Chapter 78.3

Her voice was sharp and high-pitched, so much so that it felt like it could lift the roof off.

“Mom, how many times have I told you not to use those words? Are you trying to get us killed?”

A middle-aged man stumbled out of a room, still half-asleep, his clothes hanging askew and exposing his pale arms. A woman followed closely behind, awkwardly turning her head away.

“You, debt collector, you still have the nerve to teach me a lesson?” The old lady was small and capable. She stretched out her hand and pinched his ear. “I’m only doing all this for you! If it were anyone else my age, I’d be enjoying life at home instead of raising kids.”

“Why bother yourself with all this trouble, you useless thing!”

The old lady became angrier as she spoke, and the strength in her hands became stronger and stronger.

“Ouch, mom… that hurts…”

The middle-aged man, despite being a head taller than her, didn’t dare to resist, looking rather comical as he hung there.

“Get over there and eat!”

He rubbed his ear, no longer daring to retort.

The old lady picked up a willow branch nearby and started hitting the middle-aged woman behind him.

“I told you to get off your lazy butt!”

Though the branch was light, it hurt a lot when it struck. Each hit left a bruise on the woman. She jumped around like a monkey trying to escape.

No matter how she dodged, the willow branch always found its mark.

“Mom, I know I was wrong…hiss, stop hitting me…”

Even though she begged for mercy, the old lady did not let her go and whipped her even harder with the willow branch in her hand.

The middle-aged man looked at this scene and took a breath of cold air.

How could he not know that the old lady had just shown mercy to him?

He shrank back, fearing for his own safety, not even daring to plead for his wife.

After beating her for a while, the old lady got tired and reluctantly let her go.

“Lazy bunch!”

Her sharp eyes scanned the room behind her. “What are you hiding? Get out here!”

Three children slowly came out.

The eldest girl, about ten, nervously twisted her clothes. “Grandma, I worked. I fed the chickens and cleaned the pigsty… I did everything.”

The old lady’s expression looked much better.

But she still looked stern. “Why aren’t you eating? Stop dawdling! If you don’t listen to me, I’ll sell you off tomorrow!”

Their faces turned pale, and they hurried to the table, sitting at the end.

The old lady threw away the willow branches and began to share the rice. As soon as she picked up the spoon, she saw a child running in breathlessly.

“Third Grandma, your relatives are here…”

“What relatives? We don’t have those!”

The old lady’s face looked a little unhappy.

What kind of people come just when it’s time to eat? Don’t they know it means having to share their meal?

She had no patience for such thoughtless relatives!

As she prepared to usher them in to eat, she heard the child continue.

“Driving…driving a lot of cars…”

Cars?

The old lady’s triangular eyes widened slightly.

“Hey, sister, why didn’t you mention that you had such prominent relatives?” A large group of people suddenly poured in, all wearing welcoming smiles. “If you’ve made it big, you should help everyone out.”

“Exactly!”

“Isn’t it thanks to your third aunt that your home is so well-kept?”

“Sure is…”

Ever since the old lady secretly sold her granddaughter, everyone has been treating her with contempt. This kind of compliment is the first time in more than a year.

The old lady’s eyes glinted with pride.

These people thought they could benefit from her, but she had no intention of helping those who looked down on her.

The middle-aged man was restless and craned his neck to look outside. However, the crowd at the entrance was tightly packed, blocking his view. He tried to stand up but was nudged back down.

Old Man Gao glared at him.

“What did I teach you? Don’t panic when faced with difficulties. That’s how you show your composure.” the old man glared at him with disdain. “You’re useless! Always embarrassing yourself!”

The middle-aged man could only sigh in response.

Soon, the roar of car engines echoed from outside.

The old lady’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

She wanted to stand up but recalled her husband’s words and restrained herself, remaining seated.

The people around her continued to shower compliments without restraint.

“That niece of yours really knows how to keep it together… I sure wouldn’t be able to stay so composed.”

“Who do you think you are? You can’t even compare to her niece!”

The old lady heard this with approval in her eyes.

Yes.

Not everyone has relatives who can afford a car.

As the villagers sang praises, the old lady became even more smug, lifting her chin high, resembling a queen from the old days.

At that moment, the crowd parted.

Ruan Mingfu, Qi Yangyan, and Gu Yilin walked ahead. The villagers gasped at the sight of Luan Rong beside Mrs. Ruan and then quickly realized who they were, watching the proud Gao family with anticipation.

Others in the crowd were struck by the beauty of the three.

“They’re stunning! Whose daughters are they? My nephew hasn’t even proposed yet!”

“Your nephew is a brute. He doesn’t deserve them! My son is a high school student and quite handsome. He’d be perfect for one of those girls!”

“Rubbish! What’s wrong with my nephew? He’s quite a catch!”

“Like a rotten fruit…”

The villagers began to argue over the potential marriages of the three girls. If it weren’t for someone pulling them back, a fight might have broken out.

Listening to their compliments, Gu Yilin beamed with delight.

“Did you hear that?” she tugged at Ruan Mingfu’s sleeve, her face glowing with pride. “How popular am I?”

If Gu Yilin had a tail, it would be wagging high in the air.

Ruan Mingfu shot her a glance.

“Alright, alright, you’re the best.”

“Hmph~”

Gu Yilin tilted her chin, resembling a proud peacock.

“Hey! Are you from the Gao family?”

Old Man Gao frowned.

Although the girl was pretty, she was very impolite in how she addressed him.

The old lady also looked displeased.

The three pale and skinny girls watched enviously as Ruan Mingfu and Gu Yilin showcased their beautiful outfits.

“Who are you?”

The middle-aged woman was about to speak when the second nephew interrupted her.

“Watch how you speak. These are our relatives!”

He emphasized the word “relatives.”

“That’s right,” Ruan Mingfu squinted her eyes and slightly turned to reveal Luan Rong, “We are indeed your relatives.”

Upon seeing Luan Rong, the entire Gao family was taken aback.

The flattery from the crowd suddenly stopped.

They are indeed relatives…just relatives seeking revenge.

Silence fell, a suffocating silence.

In her shock, the old lady’s mind raced. She suddenly stood up and hurried to Luan Rong, trying to grab her hand, but Mrs. Ruan blocked her.

Old lady: “……”

The old lady thought, little bitch, I’ll come and deal with you later!

She quickly adopted a pitiful expression, her eyes becoming misty.

“Rongrong, where have you been this past year? Your uncles have been searching for you for ages and couldn’t find you. I’ve been so worried that I couldn’t eat or sleep…”

Mrs. Ruan ignored her and asked Luan Rong instead.

“Xiao Rong, are all the Gao family members here?”

She quickly shook her head.

“My uncle and his family are not here.”

Mrs. Ruan exchanged a glance with Qi Yangyan, who immediately signaled the bodyguards to move.

“What are you planning to do?” The old lady could no longer pretend. “Don’t touch my son, or I will fight you to death!”

“Old lady, I’m not easily frightened.”

Mrs. Ruan glanced at the dining table behind the old lady, her anger boiling.

Luan Rong is suffering, but this family is eating happily?

“Smash it!”

“You dare!”

The old lady panicked and tried to stop the bodyguards, but she was no match for them. Just like the old lady of the Gen family, she was easily lifted off the ground.

“Stop! Stop!”

“Crash—”

The bodyguards didn’t hold back and truly began to wreak havoc.

Old Man Gao clutched his chest, his face flushed with anger. Second Uncle Gao stepped forward to intervene but was brutally reprimanded by the bodyguards. The middle-aged man had no reason to fear harm, especially after all the disgusting things his family had done, they deserved it!

Second Aunt Gao watched her husband being beaten and dared not intervene, huddling with a few children, trembling in fear.

The surrounding villagers didn’t dare to stop them either.

“…You deserve that!”

It was unclear who said this, but it opened the floodgates for everyone else.

“What a misfortune…”

“When Xiao Rong came here, her father had just passed away, right?”

“That old lady brought this on herself. It serves her right. It’s not like they couldn’t live without selling their children!”

“I remember their eldest son was promoted to department head just half a year ago, and his salary is higher than all of ours combined. Tsk—”

The man seemed to realize something and suddenly gasped.

“Could it be that his position as department head was bought with money from selling Xiao Rong…”

Everyone quickly understood and looked at the Gao family with increasing suspicion.

Soon, the Gao household was in chaos. Everything that could be smashed was destroyed. Even the beds they slept on weren’t spared, as the bodyguards took axes to them.

Old Man Gao could only hold his chest, trembling as he stared at Mrs. Ruan and her group.

“You… you all… are utterly heartless!”

Mrs. Ruan shot him a glance but ignored him.

Second Uncle Gao had been beaten to the point where he could barely breathe. His body was swollen, making him look even more miserable.

“You… you’re hitting people! I’ll report this to the police… I’ll call the police!”

“Don’t make trouble, old man,” Mrs. Ruan looked at him with a sneer, “When I have settled the accounts with you, even if you don’t report to the police, I will still take you there.”

Just giving them a beating would be too lenient.

The bodyguards quickly returned, holding Uncle Gao’s family like they were little chicks. Judging by their injuries, they had clearly learned a lesson from the bodyguards.

“Isn’t this…”

Ruan Mingfu looked at Gao Yan’s clothes and glanced at Mrs. Ruan.

Mrs. Ruan pursed her lips.

She remembered that these were the new clothes the original owner had bought while working in the capital. They looked good, so she bought one for both Ruan Mingfu and Luan Rong. She hadn’t expected to see them on Gao Yan now.

Gao Yan felt a bit guilty when she saw Luan Rong, but she quickly regained her composure.

“Cousin, what do you mean by this?”

She caught a glimpse of Qi Yangyan from the corner of her eye, her cheeks flushed. Embarrassed, she glanced at him before starting to lecture Luan Rong again.

“I’m not saying this out of malice, but you’re already old enough and still sneak out, making everyone worry. My dad has searched for you for so long without finding you. You delayed the factory’s work and almost got fired.”

“Cousin, you really lack common sense. You come back without even properly apologizing and bring these people to bully Grandpa and Grandma… Do you have any conscience left?”

“Good girl~”

The old lady was touched, tears welling up in her eyes.

Luan Rong hid behind Mrs. Ruan, only half visible. She lowered her head, making it difficult to see her expression.

Thinking her words had an effect, Gao Yan continued her tirade.

“Just let it go. You should apologize to Grandpa and Grandma, pay to fix the house, and give Uncle and Aunt a red envelope to calm them down. They’re elders and won’t hold a grudge against you—ah!!!”