?Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Shen Mingzhu Returns to Her Maternal Home and Quarrels with Her Mother   Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Shen Mingzhu Returns to Her Maternal Home and Quarrels with Her Mother                                   “Zhou Hao’s stepmom wants to know what you’ve been up to recently.”


    Shen Mingzhu had intended to brush off the question, but then she thought better of it.


    She couldn’t set a bad example for her stepchild by encouraging him to lie.


    “Just tell her I’ve been reading books and studying at home.”


    She’d registered for the self-study exam at Provincial University at the end of September, majoring in Chinese Language and Literature.


    With the examsing up in January, she indeed had been studying at home recently.


    Perhaps surprised by her honesty, Pei Ziheng nced at her but didn’t say anything.


    However, Shen Ban didn’t believe Shen Mingzhu was really studying at home.


    She suspected that Mingzhu was probably concocting some other money-making schemes.


    Unable to get the information she wanted from Pei Ziheng, she decided to take matters into her own hands.


    So, that evening, after dinner, Shen Ban uncharacteristically arrived at their door with a half-bag of fresh dates.


    “They were sent over from our hometown.


    Didn’t you always love the dates from my family?


    Try them, they’re really sweet.”


    Shen Mingzhu could only think of one phrase in reaction to Shen Ban’s behavior.


    The weasel pays a New Year’s visit to the chicken.


    Seeing that Mingzhu wasn’t epting her gift, Banughed, “What’s the matter?


    Still upset about that previous incident?


    We’ve had more fights growing up than meals we’ve eaten together.


    You’re not seriously nning to cut ties with me for good, are you?”


    Since Shen Ban had extended an olive branch, Shen Mingzhu took the opportunity to let it go and epted the dates.


    The smile on Ban’s face deepened, “That’s more like it.


    Although we don’t get along, we’re still from the same vige.


    You can’t write two Shen characters withouting from the same root, right?”


    Shen Mingzhu poured a cup of water and ced it in front of Shen Ban, “Get to the point.”


    Shen Ban looked around the living room and, noticing that Pei Ziheng’s room door was tightly closed, she began to feign concern and asked about the rtionship between Mingzhu and Ziheng.


    “Is he still like that?


    Confines himself to his room all day?


    He’s not your own flesh and blood after all, and you can’t expect to be that close.


    Don’t overthink it.”


    Mingzhu smiled mockingly, “Yet it seems you’re quite good to Zhou Hao.”


    “It’s different for me.


    My mother-inw is always watching me; I can’t rx for a second.


    Your life is much morefortable.


    You’re in charge of the whole house and can do whatever you want.”


    “If you had chosen Pei Yang first, I wouldn’t have had anything to do with it.”


    Shen Ban internallymented that Pei Yang was nothing but bad luck, a short-lived wretch; anyone who married him was doomed.


    Aloud, she disparaged Pei Yang’s job, the fact that he was always away and seldom seen home, and thenined about not being fated for a life offort.


    As they talked, Ban broached the subject of Shen Xiangnan’s uing marriage.


    “Your second brother is getting married.


    How much are you nning to give for the wedding gift?”


    Shen Mingzhu was also worried about this and replied casually, “I’ll give the same amount as my eldest brother.”


    “How can it be the same?


    Your big brother’s a country bumpkin who can barely make a dime all year round.


    You effortlessly make a bundle of money; shouldn’t you contribute more to your family?


    Let me tell you, neither your inws nor your husband can be relied on.


    It’s your own family that’s your true support.”


    “I don’t depend on anyone, just myself.”


    Shen Ban put on a show of persuasion for a while longer, but seeing that Mingzhu wasn’t receptive, she stopped.


    After all, she wasn’t truly trying to persuade her.


    “Mingzhu, what have you been busy withtely?


    Have youe up with a new way to make money?”


    So that’s your real motive, Shen Ban.


    Shen Mingzhu secretly found it amusing and intentionally hesitated, pretending to be reluctant to talk.


    “Not busy with much, just messing around.”


    “Come on, tell me.


    You’re not afraid I’ll steal your idea and run with it, are you?


    Even if I wanted to, I don’t have the time.


    I’m out early and backte, I have to take care of the child and my inws when I get home.


    It’s not as easy for me as it is for you.”


    Shen Mingzhu pretended to be persuaded, “Actually, I’ve not been too busy.


    It’s almost Chongyang Festival, and I want to make some Chongyang cakes to sell at the stall for some pocket money.”


    Having obtained the information she wanted, Shen Ban left contentedly.


    ——


    Time flew by, and the wedding day of Shen Xiangnan arrived in the blink of an eye.


    The date was set for the twenty-eighth, but as the younger sister, Shen Mingzhu ought to return home earlier to help out, so she and Pei Ziheng went back to her parents’ homeden withrge and small bags on the morning of the twenty-seventh.


    To her surprise, once she returned, she found there was nowhere for her to stay.


    The room she used to sleep in had been expanded by her family into Shen Xiangnan’s bridal chamber.


    Although she was unhappy inside, she didn’t say anything to avoid ruining the wedding atmosphere.


    After settling down, she settled Pei Ziheng and went to see her sister-inw to ask about the gift money to give to Shen Xiangnan.


    Following the amount she was told, she added another ten yuan and stuffed it in a red envelope to give to her second brother, Shen Xiangnan.


    No sooner had she given the gift money than Qin Jinlian took her to a room for a talk.


    “You, at least, married into the city’sforts.


    Your second brother is getting married, a once-in-a-lifetime event, and you’re only giving thirty yuan, do you think that’s appropriate?”


    Shen Mingzhu was already feeling ufortable inside, and the fact that Qin Jinlianined about her giving too little in her gift money instantly made the suppressed anger in her heart burst out.


    “Not only selling me off but also taking over my room, aren’t these enough?


    Are you expecting me to give up my life too?”


    In Qin Jinlian’s heart, her daughter had always been obedient to her,plying with every word.


    She had never seen her lose her temper like this, and for a moment, she was at a loss for words.


    The argument between mother and daughter also drew the attention of the Shen brothers.


    Eldest brother Shen Chaobei was the first to speak up, “Mom, little sister, what’s going on?”


    Shen Xiangnan, who had guessed what it might be about, said to Qin Jinlian, “Mom, don’t be harsh on little sister, she doesn’t have it easy either.”


    Qin Jinlian suddenly choked up with tears in her eyes, upset that not only her daughter was defiant, but even her second son didn’t understand her.


    “Who am I doing this for?


    For myself?


    Isn’t it all for you, you worthless thing!”


    Shen Xiangnan was scolded into silence.


    Seeing Qin Jinlian crying, Shen Chaobei didn’t know what to do for a moment.


    It was at this time that Du Juan, the elder sister-inw, also entered the room.


    “Mom, when I married into this family, not to mention a dowry or the four main pieces of a bridal trousseau, Chaobei and I didn’t even have a decent wedding room.


    Now it’s Xiangnan’s turn, and just the bride price given to the Yang Family was one hundred yuan, not to mention all the other items that were well-prepared.


    They are both sons of the Shen Family, but there should be a limit to favoritism.”


    Imbnce, rather than scarcity, has always been the source of discontent, especially between two brothers in a family.


    “Back then when the family had no money, I said nothing.


    Now that we finally have some, you seem hell-bent onvishing it all on Xiangnan as if terrified he couldn’t find a bride.


    What about Chaobei, was he picked up from the streets?


    Have you ever spared a single thought for me and Chaobei?


    The three of us are still squeezed into one room, and Xiangnan gets two rooms just for getting married.


    In the future, will the entire house be handed over to Xiangnan?


    Maybe Chaobei and I should move out now to make room for Xiangnan.”


    Du Juan’s eyes reddened as she spoke, each word heavy with usation, revealing her longstanding resentment towards Qin Jinlian’s partiality.


    Qin Jinlian hadn’t expected such a huge grievance from her elder daughter-inw and felt instantly heartbroken and aggrieved, shedding tears like beads falling off a broken string.


    Shen Chaobei, who was very filial, saw his mother crying and turned around to scold his wife.


    “Shut your mouth.”


    Shen Mingzhu couldn’t bear it any longer, “Big brother, big sister-inw isn’t wrong.


    We were born of the same parents.


    If you can’t even out the water in one bowl, don’t expect there to be peace in this family in the future.”


    Seeing her own daughter take the side of her elder daughter-inw, Qin Jinlian was overwhelmed with sorrow and instantly began wailing loudly, “Why is my life so hard, are you all satisfied only if you anger me to death?”