Chapter 147 - 149: The Scolded Little Wife

Chapter 147: Chapter 149: The Scolded Little Wife

In the hospital, Zhang Xiangcao was recovering impressively fast and could eat solid food by the following day.

When she woke up, she noticed an elderly lady had taken the bed across from hers. The old woman squinted her eyes, her lips were thin and her cheekbones sharply protruding, giving off a rather severe appearance.

The old lady glanced at Zhang Xiangcao, squinting, “With a face like that, you must not be a virtuous woman, are you?”

Zhang Xiangcao was stunned, unsure of why she had somehow offended the old lady. The woman’s words were harsh and had dashed Xiangcao’s tentative intention of striking up a conversation in the ward. But there was no reason to offer her face only for it to be slapped.

“Caocao, come and eat. I brought something good for you.”

Tang Zhijun walked in, carrying a thermos. The food was bought from the hospital cafeteria. Since Zhijun’s elder brother had to work in the fields and there were two children at home, they had been eating out. The doctor said she would be able to return home in a few days.

“How are you today?” Tang Zhijun put the food box in front of Zhang Xiangcao and handed her some chopsticks. He then took a hair tie off his wrist and tied Zhang Xiangcao’s hair back.

“I’m fine,” Zhang Xiangcao smiled, “The doctor said my wound is healing well. If there are no complications in the next few days, I can go home.”

Tang Zhijun gently brushed her face and said, “Alright, eat up. I bought wonton soup and your favourite Xiao Long Baozi.”

Zhang Xiangcao took a spoonful of the wonton soup and then pushed the bowl in front of Tang Zhijun, “I can’t eat all of it, help me finish.”

“Okay,” Tang Zhijun smiled, took the bowl over, and drank half of it directly. He knew well that Zhang Xiangcao was tricking him into eating because she was afraid he wouldn’t eat enough. Even if they split a bowl between the two of them, the serving was considerable.

To Zhang Xiangcao’s surprise, the scolded daughter-in-law turned out to be none other than...

Yes, it was Sang Zhilan, Yuxin’s mother.

Zhang Xiangcao was taken aback. She did not believe her eyes and rubbed them for confirmation. That woman was indeed Sang Zhilan. Zhang Xiangcao doubted Sang Zhilan would recognize her, as she rarely ventured out in the village and Sang Zhilan worked in the city, often staying away for up to half a month at a time. To Zhang Xiangcao, a woman who would neglect her own daughter was not fit to be a mother.

Now, it was clear that this sharp-tongued old woman was her mother-in-law. If Zhang Xiangcao harbored any sympathy for her earlier, it had entirely retreated now. Sang Zhilan deserved to lead this difficult life. She had had a good life before, but her shameless actions had brought this onto herself.

Zhang Xiangcao had heard the story of the Tang family from Zhijun. According to him, Sang Zhilan had left him and Yuxin and eventually they had gotten a divorce. It was because Sang had been involved with another man.

Zhang Xiangcao despised women like Sang Zhilan, and any sympathy she had felt for her had turned into a simple “serves you right.”

Meanwhile, Sang Zhilan was attending to the old lady while worrying about her daughter, Wei Jiani, who was alone at home. Jiani was only six years old and hadn’t started school yet. Sang Zhilan had asked her neighbor to watch Jiani, but understandably she couldn’t help but worry. No matter how reliable a neighbor, they are not family. How could they be expected to take as good care of her child?

Thus Sang Zhilan was living through a never-ending nightmare. Moreover, her mother-in-law was no lightweight either. Back when she was in the Tang family, without a mother or father-in-law, she had felt no constraints. She reigned over the entire family, doing whatever she pleased without much responsibility. Even having her foot-bath water brought to her by Tang Zhijun, who also washed her clothes and cooked her meals, while she just took the money and left.

But since she’d arrived at the Wei family, she was reduced to a servant, attending to others, washing clothes, and cooking meals.

When she picked up a pile of clothes to wash back home, the old woman didn’t allow her to leave. The old woman said that the running water in the hospital was already paid for, unlike at home, so there was no point wasting the free water here.

Suppressing her anger, Sang Zhilan went to the nearby faucet to wash the clothes.

When Tang Zhijun returned from hanging the clothes out to dry, he noticed Zhang Xiangcao in a daze.