Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 176 - 90 The Disturbance of a Bowl of Sauce_1

Chapter 176: Chapter 90 The Disturbance of a Bowl of Sauce_1
Extremely late night request, pink for support.
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"What’s the matter now? We’ve just had two peaceful days," Lady Zhang stopped chopping the leeks and murmured softly.
Recently, the Lian Family had encountered several incidents, making today’s tranquility much appreciated.
"I saw Granny’s face earlier and it didn’t look good," Lian Manman said, concerned as she looked towards the Upper Room.
"I also find it strange," Lady Zhang whispered to Lian Shouxin, "Sister-in-law is such an honest person. She does whatever she’s asked and never says a harsh word. After all these years, why does Mom always find fault with her?"
Lian Shouxin kept his head down, pounding leeks, without answering. Lian Manman thought that maybe it was precisely because Lady Zhao was too honest that Lady Zhou always bullied her.
At this moment, the scolding from Lady Zhou in the Upper Room grew louder, mixed with the sound of Lady Zhao’s crying.
Lady Zhang couldn’t stand it any longer; she set the knife down and wiped her wet hands on her apron.
"I need to go see what’s happening," Lady Zhang said and walked towards the Upper Room.
"Mother, I’ll go with you," Lian Manman put down the leeks she was holding and followed Lady Zhang into the Upper Room. She was concerned not only for Lady Zhang but, ever since that talk with Lian Yeye, she had become more attentive to matters concerning Lady Zhao and Lian Yeye.
Upon entering the Upper Room, Lian Manman instinctively glanced towards the west room. The door of the west room was ajar, eerily quiet as if no one was inside. However, Lian Manman knew that Lady Gu, Lian Huahua, and Lady Chiang along with Niuniu were all there. Losing Lian Duo, Lady Gu was understandably heartbroken and had been listless these past few days. Lian Huahua also became very quiet, hardly ever seen leaving the room, and her leg injury had become a taboo subject in the Lian Family.
In hindsight, Lian Manman thought, why did they even begin? But her thoughts quickly shifted as Lady Zhang approached the east room, and Lian Manman hurried after her.
Old Master Lian had gone out, and in the east room, Lady Zhou was sitting on the edge of the kang, pointing at Lady Zhao and Lian Yeye, berating them.
"...a perfectly good bowl of sauce left out to attract flies, you good-for-nothing woman..."
Lady Zhao, with reddened eyes, didn’t dare rebut a single word, only kept lifting her clothes to wipe away tears. Lian Yeye pursed her lips, eyes wide with anger, her small body shaking with rage.
"Mother, what happened? Just talk it out. Look how Sister-in-law is crying, and Yeye is terrified," Lady Zhang, as outspoken as ever, did not hold back when it came to standing up for others.
Lady Zhou paused her tirade against Lady Zhao to glare fiercely at Lady Zhang with dagger-like eyes.
"Oh, who is this!"
If things were to follow the usual pattern, Lady Zhou’s fury would instantly shift from Lady Zhao to Lady Zhang. But today was different; Lian Yeye, who had been silent until then, suddenly spoke up.
"Auntie, Granny saw the bowl of sauce that was fried this morning, left outside the cupboard attracting flies. She said it was my mother who left it out. But my mother clearly put that bowl of sauce inside the cupboard," said Lian Yeye.
It was such a trivial matter, was it worth all this scolding? Lian Manman thought not.
"So you mean to say the bowl of sauce grew legs and moved itself? You’re saying it was you who deliberately left it out," Lady Zhou continued berating Lady Zhao, "You don’t fool me with your crocodile tears. Every day, under my watch, your true colors show. Are you trying to turn things upside down, no longer considering me? Eating my food, drinking my water, I raise you for free, ask you to work, and you complain of backaches and leg pains, yet when others have work, you run over eagerly. Trying to curry favor, don’t use my things for it. Playing innocent on the outside, venomous inside, don’t think because I’m old I’m blind and can’t see."
The entire fuss over the bowl of sauce was just a pretext, a trigger for Lady Zhou’s outburst: the real issue was that Lian Shouli and Lady Zhao had given some leeks to Lian Manman and her group, and Lady Zhao with Lian Yeye had helped Lady Zhang with work.
"Mother, about the leeks..." Lady Zhang tried to chime in, saying the leeks were what Lady Zhou had discarded; throwing them away would have been a waste. Even if the relationship weren’t close, she believed no stranger would refuse such leeks.
Lian Manman tugged at Lady Zhang’s hem. Speaking up like this would play right into Lady Zhou’s hands. They couldn’t let Lady Zhou lead them by the nose. It was just about a bowl of sauce, so they should only address the issue of the sauce.
"Yeye, what exactly happened with that bowl of sauce to make Granny so angry?" Lian Manman asked Lian Yeye.