Chapter 1: The Aunt Beats the Twin Sisters

Chapter 1: The Aunt Beats the Twin Sisters

In the early morning, the first ray of sunlight came through the cracks in the wooden window, and the dim room was filled with the rustling sound of people getting dressed. Not long after, the door creaked open, and the old lady of the Qin family, Liu, walked out. Liu, with her inverted triangular eyes drooping, walked into the yard and spat out a mouthful of thick phlegm, then put her hands on her waist and began to shout with full energy: "Where are the people? Where did they die?" The second daughter-in-law, Shen, who was in the kitchen, ran out in a panic and said to Liu timidly: "Mom, you're up. I've already cooked breakfast. Erzhu has gone to the fields, and Xiaozhen and Xiaozhi have gone to the foot of the mountain to collect grass for pigs. Mom, I'll get you a basin of water, so you can have breakfast after washing your face."

Liu rolled her eyes at Shen and cursed, "You are a chicken that doesn't lay eggs, but you gave birth to two money-losing things, eating for free. What are you still standing there for? Go out and get some water."

Shen was so frightened that she quickly responded, fetched some water, and helped Liu wash her face. She then quickly brought out a pot of cooked wild vegetable porridge from the kitchen, and a small dish of pickled vegetables, and scooped out a bowl of slightly thicker porridge from the thin porridge that was so thin that you could see your reflection in it and handed it to Liu.

At this time, Old Man Qin and Qin's second son Qin Erzhu came back from the field carrying hoes. Shen quickly served porridge to Old Man Qin and her husband Qin Erzhu. Old Man Qin was a thin old man who had been tending to crops all his life. He loved his pipe all his life and didn't like to talk. Qin Erzhu was a typical mountain man, with a burly figure, diligent, honest, and he couldn't even fart even if he was hit with a stick. Qin Erzhu took the porridge from Shen's hand and started to drink it. He followed his father to the fields before dawn and was already starving.

Before the meal was over, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Qin family, Mei, came to the table with her two children. The son Qin Hu was the eldest grandson of the Qin family. He was thirteen years old and was the treasure of Liu. He was spoiled to the point of being lawless all day long, ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth, and stealing chickens and dogs in the village. The daughter Qin Lian was eleven years old, a few months older than the twin sisters Qin Zhen and Qin Zhi from the second room. Qin Lian was also raised in a pampered way. It is said that during the flood that year, a monk who fled claimed to be a Taoist monk. Because Shen secretly gave him a bowl of porridge, the monk told the Qin family that there would be a daughter with great fortune and great blessings in the future. When the eldest daughter-in-law Mei heard this, she made a big fuss about her daughter Qin Lian, who was the noble lady in the monk's mouth. She would marry into a rich family in the future and bring honor to the family. Liu also acquiesced, so over the years, Qin Lian, a peasant girl, was raised in the boudoir like a rich girl, and did nothing. Of course, a rich family's daughter has to learn music, chess, calligraphy and painting, but the Qin family does not have the conditions for this, and at most they can let Qin Lian learn needlework.

Mei saw that everyone had started to eat, so she called Shen: "Second sister-in-law, hurry up and serve rice to Huzi and Lian'er." Shen quickly served a bowl of porridge to Qin Hu and Qin Lian. Mei looked at the porridge and was unhappy. "Oh, second sister-in-law, what are you thinking? Huzi and Lian'er are growing up, and you give them such watery porridge. Do you want to starve them to death? How can you be so cruel?"

Shen was frightened by Mei's aggressive reproach and was at a loss for words. She stammered, "Sister-in-law, it's not like that. There's only this porridge here. Xiaozhen and Xiaozhi are still picking grass for the pigs and haven't come back yet. They haven't eaten yet." Shen's voice became smaller and smaller.

Mei snorted coldly and said, "How can those two money-losing guys compare with my Hu Zi and Lian Er?" Mei didn't care about that. She scooped the thin porridge in the basin and put the thick part into her two children's bowls. She poured the rest into her own bowl and asked her two children to eat, not caring whether others ate it or not.

Shen had been busy all morning and hadn't eaten a single grain of rice, not even breakfast for her two daughters who were busy outside. Qin Erzhu was anxious and looked at Liu. In the end, he said nothing. He lowered his head and pushed the remaining half bowl of porridge in front of Shen. "Mother, I'm full. You've been busy all morning. Drink this half bowl of porridge."

Before Qin Erzhu finished speaking, Liu slammed the table angrily. "Erzhu, she is just a freeloader. She even thinks about the meals of men who work hard. A chicken that doesn't lay eggs won't starve to death if it doesn't eat a meal. Just eat by yourself." Without saying anything, Liu pushed the half bowl of porridge in front of Shen to Qin Erzhu. Qin Erzhu didn't dare to refute his mother, so he had to finish the half bowl of porridge himself.

Mei looked at this scene with a smug smile on her face. The more Shen was bullied, the happier she felt.

At this time, Qin Zhen and Qin Zhi came back from collecting pig grass. They found that there was no breakfast. Qin Zhen was so hungry that she was dizzy. She bravely said to Liu: "Grandma, Xiao Zhi and I haven't had breakfast yet. Can we cook some porridge?"

Liu rolled her eyes at Qin Zhen and slammed the table, saying, "You think I'm the landlord? You two are money losers. You run around everywhere at mealtime. You deserve to have no food. You have to eat the same white rice as your mother."

Qin Zhi retorted angrily: "Grandma, my sister and I went to collect grass for the pigs and missed the meal. My eldest cousin and his sister don't have to do any work at home and they all have food to eat. They are the ones who are eating for free."

Mei stood up with a puff, rushed over, and before Qin Zhi could react, she slapped him hard in the face.

"You little bitch, how can you compare with Huzi and Lian'er? You deserve to serve them tiredly, and you dare to talk back to your grandma, I'll teach you a lesson," and then he slapped Qin Zhi in the face again, and Qin Zhi's eyes were full of stars.

Shen was so scared that she started crying and rushed over to hug Qin Zhi, "Sister-in-law, stop hitting her. Xiaozhi was wrong. I apologize on her behalf." Qin Erzhu was also anxious, but his sister-in-law was a woman, so he couldn't run over.

Qin Zhen cried and ran over to protect Qin Zhi. "Aunt, isn't what Xiao Zhi said wrong? My mother and my sisters work so hard just to eat for free, but your family does nothing and yet you take it for granted."

When Mei heard that Qin Zhen, who usually didn't know how to resist, refuted her, she picked up the broom next to her and beat Qin Zhen. "You bitch, you were born by your mother but not taught by her. Is this how you talk to your elders? I will teach you a lesson." After saying that, she hit Qin Zhen with even more force. Qin Zhi saw her sister being beaten, and rushed to her in a hurry. As a result, Mei used the broom with full force to hit Qin Zhi on the head, and blood immediately came out. Looking at Qin Zhi again, he was unconscious on Qin Zhen, motionless.

Mei was also stunned. She thought he wouldn't be beaten to death.

Shen rushed over, hugged Qin Zhi, cried and called Qin Zhi's name, but Qin Zhi remained motionless and did not respond at all. Qin Erzhu also panicked, ran over to feel her breath, and said in a trembling voice: "No breathing, Xiao Zhi is dead, she is dead." Then he began to cry with red eyes.

Until this time, the old man Qin, who had been sitting still, came over and said, "Stop crying, she fell down and died. Hurry up and find a straw mat." Liu also echoed, "It's better for this money-loser to die, so as not to waste food."

Qin Zhen looked at her mother who fainted from crying, and her father who cried silently. Her father was good in every way, but he was too honest. Now that her sister was beaten to death for no apparent reason, he did not dare to stand up and speak up for her. Qin Zhen shouted at Qin Erzhu with a chill in her heart, "Dad, Xiaozhi died unjustly, and I just said one sentence to let it go. There is no such injustice in the world. You have to make the decision for my sister."

Qin Erzhu felt guilty after hearing what his daughter said. He knew very well that his daughter's death was unjust, but they were his parents. Isn't it natural for children to listen to their parents?

At this time, Shen, who had just woken up, glanced at Qin Erzhu coldly and said with a chill in her heart, "Erzhu, I have been married to you for so many years, and I have always worked hard and served my parents-in-law without complaint. Now Xiaozhi was beaten to death by your sister-in-law, and your parents let you let it go. Qin Erzhu, look at who died today. You don't even dare to protect your own flesh and blood. You are not a man. I want to divorce you."

Liu jumped up and kicked Shen in the chest. "You are a bitch who can't lay eggs. There are three kinds of unfilial behavior, and the worst is to have no offspring. You can't give birth to a son and you dare to ask for a divorce. My son is going to divorce you."

Shen spat out blood after being kicked by Liu. Qin Zhen hugged Shen and glared at Liu: "Grandma, I won't let this go." Liu was frightened by Qin Zhen's look, and then she heard Qin Zhen say to Qin Erzhu: "Dad, please let us go. If you can't protect us, let us go."

Er Zhu's eyes were red: "You are all women, where can you go if you leave the Qin family?"

"It's better to go anywhere than to stay in the Qin family. It's better than the Qin family taking people's lives so lightly." Qin Zhen turned to look at Old Man Qin. Although Old Man Qin didn't like to talk, he was the one who made the decisions on major family matters. "Master, please let us go."

Old man Qin took a puff of his pipe and said, "Xiao Zhen, it was your aunt who was wrong today. We are all family, and something like this will never happen again." Old man Qin was trying to smooth things over. He didn't want the Shen mother and daughter to leave. Just kidding. They needed to clean up the house inside and out, and the eldest son's wife couldn't be counted on to do any housework.

Qin Zhen had expected that his grandfather would not let them go, and sneered, "Master, I heard that our county magistrate is an honest official. I will sue this murder case even if I risk my life. If Third Uncle's academy knew that he had a murderer sister-in-law and a pair of murderer parents, do you think he can stay in the academy?"

"You dare, you little bitch, if you dare to ruin your third uncle's future, I will beat you to death." When Liu heard that this matter was related to the reputation of her beloved third son, she was about to hit Qin Zhen. Old Qin stopped Liu and turned to look at Qin Erzhu, "Erzhu, write a divorce letter to Shen." Although Old Qin was reluctant to let Shen and her daughter go, he would still make a choice if it was related to the future of his beloved son. Old Qin also fantasized that his son would pass the imperial examination and he would enjoy the happiness with his son.

Qin Erzhu was unwilling to write a divorce letter. He and Shen still had feelings for each other, but he didn't dare to disobey his father. Disobeying one's own father is unfilial. How could he be that unfilial person? Qin Erzhu finally obeyed his old father's instructions and wrote a divorce letter. He had attended school for two years in his early years and could recognize a few words, so he wrote the divorce letter himself. It also followed Qin Zhen's request and severed the father-daughter relationship with Qin Zhen. Liu didn't object to this, she was just a money-loser. After writing the divorce letter, Liu drove Shen's mother and daughter away. She thought it was unlucky for Qin Zhi to lie in their house. Except for the clothes on their bodies, they were not allowed to take away any of their things. Qin Zhen didn't want to argue with them. She just wanted to take her sister away from this house and never come back.