Jiang Tang poured the remaining white flour into a basin, added water and a pinch of alkaline, and set to work making steamed buns. She then measured out four large, heaping bowls of rice from the storage jar.
Sausages, cured meat, dried fish—as long as it was edible and in her sight, it could not escape her clutches.
When the buns were ready, Jiang Tang cut one open with a knife, stuffed it full of meat, and handed it to Dongdong. "Eat up, quickly."
Jiang Tang knew that as long as she was cooking, no one would dare come into the kitchen. They would only emerge to sit at the table once the food was served.
"Mom, you eat first," Dongdong said, motioning for her to take a bite. Jiang Tang took a small nibble and smiled. "Once you're finished, Mom will eat."
"Dongdong, no matter what happens in a moment, you must stay by Mom’s side, understand?"
She looked at the fragrant meal and knew someone’s heart was surely about to bleed.
"Okay," Dongdong replied.
As expected, when Mother Shen saw the table full of food, a rush of blood surged straight to her head. If not for her injured leg, she would have beaten Jiang Tang to death right then and there. Seeing all that meat and produce, her face grew long with fury.
"Are you trying to kill me? I told you to cook, and look at what you’ve done! Heavens, this is such a waste of food! Who told you to cook like this?"
She slammed her hand against the table repeatedly, not even noticing when it turned red. Looking at all that food, her heart ached so intensely she didn't care about the pain in her hand. These supplies were things she had saved bit by bit; they were supposed to last a long time! Even during holidays, she would never have prepared such a feast.
Wang Cuihua gloated, "Mother, I think the sister-in-law just wanted to have a good meal herself. I noticed earlier that the white flour in the kitchen was all gone."
This statement was like a bolt of lightning. Mother Shen gasped, "All of it?"
Wang Cuihua added, "Yes. And not just the flour—half the white rice is gone, too."
Ignoring the doctor’s orders to rest properly, Mother Shen grabbed her crutch and limped toward the kitchen.
God damn it!
The flour was gone, the rice was gone, and even the oil had been used up! This was all money.
"You money-wasting wretch!" Mother Shen’s voice rose, becoming shrill and grating. Her face flushed a deep red, and as she moved, she didn't look like a woman with an injured leg at all. "You’ve squandered all the food I worked so hard to save!"
Fury had clouded Mother Shen’s mind. She only knew that such a vast amount of food equaled money. It was meant for her precious grandson. How dared a cheap woman like her touch it!
Jiang Tang shrank back slightly. "Mother, I saw that your leg was injured, so I wanted to make you a good meal to help you recover..."
*Bang.* Mother Shen swung her crutch directly at Jiang Tang’s face. Jiang Tang dodged with quick reflexes. "Mother, it’s just a meal. Is there any need to be this angry?"
Seeing that she showed no remorse, Mother Shen was speechless with rage. Her fists clenched tightly, and her breathing grew labored. She had to beat her today. A person like this was nothing but a plague.
*Bang.*
As Jiang Tang dodged, she continued to say things that only fueled Mother Shen’s fury.
The next moment: *Crash!*
The table tilted, and the bowls and plates smashed onto the floor. The delicious food, soaked in oil and fat, fell to the ground, coated in dirt.
The room fell silent, save for the sound of Mother Shen’s heavy, ragged breathing. It was truly over now.
"You..." Mother Shen’s eyes widened, shot through with red veins. "You bitch, you did this on purpose."
Once could be an accident, but this? Mother Shen suddenly understood everything. Jiang Tang had done it intentionally. Fine, she was trying to turn the world upside down.
"You damn woman, don't think I don't know what you're up to. I’m telling you, as long as I’m alive, you will kneel in this house."
Wang Cuihua felt a pang of heartache looking at the food on the floor—there had been so much meat! But as she looked at Jiang Tang’s beautiful face, she began to anticipate the miserable life Jiang Tang would have from now on. If she wanted to court death, she would watch from the sidelines.
"Sister-in-law, even if you have a grudge, you shouldn't waste food like this," she said, looking at Jiang Tang with disapproval.
Jiang Tang kept repeating the same few phrases.
"I am going to beat you to death today!" Mother Shen no longer wanted to hear a single word from Jiang Tang.
The front door swung open, and Jiang Tang ran out, her hair disheveled and her escape frantic. In theory, Mother Shen’s speed shouldn't have been able to keep up with her, yet the two remained only half a body’s distance apart.
Mother Shen’s rage burned, her eyes fixed solely on Jiang Tang’s retreating back. Thinking of her injured leg and the wasted meal, she found a burst of renewed strength. Her crutch struck Jiang Tang’s back, and a terrifying light flickered in Mother Shen’s eyes. "Little bitch, let’s see where you can run now."
Suddenly, Jiang Tang collapsed to the ground, tears streaking her face. "Mother, I know I was wrong. Please, stop hitting me."
Mother Shen loathed this act; she didn't know who it was meant for, but she suspected this was the exact look she’d used to bewitch her son. "You know you’re wrong? I think you’re trying to trample all over my dignity. I am going to teach you a lesson today!"
"Mother Shen, what are you doing?" Liu Jinfeng had heard the commotion at the Shen house while she was eating. Arguments weren't rare in the village; when a family lived together, there were bound to be bumps. But when she walked out and saw Mother Shen wielding such a large stick to hit someone, she worried for Jiang Tang, whose frame was so small—could she withstand it?
Liu Jinfeng had a loud voice, and soon the neighbors emerged.
"If there’s an issue, talk it out. Why are you hitting someone?"
"That’s right! Your daughter-in-law is such a good person. Is it really necessary to beat her like this?"
"Your daughter-in-law is so good to you; how can you bring yourself to do this?"
When Jiang Tang caught Mother Shen’s eye, she trembled, appearing terrified. Most people in the village were simple folk; they might argue, but they rarely resorted to physical violence, let alone a large club like that. That was life-threatening. The other women in the village who were also daughters-in-law felt a deep sense of empathy. If they had to deal with a mother-in-law this vicious, they didn't know how they would survive.
The more the onlookers defended Jiang Tang, the worse Mother Shen felt. "This is my family business; it’s not for you outsiders to interfere with!" They didn't know a damn thing.
"Stop acting," Mother Shen hissed, grabbing Jiang Tang’s clothes with violent force. A red mark on Jiang Tang’s arm became visible, clearly a result of the beating.
"Grandma, please don't hit Mom, I beg you," Dongdong cried, hugging Jiang Tang and pleading bitterly. His small body shielded her.
As Dongdong moved, his already short clothes rode up even further, revealing his thin, spindly arms. Both mother and child were dressed in patched rags, while everyone else in the Shen family wore fine clothing. It was clear their life in the Shen family was anything but easy.
The neighbors could no longer hold back.
"Mother Shen, even if this is family business, you are all part of our Qingshui Village, and we don't have a tradition of beating people here."
"Exactly! You can't treat her like that, even if she is your daughter-in-law."
Mother Shen snapped, "Fine! You lot, get back to your own homes!"
*Once I close this door,* she thought, *I’ll have plenty of chances to torture her properly.*