The children were moved to tears at the sight. "Mother..."
Tang Youyou had no time to coddle them. Her gaze locked onto Old Man Bai and Mother Wang. These two hypocrites, with their human faces and beastly hearts, had been tormenting her eldest branch of the family ever since the original owner’s husband had died.
The original owner had been a pushover, a real wallflower. When she married Bai Hansong, she hadn’t even asked for a single copper in betrothal gifts, and she had long since cut ties with her maiden family. Stubborn to a fault, she had eventually hardened her heart three years ago when she saw her children growing up. She had left the family with nothing but the clothes on their backs to live on their own. Last year, she had married off her eldest daughter, Bai Ying, for five taels of silver, and it was only this year that she had managed to find a bride for her eldest son.
This morning, Mother Wang had summoned her to the old house, claiming she wanted to give her some buckwheat flour to help nourish the new daughter-in-law. Tang Youyou never expected that they would conspire with the second and third branches to beat the original owner to death. She had to settle this score.
Mother Wang, seeing the malice in her eyes, pointed a trembling finger at her. "You disrespectful wretch! How dare you strike us? You must have eaten a leopard's heart and gallbladder to have such nerve!"
Tang Youyou arched a brow. "A leopard's heart? Today, I’ll show you the power of a bear's claw!"
What a joke. In her past life, she had been a sixth-degree black belt in taekwondo. If she didn't beat them until they couldn't find their own teeth, she would spell her name backward. She kicked out at Mother Wang. "Thud!" Mother Wang slammed into the wall and lost consciousness.
The children and Old Man Bai stared in shock, their eyes bulging as if they had seen a ghost.
Tang Youyou strode over and grabbed Mother Wang by the collar. "Tsk, tsk. Pretending to faint at your age? You like fainting, do you? Then I’ll make sure you get your fill!"
"Smack! Smack! Smack!" She landed slap after slap, over and over again, until Mother Wang woke up only to pass out once more.
She shoved Mother Wang to the ground. "Shh... be quiet. I'm afraid I might not be able to stop myself from snapping your neck!"
Mother Wang covered her mouth, whimpering softly, huddled in the corner, not daring to utter a word.
Tang Youyou nodded with satisfaction, then turned her gaze to Old Man Bai. The old man shuddered, a thought flashing through his mind. "What kind of demon are you? Leave my daughter-in-law’s body at once!" He could not believe the person before him was his spineless daughter-in-law; it had to be the work of a fiend.
He looked at his four grandsons. "Watch her! Don't let this demon escape! I’m going to get help!" He turned to bolt.
Tang Youyou shouted, "Huzi, stop him!"
The old bastard wanted to run? Bai Hu instinctively obeyed his mother and blocked the path.
Old Man Bai roared, "You blind fool! Can't you see this isn't your mother?" How could someone already dead suddenly come back to life? And to act so strangely, with such practiced martial arts moves—it defied all logic.
Tang Youyou caught up to him, grabbed his collar, and yanked him backward. With a sharp "rip," she tore a piece of his clothing.
"What... what are you doing?" Old Man Bai was terrified.
"What am I doing? My father-in-law, along with my brothers-in-law, wanted to kill me. Is it so wrong for me to collect a little interest?"
With that, she let loose a barrage of slaps. "Smack! Smack! Smack!"
A moment later, exhausted, she slumped to the floor. Old Man Bai clutched his swollen, reddened cheeks, his eyes burning with rage. "You... you beat your parents-in-law! I will divorce you on my son's behalf!"
Tang Youyou scoffed. "Divorce me? Be my guest. Let me tell you, this isn't over. You'd better watch your backs."
She needed to rest; this broken body was incredibly weak, and the beatings had drained every ounce of her strength. She beckoned to them, "Huzi, help your wife home."
The other children hurried over to support her, and the six of them left in a huff.
Outside the courtyard, the villagers who had been watching the spectacle were whispering.
"Good heavens, why did Huzi’s wife faint?"
"Didn't they say Tang was dead? How is she still standing?"
"Wait! Those men who ran out earlier... weren't they from Member Liu's estate?"
"Hush... I heard Member Liu’s son died yesterday. They're looking for a spirit marriage!"
Someone gasped, slapping their thigh. "I knew it! That’s why Mother Wang looked like she was going to split her face in two with that grin this morning. Don't tell me they were trying to send Tang off for a spirit marriage? This... this is..." The villager couldn't even finish the sentence; Mother Wang was truly vicious.
"Don't spout nonsense. Spirit marriages are for young, unmarried girls. How could they ever settle for a woman who has already been married and borne children?"
"Exactly. Besides, even if she is a widow, she’s still part of the Bai family. How could they?"
Another countered, "Why couldn't they? Wealthy families care most about birth dates. Maybe her birth date was the perfect match!"
"It’s true. Tang was always a fool, working herself to the bone for the Bai family. What a pity..."
"Have you all forgotten? A spirit marriage requires a dead person!"
The Village Chief frowned. "Enough. Everyone, disperse."
The crowd scattered. Inside the kitchen, the hidden group finally opened the door.
"Master, you say this... this..." Tang Youyou had stopped breathing right in front of them. How could she be alive? It was unfathomable.
The second son, Bai Hanrong, narrowed his eyes and glared at his wife, Lady Zhou. "What are you afraid of? We didn't do anything!"
They hadn't, really—he had only locked the door once Tang entered.
"Ah! You bitch... I'll kill her!" A shrill scream came from the room. Old Man Bai stumbled out, bruised and swollen, and picked up a thin rod to strike a seven- or eight-year-old girl.
"Tell me... was it you who let those brats in?"
The girl huddled against the wall, wailing but not daring to run. "Grandfather, I was wrong, please don't hit me, please... boohoo..."
"I'll beat you to death, you traitorous little wretch!" The rest of the Bai family stood by, watching the show, with no one stepping in to intervene.
Meanwhile, Tang Youyou was helped back to her home. Resting on a dilapidated bed, she looked at her four sons, and her headache worsened.
The eldest, Bai Hu, was fifteen, though he barely looked fourteen, his body nothing but skin and bones. The second, Bai Shi, twelve, had blackened hands that were hard to look at. The third, Bai Xiong, ten, gazed up at her with round, dark eyes. The youngest, Bai Mao, six, stood straight and smiled, looking quite childish.
Tang Youyou sighed. What was this? Bai Ying, Bai Hu, Bai Shi, Bai Xiong, Bai Mao. Who the hell came up with these names? Was this a zoo?
The children were barefoot, wearing coarse, patched hemp clothing that left their ankles exposed. They were all sallow and emaciated, clear signs of malnutrition. Her gaze fell on the leaky thatched roof, and a sudden wave of sorrow washed over her. What kind of sin had she committed in her past life? Heavens, why didn't you just strike me down with lightning!
"Rumble!" A midsummer thunderstorm arrived without warning.
A raindrop landed on the tip of Tang Youyou’s nose. She cursed inwardly. Thank goodness it was summer; if it were winter, she’d be frozen to death all over again.
The four children hurried to help her up, moving her to Bai Hu's room—the only one that didn't leak. The cottage was a ruin, drafty and cramped, containing only a bedroom and a common room that served as a dining area and storage space. To secure a bride for the eldest son, the original owner had specially built this one room, the only one that kept the wind out.
Bai Hu scratched his head. "I'm sorry you have to settle for this tonight, Mother."
Tang Youyou looked at the honest boy, then at the daughter-in-law lying on the bed. "How is Huahua?"
Bai Hu shook his head. "I just went to ask Old Man Han, but he said our family is too poor, so he won't see her!"
Tang Youyou sighed. They were indeed the poorest family in the village. "Go to the ash pit in the kitchen. There’s a small box. Take it to the Village Chief’s house and trade it for some grain."
Bai Hu was overjoyed. "Mother, we still have silver?"
Tang Youyou glared at him. "What are you standing there for? Go! Who knows how long this rain will last!"
"Mother, we have nothing left. I'm going to the back mountain to dig for wild herbs."
"I'm going too..."
The four sons headed for the door. Tang Youyou shouted, "Stay here! The rain is too heavy, it's too dangerous..."
As her eyes drifted toward a small bamboo basket, a mechanical voice suddenly rang out in her mind:
[Ding! Natural Stellaria media discovered!]