Chapter 207: It’ll Pass When You Die
Chapter 207: Chapter 207: It’ll Pass When You Die
Seeing the two of them staring at each other, Lu Deyao quickly urged Jiang Moli, "Moli, hurry and greet your grandmother."
Jiang Moli complied readily. "Hello there, Grandma."
Zhu Huanghua shot her a sidelong glance and snorted coldly. "She looks like some bewitching creature. You can tell she’s no good!"
Lu Tingting was inwardly delighted to hear Jiang Moli get scolded.
’She knew this trip wouldn’t be for nothing!’
Lu Cheng stepped forward to shield Jiang Moli. "Grandma, I brought Moli all this way to visit you. If you don’t like her being here, we can leave right now."
Zhu Huanghua didn’t even have a kind look for her own grandson. "If you’re leaving, then get lost. Who wants you here, anyway?"
Jiang Moli pulled Lu Cheng behind her. "Hey now, Grandma’s our elder. It’s nothing for us juniors to get scolded a bit."
Watching this, Zeng Xiulan whispered to An Hui, "This daughter-in-law of yours is quite sensible."
An Hui smiled and said nothing.
’My daughter-in-law is not the type to just swallow her anger and keep quiet.’
’She almost laughed just thinking about how her mother-in-law was about to be driven hopping mad by Moli.’
Jiang Moli leaned down, smiling sweetly at Zhu Huanghua. "Grandma, it’s alright if you don’t like seeing me. In a couple of years, when you’re blind, you won’t have to see me at all."
Zhu Huanghua’s pea-sized eyes bulged to the size of longans, and she began to wheeze.
"You..."
Seeing how furious Zhu Huanghua was, Jiang Moli considerately patted her on the back to help her catch her breath. "Now, now, don’t be angry. If you accidentally get so mad you die, we’ll have to hold a funeral banquet today."
Zhu Huanghua was so enraged she reeled backward.
An Hui ducked her head to hide her smile.
’She just knew her daughter-in-law wouldn’t let her down.’
The two sisters-in-law, Fan Wenfang and Xu Xiuzhen, exchanged a look, and both could see the glee in the other’s eyes.
For years, they too had endured plenty of the old woman’s petty bullying.
Finally, someone was here who could put the old woman in her place.
This was the first time Lu An had witnessed Jiang Moli’s "combat effectiveness," and he was momentarily astonished.
Lu Tingting grinned so widely her gums were showing.
’As much as she enjoyed seeing Jiang Moli get yelled at, she wanted to see Zhu Huanghua get provoked to death even more.’
’That old hag had always played favorites. When Tingting was seven, her cousin snatched her toy. Without even asking what happened, the old hag slapped her across the face and forced her to give the toy to him.’
’She would never forget that as long as she lived!’
Lu Deyao quickly pulled Jiang Moli aside. "Moli, that’s enough. Mom, Moli is young and doesn’t know any better. Please don’t take it to heart."
Of course Zhu Huanghua was still angry.
’That annoying son of mine found an equally annoying wife!’
’Disdain Value +1. Credited: 10,000 yuan.’
Seeing that his wife hadn’t come out on the losing end, Lu Cheng didn’t want to argue with his grandmother any further. He pulled Jiang Moli back over to An Hui’s side.
Jiang Moli raised her hand and linked arms with An Hui.
An Hui glanced at her but said nothing.
An unspoken understanding flowed between the two women.
Zeng Xiulan watched, unable to resist moralizing. "Xiao Jiang, your grandmother is an elder. Whatever she says, you should just listen. If you keep talking back to her and something happens to her from the anger, can you bear that responsibility?"
Jiang Moli looked at Zeng Xiulan with a smirk. "Eldest Aunt, I didn’t see you speaking up for me when Grandma was cursing me out. Mom, you should really learn from Eldest Aunt how easy it is to talk when you’re not the one in the hot seat."
’An Hui was ecstatic.’
’In the past, whenever she had to endure her mother-in-law’s moods, this sister-in-law had never failed to gloat and make sarcastic comments.’
Out loud, she feigned a scolding tone with Jiang Moli. "Alright now, stop spouting such blatant truths."
Zeng Xiulan nearly choked with anger.
’Disdain Value +1. Credited: 10,000 yuan.’
Lu Deping was also surprised. His nephew’s wife, Jiang Moli, looked so delicate and frail, but she was not someone to be provoked.
"Xiao Jiang, Grandma isn’t a bad person. She just has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Don’t take it personally."
Jiang Moli smiled brightly. "Eldest Uncle, I’m not a bad person either. I just tend to get upset when I hear things I don’t like. You shouldn’t take it personally, either."
Seeing that Jiang Moli wouldn’t even show him, her eldest uncle, the slightest bit of respect, Lu Deping’s expression soured.
His and Zeng Xiulan’s sons and daughters-in-law also began to feel disdain and revulsion toward Jiang Moli and her relentless tongue.
’So disrespectful to her elders. She has no manners or breeding whatsoever.’
’Disdain Value +8. Credited: 80,000 yuan.’
Over on the other side, Lu Deyao managed to calm Zhu Huanghua down. Only then did he lead Lu Cheng, Lu An, and Jiang Moli inside to see Mr. Lu.
Before they went in, Lu Deyao made a point of repeatedly warning Jiang Moli, "Once you’re inside, just greet him as ’Grandpa’ and don’t say another word, understand?"
’He couldn’t have her upsetting the old man, too.’
"Got it," Jiang Moli replied.
’She wasn’t so heartless as to be rude to a disabled veteran.’
Mr. Lu’s health was truly failing. It was only October, yet he was already wearing a thick, padded jacket.
He could barely speak more than a few words, and just held tightly onto the hands of the two brothers, Lu Cheng and Lu An, murmuring, "Chengcheng... An’an..."
After coming out of Mr. Lu’s room, Jiang Moli turned to look at the somewhat silent man beside her.
"Chengcheng? Something on your mind? Tell me, so I can have a laugh."
A look of melancholy and sorrow crossed Lu Cheng’s usually composed face. "When we were kids, Grandpa was really good to my older brothers and me. He’d secretly tell us where Grandma hid the good food."
Zhu Huanghua played favorites. Every time An Hui brought the three brothers back, she would hide the food in advance.
But Mr. Lu would do the opposite, and he took a lot of scoldings and even beatings from Zhu Huanghua for it.
Jiang Moli held Lu Cheng’s hand, which was hanging by his side. "Birth, old age, sickness, and death are inevitable. Some people, even when they’re gone, will be cherished and remembered by later generations. And some people, even if they’re alive, are no different from being dead."
Just as she finished speaking, Zhu Huanghua’s shrill, angry shouts erupted from inside the house.
They hurried inside to find Zhu Huanghua and An Hui in a heated argument, their faces flushed with anger.
It was about lunch.
There were a dozen or so people on Lu Deyao’s side, and Lu Deping’s family was just as large, making for about 30 people in total.
The two brothers had suggested going to a restaurant to make things easier for everyone.
Zhu Huanghua complained it was a waste of money and insisted they eat at home. She even specifically demanded that An Hui and her other daughters-in-law do all the cooking.
An Hui was no pushover. She used the excuse of not feeling well and told Zhu Huanghua to cook it herself.
That really hit a nerve with Zhu Huanghua.
"You bitch! You think I can’t order you around anymore? You get a little bit of filthy money and suddenly you don’t know who you are? All you do is spend, spend, spend! The Lu Family is going to be ruined by a wasteful shrew like you!"
An Hui wasn’t about to back down. "Even if I am, it’s my husband’s money I’m spending! If you’re so powerful, why don’t you shove Lu Deyao right back into your womb!"
"You really think I can’t handle you anymore? Just you wait! Someone get my cane! I’m going to beat her to death today!"
Lu Deyao and Lu Deping flanked Zhu Huanghua, holding her back and trying to calm her down.
Jiang Moli stepped forward and put her arms around An Hui. "Mom, don’t argue, don’t argue."
Then she turned to Zhu Huanghua. "Grandma, you’re at an advanced age. Can’t you act a little more dignified? If you can’t keep your mouth shut, then just close your eyes for good, hmm?"
Zhu Huanghua was so furious it looked like her eyes might pop out and hit Jiang Moli in the face. "You shameless little harlot! Always running that mouth of yours! You wretched creature, born but never raised!"
Jiang Moli smiled. "I know you can’t stand the sight of us. That’s alright, just endure it a little longer. It’ll be over soon. After all, you don’t have much longer to live, anyway."
Zhu Huanghua’s old face was twisted with anger.