CHAPTER 38: CHAPTER 24 APOLOGY_1

Lian Manman returned to the West Wing Room, where Lady Zhang was sobbing to Lian Shouxin.

"All these years I’ve been married into this family, who am I, doesn’t everyone know? I feel so wronged in my heart..." Lady Zhang said while wiping her tears.

Lian Shouxin sat on the edge of the traditional heated brick bed, reached out to comfort Lady Zhang, but seeing that the children were all around, he withdrew his hand.

"Mom, she didn’t mean it, don’t take it to heart," Lian Shouxin said. Like most people of his generation, he was raised with the belief that "no parents are without fault".

Lady Zhang felt the same, but this time it was different. Would any parent wrongly accuse their own child of being a thief?

"Blame me for anything else and I can take it. Does mom not criticize me enough normally? Have you ever heard me talk back to her, either in front or behind her back? No. But this time... she accused me of stealing. Am I such a person? After all these years of heartfelt devotion to this family... in the end, I’ve been made out to be a thief," Lady Zhang cried bitterly.

Lian Shouxin sighed. He knew Lady Zhang had a gentle nature and was, like him, of upright character. Precisely because she was upright, she held herself to strict moral standards, and thus took certain matters very seriously. If it had been Lady He from the second room, she wouldn’t have cared at all. Lady Zhou had caused Lady Zhang great hurt by accusing her of stealing eggs without any evidence.

"Mom, she..." Lian Shouxin struggled to find words to defend Lady Zhou and finally said only, "It’s all fine now."

"It’s all thanks to the White hen that laid the egg right there and then, or else, who knows what might have happened," Lian Manman interjected aptly. "I think afterward, grandma realized that the White hen had an egg that hadn’t been laid yet, but said nothing, intentionally letting mom carry the name of a thief."

Lady Zhang cried even more sorrowfully.

Lian Shouxin looked helplessly at his youngest daughter.

"Mom, she has a strong personality, this..."

Lian Manman pouted. Lady Zhou’s behavior wasn’t just being strong-willed, it should be called perverse. Just like with the previous fatty meat incident, it was always someone else’s fault; even if it was her fault, others had to take the blame for her.

"Everyone saw the egg, but grandma still wouldn’t admit to having wronged mom," said Lian Manman.

Lian Zhizhi, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi all nodded in agreement.

Lian Shouxin could only give a wry smile, understanding that getting Lady Zhou to admit her fault might as well wait for the sun to rise from the west.

"Your grandma is just like that," Lian Shouxin said.

Lady Zhang, feeling wronged, couldn’t help but cry, while Lian Manman stiffened her little face, on the verge of tears. Lian Zhizhi, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi all fell silent. The atmosphere in the room became very oppressive.

Lian Shouxin sighed, stood up from the brick bed, and, not caring that Lian Manman and the others were all present, made a deep bow to Lady Zhang, "Mom has wronged you this time; I... I will make an apology on her behalf."

"What are you doing, the children are here, why are you bowing to me?" Lady Zhang said, a little embarrassed, her complexion improving considerably.

Lian Shouxin chuckled twice. Lady Zhang had suffered such an injustice, and all the children were on her side. He knew where the right lay and felt for his wife and children. However, he couldn’t criticize Lady Zhou and could only apologize on her behalf.

Lian Manman, watching from the side, exchanged knowing looks with Lian Zhizhi, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi and they all smiled secretly. Lady Zhou might be perverse, but thankfully Lian Shouxin was not; he still knew to apologize to his wife.

With a mother-in-law like Lady Zhou, Lady Zhang had very few complaints, which, aside from her virtuous and gentle nature, might also be due to the strong affection between her and Lian Shouxin. Yes, that must be it.

Lady Zhang stopped crying, and Lian Zhizhi went out to fetch a basin of water.

"Let Manman wash up first," Lady Zhang said, "You’ve all cried yourselves into tabby cats."

Lian Zhizhi took the fragrant pancreas soap, kept in its box, and brought it out.

"Where did this fragrant pancreas soap come from?" Lian Shouxin asked upon seeing it.

"The children earned the money themselves and bought it," Lady Zhang replied.

Lian Manman then washed her hands and face with the fragrant pancreas soap, followed by Lady Zhang. Xiao Qi, being a child, liked the scent of the soap and wanted to wash as well. Lian Zhizhi changed the water and let Xiao Qi wash too.

"It smells so good," Xiao Qi said, smelling her hands, her big eyes crinkling with a smile.

Lian Zhizhi went out to empty the water, came back, and closed the door. Only then did Lady Zhang take out two meat buns to give to Lian Shouxin.

"...They worked so hard, Wu Lang pulling carts, his hands getting blistered, just to earn so little money, and all they think about is buying things for us. With the ready-made stuff at home, I swallowed my pride to ask for just a small bowl of white flour, to make a bowl of dough lumps for the children. The eggs..." Lady Zhang quietly shared the story of Lian Manman and the others earning money by selling the Little Match Girl trick with Lian Shouxin, "Manman’s injury has not yet healed, and we parents can’t even give them a penny..."