After the group arrived, they were in no hurry. Instead, they watched as Grandma chased Grandpa Shen with a broom.
“Go ahead, hit me! If you have the guts, kill me! Then you can go to prison and stop ruining my descendants!”
He ran, she chased—there was no escape for him.
“Heaven-cursed old man! The family is already split, yet you still bully people! Stand still! I’ll fight you to the death!”
Grandma had worked hard all her life, while Grandpa Shen had always been a frail scholar—how could he be a match for her? Besides, he cared deeply about his reputation. Whether he could overpower a woman or not, even if he wanted to fight, he would never do so in front of so many people.
Shen Zhiqiu was chased so hard that he even lost a shoe. In the past, when the two argued fiercely, Old Man Shen would eventually lose the war of words and could only escape the battlefield by smashing cups and bowls. But being chased and beaten like this was a first.
Many villagers came to watch the spectacle.
“Wow, what’s going on? They just had a mutual separation yesterday, and today they’re already fighting like cats and dogs!” someone remarked sarcastically.
“When Feng Meixiang first married into the family, she was delicate and weak, speaking softly. Now she’s just like any other rough country wife.”
“If it were you, you’d go mad too! The crops in the fields have been completely ruined. If it were me, I’d grab a kitchen knife and fight to the death!”
“This Shen Zhiqiu is truly wicked. And he calls himself a scholar! Those two households are his own descendants, yet he cuts off their livelihood. How despicable!”
“Du Shi, what are you just standing there for? This was all your idea—you brought your own family to ruin the land.”
As the crowd grew larger, Shen Zhiqiu couldn’t take it anymore. Spotting his eldest daughter-in-law peeking out from inside the house, his anger flared.
“What? You actually brought your own family to harvest our grain? You traitor!” Shen Wu slapped Du Shi across the face.
In his view, even if the grain were to be harvested, it should be brought to their own home, not given away to others.
“Husband, why did you hit me? The rice in the fields isn’t even fully grown yet. What grain are you talking about? I was just angry! The land belongs to Grandpa and Grandma, but this grain doesn’t. If we can’t have it, they shouldn’t either!”
Du Shi covered her face, feeling increasingly wronged by her husband. She had been driven out early in the morning to work in the fields, and now she was being beaten. Life was getting harder and harder.
“Hmph! And you just watched as this old hag chased me, hiding away. You’re utterly unfilial! Eldest Son, discipline your wife properly!”
Shen Zhiqiu grew more and more dissatisfied with this eldest daughter-in-law. She brought no benefits, only trouble, and now she had made him a laughingstock. She was truly foolish.
Hearing his father’s words, Shen Wu dragged his wife outside. “You caused this mess—you deal with it yourself.”
Du Shi’s heart turned cold.
“Husband, you can’t abandon me! I did it all to vent your anger. Everything from Grandpa and Grandma should be yours.”
Du Shi looked panicked. This wasn’t how she had imagined it. Shouldn’t the family stand united against outsiders?
“Nonsense! Those things were long ago given by Father and Mother to my Da Shan and Brother Hong. How dare an outsider’s bastard think they deserve them!”
Grandma glared fiercely at Du Shi. She knew that their family was now filled with the old, the young, and the disabled. If they backed down now, countless people would trample them into the mud.
“Fine, fine! Today, I’ll fight you to the death, you plague-ridden dog! I’ll skin you alive!”
With that, she lunged at Du Shi, and the two of them began to grapple. Seeing her mother-in-law being beaten, Liu Taohua also joined the fray.
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After the few people arrived, they were actually no longer in a hurry. Instead, they watched as Grandma chased Grandpa Shen with a broom, hitting him.
“Hit me then! If you have the guts, kill me and go to jail! It’ll save you from ruining my descendants!”
He ran, she chased, and he had no way to escape.
“You godforsaken old man! The family is already split, yet you still bully us! Stand still! I’ll fight you to the death!”
Grandma had performed manual labor for years, while Grandpa Shen had always been a frail scholar; he was no match for her.
Moreover, he was someone who always valued his reputation. Setting aside whether he could win a fight against a woman, even if he wanted to hit back, he wouldn’t do it in front of so many people.
Shen Zhiqiou was chased until his shoes fell off. In the past, the two of them would curse at each other fiercely, and eventually, Old Man Shen, unable to win the verbal battle, would only smash cups and bowls before fleeing the scene. This was the first time he had been chased and beaten like this.
Many people in the village came to watch the commotion.
“Oh, what’s going on? They just had a mutual separation yesterday, and today they’re at it tooth and nail!” said someone mockingly.
“When Feng Meixiang first married into the family, she was delicate and spoke softly. Now, she looks just like a haggard old village woman.”
“If it were you, you’d go crazy too. The crops in the field have been completely ruined. If it were me, I’d be coming at them with a kitchen knife!”
“This Shen Zhiqiou is truly wicked. And he calls himself a scholar! Those two branches of the family are his own descendants, yet he’s cutting off their livelihood. How loathsome!”
“Du Shi, what are you just standing there for? This was all your idea. You’re the one who brought your family to wreck the fields.”
Seeing the crowd of onlookers growing, Shen Zhiqiou couldn’t take it anymore. When he spotted his eldest daughter-in-law peeking out from the house, his anger flared.
“What? You actually brought your own family to harvest my family’s grain? You ungrateful traitor!” Shen Wu slapped Du Shi across the face.
In his eyes, even if the grain was to be harvested, it should have gone to their own home instead of benefiting outsiders.
“Husband, why did you hit me? The rice in the field hasn’t even ripened yet; where would the grain come from? I was just so angry—the land belongs to Grandpa and Grandma, but those crops don’t! If we can’t have them, they shouldn’t have them either!”
Du Shi covered her face, looking at her husband with growing resentment. After being driven out to work in the fields early in the morning and now being hit, her life was becoming increasingly difficult.
“Hmph! And yet you just watched while this dead old woman chased me, hiding away instead! You are extremely unfilial! Eldest Son, discipline your wife properly!”
Shen Zhiqiou was becoming more and more dissatisfied with this eldest daughter-in-law. She gained nothing, yet her thankless actions made him a laughingstock. This eldest daughter-in-law was truly stupid.
Hearing his father’s words, Shen Wu dragged his wife out. “You caused this mess, you deal with it yourself.”
Du Shi’s heart turned cold as ice.
“Husband, you can’t just abandon me! I did it all to vent your anger! Everything belonging to Grandpa and Grandma should have been yours.”
Du Shi looked panicked. This wasn’t how she had imagined it. Shouldn’t the whole family be united in hatred against their common enemy?
“Bullshit! Those things were given to my Da Shan and Brother Hong by their grandparents long ago. A bastard born outside isn’t worthy!”
Grandma glared at Du Shi. She knew that her household now consisted of the elderly, the young, and the disabled. If she endured this, she feared a crowd of people would be eager to trample her into the mud in the future.
“Fine, fine, fine! Today I’ll risk my life against a wretched dog like you! I’ll skin you alive!”
With that, she lunged at Du Shi, and the two began to scuffle. When Liu Taohua saw her mother-in-law being hit, she also joined the fray.