Early the next morning, the entire Nan family gathered around the dining table.
“Qianqian, eat more. If it’s not enough, Mom will give you another serving.”
Nan Qianqian looked at the bowls of the others around the table. They were all eating mixed-grain rice with only a small amount of white rice added, while her own bowl was filled entirely with white rice.
For a moment, she felt rather uncomfortable.
“Little Sister, hurry up and eat. What are you staring at?” Nan Jing couldn’t help reminding her when he saw his sister staring blankly at her bowl.
Ever since his little sister had injured her head, not only had her temper changed, but she had also developed a habit of spacing out.
He didn’t know whether her brain had been damaged. He would have to find a way to take her to the hospital for an examination.
“I think Little Sister just doesn’t have an appetite. Wouldn’t it be a waste if she didn’t eat it? Why don’t we let our Nanfeng have it instead? After all, he’s the eldest grandson of the family, and he’s still growing.”
As she spoke, a hand reached toward the bowl of white rice in front of Nan Qianqian.
Before it could get close, a pair of chopsticks struck it with a sharp smack, forcing the hand back.
“Well, well, Wu Yun! You’ve even dared to set your sights on my daughter’s food! Have you grown some serious nerve? Just try touching it again and see if I don’t beat you!”
Li Cuihua spoke viciously, not forgetting to signal her eldest son with her eyes.
“Just eat your food! What on earth are you thinking about all day?” Nan Guoliang caught his mother’s signal and immediately reprimanded his troublemaking wife.
“I just wanted Nanfeng to have some white rice.”
Wu Yun looked aggrieved.
This entire family only knew how to dote on their precious youngest daughter.
She didn’t do any work all day, yet all the best food in the house was reserved for her.
Why should that be?
“Mom, why are you trying to take Auntie’s food? Auntie is sick and needs to nourish her body. I’m a boy, and I’m strong and healthy.”
Wu Yun: “…”
Sooner or later, this little brat of hers would drive her to an early grave.
She had been trying to get him something good to eat, yet instead of appreciating it, he had started lecturing her!
“You’re not even as sensible as a child. Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?”
Li Cuihua glared at her eldest daughter-in-law, her dissatisfaction deepening.
Nan Qianqian didn’t say a word. She simply stared straight at Wu Yun.
This eldest sister-in-law was certainly no good person.
If she remembered correctly, the original novel mentioned that Wu Yun would run away with some other man within the next couple of years.
At that man’s instigation, she would even sell her own son.
Later, her eldest brother would become so furious that he fell seriously ill and never recovered, dying at a young age.
In fact, Wu Yun was responsible for at least half of the original owner’s decision to smash her head against a wall and commit suicide.
She had instigated the original owner, telling her that if she didn’t want to marry Fu Nanxun, she should threaten her parents with death.
She had also said that since her parents loved her so much, they would definitely agree to her demands.
That way, she could be together with Chen Feng, the man she liked.
“Eldest Sister-in-law, what are you doing?! Just yesterday, you told me to smash my head against the wall and kill myself, and today you’re trying to steal my food. You…”
“What?!”
The village Party secretary, who hadn’t said a word since sitting down at the table, immediately flew into a rage upon hearing that his eldest daughter-in-law had instigated his daughter’s suicide.
He slammed his chopsticks onto the table and glared at Wu Yun, his face turning livid.
Wu Yun had never seen her father-in-law so furious before.
Her legs immediately went weak with fright, and she instinctively turned to her husband with a pleading look.
Nan Guoliang frowned and said sternly, “Wu Yun, how could you encourage Little Sister to commit suicide?”
Wu Yun’s heart sank.
She was finished!
What on earth was wrong with this sister-in-law of hers?
Just yesterday, she had been thanking her, yet today she had exposed everything!
Wasn’t she trying to get her killed?
She shot Nan Qianqian a vicious glare, only to find the other party looking back at her with an expression that seemed to say, What can you possibly do to me?
It made her absolutely furious.
Nevertheless, she hurriedly defended herself.
“Qianqian, how can you slander your eldest sister-in-law like this? Yesterday, you were the one who begged me to come up with an idea for you. You said that in this lifetime, you wouldn’t marry anyone except Educated Youth Chen.
“You also said that you would never marry that cripple, Fu Nanxun. I even tried to persuade you otherwise at the time, but you refused to listen. You said you would find a way to make Mom and Dad agree. So why are you now\…”
Wu Yun spoke with an aggrieved expression.
For a moment, everyone was actually rendered speechless by her words.
After all, regardless of everything else, the original owner had indeed been making a fuss about how she only liked that scumbag Chen and would rather die than marry the crippled Fu Nanxun.
Although she hadn’t been the one who said those things, she had no choice but to shoulder the blame now, whether she wanted to or not.
“I did say those things before, but I’ve come to my senses now. I’ve already discussed everything with Mom and Dad today, and I’m going to see Fu Nanxun first thing tomorrow morning. Don’t falsely accuse me! It was clearly you who…”
Nan Qianqian’s eyes suddenly filled with tears.
Her face, which had already been devoid of color, appeared even paler now.
Her frail, pitiful appearance made her look as though she might collapse at any moment, stirring everyone’s sympathy.
“Auntie, don’t cry.”
Nan Feng, who was sitting beside Nan Qianqian, had been watching his youngest aunt cautiously the entire time, afraid that she might notice him and give him another beating.
Unexpectedly, as he watched, his aunt, who was as beautiful as a fairy, suddenly began to cry.
His little eyebrows knitted together tightly.
He figured that his mother’s big mouth must have hurt his aunt’s feelings.
“Daughter, what are you crying for?”
Seeing Nan Qianqian looking so delicate and pitiful, everyone felt terribly distressed.
She was the precious treasure of their family!
None of them could bear to see her suffer even the slightest grievance.
“Eldest Sister-in-law, you just can’t stand seeing my little sister doing well, can you? How could you falsely accuse such an innocent and kindhearted girl?”
Nan Jing stood up.
Although he was usually all smiles and jokes, his expression had turned rather gloomy.
“I… I didn’t.”
Wu Yun was now as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.
Although this brother-in-law of hers usually appeared harmless, he could be frighteningly ruthless when he became serious.
“Eldest Son, you can forget about finishing your meal. Hurry up and get that woman out of my sight. Just looking at her makes my blood boil!”
Li Cuihua was furious.
Although her daughter could be rather troublesome at times, she had never done anything like smashing her head against a wall before yesterday.
It must have been this woman who had instigated her!
What a disgrace to the family!
“Let’s go.”
Nan Guoliang stood up expressionlessly and headed toward the door.
“Guoliang, look, it’s almost dark outside. Can’t you wait until another day to send me back?”
If she was sent back to her parents’ home, her father would beat her to death.
“It’s still light outside. I’ll take you there on my bicycle.”
Nan Guoliang looked at the woman before him.
He truly couldn’t understand how he had been so blind back then that he had married such a woman.
In the end, Wu Yun was still sent back to her parents’ home.
No sooner had Nan Guoliang left than Wu Yun’s father began beating her mercilessly.
“You worthless girl! Why can’t you behave yourself for even a single day? Tell me, how many times has your husband sent you back here already? You’ve completely disgraced me!”
Wu Yun’s father’s face turned livid with rage.
He raised his fists and struck her without holding back.
“Ah… Ah… Dad, please spare me! I was wrong!
“Mom, hurry up and save me! Dad’s going to beat me to death!”
In the darkness of the night, Wu Yun’s shrill, miserable screams immediately attracted the neighboring aunties who loved watching a commotion.
One after another, they poked their heads out to watch.
Although it was too dark to see clearly, that did nothing to dampen their enthusiasm for gossip.
“How many times has that Wu family’s daughter been sent back by her husband already? Why can’t she ever learn her lesson? She must have upset her husband’s family again.”
“If she were my daughter, I’d beat her to death!”
“Me too! It’s so embarrassing. She’s been married for so many years, yet she keeps getting sent back whenever something happens. Just look at that wretched woman. She’s clearly no good.”
…
Hearing their remarks, Wu Yun’s father’s expression grew even darker, and his blows became increasingly vicious.
“Her father, are you trying to beat her to death?”
Only then did Wu Yun’s mother come out.
Looking at her daughter writhing in agony on the ground, she didn’t feel the slightest bit of pity.
Having given birth to such a worthless daughter, she wished she could strangle her herself.
She had originally thought that since her daughter had managed to hook up with the village Party secretary’s son, their entire family would be able to enjoy a better life.
Who would have thought that this worthless girl would turn out to be so useless?
Not only had she failed to obtain any benefits, but she had also completely disgraced the Wu family.
In the end, Wu Yun was dragged back into the house by her father, who continued beating her.
Her miserable cries of pain grew softer, then louder, then softer again, until eventually, there was no sound at all…
The night returned to its usual tranquility.
Everyone had long since grown accustomed to such scenes, and no one was worried that she might be beaten to death.
Even if she died, what did that have to do with them?