Cannon Fodder in an Era Drama — I Survive with Acting-Chapter 38: Acting Pitiful

At that thought, Fei Jin felt he had to speak up for her.

Just as he was about to erupt, Song Qingya gently tugged on the corner of his sleeve.

"Qingya."

Fei Jin turned to look at his wife beside him.

Song Qingya shook her head.

"Don’t get angry with her."

Although she felt just as furious, she didn’t want to see her husband lose his head over her.

She cared more about keeping the peace in the family than about her own pride.

"But..."

Fei Jin wanted to argue further but was stopped by Song Qingya’s gaze.

He knew that listening to his wife right now was probably the best choice.

"It’s nothing. She’s an elder, and maybe she just has some misunderstandings about me. As someone younger, I should stay calm. I can endure it."

Fei Jin looked at her in disbelief.

The fact that Song Qingya was being so mature and understanding only made his heart ache even more.

But in reality, Song Qingya could barely contain herself.

She had no choice. At that critical moment, she had gone straight for the "play the victim" script to maintain her image. Despite hesitating for a long time, she still hadn’t chosen the crazier route of simply slapping Zhou Huaihua across the face.

’I’ll let Zhou Huaihua be the one to act crazy.’

’I’ve already been scolded, and so many people are watching. Today, I have to maximize my gains and push this drama to its climax.’

The woman was stunningly beautiful with a slender figure. Now, having been wrongly accused, she looked exceptionally sad and aggrieved, her shoulders trembling slightly.

"Auntie, I know you have many misunderstandings about me. I’ve been trying to correct myself, hoping to earn your approval. But... I never thought you would say something like that... I really don’t know what to say."

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face.

"What nonsense are you spouting? How have I wronged you?"

Zhou Huaihua’s voice was filled with resentment.

She had seen it with her own eyes—there was no blood.

She had personally handed that white cloth to Song Qingya on the wedding night.

That white cloth was still there, sitting quietly under the cabinet in the inner room, ready to be brought out as evidence at any moment.

Whenever she thought about it, a fire of rage ignited in Zhou Huaihua’s heart.

"If you don’t believe my words, then I’ll prove my innocence with my life!"

"Qingya, what are you doing?" Fei Jin asked in shock.

He had never expected things to escalate to this point.

"Don’t do something so foolish!"

Her mother-in-law cried out anxiously from the side.

"Sister, what are you doing?"

Her sister-in-law, standing to the side, was also on the verge of tears.

"Quick, stop her!"

Zhou Huaihua’s voice became unusually shrill.

Song Qingya pretended to run toward a nearby pillar to smash her head against it.

Her movements seemed exceptionally decisive.

Fortunately, she was surrounded by family who cared about her; they would never let something like that actually happen.

Fei Jin’s instincts took over.

He immediately shot out a hand, grabbed Song Qingya, and pulled her into a tight embrace, terrified she would do something drastic.

Song Qingya began to sob in his arms, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably.

"Don’t stop me... SOB SOB SOB... I’d be better off dead! What’s the point of living if I have to suffer such false accusations?"

’In fact, I’ve acted in many tragic dramas before. I know that a direct confrontation right now, while satisfying, isn’t the best approach.’

’After all, what kind of good daughter-in-law do the aunties in the village admire most?’

’Isn’t it the type who can only suffer in silence, even when bullied?’

And so, Song Qingya recalled a famous tear-jerker drama and began to act like its saintly heroine.

The faces of the aunties who had been watching for entertainment, hoping to see a fight between Zhou Huaihua and the new bride, all changed.

People are empathetic, especially when they see a shadow of their past selves in others. They recalled being bullied by their own mothers-in-law when they were young, and how they could only endure it silently. At the memory, their eyes turned red.

"Child, why would you use such an extreme way to prove your innocence? We all believe you," an auntie said softly.

"Don’t listen to Zhou Huaihua’s nonsense. What could she possibly know about a married couple’s business?" another auntie chimed in, stepping forward to defend Song Qingya.

"Fei Village Chief hasn’t even said anything, so what’s she meddling for? It’s not like she’s your actual mother-in-law!" a slightly older woman said with displeasure.

"That woman has no filter! This morning she was telling us your cooking was terrible. But we all tried it today, and your skill is second to none in this town!" an auntie said loudly.

"Just let her words go in one ear and out the other."

With her eyes brimming with tears, Song Qingya finally played her last card.

The tears lingering at the corners of her eyes were heart-wrenching to see.

"Aunties, please, don’t say any more about my aunt. She’s just not feeling well and had a slip of the tongue. I don’t blame her. Please don’t you blame her either," Song Qingya said in a gentle voice.

Such magnanimity! Such grace! She looked so kind even after being wronged so terribly!

The onlookers were all furious, feeling the injustice on her behalf.

Fang Huihui had long since reached her limit and immediately stepped forward.

"Sister Qingya, you’re too refined to say these things. Let me say them for you."

She stood her ground.

There were no outsiders in the courtyard, just the women from the town.

The men had all been sent away, leaving only Fei Jin by his wife’s side.

Seeing this, Fang Huihui cast aside her reservations.

She was determined to set the record straight today.

She couldn’t let Sister Qingya’s reputation be damaged in any way. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

She took a deep breath, mustering the courage to speak.

"Aunt Zhou, what was that you were saying just now?" Fang Huihui asked bluntly.

"What do you mean, ’Sister Qingya isn’t clean’? Were you hiding under their bed and saw it with your own eyes?"

"Of course I saw it," Zhou Huaihua replied righteously.

"I personally delivered the white cloth for their wedding night. To this day, I haven’t seen a single red mark on it."

"Oh, so you’re that eager to see a red mark?" Fang Huihui sneered.

"Why don’t you just kill a chicken and smear its blood on it? Wouldn’t that be much easier?"

"You! You’re spouting nonsense!" Zhou Huaihua’s face flushed with anger as she shouted back.

"What nonsense?" Fang Huihui shot back, refusing to yield.

"Pah! You don’t know the first thing about what happened, but you’re out here spreading vicious rumors about a new bride. Now I finally get why there were so many rumors when Qingya was sick—they all came from you, her so-called ’aunt’! Sister Qingya still treats you like family and always thinks of you, and this is how you repay her? You’re just an ungrateful dog that bites the hand that feeds it!"

"Fang Huihui, you dare curse at me!?" Zhou Huaihua demanded, her eyes wide.

"That’s right. I’m cursing you," Fang Huihui shot back without hesitation.

"You—"

Zhou Huaihua was so angry she was speechless, looking like she was about to explode.

She stamped her feet and shrieked.