Chapter 7: Is She a Wicked Mother-in-Law?

Bai Yunxi looked at his lowered head.

"As the eldest son, although it is not your responsibility to take care of your brothers, brotherly friendship and fraternal respect make for a harmonious family. When brothers are of one mind, their strength can cut through metal."

"Mother’s teachings are correct. It is this son who is useless and has caused Mother trouble."

Bai Anchen’s face flushed with guilt. He turned and bowed to the doctor, "Please, tend to Mother’s wound first."

The doctor nodded, casting a surprised glance at the Juren’s wife. Such a haughty and arrogant person, yet after a series of blows, she had actually begun to change.

Opening the haphazardly wrapped cloth strips and seeing the blood matted across the back of her head, the doctor frowned.

"Is there any liquor in the house? The wound must be cleaned, otherwise, it will be difficult to apply the medicine."

"Yes, yes, there is half a jar left. I’ll go get it right now."

Du-shi looked at the bloody mess on her mother-in-law’s head, her face turning pale with fright. She hurried to the kitchen to fetch the remaining half-jar of liquor.

It was the liquor left over from the funeral.

"Old sister-in-law, bear with it."

The doctor cleaned the wound, sprinkled on some medicinal powder, re-wrapped it with bandages, and set down another packet of powder.

"Change the dressing every three days. Be careful not to let it touch water, lest the wound fester."

"Many thanks, Doctor Yang. The consultation fee..."

Before Bai Yunxi could finish, the doctor waved his hand directly.

"No need. I gathered the herbs on the mountain myself; they cost nothing."

Even if he wanted to charge, given the state of this family, they wouldn't be able to scrape together a single copper coin.

After all the commotion, by the time the doctor was seen off, it was already noon. Du-shi stood before the bed, rubbing her hands together, and spoke timidly.

"Mother... it’s time to make lunch."

Bai Yunxi glanced at her, but before she could speak, she heard Du-shi’s inner thoughts.

*Mother-in-law is injured, so she must be in a bad mood. I wonder if she’ll even let us eat lunch?*

Bai Yunxi’s face darkened. Was she such a mean, wicked mother-in-law?

Would she not even let them eat?

The original owner did indeed control the family’s food supply, rationing it daily, but that was because the family hadn't separated yet. Feeding such a large household was a major expense; if not planned carefully, the result would be starvation. Even with the original owner being stingy, the family’s food supply was still stretched thin.

Coupled with the old Juren’s illness and the subsequent funeral, the family was about to run out of food entirely.

Bai Yunxi sighed silently and pointed to the rice jar in the corner.

"Take the rice bag from there to the kitchen. Scoop out half a bowl of rice to boil into porridge, and cut up two sweet potatoes. The bok choy planted in the backyard is ready to eat; pull two heads and stew them with the pickled vegetables. Li-shi, go and help."

"Yes!"

Du-shi let go of her stomach, quickly grabbed the cloth bag from the rice jar, and dashed toward the kitchen like a gust of wind, as if she feared Bai Yunxi might change her mind if she were any slower.

Watching Du-shi’s retreating back, the corner of Bai Yunxi’s eye twitched. Fine, she was a mean mother-in-law.

"Second son, take the fourth and fifth sons to the edge of the village to tidy up the shack. Repair what needs repairing and clean what needs cleaning."

"Understood, Mother."

In the blink of an eye, only the eldest son, Bai Anchen, remained in the room.

Seeing that everyone else had been assigned tasks by his mother while he was ignored, Bai Anchen felt a bit uneasy. But at the thought of having to move into the shack in three days, he felt inexplicably resentful again.

*He is the eldest son; he has the right to make decisions.*

*Father is gone, and the eldest brother is like a father. Everyone should listen to him... including Mother.*

Bai Yunxi looked at his resentful inner thoughts and complained to herself. Reforming such a troublesome son was a waste of time; he was rotten to the core, and it would be a miracle if he could ever be changed.

Being stared at by his mother, Bai Anchen went from indignation to nervousness. Thinking of the day's events, he felt inexplicably guilty.

Extra: A new story by Qiufeng, still in the farming genre, with a few added elements. A disclaimer: this book has no CP...

(End of chapter)