Sisters-in-law at War
"Y-You're talking nonsense!" Sam Evans's face flushed bright red. He jumped up from the ground, but being tongue-tied, he could only repeat, "You're lying! I didn't!" and similar phrases.
Helen Parker saw Sam Evans fuming and felt much better herself. She said, "Sam, if it doesn't concern you, don't butt in. Otherwise, who knows if you're an uncle or a father around here."
"Helen Parker, what nonsense are you spouting!?" At the doorway, Susan Evans burst in like a whirlwind. "You always bully my Sam just because he's honest! If you're so capable, why did Su Li beat you up? Go vent your anger on whoever started it, and stop picking on Sam! Your son cares about his reputation—doesn't my husband? If you keep running your mouth, I'll rip it right off!"
Susan Evans was a spitfire, and she never got along with Helen Parker. The two clashed head-on, sleeves rolled up, tumbling from the house into the yard as they fought.
The two sisters-in-law were evenly matched, tearing at each other and trading insults, causing a commotion that the neighbors could hear.
Grandma Evans tried to break up the fight, but the two daughters-in-law were having too much fun to care. Somehow, Grandma Evans got caught in the crossfire and fell hard onto the ground, slapping her thigh and wailing, "Oh, what a sin! Such misfortune in the family! Are you all trying to drive this old woman to her grave?"
Grandpa Evans's beard was shaking with anger, but since it was his daughters-in-law fighting, he couldn't just jump in himself. He hurriedly scolded Sam Evans, "Sam, aren't you going to control your wife?"
Sam Evans snapped out of his daze and rushed to break up the fight, only to get scratched across the face several times by Helen Parker. At last, he managed to separate the two women.
"What on earth are you all doing?" Arthur Evans stood at the study door, pale-faced and clutching a book. He looked at his grandmother wailing on the floor, then at his mother and third aunt, who looked like they'd been through a mud fight.
Arthur Evans was the Evans family's prized scholar. He never worked in the fields, so his complexion was pale. Dressed in a scholar's robe, he looked completely out of place among the villagers.
At some point, a crowd of villagers had gathered at the Evans Family’s front gate, all pointing and gossiping about the commotion inside.
“My goodness, how did things get so messy? Isn’t the Evans Family supposed to be a family of scholars? Is this how the classics teach people to brawl and make a scene?”
“Exactly! Look at them—faces scratched up and everything.”
“Look, that’s Helen Parker, isn’t she the mother of the scholar? Why is the scholar’s mother fighting like a village shrew? It’s downright embarrassing!”
Samuel Evans’s face flushed bright red with embarrassment, his hand trembling as he clutched his book. He looked at his family with utter disdain, cursing his fate for being born into such a backward household.
A bunch of farmers and village women—so vulgar and ignorant! Not a single one is presentable!
“You—you’ve completely ruined my reputation!” Samuel Evans blurted out, mortified, then slammed the door and locked himself in his study.
Helen Parker froze for a moment, then scrambled up from the ground, hurriedly shutting the front gate and shooing away the crowd. “What are you all staring at? Like your families have never had a fight!”
Susan Evans grumbled as she helped Sam Evans inside to apply medicine, while Grandpa Evans supported Grandma Evans back into the house. That left Helen Parker alone, anxiously running to the study door and knocking. “Samuel, why are you upset? Tonight I’ll make you a nice meat stew!”
Inside, Samuel Evans glared at the door with disgust. “Mother, I heard you tried to tie up Lily Evans?”
Helen Parker didn’t hide anything from her son and explained everything, saying, “I only did it for you. The county magistrate wants fifty taels for the bride price, there’s no way our family can scrape together that much silver. Samuel, don’t underestimate the magistrate—even if he’s just a minor official, he’s got connections at the yamen. If you become his son-in-law, he’ll definitely help you out when it’s time for your exams!”
“You’re all trouble and no help!” Samuel Evans clenched his fists. He didn’t object to selling Lily Evans, but what infuriated him was his mother’s incompetence—she not only failed to sell her, but nearly got branded a human trafficker.
If that happened, he’d be the son of a trafficker! How could he ever show his face at the academy again?
Helen Parker couldn’t understand her son’s scholarly complaints, so she just muttered, “Oh, that Lily girl is cunning. I can’t deal with her right now. But don’t worry, Samuel, I’ll get rid of that little vixen sooner or later and scrape up the silver for your wedding! Samuel, you focus on your studies, I won’t bother you. I’ll go stew some meat for you.”