Chapter 8: Grandmother, Let Me Slap You

“Big sister-in-law, don’t say that. If we could help, we would, but we’re out in the middle of nowhere, and there’s not much we can do,” said Second Mistress Wang with regret in her voice, though her eyes gleamed with schadenfreude.

Second Master Song Lu sighed and shook his head. “Big sister-in-law, we’re not doctors.”

He actually liked the gentle eldest daughter-in-law. Back in the day, he and his elder brother had both taken a liking to her. However, she hadn’t shown any interest in him, which became a source of unease for Song Lu. This was also a deep-rooted issue for Second Mistress Song, and the reason she had always been at odds with the eldest daughter-in-law.

The eldest daughter-in-law hurriedly said, “I understand… but, could you lend me some money?”

She nervously clutched her sleeve. Since her husband went missing, this was the first time she had ever asked for help.

The person she asked seemed to seize the opportunity and mock her haughtily.

“Big sister-in-law, you’ve come to beg for help? Too bad, asking me won’t do any good—I don’t have any money!”

Second Mistress Wang found this incredibly satisfying. She once had a man to protect her, and later she had her son to lean on. She hadn’t expected that she’d end up in such a situation now.

Song Lu truly sympathized with his elder sister-in-law, but at present, he was relying on his wife’s family’s support to make ends meet, so he could only shake his head in refusal.

“Big sister-in-law, I’m sorry.”

“I think if Yuan’er is beaten like that, it’s better to let him go. He’ll just suffer if he lives,” said Third Master Song Ren.

He was a carefree person who didn’t care about anyone, but his words sent a chill through the eldest daughter-in-law.

She stared wide-eyed at him, not believing what she was hearing. “Third brother, what do you mean by that?”

“Didn’t you hear what my husband said?” Third Mistress Xu spoke venomously. “If it weren’t for your husband, Jiu Yuan’s ambition, we wouldn’t have been exiled and had our property seized. I think it’s retribution—he’s being punished by heaven, and there’s nothing we can do about it!”

“Shut up!”

The eldest daughter-in-law slapped her, her anger flaring. Xu hadn’t expected it, and the slap landed squarely on her face.

She recovered quickly and raised her hand to retaliate, but Jiang Wuan was already quick enough to pull the eldest daughter-in-law aside.

Xu missed and fell to the ground, her face in the dirt, looking utterly pathetic.

“Scoundrel…”

Xu got up and rushed at the eldest daughter-in-law again.

Slap! Slap! Slap!

Jiang Wuan grabbed Xu and slapped her hard several times, turning her face into a swollen mess. By the time the third family realized what had happened, Song Jiu Chi and Song Jiu Li stepped in to stop them.

Even though they hated Jiang Wuan, they didn’t let that interfere with standing together, especially since the third family had insulted their mother.

“Jiang Wuan, you broom star, let go of me!” Third Mistress Xu’s face was swollen like a pig’s, and Jiang Wuan shoved her hard to the ground.

Whether intentional or not, Xu’s fall was harsh—she hit a stone and lost several teeth, blood oozing from her lips. She looked like a madwoman, screaming and cursing.

“Scoundrel! Jiang Wuan, you scoundrel!”

“Not to mention that in the past, you relied on my husband to live your comfortable life, but now you’re speaking like this to my mother, your sister-in-law. Show some respect!”

Since Jiang Wuan had crossed over, she had been holding in a lot of anger. Finally, she was able to vent some of it, giving Xu a hard lesson, and her mood lightened.

“Mother!”

Song Yang, the seven-year-old spoiled little tyrant of the third family, saw his mother being beaten and rushed forward, looking like a firecracker about to explode.

He clearly intended to settle the score with Jiang Wuan, but before he could make a move, she grabbed him by the wrist and lifted him off the ground.

“Ah, I’m going to kill you, scoundrel! You dare hit my mother? I’ll beat you!”

Song Yang swung his hands, but his movements were so clumsy that it looked ridiculous.

“Stop!”

The old lady, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up, but it was because she was worried about her little grandson.

“Jiang, let go of Yang’er.”

“Grandmother, if I let him go, he’ll hit me!”

Jiang Wuan had a stern look on her face. She hadn’t seen or done anything when her first family was bullied earlier, but now the bias was too much for her to ignore.

“Grandmother, she hit my mother!”

Song Yang pouted, trying to get sympathy from the old lady. He knew just how to make her feel sorry for him, and sure enough, she looked at him with concern and glared fiercely at Jiang Wuan.

“Jiang Wuan, you’re disrespecting your elders and bullying a child. You should be slapped!”

“Grandmother, let me do it!”

Shen Qian immediately stepped forward, her tiredness momentarily gone as she prepared to slap Jiang Wuan. But as soon as she raised her hand, Jiang Wuan grabbed her wrist with ease.

“Just you? You think you can hit me?”

Jiang Wuan sneered and slapped Shen Qian’s face hard. She didn’t hold back, and in the meantime, she casually tossed the little tyrant Song Yang in front of the old lady.

“Big sister-in-law!”

Song Chen, displeased, approached but was stopped by Song Jiu Chi. “Cousin, let the women handle their own affairs.”

Even though Jiang Wuan was a scheming woman, Song Jiu Chi knew this was all for his older brother, and he could discern right from wrong in this situation.

“Jiang Wuan is right. After all, we’re not blood-related. I understand why my mother can’t be impartial.”

The eldest daughter-in-law suddenly spoke up, her voice filled with sadness. “But can’t mother help because Yuan’er has protected your sons for so many years?”

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

The old lady’s eyes flickered nervously. “We can’t help, whether we want to or not. It all depends on Yuan’er’s fate.”

“Heh…”

The eldest daughter-in-law’s heart sank. She spoke up, revealing the long-hidden secret the old lady had tried to bury.

“You don’t deserve to be my children’s grandmother. You were just a concubine born from a maidservant. If it weren’t for Father’s favoring concubines and neglecting his wife, you would never have become the old lady!”

“My children are the legitimate heirs, and your children are nothing more than illegitimate. If it weren’t for Father doting on you, what qualifications would you have to enjoy the honor brought by my son?”

“Shut your mouth!”

The old lady was so furious that she almost jumped up, her face turning a dark shade, a secret she had kept for years coming out. She had once been a foot-washing maid by the master’s side, and when she gained favor, she even caused the legitimate wife to die of anger.

She thought the people who knew the truth were all dead, but to her surprise, her “good son” had told his wife everything.