Early that morning, Wang Cheng heard Second Aunt bragging to someone outside. Her booming voice carried clearly all the way to their house and even woke him from the rare chance to sleep in.
Second Uncle’s house and small courtyard together covered around one hundred to one hundred twenty square meters, already quite large by Wang Family Village standards. Most other households only had seventy or eighty, so no wonder Second Aunt was so delighted. She told everyone she met things like, “Our house is really so small. If only it were a little bigger,” racking up plenty of hate points in the process.
Eldest Aunt sat beside Second Aunt and did not say much, but anyone could see she was inwardly bursting with joy. If Second Uncle’s family had that much to celebrate, then Eldest Uncle’s family, whose house was even larger, had even more reason to boast. Anyone would be happy at the thought of a large sum of money about to fall into their pocket.
From the window, Wang Cheng watched Eldest Aunt give a feignedly modest shake of her head. Eldest Aunt and Second Aunt were really birds of a feather; the only difference was that one was clever and the other stupid.
Their house was not particularly close to Eldest Uncle’s or Second Uncle’s. Back then, Papa Wang had been so deeply hurt by his parents that he had not wanted to see them at all, so he rented a place farther away from the rest of the family. Over time, he eventually managed to acquire the sixty-square-meter house they lived in now. For Eldest Aunt and Second Aunt to deliberately come all the way over here to show off was obviously meant to get under their skin.
Wang Cheng was not angry. What other people thought was their business.
“Don’t pay attention to your Eldest Aunt and Second Aunt. They just can’t resist running their mouths. If they don’t get the better of someone verbally, they feel uncomfortable.” Mama Wang had long since figured out exactly what those two were like. She had endured plenty from them back then. If she had not worried about affecting the children and therefore avoided quarreling with them too much, their relationship would probably have been even worse.
“Mom, I know. Don’t worry, I’m not going to argue with them. Besides, who ends up getting under whose skin is still up in the air.” Wang Cheng grinned as he wrapped an arm around Mama Wang’s shoulders. He was an adult, after all, and all those years with the old monk had done plenty to temper his character. How could a few remarks from other people provoke him so easily?
Mama Wang missed the implication in his final sentence. “I made you a bowl of noodles. It’s in the kitchen. Remember to eat it in a bit. It won’t taste good once it gets cold.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Wang Cheng suddenly leaned over and planted a loud smack on Mama Wang’s cheek, then turned and ran.
Mama Wang froze. It took her quite a while to react, and then she did not know whether to laugh or cry. He was already a grown man. Still, she was deeply touched. This was the first time her son had ever shown her affection so openly. Once she had calmed down, she went out.
After finishing the breakfast Mama Wang had left for him, Wang Cheng had barely stepped out of the courtyard when he heard voices making a racket outside. One glance toward the source was enough to tell him that, sure enough, Eldest Aunt and Second Aunt were behind it again. Apparently dissatisfied that their earlier bragging had failed to get a rise out of his family, the two had cornered Mama Wang and were talking at her without pause.
What Eldest Aunt and Second Aunt had not expected was that years of dealing with them had already made Mama Wang practically impervious to them. No matter how extravagantly they talked, the calm smile on her face never changed. From time to time, she even chatted a few words with Sister-in-law Wang from next door, looking thoroughly at ease.
Wang Cheng finally relaxed. It seemed his mother was playing at a much higher level after all.
Madam Zhang had talked until her mouth was dry, yet Mama Wang remained completely unmoved. She still refused to believe the woman could possibly feel no envy. Then she suddenly caught sight of Wang Cheng standing in the doorway, and her surprise instantly turned into a snide, mocking expression.
“Well, if it isn’t Chengcheng. The old monk dies and you come running back to depend on your mother? What perfect timing. Don’t tell me you heard some rumor and came back hoping to get a share too?”
After saying that, she glanced at Mama Wang. Sure enough, Mama Wang’s expression changed slightly, and Madam Zhang immediately felt smug.
“Second Aunt, you just called her my mom yourself. Isn’t it only natural for a son to depend on his own mother? As for rumors, now that you mention it, I really have heard one. I heard Second Aunt was cursing people out in the street like a shrew and someone dumped a whole bucket of cold water over you. You didn’t get heatstroke afterward, did you?” Wang Cheng deliberately twisted her words and dredged up an old embarrassment, turning Madam Zhang’s face green with anger. He had heard about the incident when he went into town two days ago. This formidable Second Aunt had accumulated plenty of similar exploits. His Second Uncle, unfortunately, was a man with no mind of his own, so Madam Zhang ruled the household, and naturally her reputation in Wang Family Village was not particularly good.
“Chengcheng, didn’t you say yesterday that you had something to do today? Why aren’t you going yet?” Mama Wang suddenly spoke up and shooed him away.
Wang Cheng was a little surprised, but he listened to her. A few days earlier, he had agreed to live at home from now on, but his belongings were still in the temple on the mountain, and he planned to go back today to pack them up.
By the time he reached the entrance to the village and looked back, the faces of Mama Wang and the others beneath the large willow tree had already blurred with distance, and he could no longer hear what they were saying.
“There are things you can say and things you cannot. I hope Second Sister-in-law remembers that well. If I ever find out that you said something you shouldn’t have in front of Chengcheng, don’t blame me for fighting you to the death. I mean what I say!” Mama Wang’s expression turned cold. Someone who rarely lost her temper could be all the more intimidating when she finally did, and she easily silenced everyone around her.