Meizi gave her a look like she was an idiot and said, "Aren’t I cleaning the house? This place is a disaster zone! Mother, how can you not know how to clean? I thought I’d be done in a bit, but who knew the more I pick up, the messier it gets. And under your bed... Ugh! Mother, how can anyone live in this house? I’m not saying any more. Mother, just hurry up." With that, she bustled away again.

Granny Hua’s face turned a little red from her words. ’That attitude doesn’t seem like something her own mother taught her. This girl is a hard worker.’ Feeling embarrassed, she quickened her pace. She finished washing the bowls and fed the pigs. Just as she was done, Meizi shouted again.

"Mother, wash these first. Ugh! It stinks to high heaven!" As she shouted, Meizi emerged holding a pile of dirty clothes at arm’s length. Her head was tilted to one side, her lips pressed tightly shut, trying to avoid getting dust on herself.

’I regret this so much. If I’d known my mother-in-law’s room was this filthy, I would’ve changed my clothes. Great. Now I’ll have to wash my hair and take a bath after I’m done.’

Granny Hua hadn’t even had a chance to catch her breath before she was surrounded by the pile of things.

She stared, dumbfounded, at the ragged clothes and old padded jackets that had been pulled from the nooks and crannies. Her mouth twitched as she said with difficulty, "Meizi, these can’t be worn anymore..."

Meizi quickly cut her off. "I know. They’re the clothes Changming and Changling have outgrown, right? They still need to be washed. We can use them to make new shoe soles. Leaving them in a pile to collect dust is just too dirty. It makes the room look like a woodshed. No, even my family’s woodshed is tidier than your room. Mother, you’d better just wash them. I still have more cleaning to do."

With that, she scurried off again.

Granny Hua stared blankly at the pile of ragged clothes, but she didn’t even have a moment to space out before she heard Meizi shouting from inside the house, "Mother—"

Granny Hua’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly called back, "Yes! I’m washing, I’m washing!"

Meizi replied, "Wash faster! We’re running out of time to cook."

So, Granny Hua packed two large baskets with the ragged clothes and carried them over to the well at Li Changxing’s house to wash them.

Her appearance drew a curious question from Changxing’s mother, who asked why she was washing so many tattered clothes. Granny Hua could only give a vague reply, not wanting to admit that her new daughter-in-law was running her ragged.

She drew water and scrubbed the clothes at her usual slow pace, even preparing to exchange a bit of gossip with Changxing’s mother. But then, from her own courtyard not far away, came Meizi’s clear voice: "Mother! Wash faster! We need to cook—"

The last syllable was drawn out long and loud, making her heart pound with anxiety. Afraid Meizi would chase her down and rush her in front of Changxing’s mother, making her a laughingstock, she hastily replied, "Yes! Coming!" She no longer cared about talking to Changxing’s mother. She finished washing in a few quick scrubs and hurried back.

She hadn’t even entered the courtyard when, from a distance, she heard Meizi yelling, "Mother! Hurry and help me!"

She hurriedly put down the baskets, rushed into the house, and was immediately put to work by Meizi hauling out trash.

Watching Meizi clear out so much trash from her own room, Granny Hua couldn’t help but feel her face burn with shame. How could she dare to complain? ’This daughter-in-law is cleaning my room right after moving in. People will only praise her for being sensible and filial, and call me lazy.’

The room was already shabby, and clearing out all the junk made it look even more empty. However, it was now much cleaner and tidier.

So, after hauling out the trash, she went to hang the ragged clothes out to dry. After finishing that, she was ordered by Meizi to clean the pigsty—who claimed that if the pigsty wasn’t clean, the pigs would get sick.

She suggested waiting for Changming and Changling to come home and clean it.

Meizi immediately stared at her as if she’d seen a ghost. "Changming and my brother-in-law work themselves to death outside. If they have to come home and clean the pigsty too, then what’s the point of getting married? Isn’t getting a wife supposed to mean having help with the housework?"

’Her tone was exactly the same as Gou Dan’s on New Year’s Eve. It seems the two of them really are brother and sister.’

Stared down by her bright, wide eyes, Granny Hua felt a pang of guilt and had no choice but to go clean the pigsty.

’If I didn’t go clean it, I couldn’t predict what Meizi might do. But one thing was for sure: she definitely wouldn’t just let me get away with not doing it, like I usually do. She might even start a scene. Just a moment ago, when I merely suggested letting Changming do it, Meizi’s voice immediately jumped an octave. That sharp, clear sound gave me quite a fright.’

And why didn’t she fight back against Meizi?

Because Meizi had taken it upon herself to cook, saying that Granny Hua’s cooking was so terrible she couldn’t stand it anymore after these past few days. From now on, unless things were too busy, Meizi would be the one cooking.

She finished cleaning the pigsty and, before she could even catch her breath, heard Meizi call out again, "Mother, come help with the fire."