"Ah…!" Su Cuixia, suddenly attacked, screamed in pain. She lay on the ground, clutching her head and curled into a ball.
Everyone in the hall was startled by the sudden scream. What was happening again?
They all turned to look. It turned out to be Old Madam Chen causing trouble again. Had she eaten her fill and regained her strength, only to start her mischief again?
Old Madam Chen looked with disgust at Su Cuixia, who was writhing on the ground and crying. She thought to herself, she couldn't deal with that little bastard Su Muqing, but surely she could deal with her own granddaughter? She flicked a lock of hair torn from Su Cuixia's head from her hand. Then she picked up a stick as thick as a thumb and beat Su Cuixia fiercely, cursing viciously, "All you girls are useless. If you don't have the luck to pick up silver like her, you dare to waste my things like this! You jinx! You can't do anything right all day, you just know how to eat. The fortune of our Old Su family was ruined by you, you little slut! What good are you, a disaster like this? It's better to exchange you for grain, so your brothers can have more to eat!"
The onlookers watched the spectacle. Beating children in the countryside was nothing unusual. It was just that Old Madam Chen was so shamelessly brazen that it left people speechless.
The greatest fortune of their Old Su family wasn't it just her good son, Su Mingyuan? It was clearly ruined by her own doing, and now she blamed a teenage girl.
Seeing how ruthlessly she beat her, hitting her with every blow, despite her age, her mouth was malicious and her hands were vicious. She caused trouble in all sorts of ways every day! Even outsiders found her utterly annoying.
Su Cuiling watched her sister being beaten badly, but she didn't step forward to plead for her. She hadn't done anything right recently and was afraid her grandmother might sell her off.
Su Cuixia cried helplessly on the ground, begging for mercy, calling for her mother to save her. But her mother stood by, watching timidly, not daring to utter a word.
Because she had never given birth to a son, Su Cuixia's mother had also been beaten since she was young. She lived under the脸色 of Old Madam Chen and her son in the Old Su family. Usually, even if she was bullied, she didn't dare to resist. She would only hide when anything happened.
Her father was even less reliable. He listened to Old Madam Chen in everything and only flattered her. If he didn't join in the beating, it was already a great blessing.
At this moment, even Su Cuixia's own mother allowed her to be beaten so cruelly. Those aunts from other branches of the family were even less likely to step forward to help.
Everyone in the hall thought to themselves, Old Madam Chen was truly heartless and venomous! No matter what, Su Cuixia was her own granddaughter! A few reprimands would have been enough if she had made a mistake. Why would she use a stick to hit her face? She had already broken the skin and drawn blood.
Several times, she almost hit her eyes. Fortunately, Su Cuixia dodged. Otherwise, she would surely have been blinded!
Lin Rongrong looked at Su Cuixia, who was screaming and rolling around as she was being beaten. Recalling her own experience of being disciplined by Qian Shi, her face turned pale, and her body couldn't help but tremble.
Su Muqing frowned. Although Su Cuixia was annoying with her mouth, she was, after all, just a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl. Seeing her beaten so badly, Su Muqing felt a little reluctant in her heart.
Perhaps it was Old Madam Chen's fierce appearance, or perhaps Su Cuixia's cries were too piercing. Some of the younger children in the hall were greatly frightened by the commotion.
Third Grandma's grandson, Er Bao, started wailing loudly. Little Milk Pao heard it, pouted, and then started crying too. The other children, hearing someone take the lead, immediately joined in, one after another.
Now there were screams, pleas for mercy, cries, curses, with different voices, different tones, and different emotional fluctuations. The entire hall was an ear-piercing symphony!
Su Muqing soothed the incessantly crying Little Milk Pao and asked Su Cuiping to call Wang Shi over. "Big Aunt, the person is her own family. How she beats or abuses her is her own business. But I think that even in a disaster year, there is still government administration. Now she is beating people so casually in front of everyone. What if she really beats her to death? If it gets out later, won't it have a bad impact on our village?"
After Su Muqing finished speaking, seeing everyone lost in thought, she changed her approach and pointed to the children crying incessantly in the hall. "Moreover, look at how frightened she has made these children! What if they are so scared that they have nightmares? This can leave a lifelong psychological scar. Everyone still needs to travel later, and if the children keep crying, I'm afraid the journey will be restless."
Having said all this, everyone still only pondered without speaking. Su Muqing had to pull out the big guns. She said loudly to Old Madam Chen and everyone, "Moreover, if she really beats Su Cuixia to death in front of all of us today, and later, when we have settled down, if some malicious person spreads this news, then we will be suspected of knowingly failing to report it! This is punishable by the cane and imprisonment. I don't want to go to the yamen for such a wicked person. How about this? Once we are settled, I will directly go to the yamen and accuse her of intentional homicide. At that time, I will say that we are all witnesses, and we will bear no responsibility. But Old Madam Chen committed the crime of murder, and execution is inevitable. What do you think?"
Wang Shi and the people around were all stunned when they heard Su Muqing's question! Was it really like that? Even if you didn't meddle in someone's family affairs, you would be beaten by the government and go to jail?
In fact, everyone really didn't want to get involved in such matters. It was her own granddaughter in the Old Su family anyway. But now, thinking carefully about Su Muqing's words, what if it was true? And looking at the children around who were clearly frightened by Old Madam Chen…
Old Madam Chen was truly frightened by Su Muqing. She quickly dropped the stick in her hand, but she refused to admit defeat verbally, "You, you dare! I'm beating my own granddaughter, what business is it of yours? You dare to go to the yamen and report me? I'll report you instead. You unfilial..."
Su Muqing looked at the space and saw Old Madam Chen's fear level rise directly to 65%. She turned to her and smiled, then said nonchalantly, "Don't believe what I said? Then you can try beating her to death! Maybe you really won't have to go to jail. Because as soon as you step into the yamen, they will beat you with their "killing prestige" boards as a murderer. If you confess, you will be dragged out and executed. If you refuse to confess, they have plenty of methods to deal with you. First, they will use long, thin needles to poke into your fingernails. Your fingers are connected to your heart! When you are in excruciating pain, they will pull out your fingernails one by one. Then they will use clamps to break your tendons and sinews in your hands and feet. Finally, they will use a whip full of barbs to lash you severely, and then sprinkle salt on your wounds to preserve them. Also, once they start, even if you want to confess midway, they will have to complete the entire set of torture. I'm also very curious how long someone your age can endure it. So, you really don't need to care about what I said just now. Hurry up and beat her to death!"
After speaking, Su Muqing even pinched her chin and looked at Old Madam Chen, as if she were really studying her endurance.