The crowd charged in, only to find Li Yue Shu holding three-year-old Shen Zhi Yu, weeping as if caught in a spring shower.
“It’s good that you all have come, villagers! Please, help me get justice. My mother-in-law wants to force us third branch to our deaths!”
Before Shen’s mother could speak, Li Yue Shu began her complaint. “I am a woman who works hard to raise four children, and there’s Shen Wei who understands nothing. Not only does my husband’s family not help, but they come here to freeload, pushing my fourth child!”
Li Yue Shu’s face was filled with indignation, tears streaming down her face, making her appear greatly wronged and eliciting sympathy.
“You’re spouting nonsense!” Yang Shi quickly retorted. “My mother and I came to see the young uncle, but you, without understanding the situation, actually laid hands on your mother-in-law!”
Shen’s mother immediately chimed in with a wail, “Oh, oh, it hurts so much! My old bones are being beaten to death!”
Witnessing this, the villagers’ gazes towards Li Yue Shu turned accusatory.
“Shen’s third son’s wife, this is wrong of you. How could you hit your mother-in-law!”
“Shen’s third son’s wife has never been one to be trifled with. She used to beat her children for no reason; it’s normal for her to do something like this!”
“People like this should be kicked out of the village! Leaving them here is a disgrace to us!”
Facing the villagers’ accusations, Li Yue Shu looked wronged. “I didn’t… My mother-in-law says I hit you, so where is the injury?”
“Of course, it’s on me!” Shen’s mother immediately declared. “If you don’t believe me, I can have a doctor examine me!”
Those sticks had landed solidly on her body, hurting so much that she needed her eldest daughter-in-law to support her just to walk. She was certain she was covered in injuries.
Thus, the men were ushered out, leaving a few women to examine the injuries inside. Among them was Liu Han’s wife, Aunt Liu.
Li Yue Shu also came out, continuously wiping away tears. Her wronged expression made it difficult for some who had intended to scold her to speak.
The twins watched the closed door nervously. After all, they had personally seen this woman lash out, and her strength was not insignificant.
Li Yue Shu, the one directly involved, was not worried at all.
Her understanding of the human body went far beyond prescribing medicine and acupuncture.
The few blows she delivered to Shen’s mother, though seemingly heavy, were all aimed at pressure points. Not even a mosquito bite would be left on the surface of the skin.
Indeed, when the door opened, Shen’s mother and Yang Shi’s expressions could only be described as dismal.
The villagers outside found it strange and asked, “What happened? Did Li Yue Shu really hit her mother-in-law?”
Aunt Liu quickly replied, “Hit her? She didn’t hit anyone! The old woman Shen doesn’t even have a mosquito bite on her! Earlier, she tried to bribe us inside, asking us to help her frame the girl!”
Li Yue Shu hadn't expected this turn of events. She suppressed the curve of her lips and raised her tear-swollen eyes. “Mother-in-law, I know you wanted chicken meat, but that was a thank-you gift for Uncle Liu saving Shen Wei. That other chicken was the only food for our family of five. I truly couldn’t give it to you.”
“But I never expected you to retaliate against me in such a way. You’re trying to force us to our deaths!”
The tactics of a white lotus flower always worked, no matter where she was. The villagers, who had just been criticizing Li Yue Shu, now felt a pang of guilt and shifted their blame to Shen’s mother.
“You bitch, how dare you trick me!”
Shen’s mother’s face turned crimson with rage. Without thinking, she raised her hand and lunged at Li Yue Shu, disregarding her own pain.
A cold glint flashed in Li Yue Shu’s eyes. Just as she was about to react, a figure suddenly stepped in front of her.
Shen Wei grabbed Shen’s mother’s raised hand. His dark, ordinary face held an oppressive aura that made it hard to breathe. “You’re not allowed to hit my wife!”
At that moment, his presence was like a sword ready to be unsheathed, causing people’s hearts to tremble involuntarily.
Meeting those innocent yet unfathomably deep eyes, Shen’s mother felt a bucket of cold water poured over her head.
This calamity, already considered foolish, was still so terrifying!
Yang Shi was the first to react. She quickly went to pull Shen’s mother, “Mother, didn’t you say you had urgent matters at home? Let’s go back quickly!”
The mother and daughter-in-law scurried away shamefully. As the crowd murmured, they also felt apologetic towards Li Yue Shu.
In response, Li Yue Shu magnanimously expressed her understanding and even served the braised chicken to Uncle and Aunt Liu.
Having stated in front of everyone that it was a thank-you gift for Uncle Liu, she naturally couldn’t go back on her word.
However, Uncle and Aunt Liu refused to accept it. After several refusals, the couple stayed for dinner.
After dinner, Li Yue Shu handed the live chicken to the couple.
“How can we accept this? We’ve already eaten!” The couple quickly refused.
“That was just something I said to placate my mother-in-law. This chicken was originally for you,” Li Yue Shu said with a smile. “Uncle Liu saved Shen Wei, and Aunt Liu spoke up for me just now. This is how I should thank you.”
Seeing them about to refuse again, Li Yue Shu quickly added, “I will need Uncle Liu and Aunt Liu’s help in the future. If you are so polite, how can I possibly ask for help later?”
Upon hearing this, the couple could no longer refuse. “We live close to each other. Just let us know if you need anything in the future!”
After seeing them off, Li Yue Shu returned to the kitchen and indeed found the small figure crouching by the chicken coop.
She had noticed Shen Zhi Yu’s low spirits during dinner. Even when faced with the delicious braised chicken, his eyes kept drifting towards the chicken coop.
Li Yue Shu walked over and hugged him. “A’yu, let Mother and you bury the chick together.”
Shen Zhi Yu blinked at her and gave a soft “Mm,” leaning into her.
Clearly, in less than two days, he had forgotten what this stepmother had done to him before.
Holding him with one arm and picking up the stiffening body of the chick with the other, Li Yue Shu dug a pit behind the old house.
As Shen Zhi Yu filled the soil, his mouth pouted, on the verge of tears.
Seeing this scene, Li Yue Shu’s heart melted.
Who would have thought that this little one, who was so heartbroken over a pet chicken he had kept for less than a day, would one day become a notorious general who killed without mercy?
Li Yue Shu suddenly thought of something and spoke softly, “A’yu, Mother is so happy to see how kind you are.”
This was a great opportunity for education!
Shen Zhi Yu turned to look at her, his face filled with innocent bewilderment.
Li Yue Shu really wanted to pinch him, but seeing her muddy hands, she restrained herself.
“A’yu, we should have reverence for life and should not harm innocent lives. For example, the chick was also a life, and your grandmother harming it was an evil act.”
Shen Zhi Yu, seeming to understand but not quite, turned to look at the chick that had already been buried, then gazed at Li Yue Shu with innocent, curious eyes. “But we ate chicken meat for lunch!”
Li Yue Shu: “…”
A miscalculation!
“Ahem! Well… every life has its own meaning. Just remember what Mother said.” Li Yue Shu quickly changed the subject. “Alright, let’s give the chick a blessing!”
Saying that, she clasped her hands together and chanted “Amitabha” three times.
Although Shen Zhi Yu was confused, he obediently imitated her.
Li Yue Shu finally breathed a sigh of relief.
She glanced at the small mound of earth in front of her and couldn’t help but smack her lips.
What a shame, if it had been raised for a few more days, it would have made another delicious dish.