Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 183: Sarcastic Mouth_1

Chapter 183: Chapter 183: Sarcastic Mouth_1

The next morning, Chang Lian and Chang Zhi dressed in their finest clothes and readied themselves so neatly and smartly, one would think they were the young masters of some noble family. Zhulan looked at her two sons and sighed, "Thankfully, they look mostly like me."

Zhou Shuren, "...."

Certainly, the appearance of this body was not particularly striking, and he felt somewhat choked up about it.

As soon as the eunuch and her brother-in-law left, Lady Li felt increasingly uneasy. Her intuition told her that the eunuch taking her brothers-in-law to meet the county magistrate was definitely not a simple matter. Seeing her mother-in-law head to the back yard, Lady Li pulled aside the head of the household. "Why do I feel that something is off? Head of the household, do you not have the same feeling?"

Zhou Shuren tugged at his clothes but couldn’t free himself from his wife’s grip. He looked down at her plump fingers and remained silent. Why did it seem like his wife was getting stronger? "I don’t feel anything amiss. Let go of me, I need to harness the cart. I still have to go up the mountain later!"

Lady Li let go with an "oh" and grumbled, "I must be foolish to ask you. You’re not the smart one after all. I should ask my sister-in-law instead!"

Zhou Shuren, "...."

Life was becoming unbearable. Now even his wife scorned him. He glared, although it was actually his wife who was at the bottom of the family rankings. What right did she have to disdain him!

Zhou Shuren’s younger brother patted his shoulder, "You chose your wife yourself; you’ll have to stick with her for life, even if you have to kneel."

Zhou Shuren, "Shut up."

What was most hateful about brothers? When they were young, they pushed him to take the blame for their misdeeds. Now that they were part of the Chang family, he was pushed forward to take the scolding. And since his younger brother’s mouth had become increasingly abrasive, poking him in the heart from time to time, Zhou Shuren suddenly envied his son. Look at how obedient Ming Teng was. If he could do it all over, he would definitely apply his son’s tactics to his brother!

Zhou Shuren felt uncomfortable. After harnessing the cart, he called out with vexation, "Lady Li, hurry up! It’s time to head to the mountains."

Lady Li and Zhao’s wife left the house together, Lady Li in a bit of a daze, until they were seated in the ox cart and out of the village. Then Lady Li came to her senses. "Head of the household, my sister-in-law said that father actually took Chang Lian and Chang Zhi to be seen by the county magistrate."

Zhou Shuren gave a nonchalant "oh" but then suddenly realized the implication. He turned to look at his brother, and seeing his composed demeanor, felt like he had been stabbed in the heart once more. He and his wife were indeed the least regarded in the family. Look at his younger brother’s attitude; he must have seen it coming all along.

Zhou Shuren’s younger brother grinned, thinking to himself that teasing his older brother was increasingly amusing, and he could hardly control himself. "Brother, keep your cool. The situation isn’t set in stone yet; everything depends on today."

Lady Li turned to look at her sister-in-law, covering her heart with her hand. She felt relieved they hadn’t split the family. Thankfully, everyone was afraid of their parents, otherwise, as mother-in-law had said, she and the head of the household would have ended up being sold and still counting the money for their buyer!

In the Zhou household, Zhulan was holding her grandson, who was almost eight months old. The little one was well-nourished from birth and had grown well, with Zhao’s wife being adept at child-rearing. Ming Rui was robust and healthy, and, leaning on his grandmother’s hands, he was trying to stand up on his own!

Zhulan smiled brightly, finding the child easy to care for. Except when he was hungry, he would cry, but the rest of the time, a single tease would make him laugh. "What are you laughing at now? Why so happy?"

Ming Rui babbled in response, and soon opened his mouth as if he wanted to speak.

In modern times, Zhulan didn’t have much interaction with siblings or knowledge about kids, and she wasn’t experienced in child-rearing. But after arriving in ancient times, she never imagined she would have the patience to care for a child without feeling the slightest bit of annoyance, always playfully encouraging Ming Rui to speak, "Say grandma, grandma."

Zhulan had heard that nobility often spoke later, but as she watched Ming Rui grow up a little bit at a time, she felt this wasn’t entirely accurate. Children needed guidance as they grew. With plenty of adults and children in the Zhulan family, constantly engaging in conversation, children learn through imitation. Though Ming Rui wasn’t big, his attempt to speak seemed to come naturally.

As for why nobility might speak later, it could be due to being raised by wet nurses and maids—no one would dare prompt the young master to speak. Without encouragement to develop speech, a child without a model to imitate would naturally start speaking later.

Outside the gate, "Relatives! Are you home?"

Zhulan, cradling Ming Rui, stepped outside and looked, surprised to see Jiang Sheng’s mother. "When did you arrive, relative?"

Lady Jiangwang held a basket. "I just got here this morning, and I came straight to see you. Oh, this must be your little grandson, what a well-fed child."

Her own children had never been so plump, and the comparison made her even more envious. The conditions of the Zhou family were truly good. Look at the attire of her relative, as stylish as the ladies in town, while she herself looked unrefined by comparison, her own clothes even bearing inconspicuous patches!

Zhulan held her grandson with one hand, knowing better than to hit a smiling face. No matter how much she had argued with Lady Jiangwang in the past, she still cared to maintain the dignity of their daughter and son-in-law, smiling as she said, "Come inside, relative. It’s quite hot today, much cooler inside."

Lady Jiangwang exhaled cautiously, slightly intimidated by her relative. She worried about not being treated courteously, and had her husband not urged her, she might have stayed with her son for a little longer. "We don’t have much at home. Here are some wild eggs my husband found in the mountains. I saved half for Xue Mei and the kids, and I brought the rest for you. I hope you don’t mind."

Zhulan glanced at the basket, holding perhaps a dozen wild eggs, and put Ming Rui down on the bed to let him play by himself. She took the basket, "Look at what you’re saying, relative. Wild eggs are hard to come by. These are valuable. Please, have a seat."

Then she turned to Xue Han, who had risen to greet them, "Go get some snacks for our auntie."

After that, Zhulan poured a cup of cold tea for Lady Jiangwang, "You’ve been on the road since morning and came straight here without a good rest. Please, have some tea."