Chapter 309: Washing Feet

Chapter 309: Chapter 309: Washing Feet

As Jiang Moli was seeing Lu Cheng out, Lu Tingting happened to walk in, struggling with a large bag of luggage.

Lu Cheng looked at her and asked, "What are you doing?"

Lu Tingting was intimidated by Lu Cheng’s gaze, feeling guilty as if she’d taken advantage of his absence to move in.

She quickly said, "Third Aunt asked me to move in with her!"

Lu Cheng turned to glance at Jiang Moli. He didn’t say anything, but inwardly, he was very unhappy.

’He hadn’t gone through all that trouble to marry a wife just to have an outsider share her bed.’

Jiang Moli said to Lu Tingting, "Go on in, but don’t touch my things."

"I know."

Lu Tingting hurried inside with her bag, looking for all the world like she was fleeing in a panic.

Jiang Moli and Lu Cheng got into the jeep parked at the courtyard gate and set off for the train station.

On the way, Lu Cheng silently tried to talk himself into accepting the situation.

’It’s bound to be cold and lonely for my wife to sleep alone at night. Having our niece keep her company is better than her finding some other man to do it.’

After placating himself, he reluctantly held Jiang Moli’s hand. "Come visit me at the base when you have time, okay?"

Jiang Moli nodded. "Okay."

Lu Cheng was instantly delighted. "So when will you come?"

"I’ll come when I have time."

"So when will you have time?"

"I’ll have time when I have time."

Lu Cheng rested his big head on Jiang Moli’s shoulder, looking aggrieved. "Moli, I’m going to miss you so much..."

Jiang Moli stroked his cheek, coaxing him in a low voice, "You’re a big boy now. You have to learn to manage your emotions."

Jiang Xiaoguang, who was driving, glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the clingy Lu Cheng. His jaw almost dropped in shock.

’Is this still his cool, defiant, and fierce-as-hell Third Brother? He’s acting like his soul has been completely stolen by a siren.’

Zhu Huanghua stuck to her old habit from her days in the countryside: as soon as it got dark, it was time for bed.

Seeing the sky darken, Ma Hongmei brought over some hot water to help her wash her face and feet.

"Get away from me! Don’t touch me with your filthy paws!"

Zhu Huanghua’s old face soured as she glared at An Hui. "You wash me! You’re my daughter-in-law, so it’s your duty to serve me!"

An Hui didn’t want to argue over such a small matter. Just as she was about to get up to wash Zhu Huanghua’s face, Lu Deyao took the hot towel from Ma Hongmei’s hands first.

"Mom, let me serve you. You always washed me when I was little, so now it’s my turn to wash you..."

"Get lost! I don’t want you! I only want her to serve me!"

Lu Deyao tried to coax her for a long time to no avail. To get Zhu Huanghua to wash up and go to bed sooner, he had no choice but to let An Hui do it.

"Damn you, be gentle! You’re hurting me! You’re so clumsy, you can’t do anything right. You’re as stupid as an old sow!"

Zhu Huanghua cursed nonstop, but An Hui acted as if she couldn’t hear a thing.

After washing her face, An Hui squatted down to take off her shoes and socks, preparing to wash her feet.

"My god, this water is so cold! Are you trying to freeze me to death?"

The moment the sole of her foot touched the water, Zhu Huanghua kicked out at An Hui.

Caught off guard, An Hui was kicked in the face. Her body tilted, and she fell right into the washbasin, splashing water all over her face and clothes.

"Huixi!"

"Sister-in-law!"

Both Lu Deyao and Ma Hongmei rushed to help An Hui up.

Zhu Huanghua showed not a hint of guilt or remorse. Instead, she looked smug. "Serves you right! You lazy woman, you can’t even serve people properly. What’s the use of having you around...?"

CLICK.

The door opened. Jiang Moli was back.

Zhu Huanghua’s cursing came to an abrupt halt, and the atmosphere fell into a strange silence.

Jiang Moli walked into the living room, calmly surveyed her surroundings, and her gaze landed on the soaking-wet An Hui.

Her tone was light and nonchalant. "Mom, what happened?"

"The old lady complained the water for her foot bath was too cold and threw a tantrum. Sigh."

Before An Hui could speak, Ma Hongmei explained what had happened.

Even if Ma Hongmei hadn’t said anything, Jiang Moli would have guessed that Zhu Huanghua was causing trouble again.

"Hah, what’s the big deal? If she thinks the water’s too cold, just boil some more."

Zhu Huanghua had been a little intimidated when she saw Jiang Moli return.

But hearing Jiang Moli’s words, she immediately grew smug again. "I suppose you have some filial piety after all."

Jiang Moli ignored Zhu Huanghua’s comment and said to Lu Deyao, "Dad, take Mom back to her room to change. We don’t want her catching a cold. I’ll take care of Grandma."

Lu Deyao knew she had her ways, so he confidently led An Hui back to their room.

Jiang Moli had Ma Hongmei go boil a new pot of hot water and called Lu Tingting out to mop up the water on the floor.

Lu Tingting had been tidying up in her room and didn’t know what had happened. She was quite displeased about being ordered around by Jiang Moli.

"Why don’t you mop it?"

"I have to wash Grandma’s feet in a minute. You want to trade?"

The moment she heard it involved washing Zhu Huanghua’s feet, Lu Tingting scurried off to get the mop.

’No way I’m washing that old hag’s feet!’

The water was soon boiled.

Jiang Moli pushed Zhu Huanghua’s wheelchair toward the bathroom.

"What are you pushing me for? Get away from me..."

Zhu Huanghua wasn’t stupid. Sensing something was wrong, she struggled to get up from her wheelchair but was forcefully pushed back down by Jiang Moli.

"Grandma, sit still and don’t move. If you really fall and break your leg, you won’t be able to walk even if you want to."

The wheelchair had been left behind by Mr. Lu.

There was nothing actually wrong with Zhu Huanghua’s legs; she was just old and found walking tiring, so being pushed in a wheelchair was easier.

Inside the bathroom.

Right in front of Zhu Huanghua, Jiang Moli poured the freshly boiled water into the foot basin.

Thick white steam billowed up from the water’s surface. It looked scalding hot.

Ma Hongmei said, "The water’s probably too hot. I’ll add some cold water..."

"No need. Grandma likes it a little hotter, right, Grandma?"

Zhu Huanghua’s face turned shades of red and green. She opened her mouth to curse, "You dog! This water is so hot, are you trying to scald me to death?"

Jiang Moli smiled. "Didn’t you say you liked the water a little hotter? You’re getting on in years, and the soles of your feet get cold. A hot soak helps improve blood circulation."

As she spoke, she bent down, grabbed Zhu Huanghua’s feet, and started to push them into the washbasin.

Zhu Huanghua shrieked and yelped in terror.

Jiang Moli suddenly let go. Caught by surprise, Zhu Huanghua fell to the floor, wheelchair and all. The washbasin was kicked over, and the scalding water splashed all over her.

The water was forty to fifty degrees Celsius. It wouldn’t cause a serious burn, but it definitely hurt.

"Aaaah, it’s scalding me to death! Lu Deyao, you dog, are you just going to let your mother die..." Zhu Huanghua wailed at the top of her lungs.

Lu Deyao was right outside the bathroom.

Not only him, but An Hui and Lu Tingting were there too, all secretly watching Jiang Moli deal with Zhu Huanghua.

Hearing Zhu Huanghua’s cries, Lu Deyao tried to enter the bathroom, but Jiang Moli pushed him back out with one hand and slammed the door shut.

Staring at the closed door, Lu Deyao rubbed his nose. He turned to Lu Tingting, who was leaning on the mop and enjoying the show, and said, "Tingting, you go on and keep mopping."

"Oh."

Lu Tingting picked up her mop and returned to the living room, looking as if she hadn’t seen enough.

Lu Deyao pushed An Hui back toward their room. "Moli knows what she’s doing. Let’s go back to our room."

Inside the bathroom.

Jiang Moli had Ma Hongmei help her right the wheelchair and get Zhu Huanghua settled back in it.

"Grandma, if you don’t like hot water, then we’ll just use cold water. We’ll go back and change into dry clothes whenever we’re finished washing. You know, at your age, if you wear wet clothes and catch a cold... tsk tsk, it’s hard to say if you’ll even make it past the first lunar month."

With that, Jiang Moli filled a basin with cold water, brought it to Zhu Huanghua, and, grabbing her feet, plunged them into the basin.

The bone-chillingly cold water made Zhu Huanghua shiver uncontrollably, but she didn’t dare make a sound.

’She was afraid Jiang Moli would boil more hot water to scald her.’

’This vicious woman can’t wait to kill me.’

After being dealt with by Jiang Moli, Zhu Huanghua finally behaved. Once she had changed into dry clothes and taken a calming pill, she lay down.

The moment she was asleep, the atmosphere in the house relaxed.

An Hui pulled Jiang Moli down to sit on the sofa, deeply moved. "Thank you for handling that. I know it wasn’t easy for you."

While Jiang Moli putting the old lady in her place was satisfying for An Hui to see, it also meant Jiang Moli would have to bear a bad reputation on her behalf.

Lu Deyao also said, "Moli, this family is so lucky to have you."

Jiang Moli grinned. "Of course. And for all my hard work, you can just give me a bigger share when you divide the family assets later."

If any other daughter-in-law had been so openly after their money, the couple would surely have been displeased.

But when it was Jiang Moli eyeing their money, both of them wanted to pull out their bankbooks on the spot just to make her happy.

They absolutely adored this daughter-in-law!