TSWPF – Chapter 11 Fury

Madam Liu pointed at Li Qingfu’s bleeding lip, hands on her hips, and scolded Madam Zhao sharply. “What’s the matter? Are you blind? Didn’t you see Qingfu is hurt? And this is just a small wound — there are more all over his body! All caused by that wretched girl, Li Qingling! Madam Zhao, if you don’t give me an explanation today, we’ll see who has the last word!”

Her precious grandson — whom she’d never let so much as lift a finger since he was born — had actually been beaten by that low-born girl, Li Qingling! Outrageous!

If she didn’t get justice today, she wouldn’t be called Liu.

“Qingling did this?” Madam Zhao glanced at Qingfu’s wounded mouth again and frowned. “Impossible. Qingling never hits people for no reason.” Even if she had hit him, Qingfu must have provoked her somehow.

“I’ve got no time for your nonsense! Go call that wretched girl out here right now!” Madam Liu’s arm sliced through the air, her posture clearly showing she wouldn’t leave until she saw Li Qingling.

From inside the house, Li Qingling slowly stepped out. She walked calmly, then stopped squarely before Madam Zhao. “Grandma, you wanted to see me?” she asked evenly, turning slightly to signal her mother to go back inside — Madam Zhao was still pregnant, and a scuffle could be dangerous.

But Madam Zhao shook her head, refusing to retreat. She stood firmly at her daughter’s side.  As a mother, it was her duty to protect her children.

Seeing Madam Zhao’s resolve, Qingling didn’t insist further.

“What’s this about?” she asked coldly.

Madam Liu snorted and yanked Li Qingfu forward, rolling up his pant leg. The boy’s knee was dark and bruised — a shocking sight. “You beat Qingfu like this, and you still dare ask me what’s going on?”

Barely separated from the family, and already acting like her wings had grown — daring to hit people now!

Just as Madam Liu’s voice faded, a shrill cry pierced the air. “Move! Move aside!”

The villagers watching quickly parted to make way as Madam Liu’s eldest daughter-in-law, Madam Lin, waddled in — her plump, round body shaking as she moved. “My son!” she bellowed. “I heard a little tramp hit you! Let Mother see where you’re hurt!”

She grabbed Qingfu without hesitation and, not caring about the crowd, yanked up his shirt and pants. When she saw the bruises on him, her eyes blazed with fury.

Her hand shot up, the big palm swooping down in a slap.

Li Qingling was about to dodge, but Madam Zhao stepped in front of her.

Smack! The slap landed hard across Madam Zhao’s face, nearly knocking her to the ground.

“Mother!” Qingling caught her, eyes narrowing dangerously at the sight of the bright red handprint swelling on her mother’s cheek.

“Mother…”

Hearing the commotion, Li Qingfeng — who’d been learning to read at the Liu family’s — rushed home, only to see the moment his mother was struck.

Like a small lion, he planted himself before Madam Zhao, glaring up at Madam Lin. “Don’t you dare hit my mother!”

“Your mother? I’ll hit you too!” Madam Lin sneered, raising her hand again.

Hit her son, would they? Did they take Lin Cuihua for a pushover?

But Li Qingling’s face had turned cold. She pulled Qingfeng aside, and Madam Lin’s hand swiped through empty air.

“Take Mother inside,” Qingling ordered her brother, voice steady. “And don’t come out.” Then, turning back to Madam Zhao, she gently wiped the blood from the corner of her lips with her sleeve. “Mother, don’t worry. I can handle this.”

Madam Zhao’s lips trembled. Finally, she nodded helplessly. What a useless mother she was — not only unable to protect her children, but needing them to protect her.

“Big Sister…”

“Listen to me.”

Qingfeng bit his lip, eyes red as he led his swollen-faced mother into the house.

Then, turning her icy gaze toward Li Qingfu, Qingling said coldly, “Li Qingfu, did you eat your books for breakfast? If your teacher found out you were lying and slandering others like this, what would he think?”

Qingfu flinched under her glare but stubbornly stuck to his story.

“Heh.” Qingling sneered. She turned to the other village children and pointed. “You, you, and you — did you see me hit Li Qingfu? Answer honestly. If you lie, the wolves will eat you tonight.”

The children shrank back, whispering, “It was Qingfu who tried to hit Sister Qingling. He fell down by himself.”

“I just came back from the town,” Qingling explained, her tone mocking. “Qingfu saw my basket and thought there was food inside. He tried to grab it. When I refused, he picked up a big rock and ran toward me — but tripped and fell. Hurt himself, then tried to pin it on me. Li Qingfu, maybe your surname isn’t Li — it’s Lai (to rely or cheat)!”

The villagers gasped, murmuring among themselves. Poor Qingling’s family — separated from the Lis, yet still bullied daily. How pitiful.

Facing the murmuring crowd, Madam Liu didn’t back down. Instead, she jabbed a finger at Qingling. “You vile girl! You had food and didn’t give any to your brother, and now he fell because of you! How can your heart be so wicked?”

Her eyes darted shrewdly. “What did you buy? Take it out now!”

She stepped forward, clearly intending to barge inside.

So that was it — she’d smelled food and wanted to seize it.

Unbelievable.

Qingling blocked her path. If Madam Liu got in, the whole house would be ransacked.

“I sold firewood this morning for five coins and bought coarse rice with it,” Qingling said evenly. “Grandma, don’t tell me you even want to take that from us?”

But Madam Liu didn’t believe her. She shot Madam Lin a glance. Madam Lin understood, lumbering forward to shove Qingling aside.

Did they really think she was a helpless kitten?

Qingling suddenly released her grip on Madam Liu, who stumbled forward and fell heavily to the ground.

Perfect — now Madam Liu had an excuse to throw a fit.

“She hit me! The unfilial wretch hit her grandmother! Heaven help me!” Madam Liu rolled on the ground, wailing at the top of her lungs.

“How can there be such a vicious granddaughter? Heaven, strike her down!” Madam Lin joined the howling chorus, all while creeping toward the kitchen.

The two women’s shrieks echoed across the whole village.

Qingling’s teeth clenched audibly. She strode out of the kitchen, gripping the firewood chopper.

With a thud, she slammed the blade into the doorframe. “Go on — keep howling!” she snarled, yanking the knife free.

“Anyone who dares take even a thread from this house — I’ll cut them down! Not afraid? Then come and try me!”

Her glare locked onto Madam Lin.

Madam Lin froze. A chill ran down her spine, her legs trembling.

Even Madam Liu shut up, terrified Qingling might actually go berserk.

“Qingling!”

“Big Sister!”

Madam Zhao and Qingfeng burst out of the house, crying out in panic. Tears streamed down Madam Zhao’s face. “Qingling, put the knife down! Don’t do something foolish!”

But Qingling’s eyes stayed fixed on Liu and Madam Lin. “Mother, don’t come closer. Go back inside.

If she fought now, she couldn’t protect them.

“Qingling…”

“Beast!”

A sudden roar split the air — Old Li, the family patriarch, had arrived. His voice boomed over everyone else’s. “Beast! Is this how you treat your elders?!”

Qingling’s expression grew even colder. The old master himself had come — how perfect.

She turned to him and said flatly, “Grandfather, tell me — are my brother and I your real grandchildren? Father just died, and you couldn’t wait to drive us out. When we had nothing to eat, I came begging on my knees for a handful of coarse rice — and you refused. If Brother Zhimou hadn’t helped us, we’d have starved to death!”

Then she threw the knife aside, dropped to her knees with a heavy thud, and kowtowed repeatedly. “Grandfather, if you really are my grandfather, I beg you — let us live! Stop tormenting us!”

“Big Sister…”

Qingfeng knelt beside her, crying bitterly. “Grandpa, please let us go! We really have no food left… I’m so hungry…”

Seeing her children kneeling and weeping so miserably, Madam Zhao covered her mouth and broke down in sobs. All the pain she’d buried these days came pouring out.

The sound of their cries filled the courtyard, and even the onlookers’ eyes reddened.

How could Old Li be so cruel? These were his own flesh and blood!

“Old Li,” the village head — summoned by Liu Zhimou — sighed as he approached. “I shouldn’t meddle in family affairs, but this has gone too far. The Zhao woman and her children were already separated from you. If you won’t help them, fine, but stop tormenting them. If they can’t survive, can you still sleep at night?”

He glanced between the Li families — the patriarch’s side, all plump and well-fed, and Madam Zhao’s side, gaunt and pale — and sighed again. “What a sin…”

Old Li’s face darkened. He’d already looked uneasy seeing Qingling and her family crying, and now the village head’s rebuke made him burn with shame.

He shot a glare at Madam Liu, still lying on the ground, and barked, “Get up! We’re leaving!”

Hands clasped behind his back, he strode away, stiff with anger.

His wife had humiliated him in front of everyone.

Madam Liu scrambled up, spat viciously in Qingling’s direction, and huffed off. With her father-in-law and husband gone, even Madam Lin didn’t dare stay. She waddled away as fast as she could.

A kind aunt from the village came to help Madam Zhao up. The village head looked at her swollen face — so puffed her eyes were barely slits — and sighed yet again.

“Village Head Grandpa, thank you,” Qingling said, bowing deeply. If not for him, the Li family wouldn’t have left so easily.

The old man looked at the knife on the ground and shook his head. “Qingling, don’t do that again, child. Someone could get hurt — and it’ll ruin your reputation. A bad name follows a girl all her life.”