Chapter 138 - 130: Is Our Zhao Lan In?

Chapter 138: Chapter 130: Is Our Zhao Lan In?

Old Mrs. Bai’s face lit up. "This is a godsend! Zhao Lan has always been easy to talk to. Since that damned girl, Bai Zhi, isn’t around, we can just go straight to her. Hmph! I was her mother-in-law for over a decade. Her dead husband came from my own womb. If I humble myself a little, how could she possibly refuse?"

Liu quickly chimed in, "Of course. She always listened to you in the past. I’m sure this time will be no different."

Ms. Zhang happened to walk in from the backyard just then. Seeing the smug looks on Old Mrs. Bai’s and Liu’s faces, she knew they were up to no good and turned to head back to her room.

But Old Mrs. Bai had already spotted her. "Second Daughter-in-law," she yelled, "if you’re free right now, come with us."

Ms. Zhang stopped in her tracks. She turned to face Old Mrs. Bai, a smirk playing on her lips. "I still have work to do. You can go by yourselves."

Liu sneered, "What could you possibly have to do this early in the morning? It seems to me you just don’t want to go."

Ms. Zhang raised an eyebrow. "Sister-in-law, it’s easy for you to say, isn’t it? I’ve been up since before dawn, and I haven’t stopped working for a second. You, on the other hand, don’t lift a finger to help with the housework. You leave it all to me, and now you have the nerve to criticize me?"

Ms. Zhang eyed Liu, looking her up and down twice. "Looks like the injury on your butt has healed, Sister-in-law. Since that’s the case, let’s figure this out right now—how exactly we’re supposed to take turns doing the housework."

Liu’s expression faltered, and she frowned. "Sister-in-law, you’re going too far. You make it sound as if I’ve never done any work around this house."

Old Mrs. Bai snapped, "Enough! Both of you, stop it. Since Second Daughter-in-law still has work to do, she doesn’t have to come. Let’s go." Old Mrs. Bai tugged on Liu’s sleeve and pulled her toward the door.

Liu shot Ms. Zhang a vicious glare before finally heading outside. ’I don’t know what’s gotten into Ms. Zhang lately,’ she thought, ’always picking a fight with me. That bitch. Sooner or later, I’ll find a chance to teach her a lesson.’

Ms. Zhang watched the backs of the old hag and Liu Guihua as they receded into the distance, the cold sneer on her lips deepening. ’I’d like to see what you two manage to get out of this,’ she thought.

Old Mrs. Bai and Liu arrived at the Hu Family’s home to find Hu Changlin sitting in the courtyard, cooling himself. They beamed at him and said, "Changlin, is our Zhao Lan here?"

’Our Zhao Lan?’

Hu Changlin got up from his chair, fanning himself with a large palm-leaf fan. He walked slowly, step by step, to the wicker gate and looked at Old Mrs. Bai and Liu with a humorless smile.

"If I remember correctly, Zhao Lan has already formally separated from your Bai Family. She’s not ’your’ Zhao Lan anymore."

Old Mrs. Bai chuckled drily. "That may be so, but we’re still family, after all. You can break the bones, but the sinews still connect them. It’s normal for a family to bicker. When the fighting is over, you still have to come home sooner or later. What’s all this about living in someone else’s house?"

Hu Changlin stared at Old Mrs. Bai with something like awe. "Wow. I’ve seen some shameless people in my time, but I’ve never seen a mother-and-daughter-in-law duo as thick-skinned as you two. Aren’t you afraid of being struck by lightning for saying things like that?"

Old Mrs. Bai couldn’t keep up the pretense any longer. Her face fell as she snapped, "This is the Bai Family’s business. Stay out of it. What does it have to do with you?"

Hu Changlin snorted. "Of course it has to do with me. Zhao Lan and Zhi are living in my house now, and I, Hu Changlin, will protect them. I absolutely will not allow any of you Bai family members to bully that mother and daughter again. If you’ve got the guts, just try and break this arm of mine again."