The Challenge of a Farmhouse Son-in-Law

"I feel like mom has been off these past few days. That look in her eyes is always so gloomy; it’s quite frightening. Go and find out what’s really going on, will you?"

Gu Lao’er was deep in sleep, lost in a foggy dream. Hearing Huang Xiangwen’s mumbling, he waved his hand as if shooing away a fly and mumbled, "Only your head is full of troubles. Go figure it out yourself."

"Hey, I’m talking serious here. Something’s off with mom." Huang Xiangwen raised her voice and yelled into Gu Lao’er’s ear. Startled by her yell, Gu Lao’er jolted awake instantly and sat up straight, all traces of sleepiness gone.

With his beautiful dream interrupted, Gu Lao’er’s face showed anger as he shouted at Huang Xiangwen, "What’s with you, woman, making noise in the middle of the night? Do you have to wake up the whole family to be satisfied?"

Huang Xiangwen glanced outside and quickly shrank her neck, not wanting to stir up everyone in the house. Mom was already not herself; she didn’t want to add fuel to the fire now.

Yet, she retorted without admitting defeat, "And what’s with you yelling so loudly?"

"Talk if there’s something to talk about; then sleep." Recently, it was the busy harvest season, and Gu Lao’er really had no energy to argue. He still had to go to the fields the next day.

He lay down again.