CHAPTER 149: CHAPTER 147: CHAOS AND TURMOIL

Zhao Guifen’s smile was as sweet as honey. She nodded and said cheerfully, "Good, good, Grandmother is waiting for Tongtong to come."

"Be careful on your way back. Let your Eldest Brother and Second Brother see you off."

The last sentence was, naturally, for Sun Mei.

After bidding her grandmother farewell, Zhao Zhitong held Sun Mei’s hand and walked out of the room, looking back every few steps.

Then, she saw Sun Daqing and Sun Daji peeking in from the doorway. Seeing that Zhao Zhitong was leaving, they looked quite dejected and clung to her, asking, "Little Cousin, are you leaving?"

Zhao Zhitong nodded. "Mhm, I’m going home to sleep. I’ll come visit Grandmother tomorrow after school."

Sun Daqing quickly said, "Alright, Little Cousin, you must come tomorrow! We still want to hear you tell stories about the County Government Office."

His mother, Aunt Liu, wife of the Second Uncle, came over, pinched Sun Daqing’s ear, and said irritably, "You mischievous boy! This isn’t something to pry into."

Zhao Dong also bid farewell to his grandfather and three uncles, then walked out of the living room.

His Eldest Uncle and Second Uncle insisted on escorting Zhao Dong’s family home. They tried to decline but eventually had to agree.

The Second Uncle fetched a lantern from his room, and together with the Eldest Uncle, they escorted Zhao Dong’s family out the main gate.

The two uncles walked them all the way to their doorstep before turning back, finally relieved.

Zhao Cheng, Zhao Yu, and Zhao Ya, who had been vigilantly listening for any sounds from outside the courtyard, immediately recognized Zhao Dong’s voice and rushed delightedly to open the door.

When they returned home, the three siblings had already boiled hot water. After everyone quickly washed up, they all went to bed.

While everything was quite peaceful at Zhao Dong’s home, the Zhao Family Old House was in utter chaos, like a madhouse.

Mrs. Wang had been beaten with twenty heavy strokes of the board. The constables had shown no mercy, striking with full force. Now, her backside was a bloody mess, and she wouldn’t be able to sit for at least ten days, perhaps even a fortnight.

She was currently sprawled on the bed, wailing.

A dejected Xiao Wang sat beside her, feeding her congee. "Mother, have a sip of congee."

"OUCH! OUCH!"

After a few cries of pain, Mrs. Wang opened her mouth to take a sip, then shrieked and slapped Xiao Wang across the face. "You damn curse-worthy wretch! Are you trying to scald me to death?!"

Xiao Wang reeled from the hard slap. The bowl of congee, knocked by the force of Mrs. Wang’s blow, overturned and spilled directly onto Xiao Wang’s chest.

The congee was freshly cooked. As it all poured onto her chest, Xiao Wang cried out from the scalding pain and quickly stood up, trying to brush the congee off her clothes.

Mrs. Wang continued to rail, "You filthy thing! You unfilial wretch! What are you yelling about? Are you wishing I were dead? You unfilial creature! Your mother was being beaten, and you just stood there! You didn’t even beg for mercy, you didn’t even try to shield me..."

Listening to Mrs. Wang’s tirade, Xiao Wang’s eyes reddened. Her chest burned from the scalding congee, and her face stung from the red mark of Mrs. Wang’s slap.

She felt terribly wronged. Simply because she and Mrs. Zheng had been spared by the constables while Mrs. Wang alone was punished, Mrs. Wang had started cursing them the moment they returned. Mrs. Zheng was better off; once she was home, she wouldn’t have to endure Mrs. Wang’s curses. But she, Xiao Wang, still had to serve her mother-in-law. This Mrs. Wang was her own aunt, yet she was so cruel to her! The force of Mrs. Wang’s slap didn’t make her seem like an invalid at all. Xiao Wang felt utterly wronged but could only curse the old hag inwardly while diligently cleaning up the spilled congee.

Mrs. Wang was still on the bed, screaming curses.

"That second son’s family of cursed whelps! A nest of cursed whelps born from a cursed woman! Things that had a mother to birth them but not to raise them! Seizing what the ancestors left for our Zhao family, what are they so smug about? Careful the ancestors don’t drag their whole family down..."

Zhao Chun and Zhao Qiu, along with Mr. Zhao, sat in the courtyard, listening to Mrs. Wang’s curses with unreadable expressions. Sun Jin, Zhao Qiu’s wife, hid in the kitchen boiling water, not daring to go near Mrs. Wang’s bedroom.

She was heavily pregnant and terrified that Mrs. Wang, in her current crazed state, might harm her unborn child.

Xiao Wang stormed out of Mrs. Wang’s bedroom and into the kitchen. She began to scrub her clothes with cold water and snapped at Sun Jin, who was standing nearby, "What are you looking at? You go take Mother her congee later!"

Sun Jin’s face instantly paled. She wanted to refuse but couldn’t find the words. "But... I... I..."

"’I’ what? Aren’t you also our mother’s daughter-in-law? Why should I be the only one serving Mother? How can you be so unfilial! Just as expected of anyone surnamed Sun—every one of you is worthless, a bunch of curs!"

After venting her anger on Sun Jin, Xiao Wang turned and went back to her own room. Inside, her daughter, Zhao Cai, was too scared to come out. Seeing her mother return, she ran over and hugged Xiao Wang. "Mother, can we go back to the marketplace in town tomorrow, please?"

Her grandmother was terrifying now. When they returned, she had kindly tried to show concern for her grandmother, but her grandmother had yelled at her for no reason!

Xiao Wang nodded. Yes, they had to go back. Otherwise, that old hag would torment her to death!

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Sun Jin hesitated for a long time before finally picking up the bowl of congee and starting towards Mrs. Wang’s room.

Zhao Qiu, who was nearby, saw her and immediately stood up, taking the bowl from Sun Jin’s hands. "You’re heavily pregnant; it’s not convenient. Don’t go. Give it to me."

Saying this, he had already taken the congee from Sun Jin. He then added, "Go and rest in your room. Don’t tire yourself out."

With that, he walked into the inner room.

Instantly, the sounds of wailing and cursing erupted from the room again.

Listening to the curses, Zhao Chun’s expression was grim. He couldn’t fathom how his second brother’s family, after being arrested and taken to the County Government Office, could return completely unharmed. Not only that, but even the County Magistrate was siding with them!

So, the next day, he hurried to the county town to discuss their next steps with his son-in-law.

Xiao Wang also seized the opportunity. Claiming the tavern needed to move to the county town and that she had many things to attend to, she took her young daughter and hurried off to the marketplace in town.

At this time, Zhao Zhitong, carrying her small luggage box, was skipping cheerfully on her way to school.

When she arrived at the school, Qiao Muchen stopped her, asking worriedly, "Tongtong, are you alright? Were you really taken to the County Government Office? Was it scary? What does the County Magistrate look like?"

Then, Zhao Zhitong, puffing her chest out with pride, pulled Qiao Muchen towards the Teacher’s residence and began to boast, "Oh, so what if I was taken to the County Government Office? I was even locked up in the prison! But I wasn’t scared at all. I even met a mute big brother in the prison. And I even went to the public hall and saw the County Magistrate..."

Qiao Muchen’s eyes widened. "Wow! Tongtong, you’re so amazing! You weren’t scared at all!"

Zhao Zhitong chuckled proudly. "HEH HEH," she said, then added mysteriously, "Qiao Jiaojiao, I’ll tell you a secret—I’ve found the judge! It’s Uncle Pei!"

"Ah? Is it true?" Qiao Muchen’s eyes lit up.

Zhao Zhitong nodded confidently. "Of course, it’s true."

Then she explained how Pei Yuanqing had helped clear her family’s name and punish the villain Wang Xiao’er. She also described how he had persuaded the County Magistrate to properly review the case of Guan Tu, who might have been unjustly imprisoned.