Yang Yiyang continued analyzing with the mother and son why they needed to be ruthless—if they couldn’t win in a direct fight, they could resort to underhanded tactics.
She told Mother Jiang, “If you can’t beat him now, just wait until he’s lying down asleep. Then you can chop whichever part you want. Still think you can’t beat him?”
Then she said to her tool-husband, “In your culture, filial piety is paramount. You can’t hit your father, but you can hit his sons and grandsons.”
She kept giving her tool-husband ideas, fueling his ferocity.
“You have to make them understand: if he hits you once, you’ll return it tenfold, a hundredfold, on his sons and grandsons. You’ve got nothing to lose—if you die, eighteen years later you’ll be a hero again.”
They don’t treat you as human, so treat them as demons.
“He attacks you openly; you attack his sons and grandsons secretly. Let’s see who’s tougher then.”
“If that doesn’t work, you can go cause trouble at their factory. After all, you have no job or income. What do you barefoot people have to fear from those wearing shoes?”
The mother and son were stunned by her words. Something felt off, but upon reflection, it made some sense.
Especially Jiang Zihao. His two older brothers had always bullied him in various ways, and his mother always pressured him to endure it, saying they were brothers and it would pass.
To avoid putting his mother in a difficult position, he had tolerated it all along. But had they changed?
No. In fact, they had become even worse. Why should he endure it any longer?
“Right, I can’t hit my father, but can’t I hit his beloved sons and grandsons?”
Mother Jiang timidly said, “But you’re blood brothers.”
“Do you think they treat me as a brother?”
Yang Yiyang added, “Hitting your father openly is unfilial, but aren’t there sacks?”
Jiang Zihao thought of the brothers who had beaten his brother-in-law that night—it had felt so satisfying.
Now, his wife’s words seemed to unlock something in his mind.
He thought, “Right. If things can’t go on like this, someone has to fall. Better it be someone else than myself.”
After speaking, Yang Yiyang left them alone to digest her words. They needed to figure things out for themselves and stand up on their own.
Yang Yiyang closed her eyes and fell asleep.
More sleep would help her recover faster.
Before drifting off, she wondered why other people’s cheat abilities included spaces, spiritual springs, and fertile black soil—all so versatile.
Why was hers just a shabby room with nothing in it?
This damned heavens, daring to embezzle her billion.
The thought made her seethe with anger.
After Zheng Xin returned home, her mother-in-law kept cursing her, using the vilest language.
In the past, Zheng Xin would have cried in secret. But now, she was also burning with resentment. Her sister-in-law had analyzed it for her: this old hag was just trying to control her and her husband.
How utterly malicious.
This time, she couldn’t hold back. She rushed out and said,
“Mom, you said my mother has three hands and stole money. Did you see it with your own eyes? Or did you eavesdrop by my mother and her husband’s wall to hear it firsthand? You seem so sure.”
She repeated the reasoning her sister-in-law had given her without any hesitation.
“Besides, that’s between my mother and her husband. As in-laws, isn’t it inappropriate for you to meddle in the affairs of the other family’s head?”
Her words were like poking a hornet’s nest.
Grandma Qiao immediately jumped up to hit her, cursing, “You little bitch, daring to slander your own mother-in-law. Why don’t you just drop dead?”
Zheng Xin no longer stood there waiting to be hit as she used to. Instead, she ran out while shouting phrases she had heard from other mother-in-law and daughter-in-law fights in the past.
"Help! The Qiao family is trying to beat their daughter-in-law to death! There's no way to live anymore!"
In the past, she would have found such a scene utterly humiliating if others witnessed it. But now, she felt a sense of catharsis.
"Quick, save me! The Qiao family wants to kill their daughter-in-law! They don't treat their daughter-in-law like a human being!"
Her shouts quickly drew the neighbors out of their homes.
Everyone came out to watch the commotion.
Neighbor 1: "Old Mrs. Qiao, what did your daughter-in-law do to make you chase her into the street to beat her?"
Neighbor 2: "Yeah, isn't the Qiao family's eldest daughter-in-law the type who never fights back or talks back? I heard she's like an old workhorse for the Qiao family. How dare she resist today?"
Neighbor 3: "She must have been pushed too far. Even a rabbit will bite when cornered, as they say."
"It seems the Qiao family isn't as harmonious as outsiders think."
Seeing so many people come out to watch her embarrassment, Grandma Qiao felt her good image had been completely ruined by this wretched woman.
Furious, she thought she must catch this reckless wretch and give her a good beating.
"Stop right there, you lowlife! How dare you slander your own mother-in-law? Why don't you just drop dead!"
An old woman named Xiao, who was close to Grandma Qiao, grabbed Zheng Xin and held her in place, waiting for Grandma Qiao to come and beat her.
She thought to herself, "When did the Qiao family's pushover learn to fight back? The sun must be rising from the west."
As fellow mothers-in-law, they naturally stood on the same side. How could they let her set a bad example, allowing daughters-in-law to trample all over their mothers-in-law?
Zheng Xin tried to break free, but Old Woman Xiao held onto her tightly, refusing to let go.
Just as her mother-in-law reached her, Zheng Xin saw her raise her hand and swing with all her might toward her face.
Unable to break free, Zheng Xin could only pull Old Woman Xiao, swapping their positions.
Smack!
A loud slap echoed, and the world fell silent.
Everyone stared at the three of them.
Old Woman Xiao felt a burning pain on her face and immediately released Zheng Xin.
"You wicked old Qiao woman! I was kind enough to hold your daughter-in-law for you so you could beat her, but instead, you took the chance to hit me!"
And with such force—clearly trying to hurt her badly. No, she had to hit back.
So Old Woman Xiao mustered all her strength and slapped back.
Smack!
Another loud slap.
Grandma Qiao's face quickly swelled, the pain spreading as she felt her teeth loosen from the blow.
She had never suffered such a humiliation before.
Before anyone knew it, the two old women were fighting each other, trading blows and curses.
Zheng Xin thought, "Isn't this exactly what my sister-in-law said? People don't feel the pain unless it's inflicted on them. Only by dragging them into the mess will they stop standing on the sidelines."
She felt her sister-in-law was truly brilliant, predicting this outcome. It seemed following her advice was always the right choice.
Old Woman Xiao cursed, "You crazy hag! All you do is torment your eldest daughter-in-law while saving all the good things for your favorite second daughter-in-law. One day, you'll get what's coming to you!"
Grandma Qiao was livid. This wretched woman had exposed her secrets in front of so many people.
Since you show no mercy, don't blame me for being ruthless.
So she retorted…
"You think you're any better? Don't you also hide all the good food and secretly give it to your eldest grandson and youngest son? Do your other daughters-in-law know about this?"
Old Lady Xiao saw her second daughter-in-law standing in the crowd, glaring at her with a hostile look, and she was furious.
"What kind of good person are you either? Every month, you take all the wages from your eldest son's family and use them to support the second and third sons. Your favoritism knows no bounds, making the eldest son and his wife work like beasts of burden for your entire family."
"You even torment the two children born to the eldest son's family."
"Your eldest son is also useless, letting you get away with all this. No wonder he's destined to die young."