☆ 5. Why did you come back?!

Su Erhu’s family lived at the foot of the mountain, and their home was bustling at the moment.

At noon, Su Erhu returned home with a face swollen like a pig’s head, crying. His mother, Zhang Xiaohong, saw him and, feeling heartbroken, picked up a fire poker to hit Su Zhaodi and Su Laidi.

When she heard that Su Erhu had been beaten by Ji Meng, Zhang Xiaohong was furious and dragged the wailing Su Erhu to find Ji Meng for revenge.

On their way, they happened to run into Wu Kaifen, who had been lurking outside, feeling guilty and trying to sneak home like a thief.

Seeing Su Erhu, who looked like a pig’s head, Wu Kaifen felt heartbroken as well.

In the past, if anyone dared to touch her precious grandson, she would have made the biggest fuss about it.

But this time, thinking of Fang Aihua, who had collapsed and was unconscious, Wu Kaifen didn’t dare to bring her grandson over for fear of causing more trouble, and she firmly called Zhang Xiaohong back home.

Zhang Xiaohong had eight sisters and one brother in her family, and she was taught from a young age about the importance of having a son. Su Erhu was the son she had after her second pregnancy, and she cherished him dearly. Unable to swallow her anger, she was dissatisfied even though her mother-in-law, Wu Kaifen, had dragged her back home.

After returning home, she made a fuss and vented her frustrations.

Zhang Xiaohong had given birth to a grandson for the Su family, and since she had some looks, she could manage Su Dazhi a little. Usually, Wu Kaifen exploited her married daughters, but she tolerated Zhang Xiaohong more. Adding to her own “frustration” of not being able to seek justice for her grandson, Wu Kaifen let Zhang Xiaohong make a scene without saying much.

The more Wu Kaifen ignored her, the more Zhang Xiaohong felt justified in throwing a tantrum, and her voice grew louder.

Zhang Xiaohong naturally had a sharp voice, when she yelled, the entire courtyard and even the outside could hear her. Her husband, Su Dazhi, happened to be home for a rare day and was trying to catch up on sleep when he was abruptly awakened by the noise.

Su Dazhi had just gotten out of bed and angrily scolded Zhang Xiaohong. However, when he heard her mention that Ji Meng had returned, his eyes lit up, and he became spirited.

“You said Ji Meng is back? Did you see her?”

“What’s her situation? Didn’t she leave this morning?”

He had been out these past few days helping someone keep watch and had only returned this morning. When he heard that Ji Meng had left with her bag, he felt a pang of regret as he thought of her face, which was more beautiful and delicate than any flower. He didn’t expect her to return.

His interest in another woman was evident, especially since Zhang Xiaohong had caught him tangled up with someone else a couple of times not long ago. Although Su Dazhi had impatiently explained to her that it was a misunderstanding, she had never believed him.

Now, with Su Dazhi being so obvious and not hiding anything, Zhang Xiaohong exploded.

“Ha! I knew you were having an affair with that vixen!”

Zhang Xiaohong was furious as she pounced on Su Dazhi, and they began to fight.

Su Dazhi was still in a bad mood, wanting to hear news about Ji Meng but unable to. Seeing Zhang Xiaohong’s face twisted with anger only made him feel more disappointed and disgusted.

Recalling that the last time he couldn’t get what he wanted was because of Zhang Xiaohong’s appearance, he felt even angrier. He raised his hand and slapped Zhang Xiaohong across the face.

“What nonsense are you babbling about, you woman!”

Zhang Xiaohong was not bad looking, Su Dazhi had put in quite a bit of effort to marry her. After marrying, she had “delivered” well, giving birth to twin sisters followed by Su Erhu. Over the years, Su Dazhi hadn’t treated her too badly.

She never expected that Su Dazhi would actually hit her.

She covered her face and let out a sharp scream, making even more noise. Grabbing a small stool from under the eaves, she smashed it around, and feeling it wasn’t enough, she rushed into the yard and kicked the firewood that was drying on the ground, sending it flying everywhere. While kicking, she shouted:

“This damn life is unbearable!”

“A whore has made the old and the young go crazy, they don’t even take a piss to look at themselves! If you keep protecting her, do you think she’ll marry you?”

“Are you dreaming of a ^[1]“beautiful spring” (春天大美梦) is used sarcastically to refer to an unrealistic or foolish fantasy. It’s similar to saying someone is daydreaming or having delusions of … Continue readingbeautiful spring or what!”

“Zhang Xiaohong, that’s enough! I’m still here, and it’s not your place to throw a tantrum in this family!”

Zhang Xiaohong’s insults were harsh, and Wu Kaifeng could no longer stand it. She put her hands on her hips and scolded back:

“If you don’t want to live, then get the hell out of here! I don’t want to be bothered by you…”

Wu Kaifeng was known in the village as “^[2]“Wu Lazui” (吴辣嘴) means Wu is sharp-tongued and speaks harshly.Wu Lazui” because of her fierce words. Once she started scolding, she could stir up quite a storm, her expression was terrifying, as if she were ready to drink blood.

Zhang Xiaohong felt a bit intimidated, but she couldn’t back down. After a moment of being dazed, she plopped down on the ground and began to wail:

“My life is so miserable! I married a useless man, and after finally giving birth to a son for the Su family, I’m still being looked down upon…”

At the end of February, there wasn’t much farming to do in the fields, but it was a great time to go into the mountains to pick wild vegetables and gather spring bamboo shoots. Not long after lunch, many villagers, who had gathered to go to the mountains, passed by Su Erhu’s house and, hearing the commotion, they couldn’t help but stop and watch.

Before long, a crowd had gathered outside their fence.

Because she had just arrived and didn’t know what was happening, combined with Wu Kaifeng’s usual authority in the village, no one dared to ask, they just stood there watching.

“What are you looking at? Get the hell out of here!”

Su Dazhi was the kind of person who cared a lot about face, and when he noticed people gathering to watch, he felt embarrassed. In addition, Zhang Xiaohong had exposed his subtle intentions from the past few days, which made his anger boil over. He shouted at the crowd and, seeing Zhang Xiaohong still making a scene, he rushed over and kicked her repeatedly.

“I told you to shut the hell up! Why do you always have to stir up trouble…”

Su Dazhi continued kicking relentlessly, and before long, Zhang Xiaohong was knocked to the ground and lay still.

Nearby, Zhaodi and Laodi were so frightened that their faces turned pale, they were afraid their mother might be killed. They tried to pull Su Dazhi away, but he shook them off and tossed them to the ground.

Su Erhu, who had been crying nearby, cried even louder.

The wails were deafening!

Seeing her grandson crying so hard, Wu Kaifeng felt heartbroken. She saw that Zhang Xiaohong had been beaten enough, and the crowd couldn’t help but start shouting their advice. She also went up to pull Su Dazhi away.

The family was in chaos when Ji Meng arrived, and that was the scene she walked into.

Everyone was focused on the commotion, and no one noticed her. She pushed open the fence and went straight to Su Erhu’s kitchen, grabbing the hammer and smashing things.

After smashing the large iron pot used for cooking in their house, she also broke the cupboard that held dishes and the cabinet where the grains were stored. When she came out and saw a big water tank at the entrance, Ji Meng raised the hammer and smashed it down without hesitation.

The loud crashes startled the noisy family inside, who looked up to see their big water tank had vanished and the kitchen was in a mess. For a moment, they were all dumbfounded.

The people outside the fence were also stunned. “Is that the Su Qiu family’s?”

“Didn’t they say she left in the morning? How did she show up here? She’s back?”

The village was full of gossip, and secrets couldn’t be kept hidden.

In order to prevent Su Qiu from going to the city to find her, she had concealed the letter from home, spending a large sum of money to have the captain issue a letter of introduction without an address, thinking she was leaving quietly.

But in reality, everyone in the village was paying attention to the Su family. When she left in the morning, people had seen her.

As the day went on, one rumor led to another, and various truths and lies spread, so that the villagers all knew that Su Cheng’s wife, Qiuqiu’s mother, had abandoned her daughter and left.

Now, seeing her, everyone was shocked, their mouths agape.

“Ji Meng, you worthless piece of trash, who gave you the guts to smash my house!”

Wu Kaifeng was the first to react. She rushed into the kitchen and saw the mess everywhere, the destroyed pot, dishes scattered on the ground, and grains smashed all over… Her heart ached so much that she couldn’t help but rush out to confront Ji Meng.

Ji Meng quickly dodged, then grabbed her arm, stepped on the hammer she was holding, and retaliated with two slaps to her face.

Ji Meng acted quickly, her strikes precise and ruthless. Wu Kaifeng didn’t have time to dodge and had a tooth knocked out, spitting out a pool of blood.

“Ugh, you…”

Wu Kaifeng held her broken tooth, her fingers trembling with rage, her old eyes turning red with hatred. She cursed, and more blood flowed from the corner of her mouth.

“Ji Meng, you shameless woman! What the hell are you doing? Did my mother provoke you?”

Seeing the dining area in his house destroyed and his mother severely beaten, Su Dazhi couldn’t care less about his own scheming, so he rushed over to grab Ji Meng.

Ji Meng had been paying attention. She turned around, raised her foot, and kicked Su Dazhi in the abdomen. As he bent over in pain, she quickly picked up the hammer from the ground and hit it into his arm.

It landed right on his shoulder blade, and with a loud crack, Su Dazhi let out a pained roar, his arm instantly going limp and unable to lift again.

“Am I hitting your mother?”

“Hitting her is not a big deal, she harmed Qiuqiu’s Grandma, and she deserves to pay with her life!”

Ji Meng sneered, no longer caring about the cold sweat pouring down her back as he fell to the ground, while she shouted angrily at the howling Su Dazhi. Then she turned to Wu Kaifeng:

“You harmed someone and still want to run? Do you really think you can escape, you murderer?”

The words “murderer” were pronounced slowly, each syllable loaded with impact.

Xiaopan Village is located in a remote area, and the local customs are considered simple and honest. Even a minor incident, like stealing chickens or dogs, is a significant event, the people present were stunned, whispering and discussing among themselves.

“Murder, a murderer?”

“What does this mean Su Cheng’s family?”

“How could Wu Lazui become a murderer?”

“Did she say Qiuqiucs Grandma? Did something happen to Qiuqiu’s Grandma? Did Wu Lazui cause it?”

Panic and fear flashed Wu Kaifeng’s face as she almost subconsciously asked,

“Did… did Aihua die?”

After realizing what she had just asked, she immediately shook her head in denial:

“I’m not… I’m not a murderer, it has nothing to do with me!”

With blood in her mouth, her words were unclear, and she felt increasingly flustered and frightened.

The fact that something happened to Fang Aihua was indeed closely related to her.

Since the news of Su Cheng’s sacrifice was passed back to the village, Fang Aihua had fainted on the spot, lying in bed unable to move. Wu Kaifeng had set her sights on the Su family’s house and even on Su Cheng’s compensation money.

So, when Ji Meng returned with Su Qiu from the military district, she had been spreading rumors about her throughout the village.

They said Ji Meng was never a quiet person, looking like a temptress and lazy. After marrying Su Cheng for a few years, she didn’t even work the fields, barely moving around the house.

Now that Su Cheng was gone, along with his high income, they claimed she definitely wouldn’t stay put. Who knows, one day she might take the money and run off with another man.

For this reason, Wu Kaifeng even made up a story about Ji Meng and Xu Zhiqing, a young educated man who hadn’t yet returned to the city.

Wu Kaifeng didn’t just say this outside but would repeatedly tell Fang Aihua the same things.

On one hand, she wanted Fang Aihua to keep a close watch on Su Cheng’s compensation money. On the other hand, she hoped to sow discord between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law so they’d fall out sooner, giving her a chance to benefit.

When Ji Meng planned to return to the city, Wu Kaifeng was the first to find out and immediately spread the news.

Afterward, she went to see Fang Aihua.

She had overheard Shi Feng mention that Fang Aihua had poor circulation in her brain and couldn’t handle emotional stress, as it could easily cause a medical incident.

Thinking that a daughter-in-law running away would be a huge blow, and knowing Fang Aihua couldn’t bear it, she deliberately exaggerated the story about Ji Meng running away.

Seeing Fang Aihua react just as she had hoped, fainting from anger and barely breathing, Wu Kaifeng felt both excited and scared.

Her first reaction was to make sure no one found out, so she quickly fled, but she didn’t expect to run into Ji Meng and Su Qiu upon returning…

Now it’s over. If Fang Aihua really died, she would truly become a murderer!

Wu Kaifeng’s mind buzzed, and a chill ran down her spine as fear fully gripped her.

“No, it’s not my business! She… she fainted on her own! I… I didn’t do anything!”

“Right, it’s not my business! I didn’t do anything!”

Wu Kaifeng spoke while spitting out blood, as if self-hypnotizing with her eyes filled in fear.

“You can say that when the police arrive, talk to them!”

“What you did can’t be hidden!”

Ji Meng couldn’t be bothered to look at Wu Kaifeng. She coldly snorted and turned to leave with the hammer in hand.

—

【Host, you’re amazing! You single-handedly turned the whole situation around! Sansan was almost scared to death just now!】

【Host, have you practiced before? You didn’t seem scared at all just now.】

As soon as Ji Meng exited Su Erhu’s house, Sansan couldn’t wait and rushed out, clearly, it was having a great time ^[3]“eating melons” (吃瓜, chī guā) is a Chinese internet slang expression that refers to being a bystander or spectator to an event, often something dramatic or entertaining, similar to … Continue readingeating melons.

Its behavior made it seem like it had never seen anything like it before.

Ji Meng couldn’t help but ask, “Sansan, is this your first mission?”

【How did the host know?】

“……”

Considering Sansan’s childish tone and various reactions that resembled a child, Ji Meng felt a bit soft-hearted and didn’t want to bluntly criticize it. After considering, she finally said:

“It just feels like you brought me over without really knowing about me, like you don’t have much experience?”

【Sansan was indeed launched by the main system a month ago, but Sansan has been seriously learning how to assist the host from other seniors.】

【Sansan doesn’t know everything about the host, and with limited energy, Sansan can’t view too many specific past events. It only knows the general outline, but the host can tell Sansan more, and in thirty years, it will understand the host better.】