Chapter 662: 662: Go Ahead and Accuse Me at the County Government Office

There are two reasons why one might feel a sense of satisfaction after an examination: one is that they performed well, while the other is that they did not fully understand the questions and wrote a whole page of answers based on their own interpretation — feeling self-satisfied even though they had strayed far off the mark.

Neither Zhang family’s matriarch nor Zhu Hongyun knew about Deng Chun. They had believed that Tong Sanlang had studied on his own all these years, so at this point, they were immediately worried after hearing his words.

However, as soon as they finished speaking, Tong Xingda immediately spat with a disgusted look on his face and scolded, “Both of you have the worst premonitions! Shut up! No one thinks you’re mute when you don’t speak. Disaster magnets!”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Why would that be a bad omen? Sanlang is self-taught, we have no idea how good he really is!” Zhang’s matriarch righteously refuted.

“Everyone shut up. The exam is over. Whatever will be, will be. We just need to wait for the results now.” Tong Tiehu spoke emotionlessly, “That’s settled. You can all disperse now.”

“Then Xiaomai and I will go back.” Tong Sanlang stood up to leave.

“Go ahead.” Tong Tiehu waved his hands dismissively, “You’ve had it hard these days from studying, take a good rest.”

Tong Sanlang acknowledged the words.

The Tong family had planted their sweet potatoes relatively late, they were still not mature, so there wasn’t much work to do around the house at the moment.

“Hold on.” Tong Xingda spoke. He called out Tong Sanlang and Qiao Xiaomai.

“What’s the matter?” Tong Sanlang stopped in his tracks.

“Given that you’ve completed the provincial examination, it’s time to settle some old scores. You surely wouldn’t have forgotten the incident, when your wife embarrassed me the last time?” Tong Xingda asked, his face registering distaste, as though he had swallowed a fly. It had been several days since the incident, but each time he thought of Qiao Xiaomai’s cold face and provocative words, he still felt an urge to stomp his foot in frustration.

Tong Sanlang stood mute, his face a blank.

With an unchanged expression, Qiao Xiaomai asked, “So how do you want to settle it, father?”

“I ask you, I am your father-in-law. Is it too much to ask you to cook a meal?” Tong Xingda showed no signs of raving, instead he was prudently lecturing Qiao Xiaomai.

“No, it’s not too much.” Qiao Xiaomai shook her head, “But I don’t want to cook. If you consider this disrespectful, then you can sue me at the county government office.”

Dropping this statement, Qiao Xiaomai turned around and walked away.

“You!” Tong Xingda, completely caught off guard by Qiao Xiaomai’s insolence, managed to repress his anger which then exploded violently, “Do you really think there is nothing I can do about you?!”

Qiao Xiaomai disregarded him and continued walking without hesitation.

Tong Xingda stamped his foot and strode after Qiao Xiaomai, with every intention of taking matters into his own hands. “This is outrageous, absolutely outrageous! Like I have married a tyrant! I ought to teach you a lesson about filial piety and family rules!”

Seeing this, Tong Sanlang sighed, rubbed his forehead, and stepped in to intercept his advancing father, “Father, can you let me live peacefully for a few days?”

Tong Xingda raised his hand to push him aside and loudly chastised, “So she is right to disrespect me? As her father-in-law, does she even have the right attitude? All I wanted was a taste of her cooking, and she dares to humiliate me like this!”

Tong Xingda was about to explode in anger. He felt he had done nothing wrong to Qiao Xiaomai. He did not spread baseless rumors like Zhang’s matriarch, nor did he sell Braised Pork recipes behind her back like Zhu Hongyun.

After he visited the restaurant that served the scrapings of lard mixed with rice, Qiao Xiaomai and Tong Sanlang even agreed that he could drop by for food anytime he wanted.

At this moment, all he did was reminded her of their agreement, and yet Qiao Xiaomai abruptly turned hostile, refuting him at every turn. Now, she even dared to openly insult him.

What does she think she is?!