CHAPTER 35: CHAPTER 22 EGG INCIDENT_1

Hearing Lady Zhou shouting outside, Lady Zhang ceased speaking. Lian Manman, out of curiosity, simply leaned over to the window to look outside. Each room in the wing had two windows. Each window was divided into an upper and a lower section; the lower section had wooden lattice covered with paper and was fixed, while the upper also had a wooden lattice covered with paper but could be opened. In the summer, mesh screens would be nailed over the outside and the top half of the window would be opened for ventilation. Now the weather wasn’t cold yet, so these top halves of the windows were open.

Lian Manman was looking outside through this mesh screen.

Lady Zhou stood at the door of the Upper Room, pointing at the East Wing Room and cursing loudly.

"Old Second’s daughter-in-law, was it you again who stole and ate the eggs? Are you so gluttonous or did your greedy mouth sprout a sore?"

Lady He burst out from the East Wing Room.

"Mother, there must be some limit even to this. You need to open your eyes wider and look at the sky when you speak. Which eye of yours saw me stealing eggs? Every day you hover over the chickens’ behinds so closely, keeping track of how many eggs each chicken lays; how could anyone steal eggs right under your watch?" Lady He scoffed coldly, "I haven’t seen anyone else treat chicken rears as tightly as our family does, treating all of us like thieves."

"I do keep a tight watch, and if I didn’t, nothing would be left in this house. You’ve stolen before, not just once or twice, and now you won’t admit it, you family-ruining woman," Lady Zhou pointed at Lady He and scolded.

As Lady Zhou and Lady He were arguing, Lian Manman saw several faces also pressed against the mesh screens in the Upper Room and the East Wing Room, looking out.

"What’s the point of constantly bringing up old stories?" Lady He, having been reminded by Lady Zhou of her past doings, softened somewhat in her tone, "I was out early this morning, I took Yaya to her old uncle’s in West Village and stayed there all day. It wasn’t until dinner time that I came back. I didn’t have a moment to spare for hunting down eggs to eat."

Lady Zhou thought about it and indeed that was the case. But there were clearly five eggs there in the morning, and only four were collected. One must have been stolen by someone. If not Lady He, then who else could it be?

"If not you, then who else?" Lady Zhou said.

Lady He, seeing Lady Zhou’s demeanor, knew that she was no longer under suspicion, and deliberately let out a cold laugh.

"Mother, I never asked you for any eggs to eat," Lady He said, glancing over towards the West Wing Room.

Lady Zhou slapped her hand, reminded by Lady He’s words. Lady Zhang had asked her for eggs that morning, to feed Lian Manman. She had refused. Lady Zhang was always honest, never greedy or back-talking. But after what happened with Lian Manman, Lady Zhang seemed to have changed slightly, a change that displeased her.

Indeed, because of Lian Manman’s injury, Lady Zhang started to speak and act with Lian Manman’s mood in mind. She loved Manman deeply, and it was very possible that she stole an egg for Manman.

"I saw Fourth Aunt in the room, stealing food to eat with Wu Lang and the others. They were even urging each other on," Lian Silang suddenly stuck his head out from behind Lady He and said.

Hearing this, Lady Zhou felt her suspicions confirmed and immediately became even more annoyed. It was already bad enough when the disobedient helped themselves, but now even the obedient were stealing. If things carried on this way, who would take her seriously as a mother-in-law?

"Old Fourth’s daughter-in-law, come out here!" Lady Zhou yelled towards the West Wing Room.

Lady Zhang’s face had long turned red.

"Husband, I didn’t steal any eggs," Lady Zhang said to Lian Shouxin.

Lian Shouxin nodded; having been married for many years, he knew his wife’s character.

"Mother, she didn’t steal any eggs," Lian Shouxin stepped outside to explain to Lady Zhou.

"Is your wife dead? I call for her, and she sends you out to talk back to me. With a wife you forget your mother; I raised you in vain, you unfilial beast," Lady Zhou pointed at Lian Shouxin’s nose and scolded.

Lian Manman somewhat couldn’t bear to watch anymore. Lian Shouxin was a man in his thirties, with children of his own; Lady Zhou should at least give him some dignity.

Lian Shouxin was scolded until he almost couldn’t lift his head.

Lady Zhang had no choice but to leave.

"Mother, I didn’t eat the eggs from home," Lady Zhang said.

"If you didn’t eat them, then a dog must have. I clearly counted five eggs but only found four when I picked them up. Where did the fifth one go, into whose mouth was it shoved?" Lady Zhou scolded.

Lady Zhou’s harsh words turned Lady Zhang’s face even redder, like a piece of red cloth. She was someone who highly valued her reputation, never uttering a words of profanity, and being scolded like this by Lady Zhou made her feel ashamed, wronged, and angry, which she couldn’t help but cry.

"You cry, yet you have the face to cry after stealing eggs! I know you hate me in your heart because I didn’t give you eggs when you asked, so you stole them, right? Do you have no shame at all? You think your daughter is so precious that she needs to eat eggs? Why don’t you look in the mirror and see if you’re worthy of such fortune?"

Lian Manman was so angry that smoke almost came out of her head. Lady Zhou was scolding so fiercely without any regard for reason, treating her own family members like enemies.

Lady Zhang also felt hurt by Lady Zhou’s words and couldn’t help but defend herself.

"Mother, the hens at home are fed by me, Zhizhi, Manman, and the others going out to gather wild vegetables. Manman suffered such a severe injury, and when money was needed for her treatment, you didn’t pay, so I sold my own hairpin. Aren’t we allowed even one of the eggs laid by our own chickens at home? Is Manman not your own granddaughter, am I not your daughter-in-law?"

"Look, look, you’re still not admitting that you’re the thief, and yet here you are admitting to it," Lady Zhou exclaimed as if she had caught a great point, her voice rising even higher. "I’ve raised a good son here, who takes a wife and then treats me as if I’m close to death, cursing me. Not siding with his own mother, but protecting his wife! ... She dared to steal eggs today and still won’t confess, by tomorrow she might as well tear me apart and eat me..."

To be called a thief, Lady Zhang felt she had nowhere to put her face.

"Mother, all these years in front of your eyes, have I ever done anything wrong, not even a slight bit? Even for moving a blade of grass, I have always asked for your permission before touching it. Mother, when accusing someone, you should speak with a conscience; I cannot bear the name of a thief..." Lady Zhang covered her mouth to suppress her crying.

"Mother, your daughter-in-law is not that kind of person," Lian Shouxin said, his face red as he defended Lady Zhang.

This was like poking a hornet’s nest. Lady Zhou pounced on Lian Shouxin, slapping his face, head, and body with her hands.

"What a fine son I’ve raised, who, after getting a wife, acts as if I’m barely alive, cursing me continuously. My son doesn’t help his birth mother but protects his wife! ... Today she dares to steal eggs and won’t admit it; tomorrow she might as well tear me apart and eat me..."

"It’s just an egg, enough is enough! Look how you’re scolding the child," Old Master Lian finally couldn’t stand it anymore and said out loudly from inside the room. He believed in the principle that men are in charge of outside affairs and women of inside affairs, so he normally left domestic issues to Lady Zhou to handle and would only speak up when he really couldn’t bear it anymore.

"An egg, but that’s worth one Wen Money," Lady Zhou retorted unrelentingly, "Which of them can earn me one Wen Money? I am the one providing for their food and drink. This is stealing, being a thief, the Lian Family cannot harbor a thief."

At this time, several children of the Lian Family came out from the house and stood under the eaves of the side rooms, while Lady Gu and a few others seemed unconcerned and didn’t even come out of the room.

"Grandmother, you didn’t see anything; how can you be so sure someone stole it? Couldn’t it have been lost?" Lian Manman walked over to Lady Zhang’s side and addressed Lady Zhou. She couldn’t help but stand up and speak.

"I was the one who collected the eggs, and someone definitely ate one," Lian Xiuxiu walked out from the West Room of the Upper Room, "I saw it clearly today, the hens that laid eggs were all at home, someone must have sneaked one away when I wasn’t paying attention. Who else could it be with such cunning and swiftness in our house?"

After Lian Xiuxiu finished speaking, she glared at Lady Zhang. This was a clear accusation that Lady Zhang stole the egg.

"Xiuxiu, how can you say such things?" Lady Zhang’s face showed great surprise.

"I’m telling the truth. If you dare to do it, why don’t you dare to admit it?" Lian Xiuxiu challenged.

Lian Manman’s gaze shifted between Lady Zhang and Lian Xiuxiu, noticing that Lian Xiuxiu seemed to have an exceptional grudge against Lady Zhang. Could it be that the two had some unresolved issues?

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