B5SB -Chapter 197 The Most Miserable Mother-in-Law and Daughter-in-Law in the Northwest

The Great Northwest not only suffered from severe water shortages, but was also filled with swirling dust.

Fang Yi and Mother Lu were currently the most miserable mother-in-law and daughter-in-law pair. Having lived privileged lives for so long, neither of them had ever imagined their days would turn out like this.

Fang Yi returned home from her shift at the supply and marketing cooperative with an extremely ugly expression on her face.

Thinking of that tiny cooperative—so small it was barely bigger than a room—with only three sales clerks including herself, she felt an even deeper sense of grievance. It was worlds apart from her previous job at a department store.

And yet, even in such a place, those two country bumpkins had actually joined forces to exclude her.

She raised a hand to touch her swollen cheek, a flash of hatred passing through her eyes.

Ever since coming here, not a single day had gone smoothly. Even though Lu Huaixu had beaten her during those few days in the capital, at least there were familiar faces everywhere there.

Lu Huaixu cared about his image. Afraid of being seen by acquaintances hitting his wife, he never dared to strike her face.

Meanwhile—Mother Lu lay on the bed, both thirsty and hungry, filled with regret over coming to the Northwest.

She had never imagined things would be this hard. There wasn’t even a decent doctor—every nearby village only had barefoot doctors.

She suspected her leg would never heal. That half-baked doctor had actually needed to flip through the Barefoot Doctor’s Manual while treating her leg, learning as he went.

Creaaak.

Hearing the door open, she knew that viper of a daughter-in-law, Fang Yi, had returned.

With nowhere to vent her anger, she roared toward the sound, “Hurry up and cook! Don’t you know your mother-in-law can’t get out of bed?”

Fang Yi removed the scarf wrapped around her head and set it aside on a rack.

She slowly walked to Mother Lu’s bedside and sneered, “What? Want your son to beat me again?”

Did they really think she wouldn’t dare fight back?

No.

Since she was going to be bullied and suppressed no matter what, how could she possibly just stand there obediently and take the beating?

The reason she’d been beaten yesterday was all thanks to this old witch. She’d complained for days on end about Fang Yi’s cooking being bad.

That was why, in a moment of anger, Fang Yi had pushed her. Who knew she’d be so useless—one fall and her leg was broken.

When Lu Huaixu came home from work, the old woman had cried and complained nonstop, badmouthing her.

Mother Lu trembled as she pointed at Fang Yi, snarling, “You poisonous woman!”

Fang Yi threw her head back and laughed. “Hahaha… go on, curse all you want. Curse while you still have the strength.”

With that, she ignored Mother Lu and turned back to her own bedroom.

Mother Lu lay on the bed with one leg splinted in wooden boards, completely unable to move.

She hadn’t eaten or drunk anything for an entire day and night, and now she was so hungry she felt dizzy and faint.

More than an hour later, the door opened again. After resting, Fang Yi came out of her room.

She made a pot of overcooked, burnt cornmeal porridge and placed it in front of Mother Lu as if tossing scraps, sneering, “Your dinner.”

Mother Lu stared at the pitch-black cornmeal porridge, her eyes bloodshot as she glared at Fang Yi.

Gritting her teeth, she said, “I won’t eat it! Even dogs wouldn’t drink this. Take it away!”

Fang Yi glanced at her, her eyes completely devoid of emotion, and replied casually, “Not eating? Then starve.”

She walked straight toward the door. Just as her hand touched the doorknob, she tossed out a final line: “Don’t wait for your son. He’s on night duty tonight.”

Bang! Fang Yi slammed the door shut.

Mother Lu froze all over, a bone-deep hatred flashing through her eyes.

She roared toward the bedroom door, “You’ll get your retribution!”

Outside the bedroom, Fang Yi laughed—and then cried.

Murmuring softly, she said, “Marrying into your Lu family is my greatest retribution.”

Mother Lu looked at the bowl of cornmeal porridge and rubbed her stomach. Her stomach was already protesting, waves of cramping pain rolling through it.

Hardening her heart, she picked up the bowl with one hand and pinched her nose with the other, then drank it down.

Even with her nose pinched, the bitter taste spread through her mouth. She wanted to vomit, yet couldn’t bear to waste it.

Half-asleep, Mother Lu heard Lu Huaixu’s voice. She glanced at the time—it wasn’t even ten yet.

She realized she’d been tricked by Fang Yi.

In broken calls, she cried out, “Huaixu… Huaixu…”

Lu Huaixu, his face still marked with scratch marks from fingernails, pushed open Mother Lu’s bedroom door impatiently. “Mom, what is it?”

Mother Lu’s eyes instantly reddened. Choking up, she said, “Son, that bitch Fang Yi—she’s abusing me! She didn’t give me any food all day!”

Lu Huaixu looked at her silently, then glanced at the unwashed bowl beside her.

Annoyed, he said, “Mom, ever since you came to the Northwest, you haven’t worked at all. You’re living off us.”

“Fang Yi works during the day, then comes back at night to cook for you and take care of you. How is that abuse?”

He touched the scratches on his face—his face had been clawed up by that crazy woman Fang Yi.

And now Mother Lu still wanted to use him as a weapon, to stir him up against Fang Yi.

Mother Lu stared at him in disbelief. “You… I’m your mother! You don’t believe me?”

Lu Huaixu had lost his patience. After a full day of work, he was exhausted.

Finally home, and these two still wouldn’t stop causing trouble.

“Mom, it takes a hundred days to recover from serious injuries. Just behave and focus on healing. Once you’re better, you’ll still need to take care of Miaomiao. Or do you want Miaomiao to keep living in a stranger’s house?”

Without waiting for her reply, he turned and left.

Mother Lu watched her eldest son’s retreating figure, overwhelmed with regret.

This was the son she’d loved for decades. He didn’t care whether she lived or died, didn’t even ask if her leg hurt.

All he cared about was her recovering quickly so she could look after his daughter.

Only now did she finally wake up to how cold and heartless her eldest son truly was.

Meanwhile—After getting off work, Gu Yihan ran into Gu Meng outside the textile factory.

“Xiao Han!”

Gu Meng, dressed in a fashionable cashmere coat and small leather shoes, walked up to Gu Yihan and circled her once.

Clicking her tongue, she said, “Xiao Han, you’re a military wife at least! How can you dress so shabbily?”

Gu Yihan lowered her head to look at the brand-new padded jacket she was wearing—warm and comfortable.

She lifted her eyes to Gu Meng, who was showing off like a peacock spreading its feathers, and couldn’t help twitching her lips. “Aren’t you cold?”

Gu Meng froze for a moment. “How could I be cold? This is top-quality cashmere.”

Even if she was cold, she had to wear it out so others could see. It had cost nearly 200 yuan, and she’d only managed to get it after a lot of effort.

Throughout the New Year, whenever she visited people, she wore this expensive coat. It made her feel proud and beautiful.

Otherwise, once her belly started to show, she wouldn’t be able to wear such pretty clothes anymore.

“Oh.” Gu Yihan nodded indifferently. “As long as you like it.”

She mounted her bicycle and rode straight past Gu Meng.

Seeing her swing her leg over the bike, Gu Meng instinctively stepped aside.

By the time she reacted, all she could see was Gu Yihan’s retreating back. Furious, she stomped her foot and shouted, “You’re just jealous of me!!”