Chapter 25: Killing the Chicken to Warn the Monkey

The matter was thus concluded. Li Meilan, still sobbing, helped Su Li walk in front, while the rest of the Cheng family followed in a somewhat heavy silence.

That voice, that retreating figure—why did it feel so much like the day they held the funeral for Old Master Cheng?

The three daughters-in-law felt a twinge of envy toward the second son's wife, who was being shielded by Su Li. If it had been them, would the old lady have stood up for them like that?

The sons were lost in their own thoughts.
The second son: Did my wife actually manage to fool even the old lady?
The third son: As expected, the old lady has hidden depths.
The fourth son: The old lady didn't give me any face at all. I am the only one in this family who is... no, wait, one of the only two who has a real job.
The fifth son: I'm so tired.
The grandchildren's thoughts were much simpler: Grandma is amazing!

Once the family returned home, Su Li had Da Niu close the main gate. The whole lot of them crowded into the house.

Su Li sat in her chair, watching them in silence. An inexplicable pressure filled the room.

"Fourth, kneel down!"

At this sharp command, the fourth son frowned and protested indignantly, "Why should I kneel? I didn't do anything wrong!" For the fourth son, who prized his reputation above all else, kneeling was worse than death. He was a teacher, a man of status.

Su Li gave a cold snort. She pulled a silk handkerchief bundle from her inner pocket and opened it, revealing over three hundred yuan in colorful banknotes.

"Since my words carry no weight in this house, then there is no need for us to keep up this charade."

"You have all been behaving yourselves these past few days, haven't you? Isn't it just because of this three hundred yuan in compensation?"

"This is the root of all evil. Today, I’m going to throw it into the fire! And then, we will have a clean and proper split of the family!"

Su Li stood up and, amidst the gasps of the others, moved to toss the wad of bills into the stove.

"Mom—no!"
"Mom—have you lost your mind?"
"Don't!"

The second son lunged forward to block the stove, and Su Li’s hand was grabbed by the second daughter-in-law, who had been standing closest.

"Let go!" Su Li glared at the group of people.

"Don't think I wouldn't dare. You want to split the family, and I want it too. If it weren't for the sake of my own conscience, do you think I would bother managing you lot?"

"The family will be split when the fifth son gets married; that will not change. Until then, listen to me well: you are still one family. When you face the outside world, you don't just represent yourselves; you represent the dignity of the entire Cheng family."

"After we split, you can fight until you're black and blue for all I care. But as long as I am the head of this house, you will behave yourselves and keep your claws to yourselves."

Su Li’s gaze fell upon the fourth son.

"Fourth, if you had finished that sentence today, do you know how outsiders would have viewed the Cheng family? You care most about your face—did you ever stop to think that the Cheng family losing face would make you look bad too?"

The fourth son lowered his head.

"You are an educated man. Do I really need to explain the concept of 'if one prospers, all prosper, and if one suffers, all suffer' to you?"

The fourth son shook his head.

"So, do you have any objections to me making you kneel today?"

"I... I have no objections."

With a thud, the fourth son knelt. Whether it was for the sake of the money or because he had truly taken her words to heart, he had yielded.

Su Li took a deep breath, pushed the second daughter-in-law aside, and walked over to the fourth son, crouching down.

"Fourth, a man’s reputation is earned by himself, not granted by others."

"What is given can be fake; only what you earn yourself is real."

Su Li patted the fourth son on the shoulder and stood up with some difficulty. With her hunched back to them, she pointed to the earthen pot. "I’ve made red-braised pork for you. Go ahead and eat. I have no appetite, so don't call me."

Having said this, Su Li returned to her room alone, and the door slammed shut, sealing off everything. Outside, everyone was filled with lingering, complex emotions.

Inside the room, Su Li reviewed the situation.

Not bad. Things went quite well. If she didn't turn up the intensity, she feared their true colors would have been laid bare.

Su Li took off her shoes and climbed onto the kang, playing with a deck of small fish cards. Although she had somehow transmigrated into this body, she had indeed taken over someone else's life, which could be considered a second chance.

She didn't like owing anyone anything. She said she would manage them until the family split, and she meant it. Before the split, she would teach them a few things to the best of her ability; how much they learned would be up to them. After the split, she would be free to pursue her own vast horizons.

Outside, the family remained silent until the quiet third son finally spoke. "Wife, set aside some of the pork for Mom and Big Brother. Let's eat first."

Yu Xiaohui agreed, ladled some meat from the pot into a bowl, and covered it with a plate. Following her lead, the others began to move—washing hands, setting the table, and serving rice.

The meal was eaten in near silence; everyone had been truly rattled by the old lady. In the past, the old lady would throw tantrums, but they would just watch the spectacle and complain about her later, never taking her seriously. But today was different. Su Li had spoken from a place of genuine concern, her logic was sound, and her ruthless determination to burn the money had terrified them.

After the meal, the daughters-in-law cleaned the kitchen together. The second daughter-in-law, deeply moved, knocked on Su Li’s door. "Mom, come out and have something to eat?"

"No. Once you're done, go back to your own rooms."

Su Li’s listless voice drifted out. Li Meilan looked back and called out again, "Then call us if you need anything."

"Mhm."

The people outside dispersed, returning to their respective rooms. Inside her room, Su Li was busy snacking on a twisted dough stick she had bought.

"Just one more bite, just one more."

Su Li persuaded herself and took another bite. If she weren't worried about her poor digestion, she would have eaten a lot more. She thought about it and took another bite. It was delicious! So sweet.

In the eldest son's room, Miao Xiaocao marked a line on the wall. There were eighty-four days left until the three-month mark. She rubbed her belly with one hand—this time, it would surely work, right?

In the second son's room:
"Cheng Junnan, don't you believe me?" Li Meilan asked, looking hurt. "Mom believed I didn't take the peanuts. You're my husband, how can you not believe me?"

"Wife, it's not that I don't believe you. But didn't we agree? If there's an advantage to be had, we take it. We've tried hard before, haven't we? And didn't get anything out of it. Besides, you went behind my back to pledge your loyalty to Mom."

"You just don't trust me!" Li Meilan punched him and called Da Niu over, making him sleep between her and Cheng Junnan.

She was angry. Cheng Junnan was completely bewildered. Why on earth was she angry?

In the third son's room, Yu Xiaohui was applying cupping therapy to San Niu, while the third son watched with a pained expression.

"Junxi, I saw that stack of money Mom had; it was quite a lot. Do you think if I asked for some, she would give it to us?" Yu Xiaohui looked at the frail, bony San Niu and wiped away a secret tear. "I want to take San Niu to a big city. People say there are excellent doctors there."

The third son looked up.

"I know. We'll ask after the autumn harvest." He felt that the old lady would likely agree.

In the fourth son's room, Zhang Mingyue rubbed her husband's knees with a pained expression, complaining, "The old lady did that on purpose, using you as an example to warn the others."

The fourth son, Cheng Junbei, hummed in agreement, reflecting, "That’s true. But the old lady wasn't wrong, either. If I want to advance in my career, my reputation cannot be tarnished."

Zhang Mingyue’s eyes lit up as she leaned in.

"Is there a chance for a permanent position?"

"Possibly. I heard a rumor today that there's one opening for a permanent spot this year."