She wondered why the courtyard was so quiet. Her chickens! The chicken butts were all saved for her son’s nourishment—who dared to touch them, that good-for-nothing girl!
Liu Xiaomei was yanked off her little bed by her furious grandmother.
A slap landed squarely on her head. “Good-for-nothing! How dare you eat my chickens!
Born from your mother but raised by no one, just as lowly as that worthless mother of yours!”
Liu Xiaomei, who had been sleeping soundly on her shabby bed, was stunned by the sudden slap. She had barely enjoyed some meat today—even if it was only chicken heads and butts, she had eaten them with great care.
She had been dreaming of eating chicken when her grandmother knocked her off the bed.
Coming to her senses, Liu Xiaomei quickly clutched her head, curled up, and crouched on the floor, crying and pleading: “Grandma, don’t hit me! I didn’t kill the chicken—it was my stepmother!
I tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t listen. She killed the chicken and insisted I eat it, saying I was too skinny and needed to get strong. I was so scared I only took a few bites.
Grandma, I’m sorry! I won’t ever do it again!”
Her apology flowed smoothly.
Wang Shufeng was furious. That little brat Lin Qiao might look meek on the surface, easy to control, and the Yuan family all said she was obedient and capable—what a load of nonsense!
During the day, she had already sensed that Lin Qiao was not someone to be trusted. She wasn’t wrong!
Look at this filthy courtyard! Even the pigsty was cleaner. Was this really a daughter-in-law? No, she was a little ancestor!
They’d been deceived by the Yuan family!
Outrageous!
“Where did Lin Qiao go?” Wang Shufeng asked suspiciously, staring into Liu Xiaomei’s eyes.
“I don’t know. She told me to stay inside, and said if I came out, she’d kill me.” Liu Xiaomei carefully watched Wang Shufeng’s face, dark as a burnt pot. With her grandmother this worked up, could her father be in trouble?
Wang Shufeng didn’t fully believe Liu Xiaomei either. She knew her granddaughter well—she could even trick her own mother to save her skin.
After searching Liu Xiaomei’s room, Wang Shufeng found no trace of her money.
Anger surged through her. She grabbed a feather duster and started hitting Liu Xiaomei.
The wails and screams from the Yuan courtyard carried far.
Meanwhile, in Songzi Mountain Village, Lin Qiao strolled leisurely.
From a distance, she saw faint lights in the Liu household.
Huh? What’s going on? Could it be her mother-in-law has returned?
She quickened her pace toward the Liu house.
“Xiangyang’s wife, where have you been? Why just now coming back? Your mother-in-law’s home beating the kids! Hurry back and calm her down.”
“Oh, this little bride runs off on her wedding day! Look at this courtyard! No wonder Shufeng is so angry.”
Lin Qiao looked up at the sky—it was already dark. She felt for the women standing in a circle with flashlights, awake in the middle of the night to watch the commotion at her house.
“Oh, mother-in-law’s angry? I—I went back to my parents’ house. My stepmother had a sudden early labor this afternoon and was sent to the county hospital. I rushed back as fast as I could.”
Hearing Lin Qiao’s explanation, the faces of the women softened.
Xu Zhaodi said, “No wonder! Girl, you’re thoughtful. Explain things properly to Shufeng. She has a hot temper but is fair.”
Lin Qiao smiled at Xu Zhaodi, whose eye was bruised. “Aunt Xu, have you treated your injury? My mother-in-law hits hard. She has a temper, but she is reasonable. Next time, don’t fight—reason with her, she’ll listen.”
Xu Zhaodi choked. Reason with her? Reason with that crazy woman? Her son would have been beaten to death!
“Hmph! Sharp-tongued little thing!”
The Liu family had lived on this black soil for generations. No matter what happened, the villagers always sided with relatives, not justice. Most present were related to the Lius and were mothers themselves—they couldn’t just let a daughter-in-law have her way. A little suffering was normal; every family had gone through it.
Lin Qiao ignored them, yanking open the gate.
A woman with a broom hid behind the gate and lunged at Lin Qiao as soon as it opened.
Lin Qiao dodged. The woman couldn’t stop and fell to the ground.
“Cough, cough! Lin Qiao, you little brat! Trying to kill me?”
Wang Shufeng had thrown herself at Lin Qiao with full force. Now, lying on the ground covered in mud, she couldn’t get up.
Her teeth cut her lips, her arm hurt from the fall. Thinking of the stolen thousand yuan and the two hens eaten, she broke down and cried.
“Everyone, come see! The daughter-in-law beat her mother-in-law!”
Lin Qiao spread her hands innocently toward the onlookers: “Everyone saw it! I didn’t even touch her.”
The women watching were at a loss. They wanted to support Wang Shufeng in scolding the newlywed, but in full view of everyone, they couldn’t lie like her. Who wants to lose face?
Wang Shufeng often sat on the ground cursing the previous daughter-in-law, Zhou Ping, for causing her trouble. Even with Liu Xiaomei giving false testimony, Zhou Ping’s reputation made Wang Shufeng look good. People praised her cleanliness and generosity, even after Zhou Ping died, they blamed her bad luck, not Wang Shufeng.
Realizing she had overreacted, Wang Shufeng struggled to get up.
Unashamed, she pointed angrily at Lin Qiao: “You little shameless brat! Where have you been? Finally remember to come home? Out sneaking around?”
Before Lin Qiao could answer, one of the watching women spoke: “Shufeng, you’re wrong. Her stepmother was giving birth; she went back to her parents’ house.”
Wang Shufeng, for two rounds, didn’t pin the blame on Lin Qiao. Even the women who usually spoke for her sided with the little brat this time!
Rage surged, but she refused to believe she couldn’t handle Lin Qiao.
“Lin Qiao, you just married into the Liu family, and your husband ends up in the hospital. You’ve ruined the wedding! Look at this courtyard! Who’s ever seen such a mess? Not just us—because of you, several villagers helping today got hurt. You’re a curse!”
The onlookers whispered among themselves.
“Xiangyang’s mother has a point. This girl just arrived, and the Liu household is in chaos—maybe she really brings bad luck?”
“Don’t talk nonsense! That’s superstition. Say it loud, and they’ll drag you off for public criticism!”
Their voices dwindled, but their eyes still carried hostility toward Lin Qiao.
Lin Qiao smirked. Wang Shufeng actually had some brains!