Chapter 3
Chapter 3
The original owner definitely wouldn’t say it. She wouldn’t say a word even if it rotted in her stomach.
However, since she was here, she could not be a saint. She had to let the entire village know about the Tian family’s torture of the original owner. Those gossipy women would spread it loud and clear.
“What is it? Your mother-in-law kicked you into premature labor?”
“My child, dead! Sob sob sob!”
“Oh dear, how pitiful.”
“I’ll go bury her and head back to work. Mother is still waiting at home, but I haven’t eaten or drunk anything for three days. I can’t work anymore. Mother will scold me and beat me. I beg you, can you give me something to eat or drink? Please!”
Qiao Mai entered a tragic scene. She looked at everyone pitifully. When she mentioned food, the villagers quickly lowered their heads and busied themselves with their work. The reason why they asked her just now was not because they cared about her but because they wanted to gossip.
Qiao Mai turned around in disappointment, her eyes cold. It was said that farmers were generous, but they were unwilling to give up a little food.
For people like this, she would not even lift her eyelids when they die in the future.
She absentmindedly carried her child and walked towards the end of the village, ignoring those people.
The villagers whispered to each other behind her. “Tsk tsk, the Tian family’s madam really knows how to torture her.”
“Isn’t it because this daughter-in-law’s family doesn’t care? She didn’t even have a dowry when she got married.”
“That’s equivalent to selling her to the Tian family. I heard it’s dirt cheap, only 100 catties of wheat.”
“So little? Then what was the point of dowry? The betrothal gifts given by the Tian family were so little. Others usually give five or six taels of silver!”
“Hmph, in any case, the Tian family wouldn’t dare to bully the other two daughters-in-law. They have several brothers, and their family background is powerful.”
Qiao Mai walked in front and listened to their conversation. She snorted coldly. The Qiao family also had two men, but she had never seen them stand up for her.
When she came to a piece of barren land, she lifted her leg and walked in. She turned around and saw that no one was following her. Then, she flashed into her space with the child in her arms.
She will temporarily keep the baby in her space and told the public it died.
She found a blanket in the cabinet. It was loose and soft, and it would not harm the child’s skin. She did not have any children’s clothes at the moment, so she gave her this as a swaddling blanket.
She then found a few pieces of her own clothes and folded them for the baby to use as a pillow. She did not have diapers in her storage, so she tore a piece of cotton cloth and made more than ten diapers. She folded them neatly and placed them on the bedside table.
Only then did she open the tattered swaddling cloth and move the baby onto the blanket. At this moment, the baby woke up and let out a low cry.
She quickly put a napkin under the baby’s butt and carefully wrapped it in the blanket. She let her head rest on the pillow and turned to make milk powder.
She made a big bowl of milk and finished it in one go after feeding the little fellow.
She had no choice. She needed nutrition too!
She checked again and found nothing abnormal. The baby slept well after eating. Only then did she heave a sigh of relief.
After being born in seven and a half months, she did not drink any milk for three days and stayed in her mother’s arms. She had to admit that the baby was tough.
She lay on the bed for a while with her child. She couldn’t rest yet because she still had things to do.
An hour later, she got up from the bed and left the space alone.
As soon as she left the wasteland, she entered the ‘state.’ As an excellent agent, she had to be good at reaching out and also have good judgment. She had to adapt to various environments and excel in acting.
Qiao Mai walked to the village in a daze. At this time, the entire village knew that Madam Tian Li had kicked her daughter-in-law to the point of miscarriage.
She then neglected her daughter-in-law for three days. She did not allow her to drink water or eat. As soon as her daughter-in-law woke up, she wanted her to work. Her heart was really too vicious.
There were also mothers-in-law in the village that disliked their daughter-in-law, but the Tian family was the only one to this extent. Moreover, there was a scholar in their family. What she did was too much.
Qiao Mai lowered her head and listened to the gossiping women at the gates of the various courtyards. She snorted coldly.
According to her memory, she arrived at the village chief’s house. She did not go up the steps.
“Chief, chief, are you there?”
Her voice was low at first but slowly rose to a high pitch. In the end, it became a shout.
Not only did she call the village chief out, but Qiao Mai also called all the villagers over. When Qiao Mai saw the village chief, she immediately knelt.
“Chief, I can’t survive anymore. Please help me!”
This frightened the village chief. He didn’t know whether to help her up.
“Sanzhuang’s wife, what’s wrong with you?”
The village chief was about forty years old. He looked ordinary, neither fat nor thin. He was of medium height and had always been lenient at village matters.
“Chief, I just want to ask you, is it allowed by law for a mother-in-law to torture her daughter-in-law?”
The village chief was stunned. He thought for a moment and said, “That’s not the case.”
“Chief, Qiao Mai wants to ask you, how many families in the world do mothers-in-law deliberately kick their daughter-in-law to miscarry?”
The village chief gulped. He knew Qiao Mai had been wronged, but he was also helpless. This was the Tian family’s matter. He was not related to the Tian family. It was great if they listened to his advice. If they did not listen, there was nothing he could do.
“Sanzhuang’s wife, this is your family’s matter. I am in a difficult position.”
“Chief, my mother-in-law kicked me into premature labor. It’s fine that they didn’t hire a midwife, but she didn’t give me any water or food for three days. The child is dead, and I forced myself to bury the child. But she wants me to go back to work immediately. She’s forcing me to death. I’m not a slave she bought. Please help me!”
The village chief was in a difficult position. “Sanzhuang’s wife, I know you’ve suffered, but this is your family matter. Since ancient times, which woman hasn’t suffered under the hands of her mother-in-law?”
“Chief, if the law states that a mother-in-law can beat and kill a daughter-in-law, I won’t say anything. However, there’s no such thing, so I must fight for my life. If you don’t care, I’ll go to the mayor. If the mayor doesn’t care, I’ll go to the sheriff and ask them to judge.”
When he heard Qiao Mai wanted to complain to the mayor, the village chief shivered in fright. He couldn’t let this matter blow up. He would be scolded if he couldn’t even settle such a trivial matter. If the mayor got angry, he would change the village chief. He couldn’t lose the official position!
At this time, the Tian family heard the news and rushed to the scene.
Dozens of villagers surrounded the entrance of the village chief’s house. Old Tian and his family finally squeezed into the front.
Qiao Mai didn’t even bother to look at them and kept kowtowing to the village chief.
“I beg the chief to be kind and give me a way out. If this continues, I will only die. My poor child, you didn’t even open your eyes to see your mother before leaving.”
“Sanzhuang’s wife, what are you doing? I told you to bury a child. You didn’t come home for so long and wanted to complain to the village chief. Hurry up and go home to work. If you can’t finish it, don’t even think about eating.”
Madam Tian Li had a sharp and mean face as she roared. She rushed forward and wanted to pull Qiao Mai away. Qiao Mai was so scared that she screamed.
“Mother, don’t kick my stomach. Don’t kill my child. I beg you! Chief, save me. Mother is going to kill me!”
At this point, the village chief naturally could not ignore it. He shouted.
“Madam Tian Li, are you crazy? You have to remember that your eldest grandson is still studying!”
After being yelled at by the village chief, Madam Tian Li’s anger was suppressed again and again.
“B*tch, are you going back or not?”
“No, I’m not going back. I wake up early and stay up late every day. I do the work of a family. I’m only given a mouthful of rice and noodle soup for every meal. You, Sister-in-law, and Second Sister-in-law scold me openly and secretly. You pinch me and poke me. I don’t want to go back. I’ll die if I go back!”