Chapter 19 - 19: 17: Protecting Shortcomings

Ms. Wang had been harboring resentment in her heart for a long time. Although she had been reprimanded by the land officer back then, she could not swallow her anger and chose to hold a grudge against Liu Sisi.

At the moment, as soon as she saw Liu Sisi coming, she wouldn’t miss such a good opportunity to pick a fight.

“Third Sister-in-law has such a desirable appearance, truly captivating, and unforgettable!”

Her words were clearly mocking Liu Sisi. The rumors about Liu Sisi and Businessman Zhang were already well known. To mention them now was nothing short of a blatant slap in the face.

As soon as those words left her mouth, Di Yelei’s expression changed.

“Second Sister-in-law, what do you mean by that? Is it appropriate for you to say such things? Even your own sister-in-law is being talked about like this; if outsiders heard you, who knows what they would think!”

“Oh! You’ve just become a husband, and now you’re already protecting the new wife like a treasure, not even allowing others to speak a word. I am still your Second Sister-in-law, after all.”

Ms. Wang turned to Ms. Zhao and said, “Mother, look at Third Brother; who is the outsider in his mouth? Where does he put me, his Second Sister-in-law, in his eyes? He’s clearly trying to humiliate me in front of his new wife!”

This was just an evildoer playing the victim!

Liu Sisi stood silently with her head down, not saying a single word from beginning to end.

“Second Sister-in-law, Sisi hasn’t said a word since she entered the house, but you’ve been picking faults, playing victim, and not leaving any face for her. How could you?” Di Yelei would not let his wife be bullied by others like this.

But Ms. Wang widened her eyes. When had Di Yelei ever dared to confront her like this in all these years?

“Mother! Look at Third Brother, he’s trying to bully his Second Sister-in-law for the sake of this discarded woman. I’ve said it before, such a shameless woman should be sold to a brothel instead…”

“Shut your mouth! Second Sister-in-law, you’re not young anymore. Please watch your words! I’ve already said that no matter what Sisi did before, from the moment she married me, Di Yelei, she became my wife and completely severed ties with her past! If you continue to bring it up, don’t blame your Third Brother for disregarding family ties!”

Di Yelei’s face had veins bulging, making him want to punch the woman.

“And also, I can handle the affairs of my own household! Sisi, this is not the place for us. Let’s go home.” He immediately pulled Liu Sisi’s hand and made a move to leave.

How could Ms. Zhao let Di Yelei and Liu Sisi go just like that?

Elderly Mr. Di had four sons and two daughters. His first wife, Ms. Hu, gave birth to three sons and one daughter.

The eldest son, Di Hongyuan, was an official outside and had not returned home for many years without any news. Even the letters sent to him were lost without a trace, and neither side could benefit from them. The second son, Di Gaoyuan, was cunning, and his wife, Ms. Wang, was also calculating. They made everyone in the neighborhood uneasy.

While outsiders thought this was a disgrace, it was precisely what Ms. Zhao wanted. If it wasn’t for this, how could her own son, Di Ah-bao, stand out?

When she initially married into the Di family with her daughter Di Ruoning, she had worked hard to help Di Yelei grow up. At the beginning, she loved Di Yelei like her own child, especially since her daughter from her previous marriage, Di Ruoning, was a few years younger than Di Yelei. However, within two years, her own biological child, Di Ah-bao, was born.

With three elder brothers, when would her own child be able to make a name for themselves?

Out of selfishness, Ms. Zhao intentionally fueled the arrogance of the second family branch. As she had anticipated, Ms. Wang became even more arrogant under her protection, causing trouble for the neighborhood and suppressing Di Yelei, who couldn’t raise his head proudly.

Now that Di Yelei had just married a new wife, signs of him slipping out of her control were emerging. How could she let that happen?

“Third Son, are you trying to humiliate me by implying that I am an outsider since your father is not here?”

Saying this, Ms. Zhao sat down on the ground and began crying loudly.

“I know I am your stepmother, so I never dared to ask for anything from you. But when you publicly humiliate your Second Sister-in-law like this, not to mention the bride coming so late to serve tea, there isn’t even a decent gift for our first meeting. You’re clearly causing difficulties for your father, and you’re unfilial!”

With the label of filial piety being put on him, Di Yelei opened his mouth but could not utter a word, feeling even more choked up.

Liu Sisi, who had not spoken all this time, raised her head, gently pulled her hand out of Di Yelei’s grip, quickly walked over, and tried to help Ms. Zhao up.

“Mother, the ground is too cold; you should get up and talk.”

As she spoke, Liu Sisi reached out to help her.

Ms. Zhao felt relieved, thinking that this new wife seemed to be easy to handle.

Feeling triumphant, she stared at Di Yelei, and with the help of Liu Sisi, she started to get up.

Bang!

Ms. Zhao, who was halfway up, slipped and fell to the ground with a thud.

“Ouch, my butt!” Ms. Zhao covered her butt and instinctively let out a scream like a pig being slaughtered.

Liu Sisi on the side appeared panic-stricken, “Mother, are you alright? I know you don’t like me, but please don’t play jokes with your own body! If you fall like this and accidentally injure your tailbone, you might be paralyzed for life!”