Chapter Four: I Must Grind You Down

Hugging the quilt, Madam Liu went back into the house and spread Old Third’s quilt over Old Second.
“Second Brother, what’s happened to you? It’s only been one night, and you look as if you’ve aged years.”
Could it be that Sister-in-law was too fierce, and Second Brother couldn’t handle it, so he’s showing signs of kidney deficiency?
Chu Qingsong saw the schadenfreude in Old Third’s eyes and wished he could jump up right now and slap him.
“Don’t, don’t, don’t talk nonsense! Last night, that venomous woman hung me on a tree all night, nearly killed me!”
His tongue was still a bit numb, but after he took the warm water Madam Liu handed him and drank, he finally felt his tongue thaw.
“You don’t know how fierce that venomous woman is. As soon as I entered the room last night, she pinned me to the ground. If I hadn’t been quick-witted at the time, you’d probably already be looking at my corpse.”
Chu Qingbai looked at him with suspicion—still daylight, and he’s already telling tall tales!
With Gu Xiaoyao’s slight build, how could she pin down a grown man like him? Impossible.
“Second Brother, honestly, you really are wasting your talent not telling stories for a living.”
Anyone who’d seen Gu Xiaoyao’s physique wouldn’t believe she could lift a grown man.
Chu Qingbai didn’t believe it, but Madam Liu did! She’d seen Old Second tied up on the withered tree herself.
Last night, it had been her idea. With the eldest gone and the eldest daughter-in-law just sitting around, she’d told Old Second to go keep her company.
“Does your Second Brother ever talk big? I saw him hanging on the tree first thing this morning. Look how frozen he is—if I’d gotten up any later, he’d have frozen to death outside.”
“Who would have thought the woman we spent two taels of silver to marry would turn out to be a venomous shrew? It’s all my fault for being blind and picking such a woman.”
Having said this, Madam Liu glanced around the room, spotted the bamboo-tail broom in the corner, picked it up, and marched outside.
When Chu Qingbai heard his mother say the same, he began to believe it. He followed Madam Liu out, just in time to see the door to Gu Xiaoyao’s room open.
Gu Xiaoyao emerged, still preoccupied with her own thoughts. This morning, she’d discovered her supernatural abilities and her space had come with her.
But now, both her powers and space were at their most basic state. In the apocalypse, her survival power was plant-based; after hardship, she’d reached a high level, capable of killing and looting with ease.
Now, however, her plant abilities could only hasten the growth of a few wild weeds, leaving her with a huge sense of disappointment.
“You venomous woman! How dare you do such poisonous things to my son? Today, I’ll beat you into submission!”
Bamboo-tail broom in hand, Madam Liu charged over furiously, swinging it down at Gu Xiaoyao’s head.
But the anticipated blow was stopped by a slender hand. Gu Xiaoyao looked at Madam Liu with cold indifference and snapped the broom in two before her eyes.
She tossed the broken broom to the ground, making Madam Liu tremble three times and retreat three steps.
“Gu, how dare you lay hands on me! Are you insane? I am your mother-in-law! You unfaithful, unfilial creature! Old Third, come here, hold her down and beat her to death!”
Madam Liu’s view as mother-in-law was simple: whoever disobeyed, she’d beat until they obeyed.
With the eldest gone, she ruled the household. If the new daughter-in-law didn’t behave, she’d make her kneel to do chores and eat.