From the very first glance at the old woman, Yang Ruoqing could tell she wasn't going to be easy to deal with. That thought had just surfaced in her mind when the old woman at the doorway opened her thin lips and started shouting toward the woman beside her again.
"It's almost noon, and the clothes aren't hung out, the rice isn't rinsed, the vegetables aren't washed, and the kitchen's cold as ice—are you deliberately trying to starve this whole family for lunch? We've been looking for you everywhere, and here you are hiding in here, acting like you're ready to die! Useless, lazy, good-for-nothing wretch!"
Sun Shi stood by the bed, clutching a cloth in her hand, her shoulders hunched. She glanced at Yang Ruoqing sitting on the bed behind her, then turned toward the old woman standing at the door, stammering softly, "Mother, I just came in… Qing'er had a fever all night and just woke up. I was going to give her some tea…"
"Pah!" Sun Shi's explanation wasn't even finished before Tan Shi cut her off with a wave of her hand.
Only now did Tan Shi finally give Yang Ruoqing a proper look, eyes filled with disgust. She spat on the ground and cursed, "You still have the nerve to wake up? Shameless thing! Throwing yourself into the pond over a man—you've thrown all the Yang family's face into the dirt! Worthless tramp! Even the King of Hell doesn't want you—you're just alive to waste the Yang family's food and money!"
Yang Ruoqing was stunned.
Jumping into the pond? For a man? Suicide for love?
This body she was in was, at most, twelve or thirteen years old. In modern times, that would be a middle school girl! And yet here in this ancient era, she was this willful?
Thinking of this, the corner of her mouth curled into a sneer of mockery.
No matter the reason, it was never a good reason to give up your own life—especially over a man.
Even if that was the truth, wasn't this old woman—probably the original host's grandmother—being a bit too venomous with her tongue? Didn't she worry about cursing her own granddaughter to death?
Seeing Yang Ruoqing sneer like that made Tan Shi's expression turn even uglier. She didn't want to look at Yang Ruoqing anymore and turned her fury on Sun Shi standing at the bedside. "See? Look at her! Look at your good daughter! I'm calling her shameless, and she's sitting there grinning at me like a fool! Ay… what kind of sins did the Yang family commit in a past life to end up with such a stupid thing in this family? The whole family's going to be dragged down by this idiot! And that fool of a third son even went into town to buy medicine for this waste—what a disgraceful waste of money…"
Hearing her mother-in-law curse her daughter so viciously, Sun Shi trembled all over with anger. She wanted to speak up and argue but didn't have the courage to talk back. She glanced at Qing'er with guilt in her eyes, only to see her daughter sitting there on the bed, that chubby, misshapen face twisted into a strange grin, almost like she was really smiling foolishly, revealing a mouth full of yellowed teeth…
Tears welled up in Sun Shi's eyes. She clenched the cloth in her hand and whispered to Tan Shi, "Mother, it's my fault. It's not Qing'er's fault. If anyone's to blame, it's me, Sun Shi, who's let everyone down—I've let down the Yang family, I've let down my Qing'er… If you need to vent your anger, please take it out on me. Qing'er just escaped death. Both her father and I are hoping she can live well from now on… I beg you, Mother, please don't say such unlucky things in front of her anymore…"
"Pah!" Tan Shi planted her hands on her hips, spitting toward the bed. If Sun Shi hadn't lifted her foot quickly, that glob of old phlegm would have landed right on her shoes.
"A pair of jinxes, plague spirits! Still standing around here for what? Hurry up and wash those clothes! The sun's already overhead, and the kitchen's still cold. Useless waste of a woman…"
Still cursing, Tan Shi stormed out of the room. As she passed through the courtyard, she kicked over the washboard propped on the edge of the wooden basin, sending it clattering to the ground with a crisp "bang!" The loud noise startled Sun Shi inside the west wing; her whole body shuddered, and the half-damp cloth in her hand nearly slipped to the floor.
Coming back to her senses, Sun Shi looked up and saw her daughter staring at her, head slightly tilted, brows slightly furrowed, as if pondering something.
Sun Shi's heart skipped slightly. Ever since her daughter was born, she had been a fool. They'd seen doctors, taken countless remedies, tried folk cures, and even sought help from a village shaman who'd said their daughter was born missing a part of her soul—incurable.
Although she and Qing'er's father later had two sons in succession, Qing'er's condition was always a deep pain for them both.
They often say that fools have carefree hearts. Watching Qing'er grow day by day, although she was foolish, she always seemed cheerful. The two of them would sometimes console each other—if Qing'er could live happily, that was enough. They didn't dare wish for more.
But the expression on her daughter's face at this moment looked as though she was troubled by something—like she was deep in thought, slightly unhappy even.
This discovery left Sun Shi somewhat surprised, but along with the surprise came a trace of cautious delight.
Does she know how to think about things? Could it be… Qing'er's finally come to her senses?
Quickly setting aside the cloth in her hands, she sat down next to Yang Ruoqing, gently placing her hands on Yang Ruoqing's broad, sturdy shoulders. Leaning in, she asked softly, "Qing'er, what are you thinking about? Tell Mother…"
Yang Ruoqing lifted her head, her gaze landing on Sun Shi's face. Sun Shi was now even more astonished. Earlier, she had been so overwhelmed with joy at seeing her daughter awaken from the high fever that she hadn't taken a close look at her daughter's expression.
But now—her daughter's eyes… looked different from before. Exactly what was different, she couldn't say just yet, but there was something unfamiliar about them.
"Mother, that old woman yelling earlier—was that my grandmother?" Yang Ruoqing finally spoke, her voice still a bit hoarse. As soon as she opened her mouth, her throat flared up again with a burning pain, causing her to suck in a sharp breath.
Just now, when that woman was ranting and cursing outside, she had wanted to fight back, but with her throat in such poor shape, she had restrained herself.
Hearing Yang Ruoqing's question, Sun Shi's expression grew conflicted, surprise flickering across her face. Her already large eyes carefully examined Yang Ruoqing's face, as if she didn't quite recognize her daughter.
Did I hear that right? Qing'er… is speaking fluently?
Before, this child could only speak one word at a time, her mind no different from that of a five- or six-year-old. Even forming a complete sentence took her several tries to get through.
Yang Ruoqing was also carefully observing Sun Shi, puzzled by her odd expression. What's wrong with this cheap, free "mother" I've picked up? Why's she making that weird face?
"Mother, I'm asking you a question here…"
"Oh… oh…" Sun shi finally snapped out of it. Now, when she looked at Yang Ruoqing, there was not only relief in her gaze but also an even deeper sense of guilt and heartache.
She reached out, gently brushing aside the messy hair on Yang Ruoqing's forehead to both sides, letting out a sigh as she softly said, "Mother knows you were wronged just now, Qing'er. Don't blame your grandmother. Deep down, she does care about you. She just has a sharp tongue but a soft heart…"
(End of chapter