Chen Liyun had guessed right. The people causing a scene were indeed from the Qi family.
Running as fast as she could, she arrived just in time to see Old Qi standing at the front gate, his face dark with fury. Beside him, Old Madam Qi was pounding rhythmically against the wooden courtyard door.
Apparently unsatisfied with just her hands, she soon began kicking it.
“Open up! Chen Liyun, you jinx, you wretched spendthrift, open this door!” Old Madam Qi shrieked at the top of her lungs, her screeching echoing across the lane.
Fury flared within Chen Liyun.
Even without considering baby Abao, who was barely past her first month, Chen Shu and Chen Chang were only seven and five years old. Was Old Madam Qi not afraid of terrifying the children with such a racket?
As Chen Liyun rushed forward, Wang Fengying beat her to it. Planted squarely at the gate with her hands on her hips, Wang Fengying confronted her mother-in-law.
“Xiao Chuang’s grandma, do you really think I’m lying to you? Eldest Sister-in-law agreed to this herself. Eldest Brother wants a divorce, and as a lone woman, she can’t manage all that farm work on her own. She asked Xiao Chuang’s father and me to help, and we settled long ago that she’d give us half the grain as thanks. This is an agreement between our branch of the family and her. Don’t go making trouble. No matter what, Xiao Chuang’s father is your biological son, and his three boys are your own grandsons!”
Her eldest son was named Qi Chuang.
Old Madam Qi knew that, of course. Halting her kicks at the door, she glared at her furious second daughter-in-law, so angry she could barely breathe.
She hated that Chen Liyun was giving half the grain to her second son’s family, but just as Wang Fengying said, that was still her own son and grandsons.
Furious as she was, she would have swallowed her anger without making a fuss.
What truly infuriated her and the old man was Chen Lihong’s family.
Chen Lihong was merely Chen Liyun’s sister. What right did she have to take half of their grain?
Old Madam Qi had come specifically to make trouble for Chen Liyun over that matter. Yet her usually sharp second daughter-in-law was suddenly acting like a total fool, jumping in to argue and cause a scene. She was dumber than a pig.
Old Madam Qi took a deep breath, preparing to set the foolish woman straight, but Chen Liyun stepped forward before she could speak.
“Ha, sister-in-law, haven’t you figured it out yet? Those two have never cared about anyone else, only their clever, capable eldest son. He’s so useless he can’t even father a boy, yet they still dote on him. But what about the second son? You and him gave them three grandsons, and they still treat you unfairly. Now that we’ve agreed to split the grain evenly between our households, they’re upset. Why are they so bitter? It’s certainly not out of pity for my three daughters. They’re just worried their precious eldest son won’t have enough money to marry again.”
The moment Chen Liyun spoke, the crowd fell dead silent.
It wasn’t because her words were deliberately provocative, but because everyone knew the old Chen Liyun could never stand up for herself. Whether bullied by Old Madam Qi or Wang Fengying, she used to hang her head meekly, terrified to utter a single word. Yet today, she had actually dared to say such things out loud.
This was precisely why Chen Liyun thought the original host had been foolish. Enduring such torment without a peep was absurd; even if she didn’t care about herself, she should have stood up for her children. Now that Chen Liyun was in charge, she deliberately dragged Wang Fengying into the fray, even though she knew Old Madam Qi was mostly enraged because grain had been shared with Chen Lihong’s family. If both daughters-in-law were turning against the matriarch, it would clearly prove who was at fault.
Old Madam Qi was truly both spiteful and utterly in the wrong.
In reality, Old Madam Qi and Old Qi genuinely favored Qi Hongwei, a fact well known to both Qi Chaoyi and Wang Fengying. Once she recovered from the initial shock, Wang Fengying’s tears began streaming down her face.
“Isn’t that the truth!” she sobbed. “Sister-in-law, I used to think Xiao Chuang’s grandmother mistreated you just because you had three daughters, but what good did it do me to bear three sons? She treats me just as poorly! My own mother had to take care of me after childbirth, and whenever there’s farm work to be done, Chaoyi and I are the ones stuck doing it. When has my brother-in-law ever lifted a finger? He enjoys fine food, drinks, and a steady wage in the county, while his parents skim off what’s ours to give to him out of pure favoritism. What kind of justice is that?”
Qi Chaoyi’s family was not doing badly, but everyone wanted a better life. Wang Fengying had assumed that giving birth to three sons would allow her to hold her head high and dominate the Qi family. Instead, it had gotten her nowhere.
Years of bottled-up grievances poured out as tears streamed down her face, her eyes flashing with pure resentment.
Glaring first at Old Madam Qi and then at Old Qi, she declared, “This is what we agreed on with Sister-in-law. We’ve already helped thresh the grain. Once it dries, half goes to her and half goes to us. No one is changing that! Whoever tries to change it will have to go through me!” After laying down her threat, she shot Qi Chaoyi a fierce look.
When parents played favorites, how could their children not notice?
Qi Chaoyi had always been a filial son, but having misunderstood his parents’ intentions, all the bitterness over their years of favoritism welled up inside him. Shrinking under Wang Fengying’s glare, he hung his head and said nothing in his parents’ defense.
Seeing their normally dutiful son act this way, Old Qi and Old Madam Qi did not blame him much. Instead, their hatred immediately turned on Chen Liyun. If that ruinous woman had not sown discord between them, their second son and his wife would never have rebelled like this.
Old Madam Qi was so enraged that she lunged straight at Chen Liyun.
“Sister-in-law!” Wang Fengying cried out in alarm.
Chen Liyun had been caught off guard, and her body was still weak. Even so, the years she and Qi Hong had spent in the northwest in her past life had not been wasted, nor had their hard-fought journey back to the capital.
Let alone an ordinary old woman like Old Madam Qi, even if a skilled fighter had come at her back then, she could have dodged the blow even if she could not win the fight.
Seeing just an old woman rushing her, her instincts took over. She shifted her weight and raised her foot to kick, but stopped herself just before making contact, forcing her leg back.
She could not strike.
A single kick would put her entirely in the wrong, no matter how justified she was. Even putting aside the fact that they were not yet divorced, if she wanted her three children and this house, she had to endure some grievances and swallow some losses.
With no other choice, she hastily pulled her leg back and threw her arms up to shield herself.
The anticipated blows never landed. Instead, Old Madam Qi let out a sharp cry and collapsed heavily onto her backside.
Chen Liyun looked up to see Chen Lihong arriving. Not only was her sister fuming with rage, but her husband, Fang Dahai, their father, and their brother and sister-in-law had all come along.
Chen Lihong had shoved the woman with fierce aggression, yet the moment Old Madam Qi hit the ground, her face shifted and tears instantly streamed down her cheeks.
“You old hag, what do you think you’re doing? Haven’t you bullied my sister enough all these years? Now you want to beat her? Tell me, what did she do wrong to deserve a beating from you? What right do you have to lay a hand on her? Your son is an absolute beast! My sister hasn’t even finished her postpartum confinement, and he’s already demanding a divorce. She nearly died a few days ago, and our family hasn’t even settled scores with you yet. How dare you try to hit her? On what grounds? What has my sister ever done wrong for you to treat her like this?”
Chen Lihong wept and shrieked, her voice shrill and laced with grief.
Every word she spoke was the truth, and the onlookers from Qijia Village could not help but feel a wave of sympathy for the family. A few warm-hearted neighbors stepped forward to mediate.
“That’s true. Daya’s mother is such a good person. In all the years since she married into our village, she’s never once quarreled with anyone.”
“That’s right. She raises the kids, works in the fields, and manages everything inside and outside the house. Hongwei’s mother, you really should talk some sense into him. How can a married couple talk about divorce so lightly? Daya’s mother is such a good person, and they have three children together.”
“Exactly! Hongwei is acting foolishly, so you two need to step in and advise him!”
Old Madam Qi was getting on in years, and the fall had been hard. Before she could even recover from the pain, these words washed over her. Out of Old Qi and Qi Hongwei, she was the only one who felt any guilt toward Chen Liyun.
Rendered completely speechless, she worried that if the villagers accepted this narrative as truth, it would ruin her eldest son’s reputation. Cold sweat broke out across her forehead in her panic, and she turned around to tug at the hem of Old Qi’s trousers.
Old Qi was already boiling with rage.
Kicking Old Madam Qi aside, he jumped to his feet and pointed straight at Chen Lihong, cursing, “Your sister is a good person? She’s been married into our Qi Family for all these years and hasn’t even given us a son! My Hongwei is nearly thirty and still has no heir. She’s good? She’s nothing but a hen that can’t lay an egg! It’s only because our family is kind that we’ve kept her this long. Otherwise, we would have cast her out ages ago!”
Chen Lihong’s eyes widened, too furious to speak.
Chen Liyun’s eyes went wide as well.
Back in the Great Qi Dynasty, noblewomen had to observe strict rules for every movement, whether walking, sitting, or resting. Even when sisters or wives clashed, their hostility never went beyond subtle barbs hidden behind polite words. In her entire past life, the only time she had seen an open, furious shouting match was when her eldest cousin lost her temper after Chen Liyun killed Qi Hong and framed her for it.
She had never expected that in this new era, she would so quickly witness people of all ages, men and women alike, abandoning all restraint to scream at each other.
Seeing Chen Lihong clearly losing ground, Chen Liyun knew she had to step forward. She had three daughters to raise, and relying solely on others would be no better than lying down and dying right now.
Gritting her teeth, she shouted, “Why blame me? You say it’s my fault, but why not admit your son is the one who can’t do it? I haven’t even settled scores with your family yet! Qi Hongwei is useless, and that’s why I couldn’t bear a son. If I had married someone else, I would have given birth to several boys by now!”
Chen Lihong froze for a second before quickly chiming in. “Exactly! Everyone knows Qi Hongwei fools around with all sorts of women outside. He ruined his own health long ago, so of course he can’t father a son!”
Seeing this, Chen Liyun’s sister-in-law naturally jumped in to support her.
“Exactly! Lihong and Liyun are twins. If Lihong could have a son, why wouldn’t Liyun? This isn’t Liyun’s fault at all, it’s your son’s problem! With parents like you, your whole family is rotten to the core. How could you ever produce a son? Talk about having no descendants, your Qi Hongwei deserves to have his line ended!”
The Chen family’s cursing was vicious and undeniably shocking. Accusing a man of being inadequate was bound to make him a laughingstock. On top of that, Qi Hongwei had always looked down his nose at the villagers just because he was educated and worked in the county town. Old Qi and Old Madam Qi also had terrible reputations. Soon enough, several onlookers could not hold back their amusement. A few muffled chuckles spread through the crowd until everyone was laughing together.
Qi Chaoyi’s expression turned sour.
Qi Hongwei was his elder brother after all. But he was clumsy with words, completely incapable of arguing with women. Seeing him about to step forward, Wang Fengying quickly grabbed him and held him back, keeping her mind firmly on that half-portion of grain.
Old Madam Qi’s face flushed bright red. Fuming with rage, she tried to scramble up from the ground, but Old Qi accidentally stepped on the hand she was using to push herself up. Ignoring her, he charged forward to hit Chen Liyun.
The Chens were not about to let that happen. Father Chen and Brother Chen stepped up immediately to block his path.
“What?” Brother Chen sneered. “You dare try to hit my sister?”
“Listen to what she just said!” Old Qi fumed. “Did she not have that coming?”
Father Chen countered, “Didn’t you just talk about my daughter the same way? What, you’re allowed to badmouth her, but she can’t say a word about your son?”
Old Qi was practically choking with rage, completely at a loss for words.
Tears had already slipped down Chen Liyun’s cheeks. She had never expected that aside from her sister, Chen Lihong, her entire family would treat her so differently from her past life. They were actually standing up for her, backing her without hesitation.
Wiping away her tears, she stepped forward and lowered her voice. “If you care at all about your son’s reputation, and if you still hope he can remarry after divorcing me, then you’d better back off! Otherwise, I’ll refuse to divorce him, no matter what it takes. If he tries to marry another woman, it’ll be against the law! I will go straight to the police, and he’ll end up behind bars. If you push me too far, I’ll make a scene at his workplace. Let’s see how he manages to find another wife once he loses his job!”
Chen Liyun was grateful for the modern monogamy laws. If Qi Hongwei tried anything out of line, she could report him to the police. While such a threat might not faze Qi Hongwei himself, it was more than enough to terrify illiterate rural folks like Old Qi and Old Madam Qi.
Sure enough, Old Qi’s expression darkened immediately.
Old Madam Qi scrambled to her feet and tugged at him. “Hongwei’s father…”
Caring far more about Qi Hongwei, Old Qi shook her off and turned to leave. As he stormed away, he threw words over his shoulder: “A woman like you is far too good for our Qi family! I’m going to call Hongwei right now and tell him to come back immediately to…”
“Don’t worry!” Chen Liyun cut him off. “I’ve already arranged it with Qi Hongwei. We’re getting the divorce certificate tomorrow morning!”
Old Qi stumbled mid-step.
The village chief’s wife, who had watched the entire scene unfold with mounting fury, chimed in, “I can testify to that. Daya’s mother made the call from my house.”
The farce finally dispersed, ending in a total victory for the Chen family.
Chen Liyun opened the front door to her house, revealing two tear-streaked little faces.
Chen Shu and Chen Chang threw themselves into Chen Liyun’s embrace from either side. Having heard everything, both young girls desperately wanted to ask if their mother resented them, yet neither dared to speak.
Chen Liyun quickly sensed her daughters’ distress. “Stop crying, it’s all right,” she said firmly. “I only said those things earlier on purpose. I don’t actually want a son. I just want the three of you sisters, and having you is enough for me.”
Chen Shu looked up through tear-filled eyes. “Mom, really?” she choked out.
“Really, truly,” Chen Liyun assured her. “I only want daughters!”
Chen Shu broke into a smile through her tears and wrapped her arms tightly around Chen Liyun’s neck.
Chen Liyun patted her back and coaxed her a bit more before standing up. “Dad, eldest brother, sister-in-law, third sister, brother-in-law, please come inside. I’ve already finished cooking. You must not have eaten yet after rushing over, so stay and have lunch here.”
Father Chen glanced at her, said nothing, and turned to leave.
Brother Chen glared at her, but he followed without a word as well.
Baffled, Chen Liyun turned to Sister-in-law Chen.
Sister-in-law Chen sighed. “Lihong told us you decided not to remarry and want to raise the three girls on your own. Dad and your brother were very upset, but they know once your mind is set, there’s no talking you out of it, so they have to accept it. Don’t blame them. They just want what’s best for you, but choosing this path… sigh…”
Chen Liyun naturally harbored no resentment. In fact, she understood their feelings completely. They wanted the best for her without forcing her hand, and they had even rushed over to back her up just now. Relatives like this were thousands of times better than the ones in her past life.
“Of course not,” she said quickly. “I know Dad and Brother Chen only have my best interests at heart.”
Sister-in-law Chen nodded. “I’m heading out too. Think it over some more! If anything comes up later, just let the family know. We might not be able to help much with money, but we’ll always have your back.”
She was still slightly worried that Chen Liyun might bring the child back home to sponge off them. Times were tough for everyone, and every household had its own struggles. Chen Liyun understood this well.
“Thank you, Big Sister-in-law,” Chen Liyun replied with a smile. “Head on home. Once things are settled here in a few days, I’ll visit Dad.”
Sister-in-law Chen reached into her pocket, pulled out ten yuan, and shoved it firmly into Chen Liyun’s hands. “This is for the baby’s one-month milestone. It’s not much, but it’s all I have.”
Before Chen Liyun could refuse, she turned and strode away.
Clutching the ten yuan, Chen Liyun called out another quiet thank you.