Was that Erya from the Second Shen family who just spoke? Was this still the same Shen Erya who usually cowered in corners, looked dull-witted, and lit up at the sight of food?
Truly, you can’t judge a person by their appearance!
That shameless bunch from the Shen family figured that since Second Shen had gone missing, they could bully his widow and orphans—who would’ve thought Shen Erya could be so fierce and bold?
Look at Mrs. Zhang across the way, so furious that her triangular eyes, usually half-covered by sagging eyelids, were now stretched wide open.
“Did Shen Erya go to Yama Hall and come back with a different soul? How did her tongue get so sharp?”
A plump auntie in the crowd pointed at Shen Qiyue and said to the people behind her.
Shen Qiyue’s heart skipped a beat—that plump auntie had hit the nail on the head.
In her years as a village official, she hadn’t learned much else, but every time the village shrews fought or the villagers quarreled, wasn’t she the one who stepped in to mediate?
Having seen enough, she’d naturally picked it up.
Village women fighting was nothing more than a few stock phrases and a few key moves—what was there to learn?
Hop, jump, clap your hands, and if that didn’t work, drop to the ground and roll around. Once you pulled that move, you were absolutely unstoppable, undefeatable.
“Auntie Zhang, you’ve really gone too far. Such a little child, and you, his own grandmother, could bear to sell him off.”
The plump auntie spoke up again, and the moment she finished, the surrounding villagers chimed in, all pointing fingers at Mrs. Zhang.
Mrs. Zhang flew into a rage: “Mind your own damn business, you nosy busybody! You fat pig, no wonder your man went out to work and never came back—anyone who sees that lard of yours would be disgusted.”
The plump auntie’s face changed in an instant. She let out a loud curse, tossed aside the melon seeds in her hand, shoved through the crowd, and charged forward.
“Erya, get out of the way! Today I’ll tear that poisonous woman’s mouth apart!”
Seeing the plot veering off course, Shen Qiyue was glad to have someone else draw the fire and quickly yielded the “stage.”
“Auntie, please, go right ahead.”
Shen Qiyue retreated to Madam Bai’s side, helped her up, and tried to escort her back to the main house.
But Madam Bai grabbed her arm and shook her head. She simply sat down on an abandoned stone mill in the yard, clutching the baby boy tightly to her chest.
Huzi also walked over to his second sister, pressing close against Shen Qiyue, his fearful face streaked with two lines of tears, looking utterly pitiful.
Shen Qiyue wiped his tears away, then suddenly froze: “Mother, where’s Taotao?”
Since entering the yard, Shen Qiyue hadn’t seen Taotao, nor heard her voice.
At that, Madam Bai’s tears flowed even harder. She pointed toward the kitchen behind her. “Taotao got scared and hid herself away.”
Shen Qiyue hurried over, pushed open the rickety kitchen door, and immediately spotted Taotao, thinly dressed and face covered in tears, curled up behind the stove, trembling all over.
Shen Qiyue’s heart ached. She called out softly, “Taotao, Second Sister’s here. Don’t be scared, don’t be scared.”
Taotao timidly raised her head, and seeing that the person standing before her was indeed her second sister, she burst into a wail and threw herself into Shen Qiyue’s arms.
“Second Sister, Second Sister, Grandma hit Taotao, snatched Little Brother, Second Sister.”
The four-year-old girl sobbed as if her heart were breaking, moving several of the aunties and mothers in the yard to secretly wipe their eyes.
That old Shen family—they really were a bunch of heartless bastards!
Shen Qiyue picked up Taotao, gently patted her back to soothe her, and carried her out of the kitchen.
“Mrs. Zhang, you’re rotten to the core! As a grandmother, not only do you fail to look after this family in your son’s place, but you’d sell your own little grandson. You’ve got sores on your head and pus dripping from your feet—you’re evil through and through!”
The plump auntie jabbed a finger at Mrs. Zhang as she cursed.
Mrs. Zhang looked at the stout, sturdy woman across from her and felt a twinge of fear.
But with so many people watching, and having spent her whole life trying to be the toughest in the village, she couldn’t back down now.
“Who do you think you are! Their name is Shen—their father crawled out from between my legs. Now that their father’s dead, it’s their duty to take care of me!”
“Pah!” The plump auntie spat a mouthful of saliva, landing it square on Mrs. Zhang’s face. “There are plenty of shameless people in this world, but you’re the first one this shameless!”
“You dared to spit on me?!” Mrs. Zhang leaped up, wiped the spit off her face with her sleeve, and spat back at the plump auntie.
The yard wasn’t big to begin with, and the “battlefield” was too close. Shen Qiyue quickly turned around and spread her arms to shield the people behind her from being caught in the crossfire.
“I’ve got nothing to say to you! This is business of my old Shen family—get the hell out of here!” Mrs. Zhang panted.
Hearing this, Shen Qiyue set Taotao down on the ground. “Huzi, keep an eye on Taotao. Don’t be scared.”
The plump auntie stepped aside, and Shen Qiyue gave her a grateful smile before walking forward a few steps.
“Grandma, this is the last time I’ll call you that. From now on, we go our separate ways. If you dare set foot in my house again, that’s trespassing—don’t blame me if I grab a knife and chase you out!”
“You!” Mrs. Zhang pointed at Shen Qiyue in fury, then suddenly turned and shouted toward the tightly shut door of the main house: “Oldest son! Oldest son’s wife! Are you dead or what?! Your mother’s about to be killed by this little slut!”
There were people in the main house? No wonder Madam Bai hadn’t wanted to go inside.
The door of the main house was opened from the inside by someone, and a middle-aged man wearing a sheepskin jacket and a felt hat walked out. Beside him was a middle-aged woman dressed in a drab brown padded coat and red cotton shoes.
Both their cheeks were flushed red.
“Mother, the fire was so warm and comfortable that I ended up dozing off. Why aren’t you done yet? Hurry up and grab the child so we can deliver him to Master Song.”
Shen Changshan, the eldest of the Shen family, tucked both hands into his sleeves and sniffled as he spoke.
Warming by the fire? Shen Qiyue glanced into the room behind him and indeed saw the flames leaping up.
She quickened her steps and ran to the corner of the yard, blocked by the crowd. The dry branches that the three siblings had painstakingly gathered over three days were now reduced to just a few scattered sticks.
Shen Qiyue flew into a rage. “You trespassed into our home, stole our firewood, snatched a baby boy, and sold innocent people—you’re trying to destroy our family of five! I’m going to report you to the authorities!”
“Report us?” Shen Changshan sneered. “She’s your own grandmother, and I’m your eldest uncle. Sending your elders to the authorities is an act of filial impiety. Enough nonsense—hand the child over now.”
As he spoke, Shen Changshan started moving toward Madam Bai, who was not far away. Huzi and Taotao, terrified, hid behind her, while Madam Bai clutched her youngest son tightly in her arms.
Shen Qiyue, furious, snatched a shovel from a villager’s hand and charged at Shen Changshan.
Catching a flash of silver in his peripheral vision, Shen Changshan hastily stepped back to dodge.
The shovel embedded itself in the dirt right by his foot. It was clear that had he not avoided it, he would have either died on the spot or had his skull split open.
“You little slut, have you lost your mind!” Shen Changshan’s wife, Mrs. Li, rushed over. “Father, father, are you alright?”
Shen Changshan, humiliated and enraged, cursed loudly and charged at Shen Qiyue.