Chapter 196: Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law Come to Blows

"If you don't want to take good care of me, just say so," Shen Qingyu said, seeing her mother-in-law keeping her head down in silence and assuming she had the upper hand, becoming even more aggressive. "Let me tell you, all the mothers-in-law in this Junshuyuan say that for ten years you look at the mother-in-law, and for ten years you look at the daughter-in-law. If you deliberately make things difficult for me now, I won't wait on you when you're old!"

Whoosh—

Tao Mu directly dumped a basin of small yellow croakers, just fried and still steaming hot, onto her face.

"You shrew! I'm still waiting on you right now and this is the attitude you have toward me? Can I count on you when I'm old?"

Although she was old, she was still tough. "I have my own sons and daughters; I don't count on you to wait on me when I'm old!"

Honestly, threatening her with old-age care all day long. If she couldn't even count on her own biological children, then there was even less need to mention outsiders like daughters-in-law and sons-in-law.

If it weren't for the sake of her son and grandson, would she have come all the way to Haidao to hang around at her age?

"Ahhh!" What Shen Qingyu was most proud of was her face. Although it didn't qualify as a beauty, it was at least fair and delicate, representing her former status as a capitalist's daughter. "You old hag, I'll fight you to the death!"

Shen Qingyu lunged at her mother-in-law.

At the Jiang Family, Hu Qian pricked up her ears, immediately picked up the broom leaning against the wall, and said to her daughter-in-law, "Mom is going to sweep the front gate!"

Si Rong:...

The front gate had already been swept clean enough by her mother-in-law, but hearing that the commotion at the Tao house was quite large this time, she hurriedly pushed the stroller as well. "Then I'll let the two of them watch Grandma sweep the floor!"

"Si Nian, Si Yu, you two must learn from Grandma in the future and be people who love cleanliness!"

Jiang Siyu babbled in response.

Jiang Sinian's grape-like black pupils turned back and forth.

The family of four who loved cleanliness stood at the entrance, able to see that the Tao mother and daughter-in-law were still very concerned about appearances.

Even outside the door, one could hear the sounds of punching and kicking, yet the front door remained tightly shut.

Two more neighbors arrived one after another, all with expressions waiting to see a good show.

One of them, Sun Da Sao, was bolder and thicker-skinned, so she stepped forward and knocked on the Tao family's door.

"Qingyu, it's your Sun Da Sao, I'm also from the island's Women's Federation. Open the door and let Da Sao see—no, let me persuade you!"

"That's right, that's right, we're all neighbors, there's nothing to be embarrassed about."

The Tao family door opened, but it was not the explosive scene of a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law fighting that everyone had longed to see.

Although Shen Qingyu's hair was messy, with even a small yellow croaker hanging from it, and her face was covered in oil stains, the two of them were indeed composed.

Standing side by side, they looked at the crowd very gently and played dumb. "Persuade us about what? A wild cat snuck into the courtyard from somewhere to steal meat, and we two were catching the cat!"

Shen Qingyu chimed in, "That's right, our mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship is very harmonious."

The crowd:...

If we hadn't seen the black eye on your face and the torn floral short-sleeved shirt on your mother-in-law, we might have believed you.

In the evening, Political Commissar Tao had just finished work and ran into Shen Qingyu at the entrance of the Junshuyuan.

He understood his wife, and his heart skipped a beat.

Sure enough, before they had even exchanged two sentences, Shen Qingyu began to lodge a complaint against the other party first.

"Your mother hit me! Look at my eyes, and look at my hair!"

To make Tao Manzhuang feel sorry for her, she even endured not washing her hair all afternoon.

The smell of small yellow croakers on her head was simply suffocating.

Political Commissar Tao:...

His pace quickened immediately; he had to hurry home to see where his mother was injured.

"By the way," remembering something, he said to Shen Qingyu, "Get prepared, the school on the island is short of teachers, go teach Chinese!"

"I'm not going!" Shen Qingyu reflexively retorted. "Tao Manzhuang, do you even have a heart? I've been beaten like this by your mother, and you're still thinking about making me go earn money?"

"It's a rare opportunity. Commander Jiang has already spoken to the Principal; his wife will go to the school to be a music and dance teacher."

"Once this village is passed, there won't be this shop anymore."

As soon as Shen Qingyu heard that Si Rong was going, she immediately indicated that she wanted to go too.

There was no help for it; she didn't know what was wrong with herself, perhaps because of their similar capitalist backgrounds, she always subconsciously wanted to compete with Si Rong.

If Si Rong went, she would go too, but why was Si Rong a music teacher and she had to be a Chinese teacher?

"I want to be a music teacher too."

Tao Manzhuang:...

"There aren't many students in total, one music teacher is enough."

"Then why is it her and not me?"

Besides, being a music teacher is so leisurely; it's impossible for students to sing every day, but they definitely have to study Chinese every day.

Thinking about it this way, she would be much more tired than Si Rong.

"If you keep talking nonsense, you don't have to go." Tao Manzhuang was a filial son; he was anxious to rush home to see his mother's injuries.

Fortunately, they looked lighter than the injuries on his wife's face.

Shen Qingyu had no choice but to compromise. She might as well go to work; today's scuffle made her realize she was no match for that old hag. If they stared at each other at home every day, she might end up getting beaten again.

If she had known, she wouldn't have let his mother come.

She really envied Si Rong; why was her mother-in-law so good? She could look after grandchildren and do housework?

The next day was the opening day of the island's primary school.

After Si Rong fed both little ones, she kissed each of their little foreheads before reluctantly leaving.

When she went out, she ran into the neighbor named Shen Lan.

Behind him followed two little boys.

"Is Teacher Si going to school?" Shen Lan asked politely, then explained, "I heard it from the Tao family's spouse; you will be the primary school's music teacher from now on."

Si Rong didn't want to engage with him, only nodding slightly.

Then she walked quickly toward the school.

But what was annoying was that Shen Lan and his two sons were like bedbugs, following her to the school at a distance neither too far nor too near.

"If the children are disobedient or naughty, Teacher Si, please feel free to discipline them!"

Shen Lan said again, his gaze holding a strange, eerie quality that made Si Rong feel indescribably uncomfortable.

It was as if he knew some unknown secret and could use it to keep her in check.

Si Rong replied in a professional and distant manner, "Of course."

The two children:...

They suspected their father wasn't their biological one.

After Si Rong went inside, she saw Shen Qingyu, and besides her, there were two other female teachers and one male teacher.

Everyone went together to the simple office to hold a meeting.

In truth, it was nothing more than the upcoming curriculum arrangements.

Every teacher already knew what subjects they were to teach before coming, but because there were not enough teachers, many of them had to take on multiple roles.

For example, the Principal arranged for Shen Qingyu to teach physical education in addition to teaching Chinese to the second and third graders.

Shen Qingyu was unhappy.

With the sun so bright on the small island, how could they let her teach physical education?

Yet Si Rong got to teach dance in the music room?

She raised her hand, "Principal, I have something to say."

"Si Rong, let's swap! I want to teach music, is that okay?"

With everyone watching, would Si Rong really refuse her directly? That would be too socially inept.