Chapter 511: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 511: The Unexpected Ruse (2)
Mo Hongshi glared at the woman and, hands on her hips, retorted without any remorse, "You said these two wretched people are my daughter-in-law and granddaughter. I'll discipline them however I want. Why is it any of your business?"
"You—you're the dog! Your whole Mo family are mad dogs that bite anyone they see!"
The woman, enraged at being called a dog, angrily retorted and rolled up her sleeves, ready to fight. She had long been fed up with this old woman and saw this as a chance to teach her a lesson. But before she could act, her husband glared at her and forcefully pulled her back into the crowd.
Hong shi, hearing her whole family insulted, couldn't stand it and rolled up her sleeves, ready to rush at the woman, but Mo Yongxi held her back. "Mother, don't be impulsive. Dani's arm is broken because of you. If you keep causing trouble, it'll only make things worse for our family. Don't forget what the village chief said."
Hearing this and seeing the villagers' looks, Hong shi felt a bit uneasy and didn't dare to confront the woman further.
Seeing that the woman who stood up for Wu shi and her daughter didn't fare well, the other kind-hearted women refrained from speaking out. They approached Wu shi and her daughter, separated them, and had one of the men fetch a door panel from the village to carry Mo Dani back to the village and find a city doctor to treat her injuries. Otherwise, her arm might be permanently disabled.
A young girl with a disability would have no chance of finding a good husband.
As the women were about to place Mo Dani on the door panel, one of them noticed dark red blood seeping from the hem of Wu shi's gray-brown skirt and screamed in shock, "Oh my God, so much blood! Mo's daughter-in-law, you're bleeding a lot. What's going on? Could it be...could it be..."
Could it be a miscarriage? A menstrual period wouldn't cause so much blood!
This exclamation drew everyone's attention. Realizing what had happened, the women hurriedly pushed their men away to avoid them seeing anything inappropriate and damaging Wu shi's reputation.
Wu shi, with vacant eyes, looked at the blood beneath her, subconsciously touching her deflated abdomen. Seeing her weak daughter lying on the door panel, she suddenly covered her face with her hands and cried out in pain, like a mother beast who had lost her cub.
The onlookers naturally interpreted her grief as mourning a miscarriage.
First, her eldest daughter's arm was broken, and now she had lost an unborn child. Even villagers who had no dealings with Wu shi felt sympathy for her and detested Hong shi even more for causing this tragedy.
All the men except old Mo and Mo Yongfu left. Old, who had silently allowed Hong shi to beat Wu shi, walked over with a sullen face, followed by a silent and thoughtful Mo Yongfu.
Old Mo glared fiercely at Hong shi for disgracing him again. Then, looking coldly at the dazed Mo Wushi, he said, "Eldest daughter-in-law, today's incident was just an accident. The child was unlucky, so don't blame your mother-in-law! If you hadn't made such a fuss, she wouldn't have hit you. It's your fault! Considering you lost a child, we won't punish you further. Go home now and stop embarrassing us in front of others!"
His words, sounding so magnanimous, painted Wu shi as the culprit ruining the family's reputation, while he and Mo Hongshi seemed forgiving.
Wu shi, not seeming to hear him, kept stroking her daughter's hair with her blood-stained hand, muttering something inaudible.
No one knew she was apologizing to her daughter, regretting her actions that led to her injury, and for harboring false hopes about that man.
Her "oblivious" behavior infuriated old Mo, who coldly snorted and rebuked his eldest son, "Useless fool, can't even control your wife. Get her home now before we lose more face!"
Mo Yongfu stiffened, but didn't move or look at Wu shi.
During the whole ordeal, he didn't speak up or stop his mother from beating his wife, and when his daughter's bone was broken, he still stood by silently.
Now, facing old Mo's rebuke, he couldn't argue or face Wu shi. He feared her disappointed gaze and her future hatred.
Seeing his cowardice, old Mo fumed, "How did I raise such a useless son? Get out of my sight!"
Mo Yongfu, pale and trembling, finally mustered the courage to approach Wu shi, trying to help her up, but she recoiled in disgust.
"Don't touch me with your filthy hands!" Wu shi bit her lip and spat out the words, looking at him coldly before turning away.
The women, seeing this, glanced at Mo Yongfu with disdain before helping Wu shi up.
Wu shi, supported by the women, walked past Mo Yongfu without looking back, her last hopes for him extinguished when he didn't stop their daughter's assault. She no longer had any affection for him.
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