Reborn in the 80s, Get Rich by Eating Melons
Chapter 302: Voicing Grievances

Chapter 302: Chapter 302: Voicing Grievances

Tong Yaohui, who was about to open a bottle of wine, froze and suddenly remembered the matter. Regretfully, he said, "Since Xiaochen can’t drink, I will just have a little myself. It’s not so often that Xiaochen comes over; I’m in a good mood."

"If you’re in a good mood, eat more food. Why drink wine?" Wen Yun walked over, grabbed the bottle of wine from Tong Yaohui’s hand, and put it back in the cabinet. "What’s wrong with you? I didn’t see you drink when you were young. Now that you’re old, you’ve developed a bad habit of drinking. Just look at yourself, do you still think you’re a youth in your early twenties or what?"

"..." Listening to his wife nagging at him like she would at a child, Tong Yaohui grumbled and said in a low voice, "Our daughter and son-in-law are here, at least save me some face."

Wen Yun gave him a grumpy glance, "Hurry up and sit down for dinner."

Tong Yao covered her mouth and snickered, making a funny face at Si Chen, who had a slight smile on his lips but said nothing. Since they couldn’t drink alcohol, Wen Yun took some frozen fruit tea out of the refrigerator. The family of four chatted happily while having their meal, but just as they were halfway through, they heard a knock at the door.

When Wen Yun opened the door and saw Yuan Caizhen with her child standing at the entrance, she quickly invited them in. "Caizhen, have you eaten? Come in and have some. Xiaochen and Yaoyao are here too."

Although they were neighbors in the same compound, the two families didn’t interact much. But now that Yuan Caizhen was Si Chen’s younger aunt, Wen Yun was very enthusiastic towards her.

Yuan Caizhen, on the other hand, didn’t stand on ceremony and walked in with her child, laughing softly, "Auntie Wen, my parents are not at home. I heard that Yaoyao was back, so I came over to see her."

"Yes, Xiaochen is off work today, so the young couple came over together," Wen Yun led the two to the dining table, getting them seated before saying, "You sit here first, I’ll get some bowls and chopsticks."

After Wen Yun had set the table for them, she specifically made a portion of Fried Cucumber and Egg for Yuan Caizhen and her child.

Tong Yao politely greeted Yuan Caizhen, "Little Auntie, has Xiaohui been discharged from the hospital?"

"She has."

Yuan Caizhen gave a wry smile; her troubles were indeed unspeakable. Seeing that something was off, Tong Yao didn’t press further.

With two more additions at the table, Tong Yaohui didn’t prattle on like before. After they finished eating, he and Si Chen withdrew to the study to chat. Wen Yun busied herself tidying up the dishes and utensils as her grandkids played in the living room. Meanwhile, Tong Yao pulled Yuan Caizhen over to the sofa and began to talk in a laid-back tone.

"Little Auntie, you seem upset. Did something happen?"

Yuan Caizhen pursed her lips, filled with grievances but uncertain where to begin. After a while, she said softly, "Yaoyao, I won’t hide it from you. I don’t like Xiaohui or Song Yu. I just want them to move out of my house already. But your uncle won’t let them. Irritated, I brought my child back to my parents’ place, only to find they’re not home either..."

Before Tong Yao could respond, she continued, "I know Xiaohui just had a miscarriage and needs someone to take care of her. I had no objections to that. But she shouldn’t treat me like a servant, getting angry at me for no reason. Honestly, I can’t understand why your uncle lets her behave like this. She’s so rude. Shouldn’t someone tell her off, give her some discipline?"

As expected, it was Si Xiaohui stirring up trouble. Tong Yao was spot on. She raised her eyebrows and suggested, "Don’t indulge her. Xiaohui is just a typical bully who only preys on the weak. Show her you’re the mistress of the house."

Yuan Caizhen vented her frustration, "I didn’t want to indulge her, and she did behave better. But then she had a miscarriage. When I tried to be more compassionate because of that, she took advantage of me. If the food wasn’t too salty, it was too plain. This morning she woke up at ten and complained that the porridge was cold. She just threw the bowl and spoon. She insulted me behind my back, calling me a cheap woman. I was so angry I slapped her. And your uncle got mad at me."

Talking about the incident, she apologised, "I admit I should never have lost control and hit someone, and I have already apologised to Xiaohui. But she won’t let it go. She keeps on making a fuss about it. Your uncle thinks it’s my fault, blames me for not giving in to Xiaohui, for not taking good care of Xiaohui. He says he didn’t go back home for many years and owes Xiaohui, and hopes I can understand him. He even said I didn’t think I was like this, that I was narrow-minded and looked down on his relatives..."

Tong Yao thought: did the little uncle learn to manipulate like this so early?

Tong Yao suddenly felt some sympathy for Yuan Caizhen. Anyone would find it hard to bear living like this. The fact that Yuan Caizhen could endure it for so long was already commendable. If it were her, she would have thrown a fit long ago.

She blinked, "Little Auntie, what are you going to do now?"

"Our home has become unbearable, and I don’t want to go back." Yuan Caizhen said determinedly, "Before I left, I made it clear to your uncle. I don’t care how he handles Xiaohui, but as long as Xiaohui stays at home, my child and I won’t return. Clearly, I am not the one at fault here, it’s your uncle’s mindset that is flawed. If he feels guilty towards Xiaohui, then he should take care of her. Why should I suffer?"

The stubborn thinking of her husband had hurt Yuan Caizhen’s heart, and she didn’t want to step into the house again.

To be honest, she didn’t understand why her husband indulged Si Xiaohui, his niece, to such an extent. Even if he felt guilty towards her, he didn’t need to blindly spoil her.

Regardless of why her husband spoiled Xiaohui so much, she didn’t accept his thoughts. He shouldn’t forcefully instil these unhealthy thoughts in her. She had been raised with love and care, cherished by her parents. If her parents knew that she was suffering so much, how heartbroken would they be?

As Tong Yao listened to Yuan Caizhen’s determined speech, she couldn’t help but admire her. She was the most independent-thinking woman she had ever met, downright awakened, and completely refusing any abnormal pressure of thought. She set a good example for women who were bullied in marriage.

Tong Yao said with reverence, "Little Auntie, I really admire you. I have a friend who is not as brave and independent as you. She wouldn’t be in jail now."

Following her complaint, Yuan Caizhen felt much better. She smiled somewhat awkwardly, "Yaoyao, Xiaohui is, after all, Xiaochen’s sister, do you think I am being too harsh?"

However, Tong Yao unhesitatingly responded, "Little Auntie, you’re not wrong. If anyone treated me like that, I wouldn’t care who they were, I would’ve protested on the first day they bullied me. Everyone has only one life; why should we endure others’ harsh treatment?"

Yuan Caizhen gave a bitter smile and sighed, "In fact, I’m not just angry at Xiaohui, I’m even more upset with your uncle. If it weren’t for your uncle’s indulgence, Xiaohui wouldn’t dare behave so recklessly."