TSWPF -Chapter 173 Fury

Aunt Huang snorted coldly. “I just can’t stand that smug face of yours. You’re utterly disgracing Niutou Village.” Liu Chunhua was truly getting more and more outrageous. If she wasn’t dealt with, Aunt Huang wouldn’t be able to swallow the anger stuck in her chest. “Ask around the village—who hasn’t seen that ugly side of yours?”

As soon as she said this, the villagers all chimed in, echoing her words and denouncing Madam Liu one after another.

Being crowded and attacked by so many people, Madam Liu’s face flushed red with anger. She glared at the villagers and shouted back, “What ugly side of mine? Huh? What ugly side? I think you’re all just jealous that I have a scholar grandson-in-law!” She planted her hands on her hips and pointed around wildly. “You think I don’t know what you’re all thinking? Too bad—you don’t have that kind of fate. Your grandson-in-laws will never be as promising as mine!”

As she spoke, the smugness on Madam Liu’s face only grew stronger.

Having a scholar grandson-in-law was a huge advantage for her family. She figured Baozhu’s marriage would soon be settled as well.

And the Huang family would probably hurry up and marry Huang Meiniang off to her son.

Thinking of this, Madam Liu’s gaze toward Liu Zhimou grew even more fervent.

Luckily, the village head had persuaded them earlier to wait until Liu Zhimou finished his exams before going to the ancestral hall to formally separate Li Qingling and the three siblings, letting them establish their own household.

Under the village head’s pressure, they had no choice but to comply.

At the time, she had been full of resentment, thinking the village head was favoring Li Qingling and the others.

Only now did she feel truly fortunate—fortunate that the village head had talked them out of it, so they hadn’t severed ties with Li Qingling back then.

Otherwise, her heart would really have been choked to death by regret.

“Pah! You think our skins are as thick as yours?” Aunt Huang spat directly at Madam Liu, her gaze full of contempt. “Liu Chunhua, do you think Xiaoling is your puppet? That you can do whatever you want without caring about her wishes at all?”

She had worked with Li Qingling for so many years and knew her character well. Liu Chunhua had hurt Li Qingling deeply—there was no way Li Qingling would forgive her so easily.

Just based on Liu Chunhua’s conduct alone, Aunt Huang herself would never forgive her.

Hearing this, the smug look on Madam Liu’s face stiffened. She cautiously glanced at Li Qingling. Seeing Li Qingling’s expressionless face, her heart skipped.

How could she forget that Li Qingling was petty-minded and strong-willed, someone who would never easily listen to her?

She swallowed hard, forced a smile, and reached out to grab Li Qingling’s hand, speaking earnestly. “Xiaoling, Grandma was wrong about what happened before. You’ll forgive Grandma, won’t you?”

If lowering her head a little could help her cling back onto Li Qingling, so what?

Li Qingling raised an eyebrow. She hadn’t expected Madam Liu to be so flexible—actually lowering herself just to repair their relationship.

She almost admired her for it.

Li Qingling gently pulled her hand back, tugged at the corner of her lips in a faint smile, and said, “Not every mistake can be forgiven just by casually saying sorry.”

If she hadn’t been worried before that her own reputation might affect Liu Zhimou’s exams, she would never have agreed to the village head’s request. She would have gone to the ancestral hall before the wedding and removed the three siblings’ names from the Old Li family, setting up their own household. There would have been no chance for Madam Liu to cling to her like this now.

Madam Liu was like a leech—once it latched on, no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t shake it off.

Feeling the emptiness in her palm, Madam Liu froze for a moment. She pinched her fingers, pretended not to notice Li Qingling’s cold expression, and grabbed her hand again.

“You child, are you still blaming Grandma? We’re family—bones may break, but the tendons stay connected. Why be so calculating, right?”

Though she spoke gently, her heart was seething with hatred. She felt that Li Qingling had given her no face at all in front of so many people.

But for the sake of winning Li Qingling’s forgiveness, she had no choice but to endure it.

Now she truly regretted it. She shouldn’t have offended Li Qingling so badly in the first place. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have had to humble herself like this.

Li Qingling’s brows knitted slightly. She glanced at the hand Madam Liu was gripping and said flatly, “Grandma Liu, you’re hurting my hand. Could you loosen your grip?”

Before Madam Liu could react, Liu Zhimou reached out, grasped Li Qingling’s wrist, and looked coldly at Madam Liu. “Let go.”

Under Liu Zhimou’s icy gaze, Madam Liu’s heart trembled. She immediately released her grip, tucked her hands behind her back, and gave an awkward smile, saying she hadn’t meant it.

“I think you did it on purpose,” Aunt Huang snapped again. “Look, look—Xiaoling’s hand is all red from your grip.”

Everyone followed where Aunt Huang pointed and saw at once that the back of Li Qingling’s hand was flushed red.

It was obvious it had been caused by Madam Liu.

Liu Zhimou picked up Li Qingling’s hand to look at it. His face darkened further. He shot Madam Liu another cold glance, then held Li Qingling’s hand and turned to go back inside.

At this, Madam Liu panicked. She was afraid she’d completely ruined things herself.

She hurriedly grabbed at Li Qingling again, shamelessly apologizing, “Xiaoling, I’m really sorry. Grandma truly didn’t mean it. Can you forgive Grandma?”

She felt a surge of regret—why had she used so much force just now?

This time, she had really misstepped.

Li Qingling glanced at Madam Liu, pressed her lips together, then turned to the village head and asked directly, “Village Head Grandpa, can we go take care of that matter now?”

She was truly tired of dealing with Madam Liu. If she had to be tangled up with her like this every day, she wouldn’t get any work done at all.

The village head clasped his hands behind his back and nodded, saying it was fine.

He, too, found Madam Liu’s disgusting behavior unbearable.

Seeing the village head nod, Madam Liu grew even more frantic. If Li Qingling really severed ties with them, how would she ever show off again?

“No, no, no—Xiaoling, listen to Grandma, please listen to Grandma, okay?”

She reached out again to grab Li Qingling’s hand, but Liu Zhimou quickly flicked her hand away.

She paused. Facing Liu Zhimou’s cold expression, she felt a bit intimidated.

Clutching her own hands, she didn’t dare reach out again. “Xiaoling, we’re family. Your blood still flows from me—how can you cut ties with Grandma? If outsiders find out, it’ll implicate Zhimò.”

A flash of inspiration struck her, and she continued, “Xiaofeng is going to become an upright official someday too. If people learn he cut ties with his grandparents, he’ll definitely be scolded for being unfilial. If he bears that accusation, I’m afraid…”

At that, Li Qingling’s eyes narrowed dangerously. She had tolerated Old Li and Madam Liu before precisely because she feared it would affect Li Qingfeng.

It was only after their actions went far too overboard last time that she finally resolved to sever ties.

Besides, it wasn’t Li Qingling and the others who had proposed cutting ties—it was Madam Liu and her lot. That meant it really wasn’t on them.

If this was ever investigated in the future, she believed the villagers of Niutou Village would testify for them.

“Are you trying to threaten me?” she asked coldly. “Hmm?”

She hated being threatened more than anything.

Madam Liu waved her hands frantically, glancing at Li Qingling. “No, no, no—how could Grandma threaten you? I’m just worried about Xiaofeng.”

She had said as much as this. If Li Qingling knew what was good for her, she should reconcile with her and stop talking about severing ties.

“Liu Chunhua, you’ve gone too far!” Aunt Huang shouted angrily. “You actually dare use this to threaten Xiaoling? Are you even human?”

She took a deep breath, grabbed Madam Liu, and pulled her away from Li Qingling. “Village Head, can you really rest easy with such a vicious person in our village? I think we should drive this poisonous woman out of Niutou Village before she ruins our reputation!”

She truly couldn’t stand it anymore. How could there be such a vicious woman?

The village head felt a bit troubled now. With his hands behind his back, he shot Madam Liu a glare. She really was a troublemaker, stirring things up day after day and making the village restless.

“Madam Liu, if you keep talking nonsense, don’t blame me,” he warned. For Li Qingfeng’s sake, he had to suppress Madam Liu.

After all, Li Qingfeng was their clansman—closer than Liu Zhimou. If he succeeded and became an upright official, it would bring honor to the entire clan.

Madam Liu shrank her neck, not daring to argue loudly, only muttering under her breath, “How am I talking nonsense? I’m just stating facts. I’m doing this for Xiaofeng’s own good—I’m speaking from the bottom of my heart.”

She thought she was speaking quietly, but everyone present heard her clearly.

The village head’s face turned green with anger. “You—” He pointed at Madam Liu, then turned to Li Qingling. “Xiaoling girl, let’s go to the ancestral hall now and finish the process of setting up a separate household. Don’t worry about Xiaofeng—everyone in the village has seen this. We’ll testify for him and won’t let that污水 be splashed on him.”

As soon as he said this, before he could say anything more, the villagers all nodded, saying they would testify for Xiaofeng and wouldn’t let Madam Liu smear him.

Compared to Madam Liu, of course they would stand on Xiaofeng’s side.

Not to mention they worked with Li Qingling—just based on Xiaofeng’s learning alone, he was sure to become an upright official someday. When that time came, they would all share in the glory.

“You… you…” Seeing that not a single person stood by her side, and seeing how resolute the village head was about moving Li Qingling and the three siblings out, Madam Liu knew she truly had no chance left. To stop them, she plopped down on the ground, slapped her thighs, and wailed loudly.

“This is bullying—utter bullying! My own granddaughter wants to sever ties with her own grandmother! She’s so heartless! Laigui, why did you leave so early? You’re tearing out my heart and liver!”