Song Jinhe felt her heart bleeding.
That jade pendant had been passed down through generations in her family. In her previous life, after losing it, she had frantically questioned Lu Xiaoran and Lu Guoheng.
Lu Guoheng blamed her for not taking care of her belongings and accused her of causing a scene, while Lu Xiaoran remained indifferent to her distress.
It was only after repeated questioning that Lu Xiaoran impatiently admitted he had lost the pendant.
As for where and when it was lost, Lu Xiaoran claimed he had no idea.
Song Jinhe had searched for years like a fool, only to now discover that the pendant had been with Liu Qingying’s family in the same village all along.
How could she not feel hatred?
With red-rimmed eyes, she grabbed Lu Xiaoran and started hitting him.
Lu Xiaoran burst into loud sobs once again.
“I already told you everything! Why are you still hitting me?”
“Waaah, Grandma, save me!”
Zhou Yufen, clutching her waist, struggled to stand up. She couldn’t make sense of what her daughter-in-law and precious grandson were saying.
The only thing she understood was that her daughter-in-law’s rage stemmed from the boy giving her pendant to Ya Ya.
The Song family was far poorer than their prestigious Lu Family. That lost pendant of her daughter-in-law’s was probably worthless anyway.
“It’s just a cheap pendant! So what if it’s lost? Why are you hitting my grandson!”
Leaning heavily on the table, Zhou Yufen struggled to her feet and stepped forward to shield her wailing grandson in her arms, shooting Song Jinhe a venomous glare.
“Grandma, Grandma, I’m scared…”
Lu Xiaoran trembled as he hid in her embrace.
Zhou Yufen lifted the child’s shirt and saw his back covered in bruises—some areas already turning purple.
Her eyes instantly reddened with rage, and she glared at Song Jinhe as if she wanted to devour her.
“What sin have we committed!”
“Song Jinhe, Xiao Ran is your own son! How could you beat him like this over a worthless pendant!”
“Are you even human?!”
Zhou Yufen treated her only grandson as her most precious treasure. Even a few slaps from Song Jinhe would infuriate her, let alone such a severe beating.
A worthless pendant?
Song Jinhe found it laughable.
Her belongings were hers, no matter what.
Since Lu Xiaoran had given her pendant away, what was wrong with teaching this ungrateful child a lesson before settling scores with Liu Qingying and her daughter?
Song Jinhe let out a scornful laugh:
“You said it yourself—he’s my own son.”
“He made a grave mistake. Even if I hang him from a tree and whip him with vines and bamboo strips all night, no one can say a word about it.”
Zhou Yufen stamped her feet in fury: “How dare you!”
Song Jinhe smiled at her: “Just watch whether I dare or not.”
She knew all too well the consequences of enduring humiliation and yielding.
This time, she had no intention of tolerating anyone.
If pushed too far, she was capable of anything.
Zhou Yufen was left speechless, grinding her teeth in frustration.
The previously hiding Lu Xiaoran shrank further behind her, trembling like a leaf.
Seeing her lively grandson terrified beyond words, Zhou Yufen’s eyes grew even redder.
“Such misfortune has befallen our family!”
“How could my Guoheng marry such a vicious woman!”
“I’ll fight you to the death, you old hag!”
Clutching her waist, Zhou Yufen charged at Song Jinhe while screaming at the top of her lungs.
Song Jinhe sidestepped just before Zhou Yufen could collide with her, watching coldly as the older woman fell face-first onto the ground in utter disgrace.
“Oh dear, I can’t go on living like this! A daughter-in-law riding roughshod over her mother-in-law!”
“What’s the point of me living anymore!”
Zhou Yufen sat on the ground, slapping her thighs in dry sobs.
The village courtyard walls were thin, and neighbors began chattering upon hearing the commotion.
“What’s going on with the Lu Family? Are they quarreling?”
“Must be! With such a racket, they must be quarreling!”
Hearing the discussions, Zhou Yufen pushed open the door and wailed even louder.
Her demeanor suggested she wanted to draw the entire village over.
With the main gate left open, curious onlookers soon gathered at the entrance.
“Sister Zhou, we could hear your family arguing from afar. What’s going on? What’s the conflict?”
Auntie Yang asked curiously while munching on a cucumber.
“Yes, what’s the conflict? Tell us so we can help mediate.”
Amid the chatter, Zhou Yufen put on a pained expression, leaning against the door as she struggled to stand up.
“Our Lu Family has had single-line inheritance for generations. Who would have thought my son Guoheng would marry such a vicious and shrewish wife? Such misfortune has befallen our family!”
Zhou Yufen supported her waist with one hand while pounding her chest with the other fist.
“Grandma…”
Lu Xiaoran stepped forward to support her arm, his tear-reddened eyes immediately noticed by the crowd.
“Look, Xiao Ran’s eyes are swollen from crying.”
“Seems this isn’t just a minor disagreement.”
As more curious onlookers crowded the doorway, Song Jinhe showed not a trace of panic, calmly watching Zhou Yufen pour out her grievances before everyone.
“Tell me, folks, at Xiao Ran’s age, what child doesn’t make mistakes?”
Zhou Yufen hugged Xiao Ran close, wiping her tears heartbrokenly.
“When a child makes a mistake, the mother should just say a few words.”
“But some people are so cruel – over a minor mistake, they want to beat the child to death.”
“Look at these marks on the child – just seeing them breaks my heart.”
Zhou Yufen showed everyone Lu Xiaoran’s arm, then lifted his shirt to reveal the bruised back covered in wounds.
Song Jinhe had struck hard, leaving most areas purplish and looking particularly severe.
The crowd immediately began criticizing Song Jinhe.
“Jin He, you’re in the wrong here.”
“Even if the child made a mistake, you shouldn’t beat him like this.”
“Yes, if you injure a good child, you’ll be the one who regrets it.”
Lu Xiaoran turned to the crowd, crying out loudly:
“She wouldn’t regret it at all! When Grandma tried to stop her from hitting me, she pushed Grandma down and kept beating me!”
These words made everyone’s expressions change, and the criticism against Song Jinhe grew louder.
“Jin He, even if you want to hit the child, you can’t push Sister Zhou!”
“Yes, Sister Zhou worked tirelessly to raise your husband, and her health suffered for it. As a daughter-in-law bullying her – you’ll be condemned by everyone!”
Zhou Yufen remained silent now, only bowing her head to wipe tears.
In any era, bullying one’s mother-in-law would draw public scorn.
Zhou Yufen and Lu Xiaoran, grandmother and grandson, were distorting facts and throwing dirty water on Song Jinhe, trying to burden her with reputations of being unfilial and vicious.
Song Jinhe laughed coldly inside.
She’d seen this act countless times in her previous life – she knew it all too well.
She used to believe in Lu Guoheng’s words that family scandals should not be aired in public, swallowing bitterness like forcing down a broken tooth.
But the truth proved she was nothing but a fool.
They splashed filth on her precisely to make her life miserable.
Since they didn’t want her to live well, why should she spare any consideration for them?
Wasn’t it just about playing the victim?
As if she didn’t know how to do that.
Song Jinhe quietly pinched her thigh, and tears immediately welled up.