!”
No matter how stubborn Qiao Qian was in refusing to listen, Shen Zhiyu decided to expose her little secret.
In the original story, Qi Huan’s future achievements were quite remarkable.
Seizing the opportunities brought by the reforms, he prospered continuously, amassing a fortune exceeding a hundred million by the time he died, all the while remaining deeply devoted to Qiao Qian.
To Qiao Qian, Qi Huan was undoubtedly a promising prospect.
As for Qiao Qian’s original man, Zhou Yuhuai, a scoundrel pursuing a career in officialdom, though not exceptionally outstanding, he still belonged to the county’s local elite.
See? This is the treatment the heroine receives!
By contrast, Shen Zhiyu, the supporting female lead, was utterly miserable.
“I’m not, I didn’t, don’t misunderstand!”
“Ah, I’m not arguing with you anymore; I have to get back to work!”
Whether or not Qiao Qian was caught off guard by Shen Zhiyu’s words, after three denials, she found an excuse and returned to the supply and marketing cooperative.
Watching her retreating figure, Shen Zhiyu’s lips curled slightly—this woman truly was someone who said one thing and meant another.
But it didn’t matter, for she herself was just such a woman!
...
Because of Qiao Qian’s little act, Shen Zhiyu abandoned the idea of applying for a chef position at the communal guesthouse.
The days ahead would surely bring tough battles; she needed to focus wholeheartedly, concentrating all her energy without losing sight of the bigger picture.
Moreover, she wasn’t desperate to find a job right now.
Mounting her bicycle, Shen Zhiyu quickly returned to Hanjiacun. Upon arriving at her doorstep, she immediately spotted her unwelcome mother-in-law, Zhou Cuihua, standing there with her two precious grandsons.
“Grandma, grandma, the one who doesn’t lay eggs is back!”
Seeing Shen Zhiyu ride up, the two boys shouted in unison.
The phrase “doesn’t lay eggs” naturally referred to Shen Zhiyu.
After marrying Qi Huan for two years with no sign of a child, Zhou Cuihua had grown to despise her.
Back then, when Qi Huan wanted to marry the previous wife, Zhou Cuihua disagreed, thinking the woman was frail and unlikely to bear children. Qi Huan had fiercely clashed with his family over this.
The previous wife believed she had found love, unaware that everything Qi Huan did was at Qiao Qian’s behest.
“Scoundrel and shameless woman, may you never have peace!”
Recalling the tragic ending of the previous wife’s story, Shen Zhiyu harbored no affection for Qi Huan.
“You little bastards, what are you saying?”
“I’ll shut your mouths for you!”
The previous wife tolerated them because they were Qi Huan’s family. Since Qi Huan had already quarrelled with them on her behalf, she didn’t want to worsen relations.
But Shen Zhiyu was not the previous wife; she would not tolerate their bad behavior.
Besides, technically, she was the elder to these two brats.
If their elders wouldn’t teach them manners, she would!
Adults shouldn’t quarrel with children?
Sorry, who isn’t still a child at heart?
She was merely a six-year-old child with over two hundred months!
Smack! Smack!
Two loud slaps landed, causing Zhou Cuihua’s beloved grandsons to wail pitifully.
“Shen Zhiyu, are you even human?”
“You pick fights with children? Is this how you behave as an elder?”
Unable to soothe her grandsons, Zhou Cuihua directed her anger at Shen Zhiyu.
“You old hag, if you’re human, then why don’t you properly discipline these little bastards?”
“Or did you teach them to say those things?”
To the previous wife, this was her mother-in-law.
To Shen Zhiyu, she was just some old woman from a strange household, utterly unworthy of her concern.
Cursing in public?
She could do that too!
Never having eaten pork, does one not know how pigs run?
Zhou Cuihua was taken aback that Shen Zhiyu dared to verbally spar with her right here on the street. For a moment, she thought her daughter-in-law must have lost her mind.
The previous Shen Zhiyu had always been patient, but constantly slandered. To Shen Zhiyu, that was simply foolish.
Now that she was here, she wouldn’t tolerate anyone!
“Move aside, a good dog doesn’t block the way!”
Shen Zhiyu pushed her cart forward and brusquely shoved Zhou Cuihua aside.
The nearby onlookers were stunned.
Though Qi Huan had fallen out with his family, his wife had never acted like this before. What was going on today? Such an unusual change?
“Could it be she’s been bullied badly?”
“Come to think of it, it’s quite possible!”
“The Qi family of the eldest son has really gone too far!”
“Parents unkind, children unfilial; it’s no wonder Shen Zhiyu lost her temper!”
“Exactly! Did you hear what those two kids just shouted?”
“Like father, like son.”
“That whole family is no good!”
...
The crowd’s murmurs grew louder, their criticism of the family mounting.
Zhou Cuihua could not bear it.
Just as she was about to argue back, her husband, Old Qi Huan, came over carrying his pipe.
“Zhou Cuihua!”
“How many times have I told you!”
“Poverty doesn’t mean low ambition!”
“That Qi Huan bastard isn’t my son anymore. Why do you keep coming here for no reason?”
“Go home!”
Old Qi’s arrival cut short Zhou Cuihua’s will to debate.
Though known as Old Qi Huan, he was not simple or kind-hearted; rather, he was dull-witted and violent—if things displeased him, he would beat people mercilessly.
Since marrying him, Zhou Cuihua had suffered many beatings.
Now, even a cough from Old Qi made her shiver.
She dared not argue and obediently pulled her grandsons away.
Shen Zhiyu glanced at this so-called father-in-law with a cold smile. He was no simple old man—he had even darker schemes.
He played a large role in the previous wife freezing to death under the bridge.
Most importantly, he once tried to make advances on the previous wife but was nearly castrated by her.
Though the story had not yet reached that point, Shen Zhiyu knew it was close.
The previous wife’s divorce from Qi Huan and expulsion from the family had much to do with Old Qi’s instigation, combined with Qi Huan’s whispers from behind Qiao Qian.
“A bunch of bastards, none of them will live easy!”
Growing angrier by the minute, Shen Zhiyu, who had no intention of responding to Old Qi, suddenly shouted loudly, “You old beast, what are you looking at?”
Calling him an “old beast” shocked everyone to their core.
Old Qi was dumbfounded. He’d been harboring feelings for his eldest daughter-in-law for some time, but had never acted on them or given any hint.
How did he end up being called an old beast?
Had he perhaps slipped up without realizing?
Feeling triumphant, Shen Zhiyu didn’t wait for a reply; she entered the courtyard and closed the gate behind her.
The crowd, unable to see her, turned their gaze to Old Qi, speculating on why she called him “old beast.” Was there some secret they didn’t know?
Curiosity surged among them.
Old Qi grew anxious under their scrutiny and said, “What are you all staring at? What did I do?”