When Li Changming saw his mother resignedly clearing away the bowls and chopsticks, he felt a pang of pity. Out of long-standing habit, he stood up to smooth things over, saying, "I'll feed the pigs…"
But before he could finish his sentence, Meizi looked up, giving him a look that told him to stop. "Changming," she said disapprovingly, "you've been working hard all morning. You should rest. Isn't Mother here to feed the pigs? We women are supposed to do the housework, aren't we? How could we let you work in the fields all day and then do chores at home? Wouldn't that make us lazy, good-for-nothing wives?"
Li Changming glanced at Li Laoda's uncomfortable expression and stood frozen in place, swallowing hard. 'This wife of mine really doesn't hold anything back!'
Li Laoda's gaze was heavy as he stared at the listless Granny Hua. 'Perhaps,' he thought, 'the wife I haven't been able to manage for decades is about to be whipped into shape by this guileless daughter-in-law.'
