Old Mrs. Song is reborn; get out of here, you scumbag husband and illegitimate child!

The atmosphere inside was freezing cold.

Song Lao Si's wife pouted, "Sister-in-law, you're too easy to talk to."

A daughter-in-law dares to sit on her mother-in-law's head and shit on her head. If my daughter-in-law dared to say that, I would have slapped her across the face long ago.

She can go back to her parents' home whenever she wants, as if anyone cares.

Having five daughters was their fate; the Song family wasn't short of sons, and no one disliked daughters.

"You can't expect someone to have a son and then hide him from everyone, can you?"

Old Song nudged her elbow. "This has nothing to do with us, so shut up."

"Saying such nonsense in front of Xiang Dong's wife at Third Sister's house, you deserve to be slapped for it." Fourth Sister's wife rolled her eyes, and her voice finally went quieter.

Song Xianglan was also unhappy about others speaking ill of her daughter-in-law like that.

Yang Liu's outburst did indeed make her feel uneasy.

Yang Liu is usually quite polite in public and treats Sister-in-law Song well, so her reaction today seems unusual.

"Sister-in-law," Song Xianglan put down her teacup, her face serious, "Yang Liu's condition is not right."

I've heard that some women feel depressed after childbirth, tend to overthink things, and some even contemplate suicide; it's called postpartum depression.

Do you usually only focus on the child and neglect the adults? Go back and pay more attention to her.

Sister-in-law Song sighed, her face crinkling with wrinkles.

"How could I not care? Yang Liu said she would have her mother come over to help with her postpartum care, and without hesitation, I gave my mother-in-law five yuan as a token of my concern."

I did all the chicken, duck, and pork; I also spent half a month doing the laundry and cleaning.

She shook her head.

Clearly, they didn't take Song Xianglan's mention of "depression" seriously, and only thought their daughter-in-law was being dramatic.

Brother Song didn't want to talk about these mundane matters, nor did he want to lose face in front of the girl.

He cleared his throat and changed the subject:

"Alright, let's talk about this when we get home. Xianglan, if there's anything else to do around the house, just let us know. We brothers may not have much else, but we're strong enough."

"It's nothing serious." Song Xianglan got up and walked to the kitchen. "The chicken soup is ready. I'll cook some noodles for my brothers and sisters-in-law. They can eat before going back."

Shen Huijun went over to help.

Song Lao Si's wife couldn't stand Song Da Sao's tepid manner, while Song Da Ge was extremely proud.

"Song Qiang's wife seems to have some deep-seated grudge. Could it be that Song Qiang is up to something else in Guangzhou?"

Song Laosan's wife got angry.

"Will you die if you don't stir up trouble?"

"Alright, do whatever you want with me. You'll never get rid of your envious nature." Song Lao Si's wife got up and went to the kitchen.

Sister-in-law Song asked suspiciously, "Who is she saying can't shake off the habit of being envious?"

"She's talking about herself."

……

Saturday arrived.

The weather was perfect; it was a sunny day.

Liu Dahua got up early to tidy up.

She changed into a dark red polyester shirt, buttoned up tightly, and her hair was styled with a little hair oil and combed meticulously.

Zhang Haiyan accompanied Liu Dahua to Song Xianglan's house, carrying a red cloth bag in her hand.

Song Xianglan changed into a neat set of clothes.

I accompanied them to the county civil affairs bureau, saying I would be a witness for them.

Liu Yidao was dressed quite smartly today. His beard was clean-shaven, revealing a face that was dark red from years of sea breeze. He was wearing a brand-new shirt with the buttons undone, making him look even more robust.

Several people came out of the Civil Affairs Bureau.

Liu Yidao held the thin wedding certificate in his hand, his mouth stretched to his ears, wanting to laugh but not daring to be too blatant, looking quite comical.

Back at Liu Yidao's home.

The courtyard has changed.

Large red "囍" characters were pasted on the doors and windows, and several large round tables were set up in the courtyard.

The kitchen was bustling with activity.

Liu Yidao didn't let Liu Dahua do anything. Instead, he spent ten yuan to hire Lin Fang, along with Erhua and Tang Juhua, to help with cooking.

The kitchen was filled with the rich aroma of meat.

It makes one's mouth water.

These days, it's considered a good thing if you can even see meat at a wedding banquet.

Liu Yidao really went all out.

On the table were braised pork belly, braised pig's trotters, and steamed fish. Also on the table were Xincheng sorghum liquor and Changshou cigarettes.

Song Xianglan and her whole family arrived.

Song Xiangdong remained glued to Shen Huijun's side.

In Qingyang, pregnant women are not allowed to attend weddings or funerals for fear of causing offense.

But Liu Yidao and Liu Dahua both said that this was not a formal wedding, just a gathering of old friends for a meal, and they insisted on having Shen Huijun come to make it more lively.

Shen Huijun had difficulty sitting because of her large belly.

Song Xiangdong placed a soft pillow behind her waist, peeled peanuts in his hand, and fed Shen Huijun one peanut at a time.

Even though people around him were watching, he seemed not to see them.

Many of my colleagues from the slaughterhouse came.

They were all big, burly men with booming voices.

"Hey, Liu Yidao," a colleague joked, "this wedding is way more extravagant than when you became godparents. Looks like a wife you married later in life really does love you."

"Eat your flesh."

Liu Yidao glared at him, then laughed, "Today is a good day, let's not talk about those old scumbags. Eat and drink to your heart's content, there's plenty of meat and wine."

"Did you invite the Yang family?" That man had a sharp tongue, always bringing up topics he shouldn't have.

Liu Yidao laughed and scolded, "Shut your filthy mouth. If you can't speak properly, get out of here."

Liu Dahua reached under the table and pinched Liu Yidao's arm, whispering, "On such a joyous occasion, don't keep baring your teeth and making a scene. It'll only make you a laughingstock."

Liu Yidao jolted from the pinch, then turned to Liu Dahua with a grin, "Listen to your wife. The beds are all newly replaced, don't listen to those idiots' nonsense..."

The people around burst into laughter.

Liu Dahua's face turned as red as a sheet of red cloth, and she lowered her head, pretending to straighten the corner of her clothes.

Everyone started giving gifts.

Song Xianglan presented a brand new set of fine porcelain bowls, chopsticks, and plates.

Zhang Haiyan went all out; yesterday she had someone bring over a set of perfectly polished solid wood furniture.

Liu Chou-nv gave her two pillowcases embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in the water, while Liu Chunhua and Widow Wang each gave her a red thermos.

The colleagues at the slaughterhouse also brought their own supplies.

Most people gave a gift of one or two yuan, which was considered a generous gift at the time.

Even Gan Zhiyuan sent a pair of enamel basins.

The table was almost entirely filled with meat dishes.

Everyone ate heartily, their mouths glistening with oil, clinking glasses and creating a lively atmosphere.

As Liu Dahua held her wine glass and watched the laughing and talking figures of the crowd, the heavy weight that had been hanging over her heart for half her life finally lifted.

She let out a long breath, her eyes welling up with tears. Although she didn't know if this marriage would last, at least for this moment, she felt cherished and loved.

The pillar drifted in from outside like a ghost, its face stretched longer than the table.

Dark circles and eye bags have sunk onto my cheekbones.

Zhu Zi walked up to Da Hua, his voice hoarse: "Mom, you didn't discuss such a big thing as getting married with me, and you didn't even let me officiate."

Are you really so eager to become a wife to some random man that you don't even want your son anymore?

Looking at the son who had once given her his heart and soul, Liu Dahua felt the last vestiges of motherly affection in her heart turn to ashes extinguished by cold water, leaving her utterly cold.

The past is too painful to recall; looking back now, I just want to throw him into the latrine.

"Look at you, you don't have many hairs left on your head, so stop worrying about me. You have dark circles under your eyes and your hands and feet are cold; you look really weak."

"Silly son, instead of worrying about your old mother, go back and take good care of yourself, so that when your father, whom you've never even met, comes back, you're already dead."

Zhu Zi's face turned purple from the rebuke, and he gritted his teeth:

"Mom, what nonsense are you talking about? I'm incredibly smart. You've made me lose all face."

Liu Dahua closed her eyes. This son of a bitch, apart from his selfish and greedy stubbornness, really had no humanity left.

It's her fault for spoiling me too much in the past.

Song Xianglan had been observing coldly, but when she saw Zhu Zi blocking Liu Dahua and refusing to let it go, she frowned.

She turned to look at Song Xiangdong, who was picking fish bones from Shen Huijun's fish.

He tapped the table lightly.

"Eastwards," Song Xianglan said, her voice laced with suppressed anger. "Do you see that dog next to Aunt Da Hua?"

Song Xiangdong raised his head, his mouth following Song Xianglan's finger, his clear eyes revealing a hint of unfathomable coldness.

"A hairless dog?" Song Xiangdong asked, tilting his head.

"Yes." Song Xianglan nodded. "He's shouting and disturbing our meal. Let's kick him out so he doesn't disturb the guests."

"Alright!" Song Xiangdong stood up abruptly.

He moved extremely quickly, taking only a few steps to reach the back of the pillar.

Before Zhu Zi could react, he felt someone grab the back of his neck like he was a chick.

"What are you doing? Let me go!" Zhu Zi was startled and struggled desperately.

Song Xiangdong's hand remained motionless, like an iron clamp.

He covered Zhu Zi's mouth with one hand, silencing his string of profanities, and with the other hand he grabbed Zhu Zi's collar and dragged him out like a dead dog.

"Ugh..." Zhu Zi kicked his legs wildly.

Faced with Song Xiangdong's absolute power, this little bit of resistance was simply a joke.

Song Xiangdong dragged the cart while grinning foolishly.

"Headless dog, when you go out to play, don't bark. If you bark again, I'll pluck all your fur."

The people in the courtyard burst into laughter at the sight.

Liu Yidao looked at his stepson being dragged out of the door, his lips twitched, and he picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. He had only one word in his mind: Awesome!

Given his temperament, he would have acted long ago.

Today is an auspicious day, and he has to give Da Hua face.