Chapter 76 The Evil Mother-in-law Broke Her Waist

Madam Cao flailed her legs desperately inside the slop bucket, struggling to get up. In the process, she accidentally swallowed a mouthful of rotten vegetable leaves and finally managed to sit up. “Oh my heavens!” she wailed.

Her entire face and body were covered in the foul-smelling slop, and she had likely ingested quite a bit of it as well.

That bucket of slop had originally been prepared by Du Wanchun’s aunt earlier that morning to feed the pigs in the backyard. However, before she could take it outside, Madam Cao had stopped her and started beating her instead.

Both Du Damei and Zhou Daniang were stunned by what had just happened. They instinctively covered their mouths, feeling nauseated by the sight and smell.

Madam Cao wiped her face in a panic, then glared at the three of them with eyes full of rage. Humiliated and furious, she pointed at Du Wanchun and shouted, “Just you wait! I’ll beat you to death!”

With that, she struggled to her feet, her face twisted in anger as she prepared to lunge at Du Damei and the others.

Du Wanchun immediately stepped in front of them and said sternly, “Madam Cao, if you dare lay another hand on us, don’t blame us for fighting back.”

She usually spoke in a soft and sweet voice, but today, she sounded like a completely different person—her tone was cold and sharp.

Madam Cao was briefly stunned by her change in demeanor, but she quickly dismissed it. Rolling up her sleeves, she prepared to charge at them again.

However, just as she took a step forward, her foot slipped on the spilled slop. In the blink of an eye, she lost her balance and fell backward.

A sharp cry of pain rang out as she landed hard on the stone-paved ground. Unfortunately for her, a jagged rock was right beneath her lower back, and a sickening cracking sound echoed in the air.

Madam Cao’s eyes widened in shock as she clutched her waist, letting out a piercing scream. “Oh, heavens above! How could I be so unlucky?!”

At that moment, Cao’s eldest son happened to return home. He arrived just in time to witness his mother attempting to attack the others—only to slip and fall. Alarmed, he rushed over, shouting, “Mother!”

Madam Cao, now pale from pain, saw her son arrive and immediately pointed at Du Wanchun and the others. “Son! It was them! They pushed me!”

Cao’s eldest son was a timid man, but he wasn’t blind to the truth. He sighed heavily and said, “Mother, I saw everything just now. You fell on your own.”

Hearing her son’s words, Madam Cao’s already pale face turned an ugly shade of green. Trembling, she grabbed his collar despite her pain and yelled, “Are you even my son?! How dare you take their side?!”

Cao’s eldest son, growing impatient, hoisted her up and began carrying her outside. “Enough, Mother. Let’s get you to the doctor first.”

As soon as he moved her, Madam Cao let out another agonized scream, too weak to argue any further.

Watching them leave, Du Damei hesitated before stepping forward. She looked at her husband and softly called out, “Husband…”

Cao Laoda looked at his wife’s bruised face and, instead of blaming her, let out a long sigh. “I know this isn’t your fault. I’ll take Mother to see the doctor first. You just stay home and take care of our guests.”

Du Damei hesitated for a moment but then nodded.

Even though Madam Cao was in excruciating pain, she still wanted to scold Du Damei a few more times. However, Cao Laoda quickly carried her away before she could say anything.

Years ago, Cao Laoda and Du Damei had shared a good relationship. But because of their inability to have children, he had become weak-willed and insecure. Faced with his domineering mother, he never dared to speak up.

Yet just now, when he entered the house and saw the injuries on his wife’s face, something pricked his heart like a needle. For some reason, he had a sudden moment of clarity—this woman had been by his side for over ten years, enduring countless hardships. He couldn’t let her continue suffering like this.

Without hesitation, Cao Laoda carried Madam Cao on his back and hurried off to find Doctor Xu.

Meanwhile, Du Damei turned back inside. She lowered her head, tears streaming down her face as she spoke to Zhou Daniang and Du Wanchun. “In-laws, Wanchun, I’m sorry for dragging you into this today.”

Zhou Daniang quickly stepped forward and took her hand. “Don’t say that. It’s a good thing we came today. Otherwise, who knows how much more your mother-in-law would have tormented you?”

Du Wanchun also held onto Du Damei’s hand. “Auntie, don’t worry. If you ever suffer again, just tell us. As long as we’re here, we won’t let her lay a single finger on you.”

Looking at her little niece standing before her, Du Damei was deeply moved. Tears kept falling from her eyes, and in the end, she was so choked up that she couldn’t even speak.

Du Wanchun and Zhou Daniang helped Du Damei inside and poured her a cup of water.

At that moment, the baby who had been wailing on the bed suddenly stopped crying.

Du Wanchun immediately walked over and looked at the child.

The little one bore some resemblance to her father, but he was much better-looking.

She picked up the baby in her arms. “Auntie, I think the baby is hungry.”

Du Damei snapped out of her daze, quickly put down the water cup, and rushed toward the kitchen. “I boiled some rice broth. Wait a moment, I’ll bring it over.”

“Alright, Auntie.” Du Wanchun cradled the baby while responding.

Zhou Daniang came over and gently played with the baby’s tiny hands. She let out a deep sigh and said, “This child is lucky to have met your aunt. Otherwise, he would have suffered a miserable fate.”

Du Wanchun glanced toward the kitchen and smiled. “My aunt is a good person. She will be blessed in the future.”

Just then, Du Damei returned, carrying a bowl of warm rice broth. “Wanchun, give me the baby.”

Du Wanchun stepped forward and carefully handed the baby over. “Auntie, such a small child can’t rely on rice broth alone.”

Du Damei nodded. “I sent your uncle to other villages to find some cow’s milk. He was in such a rush when he got back just now that I didn’t even get to ask if he managed to get any.”

In Cheng’an County, very few villages raised dairy cows, making cow’s milk incredibly rare.

Cao Laoda cared for the baby as well, so he had gone to nearby villages yesterday in search of milk. He still hadn’t returned.

Du Wanchun glanced toward the door. “I wonder how Uncle is doing with taking Madam Cao to see the doctor.”