Chapter 8

Fresh air filled her lungs, and the warm sunlight of an autumn afternoon bathed her body. Yang Ruoqing squinted in comfort and stretched lazily.

"Ghost?"

"Bang!"

Suddenly, a woman's scream came from the entrance of the main house, followed by the sound of a wooden bucket hitting the ground.

Yang Ruoqing looked in the direction of the sound and saw a middle-aged woman of average height standing at the kitchen door, wearing a coarse linen blouse. The woman's clothes were patched, but the stitches were crooked, resembling ugly, wriggling centipedes.

Her hair was disheveled, with a few strands hanging behind her ears and others wet and sticky, covering half of her face. The exposed part of her face was smeared with black soot from the bottom of a pot.

Her eyes were fixed on the west wing, her mouth wide open enough to fit an egg, her eyes filled with fear, and her whole body trembling as if she was about to cry.

She was wearing a dirty apron, and her hands were still in the position of holding something. A wooden bucket had fallen at her feet, spilling its contents all over the ground, and the air was instantly filled with a nauseating stench.

Yang Ruoqing immediately recognized the disheveled woman standing in the slop water, who was none other than her mother-in-law, Jin Shi.

"Big Sister, don't be afraid. Qing'er isn't a ghost; she's still alive! Look, she has a shadow!"

Sun Shi quickly realized what had happened and loudly explained to Jin Shi, knowing that it must have been a misunderstanding spread by Qing'er's grandmother.

Sun Shi's explanation did not bring Jin Shi out of her daze, but it did rouse Tan Shi, who was napping in the east wing.

Tan Shi glanced out of the window and saw that Sun Shi was indeed supporting Yang Ruoqing, standing by the wall of the west wing. Irritated, she said, "Even if she's not dead, she's just living in pain. What's there to be happy about?"

Sun Shi lowered her head, not daring to speak up, and whispered to Yang Ruoqing, "Qing'er, standing must be tiring. Let me help you sit down!"

Yang Ruoqing glanced at the small stool by the wall, wondering if it could support her weight.

As soon as this thought crossed her mind, Sun Shi pressed her shoulder and guided her to the stool. Just as Sun Shi was about to let go, the small stool made a creaking sound under Yang Ruoqing's weight, and the bricks supporting it collapsed.

The stool tilted to one side, and it looked like Yang Ruoqing was about to fall. Sun Shi was startled and reached out to grab her.

However, Yang Ruoqing quickly supported herself with her hands on the ground and stood up. The stool rolled a few times before coming to a stop.

"Qing'er, are you okay? How's your wrist? Let me see..."

Yang Ruoqing wanted to say she was fine to reassure Sun Shi, but with two other pairs of eyes watching, she pouted and acted like a frightened child, snuggling into Sun Shi's arms as if seeking comfort, while avoiding Tan Shi's gaze.

She secretly patted Sun Shi's back and winked.

Sun Shi was momentarily stunned but then remembered what her daughter had told her, and she felt relieved.

Meanwhile, Tan Shi, who had been watching from the east wing, scowled and coldly remarked, "With all that fat on her, what could happen if she fell? Look at you, making such a fuss. Can't a person even take a nap in peace?"

Sun Shi lowered her head, said nothing, and found a brick to prop up the stool. She then helped Yang Ruoqing sit under the eaves and picked up two empty bowls, heading back to the kitchen.

The kitchen was where the clumsy Big Sister usually worked, doing menial tasks like washing clothes and dishes. Qing'er's grandmother had already instructed that the Big Sister should not touch anything delicate. Sun Shi was in a hurry to get back to the kitchen to check on the dishes.

In the east wing, Tan Shi glared at Yang Ruoqing, who was sitting on the ground and smiling foolishly at her. Just as she was about to turn away, she sniffed the air.

Her sparse eyebrows furrowed. "How can it be so stinky?"

Realizing something was wrong, Tan Shi put on a coat and hurried out of the east wing. She immediately saw Jin Shi at the kitchen door and the slop water spilled on the ground.

Tan Shi's face darkened, and she clenched her teeth, grabbing a broom and marching over to Jin Shi.

Seeing Tan Shi's angry approach and the familiar broom in her hand, Jin Shi's soot-covered face turned pale.

Yang Ruoqing thought Jin Shi would run, but instead, she just trembled, rooted to the spot. She watched as Tan Shi struck her with the broom, covering her head and crying out in pain.

As she beat Jin Shi, Tan Shi scolded, "You clumsy, stupid woman! You can't even pour slop water without making a mess! The whole courtyard stinks! If it weren't for the four sons you bore for the Yang family, I would have had the eldest divorce you long ago, you useless thing!"

After a few strikes, Tan Shi's arm grew tired, and she stopped, dropping the broom and storming back to the east wing.

Jin Shi, tears streaming down her face, had several red marks on her exposed arms, some even bleeding. Despite this, she did not dare cry out loud and hurriedly picked up the fallen bucket.

Yang Ruoqing was stunned by the scene. This old lady was truly formidable.

Speaking of the relationship between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law in ancient times, it was truly terrifying. No wonder they say a daughter-in-law becomes a mother-in-law, but why do women always make things difficult for other women?

Yang Ruoqing couldn't figure it out. Just as she was about to look away, she felt an odd gaze on her.

Catching Tan Shi's suspicious look from the corner of her eye, Yang Ruoqing stuffed the hand that had been digging in the dirt into her mouth, looked up, and gave a few ingratiating laughs. A strand of saliva dripped from her mouth, glistening in the afternoon sun.

Tan Shi's brows furrowed, and she glared at Yang Ruoqing before turning and slamming the door to the east wing.

The warm sun made her feel drowsy. The wall of the west wing was sheltered from the wind, and it would be much more comfortable to take a nap here than on the damp bed inside.