Tang Second Brother, who had tumbled down the stairs, landed right at Tang Shiba's feet.
The corner of Tang Shiba's mouth twitched.
She feigned concern. "Second Brother, are you okay? You're a grown man. How could you be so careless?"
Inside, though, she was snarking, [Serves you right for being blind. Now you've really had a stroke of bad luck.]
Tang Xiao scrambled to his feet. Seeing his whole family watching him with schadenfreude in their eyes, he sat down to eat without so much as a change in expression.
He really did have a thick skin. Even being publicly humiliated couldn't rattle him.
None of them had much appetite for this meal.
How were they supposed to eat when they knew Tang Xueqing was fishing around in the toilet upstairs?
It wasn't actually that disgusting. Tang Shiba had simply described it in the most revolting way possible.
Tang Shiba was enjoying gossip with the system.
[Haha, that uncle next door is cheating on his wife. He's rolling around in bed with his lover right now.]
That was what had shocked Tang Xiao!
Uncle Wang next door had even held him when he was little. He was such a kindly-looking man. How could he...?
[Whoa, his wife's back! She's almost downstairs!]
Tang Mom immediately stood, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"I just remembered there are cucumbers in the yard. I'll go pick one to eat."
The eldest brother stood too. "Mom, I'll go with you. Er Gou jumps on people!"
Tang Third Brother got up as well. "I want a cucumber too!"
Tang Second Brother hesitated, then stood. "I don't have much appetite either. I'll go pull up some garlic!"
Tang Shiba froze, then hurried to her feet. "Second Brother, I want some garlic too."
She wasn't going to eat garlic. She was going to feast on gossip!
The whole family went out into the yard, their eyes all drifting toward the house next door.
Soon, a car drove past their gate.
Uncle Wang's wife had come home.
[Whoa, the car's too loud. They heard it upstairs!]
[His lover's climbing out the window.]
They looked up and saw a naked woman climbing out onto the windowsill, without even having had time to put her clothes on.
The moment she emerged, she locked eyes with the whole family...
The woman...
The family...
What an eyesore!
The three brothers hurriedly looked away, while Tang Mom let out a shriek.
"Ma'am, there's a hen on your balcony! Come catch it!"
The woman heard her and immediately panicked.
"Song Jia, where is it?"
Mrs. Wang poked her head out of another window, initially smiling as she greeted Tang Mom.
Then she spotted the woman on the neighboring windowsill, and her expression changed dramatically.
She urgently shouted to Song Jia, "Song Jia! Block the front door for me! I'm going to slaughter a hen and catch a dog!"
"You got it! I'll lend you my Er Gou!"
Smiling, Tang Mom went to unfasten Er Gou's chain and told her eldest son to toss him over to the next yard.
The eldest hesitated, but Tang Third Brother excitedly picked Er Gou up and set him on the wall. "Er Gou, jump down yourself!"
At his command, Er Gou jumped straight down and started barking at the woman on the windowsill.
The woman turned pale with fright. She was trapped whether she jumped or stayed put.
While she hesitated, Mrs. Wang grabbed her by the hair and dragged her inside.
Soon, screams, blows, and curses rang out from the room!
Tang Shiba hurried over. "Mom, won't something bad happen?"
Tang Mom was worried too, so she told Tang Third Brother to check on them and make sure nobody got killed.
Tang Third Brother climbed straight over the wall to enjoy the gossip—no, to break up the fight.
He soon returned, and Tang Mom asked how things were going.
Tang Third Brother lowered his voice. "Uncle Wang wants a divorce, but his wife refuses. That woman's his mistress. They even have a child together, a son."
Tang Mom fell silent. Mrs. Wang next door had given birth to three daughters, but never a son.
She had once envied their relationship, but now...
"They're negotiating now. Uncle Wang said he'd leave with nothing, but his lover wouldn't have it. Then he said he'd married into his wife's family, and that woman started fighting with him too."
The whole family clicked their tongues.
[Even if they don't divorce, Uncle Wang won't have an easy life from now on.]
Er Gou was still barking next door, so Tang Third Brother climbed over again and carried him back.
The moment he let him go, Er Gou pounced on Tang Shiba.
Er Gou licked her entire face, and she promptly pinned him down and rubbed him against the ground.
"That's what you get for jumping on people! I'll yank your balls!"
Er Gou struggled and yelped, rolling around on the ground several times before escaping. Finally, he ran into Tang Third Brother's arms and howled his complaints.
Tang Third Brother comforted him. "She's inhuman, but you really are a dog. Don't argue with people, or you'll look too clever!"
The family...
With the gossip over, Tang Mom went to yank off a cucumber—no, pick a cucumber.
Tang Second Brother pulled up a head of garlic, peeled it, and gave Tang Shiba a clove.
"Didn't you want some? Here!"
Tang Shiba took it, then watched Tang Second Brother get half a cucumber and finish it off, alternating bites of garlic and cucumber.
Tang Shiba looked at the garlic in her hand, then turned her gaze to Er Gou.
Er Gou shuddered in fright and hurried into his doghouse to hide.
Tang Shiba had no choice but to pop the garlic into her mouth, only for its pungency to nearly bring her to tears.
"Ptooey! Ptooey!"
When Tang Shiba spat out the garlic, Tang Second Brother immediately sneered at her. "I can tell you can't drink. What a waste!"
What did drinking have to do with eating garlic?
"I can drink! Second Brother, I want more garlic!"
Tang Third Brother came over and took a clove, but the moment he put it in his mouth, his face scrunched up and he spat it out.
Thinking it was something to eat, Er Gou came over to sniff it too, only to start dry-heaving.
"Blech..."
The family...
Tang Shiba burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Second Brother, Er Gou can't drink either. Garlic makes him sick!"
"Second Brother, I really admire you. You can actually stomach something this pungent!"
Tang Third Brother couldn't take it anymore and hurried off to drink some water.
Tang Second Brother snorted. Seeing everyone return to the living room, he told her coldly, "Zhou Dan will be managing you and Xueqing from now on. She'll add you on WeChat, so accept her request."
[Zhou Dan? Second Brother really knows how to make trouble for me. Oh well, Zhou Dan's gossip is even juicier.]
Juicier? How juicy?
Tang Second Brother wanted to hear more, but Tang Shiba's mouth was burning too badly, and she ran off to drink water.
After drinking some water, Tang Shiba felt the burning ease. Tang Mom's voice came from the living room.
"Shiba, your brothers sent you friend requests. Accept them."
Tang Shiba opened WeChat and saw four friend requests.
Three were from her brothers, and the fourth was from Zhou Dan.
She didn't accept Zhou Dan's, only those from her three brothers.
As soon as she accepted, all three brothers transferred money to her.
Tang Shiba's eyes lit up at the sight of the money.
Eldest brother: 88888
Second brother: 66666
Third brother: 66888
Oh, wow! Tang Shiba was delighted! She hurriedly sent a sticker of herself offering incense!
[I'm rich! My three brothers are showering me with money!! More, more! So happy!]
Hearing Tang Shiba's silly laughter, the three brothers felt something strange stir inside them.
This little sister seemed easier to please than Tang Xueqing.
[Too bad... they're a little blind.]
They took that thought back!
[Still, I can tell them a secret!]
A secret?
The whole family pricked up their ears.
Tang Shiba walked toward them instead.
She quietly lowered her voice.
"I'll tell you a secret."
The family...
Seeing their odd expressions, Tang Shiba thought she was speaking too loudly and lowered her voice further.
"Dad's hiding a secret stash of money. I saw it!"
???
Before you continue