Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 1613 - 822: Subtle Tensions
"What’s the matter?" Lian Manman hurriedly asked, seeing Lian Yeye’s expression, it seemed like she had some urgent news to tell her.
"I ran into Er Ya in the afternoon." Lian Yeye didn’t lower her voice, not just Lian Manman, but everyone in the room could hear. "It was Er Ya who told me. Didn’t our Granny stay at her house for half a day and even had lunch there? Er Ya told me that our Granny and Third Aunt Granny spent the whole time bad-mouthing us."
The two cousins hadn’t seen each other for years, and upon meeting, instead of catching up properly, they spent half the day talking bad about them. This... this really was quite characteristic of Lady Zhou.
Lian Manman couldn’t help but twitch at the corner of her mouth.
"What did they say about us? It must be about me and my mother, right?" Lian Manman asked Lian Yeye.
"They didn’t spare me and my mother either." Lian Yeye didn’t directly answer Lian Manman’s question, but evidently, the answer was exactly as Lian Manman had guessed.
"... Complaining that we are all so unfilial, have bad intentions, don’t help her with work, let her suffer alone, talk back to her, and even said my mother can’t have sons, leaving my father heirless." Lian Yeye said angrily.
"No wonder then." Lian Manman said in realization, "No wonder back at the old house, the way she looked at me was strange."
Lian Manman then told everyone how Younger Lady Zhou had given her particularly sharp looks.
"She even specifically asked about my mother, implying that my mother not going to the old house with us was unfilial."
It turned out that Younger Lady Zhou’s obvious dislike was because Lady Zhou had already said so many bad things about them in front of her. Talking for a whole half day, connecting with Lady Zhou’s usual scolding, it seemed, in Lady Zhou’s mouth, Lady Zhang, herself, even Lady Zhao and Lian Yeye, had all become such vicious, heinous characters.
"So just us two families, what about the other two?" Lian Manman asked Lian Yeye.
"In her mouth, are there any good people besides herself?" Lady Zhang couldn’t help but say. Actually, Lady Zhang was also very familiar with Lady Zhou; after all, they’d lived together for so many years. Saying or not saying things is one thing, but one certainly can’t be clueless in their heart.
"Exactly." Lian Yeye nodded heavily, "She also spoke about Yaya’s mom, just said she’s untidy, filthy, lazy, but didn’t say she’s of bad intentions. Just said we have bad intentions."
"What about Duoduo’s mom and our big sister-in-law?" Lian Manman asked again.
"She didn’t talk about Duoduo’s mom, as for our big sister-in-law, she didn’t get anything good either. Our Granny and Third Aunt Granny said our big sister-in-law is deceitful, two-faced, not a good person." Lian Yeye said honestly.
"Pfft..." Lian Manman couldn’t help but laugh, "Turns out there really isn’t a good person besides her."
This is how unfortunate Lady Zhou was, Lian Manman couldn’t help but think awkwardly, such a flawless, pure, lily-like person, yet she’s spent her life struggling among wolves and tigers. Moreover, such a kind-hearted person could keep these wicked people firmly in her grasp. When she says one, others dare not say two.
What kind of realm is this?
This is the realm of reversing black and white, speaking according to her own narrative without any scruples!
"No wonder she doesn’t have any good feelings towards Da Niuniu either!" Lian Manman said. It turned out no matter how skillfully Lady Chiang maneuvered, Lady Zhou still fully slandered her behind her back.
"I was just saying that Shang Family’s move to Thirty Mile Camp has nothing to do with us. Seems that’s not the case." Lady Zhang said to Lady Zhao, "With the temper of our old lady, there hasn’t been a good sister in the village for her to talk to, except for her big aunt. In these years, I’ve seen them as just average, not close at all."
"The two have different tempers, they can’t communicate on the same wavelength." Lian Manman added. Lady Da Zhou has a more gentle temperament and is amiable. Most of the time, Lady Da Zhou seldom steps out and never gets involved in disputes. At home, Lady Da Zhou gets along very well with her daughters-in-law, having handed over the household long ago, letting her sons and daughters-in-law take charge. Towards her grandchildren, Lady Da Zhou is very loving, never scolding or beating.
Such a Lady Da Zhou naturally has little in common to talk about with Lady Zhou.
"That’s the thing. It’s like the old lady talked bad about us today, why doesn’t she talk to her big aunt about it usually? Her big aunt isn’t that kind of person, she wants to talk but there isn’t a response, she just can’t continue," Lady Zhang nodded, "Now it’s better, she’s found someone to talk to."
Lady Zhou had indeed talked to Lady Da Zhou about several daughters-in-law and even granddaughters, but Lady Da Zhou never sided with Lady Zhou; instead, she often advised Lady Zhou. But now a Younger Lady Zhou has arrived, and she shares Lady Zhou’s temperament, and the two getting together will certainly be lively.
"I think my Granny really looks down on my big aunt," Lian Manman said, "I’ve never heard her call my big aunt ’sister’."
"Indeed, she looks down on your big aunt. She says your big aunt is soft-natured, indecisive," Lady Zhang said.
Compared to Lady Zhou, Lady Da Zhou is so gentle, she doesn’t control or scold her sons and daughters-in-law, and gave up managing the family early. Lady Zhou prides herself on being tough and capable, so Lady Da Zhou, in her eyes, must be soft-natured and indecisive.
It’s likely Younger Lady Zhou is just like Lady Zhou, also tough and capable.
"Her youngest son will be getting married in a few years too, and from the sounds of it, he wants to find a wife near us," Lady Zhang said.
"Oh my..." Lady Zhao let out a long, ambiguous sigh.
Everyone else sighed along, and although no one said it out loud, everyone thought the same: which poor girl will be unlucky enough to marry into the Shang Family and be Younger Lady Zhou’s daughter-in-law?
"At that time, I thought to myself, her daughter and son are about to come of age. They are unfamiliar with the surroundings here. We know a lot of people, so it’s nothing to help introduce someone. But now, I wouldn’t dare," Lady Zhang said.
While everyone was chatting here, Lian Shouxin remained silent on the side.
"Dad, did you notice the way Third Aunt Granny looked at me when we were at the old house?" Lian Manman thought for a moment, then said to Lian Shouxin, "She gave Da Niuniu the same look; it was really frightening. It was a bit better when she looked at Xiao Qi, but only slightly. Dad, what do you think of this?"
To say Younger Lady Zhou looked at Lian Manman with ill intent, Lian Shouxin really hadn’t noticed. He originally wanted to say that Younger Lady Zhou was just that kind of person, that maybe looking at Lian Manman and Da Niuniu like that didn’t really mean anything. But after thinking about it, he swallowed his words.
"...People have their personalities," Lian Shouxin pondered for a while and said, "Whatever she’s like, it doesn’t affect us. She’s not your grandpa or grandma... Just keep your distance in the future."
Lian Manman nodded, all she needed was Lian Shouxin to say that.
As Lian Shouxin said, the relationship with the Shang Family is not just one tier away. Even Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou can’t do much about them, let alone Younger Lady Zhou from the Shang Family.
"Just ordinary relatives; get closer if you get along, keep your distance if you don’t," Lady Zhang said in agreement with Lian Shouxin.
"Exactly," Lian Manman nodded.
"Is your dad at home?" Lian Shouxin asked Lian Yeye. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎
"My dad went to the old house," Lian Yeye replied.
The old house sent dumplings for dinner, and knowing that Younger Lady Zhou’s family would be staying at the old house that night, it made sense for Lian Shouli to go over and have a chat.
"Then why didn’t you and my Third Aunt go together?" Lian Manman asked Lian Yeye.
"We’re going a bit later," Lian Yeye replied, "We’ll go over when it’s about time, sit for a while, and then come back with my dad. ...There’s no point being there too early; they won’t welcome us warmly anyway."
Evidently, news heard from Er Ya made Lian Yeye somewhat wary and cautious of Younger Lady Zhou. And Lian Manman thought Lian Yeye’s approach was quite wise.
Lian Yeye and Lady Zhao sat for a while longer and then, seeing that the time was about right, reluctantly headed to the old house. After sending them off, the family continued to sit around and chat.
"Manman, Xiao Qi, you both heard what your grandpa said to me later, right? What did he mean by those words?" Lian Shouxin asked Lian Manman and Xiao Qi.
"I guess Grandpa was referring to the people from the Shang Family," Lian Manman thought and then told Lian Shouxin.
"What did he say?" Wu Lang asked.
Lian Manman recounted the words of Old Master Lian for Wu Lang.
"Oh..." Wu Lang raised his eyebrows, deep in thought. "I’ve never heard Grandpa speak ill of anyone. It seems... Grandpa and the Shang Family might not be on good terms, huh?"
Lian Manman smiled without saying a word.
Everyone looked toward Lian Shouxin. Did something unpleasant happen between Old Master Lian and Shang Huaide?
"I was just a kid back then. If we hadn’t met today, I wouldn’t even recognize them on the street. If something happened, I wouldn’t know," Lian Shouxin said helplessly. "I haven’t heard anyone say anything either."
Hearing Lian Shouxin, everyone could only give up trying to find clues from him.
"It doesn’t necessarily have to be something specific; it could just be a clash of personalities," Lady Zhang added.
Lian Manman nodded; she felt Lady Zhang’s words made sense. Among the common folk, Old Master Lian and Shang Huaide were seen as ’two ends of the same pole.’ Being sons-in-law of the Zhou Family, comparison and competition were inevitable. Moreover, with Old Master Lian’s personality, he likely wasn’t fond of Shang Huaide.
"But did you see how warmly my grandpa was chatting with him today?" Lian Manman recalled the scene at the old house and couldn’t help but smile. Just on the surface, Old Master Lian and Shang Huaide seemed like long-lost brothers.
"Grandpa didn’t even wait two days before saying that; it seems like he’s really not getting along with him," Wu Lang chuckled.
The relationship between these ’two ends of the same pole’ sometimes resembles something akin to the complexities between sisters-in-law.
Lian Manman smiled and thought, subtle, indeed very subtle!
...
Here’s the first update, asking for likes, and will try for a second update later. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
