Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 623 - 320 Climbing_2
Take, for example, the "Tongue-Ripping Hell", that is quite a vicious curse. Both Lian Shouren and Lian Jizu are scholars, and Lady Chiang, influenced by what she had been exposed to, had also acquired some culture.
Zhao Xiue sat on the kang bed, with her arm being pulled by Lady Chiang, yet she remained seated without getting up.
To tell the truth, she initially felt somewhat guilty. After speaking those words to Lian Jizu, she anticipated that Lian Jizu would argue with Lady Chiang, but she didn’t expect Lian Jizu to be so hot-tempered, barely speaking a few words before threatening to divorce Lady Chiang. The situation had escalated more than she intended, she never truly wanted Lian Jizu to divorce Lady Chiang; all she aimed for was to stir up trouble between Lian Jizu and Lady Chiang, to make Lian Jizu loathe Lady Chiang, worsening their marital relationship, and to see Lady Chiang lose face.
Because she felt guilty, she kept silent when Lady Chiang called out to her.
However, seeing Lady Chiang confronting her, she knew she could not avoid dealing with the matter. Furthermore, listening to Lady Chiang enumerate her accusations, which only the three of them could understand, and with Lady Chiang unwilling to directly address the issue, Zhao Xiue saw this as Lady Chiang’s weakness and her own momentum returned.
"I’m having stomach pains; you’d better not pull at me like this. If it comes down to one dead body and two lives lost, you’ll be the one who gets fried in oil," Zhao Xiue said, looking at Lady Chiang and raising her eyebrows.
As she spoke, Zhao Xiue tried forcefully to shake off Lady Chiang’s grip.
Lady Chiang was concerned about Zhao Xiue’s pregnancy as well, but she did not let go. The event Zhao Xiue mentioned of one dead body and two lives wasn’t so easy to occur. Yet, if she failed to make Zhao Xiue clarify the matter, her own life, even if spared, would probably be more miserable than death.
Lady Chiang was never a weak woman.
"Who hasn’t been pregnant before, and who doesn’t know how to give birth to children. When I was giving birth to Niuniu, I doubt you even knew where you were. Zhao Xiue, stop putting on airs, relying on a pregnancy of uncertain status, thinking you can control the entire Lian Family, young and old. The Lian Family isn’t like your lawless and disorderly household; both my in-laws are still here. The gods will see who ends up in the frying pan."
"Zhao Xiue, you always brag about how capable you are, so what’s wrong now, scared to face the consequences? Too frightened to confront me in front of our grandmother?"
Unable to resist provocation, Zhao Xiue snorted and stood up.
"Scared of you? I wouldn’t be. I haven’t done anything wrong," said Zhao Xiue as she followed Lady Chiang outside, but upon reaching the door, she changed her tune, "However, to say it again, you still haven’t clarified things. Why should I just go because you say I have to?"
"What you’ve been scheming behind everyone’s back, does it even need saying? I can’t be bothered to waste my breath with you; we’ll clear things up properly in front of our grandmother," Lady Chiang said through gritted teeth.
"Oh my, what a civilized person, pretending to be like a Bodhisattva. You’re more like a shrew. Such a catastrophe you’ve brought upon our door curtains, tsk tsk," Zhao Xiue said, looking at the torn door curtains and clicking her tongue.
"Isn’t it just my brother threatening to divorce you? If you have the guts, go talk to him about it. Taking your anger out on me, your sister-in-law, what’s that all about?" Zhao Xiue, standing proudly with her protruding belly, moved out the door at a leisurely pace, paying no mind to Lady Chiang, who stood beside her, fuming and with tear-stained cheeks.
"You..." Lady Chiang, seeing Zhao Xiue behaving so shamelessly and with no regard for the family’s face, trembled with rage, "Zhao Xiue, you’re a woman too. How can you slander so shamelessly, spewing vicious lies?"
"You’ve gotten yourself into a disgraceful affair, thinking no one knows. Jizu only wants to divorce you, which shows his good temper. Had it been someone more hot-blooded, they would have beaten you to a pulp," Zhao Xiue stood in the courtyard, deliberately raising her voice.
"Zhao Xiue, make yourself clear. I dare swear to the heavens, if I’ve even slightly erred, let the almighty strike me down with a lightning bolt," Lady Chiang retorted, seeing that Zhao Xiue was deliberately tarnishing her reputation in front of others, she couldn’t help but feel both angry and hateful. "Over the years, a person’s name and a tree’s shadow are known to all. What kind of person I am, everyone understands. You cannot smear my reputation with your rumors alone, Zhao Xiue."
Lady Chiang swore to the heavens, pointing her finger at Zhao Xiue.
"But look at yourself, do you think you have a good reputation? Everyone knows what you did back at your parents’ home. I don’t want to sully my mouth..."
Lian Manman, in the West Wing Room, listening to Zhao Xiue and Lady Chiang quarrel, had begun to make out some of the story. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚
"It must have been Sister-in-law Xiu E gossiping with Jizu about my eldest sister-in-law... cough, cough..." she trailed off, implying improper conduct.
Lian Manman and Lian Zhizhi exchanged glances; neither sister voiced the entire sentence, but Lian Manman had recalled what Zhang Caiyun had told her on the day Zhao Xiue and Erlang were wed.
In a large family, among the sisters-in-law who eat from the same pot, there may be those who truly get along like sisters, although it is rare, and those who are like sworn enemies, which are not few. The petty rivalries and stumbling blocks they set for each other, the stepping on toes and pushing down, are rather common. It is more often they lend each other a hand. Maintaining a semblance of harmony on the surface is considered quite good.
In this era, due to women’s dependent status, social public opinion and moral expectations of a woman’s chastity are extremely stringent. A slight blemish could ruin a woman completely.
Sometimes, no concrete evidence is needed; mere rumors could destroy a woman’s life. Hence, Lady Chiang took issue with Zhao Xiue, avoiding that topic of conversation, yet eager to clear things up with Lady Zhou.
Zhao Xiue and Lady Chiang’s usual bickering was one thing, but striking at one another in this regard was akin to a death blow—utterly sinister and vicious.
Lady Chiang understood the potential consequences acutely, thus she immediately swore to the heavens and launched a counterattack. In essence, ’if you won’t let me live in peace, I’ll take you down with me.’
"Lady Chiang, you slander me!" Zhao Xiue leaped to her feet in an instant.
***......***
Here’s one update, with another coming later. Seeking your endorsements.
Regarding the ’dou niu zi,’ it’s almost impossible to find now. Ruoyan wanted to have a door curtain made of ’dou niu zi,’ and Ruoyan’s mother said it would be very difficult. ’Dou niu zi’ is written based on how it’s pronounced in Ruoyan’s hometown dialect. Dear readers, if any of you have detailed information, please share it in a post.
Many things from our childhood, dialects and colloquialisms spoken by our grandparents, are gradually disappearing, swept away in the stream of history. Saving even a little bit is worthwhile. Written here, when Ruoyan grows old and memories begin to fade, at least these words will remain... (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to go to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your votes for recommendation, monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)
