She set Ruan Jiaojiao down and called for Xiu Xi, telling him to take her somewhere else to play. Then, she turned around and strode valiantly towards the Li Family, followed by several fellow villagers she got along with.
Ruan Jiaojiao, of course, wouldn’t miss the chance to watch the Ruanlin Family matriarch in action. She immediately grabbed the little villain and followed, fully trusting in her grandmother’s fighting abilities. Still, considering her parents and little brother were at Liao Zhaoji’s place, she decided midway to head for Ruan Jianguo’s instead. She wouldn’t suffer any loss, but she had to make a strong show of force!
With her grandmother’s four sons, apart from Liao Zhaoji, there were three daughters-in-law, nine grandsons, and her—just standing there would be enough to scare the Liao Family to death!
Li Family’s matriarch was speaking fervently, spitting as she did so, when she suddenly saw Ruanlin Family matriarch approaching with a formidable group of people. She was startled, staring blankly and even forgetting what she was about to say.
The Ruanlin matriarch walked up to her, and the people on the side consciously made way.
"Continue, let me hear what you have to say. I’ll judge whether you’re right or wrong. How about that?" Ruanlin Family matriarch said with a cold sneer at Li Family’s matriarch.
The Li Family’s matriarch was about the same age as Ruanlin Family’s matriarch but was shorter in both appearance and stature. Having been a landlord’s daughter, Ruanlin Family’s matriarch still commanded an aura no ordinary person could match, even after all these years.
Now, as she stood in front of the Li Family’s matriarch, she was a whole head taller, looking down at her from above.
The Li Family’s matriarch had to look up at her, completely crushed by her imposing presence.
For some unknown reason, she glanced at the Ruanlin matriarch with a hint of guilt in her eyes. At first, her gaze flickered subconsciously, until she saw the people around her and remembered they had been swayed by her words, which reignited her fighting spirit and confidence.
Licking her dry lips, she put on a tone of earnest and pleading advice, "My dear in-law..."
"No, Jiandang and your daughter are about to divorce. We won’t be in-laws anymore, and our Ruan Family can’t afford to be related to a family like yours. Please don’t try to claim kinship here!" Ruanlin Family matriarch immediately interrupted.
"That’s not something you can say. The young couple has reconciled; they won’t divorce. After all, which family doesn’t have its little frictions?" Li Family’s matriarch retorted, believing Liao Zhaoji’s words that Ruan Jiandang had indeed changed his mind.
As if holding onto some leverage, she continued disapprovingly, "My in-law, I’m not blaming you, but when it comes to the matters of the young couple, we elders should interfere less. It’s better that way; after all, even a fair official finds it hard to settle a family dispute, let alone you being the mother-in-law. Right?"
The Ruanlin matriarch didn’t reply but just sneered at her coldly.
Under such a gaze, the Li Family’s matriarch involuntarily shrank back, but, remembering the money she had pocketed, she straightened her back and continued, "My in-law, look at your eldest son—building a house, buying a car, his life is getting better and better. But you shouldn’t be too biased, so as not to dishearten the other sons. Right?"
"Over the years, Zhaoji has married into your family. I won’t say she’s done great deeds, but she has also had her share of hard work, diligently managing a home and even bearing you a great-grandson. You’re building a house for the first branch of the family; in the future, you should also show some support for the second branch, right??"
"Oh? And how would you like me to support them?" Ruanlin Family matriarch asked.