Mrs. Bai was already stunned by this series of events, completely at a loss for what to do. She just tightly hugged Qin Shuangshuang, her heart aching as she looked at Qin Shuangshuang's half-swollen face, tears streaming down her face!
Now, hearing Mr. Qin's questioning, Mrs. Bai shivered, glanced at Old Chen, and muttered, "I, I don't know either. I was just cutting meat, and then Mother said I was clumsy and cut the meat too thick, so she came over to hit me, but missed, and then I don't know what happened, Mother ended up like this?"
The "Second Lady" referred to is Qin Shuangshuang; this follows the naming order set by Eldest Lady. The name Shuangshuang was given to Qin Shuangshuang by the first family that bought her after she was sold by her family, and she has used it ever since.
"Does Second Brother's wife take us all for idiots? Mother's hand ended up like this, if it wasn't you then was it the Second Lady in your arms who did it? Does Second Brother's wife think we have no brains?"
The one speaking was Mrs. Fang, the wife of Qin Lao Da. This Mrs. Fang was Old Chen's niece and had always been favored by Old Chen. Moreover, having given birth to two sons before her daughter, she was quite confident. Naturally, she was the first to speak out against Mrs. Bai on behalf of Old Chen.
The others all felt that Mrs. Fang was right, and their eyes on Mrs. Bai were sharp. Mrs. Bai was so frightened that she was trembling all over, unable to utter a single word.
The more Mrs. Bai couldn't speak, the more the others felt Mrs. Fang was right; Mrs. Bai was guilty. Especially Mr. Qin, his gaze at Mrs. Bai was growing increasingly icy.
"Seeing Mother injured like this, it must have been Mrs. Bai's doing. Maybe she resented Mother's reprimand and deliberately retaliated, putting on a pathetic show to gain sympathy. How hateful!"
This time it was Mrs. Fang, the wife of Qin the Third, speaking. Mrs. Fang had given birth to three sons and had a good standing in the Qin Family but could not match Mrs. Fang as Old Chen's niece, even though she had one less son.
Mrs. Fang's family was not well-off, lacking support. Even though she had three sons, she had no backing. However, she was good at flattery, fully supporting Old Chen while sticking close to Mrs. Fang. Generally, most chores in the house were left to the so-called "money-losing" Mrs. Bai, allowing the two favored daughters-in-law to enjoy a comfortable life.
Now that Old Chen was injured, and Mrs. Fang was pointing fingers, Mrs. Fang naturally joined in to pressure Mrs. Bai, immediately accusing her of laying hands on an elder.
In these times, people emphasized filial piety. Laying hands on an elder was a grave disrespect and would be condemned by all. Once this accusation was confirmed, even if the Qin family cast Mrs. Bai out, no one would think it excessive.
Mrs. Bai was trembling all over, tightly holding the endlessly wailing Qin Shuangshuang, who was actually also a bit scared inside, only able to shake her head and say, "It wasn't me, I didn't hit Mother! It wasn't me..."
Clearly, no one believed Mrs. Bai's defense. Mrs. Fang and Mrs. Fang took turns criticizing Mrs. Bai, with the background noise of Old Chen and Qin Shuangshuang's mixed crying.
Da Lang, Second Lang, Third Lang, Si Lang, and Wulang, along with the Eldest Lady, a bunch of little ones, were so frightened by the scene that they huddled in a corner like a group of small quails, not daring to make a sound.
Among the men, although Qin Lao Da did not directly scold Mrs. Bai, he pressured Qin Laoer, "Laoer, with your wife having done such a thing, what do you have to say?"
Qin Laoer was holding his head in his hands, crouching on the ground with his shoulders hunched, not looking at either Old Chen or his trembling wife, Mrs. Bai. He kept his head down, remaining silent, looking very weak.
Qin the Third was fanning the flames with a sarcastic tone, "Second Brother, are you trying to cover up for Mrs. Bai? Mother gave birth to you, raised you, and now she's been beaten by your wife. No one could bear this!
If Mrs. Fang dared to do such things to Mother, I would beat her so badly that even her own mother wouldn't recognize her, and then issue her a letter of divorce! Just look at your pathetic state; you don't deserve to be called a man!"
Qin Lao Da's words did not provoke a reaction from Qin Laoer, but Qin the Third's accusation of him not being a man hit a nerve. He stood up suddenly, his eyes blood-red, glaring at Mrs. Bai, who was holding Qin Shuangshuang.
Mrs. Bai looked at her husband with tear-streaked eyes, crying out in her defense, "I didn't, I didn't hit Mother! It wasn't me who hit Mother, please believe me..." Mrs. Bai explained incoherently and tremblingly because of fear, hoping her husband would believe her and stand by her side.
But evidently, Qin Laoer didn't pay attention to Mrs. Bai's fear. He clenched his teeth tightly, the muscles in his cheeks twitching, his hand forming a fist, and then he strode towards Mrs. Bai!
Seeing Qin Laoer coming over, not only did Mrs. Bai get so nervous that her legs started shaking, Qin Shuangshuang's pupils constricted too! Because Qin Laoer's state was all too familiar to her, reminding her in an instant of some forgotten memories regarding her mother, Mrs. Bai...
Qin Shuangshuang recalled that in her past life, Old Chen, Mrs. Fang, and the ever-disruptive Qin the Third loved to provoke conflicts between her father, Qin Laoer, and her mother, Mrs. Bai.
The thing Qin Shuangshuang hated the most was that every time, Qin Laoer would be incited until his eyes were red, and then he would clench his teeth and fists to harshly beat Mrs. Bai! Later, when Qin Shuangshuang grew older, Qin Laoer would give her a few slaps too when he was hitting Mrs. Bai.
When Mrs. Bai was alive, she would hold Qin Shuangshuang and shield her with her body to prevent her from being hit. After Mrs. Bai died, no one protected Qin Shuangshuang anymore, and she became the one who got beaten every few days.
Qin Laoer was considered by everyone in the village as an honest man and a weakling who got bullied at home. He was Qin Shuangshuang's deepest nightmare!
Qin Shuangshuang bit her still toothless gums and fiercely thought if Qin Laoer dared to hit her mother, she'd give him a lesson like she did Old Chen! It was just the right opportunity to prove her mother's innocence. As for her own consequences, overwhelmed by anger, Qin Shuangshuang didn't care anymore.
However, the confrontation between Qin Shuangshuang and her father Qin Laoer was disrupted before it even started by a group of people who suddenly appeared at the Qin house.
The ones who arrived were the village chief and a bunch of villagers eager to watch the drama.
Primarily, it was the powerful wailing duet of Qin Shuangshuang and Old Chen that alarmed the neighbors right from the start. In the countryside, with not much entertainment, any affair in a family was like watching a big performance, everyone eager to listen clandestinely.
The family next to the Qin house listened at the wall for a long time, hearing that Qin Family's second daughter-in-law, Mrs. Bai, couldn't stand her mother-in-law's harshness and beat Old Chen. Hearing Old Chen wail so miserably, this family felt worried.
Furthermore, having listened for so long, they didn't see anyone go inside to call a doctor or anyone from the Qin house coming out, making them worry more. They silently sent their child to fetch the village chief.
As soon as the village chief stepped in, he saw Old Chen looking extremely pitiful, surrounded by a group of people, her eyes swollen from crying! Seeing Old Chen's state, the village chief's eyebrows furrowed instantly.