Chapter 7: Damn it, she knew at a single glance that this was her cub

Lu Jiaxuan was carrying two bowls of cornmeal porridge and two yellow millet steamed buns. Hearing the door open, he was just about to break into a smile when a person zoomed past him. Before he could even see clearly, another person ran out of the room.

He stood there in a daze, looking into the room and then outside. Hearing Wang Guizhi’s shouting, he suddenly snapped back to his senses.

“It’s bad, it’s bad! Mom, Mom, hurry, something’s happened!”

He didn't even bother to go into the room to check; he hurried toward the main hall.

Zhou Jiaojiao was still holding half a jin of brown sugar. The second son, Lu Jiahe, his wife Wu Xianglan, and Liu Sanjin, having heard the shouting outside, rushed out to see what was happening.

“Mom, it’s bad. Eldest Sister-in-law’s parents suddenly ran out, shouting as they ran that our Lu family is beating people, and that we’re trying to force Eldest Sister-in-law to her death—all for the sake of those three big tile-roofed rooms.”

Lu Jiaxuan felt a bit embarrassed to say it. When he and Zhou Jiaojiao first got together, he had promised her a good life. When they got engaged, they had tidied up the room. As the youngest son of the Lu family, his mother doted on him and had specifically renovated a large, south-facing room for him, with all the furniture being of good quality.

But Jiaojiao’s mother had set her sights on the eldest sister-in-law’s three big tile-roofed rooms. Those rooms were bright and spacious—the best in the entire village. However, that was paid for by the eldest brother, specifically so that the eldest sister-in-law and the children could live comfortably. As a warehouse manager for the production team, how could he possibly have the ability to build a separate brick-and-tile courtyard on his own?

But Jiaojiao’s mother was set on it, and since he and Jiaojiao were so close, he had no choice when it came time to get married. It was his mother who came up with the idea of renting them from the eldest sister-in-law. He hadn't been confident about it, but to his surprise, the eldest sister-in-law had agreed.

It wasn't as if they hadn't mentioned returning the house over the past six months, but every time, his mother had helped block it. Besides, they were paying rent; he didn't feel guilty.

When Zhou Jiaojiao heard Lu Jiaxuan say this, her face turned pale, and the brown sugar in her hand almost fell to the ground. When she first came to the Lu family, she had taken a liking to those three tile-roofed rooms. The room the old Lu courtyard had renovated for them was nice, but it was far inferior to the brick-and-tile house. She had been living there for over half a year, and all the decorations inside were the result of her own hard work. Now, asking her to move out? That was impossible.

“How dare they! When the eldest wanted to build that house, I didn't agree. If it weren't for the three yuan a month for my old-age pension, and what he said at the time about living separately but not splitting the family, I would never have agreed even if I died. Ever since Shen Meng entered this family, have I ever treated her poorly? Since the family hasn't split, if I say that house is for the fourth son to live in, then it’s for the fourth son. Let’s see what the Shen family can do about it! Hmph, come, follow me to the eldest’s room. I want to see what she’s trying to pull!”

After delivering her harsh words, Liu Sanjin walked out first. Wu Xianglan and Lu Jiahe quickly followed. She and her husband earned few work points and relied on the old couple’s pension to eat well, so she had to keep the mother-in-law happy.

Zhou Jiaojiao was about to leave when she paused, noticing Xie Jinghao, who hadn't moved.

“Third Sister-in-law, aren't you coming with us?”

Xie Jinghao didn't even lift her eyelids. She rubbed her belly and said, “I won’t go. My belly is big and it’s inconvenient to walk. Xiaogang needs to sleep in a bit, so I won’t get involved.”

She wasn't going. The whole family saw that Shen Meng was a fool and kept trying to trick her. She could barely take care of the eldest brother’s children and manage her own home; she wasn't about to go and play the villain.

Seeing her cold attitude, Zhou Jiaojiao forced a smile and pulled Lu Jiaxuan away. As long as she didn't get in her way, this was fine.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was there, Shen Meng took a bottle of saline solution out of her space and gulped down half of it, then stuffed half a cake into her mouth. Now, every time she swallowed, her temples throbbed.

After regaining some strength, she took out a bottle of tone-up cream and smeared her face until it was naturally deathly pale, looking very much like someone at the end of their rope.

Before the door was opened, she quickly tucked the items back into her space.

Liu Sanjin, with a gloomy face, was just about to open her mouth to scold Shen Meng when she saw her looking haggard and frail, her face deathly pale and her lips devoid of any color. She was a completely different person from the sharp-tongued, vigorous Shen Meng who had been carried into the house earlier.

It wasn't just her; even Lu Jiaxuan, Zhou Jiaojiao, and the others who followed behind were startled. This... this looked like she was really about to die!

Wu Xianglan felt a chill in her heart. When she met Shen Meng’s gaze, she turned her head away, feeling guilty. Her body went soft with fear. She had only come to take advantage of the situation, not to kill the eldest sister-in-law! Looking at that deathly face—she had just made eye contact with her—she wondered if, when the person really died, she would come back to settle the score.

Thinking this, she lowered her head even further, regretting it so much her intestines turned green. She shouldn't have come. The eldest sister-in-law had been gored by an ox—that was an ox! Even a grown man would be crippled if not killed, let alone a delicate woman.

Shen Meng watched their colorful expressions and was very satisfied with the expected result. Calculating the time, her father should be bringing the children back soon. It was time for her performance.

“Mom, Jiaxuan, Jiaojiao, Jiahe, and Xianglan... what... what do you want?”

“Ah? I, no, Eldest Sister-in-law, I didn't mean anything. I just came to see you, really.” Wu Xianglan, who had been lost in her own thoughts, was startled and shrieked when she was suddenly called out.

Zhou Jiaojiao saw that the situation wasn't right. She squeezed out two tears and was about to run over and cry on Shen Meng.

“My poor Eldest Sister-in-law...”

“Mingyang, Mingliang, Mingfang, and my Mingkai... Mingkai, where are you? Mom is afraid she won't make it. Son, son, where are you? Let Mom see you one last time. Mom is sorry, child. Where is my child?”

The shrill, mournful cries instantly cut off Zhou Jiaojiao’s words. The emotion she had just brewed was interrupted, and her expression—half-crying, half-not—froze on her face.

Outside, Shen Fugui was holding one child in each hand, followed by nine-year-old Mingyang and seven-year-old Mingliang. Hearing the crying from the room, they paused.

“Hurry now. Mingkai, good child, hurry into the room and see your mother, or you won’t be able to see her one last time.”

Lu Mingkai was the original owner’s biological child. Although he had endured the original owner’s frequent beatings and scoldings, he was only three years old and still felt a sense of attachment to her. He immediately burst into tears.

Mingfang was six. Although she was young, she did plenty of chores and didn't have much affection for the original owner, but hearing that someone was dying, she was still scared.

As for Mingyang and Mingliang following behind, the two of them just exchanged a silent look. There was no expression on their faces, and they were thinking that it would be better if the wicked woman died—it would be a clean slate.

Shen Meng was still wailing. Fortunately, she had used eye drops beforehand, or she really wouldn't have been able to cry.

“Mom, wuwu, Xiaokai doesn't want you to die, wuwu...”

Hearing the childish cry, Shen Meng lowered her eyes and looked. She almost cursed out loud. Damn it, she could tell at a glance that this crying, cute little cub was her biological child.

Dear friends, hello everyone, I am Er Fei 2. Thank you for reading my work. If you like it, remember to bookmark it, and let those recommendation votes fly!

(End of chapter)