Chapter 7: Where’s the Jade Pendant?

Hearing her mother’s words, Tang Xiaorou nodded vaguely.

She didn’t know what the future held. She and Shen Huaixu had no emotional foundation, and no one could say how far they would go. 

He seemed like a good person, and his appearance was exactly to her liking. If they could develop feelings, she wouldn’t object, but if they were incompatible, there was nothing she could do.

She didn’t say this, but instead talked about tomorrow’s plans.

“Mom, let’s go to town tomorrow. If the two children arrive, we’ll have to take care of them. We can also look for a house in town and buy one if we find a suitable one.”

“Okay, let’s leave early tomorrow morning.”

While the mother and daughter were talking in the room, Tang Jianshe returned. Seeing the empty main house, he went straight to Tang Xiaorou’s room. “You two get out here! I’m telling you, I will never get a divorce!”

Tang Xiaorou sneered, “It’s not up to you.”

She had already planned to make everyone in the Tang family miserable. She didn’t believe that Tang Jianshe wouldn’t divorce her when she had made their lives hell.

“Bang… bang… bang…”

Tang Jianshe kicked the door hard. “If you have the guts, come out! I’ll beat you to death!”

Tang Xiaorou looked around, picked up a feather duster, opened the door, and said, “Fine, I want to see how you’ll beat us to death.”  She immediately started hitting Tang Jianshe.

Tang Jianshe was prepared for Tang Xiaorou, so he quickly dodged.  Before he could rejoice, Tang Xiaorou swung the feather duster again, accurately hitting his back.

“Ah…”

Tang Jianshe felt a sharp pain where Tang Xiaorou hit him.

“You rebellious girl, you dare to hit your father!”

Tang Xiaorou retorted without hesitation, “I learned from you. Since you love hitting people so much, I’m just following your example. So it’s all your fault.”

“You…”

Tang Jianshe’s eyes turned red with anger. Then he looked at Qin Xueqiong beside her and lunged at her without thinking.

Tang Xiaorou didn’t expect Tang Jianshe to be so shameless. After being beaten, he attacked her mother. She didn’t have time to think and rushed over, but it was too late to stop him. She could only block Qin Xueqiong when Tang Jianshe’s slap fell.

“Slap…”

A loud slap echoed. Qin Xueqiong looked at her daughter anxiously. “Xiaorou, are you okay?”

Tang Xiaorou felt the pain on her face and looked at Tang Jianshe with icy eyes.  Soon, her eyes turned red, and she tightly covered her left cheek. “Mom, did you see? He slapped me.  It’s more insulting than being beaten. And he hit so hard; my face might be scarred.”

Seeing her daughter’s pain and worry, Qin Xueqiong’s resolve broke.

Her daughter was already married, but Tang Jianshe still hit and scolded her at will.

She used to think that enduring it would be enough.  When her daughter got married, she wouldn’t have to suffer with her anymore.

But the Tang family wanted to sell her daughter.

Even after her daughter’s marriage, the Tang family didn’t let them go. 

So her daughter was right, she should divorce Tang Jianshe.

Even if people gossiped, it was better than letting her daughter suffer.

Thinking of this, Qin Xueqiong, taking advantage of Tang Jianshe’s unpreparedness, lunged forward and slapped him.

“Tang Jianshe, I truly regret not divorcing you sooner, letting Xiaorou suffer for so many years. This time, we’re definitely getting a divorce.”

Seeing Qin Xueqiong’s hateful expression, Tang Jianshe was stunned. “You… you actually dared to hit me?” This surprised him more than Tang Xiaorou hitting him. Qin Xueqiong had always been weak and submissive since marrying into the Tang family, and now she dared to hit him.

Seeing Qin Xueqiong stand up for herself, Tang Xiaorou’s eyes shone.

It seemed her ploy had worked.  The original Tang Xiaorou and Qin Xueqiong were too tolerant. Even when beaten by the Tang family, they hid it to avoid worrying their mother. If they had spoken up earlier, Qin Xueqiong might have stood up for her daughter sooner.

After all, she had even stolen the household registration book to prevent her daughter from marrying Yang Erzhu, showing that her daughter was the most important thing to her.

“I did hit you. I blame myself for being useless, letting my daughter suffer with me.”

Thinking of the miserable life they had led for all these years, Qin Xueqiong blamed her own incompetence. But now even her son-in-law supported her, what did she have to worry about? “Tang Jianshe, whether you like it or not, we’re getting a divorce as soon as possible. Now, return my jade pendant.”

Hearing Qin Xueqiong’s words, Tang Jianshe didn’t react at first. After a while, he realized she was talking about a jade pendant he had taken from her after their marriage.

“That jade pendant was given to Mother long ago. It’s hers. Why would you want it?”

Tang Xiaorou didn’t know about this jade pendant, but hearing Tang Jianshe’s words, she sneered, “That’s clearly my mother’s thing, how did it become that old woman’s? Hand it over now.”

Tang Jianshe looked at the unfamiliar mother and daughter, his temples throbbing. “Don’t push it.”

“Heh… Who’s pushing it? I’m telling you, get that jade pendant back from the old woman, or we’ll go get it ourselves.”

Tang Jianshe looked at Tang Xiaorou with dark eyes, wishing he could beat this rebellious daughter to death. If it weren’t for her, Qin Xueqiong wouldn’t have become like this.

However, Tang Xiaorou was unfazed and looked at Tang Jianshe with equally sinister eyes. “We remember all the suffering my mother and I endured in the Tang family. If you’re smart, you’ll get the jade pendant back and divorce my mother. Otherwise… I don’t mind making our lives a living hell every day. Let’s see if you can still live comfortably.”

“You…”

Seeing Tang Xiaorou’s emotionless and murderous gaze, Tang Jianshe clearly realized that Tang Xiaorou had changed. Not only had she changed, but even the usually weak and obedient Qin Xueqiong had changed. They might really do what they said and make the house a mess. They were ready to fight back.

Thinking of this, Tang Jianshe pointed at Tang Xiaorou, unable to speak, and turned to leave to find Grandma Tang.

Watching Tang Jianshe leave, Tang Xiaorou turned to Qin Xueqiong and asked, “Mom, what jade pendant?”