MTLNOVEL Chapter 15: That's Not How You Do Housework!
Chapter 15: That’s Not How You Do Housework!
“One yuan?” The women gasped collectively.
“What can you possibly do with one yuan?!”
Their shock was genuine. Where in this community could anyone manage on such a pittance?
Everyone understood the basic economics of marriage—a wife’s allowance typically reflected her husband’s earnings and the household’s overall finances. The compound dean, a level-six fitter at the Ministry of Industry earning over seventy yuan monthly, provided his wife seven yuan for personal expenses. The second dean, a level-five filer making sixty yuan, gave his wife six.
Higher earnings naturally justified higher allowances. But Lu Yuan’s twenty-three yuan salary didn’t justify restricting Su Liyan to a single yuan monthly.
This wasn’t merely about personal indulgences. A woman’s allowance covered household necessities like soy sauce, vinegar, and other daily items. One yuan spread across a month equated to roughly three cents daily—an impossible constraint.
Reasonable husbands provided at least three yuan. One yuan wouldn’t suffice for a dog’s upkeep, let alone a wife’s!
The women watched Su Liyan with heartache as she finished washing three large basins of laundry and carried them out to dry. This poor, naive girl had clearly been deceived.
Their whispers intensified once she moved beyond earshot.
“How can Lu Yuan be so miserly?”
“He’s revealed himself as a complete villain!”
“I never noticed before—we must avoid that scoundrel. You never know when he’ll take advantage.”
“Exactly! Look what happened this time! She was meant to be Wang Xu’s daughter-in-law before he snatched her away!”
At this mention, Wang Xu could no longer contain herself. What a perfect girl Su Liyan would have been for her family! She worked diligently without complaint, asking nothing in return. Had she married into the Wang household, she could have relaxed on the kang bed daily while being served by others!
The financial advantages were equally compelling—no wedding banquet expenses, no dowry requirements, minimal monthly allowance. And her modest appetite! Satisfied with spoiled sweet potatoes and pickle cakes for her meals!
What savings they would have enjoyed!
Wang Xu burned with regret and frustration. If only she’d taken Wang Xiaofei to the guesthouse the previous evening instead of waiting until morning. If only she hadn’t boasted, alerting Lu Yuan to this opportunity.
Yet she felt justifiably wronged. Who could have predicted Lu Yuan’s scheming nature? His calculations were devious—he was a true bad seed!
While these conversations unfolded, Su Liyan returned with three more basins of clothes for soaking. Instead of washing them immediately, however, she returned home, leaving the women momentarily speechless.
Though she had cleaned yesterday, it had been merely a cursory effort. Now she began moving furniture to access hidden corners where dust and grime accumulated, sweeping and mopping with renewed vigor.
The backyard women observed her every movement. Lu Yuan’s house featured a small courtyard enclosed by a waist-high wall—hardly a barrier to visibility, especially with summer windows open for ventilation.
“Why does she work like an ox?” one woman marveled. “Laboring continuously without rest!”
“She appears so delicate,” added another, “yet she carried three heavy basins this morning. Then she ate that meager lunch—rotten sweet potatoes and virtually oil-free pickle cakes, washed down with cold water. After barely thirty minutes’ rest, she resumed her exhausting routine.”
“Most puzzling is how she maintains such beauty despite evident household experience. Her complexion remains flawless—almost luminous even after exposure to harsh sunlight. And her hands show no evidence of farm labor; they’re remarkably soft!”
Wang Xu, possessing inside knowledge about Su Liyan’s background, spoke acidly: “Just look at those fox ears! Her demon blood makes her different from humans. It’s cheap flesh that remains pristine regardless of treatment—designed solely to please men. Why else did historical officials seek such women as wives?”
She delivered these words loudly enough for Su Liyan to hear inside the house. Indeed, Su Liyan briefly paused her cleaning before continuing with downcast eyes, pretending not to have heard.
The yard women shifted uncomfortably at Wang Xu’s cruelty.
“That’s quite enough,” one frowned. “What are you doing? We must all live here permanently, seeing each other daily for the rest of our lives. Why continuously antagonize her?”
Wang Xu, incensed at this criticism, planted her hands on her hips and shrieked, “How ungrateful! Whose side are you on? Why defend that girl?”
The collective response was unsympathetic: “Your meanness serves no purpose. I live here too. Daily conflicts will create chaos throughout the compound, damaging everyone’s reputation. Besides, Lu Yuan was the one who wronged you—not Su Liyan. If you have complaints, direct them appropriately.”
Everyone nodded agreement. Su Liyan’s situation was difficult enough without Wang Xu’s constant harassment. If Wang Xu possessed genuine courage, she would confront Lu Yuan directly.
Wang Xu fumed silently. She had indeed attempted confrontation the previous day, only to suffer a humiliating beating. Something had transformed that once-mild young man into an untouchable scoundrel.
When Su Liyan eventually emerged to wash her soaking laundry, one elderly woman could no longer contain herself. Noticing Su Liyan’s dejection following Wang Xu’s cruel words, she whispered gently:
“Liyan, stop washing. That’s not how housework is done in this compound.”
Su Liyan blinked in confusion. If this wasn’t the proper method, what was?
The old woman glanced toward the front yard where men played cards, then leaned closer to Su Liyan with conspiratorial wisdom:
“You must learn to be lazy!”