Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 1678 - 856: Demanding Four-Lang’s Life (Part 2)

"You’re just causing trouble, continuing to harm people, making the Old Lian Family cut off sons and grandsons, and you find it amusing... I’m not the one who said this, it’s what the villagers are saying. You still consider yourself a good person, but the kids in our village are scared to tears as soon as they hear your voice. You old witch, you killed my Si Lang, you’ll die a miserable death!"

Not being able to find Si Lang, Lady Zhou was feeling guilty, so she let Lady He sit on the kang (heated brick bed). But being cursed like this by Lady He, her fiery temper flared up, and she didn’t care about feeling guilty anymore; the more guilty she felt, the more explosive her temper became.

Lady Zhou and Lady He started cursing each other, and in the end, it was unclear who initiated it, but the two eventually ended up scratching at each other.

Lady He was in her prime, with great strength, while Lady Zhou, although old, was still robust. Between the two, Lady He was physically strong but not as ruthless; despite demanding repayment from Lady Zhou’s life, she didn’t strike with full vigor. Lady Zhou, though weaker, was tough-hearted and attacked with cunning and precision. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law scratched each other to a draw, with torn clothes, scratched faces, and plenty of hair pulled out.

The whole family couldn’t just watch, so they all stepped in to pull them apart. Eventually, even Lady Da Zhou and Younger Lady Zhou were alarmed, summoning a whole street of people to watch. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law sat on opposite ends of the kang, separated by the crowd trying to mediate, yet still not willing to stop their shouting.

Lady He continually accused Lady Zhou of killing Si Lang. Lady Zhou brazenly cursed that Si Lang was short-lived, crying and wailing louder than Lady He. Because Lady He had scratched her, she demanded Lian Shouyi beat Lady He, but Lian Shouyi didn’t move. Lady Zhou then ordered Lian Shouren, Lian Shouli, and even Lian Jizu and Lady Chiang to beat Lady He, but none of them agreed to do it. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Lady Zhou cried and cursed, saying she would go to the yamen to file a complaint, accusing Lian Shouyi and Lady He of disobedience and unfilial conduct, wanting to imprison them both.

"As if I never gave birth to such ungrateful wretches!"

While howling for Lady Zhou’s life and shouting about going to accuse disobedience and unfilial conduct, the old house was in chaos once again. Amidst the uproar, Lady Zhou hadn’t forgotten about Lian Lanlan.

"... Surely went down the wrong path, I, for heaven’s sake, am afraid of nothing. He hates your elder sister, who knows what evil he might do behind her back. Your elder sister can’t stand up to him. Old Three, I don’t trust anyone else with this; you go to the city, pass a message to your elder sister, tell her to be careful, not to take it lightly. These few days, don’t come back, at night don’t sleep, just hide outside your elder sister’s room, see if Si Lang goes there. If you see Si Lang, grab him, don’t let him harm your elder sister’s family!"

Lady Zhou sent Lian Shouli to the city to protect Lian Lanlan’s family.

"... What golden branches and jade leaves, more like made of paper." Lian Yeye was exasperated, "Their family can’t stop Si Lang, and my father alone can? And have him not sleep in this cold weather, lurking outside to watch their house. What do they think my father is?"

"The favoritism is unreasonable, my father sick and injured, she doesn’t care, surely. It’s still just my mother and I who care and take care of him. But she doesn’t trust others, only trusts my father! Just because she sees my father as honest? Why doesn’t she go herself? If she’s watching the house, even the vicious dogs would flee, she’s better than anyone!"

Lian Yeye dragged Lady Zhao to Lian Manman’s place to complain.

Lian Manman could only pat Lian Yeye’s shoulder; she could quite relate to Lian Yeye’s feelings. However, with Lady Zhou’s orders followed by Lian Shouli, neither Lady Zhao nor Lian Yeye could stop him, so what could she say about it? If Lian Shouli explicitly expressed his unwillingness, she could then add some persuasion and support.

"My father actually isn’t very willing either." Lian Yeye calmed down a bit and lowered his head, bitterness in his voice, "These days, it’s delayed a lot of work. Running to the city, having to stand guard at night and such, it’s so tiring, no one would be willing. But in front of our grandmother, he agrees to everything."

Lian Shouli feared Lady Zhou like a leech!

After comforting Lian Yeye and Lady Zhao, Lian Manman recalled hearing about Lady He and Lady Zhou’s argument, especially Lady He saying that Lady Zhou had killed one of her children before.

"Mother, was there really such a thing?" Lian Manman asked Lady Zhang.

"I hadn’t married into the Old Lian Family yet at that time, but I heard there seemed to be another before Si Lang, lost before twenty days." Lady Zhang said, looking at Lady Zhao.

At that time, Lady Zhao had already married into the Lian family.

"There was indeed such a thing." Lady Zhao nodded affirmatively.

"Was it really the old lady’s doing?" Lian Manman was taken aback. It seems that even male grandchildren are not so valued when there’s too many, especially in the eyes of someone like Lady Zhou.

"Well... how do I put it, there certainly was some of the old lady’s involvement." Lady Zhang thought for a moment, then said.

In that era, medical standards were not advanced, especially in obstetrics and pediatrics, and the infant mortality rate was high. People’s level of education was also low, knowing little, which exacerbated the situation. Sometimes it was almost impossible to tell why a child would die young.

"Not giving fuel to keep the kang warm, both your aunt and I experienced that. As for that ham, that must have been real too." Lady Zhang told Lian Manman, "During confinement, no matter how little you eat, you must eat something. When I gave birth to your brother, your grandfather brought a ham. Your grandfather spoke in front of him, ’boil it all for me to eat’. The old lady did cook it for me, but just..."

"Added a lot of salt, didn’t she?" Lian Manman guessed.

...

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