Chapter 35: Running Away from Home

Seeing his wife in tears, Lao San instantly flew into a rage.

"Mom, do you really hate seeing me do well that much? Anyway, your job is going to be handed over to Juanzi sooner or later. What's the harm in it being six months early? She's my wife, not an outsider. Why are you being so hostile?

I've always known you opposed me and Juanzi being in a free love relationship, and that you didn't want me to marry someone whose background we knew well. So, you've disliked the two of us from the very beginning.

I'm the one who chose her, and I won't allow you to insult her like this. Since you dislike us so much, we might as well stay far away from you so we don't offend your eyes."

"Waaa... Brother San, you've made me sound so worthless, as if I'm some shameless person clinging to you. If your mother doesn't like me, I'll just leave."

Zhao Meijuan covered her face, weeping inconsolably, looking as if she might faint at any moment.

The more miserable she appeared, the more Zhang Jianshe's heart ached for her. He pulled her shoulders toward him and stared at Li Xiangqin with uncontrollable fury, his entire body trembling with rage.

"I just don't understand. Other people's mothers do everything they can to plan for their children, but you only think of yourself without considering anyone else. The word 'selfish' is perfectly embodied in you."

Looking at Lao San's face and hearing his angry accusations, Li Xiangqin felt not a shred of maternal affection in his eyes.

Though she had prepared herself, she couldn't help but feel chilled to the bone.

In her past life, she had given her heart and soul, and yet she hadn't ended up with a good outcome either.

Perhaps some people are rotten to the core; if they don't care about their own kin, they can never empathize with others.

"You damn fool. If you want to leave, then leave. I'll just pretend I never gave birth to an ungrateful wolf like you. Get lost!"

Whether it was because he had been corrupted by bad company or because he was inherently bad, she no longer wanted this son.

Dammit, they were the ones demanding things from her, yet in the end, they made it look like she was the wrongdoer.

With bloodshot eyes, Lao San pulled Zhao Meijuan into the room to pack. As they were heading out with their bags, Zhao Jianshe suddenly turned back and roared fiercely,

"You don't deserve to be my mother!"

"Then please remember what you said today. Just don't regret it later."

With a loud *bang*, the front door was slammed so hard it shook several times, revealing the fury of the two.

Lao Wu was already terrified. Wasn't this just the usual bickering? Why had it become so serious? Had she caused trouble?

Would her mother scold her once she realized what happened?

With a dark face, Li Xiangqin took a deep breath and stood up. "See that? Your mother is just a selfish and unreasonable person like this. Anyone who provokes me has to get out."

"...Mom, today's matter isn't your fault. Brother San and Sister-in-law went too far; they shouldn't have tried to snatch your job. I'll always stand by your side." Lao Wu shivered in fear and immediately raised her hand to declare her loyalty.

Anyway, Mom's mood had been quite bad lately; it was best to avoid provoking her.

Li Xiangqin glanced at her, picked up her basket, and went out to buy groceries.

Standing in the courtyard under the sun, she finally felt a sense of warmth spreading through her body.

Weaving through the bustling vegetable market, listening to the noisy haggling and feeling the vibrant atmosphere of daily life, her mood finally returned to calm.

The vegetable market, which she once thought was dirty and chaotic, could actually be a place that brought her peace of mind.

As she was finishing her shopping, she spotted a stall in a corner selling grass carp. It was fifty cents a jin, no coupons required, and the fish were quite large.

Li Xiangqin picked one, weighing over four jin, which cost a little over two yuan, and then bought a piece of tofu to take home.

For lunch, she planned to make fish stewed with tofu.

She chopped the fish into pieces and fried them; they would stay fine for a day or two in storage.

Lao Wu leaned against the kitchen doorway, watching her mother work. She rolled up her sleeves and approached cautiously.

"Mom, what can I help with?" Mom's temper had been quite volatile lately; she had to serve her carefully.

Seeing her cautious manner, Li Xiangqin snorted.

"Drop that puppy-like act; it's eyesore. As long as you don't cause any trouble, I won't bother dragging an innocent person into it."

Even scolding people took a lot of energy, after all.

"Hehe... I'm just afraid you'll be unhappy." Lao Wu chuckled, stood up straight, and sniffed the fragrant fried fish, nearly drooling.

"Look at you. Where's Lao Liu? He's not back yet..." Before she could finish, the door was pushed open. Lao Liu returned carrying two comic books, his nose twitching.

"Smells good~"

Seeing him, Lao Wu pulled him into the room and quickly recounted the family drama to him, then patted him on the shoulder.

"Watch your mouth. You might cause trouble for the innocent. Don't blame me if I'm heartless when the time comes."

Lao Liu blinked in surprise. "Did Brother San and Sister-in-law really run away from home?"

They had no money and no house; were they going to sleep on the streets?

In this era, housing was centrally managed by the Housing Bureau, and renting was a matter of luck.

"Is there any doubt? They're just one step away from severing ties."

Lao Wu put her hands on her hips and snorted.

"Ultimately, it's all Zhao Meijuan's fault. Aiming for Mom's job so early without looking at our family's situation—as if Mom would easily hand it over to her."

"She was indeed too impatient."

Lao Liu nodded in agreement and pointed outside.

"She's that angry, yet she's still making delicious food?"

Was she overstimulated, or did she have a backup plan?

"That's why I told you to be careful. We all need to keep a low profile lately. Whatever you do, don't provoke Mom." Lao Wu rubbed her arms, her eyes filled with worry.

When other mothers got angry, they would strike or refuse to work, using food as punishment. Her mother did the opposite—who wouldn't be scared?

Lao Liu lowered his head in silence for a moment, then suddenly looked at Lao Wu.

"I happened to read a report about women in *Zhiyin* magazine. It said that when women reach their forties or fifties, changes in their internal chemistry cause physical aging and drastic personality shifts. At this stage, they need extra care to mitigate it.

Especially as a partner, one must be more patient in guiding and understanding them; otherwise, they will become irritable and prone to outbursts, making life miserable for the family."

Unfortunately, Mom's partner was gone; only the family remained. The pressure was immense.

"Huh? Is it that serious? Where did you read that? Let me see!"

Lao Wu was shocked. After a moment of realization, she reached out and gave him a flick on the head.

"Why is a boy like you reading *Zhiyin*?"

"It's just a book, what's wrong with reading it?" Lao Liu rubbed his head. "Broadening one's knowledge is a fine cultural tradition. See? It's already being put to use."

That was true!

Lao Wu sighed. "From now on, we're the only two idle people in the house. Be smarter from now on."

When Li Xiangqin brought the food to the table, she saw Lao Wu's door slightly ajar. The two were whispering—who knew what they were plotting?

"Time to eat! Do you think hiding in your room will fill your stomachs?"

"Coming, coming! I'll help Mom serve the rice." The two jumped in fright. Lao Wu was the first to rush out, running to the kitchen to grab bowls, terrified that if she were a second too slow, her mother would catch her and scold her.

(End of Chapter)