Zhao Yongqiang panicked and stood up, shouting,

“We never abused Qingsong!”

Li Cuihong, too, couldn’t care less whether she’d be divorced—compensating over a thousand taels of silver?

She’d rather be cast out.

They didn’t even have that kind of money.

Li Cuihong snapped,

“Who hit Qingsong? You lying wench, Qian Chunhua, stop spouting nonsense! That brat was sneaky and lazy—I was just disciplining him!”

Qian Chunhua coldly replied,

“Great. Then let me ‘discipline’ Qingyun the same way—give me eight years, and I’ll return him once I’m done.”

Zhao Qingyun was shocked.

He knew exactly what kind of life Qingsong had endured—he didn’t want any part of it.

He looked at Qian Chunhua pleadingly,

“Mother…”

Qian Chunhua cut him off,

“Don’t call me that. I’m not your mother. You knew the truth, yet you stayed in our home, enjoying everything that rightfully belonged to Qingsong. You watched him suffer in silence and treated our second branch like a bunch of fools.”

Village Chief Wang and Clan Elder Zhao both fell into heavy silence.

The third demand—1,000 taels in compensation—was too much.

They couldn’t approve it.

Outside, the villagers were in an uproar:

“A thousand taels? Even if you sold off Li Cuihong, she wouldn’t fetch that much!”

Zhao Clan Elder, Village Chief Wang, and Zhao Daqing huddled to discuss what to do.

Qian Chunhua watched them quietly.

She didn’t care about the money; what she wanted was to make this scandal completely public, so the eldest branch would suffer under the weight of gossip and shame.

Making this public was only step one. Everything Zhao Qingsong had suffered—they would pay for it.

After a long deliberation, Elder Zhao turned to her.

“Yongcai’s widow, your demands are too steep. Yongqiang could never earn that much in a lifetime. As your clan elder, let me serve as mediator. Here’s my proposal.”

He paused, then continued:

“First demand—fine, Yongqiang will comply. Second and third demands—the compensation is too high. Instead, he’ll pay 400 taels. Chunhua, can you accept that?”

Before she could reply, Zhao Yongqiang jumped in:

“But we have conditions, too. You must sign an agreement promising not to report this to the authorities.”

Qian Chunhua said flatly: “No.”

Everyone was dumbfounded.

They had thought her outrageous demand was just a tactic.

That she’d jump at the chance to get 400 taels.

But now—she rejected it without even blinking.

Village Chief Wang tried to step in:

“Qian Chunhua—”

But she cut him off.

“Village Chief Wang, Zhao Yongqiang knows exactly what he’s doing. He brought you here tonight for two matters—and don’t forget the other one was about dividing the family estate.”

Wang paused. Indeed, that had been mentioned.

But ever since the child-swap scandal broke out, no one had brought it up again.

Clearly, Zhao Yongqiang’s plan was to sweep it all under the rug.

As long as the family wasn’t split up, even if she was granted compensation, she’d never actually receive it—or be able to keep it.

Hearing this, Zhao Yongqiang’s face twisted in rage.

Something didn’t add up.

When did the second daughter-in-law get so clever?

Village Chief Wang now looked at Qian Chunhua with newfound respect.

She wasn’t naive—she was sharp.

“So, Chunhua,” he asked, “what’s your decision?”

Qian Chunhua replied with just two words:

“Sever ties.”

Those two words stirred another wave of shock.

In the countryside, cutting ties with your family was almost unheard of.

Without clan support, relatives, and neighbors, survival was incredibly hard.

A single woman with three young children—how could she dare?

Clan Elder Zhao was stunned: “Qian Chunhua… you’re saying you want to cut ties with the Zhao family?”

Qian Chunhua shook her head and explained:

“Second Grandpa, you’re a good, kind man—I trust you. But I don’t trust Zhao Yongqiang and his lot.

Yongcai just passed. His spirit isn’t even cold, and they’re already scheming to take away the child and drive us out with nothing.

If the truth hadn’t come to light tonight, they would’ve thrown us to the wolves.

Now that they’re being asked for compensation, they’ll hate us even more. For the safety of my children and myself, I want to sever ties.

We’re not leaving the Zhao clan—we’re just cutting ties with Zhao Daqing and his family.

My children will always be Zhao Yongcai’s children. They will always bear the Zhao surname.
We’ll just become our own household.”

Zhao Daqing blew up.

He’d always seen himself as head of a prestigious household with proper rules and order—and now his daughter-in-law publicly humiliated him.

He roared,

“Fine! Sever ties! Get out!”

Qian Chunhua’s voice was icy: “Get out? Every brick and tile of this house was paid for with Zhao Yongcai’s sweat and labor. Where would you have lived if not for the money he sent home?
It hasn’t even been ten years—and you’ve already forgotten?”

Zhao Yongqiang snarled,

“You don’t even respect the elders! Zhao Yongcai’s barely cold in his grave and you’re already showing your fox tail—trying to run off with your lover?

This morning—yes, this morning—you snuck off to town to meet your bastard man. Even gave you some buns!”

Qian Chunhua was furious.

So it wasn’t just Li Cuihong spreading rumors—Zhao Yongqiang had been feeding them to her.

Slandering her like this in public—unforgivable.

Without another word, she pulled out a telescoping stun baton she’d hidden in advance.

With a loud crack, she smacked Zhao Yongqiang across the back.

The electric shock was set to low—not enough to knock someone out, but enough to leave them numb.

“You disgusting, lying bastard!” she shouted. “I went into town this morning to buy shoes for the kids, and picked up some buns. That shopkeeper—you say he’s my lover? I, Qian Chunhua, worked like a slave for your family day and night—and now that Yongcai is gone, you slander me to kick us out?”

She swung the baton again, hitting him repeatedly as she shouted.

Anyone who tried to intervene got a taste of the electric baton and quickly backed off.

The crowd stood frozen in place, staring in awe at this terrifying weapon.

Zhao Yongqiang wailed and yelped from the jolts—he didn’t even know how to cry anymore.

After a dozen or so lashes, Qian Chunhua finally pulled back the baton.

She ignored the admiring stares from her brother Qian Xingshan and the stunned villagers outside.

This was the real her.

She had tolerated enough.

Now she would tolerate no more.

Clan Elder Zhao snapped, “Zhao Yongqiang, shut your mouth! No one needs to hear your nonsense.
Everyone in Huanghualing knows exactly what kind of person Yongcai’s widow is!”

Even he hadn’t expected Zhao Yongqiang to be so vile.

If this were any other woman, she might have been overwhelmed by such slander.

But not her.

She was calm, rational—and ferociously tough.

Then the elder turned back to the key matter:

“Zhao Daqing, Zhao Yongqiang, Zhao Yongwen—Qian Chunhua wants to cut ties. What’s your stance?”

Zhao Daqing roared: “Cut ties? Fine! Cut them now!”

Zhao Yongqiang sneered: “I disagree. Parents belong to all their children. Second branch can’t just run away from their responsibilities!”

Zhao Yongwen added:

“I disagree too—unless Second Sister-in-law pays a lump sum for our parents’ future support in silver.”

Silver—of course.

Third brother was clever.

Zhao Yongqiang and Li Cuihong exchanged glances.

This was a great idea.