Chapter 13: Out of Breath

A few minutes earlier, Old Madam Han had dragged Li Ying to confront She Yuqi for an explanation... only to find no one at She Yuqi’s house. Without a word, the old woman violently broke the lock and began smashing everything inside.

"Mother, isn’t this a bit excessive?" Li Ying looked around the place where she once lived, feeling a pang of pity.

"Don’t forget how you spoke to me at home. You said—"

"We must teach that little slut a lesson. If she’s not your real daughter, she wouldn’t know how to care. Our Xiangxiang is so good, yet she treats you like her own mother!" Old Madam Han glared and scolded Li Ying harshly.

"I think if you can’t bear to part with those two girls, you should move in with them!"

"Mother, I didn’t mean that. You’re right."

Li Ying’s heart began to race; every time the topic of leaving the Han family came up, she would compromise—this time was no different.

Seeing the mirror and dishes inside, she grabbed them without hesitation and smashed them to pieces right before Old Madam Han, cursing as she did, "That unlucky girl—giving birth to her is the biggest regret of my life!"

Passing by She Yuqi’s house, Wang the Shrew glanced into the yard unintentionally. That glance was all it took; she raised her eyebrows and stormed in. Initially intending to enter the house, she changed her mind halfway, scanning the surroundings instead.

Picking up a firewood stick, Wang the Shrew charged inside.

What followed was a one-sided onslaught. She beat Li Ying mercilessly and unleashed a torrent of curses on Old Madam Han.

She Yuqi overheard all of this from their shouting match.

When She Yuqi returned, Li Ying was furious, her eyes nearly popping out as she covered the left side of her swollen, red face and screamed, "You still know how to come back? Your own mother was almost beaten to death by outsiders!"

"I have long severed ties with the Han family. What do you hope to achieve by coming here to trash my home?" She Yuqi crossed her arms, showing not a shred of pity for Li Ying.

She had long seen through the original owner’s mother and felt only sorrow for her.

"You little slut, I spit on you!"

"You filthy tramp!"

"How dare you hit your sister and disgrace her in front of everyone? My precious granddaughter is still bedridden because of this!"

Old Madam Han was so furious her face wrinkled like a Shar Pei.

Before She Yuqi could retort, Wang the Shrew—just calming down—put her hands on her hips and cursed, "You old hag, watch your words! You've been buried in the earth up to your neck, yet you keep on living like a rat!"

"Your little slut deserves the village’s scorn—she’s a whore, chasing men around before marriage. If I had a granddaughter like that, I’d be ashamed to show my face! But you, you treat a harlot like a treasure!"

"I spit on you!"

She Yuqi and Xiaoxiao looked at Wang the Shrew with admiration as she silenced Old Madam Han so completely she dared not utter a single word.

"You!" Old Madam Han’s eyes rolled back, and she fainted on the spot. Li Ying was terrified; if anything happened to her mother-in-law here, the Han family would tear her apart.

Wang the Shrew quickly covered her mouth. Seeing Old Madam Han faint, She Yuqi nearly burst into laughter.

She truly knew how to pick her moments—fainting right next to a pile of straw.

"Don’t worry, this has nothing to do with you," She Yuqi reassured Wang the Shrew.

Frowning, Wang the Shrew dragged She Yuqi aside and said irritably, "I can’t stand the Han family bullying people. I’m not doing this for you. Your little sister is still young and can’t handle the village gossip!"

"As her older sister, shouldn’t you think about her?"

She Yuqi was momentarily stunned, then glanced at Old Madam Han’s livid face and began to form a bold plan.

Wang the Shrew was right—She Yuqi could endure the world’s blame, but Xiaoxiao could not. She had already suffered too much following her.

Li Ying, initially frantic, suddenly understood when Old Madam Han kept signaling to her. She burst into tears.

"The little beast I gave birth to is truly shameless, teaming up with outsiders to bully her own mother!"

"Even if we’re divided, such an unfilial wretch deserves to be beaten to death! Hey, everyone, come look!"

The village chief had just slipped under his quilt after undressing but was called out again. He put on a gray jacket, his face darker than the pitch-black night.

Secretary Wang, however, was far less concerned.

"Is there no end to your family’s troubles? What’s it this time? Crying and wailing—who’s making that racket?" The village chief’s voice was harsh.

Hearing this, Li Ying’s face instantly paled. "That’s a terrible thing to say!"

"If you don’t like my words, go back to your Little River Village. If you don’t clarify what’s going on, I won’t get involved. Do as you please!"

If it weren’t for the village’s reputation, he wouldn’t meddle daily in She Yuqi’s family mess.

The village chief’s tone was displeased.

"You!" Li Ying’s face flushed again, clearly taken aback by his firmness.

"Ugh! Why does this family always have such bad luck?"

"Hasn’t the old woman passed away?"

"Goodness, at this late hour, I’m too scared to sleep!"

Amid the villagers’ murmurs, Old Madam Han suddenly sat up from the straw pile with a snap.

The village chief, smoking his pipe, scowled upon seeing her awake. "Hmph! Speak... What brings you to our Little Ditch Village?"

Old Madam Han, thick-skinned as ever, stood unfazed and declared, "My precious granddaughter has been wronged in your village. She’s so ill she can’t get out of bed!"

"Just the medical bills have cost over ten yuan, and we can’t even afford food lately. That money was borrowed by the eldest daughter-in-law from her in-laws."

"She must compensate and apologize, or I’ll never let this go!"

She began to weep pitifully again.

The village chief puffed on his pipe silently, casting his gaze toward She Yuqi.

That look nearly burned his hand holding the pipe. She Yuqi’s face was deathly pale, paler than someone dead for three days, blood staining the corner of her mouth. Beside her, Xiaoxiao sobbed quietly.

"Sister, what’s wrong? Please don’t die!"

Old Madam Han instantly stopped crying.

She never imagined that coming to cause trouble for She Yuqi would bring her such a huge problem instead.

She Yuqi’s consciousness had already entered the space, leaving her body in a state of suspended animation. When someone checked, they found She Yuqi had long been lifeless.