The dilapidated Liu family courtyard had emptied of helpers, but onlookers still crowded around, leaving no space to pass.
Inside the narrow earthen-walled thatched hut, Xie Er Ni, who had just returned from the brink of death, had fallen into a deep sleep.
The rest of the Xie family had lost their earlier fierce, domineering air of taking on all comers with their fists. They all stared blankly at Liu Cheng as he entered.
Xie Jinzhu stood leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed. Old Mrs. Liu looked at this terrifying figure, not even daring to cry loudly, covering her mouth instead.
Liu Cheng walked in, his legs weak, trembling as he stood still.
Xie Jinzhu let out a subtle hum.
With a thud, Liu Cheng fell to his knees, raising his swollen, pig-like face as he wailed, “My child’s mother, I know I was wrong…”
“I really know I was wrong… Please make her stop. If she keeps hitting me, our three children will have no father…”
“She really can’t hit me anymore…”
If Xie Jinzhu got hold of him again, he truly wouldn’t survive!
Once the pleas for mercy started, the rest—the promises, vows, and oaths—came easily.
Xie Jinzhu watched Liu Cheng swearing to the heavens with a cold gaze, a frown of impatience creasing her brow.
Liu Cheng like this…
“Forget it.”
Second Aunt, her eyes red, gritted her teeth: “Er Ni just barely survived. She can’t hear this nonsense he’s spouting now.”
The doctor had said Xie Er Ni was incredibly lucky. If they had waited any longer, she would have been dead by now!
This man came in without even bothering to ask if Xie Er Ni was awake. What use was such a kowtowing apology?
Liu Cheng, as if granted a pardon, tried to get up.
Xie Jinzhu narrowed her eyes and said slowly, “Once the child is born, it’ll be time for the confinement month. Has Second Brother-in-law prepared anything to nourish my second sister?”
Liu Cheng cowered, shrinking his neck, and said cautiously, “Then… then let my mother steam an egg for her?”
Something as good as an egg—Xie Er Ni usually couldn’t even get a bite!
Xie Jinzhu scoffed, turning to look at the chicken coop in the yard. She flexed her wrist, producing a crisp cracking sound. Each crack felt like a whip lashing Liu Cheng’s body.
Xie Jinzhu: “I can pound you into an egg.”
Liu Cheng’s legs went weak, nearly kneeling again. This time, he didn’t pretend to be foolish and hurriedly said, “Chicken… kill a chicken!”
“My family still has over a dozen chickens. I’ll go kill one now to make soup for Er Ni to nourish her!”
Watching Liu Cheng scramble out in a panic, Xie Jinzhu slowly followed: “Kill it. I’ll watch you kill it.”
“If my second sister misses even one chicken during her confinement month, I’ll come and skin you alive.”
Liu Cheng grabbed a knife, boiled water, and plucked the feathers in one smooth motion.
Old Mrs. Liu had cried herself out of energy, sitting on the ground by a pile of feathers, stretching her neck and sobbing.
Old Mrs. Xie, having confirmed that Er Ni and the child were both stable, walked out holding her waist: “Jinzhu, we should head back.”
The Liu family’s place was small and couldn’t possibly accommodate so many of them.
Moreover, when a married daughter was in confinement, it wasn’t proper for her natal family to stay for long.
After speaking, Old Mrs. Xie turned to Second Aunt: “You won’t come back with us. Stay with Little Six and keep Er Ni company for a couple more days.”
What others said didn’t matter. What mattered was that their own child was safe and sound.
Second Aunt wiped her tears forcefully, shot Old Mrs. Liu a fierce glance, and nodded emphatically: “Don’t worry, Old Madam. I know what to do.”
“As long as I, her mother, am here, no one will dare mistreat my daughter!”
Old Mrs. Xie finally felt at ease, but her emotions were complex as she looked at Xie Jinzhu standing before her.
When raised as a boy, she was soft and weak, only daring to throw tantrums at home.
Now that she’s being raised as a girl, how did she become so fierce it makes one’s heart tremble?
What exactly is going on with this child?
Xie Jinzhu felt a bit strange under Old Mrs. Xie’s gaze and lowered her head to check her clothes: “What?”
Old Mrs. Xie was overwhelmed with mixed feelings: “No, nothing.”
At least she knows how to protect her own now, which is better than before!
Second Aunt was the most excited. She grabbed Xie Jinzhu and patted her hand heavily: “Good child!”
“You truly are a daughter of our family!”
If it weren’t for Xie Jinzhu today, things would have been a huge mess!
Second Aunt was bold in both love and hate. She immediately patted her chest and promised: “From now on, I swear I won’t scold you anymore, and I won’t let anyone else say anything about you either!”
“You are the apple of my eye now, I will definitely protect you!”
Xie Jinzhu found it quite amusing. Before Second Aunt could make another grand promise, she leaned close to her ear and whispered a few words.
Second Aunt’s expression shifted from stunned to changed, then she blinked mysteriously: “Will that work?”
“Won’t they…”
“They wouldn’t dare.”
Xie Jinzhu said bluntly: “Second Aunt, just rest assured and focus on taking care of Second Sister and the baby. We don’t lack money, and we don’t lack fists to throw punches either.”
Xie Er Ni can stand as tall and firm as she wants.
As for the debt Liu Cheng kept talking about, that account does need to be settled, but it should wait until Xie Er Ni has recovered and finished her postpartum confinement.
Second Aunt nodded solemnly: “Alright, I understand.”
Old Mrs. Xie and Madam Wang watched from the side. After everything was finally settled, the family drove out of Liu Village under the strange gazes of passersby.
Madam Wang looked at Old Mrs. Xie, then at Xie Jinzhu, hesitating for a long while before whispering: “Old Madam, where did all the money come from?”
It wasn’t that Madam Wang was overthinking; it was just that everyone knew exactly what the Old Xie Family’s situation was like.
Earlier, with a stroke of his pen, the doctor prescribed medicine costing as much as three hundred wen per dose, and Second Aunt didn’t even blink before ordering a month’s supply.
But Second Aunt only went home once—where did she get so much money?
Second Uncle Xie also sighed: “Who did you borrow it from? Did they say when it needs to be repaid?”
When saving a life, human life comes first, and there was no time to think about anything else.
But now that the person is safe, it’s time to worry about other things.
Old Mrs. Xie had a strange expression. After a long pause, she gestured toward Xie Jinzhu with her chin: “Let’s talk at home. The root of it is right here.”
Those who didn’t know the details worried about the debt all the way until they reached the doorstep.
While Xie Jinzhu went to return the mule cart, Old Mrs. Xie explained the matter of selling the ink.
The moment Xie Jinzhu stepped into the house, she sensed something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Xie Jinzhu quickly scanned the room, swiftly retracted her left foot that had first entered the house, stood firmly in a defensive posture ready to run at any moment, and squeezed out a dry question: “Second Uncle, why are you all holding knives?”
She only went out to return a mule cart—what life-threatening situation has happened now?
Everyone was holding carrying poles and firewood knives, and even Xie Xiao Qi, who usually couldn’t be bothered with her, had a coil of rope in hand.
Everyone’s eyes were gleaming, filled with murderous intent.
Had they finally come to their senses and decided to chop her up today to cleanse the family’s reputation?!
Second Uncle Xie sprang to his feet, gripping his firewood axe as he charged toward Xie Jinzhu: “Let’s go right now—”
“Don’t come any closer!”
Xie Jinzhu hastily backed away: “Let’s talk this out properly. Put down the axe first, you—”
“What are you thinking in that head of yours?”
Xie Wuni popped up from nowhere, swinging her arm to give Xie Jinzhu a playful shove, grinning so wide her teeth showed: “No one’s planning to chop you up for firewood.”
Xie Jinzhu let out a sigh of relief, only to have Xie Wuni grab her arm the next second: “Come on, come on, let’s head to the pine forest right now!”