Grinding her teeth, Huang Zedong lowered her voice and spoke in a wronged tone, "It's all a misunderstanding. I was just teaching them a lesson."
"This brat Xu Shen, he hit me and pushed me to the ground. As an elder, I was just disciplining him, that's all."
Xu Shen's eyes widened in panic, and he quickly shook his head, desperate to explain.
"I… I didn't do anything! I just—"
"You brat!" Huang Zedong snapped and glared at him, "Shut up! How dare you speak while the elders are talking?"
She took a threatening step forward, but Qin Lian moved first and blocked her path with her hands.
She looked at Xu Shen, who was standing behind her, his little face pale and anxious. She shook her head gently and said softly. "It's alright. I know you didn't do anything wrong."
Then she looked at Huang Zedong, her voice turning cold again. "I don't need you to teach my children a lesson. That's the job of us as their parents, not you."
"From now on, you don't need to come here anymore. You can take your leave. I will not tolerate someone like you in my home any longer. Get out." Qin Lian said coldly.
Huang Zedong's eyes widened in disbelief. This woman… How dare she?
The salary Xu Yinchen gave her every month was more than she had ever earned, more than she could make in months of laboring in the fields.
And here, she was receiving a regular pay of 60 yuan a month, warm meals, meat, eggs, everything she could've only dreamed of. Everyone in the village was jealous of her.
How could she just leave?
"I'm not going anywhere!" she snapped. "So what if you're Xu Yinchen's wife? I've been working here for months."
"I've taken care of these little dirty kids. Xu Yinchen won't kick me out just because you said so! His house can't work without me." Her voice turned sharp and authoritative.
The woman stepped forward, her eyes blazing. "Let's see how you kick me out. I'll complain to Xu Yinchen myself if you dare!"
Qin Lian folded her arms across her chest and looked at her calmly. "Sure, go ahead."
"What?"
"Well, didn't you just say you wanted to complain to him? Then do it. Because yes, I am kicking you out." She said with a cold smile.
"Do you think no one sees how you've been abusing your position here? Mistreating the kids, neglecting the household chores, acting like you own the place instead of working here, and still taking your salary as you deserve it?"
Qin Lian took a step forward, her gaze unflinching. "If, after all this, Xu Yinchen still chooses to believe in a shameless old hag like you, then I won't live with him either. I can't be with a man too stupid to see what's right in front of him and distinguish between right and wrong."
Upon hearing this, Xu Shen suddenly felt a jolt of fear in his heart. For some reason, he didn't want this woman to leave anymore.
Qin Lian, on the other hand, tilted her head slightly, expression cold and indifferent.
"Do whatever you want. I'd like to see whether I've overestimated Xu Yinchen or not."
Her calm words carried a sharp edge, clearly meant to provoke.
Huang Zedong clenched her teeth. "You... You just wait and see!" Her voice trembled with anger.
She glanced longingly at the table full of groceries, then threw a hateful glare at the children before storming out and slamming the door shut with a loud BANG!
BANG!
The kids flinched, startled by the sound.
They trembled for a moment, but the heavy weight they'd been carrying seemed to lift. The vicious woman was finally gone.
After a long moment of silence, Qin Lian let out a sigh and walked over to Xu Wei, who was still sitting on the floor, his face wet with tears and snot and in a daze.
She gently helped him up. "Come here. Let me help you up. Are you hurt anywhere?" she asked softly, guiding him to a chair.
She carefully checked his arms and collar. Her eyes darkened when she saw the red marks and scratches left on his skin on his arms and neck.
She patted his back."It's okay. Everything's fine now. No one will bully you again, alright?"
But what she didn't expect was for Xu Wei to start crying all over again. Seeing this, little Xu Hao, who had calmed down, started to cry again as well.
For a few minutes, the living room echoed with the heart-wrenching cries of the children, their sobs filled with relief and sadness.
Qin Lian quietly comforted the children, gently rubbing their backs one by one until their sobs began to fade. She whispered reassuringly, "It's alright now."
Then, finally, she turned to Xu Shen.
He was still standing in the same spot, frozen. His eyes were red, and it looked like he had cried, too. He hadn't moved since the woman left.
Qin Lian walked up to him and asked softly. "Are you hurt anywhere? Did that woman do anything before I came?"
Xu Shen pursed his lips and slowly shook his head. "I... I pushed her. I didn't mean to, but—"
He tried to explain what had happened earlier.
Deep down, he was still worried she might believe that woman's story. That he had been in the wrong and had hurt her. After all, no matter how terrible she was, she was still an elder.
But before he could finish, Qin Lian gently ruffled his hair and said, "You did the right thing. Violence is never something to encourage, but if you were defending yourself and did no wrong, then it's justified."
"Enduring violence in silence is even worse than fighting back. Understand?"
"Don't be afraid. Your father would never blame you for it. He wants you to be safe, too. So stop worrying. Everything's alright now."
Her voice was calm and gentle, instantly soothing the storm brewing in his little heart.
Xu Shen didn't reply. He just lowered his eyes, unable to meet her gaze. There was a flicker of guilt in his expression when he saw how softly she looked at him.
Hearing her words, the warmth and trust in them, made his eyes go red, but he didn't dare cry.
He didn't want to look weak like his younger brothers. But the way she touched his head so gently… It reminded him of his mother.
Could he really trust this woman?