"I’m sorry, I was wrong, it was my damn mouth..." Sheng Ning watched Li Erhua smack her own mouth with such force she thought it was daring enough to bring down the Emperor, and it seemed to hurt just to watch.
She put away the knife and helped Zhao Lanzhi up.
"I advise you to be more considerate in the future. We Xu family keep a low profile and don’t want to dispute with you, but we are not to be trifled with." Her sharp gaze swept the surroundings, her bright and amiable eyes did not appear frivolous but instead emanated a powerful aura that commanded respect.
"I’ve left the things on the ground. Consider the wedding candies in them as thank-you gifts; take your own from your family!" She had intended to foster good relations with the neighbors, but that clearly seemed unnecessary now.
If that was the case, then she didn’t mind continuing on the tough path. Sheng Ning had to admire Xu Xianxiong’s assertiveness. There was truth in the saying that the gentle are bullied and the horses that are too mild are ridden.
"Mom, let’s go!" The mother and daughter-in-law, who had arrived with such pomp, now walked away just as haughtily, not faltering until they were far off, when Zhao Lanzhi’s legs almost gave out.
"Oh my, that was nerve-wracking!" She just started feeling afraid now, "I never even dared to fight back when I was cornered so badly in the past."
"Good job!" Sheng Ning raised her thumb in admiration.
"Really?" Zhao Lanzhi’s face turned red with excitement, and she asked embarrassedly, "You don’t look down on me, do you?"
"Of course not. Would you be mad if I said I embarrassed Living Yama?"
"Of course not. Some people deserve to be slapped for their nasty mouths." Zhao Lanzhi straightened her hair and clothes, trying to look as much unlike a shrew as possible. Thinking back on her actions, she felt both exhilarated and embarrassed.
Ah... she had never thought that she would end up brawling like a shrew.
"By the way, I have a little secret to tell you." Sheng Ning whispered into Zhao Lanzhi’s ear, causing her eyes to widen instantly.
Xu Qigang only got home late at night, stepping under the waxing moon. The snow in the fields shone like daylight in the moonlight. He had been somewhat preoccupied throughout the day in the county. He was constantly thinking of his little wife at home, confident that she could handle the mother-in-law relationship, but still couldn’t help worrying.
When he left in the morning, he had mentioned not having children for the time being, probably making his mother unhappy.
Today, he and a dozen friends had gathered again at the county guesthouse, where they made Qin Yue staggeringly drunk.
Xu Qigang saw that the main door was already locked, with all the lights in the house turned off. Not wanting to disturb anyone so late, he simply decided to climb over the courtyard wall.
Sheng Ning was not accustomed to the bed and was sleeping fitfully, plus having napped in the afternoon, she wasn’t really sleepy. She heard faint footsteps outside and was about to get out of bed when she felt someone enter her room.
She instantly woke up from her daze, a burglar was in the house! It must have been the person who had just climbed over the courtyard wall. Sheng Ning tried to get out of bed but found her mouth covered by a large hand.
"Ssh..." Xu Qigang’s low voice came near her ear, "It’s late, don’t wake up mom and dad." As he said this, his entire weight fell onto the bed.
Xu Qigang then picked her up and sat her on the bed, "This way it’s not heavy..."
"Why did you come back so late?" Sheng Ning had reason to suspect he didn’t care enough for the home.
"They wouldn’t let me go home, but I missed you."
The next day, as dawn was breaking, Xu Qigang looked at his little wife sleeping in his arms and, for the first time, didn’t rise early for exercise. His handsome face lost much of its usual sternness and coldness, replaced with fondness and affection.