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Su Zhi had peered out through the cracks of the gate and was surprised to see so many people. Not easily fazed, she promptly opened the door.
Unconcerned about exposing herself in public, Su Zhi noticed the murmurs and fearful expressions around her, causing her to furrow her brow slightly. She acknowledged that her face might not be attractive, but it certainly wasn’t monstrous. Why were they so terrified?
“Her luck doesn’t seem too good,” noted the Taoist in the midst of the crowd.
Observing the white-haired Taoist at the center of the villagers, Su Zhi began to understand. As the Taoist spoke, some even stepped back, their expressions showing more disgust and fear. It dawned on her that they viewed her as a jinx, believing in it due to the Taoist’s words and her illness. She pondered whether the villagers were ignorant or if she was just unlucky to face such a situation.
Sun Shi, aware that her husband had invited the Taoist, still took two steps back, feigning fear and shielding her stomach, muttering, “Chunhua, daughter, help me step back a bit; I’m starting to feel unwell again.”
Chunhua quickly assisted Sun Shi in stepping back. Her wide eyes revealed fear as she glanced at Su Zhi’s unattractive face, prompting her to lower her gaze. Despite finding Su Zhi’s expression not frightening but rather pitiable, as young girls are sensitive to beauty, Chunhua still felt a sense of unease.
Shen Zhang shi glared at Sun Shi and scolded, “Still feeling unwell here? You just had a threatened miscarriage. Be careful not to overexert yourself. Why aren’t you resting at home?”
Shen Zhang shi’s reprimand was not harsh. In her mind, she was considering Sun Shi’s adeptness at acting, despite her usual cunning, laziness, and greed. Sun Shi’s cooperation in this act made it even more convincing to the villagers that Su Zhi was cursed. This made the task of driving her out of the house easier. Once Su Zhi was gone, Shen Zi’an would likely leave as well. Even if he stayed, getting rid of this sickly daughter-in-law wouldn’t be a bad idea. Shen Zi’an was a good earner and a hard worker. Even if he didn’t leave, getting rid of this burden would be beneficial. Before marrying, he had always turned over his earnings to her. If this daughter-in-law was dismissed, and news spread about him marrying a jinx, no one would want to marry their daughters to him in the future. This way, she could continue benefiting from him for a few more years.
Shen Zhang shi was busy calculating in her mind.
Upon hearing Shen Zhang shi’s words, Su Zhi realized she was now aligned with Sun Shi. Unconcerned by the cold reception, she preferred their indifference, allowing her to proceed without constrain.
“May I ask why everyone is here?” Su Zhi inquired, already anticipating the unfolding events. With countless experiences as the leading lady, she could sense what was about to happen. The presence of the Taoist, proclaiming her ill-fated destiny, surrounded by a crowd of unfamiliar onlookers, with the Shen family members isolating her, all hinted at the imminent danger. However, she remained composed, ready to tackle the situation step by step.
When Su Zhi began speaking, everyone was momentarily stunned. Her voice, clear and crisp like the sound of water droplets, had a calming effect on those present.
Shen Zhu suddenly felt uncomfortable. She had always prided herself on her beauty and melodious voice, likening it to a nightingale’s. Now, she couldn’t accept that this woman, who she considered a hundred times uglier, had a more pleasant voice, challenging her self-perception.
“Zhao Xiaomei, how impolite of you. Your parents are here, close relatives and neighbors are present, along with this Elder Immortal. It’s rude not to greet us first and directly inquire about our intentions,” Shen Zhu scolded. Her words snapped everyone out of their surprise caused by Su Zhi’s voice. Upon seeing her face and looking back at the Taoist, the disdain towards Su Zhi intensified. People began criticizing Su Zhi loudly and quietly.
Su Zhi, unfazed, gracefully bowed and said, “Before you speak, please introduce yourself. It’s not about manners now but the most fundamental thing. I don’t recognize most of the people here, if you don’t tell me who you are or introduce this group of people to me, how would I know who they are?”
Shen Zhu’s face blushed slightly. Su Zhi’s words pointed out her lack of manners as she hadn’t introduced herself. Since Su Zhi had been sent to this place right after marrying into the family, she had never formally met her relatives and couldn’t possibly recognize them. Su Zhi’s argument made sense.
Shen Youfu and Shen Zhang shi’s faces turned grim. In their customs, if a newlywed woman hadn’t served tea to her in-laws, it symbolized non-acceptance by the family. Although Su Zhi hadn’t been sent back to her parents’ home and was allowed to stay in the shabby thatched house, albeit in isolation, the fact that they hadn’t made her serve tea or even met her was a mistake on the part of the Shen family!
Seeing the displeasure on the faces of the Shen family members and the peculiar expressions of the villagers directed towards them, Su Zhi sensed the situation and decided to strike back.
“Neighbors, since I married into the Shen family, I have been confined here and haven’t met my husband’s family. Therefore, I cannot recognize them. As for all of you, I was taken aback for a moment, hence the lack of response. Please forgive me,” Su Zhi explained, bowing gracefully. Her slender figure, dressed in light blue attire with her long hair elegantly arranged, gave the impression of a refined young lady, if one didn’t scrutinize her face or the lack of jewelry and luxurious fabrics in her attire.
Some onlookers couldn’t help but murmur words of forgiveness, but they were quickly hushed by those around them. Nevertheless, this incident had already darkened the mood of the Shen family members.
Su Zhi was pleased with how things were unfolding and continued, “Just because I didn’t immediately respond when he said my luck was bad – if it were someone else, they might have reacted differently. Some might have gotten angry, while others might have at least glared. But I simply stood there, which hardly qualifies as being rude.”
Laughter erupted from the crowd, acknowledging the logic in Su Zhi’s words. If anyone suddenly heard that their luck was bad, they might get upset or even confrontational. Su Zhi’s composed response was far from impolite.
Observing Su Zhi’s control of the situation, Shen Zhang shi furrowed her brow slightly and glanced at Sun Shi, realizing she needed to rely on her. Even if Su Zhi was reasonable, facing someone unreasonable would still result in defeat. Moreover, Su Zhi’s current situation wasn’t favorable, while Sun Shi’s circumstances were more visible and likely to sway the crowd in her favor.
Sun Shi didn’t need Shen Zhang shi’s cues; she had a plan in mind.
“Zhao Xiaomei, you truly are sharp-tongued! But even with your words, you can’t erase the fact that you’re a jinx! Ever since you entered this household, misfortunes have plagued us constantly! My poor child almost perished! My Fifth Son is constantly sick, and my husband’s back and legs are in more pain than ever! It’s all because of you, the Taoist has labeled you as a jinx! What you say is futile!” Sun Shi cried out loudly, although not a single tear fell. She wiped her eyes with spit, accidentally getting some in her eye, causing discomfort. She wailed loudly, trying to display emotion.
Seeing Sun Shi collapse onto Chunhua and hearing her accusations, the villagers began to believe her words, especially with the endorsement from the Taoist-like old man.
Su Zhi remarked, “You must be the Third Sister-in-law, right? Although we haven’t met, I’ve had the pleasure of hearing your voice. It truly reflects your character.”
Someone nearby chuckled. Sun Shi’s sharp voice and tendency to gossip made it unsurprising that she would stir up trouble with a sickly sibling at home. Su Zhi’s ability to recognize her solely by her voice was a subtle dig at her.
“Third Sister-in-law accuses me of being a jinx and harming many people, but all I seem to be harming are your children and husband, isn’t that odd? Am I a jinx that selectively targets certain individuals?” Su Zhi retorted.
Fourth Brother interjected, “You’re also the reason Second Uncle has no sons!”
Thinking of Li Shi, a woman without sons in this era likely faced challenges in her in-law’s household. Su Zhi considered her a reasonable person and felt it was unfortunate.
The Third Grandson added, “You’re also causing me to have less meat to eat!”
Sun Shi whispered something to Chunhua and then twisted her waist forcefully, causing Chunhua to cry out in pain, tears streaming down her cheeks as she fell to her knees.
“Fourth Aunt! I can’t lose my mother, father, or brother. Please don’t harm them, I beg you, I’ll kowtow to you,” Chunhua pleaded tearfully.
Sun Shi, feigning distress, grabbed Chunhua and screamed, “My good daughter, why are you kowtowing to her?! She’s not worthy of your respect, this jinx isn’t worth it. Mother knows you’re a good girl, but you shouldn’t degrade yourself. It’s all because of this jinx causing trouble!”
As Sun Shi cried, she eventually fainted, strategically collapsing onto her daughter.
Chaos erupted once again.
“Jinx, jinx! I’ll kill you, you jinx!”
The third and fourth grandson grabbed dirt clumps from the ground, hurling them at Su Zhi. Other children followed suit, picking up whatever they could find and throwing it at her.
“What are you all doing?!”
Amidst the escalating commotion, a thunderous roar silenced the crowd. All eyes turned to see Shen Zi’an, glaring angrily at them.
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