A fierce wife enters the house: She helps up a house full of spineless people.

"You're talking nonsense!" Old Mrs. Chen was the first to react, her face turning a deep purplish-red with anger. "Who do you think you are? How dare you set rules here! There's never been such a thing in the Chen family! You're the eldest son's daughter-in-law, so you have to cook! You have to serve us!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Wang Jinzhu wasn't angry at all; instead, she laughed. "Grandma, you're getting old, your memory might not be so good. Who was it that said yesterday that the eldest son is incompetent, while the second son is successful, and that the older brother should help the younger brother? I still remember those words. What, helping means that we, the eldest son's family, have to contribute money, effort, and manpower, while you, the second son's family, can just talk the talk?"

She took a step forward, staring intently at Old Mrs. Chen: "My father taught me from a young age that if someone treats me with respect, I will treat them with even greater respect. If anyone tries to ride on my neck and shit on me, I will pull them off my neck and make them eat their own shit."

Old Mrs. Chen was so frightened by her reckless attitude that she took a step back. She wanted to yell back, but she was a little afraid.

"You...you shrew! You're so vulgar! You're an insult to all culture!" Chen Shuyan, who had been silent until now, finally couldn't hold back any longer. He stood up and pointed at Wang Jinzhu, looking indignant.

Snapped!

Wang Jinzhu slapped Chen Shuyan across the face, "An elder sister-in-law is like a mother! Is this how you talk to your mother?!"

"You, you dare to hit me!" Chen Shuyan, who had been pampered all her life, had never been hit before. Her eyes were red, and her finger pointing at Wang Jinzhu was trembling with anger.

"If you don't want your finger anymore, then keep pointing!"

Chen Shuyan touched her burning cheeks and wisely lowered her fingers. "I'm too lazy to argue with you, you ill-mannered woman."

Wang Jinzhu was too lazy to look at his cowardly appearance and said directly to Old Lady Chen, "Grandma, don't give me that nonsense. There are only two options today. First, from now on, the eldest and second sons will take turns cooking, one day per family, which is fair and reasonable. If anyone misses a day, the whole family will go hungry."

"Second," she paused, her eyes turning icy, "if you feel it's unfair, if you think our eldest branch should serve you, fine, then divide the family now! Our eldest branch will have absolutely nothing to do with you anymore. You can just stay with your successful second branch and see if your precious grandson can conjure up any food or drink for you!"

Break up!

In this era, it is considered extremely unfilial for a son to propose dividing the family property before he has even taken care of his parents in their old age and seen them off in death.

Chen Shi and Chen Yuxiang, a married couple, turned pale with fright on the spot.

"Jinzhu, don't talk nonsense!" Chen Shi waved his hands anxiously.

"Daughter-in-law, this is unacceptable!" Chen Yuxiang panicked.

Separate the family? Are you kidding me!

If the eldest son's family branches out, who will support them in their old age? Who will work in the fields to earn food? Who will hunt in the mountains to earn money for them?

Chen Tianfang is the best hunter in the surrounding area. If he leaves, the family's livelihood will be cut off by more than half!

With just the second wife and her husband, and Chen Shuyan spending money like water on his studies, wouldn't the old couple starve?

Old Chen's expression changed instantly. He had been observing coldly with his hands behind his back, but now he finally spoke, his voice hoarse yet authoritative: "Eldest granddaughter-in-law, are you threatening us?"

Wang Jinzhu met his gaze without flinching: "Sir, I'm not threatening you, I'm just stating the facts. A family should share both good times and bad. It can't be that only our eldest son's family works like slaves while the second son's family sits around enjoying the fruits of our labor, can it? You're the head of this family, you be the judge, is this 'rotating cooking' arrangement fair or not?"

She passed the buck to Old Man Chen.

Old Chen was speechless. Could he say it was unfair?

If you're talking about unfairness, this newlywed granddaughter-in-law doesn't seem like a kind person; she might actually cause a family division. In that case, it'll be the Chen family who loses face.

But if we're talking about fairness, doesn't that mean we're admitting that the second wife will also have to do the work?

Old Chen took a couple of puffs of his pipe; the courtyard was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was watching him, waiting for his decision.

Chen Xiufen grew anxious and quietly tugged at Chen Yang's sleeve. Chen Yang stepped forward with a forced smile and said, "Dad, this... how can this be? Xiufen is frail; she can't handle kitchen work. Besides, Shuyan's studies are important. A noisy house will disrupt his studies."

"Oh? Second Aunt is frail?" Wang Jinzhu exclaimed as if she'd heard the funniest joke in the world. "How come Second Aunt seems stronger than my mother-in-law? My mother-in-law works in the fields year-round, exposed to wind and sun, and she can still cook. Second Aunt stays home all day, how come she can't? Is her hand or her leg broken?"

"You!" Chen Xiufen blushed deeply as she was silenced.

"As for affecting Chen Shuyan's studies," Wang Jinzhu's gaze swept over her aloof cousin, "that's even simpler. When it's the second branch's turn to cook, just tell him not to eat. If he doesn't eat, he can save time to study, right? Maybe he can even become the top scholar in the imperial examination and bring glory to the family."

"Pfft—"

Chen Tianwei, who had been hiding in the back, couldn't help but laugh out loud. She quickly covered her mouth, but her shoulders were still shaking.

Chen Shuyan's face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

"Wang Jinzhu! Don't go too far!" He was so angry that his voice trembled.

"I'm going too far?" Wang Jinzhu sneered. "I just suggested a method, how is that going too far? Am I wrong? Or are you saying that you, Chen Tongsheng, can't survive without food from our main branch?"

Chen Tianfang stood behind Wang Jinzhu, watching his wife debate with the group of scholars, leaving his grandparents and second uncle's family speechless. He felt extremely pleased.

He straightened his back, took a step forward, and although he didn't say anything, his meaning was clear: he supported Wang Jinzhu.

Although Chen Shi and Chen Yuxiang were afraid, seeing their son and daughter-in-law so determined, their own rebellious thoughts were stirred up. They silently stood behind Chen Tianfang, and for the first time, the family united as one.

Looking at the situation before him, Old Man Chen knew that if he didn't agree to this, things would get out of hand.

The eldest son and his family members were clearly incited by their new daughter-in-law. Especially the eldest grandson, Chen Tianfang, who used to be quiet and reserved, now dared to show him the cold shoulder.

If this continues, and word gets out that the family is splitting up, he'll have nowhere to hide his face.

After weighing the pros and cons, Old Chen tapped his pipe on the sole of his shoe and made his final decision.

"Alright! Stop arguing!" he said in a deep voice. "Tianfang's wife has a point. A family shouldn't always have one side suffering. From today onwards, you two will take turns cooking! One day per family!"

Upon hearing this, the faces of the second branch of the family immediately fell.

Old Mrs. Chen wanted to say something, but Old Mr. Chen glared at her and shut her up.

"Today is the first day of the month, so let's start with the eldest son's family. Tomorrow, it'll be the second son's turn!" Old Chen made the final decision, then walked into the house with his hands behind his back, without looking back.

Wang Jinzhu sneered inwardly.

That old man is quite shrewd. By letting her do it first, he wants her, the one who made the suggestion, to establish the rules first.

But it doesn't matter, she doesn't care.

This is the result she wanted.

"Did you hear that?" Wang Jinzhu gestured with her chin at the second branch of the family, who were still standing there in a daze. "The master has spoken. Tomorrow, it's your turn to cook. If we, the first branch, wake up tomorrow morning to find the kitchen still empty, then we'll continue this charade. I'll play along to the end."