Chapter 58: You Should Know Where You Stand

After the recent fight, Li Meng felt that she was now one of the Lu family, her position clear and secure. So, for the next couple of days, she stopped cooking altogether.

From time to time, she even bossed Old Lady Lu around, claiming she’d twisted her waist during the fight.

Old Lady Lu just let her have her way, and Li Meng was convinced she had the Lu family wrapped around her finger.

But good days never last long. A few days later, Fang Yuan and Lu Chuan came back and even hosted a dinner party—except they didn’t invite Li Meng and her lot. That was a real slap in the face.

Li Meng started stirring things up with Lu Feng: “Don’t you think she doesn’t see us as family? Like we don’t even matter to her?”

Lu Feng’s face darkened. “If I went over there, would you feel comfortable?”

That shut Li Meng up immediately. Of course she wouldn’t feel comfortable—she’d rather Lu Feng and Fang Yuan had nothing to do with each other.

After all, they’d been married in their past life—who knows if there were still lingering feelings between them?

At the end of the day, she’d taken something that belonged to someone else. No wonder she always felt uneasy.

Since she couldn’t pick on Fang Yuan, she turned her attention to Old Lady Lu instead. Li Meng complained, “I feel like Mom doesn’t really care about me. She’s always thinking about the second son’s family.”

Then she whispered to Lu Feng, “I heard from the villagers that the second son made a lot of money in town.”

Lu Feng frowned, looking even more unhappy. “What are you trying to say?”

Li Meng was quick on her feet and immediately changed her tune: “I just mean, don’t worry, Feng-ge. You’ll be even more capable than him in the future.”

Who wouldn’t be anxious in this situation? How many people truly wish for others to get rich? Especially when it’s your own brother—people are always comparing.

Still, Lu Feng was in a foul mood. He grabbed his hoe and went out to the fields, needing some time to cool off.

Watching Lu Feng head out with his hoe, Li Meng couldn’t help but compare him to the Lu Feng she’d seen sitting in a luxury car by the roadside. The difference was huge.

She worried—if he spent all his time working in the fields, when would he ever become a rich man?

Did Lu Feng strike it rich by digging up gold nuggets in the fields?

Li Meng regretted not knowing more about how Lu Feng had made his fortune in her previous life. She only knew he’d become wealthy, but not how.

And lately, their quality of life had really gone downhill—she could practically taste the bitterness in her mouth. She desperately wanted to improve their lives, and for her future rich husband to get rich sooner.

She figured she’d better encourage Lu Feng to get out and look for opportunities. Compared to digging for gold in the fields, going out and seeking chances to make money seemed a lot more reliable.

That evening, when Lu Feng came home, Li Meng suggested he go to town and look for opportunities.

Lu Feng said, “You saw the second son making money and now you think I’m not as capable as him, don’t you?”

Wasn’t that obvious? But of course Li Meng couldn’t admit it. “No, Feng-ge, you’re really wronging me! I just feel bad seeing you work so hard in the fields.”

Lu Feng just turned his back to her. Honestly, he hadn’t even become rich yet, but he was already getting all moody and hard to please.

Li Meng really did treat Lu Feng like a future tycoon—she flattered and coaxed him endlessly, until finally he said, “Stop worrying about what’s going on in other people’s families all the time.”

Li Meng was frustrated. Her future rich husband clearly needed more motivation. When would she finally become a rich woman herself? Sharing hardships was no easy feat.

Because of Li Meng’s fight with her own family, the newlyweds, who had only just reconciled, were now at odds again over this trivial matter.

Of course, it was all one-sided—Lu Feng was the only one upset.

When Lu’s father and the others came home, they were in high spirits, but the west room was pitch black. Who knew what the young couple were doing, but the atmosphere was definitely off.

Lu Xiaosan, the youngest brother, was sharp—he sensed the mood and quickly slipped out, not wanting to get involved.

That Li Meng, so shameless, even sneaked eggs from the east room to cook for her husband. No wonder she wasn’t a good person. Good thing they’d split the family, or he’d have to put up with her too.

When Lu Xiaosan came back that night, Li Meng was still in the east room, crying and complaining to Old Lady Lu: “Mom, I didn’t even say anything, but he got mad at me and is ignoring me.”

Lu Xiaosan chimed in sarcastically, “Just take a couple of eggs from the east room and cook them for him, and he’ll be fine.”

Li Meng just kept crying, not daring to say a word. Deep down, she knew exactly what she’d done.

Lu Xiaosan didn’t bother keeping his voice down. Even Lu Feng in the west room was so embarrassed his face turned red. He shouted from across the hall, “Get back here! Aren’t you ashamed?”

Fine, she was ashamed. Li Meng sobbed her way back.

That annoying brother-in-law—what’s wrong with cooking eggs for her own husband? Even after splitting the family, he was still being sarcastic.

Old Lady Lu pointed at her youngest son. “And you, eating those eggs.”

Lu Xiaosan replied, “It’s not like you’re so well-off you can spare them for me.”

Old Lady Lu said, “You’re not a girl, why are you so greedy?” She doted on her youngest son and eldest grandson.

Lu Xiaosan said, “Don’t go telling people outside, or they’ll say you’re biased. If my future wife hears that the daughter-in-law is mistreated here, it’ll be hard for me to get married. It’s not like she’s done anything to you.”

Old Lady Lu replied, “If you’ve got the guts, go stir things up with your second sister-in-law.”

What a troublesome kid, always so prickly.

Lu Xiaosan, the penniless bachelor, said, “I’d better behave, Mom. Let’s forget about second sister-in-law, but don’t spoil the eldest one too much.”

Look at Fang Yuan’s status in the Lu family—she’s in a league of her own, not even in the normal category.

Old Lady Lu didn’t like Li Meng’s constant fussing either. If she wasn’t mad at the eldest, she’d be finding new ways to boss her mother-in-law around.

How did she end up with someone like this? She sighed. “She’s still your sister-in-law, after all.”

Lu Xiaosan said, “She hides food now, takes things from your room and doesn’t even share with you. You think you can rely on her when you’re old?”

Old Lady Lu replied, “I didn’t marry you boys off for anything in return. As long as you know to treat us well, that’s enough. Your eldest sister-in-law might not be great in other ways, but at least she cares about your brother.”

What could Lu Xiaosan say? His mother was just soft-hearted.

Even though the second sister-in-law was tough, at dinner today, she kept giving their parents meat with her chopsticks. Clearly, she didn’t mind sharing the food.

Lu Xiaosan was sharp—he knew what was what. “Some people might not be good with words, but they have a good heart. You need to know who’s good and who’s not.”

Old Lady Lu replied, “You’re all my children. I’m not clueless.”

Lu Xiaosan wanted to say, “That’s not necessarily true. Who knows when Li Meng might win you over?”

Whenever there was something good to eat, his mom always secretly gave some to the eldest brother.

Old Lady Lu said, “What’s with that look?”

Lu Xiaosan replied, “Don’t think I don’t know—you’ve been secretly giving big brother extra food. Now that eldest sister-in-law is doing the same, you should save it.”

Old Lady Lu said, “Why are you so suspicious? Did I shortchange you? Your big brother works the hardest, always in the fields with your dad. If I don’t give him a little extra, how can that work?”

She sighed again. “Your second brother is smart and good at studying, but that costs money. If I gave him extra too, how would we get by? Not to mention your big brother—even you wouldn’t stand for it.”

Three kids, three different personalities—a mother always knows.

Of course, why should he give in to them? For the first time, Lu Xiaosan realized how tough his mother had it. What was the point of having so many sons?

Stay tuned for the next chapter."