```
Kneel? Pei Qin had beaten people like grandchildren but never forced anyone to kneel. Anyone who fucking kneeled to beg for mercy from her would get another beating. As a person, one's backbone was absolutely indispensable.
"Should I go kneel to my father?" Pei Qin came over and said coldly.
Speaking of the second son, Lady Zhu's face paused.
Pei Qin snorted, "Don't think that just because my father is dead, we can be bullied at will! After the insults come the beatings, isn't it all because they see my father is dead? If my father were alive, he would now be Master Graduate and in office. Who would dare to touch a hair on me, his eldest daughter?!"
Lady Zhu had nothing to say for the moment.
Pei Qin cast a cold glance at Lady Chen, "Even though my father is dead, he was still a Scholar. My mother is the Scholar's Wife, and I am still a young lady!"
Lady Chen was so mad she could hardly see straight. Seeing Pei Qin suddenly be so defiant, even invoking her dead father, she slapped her thigh, crying and cursing, "That damned bastard! Your Scholar father is dead, and your wretched mother's out there grabbing men. You still think you're a young lady? Go to hell with your dreams! You damned wench, you dared to hit me, if you don't kneel and apologize today, wait and see how I'll teach you a lesson, you dead girl!"
Faced with such brazenness, Pei Qin felt a fury she had only hazily remembered in the original host's memories. Now, facing it head-on, her rage was unbottled. When a problem could be solved with violence, who the fuck wanted to reason?
Because Pei Laoda had allowed both Jian Xiao's family and the second family to stay, although the second family had offspring, Lady Zhu always felt that they were not truly from her second son. She was less tolerant of Madam Fang's children and felt even more apologetic to Lady Chen, Pei Laoda's first wife. She shouted at Pei Qin, "You wretched girl, come here and kneel!"
There was no way Pei Qin would kneel!
Lady Fang worried that after her kneeling she would be beaten, but Pei Qin's sudden stubbornness could lead to even graver consequences. Lady Fang shook her head slightly at Pei Qin, signaling her to kneel.
San Ya was so worried she was nearly crying. How had her eldest sister become so stubborn and even dared to hit someone? She didn't know if kneeling and admitting her wrongs would even suffice now.
Si Ya's little face was dark with resentment, "Eldest sister, why don't you kneel quickly!" She blamed her eldest sister; none of them would have a good winter now.
Pei Qin's face fierce, she snorted coldly at Lady Zhu and Lady Chen. She looked at Lady Fang and her children, then turned and strode towards the door.
"You dead girl think you can run?" Lady Zhu chased a few steps and cursed.
But Lady Fang felt it wasn't about running; the look of determination on her face alarmed her, "Da Ya!? Where are you going?"
Pei Qin, without turning her head, raised her hand and waved, "The sky is high for birds to soar, the sea is wide for fish to leap. I'm not serving you all anymore!" She didn't believe that she couldn't live well without this place.
Seeing that she was really leaving, Lady Fang and San Ya were both shocked and their expressions changed.
Lady Fang ran faster than Lady Zhu, rushing over to grab her, "Qinqin! Where will you go? You can't leave!"
Pei Qin turned to look at her. Lady Fang was just thirty years old, and her once pretty face was now dull and lusterless. Her hair, neatly combed, had become dry and yellow. She was about five feet tall, but looking at how thin she had become, Pei Qin feared she didn't even weigh a hundred pounds. Years of living with Jian Xiao had bent her low before everyone in the household.
"Qinqin..." Lady Fang was a bit shocked; she knew her eldest daughter was somewhat gloomy but she had never expected to see such deep pity in her eyes.
Pei Qin did pity her. Even in a feudal society where women were without status, Lady Fang, who could read and write and was the Scholar's daughter, had reduced herself to this. Pei Qin withdrew her gaze, "I'm running away from home!"
Her words resounded powerfully, and Lady Fang and the others were frightened.
Lady Fang's uneasy speculation was confirmed, and she crumbled, embracing Pei Qin, "It's because your mother has no ability! It's all my fault! Qinqin, you can't leave! Your father is already gone, if you also..." Her eldest daughter and her affection for her husband were her only pillars of life!