"The daughter-in-law is not filial and even lays hands on the elderly. If the police want to arrest someone, they should arrest this woman. Why come for me?" Wu Ajuan pointed at Yi Roujing's nose with one hand on her hip and said, "You are the one who is unfilial to your in-laws, cursing them every day. It's only because Li Hongying's weak character that you can ride over her."
"I'm not filial? Is that what my in-laws said?" Yi Roujing chuckled a bit, "It's just your own feelings, isn't it, madam? You see everything as dark because your own heart is dark."
"And my character, it's because I'm a new daughter-in-law that I was a bit shy before, but my in-laws have treated me with courtesy, teaching and guiding me well. Just look at the way they raised my husband into such an intellectual. Who doesn't compliment my in-laws when they meet them? Where do you get such nerve to compare yourself with my mother-in-law, madam?"
Shy? The other three people present looked at Yi Roujing who was speaking nonstop, all equally puzzled. She was shy...
Yi Roujing even leaned her face closer to Hupozi, "Even lips and teeth clash sometimes, so some friction among family is normal. But when have you ever seen me being hit by my in-laws?"
"She's indeed a shrew." Hupozi was so angry she was breathing heavily.
"I'm a shrew?" Yi Roujing pointed at herself in disbelief, "I am reasoning."
"Madam, that word was clearly tailored for you. Don't you have a clear understanding of yourself? You as a woman are being difficult to another woman. Are you treating your daughter-in-law this way because you suffered under your own mother-in-law?"
It's as though touching a sore spot, Hupozi's face suddenly turned black.
"Madam, don't lie about your daughter-in-law hitting you. If I take someone to the hospital for an injury examination, the results will be clear, clearer than the injuries on your daughter-in-law's face. This kind of beating might be because of anger, but it is clearly a severe beating. Madam, you need to receive education from the women's federation.
"Your ideological awareness is not up to par, you're feudal, stuck in the era where mothers-in-law laid down rules for daughters-in-law. You're a relic, why hasn't anyone pulled you aside for criticism? In this age where women carry half the sky, your behavior is a negative example, madam."
"If I report to the police, I might even receive a commendation for a strong report."
"You're Ding Ancheng's wife?" Ding Jianping looked a bit flustered, "My mother is just a bit strict with the children. It won't be like this in the future. Jianshe's wife, hurry up and come home with us."
Yi Roujing noticed her sleeve being tugged and turned to face a pair of fearful eyes.
"Don't be afraid, I..."
"Hu Ailing, you should think carefully. If I have Jianshe divorce you, who would want you? Your family wouldn't be able to hold their heads high either." Hupozi glared viciously.
The sleeve loosened and Hu Ailing let go of Yi Roujing's sleeve, her face full of fear now showed a trace of reluctance and a hint of despair, her feet unconsciously moved two steps towards Hupozi.
"Where is your husband? Why isn't he showing up when your mother-in-law treats you like this?" Yi Roujing's words stopped Hu Ailing in her tracks.
Even though her face was covered in bruises, Hu Ailing looked up with a soft expression at Yi Roujing, "He's a worker, working in the county town."
Hupozi's face showed self-satisfaction, "Though Ding Ancheng is a teacher, my son is no worse. Our Jianshe is a worker at a food factory, living off state income and even gets monthly ration tickets. With someone like Jianshe, he can find any kind of wife."
Yi Roujing looked at Hupozi with a playful expression, "I've seen many children disappointed by their fathers, but mothers who disappoint their sons are slightly rarer. Didn't expect you to be one, madam."
"What do you mean?" Hupozi frowned tightly, her face growing uglier.
"Your daughter-in-law has a great temperament. If it were me, I would have gone to the food factory to report injustice in the morning, let your son's bosses thoroughly see what kind of people his family is—can't sort out home affairs and people, how can he perform well at the factory? Contribute to the country?"
"Without a stable home, how can one stabilize the world? Better to relinquish the post to someone better to avoid hindering the factory's development."
"You, you..." Hupozi was so flustered by Yi Roujing's words that her face turned red, then blue, then white, her body started to tremble slightly, her eyes now shown caution towards Yi Roujing, though she didn't fully understand, she understood most that it was disadvantageous to her son.
"We, our... home is fine." Hupozi spoke with some volume but there was a hint of guilt in her speech.
"Oh—" Yi Roujing looked at Hu Ailing's face.
"Jianshe's wife, quickly tell her, we're..."
"You don't need to threaten people." Yi Roujing interrupted Hupozi's words, she saw the worry in Hu Ailing's eyes when she spoke, seems like she truly loves Ding Jianshe. This matter belongs to others anyway, and others might not want to harm their own husband, Yi Roujing decided not to intervene.
"Regardless, don't let me see your daughter-in-law's face bruised anymore. It offends my eyes." Yi Roujing added with a snort, "And don't think it's okay if the bruises are not visible. We live next door anyway. If wails come through again, I'll just go to your son's factory to find their leaders and have a cup of tea, let them properly manage their subordinates, don't let the family affect the neighbors' lives."
After saying this, Yi Roujing strode away. After a few steps, she remembered the proper business of going out this time, "By the way, where is the educated youth point?"
"Straight ahead, turn right at the intersection, the educated youth point is the first house." Hupozi hastened to reply.
Yi Roujing looked at Hupozi, slightly raised an eyebrow, "Thank you, madam. Also, another piece of advice: be content, otherwise if you encounter a bit more formidable daughter-in-law, I wonder if you'll have good days ahead."
"Ding Ancheng, how unfortunate." Hupozi shook her head at Yi Roujing's departing back, "What are you all standing there for? Go back."
Hupozi pulled Hu Ailing along, initially planning to pinch her, but Yi Roujing's words flashed through her mind, she took a deep breath and stopped her action, "Stay home for the next few days, don't go out until the bruises on your face fade, and don't go to work either."
"Hmph, really..."
Hu Ailing looked utterly surprised, she glanced back at Yi Roujing's silhouette before leaving.
Yi Roujing felt a bit stifled inside, then thought of her current in-laws and sighed, she should be nicer to them. Without comparison, there's no comfort, really, Ding Ancheng's family is something else, no wonder they could educate an intellectual, high quality indeed.
Turning right at the fork and walking fifty meters, Yi Roujing saw a house. The yard wall wasn't high enough to hide the layout inside, directly facing the yard wall were three rooms, with three rooms each on either side, and quite a lot of wild vegetables were hanging in the yard.