Chapter 12 Zhou's Discipline

　　"Eldest daughter-in-law, go get your sister-in-law." Zhou asked He to call her. 　　He agreed and was about to go call Gu, but Lian Xiu'er was busy getting off the bed. 　　"Mother, I'll go call." Lian Xiu'er said. Zhou was angry, she had to hurry and go tell Gu and Lian Hua'er, she didn't feel comfortable if someone else went. 　　Zhou swept a glance at Lian Xiu'er and grunted. Lian Xiu'er saw that Zhou didn't object, so she busied herself with going to the west room. 　　After a while, Lian Xiu'er came back, and the two Lian Hua'er and Lian Du'er followed with Gu's support. 　　"Mother, sister-in-law is really sick, hearing you call, she strongly struggled to come over." Lian Xiu'er smiled and said to Zhou. 　　Zhou ignored her daughter, only glancing at Gu, her heart was clear. When she had lived this age for nothing, this little trick to trick her, beautiful thought. 　　"Mother, daughter-in-law greets you." Gu crouched down and bowed to Zhou. 　　Zhou's heart was slightly relieved when she saw the solemnity of Gu's salute. In the countryside, especially in one's own family, one does not pay attention to these etiquettes. Gu's this blessing, but only the rules of the big family, just to Zhou's taste. 　　Seeing Zhou's face look a little better, she continued to smile and said, "I wanted to come here early in the morning, but I'm not good at this body, and I'm very dizzy. I was afraid that mother would be worried, so I didn't dare to tell mother, and wanted to wait until I was better before coming over." 　　"Yes, Milk, in the morning when Mother wanted to come to greet Milk, she didn't take two steps and almost fell, it scared us." Lian Hua'er said, "Mother was lying on the bed, and couldn't stop chanting about coming over, that this was a rule for her as a daughter-in-law to honor her mother-in-law. She said that since mother entered the Lian family, our family's rules and etiquette are not even comparable to those big families in the city." 　　Zhou's face couldn't help but change from cloudy to sunny, it was really Gu's and Lian Hua'er's words that spoke to her heart. Turning her head to look at He, Zhang, and Zhao again, she felt that it was still her eldest daughter-in-law who was understanding and thoughtful. 　　However, Zhou was not going to change her mind because of this, the rules that needed to be set up still needed to be set up. Not being together in the past was naturally a good thing. In the future, when her eldest son became an official, she is naturally going to follow, then and Gu's living in a mansion, it is inevitable to get along with each other every day, should take advantage of the present to properly adjust Gu's a bit, but also to Gu's like Zhang's and Zhao's, to her obedience, do not dare to say half a word of disobedience. 　　Thinking this way, Zhou's face had clouded over, and also ignored Lian Xiu'er's gaze of pleading for leniency. 　　"You are the Xiu Cai's wife, your body is delicate." Zhou's coldly laughed, "Who remembers that I'm Xiu Cai her mother!" 　　"Mother, I ......" Gu heard Zhou's bad words, and was busy bending her waist and back some more, making a more obsequious appearance. 　　"These years, you often live in the town, used to being comfortable. I, as a mother-in-law, didn't go to serve you, and once you came back home, you were fine yesterday, but in the morning I asked Xiu'er to go and call you, and you were uncomfortable. Why don't you come and sit on the bed, and I'll go and cook some rice for you?" 　　Gu's face turned white all of a sudden, Zhou's words were heartbreaking. She thought she was extremely smart, and after entering the Lian family's door, she quickly recognized Lian's old lady Zhou's nature, and greeted Zhou extremely well. At the same time, she also knows Zhou's difficult to get along with, thought of a way to live with Lian Shouren in the town, to avoid the hard work of waiting for the mother-in-law. 　　Over the years, she has been so skillful that she doesn't have to serve Zhou, but is the most honorable daughter-in-law in front of Zhou. 　　Now, her daughter will soon be married into the Sun family, her husband is expected to be elected to the government, she will soon be the status of the official wife, how Zhou instead of face, really want to pinch her. 　　She is also really smart, after thinking about it, she immediately understood. Zhou's nature is the strongest, Zhou is to let her know that even if she becomes an official wife, Zhou is still the old lady, on top of her head. 　　Just, after so many years of being at ease, could it be that when she became an official wife in the future, she would be subject to her mother-in-law's jurisdiction instead? Gu's heart was irritated for a moment, so she froze there. 　　"This wife of mine, old and undead, didn't serve Xiu Cai's wife well, I should be beaten!" Zhou suddenly raised her voice and howled, stretching out her two slaps and hitting herself in the face. 　　Lian Xiu'er, Zhang's and He's were busy going forward to stop them. 　　Lian Man'er had already looked dumbfounded. 　　Gu's woke up as if from a dream and broke out in a cold sweat. She knew that today's court was very focused on filial piety. If Lian Shouren wanted to be an official, there couldn't be half a stain on the word filial piety. It was the same if she wanted to be an official's wife. 　　"Mother, you're killing your daughter-in-law." Gu was busy flopping down on her knees and hugged Zhou's thighs, "Daughter-in-law serving the Grand Master in town is also at Mother's command. Daughter-in-law never dared to forget Mother's teachings, and every day, she would kowtow to Mother in the direction of this old mansion. Now that she's back, daughter-in-law is about to properly honor Mother ......" 　　Gu kowtowed several times on the ground, this side, Lian Xiu'er, Lian Hua'er and the others persuaded Zhou with kind words again, only then did Zhou stop her move to slap herself. 　　"What do I want you to be filial to, since you've come back, take turns doing the household chores just like your sisters-in-law." Zhou said. 　　"Yes, Mother." Gu hastily nodded her head and stood up, her heart indescribably bitter. 　　Back then, when she was a teenager, she was also a yellow-bloomed girl who was sought after by a hundred people. Unable to achieve anything, she finally picked Lian Shouren, or to be a filler, and as soon as she entered the door, she had to take care of the child that the first house had left behind. What does she want? That's right, she saw Lian Shouren's good looks. But if Lian Shouren didn't have a scholar's title on him, she wouldn't have agreed to marry. 　　She had hoped that Lian Shouren would soon be successful in the imperial examination and become an official, and she would follow as a madam. However, Lian Shouren failed to pass the exams and remained a scholar. Nonetheless, all these years in town, she had hired cooks and handymen to take care of her three meals a day and chores (of course these were hidden from the old mansion side), and she and Lian Hua'er and Lian Duoyer had been pampered without touching the water of the sun and spring. Now they have to be in this country place, cooking, feeding chickens and pigs. 　　Gu was now really dizzy. 　　"It's those jobs, you've done them all some years ago, go and cook first. Be quick with your hands, your father and the others should be back soon." Zhou waved her hand at Gu and told her to go to work. 　　Lian Man'er pulled Zhang Clan out of the upper room, and when she walked into the courtyard, Zhang Clan stopped in her tracks. 　　"Man'er you guys go back first, mother will help your great-uncle mother cook." Zhang Clan said. 　　It seems that Zhang Clan is really the legendary, super hardworking person who can't keep her hands and feet idle. 　　Lian Man Er pulled Zhang's hand and didn't let go, Zhou wanted to pin down Gu, if Zhang was a smart one, she should hide away at this time. Moreover, with Gu's shrewdness, she should be able to cope well, so why would Zhang bother to run to be cannon fodder. 　　But these words were not good to say explicitly, at least not yet. 　　"Mother, in your heart, milk and great-uncle mother, who is more important to be filial?" Lian Maner asked Zhang. 　　"Of course it is important to be filial to the elderly." Zhang Clan explained to Lian Man Er with a straight face, "Your great-uncle mother and I are of the same generation, and she is the eldest, so she usually has to be more respectful, but there is no such thing as filial piety." 　　"That's it. Milk to eat the rice cooked by the great-uncle mother, no matter how the great-uncle mother cooks, it is her filial piety, milk ate the psychological comfort. If Mother went to do it, that would not be robbing Dabu Niang of the opportunity to honor her milk. Neither the milk nor the elder sister will be happy." Lian Man'er said. 　　Zhang felt that Lian Man'er seemed to have a point, but she felt that there was something wrong. 　　"Mother and your third uncle's mother, don't they usually help each other out? Your mother didn't say anything either?" Zhang said. 　　"The eldest aunt just came back, the first day of doing housework, of course it's different." Lian Man'er said, "Dabeniang's family has Hua'er sister, and Duo'er, all very capable, where do you need to help you mother. ......When the great-uncle mother needs help, she will ask for it herself." 　　Lian Man'er said this, but in her heart, she wasn't thinking this way. She was thinking about why she should help the Gu Clan, but the Gu Clan is going to exchange her for money to protect her daughter's good marriage, of course she shouldn't go to help. 　　Zhang's somewhat guessed Lian Man'er's thoughts and was hesitating when Lian Xiu'er walked out from the upper room. 　　"Fourth sister-in-law, third sister-in-law, why don't you guys come inside and help sister-in-law with her work! Although mother said so, you must know clearly in your hearts that sister-in-law is a scholar's wife, not an ordinary woman in the crops, Hua'er will be going out soon, and Du'er is young, so how can she do the work in the crops yard. Fourth Sister-in-Law, this amount of work is nothing in your hands, and even if it's all wrapped up, it won't take much effort on your part." Lian Xiu'er crackled. 　　What's wrong with this Lian Xiu'er, calling Zhang like a servant. Lian Man'er was almost exasperated and laughed, what was this? Even if she was supposed to help, she didn't want to go at this time. 　　"Milk just can't eat Xiu Cai Maiden's cooking?" Lian Man'er walked to the window of the east room and deliberately said loudly, "Dabo Niang is going to be a madam in the future, and is also milk's daughter-in-law, Sister Hua'er and Duoye are also milk's own granddaughters, so why can't milk have a meal cooked by them?" 　　Zhou heard what Lian Man'er said in the house and secretly nodded her head. 　　"Xiu'er come inside your house and let your sister-in-law work." Zhou rushed outside. 　　Unable to do so, Lian Xiu'er glared at Lian Man'er and could only go back into the house. 　　Gu was balled up by the stove, she couldn't even light a fire, let alone cook. Lian Hua'er and Lian Duo'er disliked the dirty work and both hid in the house. Lian Hua'er even encouraged Lian Xiu'er to get Zhang and Zhao to cook. But Lian Xiu'er messed things up, and Gu stomped her feet anxiously by the stove. 　　She really didn't know how to do it and didn't want to do the chores. But it was not possible to not do what Zhou had assigned. 　　"Third sibling, fourth sibling." Gu picked the curtain and came out, smiling at Zhao and Zhang, "I haven't been back for a long time, my hands are raw from all this work, and my two children are not capable. You're all capable people, so give me a hand!" 　　Zhang's about to agree, Lian Man Er was busy tugging on Zhang's sleeve. 　　"Sister-in-law, wait, I'll come over later." After Zhang finished speaking to Gu, she led Lian Man'er back to the west room. 　　Gu's face sank as she stood at the door. 　　"Man'er, you heart Mother, Mother knows." Inside the west wing room, Zhang Clan said to Lian Man'er with a straight face, "There's just one thing you have to understand. This family, you can't be so clear and calculating. When a family lives, someone has to suffer, otherwise how can this family live on. You have to remember, you can't get tired of working. My mother is good with her hands and feet, and if she does a lot of work, her meals will smell good and she will eat hard." 　　Lian Man'er was somewhat speechless. What Zhang said was all righteous enough to be recorded in any book, but not being able to recognize her surroundings was too pedantic, giving for nothing and not even getting basic respect. 　　"Mother, what you say is right. But it also depends on what the other side of the person ......" Lian Maner said, if your good, your generosity and forbearance of the other side selectively ignored, will be your these benefits as weak and good bullying, then what should you do? Worse still, your "weakness" will affect your nearest and dearest, such as your children, so that they dare to lay hands on your children, what should you do, but also continue to suffer and not to care about it? 　　Lian Man'er's words made Zhang as if struck by lightning, bewildered and shed tears. 　　"Man'er ...... I ......"