The small single room was completely silent; even the crying of the child next door stopped for a moment. Zhu Jiaorong didn't react for a moment. She stood there in a daze with the rag in her hand, unable to utter a word. The clear sounds of the two slaps just now were still ringing in her ears.
So loud!
She shuddered subconsciously and couldn't help but look at her daughter Zhan Aija's face. It was swollen and red, which made her feel the same way and her scalp tingled.
Zhan Aijia covered her face. She was dazed by the beating. The anger and shame caused by the pain made her subconsciously want to resist. When she looked up, she saw Zhan Aiping standing with her back to the light.
The window behind Zhan Aiping emitted a strong white light. Because she was facing the light, her bright and beautiful face was covered with a gray veil. Looking at the foggy face made her feel timid.
Not to mention anything else, Zhan Bo is not here, it's just the mother and son, if they really make Zhan Aiping angry, they will be in big trouble.
—The two of them together can’t beat Zhan Aiping.
"Misunderstanding! This is a misunderstanding!" Zhu Jiaorong found her voice first. With a flattering smile on her face, she walked to Zhan Aijia and pushed her: "Why don't you apologize to your sister, Pingping? Your sister is just playful and has never seen the world. This is her first time in Shanghai. She saw so many fun things and couldn't help but grab a few of them."
"Jia Jia has always treated you as her own sister, closer to her than her own brother. She always says at home that she admires you and is envious of having such an excellent sister like you. She can't wait to learn from you every day. She likes everything about you and hopes to be like you."
"As sisters, harmony brings wealth. You are getting married soon, so don't ruin the harmony and make your in-laws laugh at you."
Stepmother Zhu Jiaorong said this beautifully. First, Zhan Aijia was young and ignorant, and she admired and liked Zhan Aiping. If Zhan Aiping, as an elder sister, continued to argue with her, it would be a bit unreasonable.
Secondly, Zhan Aiping's marriage was fraught with threats. If she brought the matter to the attention of the He family, she would lose face.
"Zhan Aijia, as your elder sister, I won't bother with you." Zhan Aiping said lightly.
Zhu Jiaorong and her daughter were overjoyed when they heard this, thinking that Zhan Aiping was still so easy to fool.
"You know, Zhanbo is the most face-conscious person."
The Zhanbo she mentioned was her and Zhan Aijia's father, and Zhu Jiaorong's husband. Zhanbo was indeed very proud, and was previously suppressed by his wife, so he was determined to remarry the "extremely virtuous" Zhu Jiaorong, and enjoy being served by his wife like a man.
Not only that, he also has to call himself the eldest brother in front of his brothers, and he helps the family for the sake of face. Originally, Zhanbo's salary is more than enough to support the family, but after helping out, Zhu Jiaorong has to live frugally.
Zhan Aiping had her mother's pension in her hands. Zhan Bo was too embarrassed to ask his daughter for money, and with her uncle watching him from behind, he couldn't open his mouth.
If he opens his mouth, where will he save his face
"Yes, yes, your father is a very face-conscious person." Zhu Jiaorong's smile was a bit forced. Her husband's face-consciousness often caused her a lot of trouble. But it was also because of his face-consciousness that she and her daughter could easily appease Zhanbo.
If Zhanbo knew that Zhan Aijia stole her sister's things, it would be embarrassing for Zhanbo to raise a thief in the house. If he knew that Zhan Aijia was beaten, he would not speak for Zhan Aijia, but would only say: "Well done! If you do something wrong, you must be punished severely."
It’s best not to let Zhanbo know about this.
"Jia Jia, apologize to your sister and let this matter be over." Zhu Jiaorong smiled gently and virtuously, instructing Zhan Aijia with her eyes.
Zhan Aijia lowered her head. She still felt aggrieved. Thinking about the silver bracelet and the three photos of Gu Sheng, she felt reluctant.
Zhan Aiping was acting crazy today, how did she get discovered
"Sister Pingping—"
"Stop first." Zhan Aiping called her. The next second, without waiting for Zhan Aijia to react, she grabbed Zhan Aijia's right wrist with lightning speed, making several "click, click" sounds so fast that Zhu Jiaorong could not see clearly what happened.
Zhan Aijia only felt a piercing pain in her wrist, which went deep into her bones, as if someone was chiseling her hand bones with a hammer and awl. She was in so much pain that tears and snot flowed.
She hugged her wrists and rolled to the ground, gasping for breath.
It hurts. It hurts so much.
The piercing pain in her hands and the burning pain on her face intertwined, as if she was in pain everywhere. Then Zhan Aijia heard a clear and capable female voice: "No need to apologize. I'll remind you - don't reach out, or you'll be caught."
"Okay, Aunt Zhu, please help Zhan Aijia up. I'm going to take a shower."
Zhan Aiping ignored the mother and daughter, said something lightly, went to get a basin and clean clothes, and changed her clothes that were soaked with sweat.
Seeing Zhan Aiping gone, Zhu Jiaorong breathed a sigh of relief. She helped Zhan Aijia up and asked, "Is it serious?"
"It hurts so much." The tears in Zhan Aija's eyes had not dried yet. She twisted her wrist and found that it was fine, just still a little sore.
Recalling the piercing pain just now, she didn't know where Zhan Aiping pinched her. The pain went deep into her bones, so painful that she couldn't help but shiver when she thought about it now.
She didn't dare to directly provoke that crazy woman Zhan Aiping.
"Zhan Aiping should get married quickly and let her in-laws deal with her." Zhan Aijia sniffed. He Mingzhang was a Shanghai man with good conditions, but Zhu Jiaorong and Zhan Aijia, mother and daughter, had discussed it secretly. The old woman in the He family was not an easy person to deal with.
Although Zhan Aiping has a bad temper, she is reasonable and cannot tolerate any sand in her eyes. She sets high standards for herself. If others surpass her by one point, she will surpass them by three points. If others treat her well by three points, she will return the favor by five points.
This kind of person is easily defeated. He cannot bear obvious losses, but will suffer hidden losses.
"But... look at her now." Zhu Jiaorong hesitated to speak. She was frightened by Zhan Aiping's behavior just now, and then she was terrified. Zhan Aiping, a young girl in her twenties, frightened her more than Zhan Bo, a grown man.
"What if she gets violent? Can the He family suppress her?" Even though He Mingzhang is a grown man, how could he beat Zhan Aiping
He Mingzhang is good at sweet talk. I hope he can coax Zhan Aiping.
"Your sister has changed now."
When she was a child, Zhan Aiping loved to fight, but she never bullied the weak. After joining the army, she even said that she would never use her fists and her force against ordinary people.
But she just now - Zhu Jiaorong didn't dare to ask her why she changed.
"Maybe it was the He family who provoked her. You should try not to offend her recently."
The day before yesterday, Zhan Aiping had a conflict with the He family, and He Mingzhang also had a cold war with her. Now no one from the He family has come to mediate, and this marriage may be ruined. Stepdaughter Zhan Aiping must be in a bad mood now.
Zhan Aijia laughed: "I think it's just right that her wedding has failed. It's a big joke. It was Zhan Aiping who booked the wedding banquet at the state-owned restaurant, but she insisted on having the two families hold it separately. She should hold it first. Then she will be the only woman left at the dinner table without a groom. I wonder what she will do!"
After saying that, Zhan Aija made a face, then pulled the wound on her face, grimacing in pain.
At this time, Zhan Aiping came back after taking a shower with clothes in her arms. When Zhan Aijia saw her, she immediately covered her face and gasped exaggeratedly. She wanted to make Zhan Aiping feel guilty!!!
Zhan Aiping glanced at her and put down the things on her hands. She walked to the side of the cabinet, raised her hand and wiped it, and said rudely: "Auntie, how do you clean all day long? Jia Jia said you are busy all the time, why is there still dust here and there, you haven't swept it yet."
She asked in a puzzled tone, "Why is it not as clean as if I lived alone?"
"Auntie, the neighbors said you were virtuous. Are you also like this, pretending to be virtuous every day when my dad comes home?"
Zhu Jiaorong's face froze. Zhan Aiping's words were too straightforward and blunt, and sounded too harsh. She and Zhan Aiping had a distant relationship before, but they were still polite to each other. Now, there was not even a trace of politeness left.
"How do you talk like that, kid?"
Zhan Aiping smiled and said, "You eat my father's food, live in my father's house, and use my father's things at home, and you eat my food, live in my house, and use my things here, and you don't allow me, the head of the family, to tell you the truth?"
Zhan Aiping would not treat the mother and daughter well. Didn't they want to be members of the Zhan family? Okay, then Zhan Aiping would not be polite to them.
Since you are living under the roof of her Zhan family, you should just be a good boy and serve me like a slave.
Old Man Gu laughed and said that she had been a little moral role model since she was a child, and said that she was lenient to others, but strict with herself and him, Gu Sheng.
After this rebirth, Zhan Aiping no longer wants to be a "moral role model". She doesn't want to put so many shackles on herself. God has given her one more life, so why not live it more recklessly
Live your life to your heart's content!!!
Now she is morality, she is the ideology, she is the law.
"Forget it." Without giving Zhu Jiaorong a chance to speak, these people always have their own reasons. Zhan Aiping was too lazy to argue with them, so she directly instructed: "Look, there are a lot of dirty clothes just changed over there, Auntie, please help me wash them."
"No one has washed my clothes since my mother passed away. Please do it."
They considered themselves as members of the Zhan family and "politely" sent her brother Zhan Mingzhao away. Her brother was shy and was polite to them, but now she, as their elder sister, is not polite to them anymore.
We are all family, why be polite
"This—" Zhu Jiaorong looked at Zhan Aiping in a daze. The expression on her stepdaughter's face said "of course". How could she have the nerve to say this
But her request was indeed reasonable. She was a "hardworking and virtuous" stepmother, and it was natural for her to wash clothes for her stepdaughter.
The cold wind blew in from the window, making people feel chilled to the bone. Washing clothes in such a cold weather is the most painful thing.
It's not even noon now, it's already evening, and no one would choose to wash clothes at this time in winter.
Zhan Aiping saw her dilemma and gave her an idea: "Let Zhan Aijia help me wash it."
"When we were preparing for the wedding, you said that a woman should be virtuous and learn to do housework. Zhan Aijia is not young anymore, so she should learn to work."
When Zhu Jiaorong heard what Zhan Aiping said, she came to her senses and thought that Zhan Aijia had taken things without permission, which made Zhan Aiping unhappy, so she took the opportunity to get angry.
In order to appease Zhan Aiping and avoid washing clothes with cold water, Zhu Jiaorong pushed her daughter: "Jia Jia, go wash clothes for your sister."
Zhan Aijia’s eyes widened. What? Ask her to wash clothes for Zhan Aiping
(End of this chapter)