Chapter 11

Chen Yue’s temper flared instantly. In her eyes, Gu Zhenqi was blatantly provoking her, acting like she didn’t even exist. She was going to make her pay for that arrogance.

With that thought, she rolled up her sleeves and looked back at Chen Chun and Chen Hua.
“Big Sis, Second Sis, let’s teach her a good lesson today. Let her know that the Chen family isn’t some place an outsider can just take over. Otherwise, we won’t even be able to return to our family home anymore. That wild monkey wants to play queen of the mountain!”

Of course, Chen Chun and Chen Hua were always on the same side as Chen Yue. The three sisters always stuck together when it came to leeching off their natal family.

So now, the three of them—scrawny, sickly-looking, wearing patched-up clothes—each with ferocious expressions and angry eyes, stormed forward like they were about to tear Gu Zhenqi apart.

They had barely struck their intimidating pose and hadn’t even rushed forward yet—

Fei’an and Ruiduo, hand in hand, spread their little arms out like a tiny wall of flesh to block in front of Gu Zhenqi. Their round eyes glared wide, with fierce little expressions on their babyish faces.

“You’re bad people! You’re not allowed to bully Mommy!”
Feian stood like a little man, determined.

“Not allowed! We’ll protect Mommy!”
Ruiduo puffed up her cheeks and echoed her brother fiercely.

Gu Zhenqi lowered her gaze, eyes soft and rimmed with tears, looking at the two little figures who weren’t even as tall as her thigh. She’d spoken too forcefully, and her footing had become unstable—her small body wobbled a bit.

Warmth surged in her heart. She quietly sheathed the broadsword she had just drawn and obediently stood behind her two tiny protectors.

“You two little brats, get out of my way! Ungrateful pests—just because someone gives you candy you think she’s your mom? You deserve it. I can’t wait to see your restless mother ditch you one day and run off with another man.”
Chen Yue’s vile words ran unchecked, her mouth spewing filth.

That finally enraged Gu Zhenqi. A person can be insulted—but not humiliated. In her past life, she had done some terrible things, sure—but she had always remained loyal to her marriage. Aside from Chen Kuo, she had never been with another man.

She had never even felt a flicker of attraction to anyone else.

Honestly, even she was a little embarrassed by that. Two lifetimes, and she still didn’t know what romance felt like. She had never experienced blushing or a racing heart.

In her past life, all her time had gone into her career. She used to say, “Who needs a man—especially if he turns out to be trash? Chasing your goals is far more satisfying.”

But reality had proven otherwise. No matter how rich or powerful you were, if your heart was cold and empty, life had no flavor.

Thinking of that, Gu Zhenqi’s expression turned cold. She stepped around Feian and Ruiduo, strode forward, and yanked Chen Yue by the collar. She moved so fast and suddenly that before Chen Yue, Chen Hua, or Chen Chun could react—

Chen Yue’s head was already dunked into the slop bucket by the kitchen door. Only the frantic splashing of her struggling could be seen.

Gu Zhenqi sneered coldly:
“Such a filthy mouth—you clearly need a good wash. Tomorrow, I’ll go tell your husband you’re planning to run off with another man.”

Chen Chun and Chen Hua couldn’t just stand by and watch Chen Yue get tormented. They screamed:
“You shrew! Let’s tear you apart right now!”

They charged at her—but inside the kitchen, Ge Yun and Fan Chun, who had been observing everything from the sidelines, acted quickly.

Realizing Gu Zhenqi was about to be outnumbered, they exchanged a glance and cheerfully stepped out of the kitchen, each blocking one of the sisters.

Ge Yun grabbed Chen Chun’s arm and tried to calm her down:
“Big Sister-in-law, we’re all one family. Don’t make a big scene. What will the villagers say? It’ll be embarrassing.”

Fan Chun pulled on Chen Hua’s arm, also trying to calm her:
“Second Sister-in-law, calm down. Let’s not make things ugly—every villager has a mouth. You don’t want them to start talking…”

But Chen Chun and Chen Hua were already consumed by rage. All they wanted was to tear Gu Zhenqi to pieces.

Seeing Chen Yue’s head being dunked repeatedly into the stinking slop, they were furious—wanting to slam Gu Zhenqi’s seductive-looking face into that same bucket. Ideally, her head would smell of rot and sourness forever—disgusting to everyone she met.

They struggled to break free, shouting in unison:
“Let us go! Quit pretending to be all noble—‘for our own good’? Pfft. You’re obviously on her side!”

Ge Yun and Fan Chun thought to themselves: Of course we’re on her side. Why the hell would we team up with you leeches? Got hit in the head by a donkey? Lost your minds?

Still, they smiled politely and kept trying to reason with them.

Ge Yun said gently:
“Big Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law, let’s not blow this up. If we do, no one will come out looking good.”

Fan Chun said more bluntly:
“Running back to your maiden home for handouts because your husband’s house is poor and treats you badly—what’s honorable about that?”

Chen Chun and Chen Hua immediately looked furious, faces dark like pig’s liver, eyes full of hatred.

“Handouts? Speak with some conscience! Has yours been eaten by a dog? Years ago, during the drought, our crops failed. It was still half a month until the commune distributed rations. Our family didn’t even have a grain of rice left. The mountains were stripped bare—we couldn’t find food anywhere. The whole family lay starving on the kang for three days. We couldn’t hold out anymore. So Mom traded me—thirteen years old at the time—for ten jin of cornmeal from the Zhao family. I had nothing, not even a handkerchief, wearing nothing but patched-up clothes when I walked into their house.”

Chen Chun was so angry her chest heaved. Her eyes were red, and her breathing labored.

“If it weren’t for that ten jin of cornmeal I was traded for, the whole Chen family would’ve died. You wouldn’t even exist. The Chen family owes me. We deserve what we take.”

She spoke with conviction, as if the Chen family owed her a debt as deep as the ocean. As if everything she did was justified.

Ge Yun retorted:
“Big Sister-in-law, that’s going too far. Back then, a lot of girls were married off to save their families—but they didn’t come back again and again like bandits, raiding the house with big bags of loot.”

“Shut your mouth! You saying that, do you even have a conscience?!”
Chen Hua snapped back, shaking with rage.

“I never wanted to marry so young! I wanted to finish high school and get a job. But you—you thought you were some fairy, asking for a bride price of 50 yuan! Chen Qiang was so obsessed with you that he insisted on marrying you. Mom gave in and forced me—still in middle school—to drop out and marry some man just to scrape together the money for you. The Chen family owes me! You owe me!”

Her fury grew as she recalled her past injustices. For her brother to marry a wife, they had sacrificed her future.

She resented every single member of her natal family. In her heart, they owed her a debt she could never forgive. So what if she came back to take some things?

So what?

If others could be selfish, why couldn’t she?

“Let… go… gurgle, glug… let… b*tch… help… me…”
As Chen Chun and Chen Hua sank deeper into their bitter memories, Chen Yue—her mouth and nose full of slop—began making faint, broken cries.

Both women turned at once and saw Chen Yue, weak and limp, on her knees before the slop bucket, her head still being pressed into it by Gu Zhenqi.

“Gu Zhenqi, let our third sister go! You’re killing her! She’s going to die! We’ll make sure you get shot if you don’t let her go—NOW!” they screamed.

Gu Zhenqi yanked Chen Yue’s head out of the slop, glared at the other two coldly and said:
“A filthy mouth needs to be washed. Otherwise next time, you’ll still be spouting garbage.”

Then, she shoved Chen Yue’s head back into the bucket and held it down again.

Ge Yun and Fan Chun saw Chen Yue’s pale, helpless face and felt a chill. They exchanged a knowing look and made a silent pact—never to cross Gu Zhenqi.

This woman… she wasn’t just ruthless. She was terrifying.