Chapter 7: 7. Chapter 7: A Slip of the Tongue, Adding Fuel to the Fire

Chapter 7: A Slip of the Tongue, Adding Fuel to the Fire

With the command of the current head of the household, Lang Caimeng hurried to pull Lang Jiuchuan away, while calling out to his wife, "Wanfang, take Ninth Sister downstairs to get settled."

Go? That wouldn't do.

If she left, how could she continue to draw this merit and fortune?

"Let go. I'm not leaving. No one can stop me from staying here to fulfill my filial duties."

Lang Jiuchuan struggled slightly, and then—*crack*.

Madam Wu let out a startled cry, her face turning pale as she stared at the girl's hand.

Lang Caimeng also felt something strange coming from the hand he was holding. He instinctively loosened his grip. *Good heavens, since when did I have divine strength?*

He saw that Lang Jiuchuan's right hand looked completely broken, as if it had lost all skeletal support, hanging limply. It was clearly fractured.

Stunned gazes from everyone in the hall swept toward Lang Caimeng's face. Just how much resentment did he have toward this village girl to strike her so ruthlessly?

Lang Caimeng's face flushed red. Panicked and anxious, he explained, "No, I didn't use any force! I didn't do it on purpose!"

Heaven was his witness; he had truly only given her a slight tug. There was absolutely no violence and no force used, but Ninth Sister's hand was clearly broken. Who would believe him?

"You really are... why haven't you called the family physician yet?" Lang Zhengping was also startled. Was this niece, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, really this fragile?

He didn't dare use harsh words to reprimand her for her lack of restraint now. She was the only flesh and blood of his late second brother—the sole heir. Moreover, his sister-in-law was watching.

Lang Zhengping glanced at Madam Cui, feeling a bit guilty, and scolded Lang Caimeng, "You have no sense of propriety! To strike her so hard—this is your Ninth Sister!"

Lang Caimeng: "!"

*I've been wronged! I really only gave her a tiny little tug!*

Trembling, Madam Wu went to support Lang Jiuchuan, her voice shaking, "Ninth Sister, the family physician will be here soon. Let's go down to the side rooms and wait."

It wasn't that she had much affection for Lang Jiuchuan, but this sister-in-law, whom she had never met, had just returned to the manor. As the only child of the second branch, having her hand "broken" by her own husband would cause a scandal. If word got out that the eldest grandson of the main branch was bullying the widow and orphan of the second branch during the grandfather's funeral, they would be drowned in public condemnation.

Lang Jiuchuan shook her broken hand. "No need."

Madam Wu felt her vision go dark at the sight of that dangling hand, her heart racing wildly.

As if nothing were wrong, Lang Jiuchuan grabbed her hand and, with another *crack*, performed a technique to pinch the hand, then raised it again. "I can reset it myself."

She would still need to find a suitable tendon to reconnect as soon as possible; otherwise, it would be a nuisance if it kept breaking.

The crowd stood agape, looking at Lang Jiuchuan as if she were a monster. She looked perfectly ordinary, yet she could reset a broken hand without changing her expression. Was this something a young girl was supposed to be capable of?

"It's fine now. I can continue burning the spirit money."

*Wait, is burning spirit money the priority right now?*

Madam Cui felt as though she had experienced a lifetime of upheavals in just a few breaths. With a dark expression, she stepped forward toward Lang Jiuchuan and scolded sternly, "You孽障 (wicked creature), why haven't you come with me?"

Lang Jiuchuan paused her steps and turned to look at her. "What did you call me? A wicked creature?"

As Madam Cui looked into her eyes, her heart skipped a beat. Panicked, she blinked hard. Looking again, the child's eyes were round and bright. Had she misseen?

Just now, she felt as if she had seen two hollow eye sockets, containing nothing, utterly terrifying.

She must have been seeing things.

Seeing the mother and daughter seemingly at odds, the onlookers sensed trouble. Lang Zhengping immediately shot a meaningful look at his daughter-in-law.

Even if they were going to lose face, they couldn't do it in front of outsiders!

Madam Wu immediately stepped forward to support Lang Jiuchuan's hand. "Ninth Sister, please go down and let the physician examine you. You need to apply medicine; we can't delay this."

Lang Jiuchuan shook off her hand and looked at Madam Cui with a cold sneer. "A daughter returning home after more than ten years, and you call me a 'wicked creature'? May I ask, Madam, what merit or virtue do I possess to deserve such a title? Simply because I said this old gentleman doesn't have much time left?"

The crowd felt their vision darken again. *Your mother wasn't actually wrong—you truly are a wicked creature! Why bring up the one thing you shouldn't? Didn't we just manage to move past the mess you made with your tongue? Why bring up the past and add fuel to the fire?*