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

Lin Fang looked at Liu Chounu with pity.

"Boss lady, hurry up! A bowl of oyster rice, a bowl of mackerel soup, a piece of pork belly, and a piece of tofu," the customer outside urged impatiently.

"Coming right away."

Lin Fang responded and quickly packed the food and soup for Liu Chou and handed it over. "Mom, you go eat with Aunt Song. I'll back you up when I have time. Don't be afraid of anyone, I'll always be there for you."

The ugly girl used to give her daughter unconditional confidence.

Now Lin Fang is also giving her mother unconditional support; the two of them are willing to risk everything for each other.

The daughter's thoughtfulness swept away all of the ugly girl's unhappiness.

"You go ahead with your business. Once I've finished my important business, I'll have a proper fight with your dad."

Lin Fang: ...

"Mom, Dad can't beat you."

Song Xianglan carried meat and oyster rice, while Liu Chounu carried a stainless steel pot.

The two entered Widow Wang's courtyard one after the other.

Widow Wang's eldest daughter, Xiaoxia, had just come home from get off work and was sweeping the yard with a broom.

"Xiaoxia, is your mother home?" Song Xianglan asked.

"Aunt Song, please stay," Xiaoxia greeted politely. "My mom just got back; she's in the backyard."

Liu Chou-nv handed over the pot in her hand and said in a loud voice, "I brought oyster rice and a bowl of soup to your house for a free meal. I'll chat with your mother."

Xiaoxia smiled and accepted the gift. "Aunt Liu, you're welcome to come. You don't need to bring so much good food. My mom will be happy to see you."

Liu Chou-nv laughed and said, "If you have any at home, bring them with you."

She shouted over the courtyard wall, "Dahua, Liu Dahua. Come over for a free meal."

A loud reply came from the neighboring yard, "Coming, coming. I'll grab a bowl and be right there."

Liu Dahua, with her messy hair and flip-flops, ran over like a gust of wind.

There was a noise coming from the backyard.

Widow Wang came out wearing an apron soaked in swill and carrying an empty wooden bucket.

"Oh dear, what's the wind blowing today?" Widow Wang's smile stretched to her ears as soon as she saw the newcomers. "I just fed the pigs. Please have a seat, I'll go wash my hands."

"Is there any good food? I came here with a belly full of anger." Liu Chounu sat on the stone steps at the entrance of the main room.

As Widow Wang washed her hands, she said, "Yesterday, the children went to the beach and dug up some clams and razor clams. They've already purged all the sand. I'll stir-fry them and then cook some mackerel."

Song Xianglan handed over the net bag she was holding, "Add this piece of pork belly and pickled cucumber to the pot and cook them together. Just add some greens too."

A lifetime of fire in the stove.

The spatula flew through the air.

Before long, several steaming hot dishes were served.

Braised pork belly with pickled cucumber, razor clams with eggs, clams with ginger and scallions, braised mackerel in soy sauce, oyster rice, and a bowl of broth. A plate of sweet potato leaves and a plate of stir-fried shredded carrots and bamboo shoots with pork belly.

The small eight-immortal table was crammed full of dishes.

Xiaoxia carried several bowls and divided out some of the food.

"Aunt Song, you two chat. I'll take my younger siblings to the kitchen to eat, so I won't interrupt your conversation."

Song Xianglan called out, "Put a little more pork belly over there, and make extra oyster rice."

Several children took their bowls and ran to the kitchen.

Four women sat around a table in the main room.

The ugly woman picked up her rice bowl, took a couple of bites, and started complaining:

"I must have killed Old Lin in my past life, and I'm marrying him to pay off his debts in this life." Liu Chounu poked with her chopsticks, picked up a piece of pork belly, and stuffed it into her mouth.

"I've been working like a slave for the Lin family for decades. I cook some fish, and he eats it all up, then calls me a gluttonous woman. My life is worse than that of the village dog."

The ugly woman kept cursing and swearing for a good ten minutes.

She dragged out Old Lin's ancestors for eighteen generations and berated them over and over again.

He cursed until his mouth was dry.

The ugly woman picked up her fist and gulped down half a bowl of the soup.

"But speaking of which," Liu Chounu said, looking at the onlookers, Widow Wang, "it's just that your deadbeat husband died young."

If he were alive today, he'd probably be just as cowardly as Old Lin. He wasn't exactly a devoted husband back then either.

Widow Wang's hand holding the bowl froze.

Speechless.

"Sister-in-law Liu, why are you taking your anger out on my dead husband?" Widow Wang chuckled dryly.

"That's just something said in the heat of the moment." Liu Chounu wiped her mouth and chuckled, "If you ask me, you have to keep your eyes open when looking for a man."

Look at Zhao Shengli, he's a good man. He was in the army, a very honest person, and he'll get a pension when he's old. Zhao Yuan is also a sensible and filial girl.

Widow Wang's expression instantly became uncomfortable.

He kept his head down and ate his rice voraciously.

"It's good."

"You think it's good too, right? Zhao Shengli can't stay single forever, can he? He needs a woman who cares about him."

"A person can't solve the emptiness, loneliness and coldness of life with just a few fingers."

Song Xianglan: ...

Liu Dahua: ...

What kind of rabid and inhuman words are these?

Widow Wang didn't respond, but picked up a clam to cover her embarrassment.

"I have a cousin on my mother's side." Liu Chounu's eyes darted around, and she had an idea. "A couple of years ago, her husband went to blast rocks and was killed by flying debris."

The quarry blasting cost her a large sum of money. She then decided to find a reliable man to rebuild her life with.

Widow Wang stopped using her chopsticks.

There was a strange, indescribable soreness in my chest.

"That's great."

The ugly woman pouted, "My cousin is so stubborn. She insists that the man live with her mother-in-law, saying that she can't bear to part with the old house left by her ex-husband."

Living with her ex-mother-in-law and several children—what man could stand that? It's just making a mess of things.

"Zhao Shengli and she are a good match, but if things go wrong, he'll just have to work like a slave for her."

Song Xianglan ate her food quietly beside her.

I held back my laughter as I listened to the ugly woman making up stories.

Liu Chounu glanced at the frozen-faced Widow Wang and said, "I haven't agreed to this yet. But my cousin is right, it's so pitiful for a bachelor to grow old and have no one to care for him when he catches a cold or fever."

It would have been better to be a beast of burden in the past, at worst I would have been kicked out by my stepchildren when I got too old to move.

It's better than him, a lonely old bachelor, pounding his bed every night in vain. I just feel it's a bit of a sin.

Widow Wang bit her lip:

"It's really a tragedy."

"So I'm asking you," the ugly woman said, getting straight to the point, "why don't you want to give it a try with Zhao Shengli?"

Widow Wang's face turned red to the roots of her ears. "What are you saying? I'm already this old, what's the point of trying this with several children in tow?"

"What's wrong with having kids? Zhao Yuan said that as long as her dad is doing well, she'll even help raise your kids." Liu Chounu directly revealed her trump card.

Widow Wang was completely stunned.

He was stunned for a long time.

"I...I don't want to find a partner at all." Widow Wang lowered her head, her voice weak. "I'm perfectly fine living on my own."

"Oh dear, what a pity."

The ugly woman's voice trailed off.

He sighed heavily.

"I've always felt that you and Zhao Shengli are the perfect match. You live in the same village and know each other very well."

You've raised your children exceptionally well. If your two families were to merge into one, your lives would be incredibly prosperous.

Widow Wang held her chopsticks silently.

Liu Dahua, who was chewing on mackerel beside her, had already figured out what was going on.

She nudged Widow Wang with her elbow.

"Don't be stubborn. These past few years, you've single-handedly raised several children, working from dawn till dusk to support the family, swallowing all the bitterness in your heart. Do you really think you're made of iron?"

Widow Wang remained silent.

Her eyes were a little red.

"It's okay for a woman to rely on a man," Liu Dahua added, whispering in her ear. "Don't just worry about your damn reputation; you need to think about yourself too. Have you forgotten what it feels like to sleep with a man?"

"Liu Dahua".

Widow Wang hurriedly covered her mouth, saying, "The children are still in the kitchen, what nonsense are you spouting?"

"What are you afraid of?" Liu Dahua pulled her hand away. "You're a widow, and I was pretty much the same back then. We all know each other."

The bed is cold and damp at night. Alone, huddled under the covers, with no one to talk to or even breathe with. No warm chest to lean on—how can that feel good?

"Back then, when those scoundrels jumped into your yard, if there was even a man among them, who would dare?"

The ugly woman picked up the conversation:

"Da Hua is right. Zhao Shengli is all muscle, his arms could be used as a horizontal bar. If you don't want him, I'll really go back to my parents' house tomorrow and bring my cousin over. Then the good stuff will go to outsiders, and you won't be able to hide in your room and cry."

Song Xianglan: "Others can't get out of bed on their wedding night, while you sit alone in an empty bed, tears streaming down your face."

The three men attacked her relentlessly, leaving Widow Wang unable to utter a coherent sentence.

"Juhong," Song Xianglan called the widow Wang's name, her tone calm, "Yuanyuan made a special trip to see me this afternoon. The girl's meaning is very clear. She hopes her father can marry you. She even revealed her plans regarding the future distribution of property."

Widow Wang looked up at Song Xianglan with shock in her eyes.

"Yuanyuan is a good girl. The fact that she took this step shows that Zhao Shengli cares about you."

"I was just afraid of dragging you down and didn't dare to speak up." Song Xianglan looked at her, "Today, Ugly Girl has made her point clear."

If you share this sentiment, then let's make this a reality. If you truly feel obligated, then from this day forward, neither of us is allowed to utter a single word about it.

The room fell silent.

You can hear the soft voices of several children talking in the kitchen.

Widow Wang kept her head down, her fingers fidgeting with the edges of her clothes.

I rubbed it a few times.

Tears fell in a plop onto the faded coarse cloth.

"I..." Widow Wang sniffed, her voice trembling, "I'm just afraid the villagers will gossip behind my back. They'll say I'm not a virtuous woman and that I'm after a man's money."

The ugly woman cursed:

"What utter nonsense! Who dares to speak ill of us behind our backs? Let him come and talk behind our backs to me. I'll tear his mouth apart. We're not stealing or robbing; we're a law-abiding couple living together. Who are we bothering?"

Liu Dahua nodded in agreement, "Those gossipy women in the village just can't stand seeing others do well."

Why do you care what they fart for? They're clinging to men like dogs gnawing on bones, and you're not allowed to gnaw on a bone too?