Chapter 11 - 011 Being Hit
It wasn't fully dark yet when the two of them approached home, and since the busy farming season was over, everyone in the house had already had two meals, so there was no need to cook in the evening, which is why they dared to return this late.
Li Xianglu and Li Jianqing, with joy written all over their faces, pushed open the wattle gate of their home and saw Ge Sanmei standing there coldly with a broom in hand.
Li Xianglu understood right away—her current body was frail, and a direct confrontation with Ge Sanmei would definitely put her at a disadvantage, so she didn't continue walking inward. Instead, she stood quietly at the gate, ready to run at the first sign of trouble.
Seeing the two return, Ge Sanmei noticed that her third son was dragging a thick, dead tree, bringing firewood for the family. Such a sensible child, working at such a young age, the thought made her glare at Li Xianglu with hatred, wishing she could flay her alive.
Li Xianglu wasn't especially scared; after all, it was just a rural old lady—who could be unreasonable and abusive, but what more could she do?
Ge Sanmei, with a cold look in her eyes as she faced her younger daughter, felt her heart twitch, but as soon as she thought of what the older daughter had said earlier, anger surged within her, and she scolded Li Xianglu: "How old are you, huh? Why are you so lazy? Your older sister is pregnant now, and asking you to wash a daughter-in-law, what's wrong with that? You vanished while playing, you girl. If you're not disciplined, you'll grow lazier and lazier." As she said this, she quickly moved towards Li Xianglu.
Li Xianglu certainly didn't wait to be hit; she dodged to the side and ran out, shouting: "Ah, Mom, don't hit me, I'll behave and take good care of my sister from now on, help me, don't beat me, I'll take good care of my sister!"
On the mountainside, the dwellings were a row of cave homes, each family with their own courtyard, and home was right next to home. Almost as soon as Li Xianglu's voice rang out, a large crowd poured out of the various courtyards, some holding large porcelain bowls, watching the commotion while eating. If it wasn't for the fact that the situation wasn't suitable for laughter, she would've burst into laughter—these people thought they were watching a TV drama, even bringing snacks.
Having been beaten almost every day since she had come here, she was utterly fed up. If it were because she had been lazy and hadn't done her chores, that would have been one thing. But it was clearly because Ge Sanmei was in a bad mood and being biased. She was going to be beaten for no good reason, and that was too unjust. She didn't want to indulge Ge Sanmei's bad habits—otherwise, the Li Family would take her as a tool to vent their anger, beating her whenever they felt like it.