Volume One, Chapter 15: Can an Injection from the Clinic Give a Pig Courage?

Page 1/3

Dujuan’s small, bright eyes were wide open for the first time.

Everyone said that the Shen family of the second son was full of quail-like weaklings, utterly pathetic.

In the past, when Grandpa and Grandma lectured, the three youngest children would only bow their heads and listen quietly; they never raised their voices.

What’s going on today?

Could a shot at the clinic really boost one’s courage?

Shen Lingshuang sneered coldly as she admired the vivid expressions on Dujuan’s face:

“Today must be a very special day. Otherwise, why would Auntie Lower Herself and deign to step through our door?”

“What’s the matter? Auntie isn’t disgusted by our family’s poor health today? Not saying anyone who comes here will have bad luck?”

“In a while, I’ll go burn incense for my father, thanking him for his divine protection, for making Auntie see the error of her ways and start anew!”

Dujuan’s chest heaved with anger; her eyes alternated between wide and narrowed, as if she didn’t recognize Shen Lingshuang. “Oh! I didn’t expect you, the sickly one, to have a temper!”

Shen Lingshuang’s face darkened, and with a drawn-out, mocking tone she retorted:

“How dare I have a temper? This is all a special privilege just for Auntie!”

“If it weren’t for Auntie with her big mouth, spreading the word that I’m always sickly, the whole production team wouldn’t be laughing at me as a sickly weakling! Auntie treats me so well, of course I’ll be particularly courteous to her!”

She spoke rapidly, not giving Dujuan a chance to interrupt.

“Earlier today, when I was still gasping for breath at the clinic, someone was already rushing to tell Auntie to send a wreath to my family… Those who know say Auntie is warm-hearted, caring about every household as if it’s her own business. Those who don’t know think Auntie is just waiting for me to die!”

Dujuan could no longer hold back. She jumped up and pointed at Shen Lingshuang’s nose. “Stop spreading nonsense! I never said anything like that!”

“Whether you said it or not, you know it in your heart!”

Suddenly, Shen Aodong stepped forward, shielding his mother and sister behind him.

He didn’t bother to glance at Dujuan and fixed his gaze on Shen Xiaochuan standing behind her, his voice so cold it could freeze:

“I’ll say it again! If you dare curse my sister one more word, I’ll drag you to the Shen family ancestral tomb and beat you until you lose all your teeth!”

His height gave him a natural advantage, and coupled with his no-nonsense tone, he created a heavy sense of oppression over Dujuan and her son.

Shen Xiaochuan clutched Dujuan’s clothes so tightly he tugged at the soft flesh of her waist, causing her to double over in pain.

“You want to die, huh!” Dujuan cursed softly.

Shen Xiaochuan’s face turned pale. “Mom, maybe we should just leave... and call Dad! Call Grandpa and Grandma!”

Dujuan’s eyes darted as she thought: Reinforcements are needed! Hmph, a true hero never suffers losses blindly! I’ll settle accounts with their family later!

So she pulled Shen Xiaochuan close, took two steps back, and cursed, “You bunch of bandits and bullies! Just you wait—”

Before she could finish, another figure rushed over.

Page 2/3

It was Song Qiuran.

“Calling us bandits and bullies, huh?” Song Qiuran stepped forward directly, snatching the sweet potato Shen Xiaochuan hadn’t finished eating. “Fine! Then don’t eat what the bandits and bullies give you!”

Li Lanfang and Shen Aodong were both stunned.

The new daughter-in-law looked delicate and soft… and yet she had this kind of spirit?

Shen Lingshuang felt a surge of pride and satisfaction.

A family should have consistent temperaments!

Dujuan spat, “This matter won’t just end here today! Just you wait!”

With that, she grabbed the reluctant Shen Xiaochuan and fled in a panic.

After Dujuan and her son left, Li Lanfang finally turned to look at the white plum blossom standing nearby, who had just been lingering aimlessly.

“Sister-in-law, you came to visit Lingshuang too?”

“Yes.” Bai Meihua had left the house without gloves and was now rubbing her hands to warm them.

She exhaled into her palms, occasionally glancing up at Shen Lingshuang with a look as if she had just met her.

Her lips curved in a faint, ambiguous smile—not as harsh as before, but still distant.

“Lingshuang looks much better now, so I’m relieved.”

Bai Meihua said to Shen Lingshuang, “Those sweet potatoes you had sent over—I weighed them, exactly twenty jin! I’m just here to tell you that the debt between our two families has been settled.”

Everyone in the yard except Bai Meihua was stunned.

They all knew about Shen Lingshuang borrowing grain from Bai Meihua’s family last time.

But Shen Lingshuang was still weak and barely awake—when did she have the chance to send sweet potatoes to Third Uncle’s family?

Facing their questioning looks, Shen Lingshuang was confused too.

It wasn’t her!

She wanted to know what was going on as well!

Could it be that Third Aunt had a sudden change of heart?

Impossible.

In her past life, even after moving into a three-story self-built villa, Third Aunt was still stingy.

Especially now, when grain was so precious.

Without any warning or reason, she wouldn’t just wipe the slate clean.

Could it have been Afu?

Afu answered, “No, no, Afu only obeys the master’s orders!”

Page 3/3

Shen Lingshuang was utterly puzzled.

What was going on?

At that moment, a voice came from the kitchen: “Aodong, come and see if the pumpkin’s cut properly!”

“Oh, right, we’re making pumpkin chicken porridge…” Li Lanfang slapped her thigh and hurried to the kitchen.

After a few steps, she remembered Bai Meihua. “Sister-in-law, do you want to stay and have a bite?”

Bai Meihua: “No, no, we have food cooking at home too!”

Li Lanfang: “Alright then, I won’t keep you. Take care.”

Bai Meihua nodded. “Okay, you go ahead.”

Now, Bai Meihua seemed a little kinder.

She looked back three times as Li Lanfang and Shen Aodong entered the kitchen, then suddenly turned on her heels and approached Shen Lingshuang.

“Lingshuang, so this is your new daughter-in-law?” Bai Meihua asked with a sly smile. “I’d only heard about it a few days ago—didn’t expect you really got married…”

Her tone was heavy with meaning. Shen Lingshuang quickly stood up for Song Qiuran: “Yes, the team leader said there’ll be a wedding ceremony for my brother and sister-in-law in early spring. They won’t let my sister-in-law suffer.”

Bai Meihua smiled faintly without replying and her gaze fell on Song Qiuran’s raccoon-fur scarf, suddenly growing colder.

Everyone said marrying Shen Lantian, the third son of the Shen family, was lucky.

Because Shen Lantian was loyal and caring.

But after becoming Shen Lantian’s wife, Bai Meihua felt he wasn’t as considerate as she once thought.

Take this winter for example.

Shen Lantian did help out with housework daily and occasionally went to work at the production team, ensuring a decent share of labor points for the family.

But compared to the new daughter-in-law at Second Brother’s house, who hadn’t even officially married in, she felt left behind.

That raccoon-fur scarf around Song Qiuran’s neck—she had wanted that for a long time!

However, Shen Lantian refused to work at the nearby mine and only wanted to farm, so he couldn’t earn wages beyond labor points and couldn’t buy her such a scarf.

Before seeing Song Qiuran’s scarf, Bai Meihua believed she would get one someday.

It was only a matter of time.

But now, she couldn’t think like that anymore.

Why did the daughter-in-law at Second Brother’s house get a raccoon-fur scarf, while she still wore a knitted wool one?