Chapter 9: Bones

"Mother, are you really alright?" Xuexue hurried forward, asking with concern.

"I'm alright, you two sisters don't worry about me."

Madam Xie felt very reassured in her heart. No matter how much she suffered and how much bitterness she endured in the Mo family, as long as she saw her two sensible daughters, she would feel completely satisfied. She also secretly felt fortunate that her oldest daughter had married early and gone to live in the neighboring village, so she no longer had to endure hardships here with her.

"Mother, you still say you're alright, look, your hand is scraped and bleeding," Chuner's crisp voice rose, carrying a bit of a sob.

"It's nothing, Mother doesn't hurt, Chuner be good, don't cry."

"It's bleeding, how could it not hurt? Mother, you're lying," Chuner said, blinking her innocent eyes.

"It doesn't hurt, really, when has Mother ever lied to Chuner." Compared to the abuse she usually endured from Old Lady Mo, these minor injuries really didn't bother Madam Xie.

"Mother, let me blow on it for you, it will stop hurting if I blow on it," the sensible Chuner said, as she moved closer to Madam Xie's arm and carefully blew on it with her mouth.

"My Chuner is really filial," Madam Xie said with a relieved smile. Seeing her sensible daughter made all the hardships worthwhile.

Seeing her foster mother being pushed to the ground and not daring to make a sound, the image of her being so meek and bending over backward was heartbreaking for Xuexue. In her past life, even though her foster mother had lived so cautiously, she still ended up being killed by the vixen spirit.

And her own death was even more tragic, nailed to the wall by the man she loved most, she suffered the most cruel punishment in the world, and her daughter was burned alive right in front of her. In this life, Xuexue was reborn with a body full of hatred; she would slay gods if she encountered them, and Buddhas if she encountered them.

Xuexue, seething with rage, turned around and glared at Xiuzhi, grinding her teeth and said, "Mo Xiuzhi, are you sick of living? My mother kindly helped you up, and you didn't appreciate it, and even pushed her to the ground? Has your conscience been eaten by dogs?"

"I did push her, so what? Who told her to meddle like a dog chasing mice," Xiuzhi displayed her usual arrogance.

"Slap slap..."

As soon as Xiuzhi finished speaking, the outraged Xuexue, without another word, swung her hand and, with all her might, slapped Xiuzhi's face repeatedly from both sides. To deal with a cheap person, one must take extreme measures.

"Ah..."

Caught completely off guard, Xiuzhi was left seeing stars from Xuexue's slaps, she was dizzy and disoriented, and it took her a while to regain her bearings. Holding her cheek with her hand, she glared fiercely at Xuexue, disbelief in her tone, "You little cheap person, how dare you hit me?"

It was true, the Xuexue of the past was always meek and never dared to speak loudly. But ever since she had an incident of drowning and fever a few days ago, she had changed completely. Not only did she bite off Aunt Sun's ear, but today she also beat her twice.

"So what if I hit you? Do I need to choose a day for that?"

The tone of Xuexue's speech was eerily similar to Xiuzhi's earlier arrogant behavior.

Xiuzhi was infuriated to the point of death. With one hand she touched her bright red cheek and with the other pointed at Madam Xie and her daughter, her face twisted ferociously as she said, "You bunch of lowlifes, dare to gang up and bully me? I'll tell the matriarch, just you wait, hmph!"

After issuing her threat, she turned and stormed out.

"What should we do now, Mother? If Sister Xiuzhi tells the matriarch, she will definitely beat and scold you again," Chuner started to panic, her little hands clutching Madam Xie's sleeve and shaking it ceaselessly.

The young girl, who witnessed her grandmother beating and scolding her mother every few days, already had a shadow in her heart, becoming like a frightened bird at the slightest rustle.

Seeing this, Xuexue quickly went over, hugged Chuner, and comforted her, "Chuner don't be afraid, your sister is here. I will protect you and Mother; I won't let you guys be bullied anymore."