Accidentally Married to the Big Shot
Chapter 408: Isn’t It Because You’re Annoyed by Your Wife?

Chapter 408: Chapter 408: Isn’t It Because You’re Annoyed by Your Wife?

As soon as Liang Zhanbai got home, he saw his parents slumped on the sofa, heads hanging low.

When they saw him return, Mr. and Mrs. Liang’s eyes immediately filled with grievance.

"Dad, Mom, what’s going on?" Liang Zhanbai asked while taking off his jacket and casually hanging it on the shoe rack.

Mr. Liang motioned for him to sit down, then said with a gloomy expression, "It’s your wife’s fault, of course!"

"Xiao Li? What did she do?" As he asked this, for some reason, a hint of disgust toward his parents rose in Liang Zhanbai’s heart.

Ever since they got married, Xiao Li had been doing all the housework. His parents were practically like lords and ladies from the old days, while Xiao Li had become a maid.

Although Liang Zhanbai had received a higher education, he neither enjoyed doing housework nor knew how to cook. Still, he didn’t believe women should bear all the domestic responsibilities either—he simply didn’t dare to resist his parents.

Now, the marriage was still fresh, and yet his parents were already badmouthing Xiao Li in front of him. Naturally, he felt a deep sense of loathing.

Mrs. Liang said, "The past few days, Xiao Li has been running her mouth in the neighborhood, saying we’re laying down rules for her and treating her unfairly. Now, your father and I have become the talk of the whole community. We don’t even dare to go outside anymore."

Liang Zhanbai was surprised, "She really said that?"

"Whether she said it or not, you can ask her directly when she gets back," Mrs. Liang replied.

Liang Zhanbai said no more.

An hour later, Xiao Li returned from grocery shopping.

She entered the house cheerfully, her face glowing with a smile. "I went shopping at the nearby community market with a few of the neighborhood ladies today, so I’m a little late. You didn’t go hungry, did you? I’ll whip up dinner right away."

"Hold off on that; your mother and I have something to ask you," Mr. Liang said coldly.

"Oh, then I’ll just put the groceries away first." Xiao Li put the groceries in the kitchen, still smiling brightly when she came back out.

Seeing Xiao Li’s enthusiastic demeanor, Liang Zhanbai felt as though the sofa beneath him had caught fire, burning his lower back uncomfortably.

Such a hardworking wife—what had she gained by marrying him?

He never truly loved her, yet here she was, tirelessly managing the household, caring for his parents, and still having to endure their complaints.

Is it true that kind-hearted people are destined to always be taken advantage of?

He stood up and moved to the sofa next to Xiao Li.

Mr. Liang started asking, "Have you been chatting a lot with the ladies downstairs lately?"

Xiao Li paused briefly, then replied, "Sometimes when I come back from grocery shopping, I chat with them for a bit. I thought they had a lot of experience running households and wanted to learn from them."

Mrs. Liang interjected, "If you want advice, why not ask me? I’ve been taking care of your father for half my life—I could teach you."

Xiao Li widened her eyes in surprise. "Huh? But I’ve never seen you do any housework. Ever since I married into the family, you’ve done absolutely nothing. I just assumed you didn’t know how."

Mrs. Liang stammered, "I... I was just trying to train you!"

Mr. Liang said, "Whatever the case, you shouldn’t badmouth your mother and me around the neighborhood, right?"

"I didn’t! What did I say?" Xiao Li replied, still looking puzzled.

"You didn’t? Then how do they know you’re the one who does all the shopping? And how did they even learn about the house rules?" Mr. Liang asked, pressing a hand to his chest in frustration.

Xiao Li replied, "Well, they asked me why they saw me grocery shopping every day, so I simply told them about our household arrangements. I said I handled the grocery shopping and cooking, and that my in-laws were here to enjoy life. I wasn’t badmouthing you at all! Are these things something I shouldn’t have mentioned?

Besides, those ladies downstairs—poor things—have to grocery shop and take care of their grandkids. It’s exhausting! I thought that if I told them my in-laws didn’t have to lift a finger, they’d be super envious when they saw you guys."

Mr. and Mrs. Liang were so furious they couldn’t find words to respond.

Liang Zhanbai found himself suppressing a smile.

He had just worked up the nerve to try defending Xiao Li, but it turned out she was sharp-tongued enough that he didn’t need to step in at all.

Turning to his parents, he said, "Xiao Li didn’t really say anything wrong. It’s the ladies downstairs overthinking things—they probably just can’t stand to see you both living such a carefree life."

Smiling, Xiao Li added, "So it’s all a misunderstanding! Next time I see them, I’ll explain everything. I’ll tell them I volunteered to take on the housework—it wasn’t forced on me—and make sure to clear your names. Is that okay?"

Mr. Liang snorted. "From now on, don’t go downstairs chatting with those people anymore."

"Dad, are you trying to control who your daughter-in-law can be friends with? I don’t remember that being one of the house rules," Xiao Li said with an innocent look.

As she finished, she pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket proudly. "To familiarize myself with the house rules, I’ve kept them on me at all times."

Mr. and Mrs. Liang were so furious they could’ve spat blood.

They couldn’t figure out if this daughter-in-law was genuinely naive or playing dumb on purpose.

Liang Zhanbai just stared at Xiao Li in a daze.

He had thought he’d married a meek little bunny who would silently endure mistreatment. Who knew he had married a wolf in sheep’s clothing!

...

Li Sisi was cooking when she received a phone call from her sister.

"Sis, why are you calling me all of a sudden?"

"Just wanted to check in and see how marriage is treating you."

"Wow, aren’t you thoughtful?" Li Sisi teased while stirring the soup.

"I’m your big sis; isn’t it normal to care about my little sister?"

Li Sisi laughed. "I’m making dinner—want to come over to eat?"

"Nah, I’m good. At your wedding, I got a look at your in-laws. They don’t seem like easy people to deal with, but hey, your husband’s handsome."

"Haha, of course! As someone who cares about appearances, my one requirement for marriage is that my husband has to be good-looking!"

"How’s it going? Are you handling your in-laws okay? If you need help, just let me know."

"Come on, you know me! If I couldn’t handle this, my title as the Seven Streets Bully would’ve been for nothing."

"Alright, since you’re managing just fine, I won’t worry anymore."

At a villa, Li Jiajia ended the call and stepped out of her car, returning home earlier than expected since Cai Minjun had left for an overseas business trip.

When she entered, she saw her kids’ aunt sitting with them—they were already eating dinner.

They didn’t wait for her.

The aunt gave her an apologetic yet smug smile. "Sorry about that—I didn’t know you’d be back today, so we didn’t wait."

Li Jiajia gave a faint smile. "It’s alright; I already ate."

"But even if you’ve eaten, you could still try a little bit of this. The kids already ate from these dishes, so they’re not dirty," the aunt said.

Li Jiajia glanced at the table. Cai Minjun was a businessman who had grown up poor, and he hated wasting food. Although the family had a housekeeper, she wasn’t allowed to cook too much—they only prepared just enough.

Now, every dish on the table had been picked over, with only small scraps remaining.