Lian Shouxin was embarrassed. He didn’t have anything to say.
Lian Manman was happy, though. That Lady Zhang could co to an understanding was wonderful, even if the cost had been too great. But for a woman like Lady Zhang, who had been indoctrinated since childhood with the doctrines of the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, this was no easy feat.
"Mother, you don’t need to think too much, just focus on getting your health back," Lian Manman said to Lady Zhang.
Lady Zhang nodded. Having seen the light, she wouldn’t be obstinate anymore. For her own sake, and for her children’s, she needed good health.
Old Master Lian returned from the fields and learned that Lady Zhang’s miscarriage was due to being pushed over by Lian Xiuxiu and that her condition had worsened because of Lady Zhou’s negligence. He gave Lian Xiuxiu and Lady Zhou a fierce scolding. Since Lady Zhang was in confinent and couldn’t do any work, the burden on Lady He and Lady Zhao increased. Old Master Lian decreed that during the autumn harvest period, Lady Zhou and Lian Xiuxiu would be responsible for preparing the three daily als for the family.
"Don’t even think about sitting on the kang all day, expecting your daughters-in-law to co back and do the work for you," Old Master Lian said.
Since Lady Zhou and Lian Xiuxiu were at fault, they dare not defy Old Master Lian’s will.
Early one morning, before dawn had broken and a fog set in where one couldn’t see a few steps ahead, Lian Xiuxiu got up with Lady Zhou to prepare a al for the family. Lady Zhou was cleaning pots in the kitchen, ready to cook rice and steam buns, when she noticed they were low on firewood and asked Lian Xiuxiu to fetch so.
Though Lian Xiuxiu was a farr’s daughter, she had grown up coddled by Lady Zhou and, with a few sisters-in-law at ho, she had never really done such coarse work. But now, there were no excuses to be made. She couldn’t possibly ask Lady Zhou to fetch firewood, especially as she was incapable of kneading dough and making buns.
Lian Xiuxiu left the Upper Room, yawning as she walked toward the lower part of the house. It was not yet light, and the fog was thick, obfuscating anything more than a couple of steps in front of her.
The Lian Family’s firewood was stacked in the alley between the pigpen and the main gate wall. Lian Xiuxiu stumbled through the alley, tripping and falling forward. Before she could cry out, a sack was thrown over her head. Then, soone sat on top of her head, silencing her, and her body was pinned down. Punches, kicks, and sticks started landing on her buttocks, legs, and back.
Lian Xiuxiu struggled in agony, but she couldn’t break free. After what seed like an eternity, she faintly heard Lady Zhou’s calls, and the beating montarily ceased. Then, she received a kick to the face. As her head swam, the sack was removed from her head. She thought she heard footsteps, then quietness returned, followed by Lady Zhou’s calls anew.
Lian Xiuxiu lay on the ground for a while before she was able to stand up. The fog hadn’t cleared, and the alley was deserted save for her. She didn’t dare fetch the firewood any longer and stumbled back the way she ca, only to trip again. This ti, it was on a bundle of firewood that had been placed across the alley.
Lady Zhou had finished washing the rice and kneading the dough, even shaping the buns, and quite so ti had passed without Lian Xiuxiu returning with the firewood. At first, she called out but received no response. Thinking Lian Xiuxiu might have gone to relieve herself, Lady Zhou waited a bit longer, but as Lian Xiuxiu still didn’t return, she went to the doorway and called out again.
This ti, there was still no answer from Lian Xiuxiu. By then, Lady Zhou, frustrated and thinking Lian Xiuxiu was slacking off, stepped out of the front door. To her shock, she saw Lian Xiuxiu limping back through the fog with tears covering her face.
Lady Zhou was startled, "Xiuxiu, is that you? What happened?"
"Mother," Lian Xiuxiu approached and threw herself into Lady Zhou’s arms, bursting into tears.
Only then did Lady Zhou see the bruises on Lian Xiuxiu’s face and the mud and leaves sticking to her clothes. Several spots were torn, revealing bloody flesh.
"What on earth happened, Xiuxiu!" Lady Zhou cried, her eyes brimming with distress.
"I went to fetch firewood, and then..." Lian Xiuxiu told Lady Zhou about her beating.
"Who did this to you, tell your mother," Lady Zhou said through gritted teeth.
"I, I didn’t see," Lian Xiuxiu sobbed, "They covered my head."
"This is lawlessness," Lady Zhou raged, glancing towards the West Wing Room. The Lian Family’s main gate was bolted from the inside. The assailant was very likely soone from inside the compound. But who would attack Lian Xiuxiu?
Lady Zhou let go of Lian Xiuxiu and, swift as the wind, rushed to the door of the West Wing Room. Both Lian Shouxin’s and Lian Shouli’s families had not yet gotten up, and their doors were bolted from the inside.
"Open the door, Old Fourth, you open the door for ," Lady Zhou shouted from outside the door.
It took a while before the door opened, revealing a bleary-eyed Lady Zhou.
"Mother, what are you doing, you haven’t woken up yet?" Lian Shouxin said.
"Are you still playing dumb with ? Tell , did you beat Xiuxiu?"
"What are you talking about, Mother?" Lian Shouxin retorted, "If I wanted to beat her, would I have waited until today?"
"If not you, then who?" Lady Zhou paused before pushing Lian Shouxin aside and barging into the room.
At the top of the heated brick bed were the beddings of Zhang Shi and Lian Shouxin, and at the other end were four beddings huddled together belonging to Lian Zhizhi, Lian Manman, Xiao Qi, and Wu Lang. The children were still deep in sleep, only a row of little black heads peeking out.
Lady Zhou lunged toward the foot of the bed, but Lian Shouxin quickly grabbed her from behind to stop her.
"Mother, the kids and their mother are still asleep. If you have sothing to say, let’s go outside and talk."
"Talk about what? If it wasn’t you, it must have been one of these kids who hit Xiuxiu."
"Xiuxiu got hit?" Lian Shouxin was taken aback, "Mother, the kids haven’t even left their beds yet, how could they have hit Xiuxiu? Besides, Xiuxiu is taller and stronger than all of them; they couldn’t possibly beat her."
"If not you all, then who?" Lady Zhou persisted.
"Mother, it was you who opened this room’s door just now. The windows are all covered with gauze screens. Even if the kids were awake, they certainly don’t have the ability to fly through the air. Mother, even if you don’t like us, you can’t falsely accuse the kids," Lian Shouxin argued.
"Mother, listen, Xiuxiu is calling for you," Lian Shouxin said once more.
Lady Zhou, seeing no loopholes and hearing Lian Xiuxiu calling out urgently, left in displeasure.
At the breakfast table, Lian Manman glanced at Lian Xiuxiu, who was lying beside her. Lian Xiuxiu’s back was covered in wounds, forcing her to lie face down.
Lian Manman yawned.
"Manman, you’ve yawned several tis, didn’t you sleep well?" Lian Zhizhi asked.
Lady Zhou imdiately turned her gaze to Lian Manman.
"Sister, didn’t you hear it?" Lian Manman said in surprise.
"Hear what?"
"A very young child, crying out for his sister right outside our window, asking to open the door for him," Lian Manman explained.
Lady Zhou’s face turned pale. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welco to vote for it at Qidian (qidian), giving recomndation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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