Rebirth: My Dear Little Wife Is So Scheming

Chapter 125 - 125 125 Internal Conflict

?Chapter 125: Chapter 125 Internal Conflict Chapter 125: Chapter 125 Internal Conflict “Where’s my money?” The old lady was relentless.

Bai Jianguo glanced at Bai Xiao and Bai Yue—why were they so oblivious, standing there like wooden pillars? Didn’t they see that he and his mother were talking?

With those two present, Bai Jianguo couldn’t muster his usual charming act; he was too embarrassed, he still had some pride.

As soon as the old lady caught Bai Jianguo’s look, her face darkened, “Why are you looking at Bai Yue and Bai Xiao? I’m talking to you! Where’s my money? Bring it here—that’s my nest egg, not a penny less will do!” When Bai Jianguo pouted, his old lady knew exactly what was up.

Bai Xiao and Bai Yue treated Bai Jianguo as if he were invisible—it wasn’t that Bai Xiao didn’t want to leave, but a family quarrel like this was a dramatic spectacle not to be missed. Curiosity was human nature, and Bai Xiao was no exception. After all, it was a scene he had orchestrated; it would be a pity not to watch it unfold.

Bai Jianguo had no moves left.

“Mom, which part of your illness and hospital stay didn’t cost money? It’s all gone! I just don’t have the capability,” he lamented. His wife Bai Mei had cleaned out their funds, leaving nothing but hopes pinned on the last two hundred yuan left with his old mother.

Li Chunhua sneered, “All spent?” That was over six hundred yuan of her savings, and they had only been in the hospital for a week. Did they think she was a fool? Every day the nurses and doctors made their rounds, spoke loud and clear—she wasn’t deaf and could understand perfectly well. They had said her illness wasn’t life-threatening, just required some IV drips and injections. The day Bai Jianguo and Hao Fang had gone to visit Bai Mei, she had clearly seen Bai Shan and Bai Zhuang settle the hospital bill for just over two hundred yuan. There should be more than four hundred left from her six hundred.

She saw right through Bai Jianguo’s sly maneuvers.

“Second son, I heard from Bai Shan and Bai Zhuang that the hospital bills came to just over two hundred when you were discharged. Give me back the rest. Otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to get the village chief to come back and arrange for you to move out,” the old lady threatened. “Your father made it crystal clear when he divided the property that this old house is ours, and has nothing to do with you kids. You said you had no place to live, so you stayed here temporarily,” she added. Bai Jianguo knew she meant business; she would kick him out if he didn’t comply.

In desperation, Bai Jianguo said, “Mom, it’s true, the money is all spent—the hospital charged over two hundred! But Bai Mei took all the money we had at home, and not only did she lose it, she also got fined a hundred by the police. We had to eat and drink at the hospital, too, and now there’s nothing left but two hundred yuan. And Bai Zhuang is about to get married; your son can’t even come up with the betrothal money. Mom, Bai Zhuang is also your grandson, don’t you care that he can’t get a wife and start a family?”

Li Chunhua held out her hand, “Give me those two hundred yuan. I’ll write off the rest as a loss to the dogs. Let me make myself clear; any income from the harvest in the future, I want the money from my share. You all eat and live under my roof—no one’s eating for free. Fifteen yuan a month, that’s the rate for your whole family staying here, and even that’s me being generous,” she asserted, her resolve unyielding.

Ever since Bai Jianguo and Hao Fang had abandoned her in that little room to fend for herself, the old lady had spent those agonizing days vowing that once she got better, she had one thing left to do in life: sort out Bai Jianguo and his family, or she wouldn’t be Li Chunhua.

Bai Jianguo was dumbfounded—fifteen yuan a month?

It wasn’t that they couldn’t earn it. A year’s harvest could net a couple of hundred yuan, and with some odd jobs, father and sons could make about a hundred more. But that was the main source of income for the household. To give the old lady fifteen yuan a month would amount to one hundred eighty yuan annually—more than half of their income gone. How would they manage Bai Shan’s marriage? They would be old and gray by then.

“Mom, both Bai Shan and Bai Zhuang are yet to be married. Even if you don’t consider your son, you should at least have pity for your grandsons,” he pleaded, hoping she’d soften for the sake of her grandsons.

Li Chunhua sneered, “Grandson? I don’t have any grandsons, sitting by as their grandmother gets thrown into that back room without saying a word. Do you think I’m a fool? Let me tell you, even if you’re not living under my roof, you still have to pay for the elderly care, and not a dime less. If you dare not pay, I’ll go to the village, the township, the commune to sue you. I’m shameless now anyway, facing an unfilial son, what face do I, as a mother, have left to worry about?”

She had already figured it out, the village and the township would not allow such things to happen. The village chief would have to stand up for her. Bai Jianguo’s yearly sale of the state grain quota had to go through the village, he had no choice but to pay even if he didn’t want to.

Bai Jianguo suddenly stood up, staring fiercely at the old woman. The old lady had her heart set on making life difficult for him.

Li Chunhua spoke calmly and deliberately to Bai Jianguo, “Tell your wife, I want to eat white flour noodles at noon, make sure to nest two eggs in there for me, and the seasoning on the braised dish should be stronger. I’m tired of the tasteless corn porridge these last few days!”

For Bai Jianguo, there was no need to weigh his options. He didn’t have the capability to leave the old lady and strike out on his own. He had no capital in his hands, and even if he were to leave the old lady, she would probably not allow him to live a better life. Rather than that, he might as well endure and see who could outlast who.

“Then I’m going!” Bai Jianguo left, seething. Today had been an extreme stroke of bad luck. How had the old lady suddenly gotten better? This was simply him attracting misfortune.

It seemed that lately even drinking cold water would give him a toothache; one stroke of bad luck after another was reaching new heights.

Seeing Hao Fang who had already picked herself up from the ground and was sitting on a stool wiping her tears, anger surged uncontrollably, “Get moving and cook for Mom, didn’t you hear the old lady wants noodles, with the braised sauce stronger, plus two poached eggs? I’m telling you, from now on you better take extra care of the old lady, or else I’ll skin you alive.” It was clearly a case of displaced anger.

Hao Fang was so angry she couldn’t speak! The scene just now was because Bai Jianguo was looking for an excuse in front of the village chief. Hao Fang understood that, but now that the village chief had left, he still dared to treat her like this, did he think she was made of clay?

She sprung up and lunged forward, scratching Bai Jianguo’s face with both hands.

“Good one, Bai Jianguo! I’ve been working myself to death for this family, and look at how you repay me, daring to hit me. Who am I doing this for? Who am I doing this for? If you’re so capable, then kill me, and we’ll see if my real brothers can spare your life. You still dare to throw your weight around, see if I care. From now on, don’t eat the food I make; I refuse to believe that without you, Bai Jianguo, I couldn’t live.”

When Hao Fang started to create a scene, Bai Jianguo couldn’t handle her. Her hands were quick, and in an instant, he felt a burning pain on his face and several marks on his neck.

Bai Jianguo slapped Hao Fang across the face.

“You’re insufferable, get lost! I want a divorce. Let’s see if you have the nerve to tell your brother and sister-in-law how you’ve been abusing my mother, and see if they’d still have the face to step foot in my house.”

Hao Fang was shocked by these words. If this matter reached her parental home, her brothers and sisters-in-law wouldn’t be able to support her; she wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.