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"Third Brother, it's not that I'm criticizing you, but you really spoil your wife too much," Wang Zhaodi remarked, believing herself to be the elder sister-in-law and thus entitled to lecture Tang Zhicheng.
"Come on, Sister-in-law, you're overthinking it. My wife has been on a train for days and is exhausted. It's her first time in our countryside, and she’s not used to it. Shouldn't I take care of her a bit more?" Tang Zhicheng explained.
On the surface, he was addressing Wang Zhaodi, but in reality, he was trying to justify himself to Old Lady Tang. He knew that his father and two older brothers were typical patriarchs. They spent their days working hard for money and wouldn’t lift a finger at home even if an oil bottle fell over.
That was how Old Man Tang and his sons were, and the men in the village were no different. If a man were seen washing clothes or cooking at home, he would surely be ridiculed. Tang Zhicheng had grown accustomed to this mindset at home and momentarily forgot upon returning to his hometown. He should have washed the clothes inside before hanging them out.
He wasn't afraid of his parents' words; he feared that their anger would be directed at Ye Fangfei instead. He didn’t want his wife to suffer any grievances.
Old Lady Tang was indeed a bit upset in the kitchen. Her eldest son was quite accomplished; he was the most successful young man in their entire village. How could he wash clothes at home? And not just any clothes—he was washing his wife's clothes.
Old Lady Tang wanted to say something but swallowed her words. What could she say? Should she tell Third Brother not to wash his wife's clothes or that he shouldn't do housework from now on? That was impossible; Third Brother's family was not like Eldest Brother's or Second Brother's with their country girls. His wife was a proper city girl.
She had prepared herself mentally when Third Brother decided to marry a city woman introduced by his superior. She knew that Third Brother's wife would definitely be different from those of Eldest Brother and Second Brother, and she couldn’t treat her the same way.
Old Lady Tang thought deeply about it; her Third Son was all alone in Beijing without any relatives nearby. If something happened, there wouldn’t even be anyone to help him. But marrying Ye Fangfei changed everything; the Ye family were locals from the capital, with plenty of relatives and acquaintances around.
After marrying Ye Fangfei, the eldest son would have someone to rely on for any matters that arose. Therefore, from the very beginning, Old Lady Tang's attitude towards Ye Fangfei was different from that towards her previous two daughters-in-law. Old Lady Tang understood that since the third son had married a girl from Beijing, he could not be treated at home like the eldest and second sons, who were always obeyed without question. This was simply how things worked; one must give to receive.
Thus, when Tang Zhicheng washed Ye Fangfei's clothes, Old Lady Tang felt uncomfortable and dissatisfied but chose to remain silent. Zhang Man and Wang Zhaodi noticed that Old Lady Tang was quiet and decided not to speak either. They had long realized that they could not compare themselves to the family of the third son, especially since they were city folk. Even though they felt resentful in their hearts, they had to swallow their pride.
Zhang Man and Wang Zhaodi could only quicken their movements as they worked, unable to voice their discontent. After Tang Zhicheng finished washing the clothes, he went into his parents' room to chat with Old Man Tang and his two older brothers.
"Third brother," the eldest brother said, "I’m not trying to criticize you, but how can you wash your wife's clothes? That's just too much." Tang Zhi looked at Tang Zhicheng with disappointment.
"Exactly! Third brother, you can't spoil women like that. Be careful; they might climb on top of you and take advantage," another brother added.
"As the old saying goes, 'A daughter-in-law should be treated with care.' You need to set the rules while you're still newlyweds," Tang Zhiwu chimed in.
Although Old Man Tang didn't speak, his expression clearly showed his agreement.
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