It was for this reason that Chiang Xiao had her leave first.
Her pale face also successfully diverted Ge Liutao's attention somewhat. Without thinking, she nodded and turned to busy herself in the kitchen.
There had truly been some complications with their family's dinner that evening.
"Eat? I'm surprised you still have the stomach for it!" Ho Laidi glared at her and said angrily, "Your aunt said you've been possessed by filthy things?"
She paused, then added, "No, that's not right—if that were the case, asking you would be a pointless waste of breath."
She lifted her foot and slipped off one slipper, grasping it in her hand, and stared at Chiang Xiao, "Stretch out your hand."
"Auntie, what are you planning to do?" Chiang Xiao was sitting on the bed, glancing at the dirty slipper in her hand.
"When I say stretch out your hand, you stretch out your hand!" Ho Laidi said with a stern face.
Chiang Songhai really couldn't stand by any longer, he stepped forward, "Sister-in-law, you'll scare Little Little."
"Scare her my ass! Uncle, haven't the older generation told you? If someone in the family is plagued by filthy things, hitting the palm three times hard with a worn slipper can test for it! If there's something filthy, her palm will turn black! I'm doing this for Little Little's own good!"
What?
Hit the palm hard three times with a slipper?
Chiang Xiao glared furiously.
"Look, just look, Uncle!" As soon as she saw her glare, Ho Laidi narrowed her eyes, "Those wolf-like eyes! Little Little was never like this before! Move aside!"
After speaking, she forcefully pushed Chiang Songhai aside, reached out to grab Chiang Xiao's hand—how could Chiang Xiao allow her to hit her palms with the slipper? But she was indeed too weak now, and Ho Laidi, who was used to physical labor, had much more strength. She grabbed her hand and raised the slipper to strike her palm hard three times.
The force she used was tremendous, she even gritted her teeth as she hit, and after only three blows, Chiang Xiao's palm was instantly swollen and so painful that her eyes reddened.
At the same time, a surge of humiliation and indignation roared turbulently in her chest.
"Sister-in-law! You!" Chiang Songhai had not anticipated that Ho Laidi's notion of force would be so cruel. Little Little's hand was delicate; was she trying to ruin her hand?
He couldn't worry about propriety; he pulled Chiang Xiao's hand from hers, pain and regret mixing with rage as he saw her suddenly swollen palm.
"Uncle, get out of the way. I still need to hit the other hand!" Ho Laidi called out sternly.
"Try hitting Little Little one more time!" Chiang Songhai shouted back at her, furious.
Ho Laidi was taken aback.
As the eldest sister-in-law was like a mother, and over the years, Chiang Songhai had always shown her the utmost respect. After all, before they divided the family property, it was under her management that the Chiang Family had such a large courtyard and houses. Otherwise, could Chiang Songhai have received these three rooms when they divided the property?
Now, for Chiang Xiao's sake, he actually raised his voice at her?
Chiang Xiao was also stunned.
Her grandfather had indeed always shown great respect for Ho Laidi. Of course, this also involved tolerating her, largely because both he and Ge Liutao valued respect for elders and care for the younger ones, preferring harmony and prosperity in the family. They would rather suffer some injustice themselves than quarrel with family members.
Another reason was that when he was young, his elder brother had saved his life. Therefore, unwilling to make it hard for his brother by putting him in the middle, he had long ago gotten used to yielding to his sister-in-law in every matter.
"Oh my," Ho Laidi exclaimed dramatically, "are you trying to fight me to the death or what?"