Not long after the old lady of the Zhong family left, Lin Cuiping entered, followed closely by two maidservants who never left her side. After greeting her elder brother and sister-in-law with a bow, Lin Cuiping sat down and remained silent. Compared to two years ago, though her attire was refined and the traces of arrogance on her face had vanished, she now seemed devoid of vitality, like a wooden puppet.
“Xiaoqin’s wife, take these two outside to find another place to listen to storytelling. My sister-in-law and I would like to speak privately,” Li Cuimei ordered, her tone much harsher than when she had spoken to Lin Wen earlier, clearly showing her anger.
The two maidservants hesitated, prompting the eldest brother to snap, “Am I not allowed to speak with my own sister without being spied on by your Zhong family?” Frightened, the two hurried out, followed by Xiaoqin’s wife, who closed the door behind them.
Qian’er and Xian’er remained steadfastly by Lin Fang’s side the entire time.
“Elder brother, sister-in-law, I was wrong in the past,” Lin Cuiping said, her eyes reddening as soon as only these few remained in the room. Choking back sobs, she continued, “Only after marriage did I realize how difficult it is to be a daughter-in-law. Sister-in-law, I was wrong, I was wrong.” She covered her face and wept.
Li Cuimei pulled Lin Cuiping into an embrace, gently patting her back. “Ah, what’s past is past. No need to dwell on it. This experience has matured you. From now on, think carefully about the weight of your actions.”
“Yes,” Lin Cuiping nodded against her sister-in-law’s shoulder, still sobbing.
The eldest brother, his face dark with anger, asked, “Is it true what people say—that you’re beaten and scolded at the Zhong family?”
“Not entirely,” Lin Cuiping straightened up, wiping her tears with a handkerchief. “Mother-in-law occasionally scolds or hits me when she’s frustrated with my ignorance, but she also teaches me patiently. I’ve improved greatly these past two years, elder brother, don’t worry.”
Judging by the behavior of the two maidservants earlier, it was clear Lin Cuiping wasn’t telling the whole truth. But since she wanted to save face, the eldest brother and Li Cuimei didn’t press further, opting instead to comfort and advise her.
After the family had split, Lin Cuiping hadn’t seen Lin Fang. Only after crying and calming down did she notice a little girl sitting quietly to the side. Though the blood tumor on her face had faded significantly, Lin Cuiping recognized her as her niece. “Fang’er, do you recognize your Seventh Aunt?” she called.
Lin Fang shook her head. *I know you, but I haven’t accepted you yet.*
Lin Cuiping sighed sadly. “Ah, it’s all my fault. I was willful back then and never treated my nieces and nephews kindly. Now that I realize my mistakes, the children have grown up and don’t recognize me. I have no right to complain.”
The eldest brother and Li Cuimei didn’t force their daughter to acknowledge her aunt. Lin Fang had always been strong-willed and acted with her own reasoning.
After a moment of silence, Lin Cuiping asked, “Sister-in-law, Fang’er is still young. Won’t hearing about family matters like this be bad for her?”
Li Cuimei smiled. “Just because a child is young doesn’t mean they don’t understand. In fact, it’s good for children to listen and observe more. It helps them avoid being taken advantage of later.”
“You’re right,” Lin Cuiping sighed. “Had I known this earlier, I wouldn’t have hidden away at home, thinking myself so precious. Little did I know, the more I did so, the more ignorant I became. I truly envy Cuie—with you and elder brother guiding her, she’s already capable of handling responsibilities at such a young age.”
As the gathering neared its end, Li Cuimei instructed Qian’er, “Tell the two fair maidens of the Zhong family to inform their matriarch that their mistress will stay with us today and will return to the Zhong family tomorrow. There’s no need to worry.”
Lin Fang giggled, teasing, “Mother is being mischievous, copying Fang’er’s words.”
“Fair maidens” was how Lin Fang had sarcastically referred to Shi Binhua’s two maidservants—a compliment laced with mockery. Hearing her mother use the phrase now amused Lin Fang. Still, those two maidservants did fit the description, unlike their own practical and plain-looking maids.
“Sister-in-law, if I don’t return, won’t Mother-in-law be angry?” Lin Cuiping fretted.
Before Li Cuimei could answer, the eldest brother cut in, “Let her be angry. If we hadn’t witnessed it ourselves today, we might have let it slide. But now that we’ve seen it, we won’t tolerate her bullying.”
“Don’t worry,” Li Cuimei reassured. “She won’t dare do anything to you. Relax and enjoy a day of peace. From now on, there’s no need to cower before your mother-in-law. Remember—as long as you stand firm, life goes on, with or without anyone.”
“Oh, sister-in-law, I…” Lin Cuiping trailed off, unsure what to say.
“Enough. Zhong Dakui won’t return for another year. During this time, your elder brother and I, along with your sixth brother and sister-in-law, won’t abandon you. Once Zhong Dakui returns, we’ll ensure you can join him smoothly.”
Li Cuimei led the way out, with Lin Cuiping following, still somewhat timid.
*It seems Father intends to intervene in Lin Cuiping’s affairs,* Lin Fang mused. *After all, they’re siblings. No matter how badly Lin Cuiping behaved in the past, seeing his sister suffer, Father wouldn’t stand by and let others bully her. As for whether Mother has truly let go of past grievances, I can’t say. Whether she’s doing this for Father’s sake or genuinely wants to mend ties, her decision to keep Lin Cuiping here shows she’s willing to help. Even if Mother does nothing else, her stance alone will deter the Zhong family from mistreating Lin Cuiping further. I just hope Lin Cuiping has truly repented and won’t turn around and bite the hand that feeds her—otherwise, our family won’t give her a second chance.*
The family headed to the old Lin’s Cuiji Home-Style Cuisine restaurant. The eldest brother had Lin Wen summon the sixth brother, while Lin Wu went to fetch the second brother. Xiaoqin’s wife was sent to the second branch to bring Li Cuihong, and the family dined together. During the meal, Lin Cuiping wept openly. Watching her, everyone present harbored their own thoughts, with the sixth brother feeling particularly heartbroken.
Only two years apart, the sixth brother and Lin Cuiping had been the closest. After being cast out by their father, his greatest concern had been his seventh sister. Yet, their father forbade him from returning home—even during New Year’s, he and the eldest brother could only kowtow outside the gate, never allowed inside. He knew all too well how his sister fared after marrying his wife’s cousin, but as a married woman, her fate was her own. What could he do? He’d considered asking his sister-in-law for help, but memories of his seventh sister’s past actions made him hesitate. Never had he expected his sister-in-law to be so magnanimous. He resolved to counsel his seventh sister earnestly from now on, urging her to behave wisely and avoid repeating past mistakes.
The second brother had always been reticent and shared little connection with Lin Cuiping. Though he pitied her suffering, he showed no outward reaction. Li Cuihong, however, was filled with disdain for Lin Cuiping. Had her third sister not sent for her, she wouldn’t have come at all. Throughout the meal, she busied herself serving others, offering no words about Lin Cuiping’s plight.
Yuan Li’s heart was a tumult of emotions. She’d often heard Li Cuihong complain about how harsh the sixth brother’s parents were toward their daughters-in-law, yet since her own marriage, she’d never met her in-laws. They hadn’t attended the wedding, leaving no elders to bow to during the ceremony—only after the officiant dragged the sixth brother’s aunt to stand in did the rites proceed. The next day, when tradition demanded she serve tea to her in-laws, they barred her and her husband from entering the courtyard, forcing them to perform a symbolic gesture at the gate.
Yuan Li was deeply aggrieved, unsure what she’d done to deserve such rejection, becoming the subject of village gossip. When she’d asked the sixth brother why his parents acted this way, he’d only held her and sighed, offering no explanation. Questioning her second sister-in-law yielded nothing but bitterness and resentment toward their in-laws, leaving Yuan Li at a loss.
She’d first met this seventh sister at her own wedding, only for the girl to marry her cousin days later. Yuan Li had seen her a few times at her aunt’s house. Truthfully, the seventh sister’s behavior left much to be desired—lacking manners, impatient, careless, and hot-tempered. Her aunt was strict with her, resorting to beatings and scoldings.
Once, when Yuan Li visited her aunt’s home, the seventh sister addressed her as “sixth sister-in-law.” Her aunt immediately rebuked her: “Your husband is the eldest brother—you should be the eldest sister-in-law. How dare you call your junior ‘sister-in-law’? If you can’t distinguish seniority, what use are you? Skip your meal today.” By then, the seventh sister had been cowed by her aunt’s discipline and dared not protest the punishment. Yuan Li found her aunt’s behavior excessive—humiliating her daughter-in-law before her natal family. She interjected, “In the Lin family, though I’m younger, since I married her sixth brother, I am her sixth sister-in-law. She didn’t address me wrongly.” Her aunt sneered, “This is the Zhong family, not the Lin family.”
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