When the Su family saw Mother Shen trying to drag Shen Yunzhi away, they exchanged uncertain glances, hesitating over whether to intervene.
In the past, whenever Mother Shen came to the Su household and hit Shen Yunzhi, they would step in to stop her. But Shen Yunzhi never appreciated it. Afterward, she would scold them and cause a scene at home. Eventually, whenever Mother Shen showed up again — no matter how she struck her — they pretended not to see.
“I’m not going. I married into the Su family — I am a member of the Su family.” Shen Yunzhi forcefully shook her off.
She pulled the severance document from her bosom. “You wrote this yourselves. If you keep making trouble, I’ll report it to the village head.”
Mother Shen raised her hand again, but Liu Lihua stepped in front of Shen Yunzhi. “If there’s something to say, say it properly.”
“I’m disciplining my own daughter. What the hell business is it of yours?” Mother Shen snapped.
Liu Lihua planted her hands on her hips. “If you’re disciplining your own daughter, that’s not my concern. But if you’re causing trouble in the Su household, then it is.”
Shen Yunzhi shot Liu Lihua a grateful look and handed her the severance letter. “Take this. Help me invite the village head.”
Liu Lihua didn’t quite believe she would truly cut ties, but seeing how serious she sounded, she unfolded the paper suspiciously.
She couldn’t read many characters, so she passed it to Su Jingci. “Take a look.”
Su Jingci stared in disbelief. His mother really intended to sever ties with the Shen family.
With the document in hand, he finally had the confidence to protect her. He stepped in front of Shen Yunzhi, glaring fiercely at Mother Shen and Shen Er.
“If you dare lay a hand on my mother again, don’t blame me for being rude.”
“Shen Yunzhi, what are you trying to do? Believe it or not, I’ll report you to the magistrate for unfilial conduct!”
“The severance document has been written. I have nothing to do with the Shen family anymore. Even if you take this to the imperial court, no one will say I’m in the wrong.”
Seeing that she was determined to cut ties completely, Mother Shen’s anger surged. She dropped all pretense.
“What severance document? Isn’t this just your excuse to seize the Su family’s property and remarry with their belongings?”
“My husband has passed away. I will remain faithful to him.” Shen Yunzhi raised her hand solemnly. “I, Shen Yunzhi, swear to Heaven: in this life, I am a member of the Su family in life and a ghost of the Su family in death. If I break this oath, may lightning strike me dead.”
Liu Lihua was stunned.
She didn’t believe Shen Yunzhi could truly keep such a vow.
Raising two children alone was unbearably hard.
Her own elder sister back home lived that life — enduring scorn, sometimes not knowing where the next meal would come from. If not for support from her natal family, she and her children would have starved.
Shen Yunzhi had been pampered all her life. How could she possibly endure such suffering?
Not just Liu Lihua — no one in the Su family believed her.
Mother Shen sneered. “Just a few days ago you asked me to find you a new match. Now you want to remain chaste? If you can actually keep that vow, I’ll let you kick my head like a ball.”
That Shen Yunzhi could stay faithful? She wouldn’t believe it even if beaten to death.
“Believe it or not — that’s up to you.” Shen Yunzhi refused to argue further. She would simply wait for the village head to arrive and formalize the severance document publicly.
The village head was an old friend of Old Master Su. When he heard that the Shen family had come to stir trouble, he was already displeased. Ever since Shen Yunzhi married into the Su household, she had turned their lives upside down. The family hadn’t had a single peaceful day.
This time, he had resolved to persuade Old Master Su to formally divorce her and send her away — better than letting her constantly covet the Su family’s property.
When Mother Shen saw the village head, she felt a flicker of guilt. The severance document had been written by them, signed and sealed. If things were pursued seriously, the Shen family would not come out well.
She shot Shen Yunzhi a vicious glare. It was supposed to be just a trick to fool the Sus — now it had blown up into a full public affair.
“Third Uncle,” Shen Yunzhi said respectfully, “I’ve already severed ties with the Shen family. They said they no longer wanted me as their daughter. Now that they’ve heard the authorities issued grain and compensation, they came to demand it. When I refused, they beat me. You must uphold justice for me.”
The village head recalled that when the Su family came to fetch him, they had indeed mentioned the severed ties.