Clouds of Sorrow

"Fine, you only care about your precious mother! As for your son and daughter, you treat them like weeds!" Mrs. Sun snapped, turning around to pack her things. "I'll take Lanxiang and go back to my mother's house right now. You go ahead and take Shirong back to the Su family and work yourself to the bone for your parents!"

Su Sanyun panicked and rushed into the house, watching his wife prepare to leave but not knowing what to do. The clumsy man spun around anxiously.

Mrs. Sun cried as she packed, while Su Lanxiang sobbed beside her, wailing, "Mom, I don't want to go to Grandma's house! I want both Dad and Mom! I won't go!"

Little Lanxiang, just thinking about her mother going home and her parents splitting up, remembered all those stories from opera about evil stepmothers and stepfathers. She also thought of how Lihua had to work every day and went hungry after getting a stepmother, not to mention getting beaten.

Lanxiang was so terrified that she bawled loudly, clinging to Mrs. Sun and refusing to let her leave no matter what.

Mrs. Sun's heart softened at Lanxiang's crying, and she hugged her daughter, crying together: "My good Lanxiang, don't cry. Alright, alright, Mom won't go, I won't leave!"

Mrs. Sun wiped her tears, but inside she felt utterly hopeless.

They had clearly split the family, and followed the rules by giving the agreed monthly respect money. But with the Su family matriarch like this, it was enough to drive anyone mad. How were they supposed to go on living like this?

While gloom hung over Su Sanyun’s household, over at Old Lady Su’s place, she was beaming with joy at all the delicious food she’d just gotten.

She directed Shirong to carry the goods into the kitchen, then immediately started bragging to Mrs. Zhao.

Mrs. Zhao listened and gave her a big thumbs up: "Old Lady, you’re truly clever! With you around, the daughters-in-law get to eat well and drink well!"

Old Lady Su was positively smug: "Of course! Do you know who I am? That third boy thinks he’s all grown up just because he split from the family? Tsk, he crawled out of my belly—no matter where he goes, he has to listen to me!"

Mrs. Zhao gleefully started counting Old Lady Su’s ‘spoils of war,’ feeling rather pleased with herself. She thought, thank goodness the old folks stayed with their branch when the family split—otherwise, her own family would be the unlucky ones now.

Mrs. Zhao and Old Lady Su were huddled in the kitchen, while over in Liuru’s house, Liuru and the Tofu Lady locked themselves in and shut the door tight.

Liuru said, "Last time I suggested we sell our vegetable shares to a few brothels in Qingmiao City as exclusive suppliers. Have you made up your mind?"

The Tofu Lady thought for a moment and replied, "That’s a good idea. Just the brothels in town can buy up a lot of vegetables, and with retail sales too, we’ll earn much more every day. Alright, let’s do it your way. Since you made the brothel connections, you get sixty percent and I’ll take forty."

Liuru snorted, thinking that if she weren’t worried the Tofu Lady would get jealous and snitch, she wouldn’t bother working with her at all.

With the deal secretly settled, Liuru stroked her belly, plotting that by the time she had her baby, she’d have saved up plenty of money—then she’d kick Shimao to the curb and live the good life with her silver!

The Tofu Lady was making her own plans too. She’d found herself a new lover lately, and once she made some money with Liuru, she’d leave the Su family and run off with her silver. After all, the business was backed by the deed to the old Su house—if the deal fell through, it was the Su family’s loss, not hers.

With her future mapped out, the Tofu Lady happily headed back to her own room, daydreaming about her wonderful life ahead.

But as soon as she opened the door, she was startled by someone inside.

Su Shimao rushed over and grabbed the Tofu Lady, groping her all over.