Chapter 331: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 331: Family Ruin and the Hawk Brings News (2)
Seeing this, Hu Shi thought she had persuaded Li Zhong and continued more vigorously, extolling the benefits of Li Xiu returning to the Zhang family. "Dear in-law, let Xiu'er come back. I will treat her like my own daughter and never let her suffer again."
Zhang Ming, now fearless, echoed his mother's sentiments, making all kinds of promises with the demeanor of a devoted lover.
Watching the spittle-flying mother and son, Li Zhong couldn't help but recall the scene when he first betrothed Li Xiu to the Zhang family. They had made similar promises back then. But what was the result? He had once been blind, ruining his daughter's life. Would he be blind again and destroy the rest of her days?
"Are you done talking?" Li Zhong interrupted them with a grim expression. "If you're done, then leave. Xiu'er is living well now and will not return to the Zhang family. Don't come here again. Let's just consider the Li and Zhang families never had any ties."
Hu Shi, in the midst of her enthusiastic speech, was stunned to silence. Hearing that Li Zhong still wanted them gone, she turned to Zhang Ming in disbelief, "Ming'er, did I hear wrong?"
Zhang Ming, also wide-eyed, saw Li Zhong's cold expression and stammered, "Mother, I think, I think you didn't hear wrong."
"You refuse? You actually refuse?" Hu Shi finally believed it. She had not expected such an outcome after all her efforts. In her rage, she lashed out, "You old fool, do you plan to keep your daughter and bring in a son-in-law to carry on the Li family line? Don't be delusional. Your daughter is a barren hen. Even if you find a hundred sons-in-law, it won't help! If she doesn’t return to the Zhang family, she’ll have no one to care for her when she's old... Ouch, it hurts! Murder! Murder—"
Mo Yan, who was attending to customers, was startled by Hu Shi's screams from the side room and instinctively looked over.
The customer paying at the counter was also shocked, clutching his chest and anxiously asking, "What's going on? Who's inside? Is someone getting killed?"
Worried about scaring away the customers, Mo Yan quickly made up an excuse, "It's almost the end of the year. Our village likes to celebrate by having each household showcase their talents. Our shopkeeper is still learning, so he's practicing voice acting!"
The customer, intrigued, asked a few more questions. Hearing the old woman’s painful cries and the young man’s fearful pleas, he praised, "Is this ventriloquism? It sounds so real. Your shopkeeper is very talented!"
Mo Yan forced a couple of laughs and quickly made up a few more things to send the customer away.
Listening to the clamor from the side room, Mo Yan grew anxious. Seeing no customers in the shop, she asked Tie Tou and Wang Pangtou to keep an eye on things and hurriedly ran to knock on the door, worried that Li Zhong might suffer at the hands of the mother and son.
She knocked several times, but the door remained closed. Inside, the Zhang family's cries of pain could be heard, making Mo Yan feel a wicked satisfaction. Yet, she also worried that in his fury, Li Zhong might really harm them, causing her heart to race with conflicting emotions.
Inside the room, Li Zhong's expression was frighteningly grim. Ignoring the frantic knocking outside, he stood by the door with the stick, striking the mother and son whenever he had the chance.
The mother and son, fearful of the stick, did not dare to confront him head-on and huddled in the corner, taking the blows. When Hu Shi’s foot was struck again, she couldn't bear it anymore and spat venomously, "If you don’t kill us today, I will report you to the authorities and make sure you, an old fool, rot in prison!"
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