Chapter 964 - 962: A Married Woman is Like Water Spilled Out

Words : 1253 Updated : Sep 21st, 2025

Chapter 964: Chapter 962: A Married Woman is Like Water Spilled Out "Him again? That beast! It was him who caused the death of—" Lady Huang hadn’t finished speaking when several children’s voices echoed from the courtyard: "Mom—Is the food ready? We’re starving!" A few children, about the same age, ran in noisily. Two boys and one girl, their small faces under the straw hats were sun-darkened, and their clothes were soaked with sweat. Once inside the courtyard, the two boys were not particular and grabbed a dipper to gulp down water until their bellies were round. The only girl, more refined, went to the kitchen, poured some boiled cooled water from the teapot, drank it, and came out looking puzzled: "Mom isn’t in the kitchen, and she hasn’t cooked; has she not returned yet?" Lady Huang walked out from the house, looking dislikingly at her own brood: "Alright, I’ll cook. April, come give me a hand." The girl called April answered crisply, and began assisting Lady Huang. Families like theirs usually ate simple meals, porridge made from sorghum and broken rice cooked earlier in the morning, which was stored in a clay pot and could be scooped out to eat directly. Moreover, yesterday, Xiao Wu got rewarded with quite some money and brought back a finger-width of fatty pork. Yesterday, they cut and rendered the pork fat into oil, leaving half of the pork residue, and Lady Huang had April go to the backyard vegetable garden to pick half a basket of peppers, wash them, slice them, and fry them with the pork oil and residue, creating an enticing aroma that drew even the two boys from playing in the courtyard to guard the kitchen door. Even as the peppery scent made them sneeze, they couldn’t bear to leave. After frying that dish, they fetched a pickle from the jar, washed it, chopped it, and stir-fried it briefly with the remaining oil from frying the green peppers and pork residue, and then served it. Lunch was ready. "April, go call your father and brother for lunch," Lady Huang instructed while moving the dining table under the shade of the tree in the courtyard. "Brother is back?" April blinked and went indoors. Xiao Wu was lying on the bed, drooling at the smell of meat wafting through the window. Seeing his sister April come in: "Brother, time to eat—" He hadn’t finished when he paused and said: "Brother, did Mom hit you again? Does it hurt?" "Did your backside get bruised?" came the mocking voice of his two younger brothers from the window. Xiao Wu, angry, turned over to get up, but before he could speak, he held his backside and exclaimed in pain. April covered her mouth and laughed: "Brother, you lie down, I’ll bring the food to you later." Xiao Wu begrudgingly lay back down, muttering: "Once I’m better, see how I’ll deal with August and December, those little pests." Under the tree’s shade, everyone was seated, and seeing April come out alone, Lady Huang’s face darkened: "What? Is your brother shy? Do I need to invite him?" April quickly said: "Mom, brother is in so much pain he can’t get out of bed." Lady Huang’s expression stiffened; did she hit too hard today? Unbelievable? Before, when he was naughty, she had broken several bamboo switches without any issue. "Alright, April, take the food to your brother," Lady Huang’s husband finally spoke. April agreed, filled a bowl with porridge, picked several pieces of pork-flavored fried peppers and pickles, and took them to Xiao Wu. She started eating outside and couldn’t help saying: "Mom, please be gentler when hitting brother, I saw his eyes were red." April liked her oldest brother the most, although not much older, he always treated her well, anyone dare to bully her, brother would put them in their place. He usually did odd jobs and errands in town, and besides giving money to Mom, he would bring her some tasty snacks and hair ribbons. Only yesterday, he brought back some delicious pastries. Unlike the two brothers, August and December, who only knew to take her food and if they got beaten, it served them right. Lady Huang didn’t speak, but her husband chimed in: "Your brother was wrong this time, that’s why Mom hit him! Later, let Mom check on your brother, it’ll be alright. Let’s eat!" No one dared to speak further, after eating, seeing the sun blazing, they simply brought out the farming tools that needed repair. April went to wash dishes, and after August and December finished eating, they dumped their bowls and cutlery and joyfully ran out to play. Lady Huang went to the house and fetched a bottle of medicine, then headed to the room shared by Xiao Wu and his two brothers. Xiao Wu had already finished his meal lying down, and April had collected the dishes, so he was now bored, tracing something with a straw he somehow found. Seeing Lady Huang come in, he tried to turn over in a fit of pique but pulled on his wounds, causing him to howl in pain again. Lady Huang gently tapped Xiao Wu’s shoulder: "Alright, lie down properly, Mom will apply the medicine." Xiao Wu obediently took off his shirt, revealing the many marks from the feather duster lashes on his back, now swollen and bruised. Lady Huang felt both pity and anger: "You know, when Mom lost her temper and hit you like that, why didn’t you run? What were you stubbornly holding on for?" Xiao Wu said nothing. Lady Huang knew the child still held grudges, so she applied the medicine while speaking: "Know you feel wronged, your father and I have a grip on this matter. Tomorrow, I’ll go to Scholar Song’s house, I’ll see what Scholar’s Lady has to say then." Upon hearing this, Xiao Wu quickly raised his head: "I, I want to go—" "You stay put at home, in your condition, how can you go?" Lady Huang firmly refused. "No, I want to go! I’m a member of the Huang family, and this is Huang family business, it’s my business too—" Xiao Wu insisted. "I also carry the Huang name, I’m part of the Huang family," Lady Huang found it amusing. "Mom, you’re married out, a woman’s married out like water thrown out, you’re already not connected to the Huang family! You and Dad should just live well with the younger ones. Leave Huang family’s matters to me. I’m a grown-up, really!" Xiao Wu earnestly argued. "Hah! Hairless, where’s being an adult? Say that again, see if Mom won’t spank you! Mom bears the Huang name and is part of the Huang family, for revenge, there’s Mom, the grown-up here, no need for you to worry?" Lady Huang spoke harshly, yet her eyes turned red. Right now, she didn’t know if letting Xiao Wu know about the Huang family’s affairs was right or wrong? From his words just now, was he considering cutting off relations with them, going for revenge alone? However, Xiao Wu was indeed right about one thing; she was someone married out, and in this world, only Xiao Wu remained of the Huang family’s bloodline, in any case, she absolutely couldn’t let anything happen to Xiao Wu, otherwise, how could she face others in the afterlife? Having made up her mind, Lady Huang quickly finished applying the medicine to Xiao Wu, then encouraged him to rest well before leaving the room.

Chapter 964 - 962: A Married Woman is Like Water Spilled Out

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