AYLS – Chapter 106

Mother Chen originally didn’t want to bother with Li Ermei. She had always believed that as long as she kept her son under control, her daughter-in-law would never be able to turn things over. But seeing her sit there motionless, only caring about eating, made her furious. “You call this being someone’s daughter-in-law? Doing nothing at all—only knowing how to eat and drink!”

Li Ermei replied, “Aren’t I pregnant? Mom, you said before that a baby needs to eat well to grow smart, so he can bring honor to the Chen family in the future. My baby is still so small.”

“You and that sharp tongue! Don’t think you’re amazing just because you’re pregnant. Our Chen family isn’t lacking grandchildren.”

“But even if you don’t care, Old Chen cares a lot. No matter how many kids are in this house, none of them belong to him.” Li Ermei smugly stroked her belly.

Not angry in the slightest. Now that she had confidence on her side, she no longer needed to get mad over random things. Instead, she was even in the mood to rile up the old woman.

Father Chen saw this and slammed the table in anger. “No manners at all! Is this how the Li family taught you?”

Li Ermei said, “What did I do? I was just speaking the truth. My Li family said it clearly—I married into the Chen family, so I’m a Chen now. I’ve got nothing to do with the Li family anymore.”

Mother Chen snapped, “We never should’ve taken you in back then!”

“Well, it’s too late now.” Li Ermei was extremely pleased.

Before, she had been the one who jumped around furiously, arguing and yelling at home until she made herself sick with anger. But now things were different—now it was their turn to stew.

Father Chen stood up angrily, ready to teach this daughter-in-law a lesson.

Seeing this, Li Ermei immediately said, “What are you doing? Going to hit me? I’ll scream, you know! If word gets out that a father-in-law beat his daughter-in-law, Old Chen will lose all his reputation.”

“…” Father Chen’s face flushed with rage.

Mother Chen quickly pulled him back, afraid he might actually swing.

Sun Qiao also stepped in to persuade them, reminding them that Third Sister-in-law was pregnant and they should be more considerate.

That finally gave Father Chen a step down, and he suppressed his temper.

Only now did he realize—they were in the military compound. As newcomers, things weren’t as convenient as they were back in the village.

Fortunately, they had already planned to make Li Ermei go back home to rest and protect the pregnancy. Once she returned, they wanted to see if she could still be this arrogant.

A daughter-in-law like this had to be strictly managed, or else she’d really overturn the house.

For now, both sides settled down temporarily.

When the Instructor Chen returned from outside, the house was quiet, but both Mother and Father Chen wore dark faces, clearly unhappy.

Li Ermei, meanwhile, had boiled herself a bowl of brown sugar eggs and was resting comfortably. It was rare for her to have a day off, and she didn’t intend to do anything today.

Instructor Chen looked around but couldn’t figure out what had happened.

“Third Brother, come out for a moment,” Sun Qiao called him outside.

As soon as Li Ermei heard this, she became displeased. “Who are you calling? A married woman calling another woman’s man out right in front of his wife? And what exactly is it that a man’s wife can’t be told?”

Sun Qiao’s face immediately turned awkward.

Instructor Chen said, “Ermei, Qiao-girl probably has something she wants to say.”

“Then say it. Say it right in front of me. If you don’t want me to hear it, then it must be something bad about me.”

Instructor Chen actually felt that this… made some sense.

Sun Qiao pressed her lips together. “It’s nothing. I just wanted to say Uncle and Auntie aren’t in a good mood, so he should take better care of them.”

Father Chen and Mother Chen were deeply moved. This was what they imagined a good daughter-in-law should be like. What a pity—they met her too late.

If she had appeared just a bit earlier, Li Ermei wouldn’t have had anything to do with their family at all.

Back home, Mother Chen had still been calculating. Since Li Ermei wasn’t pregnant, getting a divorce wouldn’t be a big issue.

Who knew she’d suddenly get pregnant.

And now that her belly was this big, even if she could be cruel enough to give her up, her son wouldn’t agree.

As for matching Sun Qiao to their younger son—the age gap was a bit big, and Qiao’er didn’t want it. Said it wasn’t a good match. Truly, good things always meet with obstacles.

While Mother Chen was moved, Li Ermei’s eyes were already narrowed with displeasure. “Well isn’t this just precious? Of course someone’s own son will treat his parents well. And you need an outsider to remind him? Who exactly are you putting on an act for?”

Instructor Chen’s face darkened at those words. “Ermei, Sister Qiao didn’t mean anything by it, don’t talk nonsense.”

“What nonsense? Fine, I’m talking nonsense. So tell me—whose side are you helping?”

Mother Chen said, “San’er is a soldier. Of course he helps the collective before family.”

Instructor Chen didn’t dare say anything. Over the years he’d truly been trained into fear by Li Ermei’s temper. Later she even managed him a few more times. Now he didn’t dare provoke her at all.

Didn’t she still have that big belly? The doctor already said her health wasn’t good. If she got upset and something happened, it would be a huge problem.

So he smoothed things over. “Mom, what are you eating tonight? Should I go to the mess hall and bring something back?”

Mother Chen nearly choked from anger.

He really had changed. Her third son had really changed.

Sun Qiao came out to smooth things over again, saying she would personally cook for everyone tonight so they wouldn’t need to go to the mess hall.

Instructor Chen thought that was great. Since Ermei’s belly had grown, she rarely cooked anymore, and he always made whatever simple thing he could manage.

It didn’t taste good.

Someone else cooking was definitely better.

Sun Qiao quickly made a few dishes. They were all things recently distributed—salted meat and eggs. Mother Chen ate while wiping away tears.

She said the family hadn’t eaten this well in a long time. The grandchildren at home hadn’t had a bite of meat in ages—half a year with no meat at all. They were as thin as bamboo poles.

Instructor Chen was about to feel moved too when Li Ermei sighed, “It really is bitter. Old Chen and I have suffered through this. In the two or three years I’ve been here, I’ve only eaten meat a few times—and that was by sneaking bites at someone else’s home. I ruined my health like this, couldn’t even get pregnant.”

“…” Instructor Chen felt so terrible he couldn’t even feel moved anymore.

He felt everything was his fault—he couldn’t provide for his family, couldn’t support his wife.

Mother Chen felt stifled and continued, “I didn’t expect you two to be living so hard here. You should’ve told us earlier. Even if we eat less ourselves, we wouldn’t let you suffer outside. Ay… why didn’t you say something sooner?”

Li Ermei wanted to curse. This old woman is too much.

Instructor Chen said, “There are many people in the family. We can’t just ignore them.”

Mother Chen said, “San’er, you’ve always been so good to your family. The whole brigade praises you for being capable, filial, loyal.” Then she looked at Ermei. “And Ermei, you’ve worked hard too, living so bitterly here. How about this—you come home with us this time to rest and nurture the baby. We’ll take good care of you. Whatever good food there is, we’ll give it to you. You won’t need to do anything, just rest peacefully.”

Li Ermei: “…” This old woman has lost her mind. Is her brain broken?

She stared at Instructor Chen.

Of course Instructor Chen couldn’t bear to send Ermei away. She used to be noisy, but she was much better now, and their life was actually pretty good.

And now they’d gotten to know Gu and Xu, they’d settled in here.

And with her belly so big, he didn’t want to leave his wife and child.

“It’s better not to. Ermei works at the chicken farm. They need her there.”

“What need? You think they can’t raise chickens without her? If it really doesn’t work, let Qiao’er stay here and take her place.”

Li Ermei really felt they had no shame. “Fit? She fits? Just swap people as you please? Is the military camp your family’s backyard?”

Sun Qiao’s eyes turned red. She lowered her head and silently ate.

Mother Chen was furious. She hated this kind of woman—loud, shameless, saying whatever comes to her mouth.

“Anyone can raise chickens. I just want you to go home and rest!”

Li Ermei felt this woman was beyond shameless. She could only fight fire with fire. “Keep dreaming. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re plotting. Don’t try your schemes on me. This isn’t the old hometown—this is a military unit. I’m an employee here. I’m under the unit’s management, not yours.”

Father Chen, who had stayed silent until now, suddenly said to Instructor Chen, “San’er, you tell us—do you listen to your parents or your wife?”

Instructor Chen looked at his dad, then his mom, then finally his wife. “I… I can’t decide this. It’s the unit’s matter. I don’t have the authority.”

“You don’t have the authority?” Mother Chen felt her worldview collapse. Her son was a cadre, a husband—yet in front of his wife he had no say at all. And now even his words didn’t count?

Li Ermei said, “You want someone to manage me? Go find the manager at our chicken farm. Look—there’s one right next door.”

Instructor Chen: “…”

Mother Chen didn’t actually go. It would look bad to bother someone this late at night. “Forget it, let’s not talk about this today. Eat.”

Li Ermei felt triumphant. Having a backing really feels good.

Next door, Su Weizhen had just returned from closing up at the chicken farm. Hearing noise from Li Ermei’s place, she stood in her yard and listened at the wall for a while.

Xu Yuanzheng couldn’t help laughing when he saw her like this. “You even do things like that?”

“It’s because I owe them a favor! And it’s all your fault.”

Xu Yuanzheng chuckled. “So how are you going to repay that favor?”

“We’ll see. I don’t know what Ermie’s family back home is like, but since Instructor Chen looks after his family so much, he can’t really be that good to her.”

“Ermie used to be pretty annoying, but what can you do—she’s with him now. You should talk to Instructor Chen whenever you get the chance. Repaying kindness is one thing, but there has to be a limit. If he wants to devote his whole life to repaying a debt, then why get married? Besides, Ermie has suffered plenty following him.”

Xu Yuanzheng rubbed his nose. “Got it. I’ll talk to him. Worst case, I’ll have Old Gu beat him up again to knock some sense into him.”

Su Weizhen immediately rolled her eyes at him.

Meanwhile, Gu Huayuan was also talking to Lin Qiao, asking whether they should beat up Instructor Chen again to make him wake up.

Lin Qiao replied, “Absolutely not. Hitting people is wrong. If it were me, I’d just divorce him. I wouldn’t live with someone like that. If you want to repay a favor, then don’t drag a wife and child into it. It’s so irresponsible.”

Gu Huayuan’s face instantly cooled. “Divorce? How can you talk about something like that so casually?”

“Why can’t I?” Lin Qiao huffed. “If you really can’t live together, you divorce.”

Gu Huayuan: “…You just can’t divorce!”

Lin Qiao felt her temper flare. “You’re too domineering! Even Ermie’s divorce—you want to control that too?!”

“…You meant Ermie? Then… whatever she wants is fine.” Gu Huayuan immediately softened, his eyes curving into a smile as he looked at Lin Qiao.

Lin Qiao snorted. “Not just Ermie—me too. If you’re not good to me, I’m not living with you.”

“I already said I disagree,” Gu Huayuan muttered, unhappy again.

“Who knows?” Lin Qiao said smugly. “If I want to leave, no one can stop me.”

Gu Huayuan pressed his lips together, swallowing his frustration. He didn’t want to fight with Comrade Xiao Qiao—if they upset each other, he’d have to coax her again.

“Alright, no arguing. I promise I’ll be good to you. Let’s just live well, okay? Don’t go thinking about those messy things.”

Lin Qiao didn’t respond well to force, but she softened the moment he talked gently. Hearing his soft words, she couldn’t stay smug, and said bashfully, “That’s more like it.”

But unfortunately, living well wasn’t possible. All of this was only temporary.

Her mood dropped in an instant. She didn’t want to talk about it anymore and started fussing about wanting to soak her feet and go to sleep.

She had to work hard again tomorrow.

“Gu Huayuan, you have to be good to me.” That way, whenever her heart softened, she’d stay a bit longer—live a little longer with him.