The Scumbag Ex-Wife of the Heroine in the Old Abusive Article - Chapter 2

Zhao Chunhua, who had been listening nearby, couldn’t sit still any longer. She feared Liu Yue’e would order her to cook. After all, Liu Yue’e was notoriously biased, favoring her younger sons. There was no way she’d ask the third or fifth son to cook. If Wen Jin’an refused, the task would inevitably fall to Zhao Chunhua. That couldn’t happen. If she set this precedent, she’d be stuck serving the entire family from then on.

Zhao Chunhua grabbed her son, Little Fatty, and secretly pinched his waist. Little Fatty immediately burst into tears, wailing loudly. This was a trick the mother-son duo had used countless times. With a large family and meager harvests, meals were usually thin and watery, barely enough to fill their stomachs. Little Fatty was the only grandson, so the elderly couple doted on him. Whenever he cried, the best food in the house was immediately reserved for him.

They were well-versed in this tactic.

“Why is this child crying again? All he does is cry all day,” Zhao Chunhua said, feigning exasperation as she glanced at Liu Yue’e. “Mother, Little Fatty is your only grandson. I’ll take him inside first.” With that, she scooped up her son and headed for the house.

Qin Yang wasn’t about to let her get away with it. Raising her voice, she shouted, “Eldest Sister-in-Law, you’re quite the schemer! Using the child as an excuse the moment cooking comes up. So, you’re not eating tonight? Or do you expect Third Brother and Fifth Brother to do it? Or maybe Mother should?”

Her loud voice carried across the small Qin Family courtyard. Qin Cheng and Qin Luo, who were inside the house, naturally heard the commotion and emerged moments later.

Qin Cheng glared fiercely at Zhao Chunhua. “Mother, look at my hands! How can I do such rough work? I’m going to marry the top scholar, you know. When Liu Dian returns after passing the imperial examinations, he’ll definitely marry me. Then you’ll be the top scholar’s mother-in-law, and Liu Dian and I will take good care of you.”

Liu Yue’e’s heart bloomed with joy at these words. She nodded repeatedly, feeling that she hadn’t spoiled her third daughter for nothing. The girl truly cared for her mother.

Qin Luo wasn’t about to be outdone. She stepped forward and clung to Liu Yue’e’s arm. “Mother, Patriarch Zhao from town has also said he’ll send a sedan chair to bring me into his household soon. He even promised ten taels of silver as betrothal gifts!”

Ten taels?

Liu Yue’e’s eyes lit up. In their village, five taels was considered the highest betrothal gift. Ten taels would cover their family’s expenses for an entire year. Her smile widened, as if she could already see the gleaming silver coins beckoning her.

“The top scholar? Patriarch Zhao?” Qin Yang couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

That Liu Dian, the so-called top scholar, was a pompous scholar who carried himself with an air of superiority. He had been diligent in his studies for the first few years, but after his family sent him to the county town academy, he spent his days mingling with the wealthy sons of the academy. Not only did he fail to achieve any academic success, but he also racked up a mountain of debt. The original novel mentioned that Liu Dian frequented brothels for years, contracting a disease that he later transmitted to Qin Cheng. To pay for treatment, Qin Cheng was sold to an elderly widower in the village, who beat him mercilessly for the slightest offense.

As for Patriarch Zhao, whom Qin Luo had mentioned, he was even more unreliable—a man in his sixties who had already taken eight concubines. It was no wonder Qin Luo’s life had been miserable. In the end, unable to bear the loneliness, Qin Luo had an affair with a farmhand and was beaten to death.

Of course, these events were only briefly mentioned in the original novel, occurring after the deaths of the Original Host and Liu Yue’e.

But Qin Yang had no interest in meddling in such matters. She would leave this place when the time was right.

Now that things had come to this, Liu Yue’e couldn’t bear to let her two precious darlings cook.

As for Fourth Elder, she would have liked to order him around, but she was too afraid to provoke him. So she turned her attention back to Zhao Chunhua.

“I’ll coax Little Fatty. You make breakfast for everyone today,” Liu Yue’e snapped. “All you do is watch the kids and refuse to lift a finger. How did the Old Qin Family end up with a daughter-in-law like you?” She glared at Zhao Chunhua before softening her tone as she turned to her eldest grandson. “Come here, Little Fatty. Let Grandma hold you while your mother makes breakfast.”

Seeing Liu Yue’e’s outstretched hand, Little Fatty stopped crying in Zhao Chunhua’s arms. Usually, Grandma would hold him and give him a delicious egg at this time. His eyes darted eagerly toward Liu Yue’e, completely forgetting his mother’s instructions.

Noticing her son had stopped crying, Zhao Chunhua resorted to her old trick and pinched him again.

Little Fatty pushed her away, indignant. “I don’t want you to hold me! I want Grandma! I want Grandma…”

“You little brat…” Zhao Chunhua hadn’t expected her son to suddenly resist. She pinched his waist hard again, sending Little Fatty into another loud wail—this time, a genuine cry of pain.

Seeing her eldest grandson crying so miserably, Liu Yue’e’s heart immediately softened. She snatched him into her arms. “You jinx! You can’t even watch a child properly! Aiyo, my precious grandson, don’t cry, don’t cry…”

When Liu Yue’e started scolding her again, Zhao Chunhua threw all caution to the wind, plopping down on the ground and wailing, “Why is my life so bitter? I married into your Old Qin Family and gave you a grandson—I’ve done my duty! Yet you all gang up to bully me! Aiya, why is my life so bitter…”

Her crying quickly drew a crowd of neighbors eager for a spectacle. Within minutes, a circle of onlookers had gathered at the courtyard gate, craning their necks to peer inside.

Seeing the crowd swell, Liu Yue’e gritted her teeth and glared at the woman sprawled on the ground. “You jinx! Aren’t you ashamed enough? Get up and go soothe the child!”

Zhao Chunhua, having achieved her goal, scrambled to her feet, grabbed Little Fatty by the ear, and dragged him back into the house, cursing all the way. The boy’s wails echoed in her wake.

Liu Yue’e, now too flustered to worry about her grandson, planted her hands on her hips and shrieked at the gawkers, “What are you staring at? Haven’t you ever seen a mother-in-law discipline her daughter-in-law?”

Her reputation for being a ruthless and unreasonable shrew was well-known in the village, and the neighbors muttered as they dispersed.

Once the crowd had cleared, Liu Yue’e resumed her tirade in the courtyard, “Damn you all to hell! What sins have I committed to deserve this? At my age, I still have to serve you ungrateful wretches!”

Qin Yang cast a cold glance at the three people in the courtyard before turning and heading back inside. She figured she’d rather spend her time improving her favor with the Female Lead than listening to Liu Yue’e’s ranting. Maybe Wen Jin’an would soften and let go of the marking issue, even spare her life.

Meanwhile, Wen Jin’an had heard everything outside, especially Qin Yang’s protective words.

What did she mean by that? she wondered. Or is this just another way to torment me?

Her days since marrying Qin Yang had been steeped in despair. The only silver lining was Qin Yang’s aloofness, her belief in her superior pheromone tier. For over two months, Qin Yang hadn’t touched her, but Wen Jin’an now realized it was all a facade. Last night, during her heat cycle, Qin Yang had tried to mark her and even threatened to sell her.

Even in death, Wen Jin’an couldn’t protect her purity.

Wen Jin’an bit her lip. Will Qin Yang sell me now? she wondered. Is she trying to improve my reputation before doing so?

Lost in thought, she didn’t notice the door open and close until Qin Yang was standing before her.

Wen Jin’an stared at Qin Yang, her eyes filled with despair. Her fingers clutched the corner of the quilt, terrified of the woman’s approach. She had no strength left to resist, looking like a wounded animal—pitiful and helpless.

Seeing this, Qin Yang’s heart clenched. Having experienced such trauma herself, she could only imagine the Female Lead’s despair in this moment. This was all the Original Host’s fault.

Or perhaps not entirely. Though the Original Host had created this mess, Qin Yang was the one reaping the benefits.

A wave of guilt washed over her. Regardless, she resolved to treat Wen Jin’an well, as compensation for last night. Perhaps the Female Lead’s soft heart might spare her life.

After all, she truly didn’t want to die. According to her last memory from her original world, she had been in a car accident. She still couldn’t understand why she had woken up in this place, nor was she certain whether her original self was dead or alive. If she was still alive, perhaps she could return. But if she was dead, and she died in this world too, that would truly be the end.

Regardless, she had to try to save herself.

Seeing Qin Yang’s shifting expressions, Wen Jin’an’s despair deepened. She closed her eyes, tears sliding down her cheeks.

Why is she crying again?

Qin Yang hastily knelt by the bed, instinctively reaching out to wipe away a tear from the corner of Wen Jin’an’s eye. Wen Jin’an jerked her head away, avoiding the touch.

Her hand froze awkwardly in mid-air.

“Why are you still crying? Don’t cry. I…” In her original world, she had been a quintessential domineering CEO, accustomed to others fawning over her. When had she ever needed to coax someone like this, especially a soft, delicate girl like Wen Jin’an?

Qin Yang felt utterly helpless, unsure whether to withdraw her hand or not.

Wen Jin’an’s eyes widened in terror as she stared warily at the person before her. Would this instinctive reaction once again earn her a beating?

She had lost count of how many times she had been beaten in this house, where everyone treated her as a punching bag.

Wen Jin’an let out a self-deprecating laugh, her will to live draining away.

The light in her eyes flickered and died, like a vibrant rose slowly withering before Qin Yang’s eyes.

The faint, sweet fragrance drifted through the air again—the scent of roses. That’s right, this was the scent that had lured me last night. Is this the Female Lead’s pheromones? Qin Yang licked her lips, a strange craving stirring within her.

After their intimate contact, even the slightest whiff of pheromones threatened to shatter her rationality.

Qin Yang bit her tongue to regain her composure and retreated, putting some distance between them.

“Don’t worry, I’ll go get the village doctor right away. Just hang in there a little longer,” Qin Yang said, turning and rushing out of the room as if fleeing.

This won’t do. She had read enough ABO novels to know that if a Kunze’s heat cycle wasn’t soothed promptly with medicine or other means, severe consequences could follow.

Drawing on her knowledge from the novels, Qin Yang quickly located the village doctor’s residence. The doctor, a middle-aged man in his fifties, was initially startled by her sudden appearance. After hearing her description, he packed several medicinal herbs into his medicine chest before accompanying her to the Qin Family home.

Liu Yue’e, who had been cooking, poked her head out of the kitchen at the commotion. She saw Qin Yang carrying the medicine chest in one hand and dragging the village doctor along with the other. Her dark face turned even darker than the ashes under the stove. Forgetting all about the cooking, she threw down the spatula and erupted into a tirade: “Damn you all to hell! Ever since we married that jinx, there hasn’t been a single day of peace in this house! We can barely afford to eat, and now you’re wasting money on a doctor? Are you trying to kill me? Why is my life so miserable? I gave birth to you ungrateful wretches, and now I have to serve you all morning like some kind of servant…”