Xiaozhu's face immediately turned pale, and his voice trembled as he said, "Mother, it's Grandma..."
Li Xiangli reassured him calmly, "Don't be afraid. Mother is here. I won't let them bully you. Quickly hide these things in the stove."
Xiaozhu hurried to stash the food away. It was rare to have this much to eat, and if they found out, they would surely plunder it.
The second wife's (a.k.a Wei-shi) sharp voice came through, "Mother, don't worry. I'll go and check now. I've already prepared the straw mat—I'll roll it up and have my husband throw it into the back mountain. It will be completely destroyed."
With that, Old Madam Guo made a noncommittal sound and retreated into her own room. She wanted nothing to do with such unlucky business.
Wei-shi's eagerness stemmed from two reasons. First, it was an attempt to ingratiate herself with the old madam. Second, and more importantly, she had long wanted to claim this house as her own. Her eldest son was now old enough to marry, and with everyone crowded in one house, there wouldn't be enough space. This house, once repaired, would be very useful.
However, Wei-shi didn't consider the fate of Li Xiangli's two children at all. With their parents dead, these children would surely live as little more than servants if they were lucky.
Wei-shi excitedly pushed the door open and shouted, "Hey! Did your mother die cleanly yet? You two little rascals, still not listening to me? Watch how I punish you!"
But as soon as she looked up, she froze. Standing in the house was Li Xiangli, who gave her a piercing look. Wei-shi's face turned white with fright, and she thought she was seeing a ghost.
"Ah!" she screamed, panic taking over as she fled outside, yelling, "She's faking! She's faking being dead!"
The commotion shook the entire Guo family. Old Madam Guo was furious. "What are you saying? Ghosts? It's daytime! Are you out of your mind?"
Wei-shi sobbed, "Mother, that little hussy... that little hussy is faking being dead!"
Old Madam Guo was startled and rushed to see. But there was Li Xiangli, casually sitting in the courtyard with Xiaozhu and Le'er, washing their faces in the sunlight. She looked perfectly fine—alive and well. Was this supposed to be a ghost? No, she was very much alive.
Old Madam Guo pointed angrily at Wei-shi, "You spineless thing! What ghost? She is obviously alive!"
Wei-shi shrank back, recalling her fright at seeing Li Xiangli earlier. Her voice was accusatory as she said, "Mother, it's her! She's pretending to be a ghost to scare me! She's gotten more arrogant now!"
Old Madam Guo already disliked Li Xiangli, and now that she knew she wasn't dead, her feelings grew colder. She hissed, "Turns out I was too lenient! I should've killed you and put an end to this nonsense. You're nothing but a disgrace to our Guo family. You dare to show your face here and humiliate us further!"
Before the words could sink in, she charged toward Li Xiangli, aiming to slap her. Xiaozhu quickly leapt in front of Li Xiangli to shield her.
"Don't hit my mother!" he shouted.
"Hah! You little brat! You dare block me? I'll kill you first—" Before she could finish her sentence, her hand was already in motion.
Li Xiangli yanked Xiaozhu into her embrace and caught Old Madam Guo's hand mid-air, twisting her wrist painfully.
Old Madam Guo let out a blood-curdling scream, "What audacity! You dare... ah!"
Li Xiangli tightened her grip on Old Madam Guo's wrist, twisting it further. Old Madam Guo felt her hand nearly dislocate and howled in pain.
Li Xiangli's gaze turned icy as she said coldly, "You know very well who brought shame to the Guo family. If you hadn't been spreading rumors in the village, our family wouldn't be in such disarray. I died once already, and now that I've returned, I won't show mercy. You better tread carefully."
With that, she threw Old Madam Guo's hand away. Staggering, Old Madam Guo nearly fell, clutching her injured wrist.
Wei-shi hurriedly supported Old Madam Guo, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Oh no, this Li Xiangli has really gone mad, hasn't she? She's even daring to hit her mother-in-law. This is truly outrageous!"
Old Madam Guo ground her teeth and snarled, "What shamelessness! This is rebellion, outright rebellion!"
She turned to her sons, shouting angrily, "Why are you just standing there? Can't you see how this little hussy has humiliated me? Go kill her for me!"
The three Guo brothers looked at each other hesitantly. They weren't sure about attacking a frail woman, especially one with such an icy, menacing stare. Despite their size, they found themselves intimidated.
Wei-shi's shouting had attracted the neighbors, who came crowding around, eager to see what had happened. Everyone in the village still remembered how Old Madam Guo had left Li Xiangli half-dead a few days ago, and now they were even more curious about the current situation.
Xiaozhu and Le'er clung tightly to Li Xiangli, terrified. She held them close, offering them comfort and safety.
Looking at the crowd of villagers, Li Xiangli raised her voice: "Five days ago, you left me half-dead at home, and now that I've miraculously survived, you can't wait to kill me again? Is this how you treat your daughter-in-law?"
The villagers murmured, shocked by the cruelty of Old Madam Guo's behavior.
Old Madam Guo hissed back, "You shameless little hussy! You live at the expense of my family's kindness, and yet you still refuse to behave. You've got no place here. I'll kill you if it's the last thing I do!"
Li Xiangli's voice was ice-cold as she retorted, "Stop throwing accusations at me. Even if you think I've committed crimes, it should be the magistrate's or village leader's responsibility to judge me. You have no right to take my life into your hands. Laws exist for a reason, and you should respect them!"
Old Madam Guo's fury was palpable. She gritted her teeth, staring at Li Xiangli, utterly at a loss.
"This is madness! You've really grown bold, haven't you? Fine, fine—" Old Madam Guo's voice shook as she struggled with her rage.
She suddenly turned on Guo Fugui, barking, "Why are you just standing there? Aren't you going to say something? This daughter-in-law is an insult to our family's dignity. I can't let her live!"
The atmosphere had turned tense, and the villagers were caught between fear and curiosity, unsure of how this would all unfold next...
Disclaimer:
I am not the original author of this work. This is a translated version of the original text, shared for reading and reference purposes only. All rights to the original content belong to the original author. I do not claim ownership of the original work or its characters. This translation is intended solely for informational and entertainment purposes.