Although she had been beaten badly, it was still clear that the young girl’s skin was fair and delicate—she would have been a beauty.
The more Ren Jingshu wiped her face, the more her heart ached. If she hadn’t arrived here by chance, with such looks, this girl would likely have followed the original owner’s fate—devoured piece by piece by those men.
The woman had already been helped to her feet. Covering her face, she cried out in pain while glaring hatefully at the two sisters.
“You two wretched girls are truly out of control! Daring to strike your elder—such disobedience and lack of filial piety! Let’s see who would dare marry you in the future!”
“Oh? An elder? What kind of elder are you to us?”
Ren Jingshu raised an eyebrow, smiling faintly.
This woman must be that so-called second aunt. Since she was unfamiliar with everything here, she might as well confirm things first.
“How am I not an elder?”
The woman took the bait, glaring fiercely as if she wanted to claw Ren Jingshu’s face apart.
“I was properly married into the Ren family—your rightful second aunt! For you to treat me like this is outright rebellion!”
Good. The right person.
Debts have their owners—today she would make this woman taste what it meant to suffer worse than death.
Ren Jingshu gently laid the unconscious girl beneath a tree, then stood and walked toward her second aunt.
“Eldest Miss, what are you trying to do?”
Two maids beside the second aunt stepped forward, blocking her path, their faces full of disdain.
“After what happened to you today, you still dare come back openly? If it were me, I’d have already hanged myself. How could I still have the face to live? Don’t you all think so?”
The maid in a light green dress crossed her arms, smiling maliciously.
The other women echoed her words, covering their mouths as they giggled.
So—they wanted to ruin her reputation and force her to death.
Unfortunately, Ren Jingshu was not someone who could be easily bullied.
Without another word, she lunged forward.
“You all heard her, right? She said herself she has no face to live. Since she wants to hang herself, I can only help her fulfill that wish.”
Reaching out, Ren Jingshu yanked the dark green sash from the girl’s waist.
Before anyone could react, she grabbed the maid’s hair and looped the sash around her neck.
“Ugh… help…”
The girl’s eyes bulged, mouth wide open as the sash tightened. She flailed wildly, trying to claw at Ren Jingshu’s face.
“You wretched girl, what are you doing? Let her go!”
The second aunt shouted angrily.
Seeing Ren Jingshu unmoved, she grew frantic.
“What are you all waiting for? Can’t you see she’s about to die? Go—tie that girl up!”
She couldn’t understand how Ren Jingshu had returned unharmed. She had clearly been knocked unconscious—there was no way those men would let such prey go.
But it didn’t matter. If it didn’t work once, there would be another chance. Now that these two girls were in her hands, she could do as she pleased.
The others were about to rush forward when—
“Whoosh—!”
In a blink, the green-clad maid was hanging stiffly from a tree branch nearby.
There was a thick branch jutting out at an angle—perfect for hanging.
“What a coincidence. She just said she wanted to hang herself, and I happened to fancy this tree. Looks like everything was arranged by heaven.”
Ren Jingshu dusted off her clothes and looked up with a faint smile at the others.
“What’s wrong? You’re coming closer—do you want the same treatment? I’m your master, after all. I wouldn’t mind helping you.”
“No… no…”
“We don’t want that…”
The women retreated in terror, staring up at the branch.
The maid was still struggling. As she thrashed, the branch shook, dry leaves falling down and scattering over the women.
Not far away, the soldiers who had been watching stood up in shock.
Under everyone’s gaze, the maid’s movements gradually slowed.
Her face turned purple, her mouth hung open, her tongue protruding—
“Quick… quick… save her!”
The second aunt finally snapped back to her senses and shrieked.
The women huddled together, pushing each other, none daring to step forward—even when their names were called.
After all, they were servants—but they still valued their lives.
Normally, when a household was confiscated and exiled, all servants would be sold off. But with a new emperor’s ascension and a general amnesty, coupled with sympathy for General Ren’s family, they had been allowed to follow their masters into exile.
“Second Aunt seems quite worried about her. Shall I help you too—send you up there?”
Ren Jingshu smiled sweetly, as if she might hang her up at any moment.
“N-no… that’s not what I meant…”
The second aunt shuddered, waving her hands frantically.
What had gotten into this girl today? She was nothing like her usual timid self—it was as if she had become a completely different person.
A different person?
The second aunt looked at her suspiciously. Her clothes, her slightly disheveled hair—everything was the same.
Only her eyes had changed—sharp and cold.
Ren Jingshu stood there quietly, smiling.
Go ahead, look all you want. You won’t find anything.
By now, the maid had completely stopped moving, hanging limply from the branch.
“What are you all doing?”
The soldiers approached, shouting:
“As expected of a disgraced family—even at a time like this, you can still cause someone to die.”