Chapter 191: Chapter 191: Tearing Down the Facade

After speaking, Uncle An’s wife didn’t even spare Du Guijuan a glance.

Du Guijuan’s expression was absolutely ghastly.

’How could things be different?’

In Du Guijuan’s eyes, the An family were just a bunch of illiterate old farmers, people you could get to do things for you with a few small favors.

But today, she hadn’t gotten her way even once.

"I—I didn’t mean it like that, Ercheng—"

Du Guijuan clung to An Ercheng’s arm, leaning her entire body against him, creating the illusion that he was the one in charge.

"Sister-in-law, you’ve gone too far."

BANG!

With a CLATTER, the tobacco basket hit the floor.

Uncle An drew back his arm. His previously slightly stooped back was now bolt upright.

"An eldest sister-in-law is like a mother. In our An family, she has earned that right!"

Uncle An’s wife, who had been sitting on the kang, got down, picked up the tobacco basket, and slapped it a couple of times to knock off the dust.

"What a waste of what little tobacco was left."

"Here, use this."

She casually handed him a sooty brick used for blocking the stove door and placed it next to Uncle An.

This gesture from his wife left Uncle An in an awkward position, not knowing how to react.

"All right, let’s get back to business. It’s still the New Year, and I have a lot of dishes waiting to be cooked."

Uncle An’s wife smoothed things over, and Uncle An took the opportunity to de-escalate.

"Ercheng, as for the land, I can’t make that decision. You’ll have to talk to the team leader."

"And if you really manage to move your household registration back, you can rent the land to someone else to farm. We don’t want it."

"I won’t stop you, but I won’t help you either. Go find the village head yourself."

After Uncle An finished speaking, his wife got busy.

"Cuihua, get down and let’s get cooking. We still have a New Year to celebrate."

"Yes!"

Lin Cuihua had long been eager to leave. She got off the kang, put on her shoes, and deliberately bumped into Du Guijuan at the doorway on her way out.

"Oof—"

Du Guijuan cried out, and An Ercheng’s heart ached for her.

’He couldn’t say anything to his elder sister-in-law, but surely he could say something to his younger one.’

"Sister-in-law, what was that for?"

"Second Brother, if you have a problem, take it up with me. You have no right to say anything to my wife."

An Sancheng also got off the kang. His body, built from years of manual labor, was immeasurably stronger than An Ercheng’s.

Sunlight streaming through the window cast An Sancheng’s silhouette over An Ercheng, looming above him.

"Sancheng, I’m your second brother!"

"Hmph! If Eldest Brother acknowledges you, then I’ll acknowledge you. If he doesn’t, you’re nothing."

An Sancheng forcefully bumped An Ercheng, in exactly the same way Lin Cuihua had just done.

’You think you’re the only one who dotes on his wife?’

An Sancheng walked out, then turned back to call to the children.

"Everyone, out. Time to work."

"Okay, coming."

"Coming, Dad."

"Got it, Third Uncle."

The children filed out one by one.

When it was An Ning’s turn, she sidled out, avoiding facing Du Guijuan directly.

Being ignored by both families made An Ercheng feel terrible.

But before he had a chance to reflect on anything, Du Guijuan spoke up from beside him.

"It’s all my fault. I thought a family should be like mine."

Du Guijuan’s self-reproaching words made An Ercheng immediately turn to comfort her, casting everything else from his mind.

"It’s not your fault. Eldest Brother really doesn’t have the final say. We just need to find the village head."

Uncle An, who hadn’t moved from his spot on the kang, kept his head down, his eyelids drooping.

’He’s got a little sense, but not much.’

An Ercheng and his wife stood at the doorway, not knowing whether to enter or leave, their position suddenly awkward.

"Since you’re here, you’re guests. Stay for dinner before you go."

Uncle An spoke. An Ercheng gave a sullen nod.

"Thank you, Eldest Brother."

Uncle An didn’t reply, just puffed away on his rustic pipe, the air filling with smoke.

Du Guijuan didn’t want to stay, but the matter of the land wasn’t resolved, and she was unwilling to leave empty-handed.

An Ercheng pulled Du Guijuan into the room, but she couldn’t stand the smell of the dry tobacco and said with false sincerity, "I’ll go outside and help."

"Thank you for your trouble, Juan’er."

An Ercheng actually believed her. Behind his back, Uncle An rolled his eyes so many times he lost count.

’How did the An family produce such a love-struck fool!’

’The key word being "fool."’

’It wasn’t that being good to one’s wife was wrong. But to ignore everything and everyone else for her sake? That made you a real piece of work.’

’The family that raised you for over twenty years, thrown away just like that. How could anyone feel good about that?’

An Ercheng watched with concern as Du Guijuan left. Only then did he sit down on the kang. For a moment, the two brothers were silent, unable to find anything to say.

An Ercheng tried to speak several times, but he didn’t know what to ask.

"Eldest Brother, everything at home is... good."

"We’re all still alive."

With that one sentence, An Ercheng was silenced, at a complete loss for words.

"Eldest Brother, can’t we just talk nicely? I know I was wrong for not coming back all these years."

"It wasn’t on purpose. The expenses at home, inside and out, are so high, I really couldn’t risk missing work."

"Besides, it’s not like you ever came to the city to see me, either."

An Ercheng muttered the last sentence, and Uncle An raised the pipe in his hand.

"Don’t hit my head!"

An Ercheng reflexively covered his head, which made Uncle An snort coldly and lower his pipe.

"Ercheng, I’m only going to say this once, and I’ll never say it again."

"In the An family, we all treat our wives well. But no matter what you do, you have to have a sense of what’s fundamentally right and wrong."

"If you lose that, how can you function as a person?"

Across from him, An Ercheng lowered his head. He wanted to explain, but nothing came out.

Silence fell over the room once more.

Outside, however, it was bustling with activity.

When Du Guijuan stepped out, she was dumbfounded by the sight of everyone bustling in the kitchen and the food they were preparing.

’Are those... ribs? A whole rack of ribs?’

’Impossible. In her family, even eating a few ribs required careful budgeting.’

"Mom, look at those huge prawns! They’re as big as my hand! And that fish... Mom, what kind of fish is that?"

Du Guijuan was also staring at the large, flat fish in Lin Cuihua’s hands.

’She wanted to know too. What on earth was that fish? She had no idea.’

It wasn’t just the fish she didn’t recognize; she didn’t know what any of the shellfish were either.

Even the things she did recognize, she could hardly believe her eyes.

’Who eats three whole chickens in one meal?’

’Who eats two huge fish in one sitting?’

’And what family celebrating the New Year could afford to use so much oil for deep-frying?’

’There was enough oil to take a bath in.’

The mother and daughter were completely bewildered by the An family’s New Year’s feast, feeling a profound sense of unreality.

They even began to wonder if they were hallucinating, as if they’d been poisoned.

"Mom... Mom, look. That girl is wearing a cashmere coat... to carry firewood?"

An Jing watched with both jealousy and anger. Such a waste, not taking care of her things at all.

"Mom, didn’t you say they were poor?"

An Jing’s voice was not quiet at all. Lin Cuihua, who was washing the fish, let out a "Tch!" and stood up, flicking water from the fish’s body and, as luck would have it, splashing the mother and daughter.

"Haven’t you ever seen good food before?"

"What do you think you’re doing?"

Du Guijuan pulled An Jing behind her and glared at Lin Cuihua.

"Washing a fish. What else would I be doing?"

Lin Cuihua had no intention of dealing with Du Guijuan and turned to go process the fish.

"No. Apologize."

Du Guijuan blocked Lin Cuihua’s path.

An Ning, who was just coming in with an armful of firewood, dropped the logs and stepped in front of Lin Cuihua.

"What’s your problem? If you want to fight, fight me."