"Could you please face reality? You're currently staying in our house, and no matter the reason you moved in back then, He Chen has taken care of your family of three for enough years. If it weren't for your family being parasites, he'd be doing better than most people by now."
She scrutinized the plump Li Hongmei from head to toe, the implication unmistakable.
"With the two of you in this state, all of He Chen's money has probably gone into feeding you, right? I really wonder if your skin is as thick as pig's skin; even vampires don't drain as much as you do."
"I suggest you return all of He Chen's wages from the past few years to him, and I might reluctantly let go of the rent you've been owing for these years."
Ye Manman's articulation was clear, and even though her voice was soft, it was heard loud and clear.
He Chen felt very conflicted inside. He hadn't expected Ye Manman to know so much about his past, yet she didn't seem to remember how he was before.
Could it be that her high fever at the age of ten made her forget only their promise?
Li Hongmei never imagined her trick would backfire, and she reflexively denied it.
"What wages are you talking about? All the money in our family is pooled together. What doesn't cost money in this house? Everything costs money. His little money is long gone."
"Besides, we're relatives. Why discuss rent when we're living together? No wonder I heard from the villagers that you didn't even give your parents a dowry. You just care about money, right, girl?"
Actually, Li Hongmei's demeanor had already softened, but she still braced herself.
Ye Manman decided to indulge her.
"Even real brothers need to keep accounts clear. Relatives who stay at someone's house always bring gifts. Here you are, not only living in their house but making them stay in the small room while you occupy the large one. Why? Does the He Family owe you something?"
"Moreover, all the money He Chen earned over the years has been kept by you, and he has to take care of your family's day-to-day needs. Even hiring help would require a monthly allowance, wouldn't it? If you bully my husband like this, I'll definitely speak to the team leader soon to find out who's right."
"As for the dowry, that's my business. Even if I do care about money, it has nothing to do with you."
Having said this, Ye Manman turned to look at He Chen, who seemed a bit dazed, and sweetly asked.
"By the way, you haven't said if you know how to make spicy rabbit. I've been craving it."
She wasn't aggressive. Although her words were sharp, her tone was soft and gentle, purely discussing reason. Even as she coquetted with He Chen, it didn't seem out of place at all.
He Chen couldn't stand her looking at him like this, especially now as she sat by the bed, her head tilted back, her rosy lips slightly parted, her dark eyes gazing at him as if to draw in his very soul.
He squeezed the towel in his hand and softly replied, "Yes, I can make it. I've got some dried chili saved up, I'll make spicy rabbit for you tonight."
Li Hongmei and her family had exploited him for years, and He Chen remembered it all in his heart. However, considering she was his only relative and that he had nothing worth fighting for, he never paid it much attention.
Initially, the dowry shouldn't have been just fifty yuan, but he was poor with words and couldn't convince Li Hongmei to give more. It was only after he promised to repay the fifty yuan later that she agreed to provide it.
After today's events, He Chen thoroughly saw through their facade and decided to remain silent no more.
He looked at Li Hongmei and Liu Dongliang and spoke seriously.
"Since we're talking today, I have something to tell you. Even though my parents passed away early, the land behind the house was meant for building my marriage home, and now that they're gone, the back house remains unbuilt, so we have to live in this house."
Regarding the issue of the house, He Chen originally didn't know how to bring it up with them. After all, they had lived together for so many years, and he was not articulate.
But now that they were living in his house and wanted to bully his wife, he decided he wouldn't endure it any longer.
Not even family should treat them like this.
"He Chen, what do you mean by this? Are you planning to drive us out now that you're just married? We've lived together for so many years!"
Ye Manman's words were too sharp, each one hitting home, so Li Hongmei couldn't argue, but she wasn't afraid of He Chen.
Ever since he was a child, this kid listened to her without backtalk.
But to her surprise, He Chen furrowed his brow, his serious tone unchanged from before.
"It's precisely because I'm married that it's inconvenient for both families to live together. Your house is also in the village, so moving out is convenient. There's no need to remain here."
Ye Manman had already suffered quite a bit because he hadn't handled this matter well, and as soon as He Chen thought of Li Hongmei scolding her for so long when he was not around, he felt a stab of pain and pitied her immensely.
He spoke more assertively, and with his six-foot-three frame, unlike how he typically averted his gaze, Li Hongmei saw a glimpse of He Chen's father in him.
Recalling the time she'd accidentally pushed her sister, He Chen's father looked at her like he was ready to kill, and Li Hongmei instinctively felt a little daunted.
But thinking it over, she realized He Chen wouldn't actually go so far as to kick them out.
She knew He Chen wasn't that kind of person.
With this in mind, Li Hongmei relaxed and sneered inwardly while putting on a flattering smile.
"Alright, alright, talking about all this on such a joyous day isn't ideal. We didn't mean anything by it. If you've already eaten, we'll start cooking for ourselves. It's no big deal, sigh."
Li Hongmei cast a glance at her husband, Liu Dongliang, who stood there like an oaf, and gestured for him to leave.
Ye Manman couldn't be bothered with them and instead thoughtfully observed the man beside her.
"He Chen, they've treated you so poorly. Why didn't you ever get angry before?"
He Chen glanced down at her, a hint of embarrassment flashing across his face.
"I used to get angry when I was younger, but no one cared. Later on, I didn't really care about anything, so I let it go."
This sentence was brief but loaded with information.
Ye Manman pondered briefly and largely understood.
He Chen swiftly went about, bringing the basin of water outside to empty it. After drying the towel, he urged her to take a nap if she was tired since he had to go out for a bit.
She was feeling somewhat sleepy, having gotten up too early that morning. Now full and clean, drowsiness soon overcame her.
While He Chen was out borrowing ointment, Ye Manman had already fallen asleep. Entering the room, He Chen immediately noticed her sleeves rolled up, her face slightly flushed from the heat with furrowed brows, evidently not sleeping comfortably.
He had initially dabbed ointment on his fingertips but, comparing his rough fingers with her delicate, smooth legs, he wiped the ointment off.
Finally, he found an old cotton jacket, tore out a small piece of cotton from a hole, and carefully applied ointment to the red marks on her legs. Then, he picked up a fan he had made himself and gently fanned her.
The soft breeze caressed her flushed cheeks, gradually smoothing her furrowed brows. He Chen focused on her, unaware that Ye Manman turned over, causing her collar to shift.
Before he could react, catching an unprepared glimpse of smooth skin, he paused and quickly turned his face away.
Meanwhile, he made up his mind.
No, he needed to earn money quickly to buy a fan!