I became the Counterpart of the Winner in a Period Novel-Chapter 250 - 247: Shattering the Rumors
The brother and sister were in the middle of an intense conversation when a loud "bang" came from the courtyard next door.
By the time Jiang Ming’an reacted, his younger sister had already run off, leaving him to hurriedly follow.
"Oh my! Why is my life so bitter? The son I raised died young, and the daughter-in-law left behind is so spiteful that she won’t even invite me to my grandson’s wedding banquet. Shen Fanghua, how heartless you are!"
The old lady finished her scolding and was about to push Mrs. Jiang when Xia Xiaosi stepped forward to shield Mrs. Jiang. She took a heavy shove from the old lady, stumbled, and then was pulled back by a strong arm.
"Grandma, you should be grateful I’m still willing to call you grandma. When my dad passed away, you kicked our whole family out while my mom was still feverish. I knelt and begged you to wait until she recovered, but do you remember what you said?
You said it was perfect if my mom died to accompany my dad underground, and as for us siblings, you didn’t like us and didn’t lack grandchildren, so you told us to go as far away as possible, to not be an eyesore, and it’s best if we never see each other again."
"I..."
Jian Guo would not let her speak.
"What? Regretting it now that you see us siblings have made something of ourselves? Too late!"
"I..."
"Grandma, I’m having a banquet today, and everyone here has helped our family at some point. Have you helped us? They heard I got my marriage license and brought their best gifts as congratulations. Grandma, I’m your grandson, what did you bring for me?"
Jian Guo glanced at the old lady’s empty hands, making her a bit uncomfortable.
"Nothing! Because you never truly saw me as your grandson. You came here angrily and smashed my family’s porcelain basin without a word. You’re not here to celebrate; you’re here to bring us misfortune. You don’t wish us well at all."
"You, you..." The old lady’s fingers trembled with anger, and Zheng Honglian beside her looked sullen. She hadn’t expected the people from the third household to be so cold and heartless. Even after the old lady made a move, she couldn’t even get a bite of meat to eat. She heard that Jiang Jianjun was the best hunter around, and surely the Jiang Family had meat to eat nowadays.
"What about me? If you had been kinder to our family back then, I wouldn’t hate you so much now. For my dad’s sake, we still send you money as filial support every year, but nothing more. If you come causing trouble again..." Jian Guo suddenly leaned in and whispered something that only the two of them could hear, making the old lady’s face change dramatically.
Finally, she fled in panic.
Once everyone had left, Mrs. Jiang apologized to Xie Yunhai, who had come over at some point, saying, "I’m sorry you had to see that. Let Ming’an take you to rest."
"Every family has its troubles, mine is even more frustrating than this, no need for formalities, Third Aunt."
Shen Fanghua: "..." The earlier words were so comforting, but why did the last part sound so off to her!
This incident with the old lady dampened the earlier joy. Shen Fanghua was furious, but she also had her concerns.
"Jian Guo, you’re a village leader now with a bright future ahead. Your reputation starts now and shouldn’t be tarnished by these annoyances. You don’t need to stand up for me anymore; I can handle it. Also, Xiao Si, were you hurt just now?"
Xia Xiaosi shook her head, "Mom, she couldn’t hurt me. I’m very strong."
"...Glad to hear that, you’ve been busy today. Let Jian Guo take you back to rest. Everyone else can leave too."
"Mom, we’ll stay with you."
"No need." Shen Fanghua waved her hand.
But none of her children moved, warming Mrs. Jiang’s heart.
As a mother, having filial children is something to be proud of.
"Ah! That old woman is truly hateful. Not everyone knows what she did.
Although it’s frustrating, I really handled it poorly tonight. I should have considered our reputation; you all have bright futures ahead, and I don’t want you to carry any blame because of this incident.
Wait here, Xiao Si and Jian Guo; I’ll go to the kitchen to prepare some food for you to deliver to the old lady. Remember, go where there are people on your way."
With what she said, Xia Xiaosi understood she had to handle this elegantly later on.
Everyone gathered around Mrs. Jiang as she headed to the kitchen, everyone followed suit.
In the kitchen, Jiang Mingyue packed a large bowl of white rice with half a braised chicken cut neatly on top, a feast for the eyes.
Mrs. Jiang hadn’t even entered when she smelled the familiar aroma.
"Huh? What’s this?"
"Mom, aren’t you going to send food to grandma? I’ve already prepared it. Does it look okay?"
Mrs. Jiang’s eyes lit up, "Indeed, Yueyue is still the most considerate. It’s perfect!" she called out for them, "Jian Guo and Xiaxia, go deliver it quickly. Remember to greet people along the way. Xiaxia, take a few glutinous rice cakes too."
The road to the old residence had one main path and two side paths; it just depended on whether you wanted to take a shortcut or a long detour.
Whether by luck or fate, the couple came across several elder villagers chatting under the soft date trees, including Li Cuilan, who always supported their family.
Seeing the couple approaching, Li Cuilan was the first to greet them, "Jian Guo, is this the new bride? So beautiful. Congratulations!"
"Xiaxia, this is Aunt Li."
The couple greeted Aunt Li together, but they didn’t neglect anyone else.
"Hello Aunt Li, hello to the elders and uncles and aunts. Here, have some wedding sweets, something sweet for the mouth." Xia Xiaosi quickly pulled out the candies she had prepared in advance, and everyone was happy to share in the cheer. Even Uncle Yang, who seldom spoke, asked a question.
"Jian Guo, you two are?" he said, eyes glancing at the large bowl Jiang Jian Guo was holding, at least half a chicken piled in it, swallowing a bit at the sight.
That’s the question they had been waiting for.
"I’m hosting a banquet today. My grandma said she’s not feeling well and can’t come, so my mom told me and my wife to bring her some food. Uncle, you all continue. I’m worried it’ll get cold, so I must hurry."
With one sentence, the rumors were squashed.
As the couple walked away, some couldn’t help but start a discussion.
"That old lady used to spread rumors about her daughter-in-law being unfilial. An unfilial daughter-in-law would remember her like this and bring so much meat?" 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
"And the glutinous rice cakes, did you see? Red auspicious wrapping, looked like there were four or five layers, right?"
Aunt Li responded, "There were three in plain sight, with more hidden beneath the peanuts and seeds, but you could still see the edges of two more."
Someone took a deep breath, "The Jiang family is really generous, sending meat and sweet cakes. With my temper, the old lady wouldn’t get a bite from me. When Zheng Qing died, the old lady eagerly kicked Shen Fanghua out, not even wanting her four grandchildren, cursing them like they were jinxes. Zheng Qing died to save someone; his death had nothing to do with Fanghua. Yet, the old woman drove the whole family out without mercy. Fortunately, Fanghua was strong, and the kids worked hard; otherwise, where would they be today?"
The others fell silent. Indeed, a woman raising four children alone is no easy task. With no support from the in-laws and no help from her own family, she raised them all by herself.
