Li Shi couldn't budge Song Xiu'er, feeling angry, she slapped the back of Song Xiu'er's head.
"Are you stuck to the bed? I told you to get up and follow me! Do you have chicken feathers stuffed in your ears?"
Meng Yao gritted her teeth in anger, "Li Shi, are you in a hurry to leave because you're feeling guilty?"
"What do I have to be guilty about? I'm just in a hurry to let my daughter go home and rest." Li Shi shouted.
"What Xiu'er needs now is bed rest, and in front of everyone, you're already hitting and scolding her. Are you sure she'll be able to rest well if she goes back?" Meng Yao hit the nail on the head.
Li Shi's expression was unnatural, "I'm her mother, I gave birth to her. Saying a couple of words, hitting her a couple of times, isn't that normal? Haven't all children grown up like this? Alright, stop arguing. We're from the same village, let's resolve this peacefully for the sake of both families."
"Xiu'er is our Dajiang's legitimate wife. You think you can just take her back? Besides, Xiu'er just said she doesn't want to go back. What's wrong with you, can't you understand human speech?" Meng Yao said bluntly, "Or do you think taking her back will cover up what you've done to harm my grandson? You should know that killing someone means paying with your life, don't you?"
"What killing, Meng Shi, don't scare people! Besides, how do you know it's a grandson? It might be a girl!" Li Shi's eyes darted, "Yes, definitely a girl! That wretched girl clearly isn't destined to have sons, where do you get your grandson from?"
Li Shi's face lit up with excitement, "Meng Shi, you should thank me. If it wasn't for me kicking away that girl, after she's born, you'd have to spend money raising her, what a relief! Alright, I won't take Xiu'er back, let her stay with Dajiang. Give it time, and she'll definitely give you a grandson. Even if she gives birth to a girl, it's not a big deal. Just feed her enough so she doesn't starve, let her work, and when the time's right, marry her off for a dowry!"
Seriously, what should I do if I really want to hit someone!
As someone raised under the red flag, who's been loved by her elders, Meng Yao couldn't understand Li Shi's way of thinking.
It's not just a matter of favoring sons over daughters; clearly, it's not even seeing women as human.
Kick away a girl and she should still be thankful!
Thank her mother! Thank her leg!
Isn't she a woman herself? Indeed, it's women who are harder on other women!
Meng Yao took a deep breath to resist the urge to hit someone, "Even if she's a granddaughter, she's still a child of the Zhao Family, she's our treasure."
Song Xiu'er suddenly turned her head, staring at Meng Yao, her eyes filled with disbelief.
Meng Yao nodded lightly at Song Xiu'er, indicating that what she said was true. She didn't know how the original would act, but now she was in control of this body, and naturally, it was her decision. Being beautiful and kind-hearted, how could she continue being an evil mother-in-law? That wouldn't fit her character.
Li Shi looked at Meng Yao like she was an idiot, "Meng Shi, is there something wrong with your brain? Treating a girl as a treasure? Treating your daughter as a treasure is one thing, but a granddaughter? That's laughable!"
"You don't have to worry about dying laughing because I'll beat you to death first." Meng Yao swung the broom towards Li Shi.
While Li Shi tried to dodge and hit back, Meng Yao swung the broom fiercely, preventing Li Shi from hitting her.
"You wretched girl, I raised you for nothing! You just stand by while your mother-in-law abuses your mother! How can you be so cruel! If I had known you were like this, I should've drowned you in a chamber pot when you were born!" Li Shi screamed, lamenting that she shouldn't have daughters, they're useless, just witnesses to her being bullied. Sons are better!
"Sometimes I really think that if you had drowned me, it would've been better." Song Xiu'er's voice wasn't loud, yet it reached everyone's ears present, "Often living is more painful than dying!"
Meng Yao's nose tingled, wondering how much torment Song Xiu'er must have faced to say such despairing words at such a young age?
That damned Li Shi.
Meng Yao intensified her movements.
"Mother, stop hitting." Song Xiu'er interrupted, "Be careful not to tire yourself."
"Yes, yes, mother, take a rest, give me the broom, I'll hit for you." Zhao Dajiang hurried over.
This annoying fool, when he was born, did the original forget to give him a brain?
He's going to hit? A son-in-law hitting his mother-in-law? Is that reasonable?
She and Li Shi are peers, of equal standing, hitting is hitting. But if he hits, it would give Li Shi leverage, they'd lose their rightful standing in the argument!
"What's going on here? What's going on! Why haven't you stopped? Everyone's from the same village, you're just watching them fight? Are you all dead? Don't know how to help? If word gets out, what will outsiders think of our village?" The village chief arrived, panting and reprimanding, "Is there anything that can't be discussed peacefully? Resorting to violence like this isn't decent!"
Meng Yao instantly recalled information about the village chief, elder brother to Doctor Li, who read books in his youth and is literate, although somewhat old-fashioned, overall a righteous person, and quite prestigious and beloved in Shanghua Village.
Meng Yao quickly distanced herself from Li Shi and put the broom aside, then, brewing her emotions, let large tears fall down—
"Village chief, it's just that I was so angry I lost my mind! Resorting to violence is my fault; punishment is up to you, I'll accept without complaint. But my granddaughter died so unjustly!"
The village chief was startled. The person who reported the incident only said Meng Shi and Li Shi were fighting, now it's escalated to involve someone dying?
"Granddaughter? Wait, since when do you have a granddaughter? How come I don't know?"
As the village chief, how could he not know of population changes in the village?
Doctor Li concisely explained the situation to his elder brother, making the village chief frown deeply.
"Meng Shi, I know Song Shi's character, honest and simple. Tell me, what has she done that you're considering divorcing her?" The village chief asked sternly.
Right, the entire incident erupted because the original wanted to divorce Song Shi.
"The talk of divorce was out of anger; I was just upset at the moment and said such things!" The words were originally spoken by the original, but at this moment, she had taken on the original's persona; naturally, she had to soften the stance.
"And Song Shi's forehead, did you hit her?" The village chief asked again.
Before Meng Yao could respond, Song Xiu'er spoke up voluntarily, "Village chief uncle, my forehead wasn't hit by my mother-in-law, it was me who knew I was wrong, and I knelt and knocked my head myself. I even wish my mother-in-law would beat me, which would make me feel better. The one beating me has always been my mother."
"Then tell me, what did you do wrong?" The village chief asked.
Li Shi stared at Song Xiu'er fiercely, as if she would tear her apart if she dared to speak.