When He Xiaoman entered the house with the children, the Jiang family was gathered around the main hall table eating. Seeing them, everyone's chopsticks froze in unison.
Liu Cuifen was the first to slam her coarse porcelain bowl onto the table, the sharp crack carrying her blazing fury: "Where the hell have you been? The pigpen hasn't been cleaned, the weeds in the field haven't been pulled, and the clothes are still piled up unwashed! You three aren't eating tonight!"
With that, she caught sight of the new clothes on He Xiaoman and her anger flared even hotter: "Dressed up so flashy—off seducing some other man again, are you?"
"What did you say?" Being insulted like this in front of the children, He Xiaoman's voice suddenly turned icy cold, a terrifying ferocity churning in her eyes.
Seeing her dare to talk back, Liu Cuifen puffed out her neck and cursed even harder: "I said you're shameless! Dragging two brats along and still can't stay put. If it weren't for Yanchuan's sake—"
Before she could finish, a sharp "crack" exploded through the air as He Xiaoman's palm slammed hard across her face.
The slap echoed through the hall like splitting firewood. The Jiang family was stunned speechless, and even the two little ones stared with wide, shocked eyes: Mom actually hit Grandma?
Liu Cuifen clutched her face, unable to snap out of it for a long moment, until the searing pain finally registered. Then she let out a piercing shriek: "He Xiaoman! I'm your mother-in-law! You dare hit me? You've lost your mind!"
He Xiaoman hadn't planned to settle scores tonight, but since Liu Cuifen insisted on charging straight into her, she naturally wouldn't hold back: "I'm hitting exactly this shit-mouthed old hag! You dare curse at me? And try to starve me and my kids?"
As she finished speaking, she swept her gaze over the food on the table, then reached out and flipped the entire table over: "If we don't get to eat, none of you do either."
"CRASH—"
The overturned table sent bowls and dishes shattering across the floor. The Jiang family members screamed and scrambled backward, dodging the flying porcelain shards.
"He Xiaoman, you're asking for it!" Her brother-in-law Jiang Changlin reacted first, charging forward with bloodshot eyes, fists clenched so tight his knuckles cracked. "You dare hit my mom and flip the table? Today I'll tear that mouth of yours apart!"
"Mom, watch out!"
Jiang Xingheng cried out in alarm, his little legs pumping as he rushed forward and grabbed desperately at Jiang Changlin's pant leg: "Don't you dare hit my mom! Don't!"
Jiang Xingci, though tears were welling up in his frightened eyes, saw his brother charge forward and hurriedly threw himself at Jiang Changlin's other leg, sobbing, "Don't hit my mommy… waaah… please don't hit her…"
He Xiaoman's heart jolted. She hadn't expected that the children who'd been so wary of her this afternoon would now throw themselves into danger to protect her.
Jiang Changlin's eyes burned red with rage. With a sweep of his big hand, he flung both kids aside like they were a pair of little grasshoppers.
Jiang Xingheng slammed hard against the pillar in the corner, while Jiang Xingci tumbled down beside the broken porcelain, gasping in fright.
"You dare touch my son?" He Xiaoman exploded in an instant. Before Jiang Changlin's fist could even swing, she raised her foot and kicked him square in the groin: "Take that!"
"OW!"
Jiang Changlin crumpled to the ground like a boar with its tail stepped on, clutching his crotch and writhing in agony, letting out a scream like a pig being slaughtered.
"Murder! He Xiaoman is committing murder!" Liu Cuifen watched her precious son writhing in pain, her soul nearly flying out of her body, her finger shaking as she pointed at He Xiaoman.
He Xiaoman shielded the two children behind her, bent down to pick up a sharp piece of broken bowl, and pressed it against Jiang Changlin's throat, sweeping her cold gaze across everyone: "Anyone who dares make a move, I'll slit his throat!"
Jiang Fugui, the patriarch, raised his tobacco pipe and roared in fury: "You abuse your mother-in-law and now you want to kill? I think you don't want to live anymore!"
His words were fierce, but his feet quietly shuffled backward, terrified that the porcelain might actually cut his son's throat.
"Abuse?" He Xiaoman sneered at Jiang Fugui. "Jiang Changlin just threw my son around. You people keep my kids half-starved every day, dump all the dirty, heavy work on me, and pocket every penny Yanchuan sends home. And now you're calling me abusive?"
She lifted her chin, her voice suddenly rising: "My husband is a soldier defending our country! You dare slander a soldier's wife and mistreat his children? I'll go right now to the production brigade and commune leaders to settle this. Let's see whose words hold more weight—yours, or my status!"
These words hit the Jiang family like a bucket of ice water, instantly deflating them. When had He Xiaoman—who used to not even dare make a sound when her children were bullied—become so tough?
Jiang Changlin's wife, Li Chunyan, quickly forced a smile, her voice trembling: "Sister-in-law, let's talk this out. We're all family—please don't hurt Changlin."
Even Liu Cuifen, who'd been so arrogant moments before, softened and said awkwardly: "Xiaoman, ah… just now your mother was wrong… Put that thing down first. The kids are watching—don't scare them…"
The porcelain shard in He Xiaoman's hand stayed pressed against Jiang Changlin's neck as she said coldly: "Fine, I'll put it down. But first, let's get things straight—"
"Whatever good food you eat, we eat too. You do the housework yourselves. And every cent of the money Yanchuan sends—give it all back to me!"
The moment Liu Cuifen heard about returning the money, her face darkened again.
But catching sight of the porcelain shard still clutched in He Xiaoman's hand, and her son groaning in pain on the ground, she ultimately gritted her teeth and nodded. "Fine, fine! Anything you say! I'll give you the money tomorrow, just let him go now."
Only then did He Xiaoman look down at Jiang Changlin and ask with a smile, "If I let you go, will you still hit me?"
Jiang Changlin was trembling all over from the pain at this moment, nowhere near able to put up a brave front. He could only squeeze out three words through gritted teeth: "No more hitting!"
Jiang Changlin was naturally thin and short to begin with, so He Xiaoman wasn't afraid of him in the least. She merely gave a light snort, then turned to look at Li Chunyan. "I'm tired. Go boil some hot water—I want to bathe the children."
Li Chunyan felt that He Xiaoman had completely lost her mind today. Not only had she struck her mother-in-law, but she'd even tried to kill someone. It was utterly terrifying. She didn't dare utter a single word of objection and scurried off to the kitchen as fast as her feet could carry her.
Only then did He Xiaoman release Jiang Changlin. She clapped her hands, glanced at the Jiang couple, then turned and led her two sons back into the room.
She slid the door bolt into place and quickly pulled the boys over to check on them. "Come, let Mama see. Where are you hurt? Does it hurt?"
Jiang Xingheng's elbow was a bit sore, but he strained to keep his little face composed and said with feigned steadiness, "I'm not hurt!"
Jiang Xingci, however, was different from his older brother. He tilted his little face up to look at his mother, immediately reaching out his small hand and speaking in a slightly whining, milky voice: "Mama, I'm hurt!"
He even pointed specifically at his elbow. "It's red here, it hurts so much~!"
He Xiaoman leaned in for a look. It wasn't serious—just a little red.
She blew a gentle breath on the spot, coaxing him like a little kitten: "It's okay. After Mama gives you both a bath, I'll put some medicine on it and you'll be fine."
Usually, they bathed themselves. As soon as Jiang Xingheng heard she'd be helping, his little brows immediately knitted into a knot, and his small face was full of resistance. "I don't want to! I can wash myself!"
Seeing this, He Xiaoman deliberately reached out to pull down his pants. "I'm afraid you won't get clean enough."
Jiang Xingheng panicked at once, frantically clutching at his waistband, his little face flushed bright red like a steamed shrimp. "You're a girl, I… I don't want you looking at me, I don't want you washing me!"
Hearing this, He Xiaoman burst out with a "pfft" of laughter and reached out to poke his little cheek. "Tsk, who'd want to look at a little squirt like you? If I were going to look at anyone, it'd be your dad with his eight-pack abs."
Just then, Jiang Xingci raised his little hand and hopped up and down, calling out in a crisp voice: "Mama, Mama! I'll let you look! I'm not scared! You wash me!"