Jiang Tiezhu was truly crying, tears streaming down his face:
“Xiao Li, it’s your father who’s at fault. I always thought of you as a daughter, that when you grew up you’d marry and I didn’t know if you could take care of yourself in your husband’s family, so I was strict with you from a young age.”
“I only wanted you to become strong and independent, so you wouldn’t be bullied. There were some lessons I couldn’t explain with words, so I had to use the rod, hoping you would make fewer mistakes.”
“This is my fault, my fault for having little education and not knowing how to moderate my hand, hurting you, making you resentful all these years.”
“But your father never thought of selling you. Our Jiang family isn’t short of money. When your brother is getting married, we can provide a bride price—there’s no question of selling our daughter.”
“It’s your mother’s shallow thinking—she saw a high bride price and thought the other family was well-off, hoping you’d have an easier life, without considering the other party’s age.”
“Xiao Li, you’re the eldest daughter. You should understand your father. These years I’ve worked day and night forging iron, just to give you and your siblings a good life.”
“Even now, I only want you back in the Jiang family out of concern. After all, you and Shichen haven’t registered your marriage or had a wedding—being unclear like this, I can’t bear it.”
His crying softened the hearts of the villagers who had been watching.
“Oh, we rural folks, don’t all parents beat their kids? The Jiang family even raised a college student, that counts as successful education. How can this girl hold a grudge over this?”
“Exactly, parents without schooling just hit kids when they don’t listen. A few more beatings, and they’ll behave. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“If every child resented their parents for this, what would be the point of raising them? Might as well strangle them at birth.”
“Such ingratitude—after raising her twenty years, she turns around and forgets her parents’ efforts, truly ungrateful.”
“Eldest brother of the Ding family, don’t be fooled by this girl. I think she’s no good. If she can treat her parents like this, she might do the same to you someday.”
“Exactly, you’re defending her now, but once she climbs higher, you’ll just be stepping stones for her.”
“A woman like this is best kept at a distance, to avoid trouble…”
The increasing criticism made Jiang Li’s heart freeze. She cast a cold glance at her parents, recalling all that had happened in her past life, everything they had done.
It seemed that no matter what she did, as long as they were her parents, the word “filial piety” allowed them to occupy all moral high ground.
In her past life, she had suffocated under these two words, still worrying about them until death.
But she was no longer the naive Jiang Li, nor the one who always believed her parents loved her, would care for her life, and would look back at her.
Their indifference and cruelty had long made her despair of them.
Is it just an unfilial reputation? She could bear that.
Before she could speak, the Ding brothers quickly stepped in to explain.
“I believe Xiao Li isn’t that kind of person. She’s smart, capable, and diligent. She wouldn’t sever family ties without reason,” Ding Shichen said firmly, cutting off the villagers.
Ding Shijun hurriedly echoed, “Yes, before my wife even came into our Ding family, she already helped me. Knowing my mother needed medicine regularly, she kindly taught me to recognize herbs.”
“Knowing our family was poor, she would share fruits she picked in the mountains or game she hunted, even giving me, an outsider, half. How could she not care for her own family?”
Ding Shijun’s words left the villagers momentarily speechless. In such a small village, everyone knew her; the Ding family wasn’t the only one who had benefited from Jiang Li’s kindness.
“Mom, Xiao Li also helped me before. When the trees were too tall for me to reach fruit, she would climb up and share them with everyone, never keeping any for herself.”
“She even taught us how to set traps for rabbits and shared all the catch. The poorer the family, the more she gave.”
“I also believe Xiao Li wouldn’t sever ties with her family without reason. She’s been so good to her brothers, we always envied Jiang Li’s siblings for having such a good sister.”
The children’s words left the villagers awkward and surprised. They hadn’t expected that moments after condemning Jiang Li as unfilial and heartless, they would be so quickly contradicted by their own children.
“All of you, shut up. This isn’t the same thing. She helps you, yes, but being unfilial to her parents is still a fact.”
“No matter what, she was born to parents who raised her. How can she say she’s severing ties and speak so harshly? Isn’t that like stabbing her parents in the heart?”
“This behavior is extremely unfilial…”
Ding Shijun wanted to argue further but Jiang Li stopped him: “There’s no need to explain. It’s enough that you believe me.”
“Even so, we can’t just watch them ruin your reputation,” Ding Shijun said, unwilling to let it go.
Ding Shichen nodded, “Yes, you can’t let them misunderstand you.”
If this continued, the Jiang family would only go further. When things spiraled out of control, it would be hard for Jiang Li to explain herself.
“I won’t give the Jiang family that chance,” Jiang Li said through gritted teeth, stepping forward into the midst of the villagers.
She rolled up her sleeves.
It was late summer; the weather was still warm. With a gentle lift, her entire arm was exposed.
The scars covering her arms were shocking.
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
“So many scars?”
“Could it all have been from her parents?”
“This is too cruel. If her arms are like this, imagine the rest of her body.”
In the shocked eyes of the villagers, Jiang Li rolled up her pants as well.
Only her lower legs were exposed, but it was already enough.
Even more scars than her arms, leaving everyone utterly stunned.
“My heavens, what did they use to leave such deep scars?”
“Everyone knows Xiao Li is always diligent with farm work and house chores. Even if she wasn’t well-treated, she shouldn’t have been beaten like this.”
“No wonder she severed ties. Surviving such beatings, she’s lucky to be alive.”
“Could it be Lei Qiujü? She’s always fierce. Anyone in the village who’s been scolded by her would understand; these scars were likely inflicted by her.”
“Always calling for money, what a burden, never treated her like a human!”
“…”
The villagers murmured, their gaze turning to Jiang Tiezhu and his wife, whose expressions changed.
Li Qiujü, knowing Jiang Tiezhu cared about his face, was terrified by these words. She didn’t know what to do.
Behind closed doors, they could treat their child however they liked, but once it became public, how could the Jiang family maintain standing in the village?
Li Qiujü’s reaction seemed to confirm the villagers’ suspicions.
Jiang Tiezhu was furious, but with so many eyes watching, he could no longer forcefully deny it. After all, the scars on Jiang Li were real.
Just as he glared at Jiang Li, warning her to stop, she smiled slightly and began to speak…