He scrambled to his feet and lunged forward, trying to pull his sister-in-law off.
She was sitting right on top of Li Youfeng’s waist, her belly pressed hard against the frozen ground. It was February, and the cold was biting. He was terrified that something might go wrong; the child in her womb was the root of the Lin family’s future, and his entire family relied on that hope for survival. If that line were broken, he dared not imagine how insane his parents would become.
"Sister-in-law, please, let’s talk this over. Can you get up first? I’ll apologize for her—just let go, please!"
"Help! Someone help me! She’s going to kill me!"
As he spoke, Lin Dequan pulled harder, desperate to pry her away. But a woman in a fit of rage is like a lioness; her fighting spirit was no less than that of a special forces soldier, and she was far too much for the frail Lin Dequan to handle.
As the two women grappled, Li Youfeng heard Lin Dequan’s attempt to apologize to Jiang Hongdou and immediately erupted in fury, screaming at him.
"Lin Dequan, are you sick? Is your head full of manure? I’m the one being beaten, and instead of defending me, you’re apologizing to her? 'Pah!' Does she even deserve it?"
Jiang Hongdou snapped back, "I don't deserve it? Who came to my doorstep acting all petty and twisted? Weren't you the one squawking like a chicken at my door? I wouldn't have hit you if you knew how to respect others. As your sister-in-law, I’m standing in for your parents to teach you a lesson."
With that, she shoved Lin Dequan aside, grabbed Li Youfeng by the hair to turn her head, and delivered three sharp slaps across her face.
"Ah... you bitch! I’m going to kill you! I’ll kill you!"
Li Youfeng thrashed about like a maggot, trying to shake Jiang Hongdou off. Because of the injury to her leg, she couldn't get a solid footing, but she soon spotted an opening and managed to pin Jiang Hongdou down.
*Smack! Smack! Smack!* Another few slaps followed.
She balled her fist, ready to smash it into Jiang Hongdou’s face, but was stopped by the arrival of her second brother and her eldest nephew. Lin Dequan, who had been knocked to the ground, ignored the stinging pain in his backside and scrambled up to hold Li Youfeng, trying to drag her away from the scene.
"Let go of me! Let go! I’m not leaving! I’m going to kill her! Kill her! Lin Dequan, are you even a man? She cursed you for not having a son, and you can just stand there and take it? Are you a coward? Let me go! I’m going to kill her!"
"Come on then! Hit me!" Jiang Hongdou shouted. "Let everyone see what kind of sister-in-law you are! Not only do you not help your sister-in-law up when she falls, but you can’t even keep your mouth clean—it’s full of nothing but filth. And look whose house this is! I’ll tell you, this isn’t your parents’ place, and you’re a married woman now. Get out! You aren't welcome here. Get out!"
"Why should I leave? This is my home! It’s my parents' house, my brother’s house! You’re just an outsider—what right do you have to act like the boss here? I’m telling you, I’ll come back whenever I please. What can you do about it? Apologize to me right now and pay me a hundred yuan, or I’ll have my brother divorce you, you shrew!"
The fury inside Jiang Hongdou reached her core; she felt as if her internal organs were ablaze, and she feared her head would explode if she didn't vent it.
"Ah!"
Like a fire-breathing Tyrannosaurus, she ignored the pain in her leg and let out a roar, charging forward. Her eldest daughter-in-law, Jiang Li, and her eldest son, Jianshe, were unable to hold her back.
Seeing Jiang Hongdou hurtling toward them like a cannonball, both of their faces paled. Lin Dequan stepped forward without hesitation, trying to block her path, but he had overestimated himself.
*THUD.*
A massive crash echoed through the air. The three of them collapsed into a pile, with Li Youfeng buried at the bottom, unmoving.
The deafening sound drew everyone else from the house. Shocked by the scene, they rushed in to help. Jianshe, Li Youcai, and Jiang Li hesitated for a moment before joining the effort.
Just as they managed to lift Jiang Hongdou and Lin Dequan, someone screamed, "She’s bleeding! She’s bleeding! There’s so much blood! Ah..."
Li Youfeng looked down at the blood gushing from her pant leg, her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed, unconscious.
"Oh no, Youfeng has fainted!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Dequan shoved through the crowd. He saw his wife lying in a pool of blood, the fabric of her pants stained dark. The world went black, and he nearly collapsed himself.
"Quick! Save her! Save her! She’s pregnant! Quickly!" Lin Dequan roared, his mind bordering on madness.
When Li Youcai heard his sister was pregnant, his heart skipped a beat, and his eyelid twitched uncontrollably. He knew his sister all too well; she would risk her own life to have a son. If she lost this child, he feared his eldest brother’s family would fall apart completely. He prayed silently: *Please, let her be okay. Nothing can happen to her.*
He moved swiftly, barking orders. "Hurry, everyone, lend a hand! Jianshe, go find a vehicle. Jiang Li, get a quilt and lay it down first so the ride won't be so jarring."
"On it!" Jiang Li replied.
"Understood!" Jianshe said.
The others helped support Jiang Hongdou, while everyone else rushed to assist. Jianshe returned with a tricycle. Jiang Li quickly padded the floor with the quilt, and they clumsily lifted Li Youfeng onto the vehicle.
Lin Dequan jumped on first, cradling his wife’s head in his lap, his face etched with agony. He couldn't bear to think of what would happen if he lost this son. He just wanted to reach the hospital as fast as possible—as long as they reached the hospital, there was hope. At that moment, he felt a crushing regret for letting Youfeng come back, and he shot a look of pure hatred toward his sister-in-law through the crowd.
Li Youcai climbed on right behind him. Li Jianshe took the driver’s seat, and they sped toward the hospital in a state of frantic desperation.
Meanwhile, Ke Xiaohong had circled around from the window and collided with her father-in-law, Li Youqing, who was just opening the door to step out.
"Father," Ke Xiaohong spoke first.
"What is it?" Li Youqing looked her up and down, his tone cold and indifferent.
She didn't speak for a long time. Li Youqing’s patience wore thin. "If you have something to say, speak up. I’m busy."
She had intended to confront him about the conspiracy between his eldest son and daughter-in-law, but she had no evidence. Besides, her husband was dead; her father-in-law would never offend his own children for the sake of an outsider, especially when he relied on his eldest son for his retirement. At that moment, she felt her resolve crumble. She dared not gamble with human nature. She was penniless and alone; she couldn't fight this family—not with money, not with influence. She had been too naive.
Just as Ke Xiaohong opened her mouth to speak, a commotion erupted at the entrance, followed by a frantic voice.
"Youqing! Why are you still standing there? Your wife and your sister got into a fight, and your sister has suffered a miscarriage! There’s blood everywhere—go look!"
The man who had arrived was a distant cousin.
"What?" Li Youqing’s face turned deathly pale, his heart sinking into the abyss.
Facing her father-in-law, a man who had served as a group leader for decades and carried an aura of authority, Ke Xiaohong felt profoundly uneasy.
*Should I say it? Should I not?*
Before she could decide, the authoritative, slightly impatient voice of her father-in-law sounded above her.
"Have you made up your mind? If not, come back when you have."
He shook his head and turned to leave.
"Father! Don't go!"
She realized she was trapped either way. Ke Xiaohong decided to take the gamble.
"Father, Jianshe is being buried today..."