The Peasant Wife: The Prime Minister's Beloved

In contrast, the Chen family members who once treated her as nothing and even despised and ridiculed her were now plunged into chaos and noise, as if overnight, the once peaceful home had turned into a disorderly battlefield.

The conflicts and disputes within the family spread rapidly like a ignited wildfire. The once proud faces were now filled with anxiety and uneasiness. All kinds of calculations and betrayals were surging in secret, pushing the entire Chen family into an unknown vortex.

Chen Xi just smiled indifferently to all this. She understood that she was no longer the silent and taciturn girl who was at the mercy of others.

From now on, she will face life with a completely new attitude. Those who try to look down on her will eventually find that there is no longer any fear or retreat in her eyes, but only a light of determination and confidence.

Old Mrs. Chen was quietly disturbed by the fierce quarrels. The peace in her heart was suddenly broken. She gently put down the book in her hand that had been read to the point of yellowing edges, and slowly walked out of the bedroom covered with soft wool carpet.

The sound was like an uninvited rainstorm on a summer afternoon, rapid and anxious, directed directly to the core area of ​​the house - the kitchen.

There was a hint of helplessness and curiosity in her steps, and her silver hair trembled slightly, flashing traces of time in the dim light.

As soon as I approached the kitchen door with simple carvings, a wave of heat and clearer sounds of argument rushed towards me.

Before she could stand still, a porcelain bowl filled with leftover food scraps whizzed through the air like a runaway meteor, and flew straight towards her with its sharp edge that was terrifying.

There was a flash of horror in Old Mrs. Chen's eyes, and she dodged to the side almost instinctively. The bowl whistled past her ear, and finally with a clang, it shattered on the floor not far away, scattering into pieces of ceramic.

"What the hell is going on here? I can hear the quarrel from so far away. Can't an old woman like me enjoy a moment of peace?"

Mrs. Chen's voice trembled slightly with anger, and the wrinkles on her face became deeper due to her emotional fluctuations.

Chen Xi's recent affairs had exhausted her mentally and physically, and the renewed turmoil at home undoubtedly added fuel to the fire of her already exhausted heart.

"Alas, it's still that little girl Zheng Cuihua!"

Zhou Xuemei, who was standing by, crossed her arms, with a sour and dissatisfied look on her face. Her tone was full of complaints.

"Since she came into our house, she has refused to do any work and only orders me around all day. Look at her, she has already acted like a young lady even before she is pregnant. If she is really pregnant in the future, she will be so proud that our family will be in turmoil!"

As they were talking, the atmosphere in the kitchen was like a taut string, ready to explode at any moment.

Everyone's expression was filled with their own dissatisfaction and grievance. The warmth of home seemed to be covered by invisible frost at this moment, waiting for the sunshine of understanding and tolerance to melt it again.

Zheng Cuihua was not willing to admit defeat. A trace of unwillingness flashed in her eyes, and she immediately retorted,

Her voice was a little sharp, yet still feminine: "Oh, sister-in-law, you make it sound like I, Zheng Cuihua, am someone who likes to take advantage. But we all know it clearly. If it weren't for your good show that forced Chen Xi to leave this family, how could I have been involved in these rough jobs in the past?"

"When Chen Xi was here, she took care of everything at home, including laundry and cleaning. I was just helping out. Now, I am shouldering the responsibility of expanding the Chen family. If something happens to me and I miss something important, will you be able to shoulder this responsibility?"

"Hey, exhausted? This is the first time I've heard that just moving your hands and feet can make someone exhausted. Zheng Cuihua, your talking skills are getting better and better. Aren't you afraid that you might slip up and hit your tongue one day?"

Zhou Xuemei frowned when she heard this. Her tone was a little unhappy, and her eyes flashed with a challenging light. "We are both daughters-in-law of the Chen family. Why should I be like an old mother, taking care of everything? I, Zhou Xuemei, am exhausted. Who will care about me at all?"

"From today on, if you don't make a move, I won't make a move either. Let's see who can hold out the longest. At worst, all of us in the Chen family can enjoy this 'pure and simple' life together!"

Although Zheng Cuihua was dissatisfied with Zhou Xuemei's tough attitude, she quickly put on a gentle smile. She knew very well that in the long run, peaceful coexistence was the best policy.

She said softly, "Sister-in-law, please don't say that. We are all family, how can we hurt each other over such a small matter? You also know that I am pregnant with the flesh and blood of the Chen family. When the little one is born safely in the future, I will naturally share these household chores with you and will not let you suffer so much alone. For now, please bear more for me, just for the sake of our Chen family's little life."

There was a hint of pleading in Zheng Cuihua's words and her eyes revealed genuine emotion. She knew very well that in this compound, maintaining superficial peace was sometimes more important than anything else.

This secret rivalry with Zhou Xuemei will need to be slowly resolved in the future.

"As soon as you were asked to take on some household chores, you immediately raised the banner of having children. But now that the years have passed, your belly is still calm and peaceful. Who can say for sure whether you are really blessed to have children?"

"Could it be that you are using your pregnancy as a shield to avoid the daily work and responsibilities of life?"

Relying on the merit of continuing the Chen family's bloodline, Zhou Xuemei's words were filled with complacency and pride that were difficult to conceal, and her brows were shining with the light of a winner.

Hearing this, Zheng Cuihua's face couldn't help but turn slightly red, and a subtle embarrassment and grievance quietly crept into her heart.

She quickly turned her head and gave Old Mrs. Chen a look that was a mixture of helplessness and expectation.

The look in his eyes seemed to silently express his grievances, hoping that the elder in the family could lend a helping hand and find a bit of justice and protection for him in this invisible war of words.

Mrs. Chen was an experienced woman, and with just a few sharp words, she was able to get the outline of the dispute between the two men in her mind.

"Xuemei, don't be so sure. Cuihua and her husband are newlyweds, and there is no good news yet. Maybe the time is not right. How can you put the blame on her alone?"

"Mom, look, she just relied on the name of preparing for pregnancy, and all the big and small things at home, whether it is washing clothes or cleaning the house, from preparing three meals to chopping wood and making fire, to fetching water every morning, these heavy tasks are all placed on my shoulders alone."