Chapter 58

Chapter 58

The moment Li's Mother's hand touched her, Li Zhaodi froze.

Li's Mother's voice, neither too loud nor too soft, sounded as terrifying as a demon demanding her life to her ears, and her face instantly drained of color.

"Mother, I wasn't hiding." She said stiffly in a trembling voice.

Immediately after, she felt a fierce pinch on her waist. "Do you think your old mother is blind? You were hiding from me like you saw a ghost, and I wouldn't notice."

"Enough talk, hurry up and get me some silver. The household can barely keep the pot open!" Li's Mother spoke directly, not caring if any passersby were around.

Just mentioning this made Li's Mother angry, and she pinched Li Zhaodi's waist again, hard.

"Why did you bring your cousin Qian Momo to your village for no good reason? And she ended up getting bullied!

Your aunt is now holding a grudge in her heart and refuses to help our family anymore!"

As far as Li's Mother was concerned, the root of this matter lay squarely on this good-for-nothing's shoulders. Why did she have to bring an outsider to the village for no reason, only for her to get bullied?

"Mother, it was Cousin who wanted me to bring her. I had no choice," Li Zhaodi explained through her tears of pain, not forgetting to justify herself.

She was not willing to bring Qian Momo along, and there was no way she could have stopped someone as headstrong as Qian Momo.

What could she do? The blame lies with Luo Ge!

If only Luo Ge had let her cousin vent, none of this would have happened.

"I don't care about all that. The fact is, you caused this mess, and now your aunt refuses to help us.

Your father, your mother, and your younger brother all need to eat. You figure it out yourself."

Li's Mother couldn't be bothered with all the excuses. It was a simple matter – either provide grain or money.

Seeing Li's Mother behave this way, Li Zhaodi clenched her fists, lowered her head to hide the various emotions in her eyes, and swallowed her resentment and indignation.

After rummaging in her pocket for a while, she finally took out a small cloth bundle and handed it to Li's Mother with a trembling hand.

"This is all I have left."

"Just this little?" Li's Mother didn't hesitate to take the bundle, but when she opened it and saw the contents, her brows immediately furrowed. After counting, there was less than seventy fen.

How long would this last?

A good-for-nothing family living hand-to-mouth – how could they be relied upon?

But it was none of her business. At least she wasn't the stupid one.

Spitting in Li Zhaodi's direction twice more, Zhu Auntie twisted her waist and left.

Only after Zhu Auntie's figure had completely disappeared did Li Zhaodi raise her head.

"Mother, San Ya and I gathered some wild vegetables. Grandfather and Grandmother should be back soon, so let's quickly make dinner."

San Ya returned with her younger sister and, noticing that they hadn't started cooking yet, spoke up. Grandfather, Grandmother, and their Uncle had all gone out to work.

They needed to have dinner ready at home, or else Grandfather and the others would have to go hungry after a hard day's labor.

San Ya led her younger sister Si Ya as she spoke, but upon seeing her mother's cold expression, her small body trembled.

"Mother, don't hit Sister! Mother—!"

"Wah—! Mother, don't hit Sister!"

Hearing the cries and beatings coming from next door, Zhu Auntie paused mid-action.

"Tsk, tsk, she really doesn't hold back."

She lived right next door, so she could hear the two little girls' cries every two or three days.

Li Zhaodi truly didn't restrain herself – as soon as she got upset or felt wronged, she would beat the two younger ones.

Afterwards, if Uncle Sheng's wife or Li Zhaodi's husband found out, Li Zhaodi herself would inevitably receive a scolding.

"Tsk!" Zhu Auntie shook her head, thinking.

She felt that Li Zhaodi must have some issues.

Stubbornly supporting that kind of in-law family, stubbornly beating her own children.

Sick.

"Li Zhaodi! Have you gone mad? Haven't you been disciplined enough?" Uncle Sheng's wife's shouting soon drifted over from next door.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."