When they returned home, the kitchen was cold and unused.

Inside the main hall, Li Cuihong was cursing loudly. “Gone all day with no sign of her. Second son just died and Qian Chunhua’s already too lonely to stand it?

Dad, Mom, you have to do something about this. Look at the time—she’s still not back to make food. Is she trying to starve us?

It’s fine if we go hungry, but you two elders can’t be starved.

Dad, look at how much work there is in the fields—it’s all physical labor. What happens if you hurt your body from hunger? Yongqiang is a grown man…”

Hearing the noise in the main hall, Qian Chunhua stopped in her tracks.

Slandering her for being unchaste was already one thing—but now Li Cuihong was spewing even worse nonsense to her in-laws?

Furious, Qian Chunhua tossed her basket aside and stormed into the hall.

“Li Cuihong, what nonsense are you spouting? Who’s the one that disappears all day, huh?” Qian Chunhua was angry, but she wasn’t one for trading insults.

Only now did it dawn on her—neither the original host nor herself had ever been a match for Li Cuihong’s sharp tongue.

That woman could hurl insults for three days straight without repeating herself.

“Oh, look who finally came back. Done meeting your wild man?” Li Cuihong sneered with her usual sharp sarcasm, unfazed by Qian Chunhua’s confrontation.

But Qian Chunhua was not the original host.

She wasn’t good at arguing—but she sure knew how to fight.

Boiling with rage, she tossed her bundle to the ground, strode forward, grabbed Li Cuihong’s hair, and yanked hard, pulling the woman right up to her face.

At the same time, she lifted her right knee and rammed it straight into Li Cuihong’s stomach.

Li Cuihong let out a shriek, howling in pain.

It all happened so fast that no one had expected it. Since marrying into the Zhao family, Qian Chunhua had never lost her temper—much less laid hands on anyone.

By the time the others in the hall reacted, Li Cuihong had already taken quite a beating and was clearly at a disadvantage.

Of course, Li Cuihong wouldn’t take it lying down. She reached out to scratch Qian Chunhua’s face, but with her hair still tightly gripped, her movements were clumsy and ineffective.

Zhao Xiaoling, who had come in behind Qian Chunhua, swiftly grabbed the bundle off the ground and pulled Zhao Qingfeng out of harm’s way.

For the two children, what they saw today was more exciting than frightening.

They were thrilled.

Zhao Qingshui and Zhao Xiaojun, who had been resting in the east wing, came running when they heard Li Cuihong screaming.

When they saw Qian Chunhua fighting their mother, they panicked.

Zhao Qingshui rushed forward, grabbed Qian Chunhua’s hair, and punched her.

Unprepared, Qian Chunhua took the hit squarely. He was twelve, and he packed a punch—tears nearly sprang to her eyes.

Instinctively, she lashed out with her foot, not holding back in the slightest.

Zhao Qingshui was kicked flying and landed heavily on the ground.

Zhao Xiaojun tried to follow him and attack Qian Chunhua too, but she got a slap across the face. “This is between adults. You think you kids can just jump in?”

Zhao Qingsong, standing nearby, was stunned.

Qian Chunhua was still their elder—how could they hit her?

Seeing Zhao Qingshui lying on the floor, he quickly ran over to help him up.

Zhao Daqing, after a brief moment of shock, finally snapped out of it.

He was the head of the household, and yet this was happening under his nose?

“Stop it! Stop it! What’s going on? You’ve all lost your minds!”

Zhao’s mother had long since gone silent in fear.

She knew how mild-tempered the second daughter-in-law usually was—this was the first time she’d ever seen her lose her temper.

The things the eldest daughter-in-law had just said were truly out of line.

Even she, as the mother-in-law, felt offended.

No matter what, Yongcai was still her son. He had just passed away, and the eldest branch was already stirring up trouble?

But Zhao Daqing was the one in charge of the house, and she wouldn’t speak out of turn.

Qian Chunhua had no intention of stopping.

She continued giving Li Cuihong a thorough beating.

Before crossing over, Qian Chunhua had been a doctor.

She knew exactly where to hit to cause pain without leaving visible injuries.

As for Li Cuihong’s face, Qian Chunhua hadn’t even touched it—it was spotless.

Her own face, on the other hand, had a fresh scratch from the scuffle, red and swollen.

Only when she was tired did Qian Chunhua finally let go, collapsing into a chair and panting heavily.

This body’s really weak, she thought.

One fight and I’m already exhausted.

Li Cuihong, finally free, looked like she might retaliate.

Qian Chunhua was ready—if she charged again, she’d get another kick.

But to Qian Chunhua’s surprise, Li Cuihong just plopped down on the floor, wailing dramatically as she rubbed her eyes with dirty hands.

“Help! She’s going to kill me!”

Qian Chunhua, still gasping, stared in disbelief.

So Li Cuihong was just a paper tiger all along.

Even as she cried and screamed, no one came to watch the drama.

It was lunchtime, and every family was eating.

It was winter too—not freezing, but definitely not warm—so no one was hanging around outside.

Besides, Zhao’s home was spaced at least ten meters from the nearest neighbor, so no one could hear her cries.

As Li Cuihong wailed, Zhao Qingshui also began moaning.

Li Cuihong scrambled over to her eldest son, concern written on her face. “Qingshui, what’s wrong?”

Even as she checked on him, she didn’t forget to hurl another insult at Qian Chunhua. “You little tramp! How dare you hit me? You’re finished, just you wait!”

Hearing her shrieking again, Zhao’s mother glanced at Qian Chunhua in worry and tried to mediate. “We’re all one family. Let’s talk things out.”

Qian Chunhua sneered.

She knew exactly what Li Cuihong was relying on—her four brothers back home, all butchers with serious muscle.

“Li Cuihong, if you keep flapping that mouth of yours, I’ll tear it right off,” Qian Chunhua said with a sweet smile, her tone full of menace.

This time, Li Cuihong believed her.

She shut her mouth instantly.

Even Zhao Qingshui looked stunned, forgetting to keep crying.

Qian Chunhua turned to Zhao Daqing and Zhao’s mother. “Dad, Mom, you heard her just now—how she dragged my name through the mud. I left this morning to take Qingyun to school and then went to Lion Mountain to fetch the kids.

And she says I went to fool around with some man. My husband just passed, and she’s already saying this kind of poison. Is this what family does?”

Her words made Zhao Daqing realize just what Li Cuihong had said earlier.

He hadn’t had time to process it before.

Li Cuihong, unwilling to back down after her long history of lording over the household, thought she had just been caught off guard earlier.

She believed that Qian Chunhua had only landed those hits by surprise.

But now, not only had she been beaten, Qian Chunhua was also lecturing her?

Li Cuihong let out a shriek and charged again, ignoring Zhao Qingshui completely.

Qian Chunhua immediately stood, stepped half a foot back with her right leg, crouched slightly, and when Li Cuihong rushed at her—

She kicked.

Hard.

Li Cuihong flew straight out of the hall and nearly crashed into Zhao Qingfeng and Zhao Xiaoling standing outside the door.