Chapter 04
He Loves Her Assertive Side
Lin Chen looked at Jiang Ning, his previously angry gaze softening instantly.
“I was just about to bring up moving out; you beat me to it.” He raised the corner of his mouth, happy that they were of one mind. Besides, the way she spoke just now was so sharp and imposing! It was even more formidable than the commanding officers he had served under. She wasn’t like this last night, when her voice was sweet as honey, and she seemed to want to melt into him. His little woman had two sides to her, and he loved this feisty, assertive side of her!
Seeing Lin Chenâs doting and approving expression, Lin Zhou-shi was so angry her nose was practically crooked.
“No way!” Her eyes widened, her tone laced with fear. Lin Chenâs salary was the family’s main source of income. If they split the household, their standard of living would inevitably plummet. As an old woman, she would lose the power to manage the large sums of money, losing all her authority. “Iâm not dead yet, so don’t talk about splitting the household! I donât agree.”
Lin Zhou-shi stood akimbo, spittle flying as she ranted. Yu Xiaofeng chimed in, “Supporting the elderly is the duty of the children. Lin Chen, if you are this unfilial, be carefulâthe villagers’ gossip will drown you!”
Lin Zhou-shi and Yu Xiaofeng formed a united front, bombarding him with criticism. But Lin Chen had already made up his mind; he was dead set on moving out.
Wang Xiufen, seeing the aggressive stance of the two women, fearfully tugged at her sonâs sleeve. “Xiao Chen, if this becomes too ugly, people will laugh at us. Why don’t we forget it? I can handle the work around here.”
Lin Chenâs expression changed. To be undermined by his own mother made his chest feel heavy with frustration. Who was he doing this for? It was all because he saw her suffering and wanted to free her from the shackles of this extended family! He was just about to say something to his mother when a look from Jiang Ning stopped him.
She stepped forward, took hold of Wang Xiufenâs hand, and said with a smile, “Mom, A-Chen is back, and he has his own family now. From now on, let us handle the family matters.”
Sheâs so soft-hearted and easily bullied; how could she possibly stand up to the eldest uncleâs family? Lin Qiao thought to herself. However, she was bright, and she could immediately see that her brother had married the right person. This sister-in-law was someone you could rely on; when things got tough, she really showed up. Lin Qiao added her voice to the persuasion: “Mom, Sister-in-law is right. We are one family now, and we should support Brother and Sister-in-lawâs decision.”
“Mm.” Looking at the beautiful and sharp Jiang Ning, Wang Xiufen nodded with tears in her eyes. Her daughter-in-law was rightâshe now had a son she could rely on!
Just as the two sides were arguing without reaching a conclusion, the village party secretary and the brigade leader arrived in the courtyard, accompanied by a group of villagers.
“Xiao Chen, Iâve brought you good news!” Village Secretary Lin Fugui said, beaming with a wide smile. He was over sixty, and as he laughed, his wrinkled eyes bunched together, revealing his yellow-black teeth. His voice was loud and clear, attracting the neighbors from left and right.
Chayuan Village belonged to Caiqi Commune, Xincheng County, Baisha City, Hunan Province. It was a typical water town with well-arranged rice paddies. The houses were spread out, separated by fields. The earlier arguing between the two families hadn’t caused much of a stir, but with the party secretary personally paying a visit, everyone was curious and followed them over.
It turned out that because Lin Chen had been honorably discharged, the organization had promised to arrange a job for him. News had just arrived, and the secretary had come to announce it with great fanfare. As the brigade secretary and leader, they didn’t receive a formal salary; they earned full work points just like everyone else, with a 3-yuan monthly subsidy.
Lin Chen, however, was the commune militia company commander, earning a 28-yuan monthly salary with significant authority. He was in charge of any public security incidents within the commune, such as fights or thefts. Lin Fugui and the brigade leader, Gao Qiang, had come to tell him he could report for duty today, while also taking the opportunity to curry favor.
Before Lin Chen could say a word, Lin Zhou-shi had already grabbed Lin Fuguiâs hand. “Secretary, thank you for coming personally. Please, sit. Iâll make you some sesame and soybean tea.”
Chayuan Village had its own tea garden, and every household was allotted tea leaves. When hosting guests, they would brew green tea, and for esteemed guests, they would toast some soybeans and sesame seeds to add to the brewâthe aroma was incredible. Lin Zhou-shi sprang into action, finding a glass jar from the back of the cabinet, pouring out a bit of raw sesame seeds, and then getting soybeans from another jar. She casually ordered Wang Xiufen to start the fire.
With outsiders present, Wang Xiufen couldn’t defy her mother-in-law and sat by the stove. The others found chairs and sat down.
Lin Chen thanked the secretary for the news about his job, then immediately brought up the subject of separating the household. There were precedents for such separations in the village; as long as they negotiated and got a certificate from the secretary and the brigade leader, it was doable.
The secretary looked at Lin Zhou-shi, who was busy with the stove, and felt a bit conflicted. After all, there was a seventy-year-old grandmother in the house; he feared this wouldn’t be easy to handle. The grandmother seized the opportunity to pour out her grievances.
“Secretary, you must uphold justice for me. For so many years, Xiufen has had no man. If we hadn’t helped out, could she have raised these two children? Now that Xiao Chen has made something of himself, they accuse us of taking advantage and want to split the household. Isn’t this just slandering us?”
Good grief, sheâs turning the tables!
Jiang Ning couldn’t take it anymore and stood up abruptly. “Grandma, I was waiting for you to say that. Besides making my mother do all the work, what help have you provided? I suspect you were helping to snatch meat to eat and whispering behind our backs! As for our A-Chen, he has been sending money home every monthâat least 1,800 yuan in total. Tell me, with that much money, if you hadn’t squandered it, wouldn’t my mother have been able to eat meat every single day?”
The crowd of onlookers erupted into a flurry of discussion. Eating meat every day? What a wonderful life that would be! So the Lin family was that rich! No wonder Yu Xiaofeng looked so well-fed and Lin Zhou-shi looked so plump! Meanwhile, Wang Xiufen always looked so miserable; all we ever saw her doing was manual labor!
Gao Qiang, who had been silent until nowâhis wife was a cousin of Yu Xiaofengâsaw that his cousin-in-law was losing the upper hand and spoke sternly. “You are a new bride; there’s no need for you to speak up! Let the man of the house handle this.”
His deep-seated contempt for women was exposed in his words. Lin Chen glared at him and responded sharply:
“Whatâs wrong with a new bride? Why shouldn’t she be allowed to speak? Every word she said is true and reasonable. Since weâve brought it to this point, our stance is firm: we are drawing a line between us and the parasites in this family. From now on, the money I earn belongs only to our small household. Furthermore, from now on, my wifeâs word is my word. If anyone dares to say anything against her in front of me, don’t blame me for being impolite!”
Gao Qiangâs face flushed with embarrassment; he wanted to say something, but he swallowed his words.
Jiang Ning smiled and squeezed Lin Chenâs hand. She was proud of how manly her husband was! Seeing the couple looking at each other with stars in their eyes, the crowd clicked their tonguesâthese two were not people to be trifled with.
Just then, Lin Tao, who had been observing from inside the room, walked out. He hadn’t expected his mother to be backed into a corner; it seemed it was up to him to turn the tide!
