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Lianhua, in order to avoid criticism from her family, disregarded the fact that Yang Shi was her aunt and publicly touched on her sore spot. This left Yang Shi trembling with anger, almost unable to speak. In her heart, she was thinking that their Liu family would definitely not bear the consequences of today’s incident. If necessary, the two families could sever ties and become enemies!
Startled by Yang Shi’s reaction, Lianhua instinctively moved back. However, the words had already been spoken and couldn’t be taken back. Even if given another chance, she would act the same way. Her face still stung from the slaps received, all thanks to Liu Wuniang. If Yang Shi hadn’t held her back, she wouldn’t have been slapped so many times.
“If my grandson comes to any harm, Yang Xianghua, you’ll never have grandsons in the future!”
Upon hearing Lianhua’s words, Yang Xianghua felt that Yangshi was being deliberate. The two were cousins who had married into the Zhao Family and Liu family, where Liu’s fortunes were on the rise while Zhao’s family was declining. Yang Shi had more children than Zhao Yangshi, and she often flaunted this fact, which displeased Zhao Yangshi. However, as tragedy struck Yang Shi’s children, one after another, without surpassing Zhao Yangshi’s count, she finally found some peace. Now, with the prospect of becoming a grandmother before Yang Shi, the tables had turned, and Zhao Yangshi began to show off.
Therefore, Zhao Yangshi believed that Yang Shi’s actions were driven by jealousy over her current favorable circumstances. Even if it wasn’t intentional, Yang Shi had injured her own daughter-in-law and even struck her own daughter. These were undeniable facts that she must be held accountable for this time!
Angered by Zhao Yangshi’s words, Yang Shi retorted, “What do you mean by that? Are you trying to curse our Liu family to have no descendants? Our Liu family has suffered losses for years. Could it be because of your curse? I won’t let this go!”
Listening to this exchange, Su Zhi’s eyebrows twitched. She couldn’t fathom the chaos unfolding. Rural women’s quarrels not only escalated quickly but also twisted facts. If this continued, both families might transition from relatives to lifelong enemies. It seemed like that outcome was becoming increasingly likely…
“Stop arguing. The priority now is to check on the well-being of the eldest daughter-in-law!”
Su Zhi couldn’t bear to watch any longer. While Zhang Shi was still calling out, the others were arguing over who was to blame, seemingly oblivious to what truly mattered!
Both Zhao Yangshi and Yang Shi fell silent as Liu Damu came in and pulled Yang Shi out, even taking Liu Wuniang with them. His expression was grim. Seeing that Zhao Yangshi was reluctant to let her daughter-in-law and granddaughter go, he shot her a look, prompting Zhao Yangshi to release her grip. However, Zhao Yangshi continued to protest from behind.
“The monk may run, but the temple can’t hide. Everyone here saw who pushed my daughter and daughter-in-law!”
Yang Shi, unable to leave, stood in the courtyard, worrying about Zhang Shi’s safety. After all, human lives were at stake!
By now, a crowd had gathered in the yard, adding to the already numerous onlookers. Word had spread quickly among the villagers present, and with the commotion, more people had come to assist and seek the doctor.
Su Zhi thought to herself how much the villagers loved to join in on any excitement. When one family had a problem, the whole village would know in no time.
“Mother, don’t worry. I’m sure the eldest daughter-in-law will be fine. Look, this might turn out to be a blessing in disguise for you, right?”
Su Zhi, while advising Zhao Yangshi, delivered her words without much emotion, tinged with a hint of sarcasm. Zhao Yangshi found the first half acceptable but was puzzled by the second half, staring at Su Zhi.
“What blessing have I received? My grandson’s fate hangs in the balance!”
Xiaori solemnly interjected, “Congratulations, Grandma, on your recovery.”
Xinger nodded beside him, saying, “Yes, you can get out of bed now.”
Yueyue peeked out and remarked, “Grandma, your voice was so loud earlier, and you ran fast too.”
As the three children spoke, everyone’s attention shifted to Zhao Yangshi. Their gazes held various expressions, mostly mocking Zhao Yangshi. They had heard that Zhao’s eldest daughter had come to visit her sick mother, but Zhao Yangshi didn’t look unwell at all. Recalling that Zhao’s eldest daughter hadn’t returned since her marriage, many began to understand. It seemed like Zhao’s family had used the excuse of illness to trick their eldest daughter into coming back!
Su Zhi chuckled inwardly, impressed by the three clever children. If not for their small stature and innocent looks, she might have thought they were either older than they appeared or had gone through a rebirth. She had intended to mention Zhao Yangshi’s illness earlier but was surprised when the children brought it up. Their words made it more believable, especially considering Zhao Yangshi’s spirited outburst moments ago; now, even if she claimed to be sick, no one would believe her.
Only now did Zhao Yangshi realize she had followed everyone into the courtyard, despite claiming she couldn’t get off the kang earlier.
“Lianhua, my head is hurting again. Help me back to the room.”
Zhao Yangshi hurriedly had Lianhua assist her back inside. Despite hearing laughter from the crowd, she pretended not to notice. After all, if she said she was ill, then she was ill, and it was none of their concern.
Shen Zi’an suggested, “Mother-in-law, when the doctor arrives, let him examine you too. Don’t delay treatment if you’re unwell.”
As Zhao Yangshi walked back inside, she replied, “No need. Let him check on your sister-in-law first. If he can save my grandson, it’s fine even if I lose my life. Don’t waste money on me.”
Su Zhi said, “Mother, you don’t need to worry about money. Once we’ve given you the money, we won’t ask for it back. We’ll cover the doctor’s fees later. You don’t have to worry about saving money.”
Inside the house, Zhao Yangshi, upon hearing this, felt a mix of anger and concern. She knew she wasn’t actually sick, and if the doctor revealed the truth, she wouldn’t be able to ask for money from her daughter and son-in-law in the future. Once inside, Zhao Yangshi harshly pinched Lianhua, thinking that if it weren’t for this troublemaker getting into fights, none of this would have happened. Lianhua cried out in pain.
The doctor and midwife were summoned, and upon seeing Zhang Shi’s condition, the doctor immediately handed over the responsibility to the midwife, indicating that she was about to give birth.
After some commotion, perhaps due to the premature stage of the pregnancy resulting in a smaller size, the baby was soon born – a thin, tiny little boy.
The newborn didn’t cry at first and had to be lightly tapped by the midwife to elicit a feeble cry. Seeing this, the midwife furrowed her brow, realizing that raising this child would require a lot of effort and money.
Upon hearing that the baby and mother were safe, Su Zhi felt relieved. She didn’t have strong feelings towards Zhang Shi, but she cared deeply about the tiny new life.
The Liu family collectively breathed a sigh of relief. As long as no lives were lost, today’s events could come to a resolution without escalating to the worst outcome.
Zhao Yuanbao expressed his gratitude upon hearing from the doctor that his wife and son were just weak and needed proper care. Su Zhi gave the midwife a small piece of silver, approximately one qian, and handed the same amount to the doctor before seeing them off. She also politely asked the bystanders to leave.
Su Zhi and Zhao Yuanbao discussed with Old Man Zhao about having the Liu family leave first. They decided to wait for things to settle down before discussing further. The situation was too chaotic at the moment, not the right time for settling scores. Despite feeling angry, Zhao Yuanbao was somewhat intimidated by the Liu family, so he remained silent. Old Man Zhao, lacking a firm opinion, didn’t object either. Eventually, the Liu family left.
Upon hearing that the Liu family had been allowed to leave, Zhao Yangshi initially felt angry but ultimately restrained herself. Su Zhi had insisted on calling the doctor for her earlier, and she had adamantly refused. However, she eventually admitted to Su Zhi that she had feigned illness. Thankfully, she hadn’t let the doctor examine her. If he had, the entire village would have known she had tricked her daughter into coming home under false pretenses. Seeing Su Zhi’s displeased expression now, she feared that Su Zhi might start ignoring them, so she refrained from getting angry with her.
“Mother, by deceiving me to come back, how can I trust you in the future? What if you fall ill for real next time, and I suspect you’re deceiving me again? Is this how a mother behaves? If you want to see me, just call me instead of pretending to be sick. Are you after money? Don’t worry, I won’t ask for the silver back. Consider it a gift for my sister-in-law and nephew, now that she has given birth.”
Listening to Su Zhi’s words, Zhao Yangshi sat on the kang with her head bowed. When she heard that Su Zhi wouldn’t reclaim the silver, she felt a bit relieved. She now understood that her daughter was not someone to be trifled with when it came to getting her way. Trying to manipulate her was proving to be a challenge.
“Lianhua, your behavior today was unacceptable. Who starts a physical fight over a disagreement? Your reputation will surely suffer, and I wonder who will dare to marry you in the future.”
Lianhua, feeling wronged, said, “It was Liu Wuniang who made fun of me. She did it on purpose, especially in front of so many men. She used to mock me because our family is poor, and I don’t have the fancy clothes and jewelry she does. I’ve wanted to confront her for a while, but I held back because we’re relatives. But today, she went too far.”
Su Zhi replied, “She made fun of you because you made fun of her first, didn’t you say she looked like a piece of charcoal? You even mentioned her wanting to marry the son of some wealthy landlord. Of course, she would retort. In the end, you started this whole thing today. Thankfully, nothing serious happened to your sister-in-law. If it had, you would have been in deep trouble.”
“Sister, why don’t you take me to stay with you for a few days?”
Lianhua suddenly mentioned, thinking about her brother-in-law’s large house and his brother, Shen Ziju. She wondered how he was doing now. She recalled that when she went to see him before, he was unavailable. It would be great to meet him again.
“Why would you come to my place? Stay home and take care of your sister-in-law properly. Don’t set foot in my house again. Who knows, you might go there and cause trouble and break someone’s head again! Hmph!”
Su Zhi had no intention of letting Lianhua come to her house. She saw Lianhua as similar to Liu Wuniang, both seemingly attracted to any decent-looking man they laid eyes on. Su Zhi did not want to invite trouble into her home.