Liu Chunlan no longer had the heart to chat.
She returned home.
It was the twenty-ninth of the twelfth lunar month, just one day before New Year's Eve.
She lit the stove to braise some meat for the New Year.
This was a tradition.
Cooking a lot before the holiday meant they would not have to worry about food for the first few days of the new year.
In past years, Lin Wanyi had always handled this, but this year she washed her hands of it completely.
As Liu Chunlan chopped the lotus roots, she suddenly felt a wave of sorrow.
She felt her life was just too bitter.
Both her sons were married. She clearly had two daughters-in-law, so why did she still have to do all the work herself?
Thinking about this, she tossed aside the lotus root and called Wang Meijuan.
"Juan'er, you don't know how suffocating it has been for your mother these past two days.
"Your oldest brother and sister-in-law want to cut ties with me. They really don't want me anymore."
Wang Meijuan just gave a flat oh.
Liu Chunlan continued.
"My whole body is aching, and I still have to braise this huge pot of food.
"I can't do it anymore. I am too tired. Come back and help me.
"Juan'er, Mom is really tired."
She thought Wang Meijuan would come back immediately, but unexpectedly, she just said:
"Mom, I am busy over here too. I have a ton of things to do, I really do not have time to go over.
"Just leave it all to Lin Wanyi and stop doing it yourself."
Liu Chunlan did not expect Wang Meijuan to refuse her. She added:
"If you are not coming over, then braise a little extra at your place and bring it to me later. I really do not want to cook anymore."
Wang Meijuan refused again.
"Mom, you know our family is poor. I really did not buy any extra ingredients."
Liu Chunlan almost flipped the stove over.
She ran to the card parlor to find Wang Jianguo, only to see that he was not playing cards at all; he was just chatting idly with the proprietress.
Liu Chunlan was full of anger.
"I am busy to death at home, and you are sitting here chatting with people.
"Wang Jianguo, can you not find something to do?"
Wang Jianguo's face darkened.
"What work do I need to do? I am a man, I do not do chores."
Liu Chunlan had no way to deal with Wang Jianguo.
Married to him for a lifetime, she had worked for a lifetime, while he had played cards for a lifetime.
Back when Wang Kai got married, she truly could not come up with that much money.
When Wang Hao got married, Lin Wanyi surprisingly did not ask for a single cent in bride price, which made her bloom with joy.
Although she constantly belittled Lin Wanyi in front of outsiders, in her heart she was completely satisfied with her.
Except for the fact that she would not have a second child.
Liu Chunlan walked home from the village entrance step by step.
Passing by Wang Cuihua's house, she saw Wu Qin making braised food and Wang Cuihua strolling around holding her grandson.
She was jealous to death.
When would she have a big grandson?
Returning home, she felt a surge of anger the moment she saw Wang Keke.
Originally, she did not hate Wang Keke that much, but since Lin Wanyi kept refusing to have a second child, she took all this anger out on Wang Keke.
She was just about to go up and kick Wang Keke when she heard Lin Wanyi saying to Wang Hao:
"I want to go back to my parents' house on the second day of the New Year."
Before Wang Hao could speak, Liu Chunlan immediately lost her temper.
"Are you sick? You just came back a few days ago and you want to go back again.
"It is such a long journey, the round-trip fare is several thousand. Lin Wanyi, you really do not treat my son's money as money.
"Do you know how hard it is for him to make money alone? As a wife, you do not feel bad for him or try to save, but instead you spend so lavishly.
"You are not allowed to go back, do you hear me!"
Wang Hao sighed in relief in his heart. Fortunately, Liu Chunlan came back, otherwise he would not know how to refuse.
Let Liu Chunlan be the bad guy.
Lin Wanyi knew this would be the result.
She knew they would not possibly let her go back.
She only said it to anger the Wang family.
It was fine if she did not go back; staying here to prevent them from having a good New Year was quite satisfying too.
She was definitely going to get a divorce after the New Year anyway, so she would go back to her parents' house sooner or later.
Thinking of this, she sent a message to Lin Jiajun.
"I will not be going back on the second day. We will talk after the New Year."
Lin Jiajun gripped his phone, his teeth grinding.
"Mom, there is absolutely something wrong on my sister's end. There is definitely a problem.
"If she is not coming back, we will go over there. I have to go see for myself, otherwise I will not have peace of mind."
Li Suhua finally nodded. She was worried too.
She should also go take a look.
New Year's Eve arrived.
In past years, Lin Wanyi would start bustling about early in the morning.
But this year, Lin Wanyi slept until past ten.
Liu Chunlan had been busy in the kitchen with a dark face for a long time.
She said sarcastically.
"Oh, the empress is awake? It is one thing to be lazy normally, but you will not even lift a finger on New Year's Eve?"
Lin Wanyi did lift a finger.
But she only cooked a few dishes that Keke liked, and completely ignored the rest.
Wang Hao was busy pasting couplets and door gods.
Wang Jianguo did not go to the card parlor today; they were closed for New Year's Eve.
He just sat in the yard smoking.
After smoking several cigarettes in a row, he called Wang Kai, but Wang Kai did not even pick up.
Lin Wanyi bought firecrackers and fireworks for Wang Keke. Liu Chunlan muttered.
"Spending money on a money-losing girl, what a waste."
Lin Wanyi pretended not to hear and sent Li Suhua a video of Keke.
The sky slowly darkened, and every household started setting off firecrackers. Liu Chunlan also thought of Wang Kai. She sent him a video call, but Wang Kai still did not answer.
She thought for a moment and directly sent Wang Kai a red envelope of one thousand yuan.
"Son, this is the New Year's money for my big grandson. Have my grandson say a word to me."
The red envelope was quickly accepted on the other end, but Liu Chunlan waited and waited without getting a video of her grandson, only two cold words from Wang Kai:
Thank you!
Liu Chunlan felt incredibly wronged.
She cried as she stir-fried the food.
As she cried, she threw down the spatula.
It was meaningless; she did not want to cook anymore.
She did not want to eat this New Year's Eve reunion dinner at all.
Thinking about how none of the people she wanted were here, while the two people she hated were.
The sky was almost dark, and other families had already started toasting and drinking.
Wang Jianguo had long since sat at the table and turned on the television, waiting to eat while watching the Spring Festival Gala.
But after waiting for a long time, not a single dish was served.
He finally grew impatient and went to the kitchen, only to see that Liu Chunlan was not cooking but sitting on a chair crying.
A surge of anger shot up to the sky.
"Is there something wrong with your brain? It is the New Year and you are not cooking, just sitting here crying.
"Do you know how bad luck that is? Do you want our family to cry every day this year?"
Liu Chunlan cried even louder.
"Old man, I feel suffocated, I really feel suffocated.
"It is the New Year, what family is like ours, with our son and big grandson at someone else's house? I just cannot understand it."
Wang Jianguo lit another cigarette, the smoke obscuring his eyes.
"Now you cannot understand it? Back then, weren't you the one who said we could not give Chen Qingxiu any money, not a single penny?
"I said we should still give her over a hundred thousand, but you said why should we let her off easy.
"Now you come saying you cannot understand? Liu Chunlan, hurry up and cook.
"It is the New Year, do not pull this miserable stunt on me."
Liu Chunlan continued to cry. Annoyed to death, Wang Jianguo threw away his cigarette butt and suddenly slapped Liu Chunlan across the face.
"Cry, cry, cry, are you sick? Your crying is annoying the hell out of me.
"Usually you are the one making a fuss, and now you are the one regretting it.
"Aren't you just asking for it!"
