The Substitute Bride

Peggy asked Allen to go back to the room and then turned to Sue. She looked at her in the most generous manner and said, "Sue, please consider the family ties between you and Allen. Why not make things a little easy for him?"

"Do you mean to say that Allen is suffering a lot?" Sue's lips curved into a sarcastic smile as she spoke in an utterly cold voice, "Peggy Li, it is I who had to overcome untold sufferings and struggle in order to survive in the city. And what about Allen? He has been living a life of comfort and solace under your protection!"

She looked at Peggy coldly and continued, "Peggy Li, did it ever occur to you about sparing a bit of love and care for me, at least a fraction of the indulgence that you shower on Allen."

"Shut up!" Peggy blurted. The very mention of her love for her son completely changed her facial expression from being generous to absolutely defensive. "I have every reason to love Allen more than you!" she added in a defiant manner.

Peggy treated Sue as someone absolutely insignificant and irrelevant.

It never occurred to her that her words could even hurt Sue. She spoke her mind without any hesitation, caring least about how Sue would feel, "The fact that I gave birth to Allen uplifted my position in our family, while your birth was a bane to me. Don't you know villagers prefer boys to girls? If a woman gives birth to a girl, she will be cursed while a boy child brings respect for the mother." A glow came to her face as she justified the reason to be more devouring towards a son instead of a daughter.

"How could you say that?" Sue forced a smile and said, "Peggy Li, don't you know a woman should be duly respected?"

"A woman?" Peggy stared at Sue as if she had uttered something absolutely obnoxious. Peggy sneered at her and continued, "I have completed every duty since the day I stepped into this family after my marriage according to my father's wish. The betrothal gifts obtained from my marriage was used in establishing a house for my brother. You father was gone without regrets because I have lived up to his expectation."

Pegg

for so many years, I know that the man is an idiot. My acceptance into the family would mean untold sufferings!" Sue could no longer tolerate the nonsense and illogical bantering of the uneducated woman. She felt immensely wronged and said, "Since you have developed an illicit relationship with the idiot's father, why not solemnize that?."

Sue had hardly finished her sentence when Peggy's rough palm landed on her cheek. Sue covered her cheek with her hand and caressed it gently.

Peggy stared at Sue and said, "Sue, just stop you nonsense or be prepared to suffer the consequence!"

"I am telling the truth!" Sue let off a cold smile and said, "Your scandal has been known to one and all in the village!"

"I am telling you for the last time, I will make you suffer a lot if you continue speaking nonsense in front of me!" Peggy was so humiliated and angered that she pulled Sue's hair and scowled, "Your disrespect towards me does injustice to my painstaking efforts in raising you!"

Peggy could not hold back her temper and pointed at Sue menacingly. "Today I must teach you a good lesson or you always remain discourteous to your seniors."

Peggy was a strong woman, the strength of her arms to be attributed to her heavy manual labor. Sue knew that she had to protect herself.

As Peggy caught Sue in her strong arms, Sue shielded her face as it was the important thing for her job.