Hua Zhi has been visiting the Zhu family frequently recently. When the old lady saw her, she wanted to sigh for her hard-working life and the pressure she was under. However, she smiled as always and joked, "Who are you here to see today? It's definitely not to see me, your wife."
"Aren't you the first person I see when I come to see anyone?" Hua Zhi helped the person sit down, and her words made the old lady smile. Zhu family's eldest wife, Zheng, was watching from the side, thinking in her mind that it would be better to do it today than to wait for another day, as she had to say it anyway, so it would be better to talk about it now. If she delayed it for too long, it would delay Shan'er.
The previous few times Hua Zhi came, she would talk about her business and leave in a hurry, and she didn't have a good conversation with her grandmother. This time, she put other things aside and chatted with her grandmother tenderly, and talked about what her mother did at home.
The old lady sighed, "Your mother has always been weak. It's not that I haven't tried to persuade her, but it was useless. She would burst into tears after just a few words. She never said anything and never talked back. She was extremely obedient. Not to mention me, even her two brothers were very distressed. They protected me before I could do anything. Later, when she was old enough to find a husband, I was really anxious. With such a personality, she would suffer in any family. As a result, your grandmother came to visit before I could even worry for a few days. In fact, I also knew that she didn't think much of this daughter-in-law. Every daughter-in-law must be capable and able to support the family. Later, I heard from her that it was your father who came to her for help. She was also soft-hearted. She said that she had raised your father for so long and this was the first time he asked her for help. How could she refuse?"
The old lady smiled and shook her head, "In the end, he really protected me for so many years. You don't know how panicked I was when I found out your father had taken a concubine. But no matter how panicked I was, I could do nothing. She was already a married daughter. Fortunately, your father was a man of his word. Even with the concubine, he didn't let your mother suffer any loss. This backyard has always been like this. No matter how powerful and resourceful a woman is, it's useless without the help of a man. Your mother can't do anything, but as long as your father stands on her side, no one can do anything to her."
Zheng continued, "My little aunt is blessed by nature. She has parents and brothers to protect her at her natal family, and a husband to love her after she gets married. Even if something happens, she still has a pair of children to protect her. This blessing is not available to most people."
"It's hard for Zhi'er."
"I didn't feel bitter." Hua Zhi smiled lightly, "Although my mother is a little soft-hearted, she still loves her children. Don't compare her with others. She has done her best to treat us well, and that's enough."
The old lady was stunned for a moment, and her eyes suddenly turned red. It was such a simple truth, but few people could see through it.
"Which mother doesn't devote herself to her children?" Zheng glanced at her mother-in-law and made up her mind that even if she had to endure the cold shoulder for some time, she would resolve the matter today. After all, she was the eldest daughter-in-law of the Zhu family, and she had not done anything to let down the Zhu family, so she couldn't be too harsh on her.
Thinking of her husband's attitude, she became more confident. She took a sip of tea as if to cover up her mistake and said, "Speaking of this, Zhi'er, I'm afraid that your aunt will let you down."
Hua Zhi's heart was moved, but she looked a little puzzled, "What do you mean, aunt?"
The old lady's face turned cold, "Old lady's wife, don't be too anxious."
"Mother, I am willing to bear any bad reputation. I understand that you feel sorry for my aunt and Zhi'er, but I also feel sorry for Shan'er!" Zheng's eyes were red. She also felt wronged. How could she not feel sorry for her granddaughter when she felt so sorry for her own granddaughter
Wiping her eyes, Zheng looked at Hua Zhi, "Before, your uncle wanted to match Shan'er and Bolin. Bolin is a good kid, and I believe that if Shan'er marries him, you will not treat her badly. But Shan'er is now old enough to get married, and Bolin is still in mourning, and he is even younger than Shan'er. Your aunt really doesn't want to wait around like this, in case something unexpected happens..."
"Shut up!" The old lady looked at her eldest daughter-in-law coldly, "If you can't speak, don't speak. No one says you are dumb!"
Zheng knew that she had said the wrong thing, so she knelt down with her skirt lifted up, resting her forehead on the ground and shrugging her shoulders. She didn't say another word, but her attitude was clear.
Hua Zhi gently twisted the lid of the cup and looked up to break the silence, "It's according to what my aunt wants."
Zheng didn't expect it to be so easy. She thought it would take some time, or even drag on for some days. But she was also very happy, and her heart was heavy. Now that Hua Zhi was the head of the Hua family, her words would naturally count. The verbally agreed marriage was finally settled.
But she couldn't accept this promise. Zheng straightened up with tears on her face and looked at her mother-in-law with sad eyes.
The old lady smiled, but there was no warmth in her tone, "You are so shameless, how can I stop you? From now on, you can make your own decisions about your own affairs, and you don't need to go through me anymore."
Zheng was shocked. She wanted to be a good head of the household, but not in this way. Knowing that her mother-in-law was angry about this, she begged for mercy, "Mother, I just..."
"If you leave me here, I won't agree to break up this marriage."
Zheng lowered her head and said nothing.
The old lady snorted coldly, no longer looking at her or calling out to her, and just let her kneel there.
"Grandma, forget it. Marriage is not enmity. Aunt loves my cousin, but I also love Bolin. Let's just regard it as the two little ones are not destined to be together." Hua Zhi stood up and bowed, "I hope Aunt can help my cousin find a good husband."
Zheng didn't know whether to respond or not. She just knelt there and nodded awkwardly.
The old lady was fed up with this daughter-in-law at this moment, so she waved her hand and said, "Go away."
Zheng felt relieved, bowed and left quickly. As long as the goal could be achieved, she would grit her teeth and bear the other things. She couldn't really ask the master to divorce her for such a small matter.
Hua Zhi sat next to her grandmother. Without anyone around, she told the truth, "I have never approved of this marriage from the beginning to the end. It's better for my aunt to break it up. It won't cause unhappiness and ruin our relationship."
"It's just you. If it were anyone else, they would think that the eldest brother and his family look down on Berlin. How can there be any friendship between them?" The old lady sighed suddenly, "It's not that they look down on him. They think that everyone else is stupid. It's true that you should marry a virtuous woman. Your uncle has been getting less and less capable in recent years."
"It's not that bad. Not to mention how much he protected Mom in the past, he hasn't treated us as people who need to be avoided this year. It's good enough to be able to do this. I can't ask for more."
The old lady patted her granddaughter who was still comforting her. She was extremely disappointed with the eldest couple. She said, "Don't bully young men. They will regret it one day." She just hoped that Zhi'er didn't take it to heart.