“Uncle Jiang, I really didn’t know you were such a good actor,” Jiang Li said, making the villagers fall silent. Everyone looked at her in confusion.
Jiang Li stared at Jiang Tiezhu.
His eyes were sharp and cruel like an eagle’s, and though she instinctively still felt fear, having lived through two lives and died once, what was there left to be afraid of?
She had to overcome her instinct and confront Jiang Tiezhu head-on.
It was her tea-loving, acting, old scoundrel father who was truly the worst. All her misfortunes stemmed from his feudal, patriarchal mindset.
Jiang Li let out a light laugh. “Uncles, aunts, you guessed right. These scars on my body—they were indeed caused by beatings.”
“But not by the fierce Li Qiujü you all think of. They were from him—Jiang Tiezhu.” Jiang Li raised her hand and pointed at Jiang Tiezhu.
“You probably can’t imagine it, but he has an iron chain whip, made specifically to punish disobedient daughters-in-law and children.”
“But he didn’t use it much on his sons. His wife got fewer strikes. No, that’s not right—his daughter got the most.”
“These scars on my arms and legs are nothing. My entire back has no intact flesh. From childhood to now, almost nothing has healed properly. Wounds came and went endlessly, never truly stopping.”
“You say I’m unfilial, that I have no conscience, but all these years in the Jiang household, from age twelve, I would wake at four or five in the morning and sleep at eleven or twelve at night.”
“Besides feeding the chickens and ducks and cutting fodder for the pigs, I cooked for the whole family, cleaned the house, washed everyone’s clothes, and took care of my younger brothers.”
“Every day I spun like a top, my feet barely touching the ground, and yet I still got beaten from time to time. After the beating, I’d have my wounds treated and endure the pain, only to rise again the next day.”
“I couldn’t get sick. If I fell ill, I had to bear it myself. If I couldn’t, I might die. Maybe I was lucky—over twenty years, there were many times I almost couldn’t get up, but I survived.”
“Even so, I never thought about leaving the Jiang family. I thought that’s how a girl’s life is—born into it, beaten because I wasn’t good enough.”
“So I did everything I could to please them, tirelessly planning for the Jiang family, just recently.”
“You must have heard—I knelt at Professor Jiang’s house for seven days, begging him to mentor Jiang Jianguo, so he could get a head start before university, catching the professor’s attention right away.”
“Someone who could make a name for himself, become the pride of the Jiang family. But as soon as I returned home, what awaited me? Marriage.”
“To an old widower, a man old enough to be my grandfather. I am human too! Only twenty years old, why should they treat me like this?”
“What hurt me most was that among the entire family, not a single person spoke up for me.”
“Jiang Tiezhu’s indifference, Li Qiujü’s coercion, my brothers’ entitlement—it felt like I wasn’t even a member of the Jiang family, just a tool to be traded whenever convenient.”
“If that’s the case, then why should I still be a Jiang family member?”
Jiang Tiezhu had a mouth, and so did she. He could act, so could she. She refused to believe she couldn’t escape the Jiang family.
She would destroy the carefully maintained image Jiang Tiezhu had, making it impossible for them to stay in the village. If they wanted to move to the city, fine—then leave.
Her accusations, every word dripping with blood and tears, brought the entire village to silence.
Jiang Tiezhu’s face turned ashen, several times wanting to lunge forward and shut her up.
But he couldn’t.
Ding Shijun had a firm grip on him and even covered his mouth.
Once Jiang Li finished speaking, Ding Shijun finally let go and stepped aside.
“Uncle Jiang, do you have anything to say now?” Ding Shijun stood beside Jiang Li, glaring at Jiang Tiezhu and his wife with fury.
“The facts are right in front of you. What more can be said?” a villager muttered.
“Let’s disperse. The Jiang family’s troubles are their own making. We shouldn’t interfere.”
“The child has had a hard life. Let’s not criticize her further.”
“Let’s go, let’s go. I didn’t expect Old Jiang to be like this, using an iron whip—how can someone do this?”
“To beat a child to the point she severs ties with her family… what beasts…”
“Enough talking, let’s go!”
Jiang Tiezhu’s carefully crafted image of honesty had been so strong that people had a hard time believing it, but Jiang Li’s claims and the evidence were right before their eyes.
The villagers felt a mix of emotions, both incredulous and unwilling to accept it…
A family that could beat their own daughter like this—what else might they be capable of?
The villagers, fearful, quickly dispersed as far as they could.
Seeing everyone leave, Ding Shichen raised his voice:
“Today, I ask everyone to witness this. From now on, Xiao Li is a member of the Ding family and has no further connection with the Jiang family. I hope the Jiang family remembers this and never disturb her again.”
The villagers exchanged glances. They heard the words, but dared not intervene. Who would dare to testify against someone like Jiang Tiezhu?
Soon, everyone had left, giving Jiang Li’s family scornful glances that made Li Qiujü feel like she had fallen into hell.
It was over. Their Jiang family was finished. Jiang Tiezhu’s image was gone. How would they live now? Going back, who knew what further beatings awaited?
And all of this was Jiang Li’s doing. She had caused the village to despise the Jiang family, embarrassed Jiang Tiezhu, and ruined their lives.
This worthless girl—she should have been killed at birth…
Li Qiujü lunged at Jiang Li:
“You worthless child! Why didn’t I strangle you when you were born, letting you bring ruin to the Jiang family? I’ll beat you to death, you worthless girl!”
Before she could reach her, Jiang Tiezhu grabbed her: “Aren’t you ashamed enough? What are you making a scene for? Get back right now.”
Jiang Tiezhu dragged Li Qiujü back, and as they passed Jiang Li, he gave her a long, piercing look:
“I truly underestimated you. Let’s see what kind of life you can live once you leave the Jiang family.”
She’s just a worthless girl, born to serve men. The Ding family protects her only because she’s young and has some value.
Once Ding Shichen grows tired, maybe Ding Shijun will take his turn. When she’s old and loses her beauty, who will treat her like a human being?
A despicable thing, daring to defy him—she’ll sooner or later feel the whip again…
Jiang Tiezhu’s ingrained patriarchal and feudal mindset made him utterly dismissive of women, never treating them as human.
He dragged Li Qiujü back to the Jiang house and threw her out:
“Look at the daughter you raised, embarrassing me in public. I truly regret not killing her when she was born.”
“Do you admit you were wrong?” Jiang Tiezhu pointed toward the forge.
Li Qiujü’s pupils shrank, knowing he was about to beat someone again. She hurriedly knelt:
“I was wrong! I know I was wrong! I didn’t teach her properly. Please, give me another chance. I can really bring her back.”
She struck the ground forcefully. Before her forehead even touched it, Jiang Tiezhu yanked her hair…