allonlinenovel Chapter 159 The Young Widow 10
Chapter 159 The Young Widow 10
After Chen Jianhua and Liu Mei got married, the peace of the Chen family was completely broken.
When the family business was divided, it was clearly written in black and white that the bathroom and toilet belonged to the eldest brother Chen Jianhua's family.
At that time, despite their own ulterior motives, everyone seemed to be living in peace on the surface. After Chen Lihong failed to borrow money from Lin Ruan, she returned home and proposed that she would be responsible for the three of them's meals, splitting the grocery bill evenly among the three of them, and sharing the household food. Chen Jianhua and Chen Jianjun agreed, and Chen Jianjun also suggested that the three of them use the balcony to dry clothes. Chen Jianhua also suggested that the bathroom and kitchen be shared by the three of them.
But ever since Liu Mei, who had no job, married into the family, the family was like a fuse that had been lit, and conflicts were on the verge of breaking out. The day after Liu Mei came into the house, Chen Lihong was about to go into the kitchen to cook as usual, but she found Liu Mei waiting there early, with her arms folded across her chest, looking unhappy.
Chen Lihong was stunned for a moment and asked in confusion: "Sister-in-law, what's going on? I'm preparing to cook."
Liu Mei snorted and said sarcastically, "Oh, you must be tired after a day's work, how can you come back and cook? I think I should do it. After all, I'm at home all day, so it's convenient for me to buy groceries and cook. Besides, Lihong, I'm not saying anything bad, but you're too rough at cooking. The meal you make is a mess, and only your brothers can eat it."
Upon hearing this, Chen Lihong retorted, "I've been doing this before and haven't seen any problems. How come I can't do it well?"
Liu Mei rolled her eyes and said disdainfully, "The past is the past. Now that I'm here, this family has to follow my rules. I can do the laundry and cooking myself, so you don't need to bother with me."
Chen Lihong knew that Liu Mei was targeting her, but she couldn't get angry and could only silently swallow her anger. From then on, Chen Lihong and Chen Jianjun no longer ate with Chen Jianhua, but continued to eat in the cafeteria.
However, this was just the beginning, and more outrageous things were yet to come. The issue of toilet usage also became the fuse of a fierce "war".
Chen Jianjun was relatively well-off. As soon as he saw Liu Mei hanging the new padlock on the toilet door, he approached Chen Jianhua and said, "Brother, I want to use this toilet. I'll pay 5 cents a month for the water. The balcony remains the same. We can hang clothes together, okay? It's like we're brothers settling accounts."
Chen Jianhua nodded, which was considered as his agreement.
But Chen Lihong was sad.
That day, Liu Mei arrogantly said in front of everyone, "Chen Lihong, if you want to use the toilet in the future, you must give Chen Jianhua 1.5 yuan every month, otherwise you can't use it. This toilet is ours now, not yours."
Chen Lihong's eyes widened when she heard this request. She couldn't believe her ears and said angrily, "Sister-in-law, you're going too far! We're all family, and you have to pay to use the restroom? Besides, my third brother pays 5 cents, so why should I pay yuan? I'm already having a hard time, and you're just trying to make things difficult for me."
Liu Mei disagreed. She put her hands on her hips and said confidently, "What family? Now that we've split up, we each live our own lives. Your third brother has a balcony for us to use, so what do you have? This toilet is ours now. If you want to use it, you have to pay. If you don't have money, don't use it."
Chen Lihong was so angry that she was shaking all over. She tried to reason with Liu Mei, her voice pleading: "Sister-in-law, you know I'm short of money right now. I'm a part-time worker and I only make so little every month. Can't you be a little understanding?"
Liu Mei, however, seemed determined not to listen to Chen Lihong at all, and shouted, "Stop talking nonsense and pretending to be pitiful. If you don't have money, don't use the toilet. It's that simple!"
Chen Jianhua watched the two quarreling from the side, but said nothing and tacitly agreed with Liu Mei's behavior.
Chen Lihong looked at Chen Jianhua, her eyes full of disappointment: "Brother, are you just going to watch her bully me like this? We are siblings!"
Chen Jianhua avoided her gaze and said in a muffled voice, "Lihong, just do as she says. Your sister-in-law doesn't have a job, and we'll have to raise a child in the future. It's not easy for anyone."
Chen Lihong was helpless, filled with resentment and tears welling up in her eyes. But she had no other choice but to grit her teeth and accept the "toilet fee."
As a result, Chen Lihong's monthly living expenses were drastically reduced. After deducting various expenses from her already meager income, she was left with a meager eight and twenty yuan. After deducting the money Chen Lihong considered "essential," she was left with only three yuan for food. Even in those days of relatively affordable living, expecting to eat well with such a small amount of money was simply unrealistic. She ate a multi-grain steamed bun with pickles every morning and evening, and a vegetable dish for lunch, either stir-fried cabbage or radish, which left her face a pale green.
Chen Lihong often couldn't help crying when she saw the simple and shabby meals. She had no way out at home now, so she decided to find someone to marry quickly. That way, she wouldn't have to worry about rent and retirement expenses, but she could still eat at home and save some money.
After Chen Lihong made up her mind to find a partner, she dove headfirst into the world of blind dates. However, she had very high standards and could not find anyone who was not her type. She was also very harsh and mean, often offending her date with inappropriate words.
During a blind date, the man was only a few minutes late, but Chen Lihong was impatient and sarcastically said, "With such a poor sense of time, what great things can you achieve in the future?" The man smiled awkwardly and explained that he was delayed for a while by work, but Chen Lihong was relentless, "You have a lot of excuses. You can't even plan your time in advance. It's obvious that you are not reliable." After scolding him, the man's face turned pale and he left in a hurry without even eating.
Another time, the other party was also a temporary worker. Chen Lihong curled her lips and said, "With your conditions, you still come out for a blind date? Don't you see your own weight? I don't want to suffer with you for the rest of my life." In this way, she offended many people in succession, and her blind date journey became more and more bumpy.
Just as Chen Lihong was nearing despair, she was introduced to Wang Qiang, a regular employee at the textile factory. Wang Qiang was plain-looking, honest, and hardworking. Chen Lihong hadn't held out much hope on their initial meeting, but when she learned that Wang Qiang's uncle was a factory manager and had promised to make her a regular employee if she married him, her heart was captivated.
After spending some time together, Wang Qiang became quite interested in Chen Lihong, always agreeing with her. Chen Lihong, reflecting on her own situation, tacitly accepted the relationship. When it came time to discuss marriage, Chen Lihong, remembering Liu Mei's wedding gift, asked for a similar gift of 188 yuan and a bicycle.
Wang Qiang's family was furious when they heard this request. Wang Qiang's mother, who was always mean, jumped up and down when she heard this and said, "How can you ask for such a high price? You think we are being taken advantage of! One hundred and eighty-eight yuan, why don't you just go and grab it!"
Wang Qiang relayed Wang's mother's words, and Chen Lihong responded, "My sister-in-law had all these when she got married, so why can't I? I'm no worse off than her! I even have a job, and my sister-in-law has nothing!"
The two sides were deadlocked over this and the situation became very unpleasant.
Wang Qiang was caught in a dilemma, with his overbearing mother on one side and his beloved girlfriend on the other. He resorted to mediation, repeatedly visiting Chen Lihong's home to appease her and promising to do his best to mediate. After much deliberation, Wang Qiang's uncle intervened, ultimately lowering the betrothal gift to 88 yuan and a bicycle, with the explicit requirement that the bicycle be returned to Wang's family.
Although Chen Lihong felt reluctant, she gritted her teeth and agreed, knowing that her job promotion would depend on her uncle Wang Qiang. And so, Chen Lihong and Wang Qiang finalized their marriage. Despite the setbacks, the thought of escaping her current hardship and potentially finding a career boost sparked a glimmer of hope in Chen Lihong. She did, however, worry about how she would deal with her harsh mother-in-law in the future. But for now, she could no longer afford to worry, hoping to start a new life as soon as possible.
As her wedding date approaches, Chen Lihong is busy preparing for it, hoping to escape her current miserable living situation. However, at this critical juncture, Liu Mei creates trouble again.
That day, Liu Mei took advantage of Chen Lihong's home and swaggered into her room. She plopped down on a chair with a smug and greedy look on her face. Before Chen Lihong could ask, Liu Mei said arrogantly, "Lihong, you're getting married soon. I guess you can't do your job anymore, right? Can you leave your job to me? Isn't that the way it is in every family? When I got married, I kept my job at my parents' house."
Upon hearing this, Chen Lihong flew into a rage, her eyes widening as she stared at Liu Mei in disbelief. She was so angry she was shaking all over and yelled, "Liu Mei, you're so shameless! I bought this job with the money I got from the family split. You knew we were two families when I was using the restroom, and you want us to be one family again when I'm working? What good are you thinking? Even if I get married, it's still my job. Why should I leave it to you? How can you be so greedy and want everything!"
Liu Mei was caught off guard by Chen Lihong's sudden outburst, but she quickly regained her unruly demeanor. She stood up, hands on her hips, and yelled, "How dare you talk like that, little girl? I'm your sister-in-law! After you get married, you'll definitely prioritize your in-laws. How will you have time for work? You gave me your job for the good of our family. Don't be ungrateful!"
Chen Lihong sneered and retorted bluntly, "For the good of this family? Don't use such high-sounding excuses! Ever since you married into our family, you haven't done a single good thing. You've always made things difficult for me, and now you're even going after my job! You're going too far!"
Liu Mei's face flushed red, and she shouted in anger, "Don't refuse my toast! I'm telling you, if you don't give me your job, you'll never have a good life in this family again!"
Chen Lihong stepped forward, looked Liu Mei straight in the eye, and said fearlessly, "I'm not afraid of your threats! I've already had enough of your anger in this family. Do you think I'll still be afraid of you after I get married? I'm telling you, the deputy director of the personnel department of the textile factory is my girlfriend's uncle. Without my personal approval and the consent of my girlfriend's family, this job can only be mine. No one can take it away from me!"
Liu Mei was speechless after being scolded by Chen Lihong. Her face turned pale and blue. She stamped her feet, glared at Chen Lihong fiercely, muttered "Just wait and see", and walked away in shame.