Madam Wang, still lying in her hospital bed, squeezed my wrist and forced a brittle smile:
"Xu Xiaoyan, I'm sick now. You have to take care of me.
When we get home, you'll quit your job and serve me for the rest of your life!"
She grinned like she'd just invented the world's most brilliant punishment.
"Since you're Zhou Fan's wife, I'm your mom now.
Never mind how I treated you before - being filial is your duty!
When we get home, I'll livestream you taking care of me every day. If you mess up, I'll get the whole internet to cyberbully you!"
I kept my face sweet and obedient, replying,
"Whatever you say, Mom."
That wiped the smirk right off her face.
She stared at me, suspicious, as if she'd just bitten into a dumpling and wasn't sure if it was meat or bitter melon.
But after a moment, she puffed up her courage and doubled down:
"This time, no matter what, I'll put you in your place.
I'm a generation above you,just the word 'filial' is enough to keep you under my thumb forever!"
She was right about one thing: elders do have power in this family.
That's why I'd already invited her own mother-in-law - my husband's grandma - to move in.
By now, she should be home, ready to bring this circus to a grand finale.
I had a feeling that after this, Madam Wang might really be inspired to remarry—just to escape!
Madam Wang had no idea what was coming.
As soon as we got home, I knelt down to change my shoes, and she couldn't wait to stick her foot in my face.
"Xu Xiaoyan, hurry up and kneel to change my slippers!"
Suddenly, a commotion erupted in the living room.
A spry old lady stormed in like a tornado - Grandma Zhang herself!
Before Madam Wang could blink, Grandma's palm landed on her cheek with a satisfying smack.
"You old shrew! Who gave you the guts to bully my granddaughter-in-law?"
Without missing a beat, Grandma delivered another slap.
"I leave for a bit and you turn the house upside down, even trying to catch my son cheating!
Today I'm gonna slap the nonsense right out of your head, so you remember who's the real boss of this family!"
As I stood up, I saw Madam Wang's face swelling up like a steamed bun, red handprints blooming across her cheeks.
She looked so ridiculous, I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing out loud.
Unable to take the beating, Madam Wang tried to hide behind her medical records.
"Mom, I'm sick! You can't treat me like this!"
Grandma Zhang rolled her eyes so hard I thought they'd get stuck.
"Sick? If you were really sick, you wouldn't have been discharged! Stop pretending!"
She whipped out five medical records of her own from behind her back.
"Look! I'm sick too, and as my daughter-in-law, you're responsible for taking care of me.
I've already moved in. From today, all the housework is yours.
And you'd better take good care of my granddaughter-in-law, Xiaoyan - she's preparing for pregnancy. I expect a great-grandchild by my eightieth birthday!"
Madam Wang's face twisted with rage, but before she could protest, Grandma Zhang gave her another slap.
"Chen Guifang, if you dare pull any more tricks, I'll make Wenhua divorce you.
And then I'll go around town trashing your reputation, just like you did to those girls. I guarantee not a single old man will want you, you'll be left picking trash to survive!"
The only thing I could hear was Grandma Zhang's scolding, and it was music to my ears.
I waltzed into the living room, plopped onto the sofa, and stroked my (very flat) belly.
"Mom, I'm thirsty. I need exactly 45-degree water - too hot or too cold is bad for the baby."
Madam Wang stood frozen, glaring at Zhou Fan for help.
Before he could say a word, Grandma Zhang smacked her straight into the kitchen.
"What are you waiting for? You must be itching for another slap!"
Madam Wang, eyes red with humiliation, turned to Zhou Fan,
"Are you just going to stand there and watch your mother get bullied?"
Zhou Fan shrugged, picked up a bag of sunflower seeds, and sat next to me.
"Mom, Grandma's right. You should be grateful you're not getting livestreamed right now.
Besides, Xiaoyan needs to rest. If you're not busy, maybe you can polish Grandma's shoes next?"
Grandma Zhang grinned,
"Good boy! Xiaoyan, if you need anything, just shout.
And Guifang, remember: in this house, you're not the queen - you're the cleaning lady!"
I leaned back, savoring the sweet, sweet taste of victory.
Who knew that the ultimate weapon against an evil mother-in-law...
was an even scarier mother-in-law?