The Peasant Wife: The Prime Minister's Beloved

"As soon as I touched the stool, before I even sat down, I was already thinking about the next thing I was going to do, without even a break to catch my breath. I finally managed to lie down on the bed, but I found that my whole body was falling apart, my waist and back ached, and I tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep."

"Ah, Xuemei, your words really make me feel bad. Back then, when you were pregnant with our eldest child, I remember it clearly. Everyone in the Chen family held you in their hands, afraid that you would move a finger. They prepared everything they needed for food and daily necessities, fearing that something might happen that would affect the child's health."

"But it seems a bit far-fetched to talk about this now. In the final analysis, it was because of my mother's stubbornness that she insisted on splitting up Chen Xi's family. If I had considered it more at that time, perhaps the situation today would not be like this."

"You..." Old Mrs. Chen's fingers were like dead branches, trembling in the air, pointing straight at Zhou Xuemei, her eyes filled with anger and disbelief.

Her lips trembled slightly, and the words were stuck in her throat. She was so angry that she couldn't even utter a complete sentence. It was as if there was a ball of rage surging in her chest, but she couldn't find an outlet.

"From now on, Cuihua and I will each take half of the housework, and we will take turns cooking. No one can expect me to be busy all the time. Otherwise, we will all go hungry together!"

Zhou Xuemei's words were firm and clear, and every word revealed her unquestionable determination.

She didn't give anyone a chance to refute, and walked back to her room with firm steps, leaving everyone in the room in shock.

Old Mrs. Chen looked at the back of the man who left resolutely, feeling mixed emotions in her heart, her voice trembling with emotion: "Rebellion... In this family, no one is willing to listen to an old man like me. It's obvious that they are trying to piss me off to death!"

After she finished speaking, she slapped her chest weakly with her hands and stomped her feet, looking frustrated and helpless.

The air around seemed to freeze, leaving only Mrs. Chen's heavy breathing and endless sighs, echoing in the room for a long time.

"Mother, what should we do? My eldest sister-in-law suddenly gave up on the family affairs. Who should take care of the three meals a day and the housework from now on?"

Zheng Cuihua frowned, her eyes full of uncertainty and worry about the future. She looked at her mother-in-law sitting on the old wooden chair, her heart filled with helplessness.

Old Mrs. Chen sighed. The years had carved traces on her face, each of which contained the wisdom and vicissitudes of life.

"I say you're a silly girl, but you don't want to hear it. Since ancient times, we have always emphasized 'each family should take care of its own business'. We should take care of our own family affairs. Why do we always rely on others? Your sister-in-law has been full of dissatisfaction and grievances in her heart for a long time. Now, she has encountered this critical moment."

Zheng Cuihua wanted to say something but stopped herself. She opened her mouth but only uttered the word "I". Then it was as if something blocked her throat and she could no longer speak.

There was a flash of guilt and self-blame in her eyes, as if she was reflecting on whether she was really too dependent on her sister-in-law.

"Alas, I thought that if you listened to my advice and told her about it, she would understand this family and be willing to help with the household chores. I didn't expect..."

When Mrs. Chen said this, there was a hint of loss in her voice, as if she was lamenting the fickleness of human nature and the impermanence of the world.

"There are so many things you haven't thought of. Since the sister-in-law has spoken and made up her mind, it will be useless to force her. Let's think of a long-term plan..."

A gleam of light flashed in old lady Chen's eyes. She patted the back of Zheng Cuihua's hand, as if conveying strength and determination, and then began to make detailed plans for Zheng Cuihua. Her words revealed her familiarity with household affairs and her optimistic expectations for the future.

"To ensure everything is fair, I suggest that before you get pregnant, our family's daily chores be shared equally. Once you are pregnant with the future hope of our family, you can put down all your burdens and rest in peace. What do you think?"

There was an unquestionable majesty in Mrs. Chen's words, but at the same time, there seemed to be a hint of subtle tenderness and concern.

Faced with such an arrangement, although she had a thousand words in her heart, she could only nod and agree.

In the years to come, she has secretly vowed that she will remember all of Zhou Xuemei's secret tricks and unwarranted difficulties, and find an opportunity to retaliate.

In private, the ripples of regret in Old Mrs. Chen's heart took a long time to subside.

Who could have expected that since Chen Xi resolutely left the seemingly warm but actually restrictive Chen family compound, she not only learned superb medical skills in the outside world, but also knew all the herbs in the mountains like the back of her hand. Just by collecting Chinese herbs, she could make a lot of money and live a prosperous, wealthy and free life.

As Chen Xi's nominal elder, he could only watch all this splendor from afar, without the chance to enjoy even a little bit of it.

Under the roof of the Chen family, Chen Xi's absence seemed to have taken away a pillar of the family. The once peaceful and harmonious family affairs have now turned into a battlefield for power struggles between the two daughters-in-law.

They quarreled endlessly over trivial matters and refused to give in to each other. The hostility between them was like the cold wind in winter, making the atmosphere of the whole house cold and turbid.

The once warm and harmonious home has now become gloomy and smelly, which is heartbreaking.

Old Mrs. Chen looked at everything in front of her and couldn't help but feel a lot of emotion. When did such a good family fall into such a state?

Everyone originally thought that Chen Xi, who had severed ties with her family, would never recover. Without the protection and financial support of her family, her life would be extremely difficult.

It was expected that within a few days, she would lower her once proud head and beg for acceptance from her family again.

However, things are unpredictable. Chen Xi is like a pearl hidden in the secular world. He does not show his true colors, but in fact he is proficient in medicine and knows all kinds of herbs like the back of his hand.

With her skillful hands and profound knowledge, she lived a colorful and enviable life, which completely subverted everyone's expectations.

During this period of time, Chen Xi's story of independence and self-reliance was like an endless wind, blowing through every corner of the family, triggering wave after wave of discussion, making this already restless family even more turbulent.

Old Mrs. Chen is old and should be enjoying her retirement, but because of the series of troubles in her family, she is upset, frowning and full of worry.

Just as the atmosphere was solemn, Zhou Xuemei slowly walked out of the house carrying a heavy wooden barrel.