Chapter 10: Confronting Zhang Xiufang

Yu Nuan tsk’ed.

She smiled and nodded, while her gaze swept over Zhang Xiufang and the other two daughters-in-law, her smile cryptic and unreadable.

Seeing her nod, the second daughter-in-law, Wang Qiong, became smug.

She thought her silver tongue had worked wonders again and cast a proud glance at the others.

The eldest daughter-in-law, Li Qiao, gave a flattering smile.

Zhang Xiufang was clearly pleased with her second daughter-in-law.

Among the three daughters-in-law, the eldest was the most timid—basically invisible at home.

The second was a sly fox, best at flattering and sweet-talking.

The third had a temper similar to Zhang Xiufang’s, but was thoroughly dominated by her.

“I knew Little Nuan was the most sensible one.
I’ve already handed over your birth information.
Look, even the betrothal gift—your sister-in-law brought it for you.”
Zhang Xiufang laughed, a hint of lewd cunning in her expression.

She pulled a silver tael from her sleeve pocket.

“Oh, big sis-in-law, you really do have my best interests at heart,”
Yu Nuan said as she reached out and smoothly took the silver.
Hmph. One tael of silver to marry her off?

Zhang Xiufang was momentarily stunned—the silver was already in Yu Nuan’s hands.

“Ahem, taking the silver means you agree, doesn’t it?”
Zhang Xiufang winced, her face wrinkling like a walnut.

She was over forty, three years older than the eldest son, with no fewer wrinkles than Mother Yu. Her slanted eyes were full of scheming.

Yu Nuan couldn’t help but picture the wicked witch from her childhood bedtime stories—the one who’d eat your fingers…

Yu Nuan casually turned the silver over in her hand, not responding.

Zhang Xiufang’s eyes darted about.
Even though she had already skimmed a silver tael off the bride price, no one ever complains about having too much money.

“Well, you know, Xiao Qiong’s maiden family worked hard to help you find this match.
It’s only right to send a return gift to thank them. I’ll hold onto the silver for you—after buying the gifts, I’ll bring you what’s left.”

Quick as a flash, she snatched the silver back out of Yu Nuan’s hands.

“Now that you’ve accepted the silver, I say let’s just get your granddaughter married off.
If I remember correctly, Xiao Ju and Xiao Ran are almost fifteen now…”
Yu Nuan said, then began helping Father Yu back toward the house.

“Hey, you little brat! Are you trying to pick a fight with me?
You should be grateful someone wants you!
The Wang family won’t make you serve in-laws or compete with sister-in-laws.
Tell me—who else in the village would even want you?
Are you planning to leave those two old burdens at home to rot once you’re married?”

Zhang Xiufang was so angry, her wrinkled mouth twitched uncontrollably.

“Wang Qiong, do you really think Wang Jinlong’s household is that great?”
Yu Nuan stopped and called out directly to her second sister-in-law.

Wang Qiong felt a strange jolt.

This girl, who was barely older than her own daughter, had just called her by name—like an elder addressing a junior.

That alone made Wang Qiong feel uncomfortable.

“Of course! No in-laws above, no sisters-in-law below. What’s not to like?”
She shot Yu Nuan a glare.

“Oh? If it’s so great, why didn’t you marry him?
From the sound of it… you sound full of regret.
But hey, it’s not too late—your daughter Xiao Ran is fourteen, right? Just wait a little longer~
Since ancient times, sons have fought in place of their fathers. Why not you go in place of your mother-in-law and marry him instead?”

“You little whore! What filthy nonsense are you spewing!?”
Wang Qiong’s eyes went wide. She glanced toward her mother-in-law.

Sure enough, Zhang Xiufang’s face looked like she’d swallowed manure—disgusted and furious.

“Well said! No in-laws above…”
Yu Nuan slowly strolled up to Zhang Xiufang and stopped, catching the raging fire in her eyes.

Zhang Xiufang’s breath hitched.
That girl’s words… could very well reflect her own daughter-in-law’s true feelings.

“…no sisters-in-law below…”
Yu Nuan walked back and forth in front of the other two daughters-in-law.

The eldest didn’t dare say a word, but the third was hot-tempered and quick to react.

Hearing Yu Nuan’s words, she began to mull over them—and they didn’t sit well with her.

Usually, Wang Qiong loved to play the dutiful and clever one in front of their mother-in-law.

Even though they hadn’t officially split the family, the inside had long since rotted through.

The third daughter-in-law immediately started cursing at Wang Qiong.

Wang Qiong, both wronged and furious, couldn’t defend herself—and in moments, the two were brawling.

Seeing them wrestle together, the eldest daughter-in-law tried to break them up—only to be dragged into the fight herself.

Zhang Xiufang thought back carefully—when Wang Qiong’s mother had first proposed this marriage, she’d gone on and on about how “no in-laws above, no sister-in-laws below” like a broken record.

All Zhang Xiufang wanted was to marry off this little wretch and pocket something in the process—before the other sisters-in-law beat her to it.

How could she not know what kind of man Wang Jinlong was?

That matchmaker had tossed that one line back and forth like stir-fried beans!

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. And with all hell breaking loose over on the side, she decided to vent her rage on Yu Nuan.

She stormed forward and yanked hard on Yu Nuan’s braid.

“Ahhh!!” Yu Nuan felt a jolt across her scalp.

Yu Father tried to step in but was shoved to the ground by Zhang Xiufang.

Yu Nuan was furious!

She spun around, grabbed Zhang Xiufang by the neck, and with a swift movement—taking advantage of the older woman’s slow reflexes—pinned her to the ground.

A chilling aura radiated from her.

“Cough… Huff… You damn girl, let go of me! Are you all blind? Pull her off me!”
Zhang Xiufang shouted, her grip on Yu Nuan’s hair tightening.

In response, Yu Nuan’s grip around her neck only got tighter.

This kind of person—those who cloak harm in the name of “it’s for your own good”—elicited no mercy from her.

Especially someone who kept calling her parents “those two old corpses.” She found it repulsive to the core.

There was no reasoning with this kind of village shrew.

If you couldn’t make her respect you, then you had to make her fear you.

“Mom!!”

“Nuan!!”

Seeing Zhang Xiufang’s face turning red like a monkey’s behind, Yu Father and the three daughters-in-law all stopped fighting and shouted out in shock.

Yu Mother, listening intently from inside, also rushed out to call for Yu Nuan.

But Yu Nuan didn’t budge.

This forty-something peasant woman and a sixteen-year-old like her—both used to farm labor—weren’t that different in strength. And Yu Nuan had the upper hand.

Every time Zhang Xiufang seemed about to pass out from lack of oxygen, Yu Nuan loosened her grip slightly—only to tighten it again when she drew breath.

After a few cycles of this, Zhang Xiufang began to genuinely fear her.

She released Yu Nuan’s hair and pointed desperately at her own throat.

That feeling of being unable to live or die overwhelmed her. Tears streamed down her face.

The three daughters-in-law didn’t dare step forward.

Yu Nuan’s pale face, cold and steely, was terrifying.

She’d always been a scrawny, sickly little thing, but right now, she looked like someone capable of murder.

If any of them so much as took a step, Yu Nuan would lean forward and squeeze harder.

Seeing their mother-in-law’s face turning bluish-purple, their scalps went numb.

They’d never witnessed anyone truly trying to kill someone before.

And this damn girl… really looked like she would!

What if she accidentally… actually did?

The three of them trembled, glanced at each other—and saw the same terror reflected back.

In the next second, they all turned and ran out of the courtyard.

While fleeing, they shouted at the top of their lungs:

“Murder!”

“Someone’s gonna die!”

Soon enough, a group of villagers working nearby came rushing toward the Yu household, brandishing hoes and farm tools.

Meanwhile, the second daughter-in-law sprinted back home to get her husband.

Twenty minutes later, the Yu family courtyard was surrounded by a crowd.

Yu Nuan had already released Zhang Xiufang the moment the three daughters-in-law ran off.

She was small-framed—if she’d let Zhang Xiufang go earlier, there was a real risk of being ganged up on and beaten by them.

And if no one saw it happen, who could she complain to?

But with only Zhang Xiufang left behind, Yu Nuan wasn’t the least bit afraid.

“Waaahhh—this damn… this damn girl tried to kill me!!”
Zhang Xiufang wailed while sitting on the ground, occasionally wiping her snot on her shoe.

But she didn’t dare look directly at Yu Nuan.

She was truly terrified by her earlier.

At her age, she’d genuinely thought she was about to be sent to the afterlife by this wretched girl.

“You…”

Yu Father tried to help Zhang Xiufang up, but she shook him off violently.

“Dad, don’t bother with her.”

Yu Nuan went into the house and brought out a straw stool for him.

With his bum leg, he couldn’t stand for too long.

But the situation was tense, and pain was the least of his concerns.

While the villagers were still making their way up the hill, Yu Nuan quickly slipped into the kitchen…