Before Lu Lu could react, a brawny man walked up to her and delivered a series of crisp slaps to her face, the sheer force causing her face to swell and turn red instantly!
Fang Li was the first to react, immediately throwing herself in front of Lu Lu, screaming:
"How dare you lay a hand on her! Do you even know who she is? Lu Qing, your sister is being bullied, and you’re standing by doing nothing?"
Lu Qing remained unmoved, glancing at Mr. Jiu. His sister was far too unruly, and his mother couldn’t see the bigger picture. This time, it was a good opportunity to let Mr. Jiu teach them a lesson.
Having this powerful ally could often be quite useful for Qin Miaomiao.
He explained lightly, "He is Miao Miao’s Ninth Uncle, Mr. Jiu, the head of the Su Family’s Pear Garden."
The Su Family’s Pear Garden? People in the circle couldn’t possibly be unfamiliar with the Pear Garden, or the Su Family, the leader of the Four Great Ancient Families. Though the Su Family suffered from a lack of heirs, and the family head Mr. Jiu himself had no descendants, none of the direct lineages had particularly outstanding individuals. But as long as Mr. Jiu was around, the Su Family remained the leader of the Four Families, its status unshakable.
Fang Li wasn’t without her wits and was momentarily stunned, while Lu Lu yelled without regard:
"What Mr. Jiu or Ninth Uncle nonsense? He dared to slap me! Mom, you have to stand up for me!"
Fang Li glanced at Mr. Jiu, intimidated by his aura. Then she looked at Qin Miaomiao and started calculating whether what Lu Qing said was true or false in her heart.
The Qin Family was a third-rate family; Qin Miaomiao was an orphan with no parents. Previously, even her family assets were taken by her uncle, making her maternal relatives basically unreliable. Part of the reason why Fang Li looked down on her was because of this.
But, if Mr. Jiu from the Su Family’s Pear Garden truly was her backer, then things would change drastically.
"Lin Han was disfigured. A young woman, disfigured now, is as good as having her life completely ruined. Miao Miao, how do you plan to account for this?"
Qin Miaomiao replied lightly, her lips curved in a faint smile: "Account for it? Account for what? Mom, you should have noticed that I’m injured too, right?"
"You only hurt your arm! She’s been disfigured—how can this be compared? You’re still the wife of the Lu Family, and your every move reflects on the family’s reputation. The Lu Family cannot have a daughter-in-law who keeps causing trouble outside."
Bang! A cup was smashed to the ground. Mr. Jiu lifted his eyelids slightly, giving her a cold glance, and said in a deep voice:
"Cannot have her? So this is how the Lu Family bullies my precious niece?"
Lu Qing replied calmly, "Ninth Uncle, Qin Miaomiao is my wife, now and forever. In the Lu Family, I’m the one who decides."
In many ways, this was a defense of Qin Miaomiao.
Mr. Jiu cast him a sideways glance. This young man wasn’t as excessively filial as other men, nor was he foolish enough to lose his ability to distinguish right from wrong.
But what Mr. Jiu wanted was far more than that.
He let out a cold snort: "Is that so? But I see some people don’t know how to appreciate kindness and are even trying to make trouble for Miao Miao. Is it Lin Han who hurt Miao Miao? Old Third, go to the Lin Family and break that woman’s hand."
Old Third’s expression turned resolute: "Yes."
Lu Lu and Fang Li were both startled by the ferocity in his demeanor, Fang Li turning pale with anger: "You... You’re nothing but a bandit!"
Mr. Jiu’s expression turned icy:
"Hah, if you weren’t Miao Miao’s mother-in-law, do you think you’d even have the qualification to stand here and speak to me? Old Third, throw these two out for me."
Qin Miaomiao hurriedly interjected: "Ninth Uncle, please calm down. My mother-in-law is a senior, how could you throw her out? Asking her to leave would suffice."
Fang Li trembled with fury: "You... I will never acknowledge you as my daughter-in-law! Lu Qing, say something! Are you just going to watch your mother being bullied?"
Lu Qing rose to his feet, giving her a cold glance as he said steadily:
"Blaming one’s daughter-in-law for another’s sake—indeed, that isn’t right. You should just go home and rest well."