Chapter 6: The Women of the Gu Family are All Liars

Even if he noticed, Song Lao'er wouldn't take it to heart.

He was about to have a sum of silver in his hands, and from now on, he would be living the high life every day; why would he care about the looks others gave him?

Perhaps these people were looking at him and smiling because he was so full of joy today, and they wanted to share in his good fortune.

Thinking of this, Song Lao'er became even more smug. Carrying his satchel, he hummed a little tune as he strolled toward home, even stopping to chat leisurely with the people he met along the way.

But as soon as he stepped through the courtyard gate, he was stunned into silence.

He saw his mother and his wife squatting on the ground, circling each other like dogs chasing their own tails.

"Mother, what are you two playing at? It looks quite interesting." Song Lao'er laughed heartily at the sight.

Old Gu-shi and Little Gu-shi had spent the entire morning doing duck walks and frog jumps, and now, having been forced to spin like tops, they were drenched in sweat and exhausted, their faces pale as if they had only half a life left.

Seeing Song Lao'er return, Old Gu-shi acted as if she had found a lifeline. She plopped onto the ground and burst into loud, wailing sobs: "Son! You’ve finally returned! If you had waited any longer, you’d only be here to collect my corpse!"

Beside her, Little Gu-shi, no longer shy, hugged Song Lao'er’s leg and cried, "Master, we’ve been tormented to death by that little slut!"

Song Lao'er felt dizzy: "...You weren't playing?"

Sitting in the main room, Song Lao'er didn't even get a sip of water before the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law pulled at him, shouting and cursing, gesturing wildly as they began to recount their grievances.

He was already feeling the heavy effects of the alcohol he’d consumed, and with the two women speaking in a jumbled, emotional mess, his already intoxicated brain turned into a bowl of porridge.

It took a long time for him to make sense of what they were saying, but one sentence—"Song Liyun, that little slut, jumped into the water"—sobered him up more than halfway.

Sitting bolt upright, Song Lao'er asked urgently: "You said Liyun ran out of the house this morning and jumped into the water outside the village? Where is she? Where is she now?"

He wasn't concerned about his niece's life; he was only worried about the money he had just negotiated. If Song Liyun died, his money would vanish.

Seeing that Song Lao'er didn't care at all about her being beaten and only asked where Song Liyun was, Old Gu-shi was instantly incensed. Gritting her teeth, she spat, "That slut has a cheap life; how could she die? She splashed around a bit to scare people and then got back out. She’s in the kitchen right now, I don't know what she's doing.

Son! That little slut beat me black and blue; you must stand up for me.

I say we shouldn't send her to the Xue family to enjoy a good life. Let's keep her at home to do chores; I’m going to skin her alive."

Hearing that Song Liyun was safe and hadn't run away, Song Lao'er felt relieved. As long as she was there, the silver was safe.

He seemed to ignore Old Gu-shi's talk of keeping Song Liyun at home, merely clicking his tongue: Old Ghost Xue really did have a wife-killing fate.

The Xue family steward had said that Master Xue had already lost three wives, so they had to check the girl's horoscope to see if it was strong enough, fearing she would be cursed to an early death.

That was why the Xue family had only paid two taels of silver as a deposit, and the time for the wedding wasn't tonight as he had hoped, but set for three days later; they wanted to pick an auspicious date to collect her.

Now, if the Xue family found out she had tried to kill herself by jumping into the water before even crossing their threshold, the deal would surely fall through, and his silver would fly away.

Thinking of Song Liyun running out of the village to seek death that morning, Song Defu felt a lingering fear.

He glared at Little Gu-shi with annoyance: "You only know how to throw tantrums and roll on the ground. When it’s actually time to use you, you can't even keep an eye on one person. Raising you is worse than feeding a dog!"

Little Gu-shi was both angry and aggrieved, feeling incredibly wronged: "You make it sound so easy! That slut was born to do heavy labor, and she’s ruthless—she kicked Mother unconscious with one foot."

"Son! Go and give that slut a good beating to vent our anger!" Old Gu-shi urged with a pale face; she had truly been tormented today.

Having lived a life of luxury for decades as a farm woman—never having worked in the fields, only tending to the few vegetable patches in the yard—she now felt her legs as soft as noodles, struggling even to climb onto the edge of the kang.

Hearing his mother urge him to beat Song Liyun, Song Lao'er rubbed his throbbing temples, his brows furrowed.

"How could she torment you two by herself? Kicked you unconscious? Why doesn't she fly to the heavens while she's at it?

You can't even lie properly. I warned you last night that now that the second girl is back, you aren't to beat or torment her, and you must speak to her nicely," Song Lao'er said irritably.

The second girl was already a member of the Xue family; she was worth a fortune!

Fifty taels of silver!

As long as he had that money, he could provide a better dowry for Shui Rong, Xiaobao could enter the best school in town, and he could drink and enjoy himself as he pleased.

As for the Gu women claiming Song Liyun beat them, Song Lao'er didn't believe a word of it.

He knew exactly what kind of women these two were. They had never lost a fight or a shouting match in the village; they always had to have the upper hand.

Now that the two of them were guarding one Song Liyun, it should have been easy. If anyone was getting beaten, it would be Song Liyun.

The Gu women were all liars!

In the past, whenever the mother and daughter-in-law got into a scuffle with others, they would end up with disheveled clothes, claw marks on their faces, and even clumps of hair torn out before they would stop.

But now, other than being a bit pale, looking tired, and having messy hair, they were perfectly fine—nothing like the "dying" state they described.

Song Lao'er had no idea that the two women were suffering in silence.

They hadn't been beaten in the traditional sense.

Song Liyun had simply pinched the joints at their elbows through their clothes, leaving their arms in such pain and numbness that they couldn't muster an ounce of strength.

With the courtyard gate locked, they couldn't run, and no one came to help when they screamed. The two women had called to heaven and earth, but no one answered.

After being tormented by Song Liyun for a while, they had wailed and surrendered, obediently doing the duck walk.

The morning had felt like a year, and now that they had finally waited for Song Lao'er to return, the two women, who had never suffered a loss in their lives, naturally wanted revenge.

Now, Old Gu-shi wanted Song Lao'er to beat the little slut hiding in the kitchen, even if it meant beating her to death or crippling her so she couldn't be sold.

Seeing Song Lao'er unmoved, Old Gu-shi grew truly desperate. Ignoring her own weak limbs, she lunged at him, scratching: "You heartless thing! Your mother and wife are being bullied, and you don't care.

That little slut isn't even a member of the Xue family yet, and you've already gone soft.

When she marries into the Xue family later, are you going to kneel to her when you see her?

You ungrateful wretch! If you won't handle this, you might as well strangle me first."

She had suffered at Song Liyun's hands and didn't dare provoke her, but her authority over her son remained.

After a few swipes, Song Lao'er’s face was marked.

Seeing her husband's face about to be shredded, Little Gu-shi jumped in anxiety: "Mother, don't scratch Brother Defu, he still has to go out to talk business."

Song Defu also lost his temper.

His mother had a strange temper and a heavy hand, but that was always toward outsiders.

He was her only son, usually pampered like the apple of her eye; she had never even touched a hair on his head, let alone acted like this today.

He covered his face and shoved Old Gu-shi away, shouting: "Enough! Stop the wailing! I'll go beat her right now to vent your anger. But don't you ever think about asking me for silver again!"