Chapter 173: Can’t Afford This Humiliation

Chapter 173: Chapter 173: Can’t Afford This Humiliation

Yao Yuzhen, for instance, was the type who cared immensely about face and was a stickler for rules.

And Wu Xixi?

She couldn’t care less about dignity.

Song Yao hadn’t minced her words.

But for that sheepskin coat worth well over a hundred yuan, Wu Xixi had thrown all shame aside.

She twisted her lips and yelled, "I wasn’t asking you for it! I was asking Mom for it!"

The moment the words left her mouth, Song Yao immediately whipped her head around to stare intently at her mother-in-law, Wei Guilan.

If Wei Guilan had actually nodded, Song Yao would have, without a second thought, grabbed a pair of scissors and cut the coat in half.

She would rather ruin it than let Wu Xixi get her hands on it!

Wei Guilan looked at this daughter-in-law who was shamelessly causing trouble, her chest tightening with anger.

Before she could even speak, Li Yuan had already seized Wu Xixi by the arm.

"What the hell are you babbling about?!"

"Our sister-in-law bought this for Mom, and you’re already trying to claim it?"

Li Yuan’s voice was tight, his eyes fixed on Wu Xixi’s hand as it reached for the sheepskin coat.

"Mom hasn’t even worn it, and you think you get to wear it first?"

"Our family can’t afford this embarrassment!"

The more Li Yuan spoke, the angrier he got, and he started dragging her straight out the courtyard gate.

"Who’s shameless? Who’s shameless?!"

Wu Xixi kicked her legs and slapped at his arm.

No one in the room tried to stop them.

Wei Guilan, standing by the stove, didn’t move; she was bent over, adding firewood to the hearth. Song Yao, sitting on the threshold peeling garlic, didn’t look up either.

The courtyard gate was half-open, and a draft slipped in through the crack.

Only after she had been dragged out of sight did Wei Guilan let out a long sigh.

She reached up to wipe her forehead, then turned and held out her hands to Song Yao.

She then took the sheepskin coat from Song Yao, cradling it in her arms and stroking it over and over.

"You bought this for Mom, so Mom will wear it first thing tomorrow morning!"

’Why the rush to wear it?’

’She was afraid Wu Xixi would come back and stir up trouble over it again.’

Hearing this, Song Yao’s expression brightened.

"As long as you like it, Mom!"

Wei Guilan waved her hand.

"Like it? Of course I like it! In all my years, this is the first time I’ve ever touched something so soft and warm!"

She hugged the sheepskin coat a little tighter, bent her head, and sniffed it.

As she spoke, her eyes started to well up, and she discreetly wiped them with her sleeve.

"I’m truly blessed to have a daughter-in-law like you."

She murmured with a smile.

"The old saying is right: a son is close, but a daughter-in-law is closer to the heart. That saying is as true as they come!"

The moment she finished speaking, she herself laughed out loud.

The praise warmed Song Yao’s heart, and she impulsively made a new promise.

"Mom, the best days are still ahead!"

"When I save up enough money, I’ll definitely buy you a big, bright house in the city and have you move in so we can take care of you!"

"Oh, wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful!"

Wei Guilan was grinning from ear to ear.

"When I’m too old to walk, I’ll come depend on you!"

’But Wei Guilan knew in her heart she would never truly rely on her children to support her.’

She put the sheepskin coat away safely, and Song Yao pulled out several plastic bags, opening them one by one.

The moment Wei Guilan saw the meat, she immediately remembered something.

"Oh! The cured sausages Xiao Ying brought back last time are still in the cupboard. I’ll go get them for you right now!"

She turned and walked quickly toward the cupboard.

Song Yao had asked Li Ying to bring them back earlier.

It was half a cured ham, a salt-baked pig’s trotter, and a string of cured sausages.

She had personally picked them all out, specifically for her mother-in-law and sister-in-law.

She had specifically asked Li Ying to bring them, worried that the items wouldn’t otherwise reach their intended recipients.

Although the mother and daughter duo never said anything, they were living on a tight budget.

Song Yao remembered how just last week, Wu Xixi had snatched half an apple from Xiao Ying’s school bag right on the street.

But Wei Guilan hadn’t touched a single bite.

Now, she was waving her hands frantically.

"No, no, no, I’ve already prepared everything at home! I’ve bought several pounds of meat, cured two fish, we’re not short on anything for the New Year. In a couple of days, I’m even planning to fry some crispy pork balls. We’ll have more than enough for New Year’s Eve dinner!"

"You should take these back!"

As she spoke, she turned and headed for the inner room.

"You’re pregnant now, you need to eat well and build up your strength."

’She had secretly locked all those things in the bedroom cabinet, and she kept the key on her person.’

’She was afraid Wu Xixi would see them, grab them, and leave without so much as a word.’

The moment Song Yao saw her turn away, she immediately pulled Li Hanchen toward the door, calling out a quick instruction to Li Ying.

"Xiao Ying, make it clear to Mom, this meat isn’t leftovers! It’s specially for her and your brother! If Mom feels bad about it, just tell her to bring it out for New Year’s Eve dinner. Your second brother and I will definitely be there to enjoy it!"

Before her voice had even faded, they were already out the courtyard gate.

Ning City was cold, but the countryside was bone-chilling.

When the wind blew, it felt like a knife scraping across your face.

The moment they stepped outside, a cold wind hit her in the face, and Song Yao instinctively shrank her neck into her collar.

Without a word, Li Hanchen took off his own coat, wrapped it around her shoulders, and, grasping her hand tightly, hurried her toward home.

"We’re not coming back here for the New Year next year."

"Not coming back?"

"Right. We’re not coming back."

’It wasn’t just the cold; the twisted atmosphere inside was suffocating.’

Just sitting through one meal had been enough to make Li Hanchen himself feel disgusted.

’These aren’t the days of starvation anymore, and his sister-in-law is a woman in her thirties.’

Song Yao hadn’t said a single word.

Just looking at her made his chest feel tight.

He squeezed her cold fingers, his voice softening.

"When the baby’s born next year, a little infant can’t handle all this fuss. Making the trip back and forth is exhausting for you, and the baby would suffer too. It’s just not necessary."

"If Mom is willing, we can bring her to the city to stay with us before the Spring Festival. If she doesn’t want to? We can wait until spring when the farm work slows down, and then bring her over for a few days to play and cuddle her grandchild. That would be much warmer."

"A reunion doesn’t have to be forced into a single meal on New Year’s Eve."

Of course, Song Yao had no objections.

’The only reason she had steeled herself to come back was for Li Hanchen.’

’To be honest, she really liked this man. He was handsome, for one, but more importantly, he was reliable.’

’The original owner of this body had raised hell and demanded a divorce, but he never gave in.’

’In terms of character, he was absolutely solid.’

’So, enduring a few days for his sake was worth it.’

’But if she didn’t have to endure it at all... then who would be foolish enough to just stand there and freeze?’

"Alright, I’ll listen to my husband~"

Song Yao hooked her arm through his, holding on tightly.

Her hand warmed within Li Hanchen’s palm.

Song Yao pulled Li Hanchen along, and they vanished in a flash.

Li Ying bolted for the inner room, shouting as she ran, "Mom! Second Sister-in-law and Second Brother left!"

Wei Guilan was in the middle of taking out the cured sausages one by one.

Hearing the shout, her hand trembled. Forgetting about putting the things away, she turned and rushed into the main room.

The main room was already empty.

No, wait, Li Tian was still squatting there, frantically stuffing his pockets with snacks like peach crisps and milk candies.

The moment Wei Guilan and the others entered the room.

Without looking up, he kept grabbing things and shouting, "This is my favorite!"

Wei Guilan walked over, grabbed an empty cloth bag, and put some of the candies and cookies inside. She then added a few peach crisps and took Li Tian’s little hand.

"Let’s go, Grandma will take you home to bed."

Li Tian glanced at the bulging bag in her hand and nodded obediently.

As Li Hanchen and Song Yao passed by the gate to Li Yuan’s courtyard, Wu Xixi’s shouting could be heard from a long way off.

Li Hanchen didn’t spare it a glance. He simply lowered his head, pulled Song Yao’s scarf up tighter to bundle her up, then turned and walked away.

’A husband and wife were fighting. As the younger brother-in-law, there was really nothing he could say.’

By the time Wei Guilan approached with the child, the fiery argument was still crackling inside the house.

Wei Guilan was the mother-in-law; she couldn’t avoid it. She had no choice but to steel herself, walk up, and KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK on the door.

The noise inside came to an abrupt halt.

After a moment, Li Yuan pulled the door open. There were two bloody scratches on his face, as if he’d been clawed by a cat.

Wu Xixi hadn’t fared any better.