The Sweetness of the Seventies
Chapter 767 - 736_1

Chapter 767: Chapter 736_1

Huang Jingli showed a bitter smile as she looked towards He Tiantian and said, "I’m not going out, no matter what. Auntie raised me, and even if they did something excessive, I can’t say such hurtful things to them."

"Stop shouting, I’m in charge of this house," Mother Wu said. "Speak if you have something to say, otherwise leave quickly. My temper is not as good as Jingli’s."

Seeing that Huang Jingli wouldn’t come out, Huang Jingtao became even more displeased.

"Huang Jingli, come out! You’re unfilial and ungrateful. Even if my mother isn’t your birth mother, she at least raised you," Huang Jingtao yelled. "If you don’t come out today, I’ll let the whole neighborhood know what kind of person you are. You call yourself a college student, yet you have no conscience."

Upon hearing these words, Huang Jingli trembled with anger.

"Jingli sister, stay calm, stay calm," He Tiantian comforted, so as not to let Huang Jingli become too enraged to speak and allow these people to take advantage.

With the rise of Huang Jingli’s voice, people from the neighborhood began to loiter at the doorstep, listening to the commotion inside.

Mother Wu scoffed and cursed, "I’ve seen shameless people, but I’ve never seen anyone as shameless as this. It’s true, your mother did raise my daughter-in-law; that was her duty after taking over the house, job, and the compensation meant for my daughter-in-law’s deceased parents. Raising another person’s child was the right thing to do. Even though I haven’t watched my daughter-in-law grow up from a young age, I also believe in her character. She’s a hard-working and kind girl. You’re bullying Jingli because you see she’s having a good life now and you want to come for a handout. If your family can’t make ends meet, just say it directly. But what is this about pressuring my daughter-in-law and tarnishing her reputation? If that’s how it’s going to be, then let me tell you, I’ll disown this relative. Get out, get out right now!"

The outsiders, upon hearing Mother Wu’s words, looked at Mother Huang and Huang Jingtao with a hint of contempt.

Huang Jingtao, unable to outtalk Mother Wu, was so angry that her face turned red.

"Don’t talk nonsense, who’s here asking for a handout? I came to visit my daughter, but you, an old pious woman, won’t let us see her," Mother Huang interjected, seeing her daughter unable to win against Mother Wu.

"If that’s not the case, then why did you start complaining about my daughter-in-law as soon as you walked in?" Mother Wu demanded. "Saying she’s unfilial right off the bat, you don’t even consider what you’ve done in the past, having already worn out any semblance of kinship. Today, in front of all the neighbors, I’m not afraid to speak my mind. Even though you took over my daughter-in-law’s house and her compensation, making her do hard labor every day, at the end of the day, you did raise her. All right then, I, as her mother-in-law, will give you twenty yuan a month from this household, as a sort of pension. If you have any sense, you won’t come to my house and disturb us; if you continue to slander my daughter-in-law, you won’t get a penny, and I will go to your hometown and spread the word about how you mistreated her."

When the crowd heard about the monthly payment of twenty yuan, they thought, not even a biological daughter would give her parents twenty yuan a month!

This old woman from the Wu family isn’t so bad after all.

Mother Huang was taken aback; twenty yuan was not a small sum, but she had just claimed they weren’t there for a handout. If she backtracked now, wouldn’t she be contradicting herself?

"Twenty yuan, are you trying to dismiss a beggar?" said Huang Jingtao. "Lin Xiaoru said your family is very rich, at least fifty yuan!"

"Fifty yuan?" The people at the door gasped; that was equivalent to an ordinary worker’s salary, enough to support a whole family.

At the same time, they understood why the normally amiable Mother Wu was so angry. With such clueless blood-sucking relatives, no one would be pleased!

"Fifty yuan, you’re really asking for the sky!" Neighbor Grandma Cai, who was on good terms with Mother Wu, couldn’t hold back any longer upon hearing this. "Whether or not she’s your own daughter, asking for fifty yuan a month for living expenses is way too much. You’re constantly demanding fifty yuan from your aunt for your parents, but how much do you, her own daughter, contribute? You only ask from the adopted daughter and expect her family’s gold and silver mountains to subsidize your own, but even those can’t withstand your looting!"

He Tiantian glanced outside and thought to herself how eloquent Grandma Cai was.

"This is our business, what right does an outsider have to meddle?" Huang Jingtao snapped back, infuriated. "Mind your own business, don’t be a dog that chases rats."

"Oh my, today we’ve seen some real shamelessness!" Grandma Cai said, "When there’s injustice, you can’t even let others step in! Young girl, don’t look so full of resentment. You’re not pretty to begin with, and getting angry only makes you uglier. You won’t be able to find a husband that way."

As soon as the topic of finding a husband came up, Huang Jingtao’s fury was pricked again, and she huffed and puffed with anger.

"You shouldn’t spout nonsense..." she said, moving to push Grandma Cai.

Grandma Cai didn’t back down either, speaking forcefully, "Anyway, I have heart disease. If you push me, I’ll faint and have to be hospitalized. If you have the money, then push me."

Mother Huang, seeing the situation, knew she had to agree quickly or risk not getting the twenty yuan, potentially even causing more trouble.

"Jingtao, come here." Mother Huang commanded, "Since Mother Wu has spoken, I won’t be polite about it. Twenty yuan a month, that’s two hundred and forty for the year. Give it all to me at once."

Grandma Cai looked at Mother Wu, ready to support her with a few more words if she disagreed.

Mother Wu nodded and said, "Alright, but I don’t have that much money at home. I only have forty, that’s for two months. I’ll have someone send you the rest later."

In front of outsiders, Mother Wu didn’t want anyone to know that her family had money.

To show wealth is to invite trouble; hiding it keeps one safe and sound.

Mother Wu was illiterate and said to Grandma Cai, "Sister Cai, you’re educated. Help me write a receipt. After taking the money, she needs to put her thumbprint on it. We can’t have her saying we didn’t give her money and that our daughter-in-law won’t support her."

"You’re right, we should indeed write a receipt." Grandma Cai said, and quickly penned the receipt.

Meanwhile, Mother Wu had taken out forty yuan, saying, "Put your thumbprint on it and then take the money."

"Mother-in-law, you see..." Mother Huang hesitated, her eyes flickering. Once she took the money, she wouldn’t be able to get any more benefits.

"No thumbprint, no money." Mother Wu threatened to take the money back.

Mother Huang quickly said, "I’ll put my thumbprint..."

Life at home was truly unbearable. With these forty yuan, if she was frugal, she could manage for a month.

After the thumbprint was made, Mother Wu handed over the money to Mother Huang.

Mother Huang and Huang Jingtao left amid everyone’s laughter.

"Sister Cai, we have guests at home today, so I can’t play host to you, but tomorrow I’ll personally invite the neighbors over for a meal." Mother Wu didn’t want the public to laugh at them anymore. Regardless of whether it was her family’s fault, it was all quite disgraceful.

"Sure thing, we’re all neighbors, we should help each other." Grandma Cai said, "Alright everyone, let’s disperse."

The crowd said their goodbyes to Mother Wu and left.