After taking her blood pressure medication, Liu Chunlan wailed and argued defensively, "It's not what she said, son, don't listen to her nonsense.
"I didn't give Keke peanuts on purpose, I just kindly gave her a steamed bun.
"Lin Wanyi is talking nonsense, she is smearing my name.
"Son, you have to believe your mother. How could I be so cruel?
"Come back. Just look at how that outsider Lin Wanyi bullies me when you're not around.
"My life is so bitter, so truly bitter!
"Both of my daughters-in-law are against me. Neither of them has an ounce of respect."
Wang Kai wasn't listening to any of it; he only listened to Chen Qingxiu.
Chen Qingxiu pushed the agreement back toward Liu Chunlan again.
"Just sign it, so you won't have any lingering expectations later.
"This is better for everyone."
Liu Chunlan would rather die than sign it.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, and the more she looked at Chen Qingxiu, the more she despised her.
Her perfectly good son was actually going to cut ties with her. She was going mad with rage.
It was Chen Qingxiu's fault. It was all her fault.
At that thought, she suddenly raised her hand and delivered a resounding slap to Chen Qingxiu's face across the table.
A loud smack echoed through the room.
Chen Qingxiu shot up from her seat.
Without a single word, she retaliated with a backhand slap right across Liu Chunlan's face.
Being younger and stronger, Chen Qingxiu's slap was far louder and harder than Liu Chunlan's had been.
Liu Chunlan's face rapidly swelled and turned red.
Cupping her cheek, she shrieked,
"You little bitch, you dare hit me? I am your mother-in-law, how dare you lay a hand on me?
"Chen Qingxiu, you've gone too far! Even as vicious as Lin Wanyi is, she never slapped my face. How could you?
"Son, Wang Kai, did you see that? She hit me! As a daughter-in-law, she actually hit me!
"You have to stand up for me! You must stand up for me!"
She thought that since Chen Qingxiu had struck her, Wang Kai certainly wouldn't just stand by and do nothing. But she was wrong.
Wang Kai didn't even look at her; instead, he comforted Chen Qingxiu:
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have made you come back with me. I should have just come alone."
Chen Qingxiu fought back her tears and said,
"It had to be settled sooner or later. Let this slap sever everything completely.
"Husband, now you won't have any lingering attachments either. This is for the best."
Liu Chunlan clutched her face and stomped her feet, screaming, "You're crazy! You're all crazy!
"Wang Kai, I was beaten by your wife! I am your mother!"
Wang Kai gave her a cold look.
"Mom, you struck first, and Qingxiu didn't even hold it against you. How do you have the nerve to complain?
"As an elder, is this the attitude you should have toward your daughter-in-law?"
"You!"
Liu Chunlan was so agitated she nearly fainted again.
Wang Jianguo threw his cigarette butt toward Wang Kai.
"Unfilial! You really are trying to anger your mother and me to death.
"Get out! From now on, I don't have you as a son. I only have one son, Wang Hao."
Wang Kai nodded.
"Fine, you said it. This is also the last time I will ever come back.
"Dad, Mom, look out for yourselves."
He left, simply taking Chen Qingxiu's hand and walking away.
He didn't even look back.
Wang Hao chased after them.
"Big brother, Mom and Dad were just speaking out of confusion. Are you really going to hold it against them?
"No matter what, you're still their son."
Wang Kai opened the car door, got in, rolled down the window, and said earnestly,
"Haozi, some people just don't deserve to be parents, and they are exactly that kind.
"They took hundreds of thousands from Qingxiu, hundreds of thousands from Li Jun, and didn't spend a single cent when you married Lin Wanyi.
"Tell me, where is their money? They already have enough to live on for the rest of their lives.
"But they're still not satisfied. They open their mouths and all they talk about is their retirement and money.
"You need to clear your head. Your own little family is your real family. Don't wait until they tear your marriage apart to regret it when it's too late."
Before Wang Hao could speak, Chen Qingxiu suddenly chimed in from the passenger seat,
"It's already torn apart, Wang Hao. From what I can see, Lin Wanyi's heart is already completely dead to this.
"You're on your own now. Good luck."
Wang Kai started the car.
Looking at Lin Wanyi waving goodbye to her, Chen Qingxiu sighed with emotion.
"Marrying far from home just means getting bullied.
"Husband, if your mother dared to treat me and my son like that, I would have taken a knife and killed her long ago.
"Lin Wanyi is just too naive and honest."
Back inside, the house was a mess. Looking at the table full of food, Liu Chunlan had completely lost her appetite.
She didn't understand. Wang Kai was obviously her son, so why wouldn't he listen to her? Why wouldn't he take her side?
She couldn't eat another bite. She had wanted to go out and block Wang Kai's car, but she didn't want to lower her status in front of Chen Qingxiu.
Her son was gone. A perfectly good reunion dinner had turned into a breakup meal. She was mad with anger.
Yet, Wang Keke, oblivious to everything, was still eating heartily.
Taking all her pent-up frustration out on Wang Keke, she smacked the back of the little girl's hand with her chopsticks.
"Eat, eat, eat! What the hell are you eating?! Are you the reincarnation of a starving ghost? You really are a money-losing burden, just as disgraceful as your mother!
"Did I make all this for you to eat? You just open your mouth and stuff your face! I fucking made this for my grandson!
"You little wretch, you don't deserve it! You don't deserve it!"
The food fell to the floor. Wang Keke looked at Lin Wanyi with tearful eyes.
Lin Wanyi's entire body was trembling. Wang Hao knew she was angry—furious.
He immediately pulled Wang Keke into his arms.
"Mom, what are you saying? Keke is my daughter. Stop calling her a money-losing burden."
"Then what should I call her? Hurry up and give me a big grandson, and then I won't say a word. I'll shut my mouth!
"Wang Hao, your older brother angered me, and now you want to anger me too, is that it?"
"Mom! Can you just say a few words less?
"You already drove Big Brother away with your anger. What more do you want to do?"
"You!"
Furious, Liu Chunlan slammed a plate of meat down right in front of Lin Wanyi.
"Eat, eat, eat! I hope you eat yourselves to death!"
Red chili oil splattered onto Lin Wanyi's shoes. She stared dead into Liu Chunlan's eyes.
"You don't want to eat anymore, right? The food isn't good anymore, right? Then nobody eats!"
As she spoke, she forcefully flipped the entire dining table over.
Crash!
Clatter!
Plate after plate of meat spilled onto the floor, and an entire pot of soup dumped right onto Liu Chunlan.
Liquor and beverages flowed all over the ground.
Broken plates were scattered everywhere.
Wang Jianguo pointed at the mess on the floor.
"Lin Wanyi, do you know how much this table of food cost? Do you know your mother spent the entire morning cooking it?
"You wasteful bitch, you really are a wasteful bitch!
"I'll beat you to death! Watch me beat you to death!"
He raised his hand and lunged to strike Lin Wanyi, but Wang Hao hastily stepped in front of her to block him.
"Dad, don't hit her. Let's talk this out, don't use violence.
"Mom just drove my sister-in-law away with a slap. Are you going to drive my wife away too?"
Wang Jianguo suddenly stumbled back a step and lowered his hand.
Liu Chunlan, however, was still unyielding.
"I wasn't even afraid of Chen Qingxiu, you think I'm afraid of you, Lin Wanyi?
"You dared to flip my table! I won't let you off the hook today.
"I've put up with you for far too long these past few days. I've reached the end of my patience!"
Just as she was about to strike again, Lin Wanyi picked up a broken beer bottle and hurled it straight at her.
"Come on! Hit me! Let's see who wins this fight today!
"Liu Chunlan, you say you've put up with me for a long time, well let me tell you, I've put up with you for even longer!
"I'm warning you, from this day forward, don't you even think about touching a single hair on my or my daughter's heads, or I'll make you regret it!"
