The veins on Madam Wang's neck bulged, the flesh on her face stretched taut.
Cai Lihua, terrified, quickly released her daughter and stood aside, casting a fearful glance at Meng Shaode.
To her surprise, he flinched, "Mother, isn't this for your own good? If you ran off, would we be looking for you or for Jiu'er?"
"I am not sick, damn it! I tell you all, this is not over!"
Madam Wang gritted her teeth, snatched the rope from her daughter-in-law's hand, untied it herself, and threw it forcefully onto the ground:
"If family rules are not established, you truly take me for a fool."
It's over, Cai Lihua's eyes conveyed, her mother-in-law had been much better recently, never mentioning family rules.
"Shaode, what do we do? Will our mother get angry and sell our daughter again?"
Cai Lihua's voice was very low, watching Madam Wang walk into the yard and plop down on a stool, the aura of the family head returning.
"I... I don't know, but aren't we doing this for her own good?" Meng Shaode swallowed, his face filled with worry.
Ajiu was also unsettled. This was the first time she had seen her grandmother so furious, as if she could devour people.
Even Tuoba Yan, standing nearby, was so taken aback that he didn't know what to say for a moment.
"All of you, come in," Madam Wang commanded.
"Mother, let's go in. At worst, we'll apologize to Grandma," Ajiu tugged at Cai Lihua.
The couple, their family of three, and Tuoba Yan all went inside, heads bowed, not speaking.
Aunt Li, who had been asleep in the east room, was also awakened. Groggily, she came out with an oil lamp to see what was happening.
"Oh, Ajiu is back, that's wonderful..."
Mao Junlan quickly put down the oil lamp.
"You are not a member of my Meng family, so you don't speak," Madam Wang's words doused Mao Junlan's inner fire, and she stood aside, silent.
"Shaode, tell me, do you or do you not have me, your father, Abu, your mother, in your eyes?" Madam Wang formally asked.
"Of course I do, you are my mother. From childhood, I have regarded you as the Empress Dowager. Everyone in the village knows I respect you."
Meng Shaode sniffled. No matter how arrogant he was in public, he had to be respectful towards his mother.
"I think you have me in your backside, don't you?" Madam Wang roared.
"But... how can one put people there?" Meng Shaode looked dejected.
"And you, Lihua. You are my daughter-in-law. I didn't give birth to you, I didn't raise you, so I have no right to scold you. Go and get that rope for me."
At Madam Wang's words, Cai Lihua's eyes lit up as if regaining sight.
"Good!" Cai Lihua scurried outside, found the rope by the grinding stone, bent down, picked it up, and returned. "Mother, the rope."
"Tie up this rebellious son and throw him into the cowshed!" Madam Wang declared.
Meng Shaode was stunned, "Mother, Mother, let's just forget it. I have to go up the mountain to hunt tomorrow. If we don't hunt, we'll have no meat to eat."
"Meat? Have I eaten a single bite of food these past few days? And you still want meat?"
"But... but you wouldn't eat it when it was brought to you, you insisted on making a fuss and wanting to die. That's why your son had to stuff your mouth, wasn't it? I was afraid you'd bite your tongue and commit suicide."
Meng Shaode stammered, then looked down to see his wife already starting to tie him up.
"Lihua, I am your man. Are you really going to tie me up?" Instead of pleading for him, she was actually doing it.
"Just bear with it for two days. At worst, I'll feed you. You won't starve to death," Cai Lihua said in a coaxing tone, gritting her teeth and pulling the rope tight.
Meng Shaode yelped in pain, "Can't you be gentler?"
"Didn't you say to tie Mother up tighter? Right, Mother?" Cai Lihua was good at reciprocating favors.
"That's right, tie him up tightly," Madam Wang encouraged from the side.
Ajiu watched, torn between laughter and tears, "Grandma, please calm down. Father was indeed wrong as a son. Look, I'm back now. Have you forgotten about my water? Why not let it go?"
"Yes, yes, my daughter, quickly persuade your Grandma." Meng Shaode saw that this was his own flesh and blood.
"Jiu'er, there's no need to persuade."
At Cai Lihua's words, even Ajiu was taken aback.