Feng Yun sat back down in her chair with a steady thud, casting a sideways glance at Hu Guangjin. In an indifferent tone, she asked, "You're going to hit your eldest sister?"
Hu Guangjin scrambled up in a flash, though he didn't dare get close to Feng Yun again. Cowering a meter away from her, he still muttered defiantly:
"Mom, it's Big Sister who refuses to help me, who refuses to think of our Hu Family! College students nowadays are guaranteed job placements. Once I get into college, it'll be smoke rising from the ancestral graves of the Hu Family, a huge blessing! For Big Sister to refuse this favor means she doesn't take the Hu Family seriously, and she doesn't take Mom and Dad seriously! I'm just furious that Mom raised an ungrateful wretch!"
Hu Chunhua shook her head anxiously, tears swirling in her eyes.
"No, Fourth Brother, I went and asked around. That Li Tiezhu beats his wives. His first two wives were both beaten to death by him, and his reputation has been rotten for a long time. If I marry over there, I'm bound to be beaten to death too. Fourth Brother, you must have been fooled!"
Looking at her eldest daughter's tear-stained face, Feng Yun felt a sharp pang of heartache.
Because she was the eldest in the family, Chunhua had helped with the chores and raised her younger brothers and sisters since she was little, obeying everyone so obediently it broke your heart.
In her past life, worn down by Hu Guangjin's endless tantrums and wanting to avoid fighting with Hu Jianguo every day, she had helplessly compromised.
Crying, Chunhua married Li Tiezhu. As a result, she was beaten every couple of days, yet she kept it hidden and endured it, terrified that her family would worry.
Until she was beaten to death while pregnant, taking two lives in one go.
She would never forget the bruised and battered state of Chunhua when she died—there was hardly a single patch of good skin left on her body.
Just how desperate must she have been back then?
The more she thought about it, the more hatred surged within her. She clenched her fists so tightly that her fingernails dug deep into her flesh, yet she felt no pain.
"Fourth Brother, have you asked around about what your eldest sister just said?" Feng Yun asked coldly.
Hu Guangjin's eyes darted about, not daring to meet Feng Yun's gaze.
"Mom, there's no such thing at all! Big Sister must have been hoodwinked by someone else. The Li Family's conditions are so good, someone must be jealous and trying to steal this match!"
His guilty conscience made Feng Yun's anger flare up.
He knew—he knew all along! Yet he was still dead set on pushing Chunhua into a fire pit. Just when had he become so cold-blooded and ruthless?
You little bastard!
"You're right," Feng Yun said slowly.
The light in Hu Chunhua's eyes instantly went out. Lowering her head, her tears pattered down.
A brilliant smile bloomed across Hu Guangjin's face. He had known Mom loved him best; for the sake of his future, she would do anything.
"Mom, then you agree? I'm going to go tell the Li Family right now!" Impatiently, he turned and made to dash outside.
"Stop right there!" Feng Yun barked coldly, slamming her teacup down onto the floor with a loud *crack* as shards flew in all directions.
The people in the room all jumped in fright.
Hu Jianguo stared at the shattered teapot and teacup, his heart convulsing with heartache.
She was crazy, truly crazy! Those teapot and teacups had all been bought with real money!
He opened his mouth, just about to speak, when he suddenly recalled the sting and pain of the slap he'd just received. He immediately swallowed his words right back down and planted his backside back onto the chair.
The old woman was not to be messed with right now; he'd better wait until her anger blew over before trying to salvage his dignity.
Hu Guangjin swallowed hard, his heart beating a frantic drum. What was wrong with his Mom? Wasn't she just fine a moment ago?
"Mom?" he ventured tentatively.
Feng Yun let out a cold laugh. "Fourth Brother, since you say the Li Family is such a good match, how about this—how would you like me to marry you off to them instead? Their conditions are good; once you marry over there, not only can you continue your studies, but you'll also live a life of ease.
As for not being able to have children, that's no big deal either. When the time comes, I'll have your Fifth and Sixth younger brothers have a couple more kids and you can just adopt one over.
Once Li Tiezhu is gone, our Hu Family can even inherit the Li Family's estate! How perfect is that? What do you think?"
The people in the room stared at Feng Yun in utter shock. Hu Guangjin, in particular, looked as though he had been struck by lightning, unable to process what he was hearing for a long time.
"Mom, have you lost your mind?!" he blurted out. "How could I possibly marry Li Tiezhu?"
With a loud *clatter*, Feng Yun sprang to her feet and lashed out with a vicious slap. "You unfilial wretch, who did you say lost their mind?"
Staggering backward from the blow, Hu Guangjin landed hard on his backside, almost splitting himself in two.
More painful still was his face. If she hit him anymore, his looks would be ruined!
If his looks were ruined, how could Xu Lijuan ever fancy him? That was the city girl he had his eyes on!
If his mother wasn't crazy, what was she?
"Mom! Why do you always hit me? What on earth is wrong with you today?!" Cupping his burning cheek, Hu Guangjin felt tears welling up in his eyes. It hurt—truly, agonizingly hurt, making him bare his teeth in pain.
Pointing right at his nose, Feng Yun cursed him to high heaven: "You still dare ask me why? Did you really not know that Li Tiezhu beats his wives? You knew! But you didn't give a damn about your eldest sister's life or death; you only cared about yourself!
Do you really want to study? You're just listening to Xu Lijuan's instigation and wanting to run off with her! Did you think I didn't see right through your little schemes?"
Hu Guangjin was completely dumbfounded by the scolding. His face burned with pain, yet his mouth refused to back down.
"Mom, fine, I *do* want to be with Lijuan, but she's doing it for my own good too! If I make something of myself through my studies, I'll get a job placement, maybe even get into a government department. Once I buy a house in Han City in the future, we'll be city people! What's wrong with wanting to amount to something in the future?
Li Tiezhu's first two wives were beaten to death, but that's just because those two bitches were useless! Big Sister is pretty and capable; once she marries over there, he won't even have time to spoil her, why would he beat her?
Besides, Big Sister is already twenty-one, she's an old maid already—what kind of good family could she still hope to find? Isn't Li Tiezhu more than a match for her? How am I not thinking of her? Big Sister is the selfish one for refusing to marry him!"
Before his voice had even faded, Feng Yun was so furious she kicked off her shoe, snatched it up, and went straight at Hu Guangjin with it.
"You still dare talk back? Have you forgotten that you grew up on your eldest sister's back? How much bitterness and exhaustion did your eldest sister endure for this family? And you ungrateful wretch, you dare turn things around and bite the hand that feeds you! Today I'm going to beat you to death, you beast in human skin! I'd be better off raising a dog than raising you!"
Seeing that Feng Yun meant business, Hu Guangjin leaped up on his tiptoes and scrambled behind Hu Jianguo for cover. Who would have thought that Hu Jianguo's facial muscles would twitch, his body reacting faster than his brain, shoving Hu Guangjin right back out.
Stumbling, Hu Guangjin lunged forward, his face landing squarely against the sole of Feng Yun's shoe.
*Slap!* The sound was exceptionally sharp.
Letting out an "Awooo," Hu Guangjin clutched his face and rolled around on the floor before scrambling up, tears in his eyes, and bolting out the door in a flash.
Hu Jianguo's eyelids twitched. Seeing that Feng Yun hadn't noticed him, he quickly scurried out as well.
Once everyone else had cleared out, Feng Yun walked over to the sobbing Hu Chunhua.
"Chunhua."
Taking a deep breath, Feng Yun pulled Hu Chunhua into a big hug.
"It's alright. With Mom here, Mom won't let you marry that scum Li Tiezhu."