To enhance the momentum of punishing the wicked woman, Bai Sheng had originally envisioned kicking the door open, and had rehearsed it several times in her mind. However, upon arriving at Granny Chen Pozi's house, she found no use for her plan.
Chen Pozi's house had no doors to kick.
All the doorways were covered by straw blinds, and kicking them wouldn't produce that satisfying "bang."
Meanwhile, everyone from the eldest and third branches of the family sat in the courtyard, each holding a yellow biscuit, gnawing on it bit by bit. Several of them had their necks stretched out, choking, yet unwilling to drink the small bowl of water in front of them all at once.
The original owner had never been to Chen Pozi's house, nor was she familiar with the people from the other two branches. Otherwise, Bai Sheng would have felt more confident fighting today.
When they saw Lu Ye enter the courtyard with his wife and several younger siblings, radiating an imposing aura, everyone stopped chewing and stared fixedly.
The sky had not yet completely darkened. Upon seeing Lu Hua, Chen Pozi was so startled that the biscuit in her hand almost fell to the ground. Xu Shi from the eldest branch and Yao Shi from the third branch also clearly panicked for a moment.
Uncle Lu Dahai stood up and chuckled heartily, "Xiao Ye, you... you haven't eaten dinner yet, have you? In the pot—"
"Shut up!" Before Lu Dahai could finish, Xu Shi beside him pinched him hard. "If you don't speak, no one will think you're mute!"
Lu Dahai sheepishly dared not mention dinner again and stammered, asking Lu Ye what was going on.
Lu Ye's gaze bypassed Lu Dahai entirely, fixing coldly on his grandmother, Chen Pozi. He said sternly, "Chen Shi, are you coming with me to the village head's house to sign the severance papers now, or after you finish eating?"
What? Severance papers?
Everyone from the eldest and third branches was shocked by this highly impactful term.
If children severed ties with their parents while they were still alive, they would be expelled from the clan and would no longer receive the protection of clan members. Thus, although the Great Xia Kingdom had laws allowing for severance, almost no one dared to initiate it.
Heh! To sever ties and leave the clan in Huangjia Village? Lu Ye, was this seeking his own death?
And why?
Chen Pozi's dry, wrinkled old face suddenly drooped. She stood up abruptly, pointed a finger at Lu Ye's nose, and cursed viciously, "You good-for-nothing, scummy brat! I am your grandmother, an elder of the Lu family! Is this how you speak to an elder?"
"Grandmother? Elder? Ah— ptooey!" Bai Sheng immediately chimed in without missing a beat, putting on her carefully designed "fierce and menacing" face. She pointed at Chen Pozi and cursed, "Chen Pozi, you're truly like a sow rooting through a woodpile— all because your face is thick!
How dare you claim to be my husband's grandmother? Is this how a grandmother acts? To live comfortably yourself, you sold your own granddaughter to a brothel!
Is this something a 'human' would do? If you die, will you have the face to see the ancestors of the Lu family!"
"Wh... what... sold to a brothel?" Lu Dahai's eyes widened in shock. He turned to Chen Pozi, "Mother, wh-what exactly is going on?"
"None of your business! Get lost!" Xu Shi impatiently elbowed Lu Dahai.
Lu Dahai's mouth was slightly ajar, his heart full of surprise and confusion, which he could only force himself to suppress.
Uncle Lu Dahe, although aware of the matter, agreed with his mother's actions. A mere girl, a money-loser, it was fine to sell her, so what was the fuss about? It was the second branch that was foolish, treating a money-loser like a precious gem. Now that his second brother and sister-in-law were dead, Lu Ye, the nephew, was still as foolish!
Lu Yang, the eldest son of the eldest branch, had already seen the clue, but it was his grandmother's and the second branch's affair, and he did not want to get involved.
Lu Xing, the second son of the eldest branch, was 12 years old this year and could naturally guess what his cousin's wife was referring to. Although he was very angry with his grandmother in his heart, he dared not show it on his face. His mother and grandmother beat people, and they were truly ruthless.
The other younger ones hadn't figured out what was happening yet, their eyes looking at everything blankly. Although they often bullied Lu Yun and Lu Yu, with cousin Lu Ye present today, none of them dared to act out of line.
Lu Hua was instantly subdued by her sister-in-law's imposing presence. Trembling slightly, she stepped forward and stood beside Bai Sheng. Seeing this, Lu Yun and Lu Yu immediately followed.
Lu Ye took a few steps forward, shielding Bai Sheng at his side.
Bai Sheng's aura immediately transformed to be two meters eighty, her passion for a serious fight burning fiercely.
Chen Pozi gritted her teeth in anger. She spat in Bai Sheng's direction and glared with her dim yellow eyes, cursing, "You wretched, ugly hag! You're lying with your eyes open. That money-loser is standing right here! Who sold her to a brothel? If you spout any more nonsense, I'll rip your mouth apart!"
Grandma— how could Chen Pozi be so shameless? She was clearly the one who sold her, yet she refused to admit it!
Lu Hua was about to break down. She couldn't help but point at Chen Pozi and shout hoarsely, "You sold me! You had Auntie and Third Aunt knock me out and sell me to people in the town brothel!"
"Hey! You little girl are just spouting nonsense! If we sold you, would you still be standing here talking?" Yao Shi from the third branch jumped out, pointing at Lu Hua and shouting sharply.
Xu Shi also stepped forward, pouting, "At such a young age, you're already a liar! If you were sold to a brothel, could you come out? Is that brothel run by your family? You can just come and go as you please?"
Recklessly attacked by these three wicked women, Lu Hua cried bitterly, her small body trembling, "It was... you all sold me together! Waaah... in exchange for two taels of silver and a few buckets of water, it was you who sold me, waaaah..."
Lu Yun and Lu Yu's faces turned red, the small veins on their foreheads and necks bulging. They shouted angrily, "You are the liars! It was you who sold my sister, we saw it with our own eyes!"
Lu Ye clenched his fists tightly, his eyes filled with deep ferocity. If they weren't women, he would have dealt with them with his fists long ago.
However, it was fortunate he brought his wife— Bai Sheng. When it came to arguing, women were more skilled, and he was more suited to using his fists.
Bai Sheng embraced Lu Hua, patted her back, and then cast a sharp gaze at the three women before her. Raising her voice, she said coldly and bitingly, "I've seen shameless people, but never seen anyone as shameless as you! You've done despicable things and then hit back!
We, the second branch, disdain associating with vulgar, disgusting, thieving women like you and are too lazy to waste words!
My husband and I are here today to resolve two matters: First, you will immediately sign the severance deed with us at the village head's house; second, return the two taels of silver you got from selling Lu Hua. We don't want those buckets of water anymore, consider them fed to the dogs!"
Lu Ye was momentarily stunned. He hadn't thought about getting the two taels of silver back. He looked at Bai Sheng's slender yet somewhat dirty nape, his gaze shining a little.
"Ptooey! You wish! Do you think you can just sever ties as you please? Without my old lady's consent, you can just wait to rot to death in this house!" Chen Pozi didn't want to lose the annual one tael of filial piety money. As for the two taels of silver, she would never return them. Lu Hua was standing there fine, and as long as she didn't admit to selling her, no one could do anything to her!
Xu Shi and Yao Shi looked at their mother-in-law and felt reassured. They had each received 400 wen from the two taels of silver, and once the money was in their hands, they would never give it back.
Xu Shi did not take Bai Sheng seriously at all. She adopted a condescending attitude and cursed, "Bai Shi! You are nothing but a slave! If you continue to slander, I will immediately tell Clan Leader Lu to drive you out of the Lu family! And have you go back to being a military prostitute, tasted by a thousand, slept by ten thousand!"