She won't clear her name; she'll throw away all the scum.

When the group arrived at Chen Mei's house by bus, it was almost noon, and her family was bustling with activity.

"Big sister!" Old Chen led Old Lady Xia and several children into their house.

Chen Mei and her husband Song Tiancheng are putting up red paper-cuts in the house, adding a festive touch.

Hearing Old Chen's call, Chen Mei looked up, her face showing a hint of awkwardness before she came forward, "Brother and sister-in-law, why are you so late? I'm so busy here."

"It's good that my sister-in-law and Xiang Hong are here. We can finally catch our breath," she said with a smile, holding Xia's hand.

Grandma Xia: ...After all these years, her sister-in-law still speaks in such an unpleasant way.

What do you mean they can finally breathe a sigh of relief now that she and Xiang Hong are here? Do you mean they were planning to suffocate if she and Xiang Hong hadn't come to help?

nonsense!

Grandma Xia tried to pull her hand back, but Chen Mei held on tightly, as if afraid she would run away.

Grandma Xia rolled her eyes. No matter how tightly Chen Mei held her, she wouldn't help with anything, and Xiang Hong wasn't allowed to either.

She gave Chen Xianghong a mocking look, and Chen Xianghong nodded slightly. She would definitely listen to her mother and wouldn't help.

She learned this in Shanghai: don't rush to help others, or no one will thank you.

Before Grandma Xia could even sit down and rest for a while, Chen Mei led her straight to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Fang Rong was working like an old ox, huffing and puffing as she washed a large basin of vegetables, her fingers turning red from the cold.

It's late autumn now, and although it's not the coldest time yet, the temperature has already dropped, and they're all wearing thick sweaters today.

To maintain his image, Old Chen wore a shirt with a wool vest over it. He was so cold that he was shivering as soon as he stepped outside, and he immediately went back inside to put on more clothes before daring to come out again.

The water is quite cold now.

“Sister-in-law, my husband Tiancheng and I are planning to set up two or three tables at my parents’ home to invite relatives and friends to have a meal together. We’ve already hired a chef, but we’ll have to prepare the vegetables and meat ourselves.”

"Second sister-in-law has been busy for several days, but there are still many things that need to be dealt with. We would appreciate it if eldest sister-in-law and Xiang Hong could help us with these things, otherwise we will make a fool of ourselves tomorrow."

She led Old Lady Xia to a large wooden basin filled with dirty bowls.

"Sister-in-law, I haven't had time to wash these dishes in the past few days. Why don't you wash them for me first, and then wash the vegetables piled up over there too?"

“I know that you and Xiang Hong are both hardworking people. My second sister-in-law and I have been looking forward to your visit. These past few days have really exhausted me. Look, there are still many things for me to take care of outside.”

When Fang Rong saw them coming, she immediately stood up. "Sister-in-law, I... I really can't take it anymore. Could you help me wash up first? I need to rest, otherwise my body really can't take it. A daughter's wedding banquet is a very important event, and we can't be careless. I've been very serious about it these days, afraid that something might go wrong with our niece's wedding."

Chen Mei stepped forward and took Fang Rong's hand. "Second sister-in-law, you've really worked hard these days, but things will be better tomorrow after your niece gets married. We can all relax then. You know, we're family after all. How could I possibly do all this work by myself?"

The two women went out like sisters, without asking Grandma Xia and the others whether they agreed to help.

Seeing her aunt and second aunt leave without looking back, Chen Xianghong sat down on the stool. "Mom, come sit down for a while. Do you want some water? I'll pour you some."

The two drank a large bowl of water from the clean bowl before they could catch their breath; sitting on the bus was tiring indeed.

Before the mother and daughter could even speak, Chen Mei's voice came from outside again, "Sister-in-law, my brother and the others want to drink tea, could you please make some tea?"

Grandma Xia looked out the kitchen window and saw the men idly smoking and chatting outside, not a single one of them doing any work, having a great time.

Chen Xianghong: "They say they're so busy, but I see that they're all very idle. Even my aunt doesn't do much work. Why should we have to do anything? Mom, let's go outside and sit down and eat some sunflower seeds."

She tried to pull Grandma Xia out of the kitchen, but Grandma Xia wouldn't move.

"mom?"

Grandma Xia: "Did you get your period yesterday?"

Chen Xianghong nodded. "Yes, I didn't leak anything, did I?"

Grandma Xia: "Then make yourself a bowl of brown sugar water before you go out. Mom will cook you ginger and brown sugar. Daughters need to take good care of themselves. It's so cold now, and we've had a long and tiring journey. Drinking this will warm us up."

Chen Xianghong: "Mom, you're absolutely right. Don't move, I'll do it."

The mother and daughter boiled a small pot of ginger and brown sugar water, poured it into a bowl, and carried it out.

Old Chen and Chen Xiangnan had been keeping a close eye on the kitchen, fearing that Old Lady Xia might suddenly smash Chen Mei's head open. They only breathed a sigh of relief when Chen Mei went to her eldest daughter Song Xinhe's room.

Their goal this time was to prevent Old Lady Xia from going crazy on such a joyous occasion, and to prevent bloodshed from staining the wedding banquet.

As for letting my little tantrums rage, that doesn't matter. Let them rage.

Not only were the two of them paying attention to Grandma Xia, but even the eldest son's family, who arrived late, were watching the commotion in the kitchen after greeting their relatives.

Zhu Wenying quietly asked her husband, "Guess when your mother will start making a scene today?"

Chen Xiangdong: "It'll be soon, right? My mom must really hate my aunt's family now. I can't guess they'll start making a scene at lunchtime."

Zhu Wenying asked excitedly, "Will they fight?"

Chen Xiangdong: "Who knows? But if my mom makes a scene, she'll definitely slap me. But it doesn't matter, as long as the bride doesn't take sides, the slap won't land on her face. As long as my dear niece doesn't cause trouble for herself, then this wedding banquet will be a success."

Zhu Wenying's lips curled up. Ever since she was beaten by Old Lady Xia and separated from the family, she had a particular fondness for watching Old Lady Xia slap people—slapping others.

"What if your cousin insists on coming out and causing trouble? Will she still be able to be a beautiful bride?"

Chen Xiangdong: "I think it's difficult. When my mom goes crazy, she doesn't care if you're a bride or not, she'll still beat you until you can't find your way around."

Zhu Wenying seemed to be thinking, "It seems that when I was pregnant, she held back when she hit me."

Chen Xiangdong: "My mom is really kind to you."

The two of them ate snacks while holding Bao Yuan, whispering to each other, getting happier and happier as they talked, wishing that Grandma Xia would start a fight with someone right away.

When Grandma Xia came out, several pairs of eyes stared at her, all of them from her own family.