Some people were pointing and whispering, but no one dared to step into the Huang family's home.
Madam Zhou was infamous across the whole Ping'an Brigade. She was a shrew and a troublemaker with a vicious temper that gave everyone headaches.
She often wandered around town, dumped all household chores on her daughter-in-law, and constantly beat or scolded her and her three granddaughters.
She couldn't stand to see anyone doing better than her. If she saw it, she'd curse them out or even hit them.
She loved to take advantage of others, often stole things, and would never admit it even when caught, making the whole brigade's atmosphere worse over time.
So everyone avoided her, afraid of getting involved.
"What's going on with the Huang family? It's so quiet, doesn't seem like anyone's inside. Why is the door wide open?"
Someone asked curiously.
"That family is dirt poor. The daughter-in-law ran away, and the place is like a dump, smells awful. Even thieves won't bother!" another said with a sneer, wrinkling their nose.
Everyone was speculating, but no one could be sure what was really going on.
"What are you all doing here?" Freya asked curiously as she approached the group at the door.
"We... we were just passing by and saw the door open, so we stopped to look," someone stammered nervously after seeing how forceful Freya and the others looked.
"Biyun, what's going on? Where have you been all this time? Your husband brought that widow Zhao into your home and claimed you ran off with another man!" an older woman hurried over to Biyun and asked with concern.
"Wuwu... Auntie Jiang, I didn't! I didn't! It was Daxing who—" Biyun couldn't believe Daxing slandered her like that. He was trying to ruin her completely!
Overcome with grief, Biyun burst into sobs, unable to speak further.
Fang, seeing Biyun crying like a weakling, rolled her eyes. If not for the money involved, she wouldn't even bother helping her. What good was all that crying? She shoved Biyun aside and slapped her thigh as she yelled,
"What else could it be? That bastard Daxing—good-for-nothing scumbag—was fooling around with that widow and got her pregnant!
Then he actually brought that wretched woman home and forced my poor sister-in-law to serve her.
When she refused, he beat her black and blue and then framed her for running off with some man. There's no justice left in this world!
We're here today to demand justice. That Daxing and his mother have gone too far!"
Fang wiped her tears with her sleeve, her eyes quickly turning red as tears streamed down her face.
She silently regretted putting too much chili water in her eyes—now she could barely open them. Making money these days was tough.
"I knew it! You're such an honest and decent person—there's no way you'd run off like that. They're the shameless ones. Why didn't you go to the women's officer?" Auntie Jiang comforted the sobbing Biyun.
"No way! Daxing always looked like such an honest man. How could he do something like this?" one woman whispered.
"Yeah, this is serious—he could be arrested for this! How dare he act like that?" another woman added.
Fang wiped her tears again, squinting as she continued crying and shouting:
"My sister-in-law has always had a good temper. But even the kindest person can't be expected to serve a homewrecker!"
"Who would've known… oh, my poor sister Biyun…" Fang said this while holding her chest, looking extremely upset.
"What happened? Just say it already!"
In the crowd, another woman shouted impatiently. They were just getting to the exciting part—why stop now?
"What more is there to say? Just look at my sister-in-law's injuries. That shameless man and his mean old mother didn't care at all about being husband and wife or in-laws. It took her half a month to recover.
My sister-in-law worked so hard to take care of the Huang family, and this is how they treat her? Oh, my poor sister-in-law, it's just too much!"
Fang noticed more and more people gathering, so she acted even more dramatic. She pulled the crying Biyun over and let everyone see the injuries on her body.
"Oh my, the Daxing family is really something else. How could they beat her up like that?"
A woman screamed out. If someone dared do this to her daughter, she wouldn't let it slide.
"Heavens, this is way too cruel. Were they trying to kill her?"
"If you ask me, Biyun is just too soft. Look at how badly she's been bullied. Why doesn't she fight back?"
"Exactly! And look at those three daughters of hers. They're as skinny as skeletons."
"That's right. This is a new era. Women can hold up half the sky. You have to stand up for yourself."
Freya saw more and more people gathering. The atmosphere was heating up, and now most people had gotten the gist of the situation. She glanced at the tightly shut door of the Daxing family house, then turned to the people behind her and said, "Let's go in and take a look."
She gave Fang a look and led the crowd through the front gate of the Daxing house.
"Come on, everyone, let's go inside and see what those heartless mother and son are doing hiding in there.
Today, we have to get justice for my poor sister-in-law!"
The onlookers at the door didn't hesitate anymore. Since there was drama to see, they followed in, eager not to miss out.
Biyun, meanwhile, went off with the helpful Auntie Jiang to find her three daughters.
"Open the door, Daxing! You shameless man! Why are you locking yourself in during the day doing dirty things?
Open up, now!"
Bigui stepped forward and banged hard on the door.
But no one came to open it.
"Second brother, let me!"
Freya asked Bigui to step aside, then kicked the worn-out wooden door hard. With a loud bang, it flew open. Inside, Daxing groggily started to wake up.
He felt weak all over, his head fuzzy. He didn't want to get up, but he was already cursing loudly in a rough voice, just like his nasty mother:
"Who the hell is it? Damn it, disturbing my sleep early in the morning!"
"Oh Daxing, it's probably those three worthless girls who fell again while cooking. Since that disgusting woman isn't home, stay in bed with me a little longer."
A sickeningly sweet female voice chimed in right after. She hadn't even opened her eyes yet and was already acting flirty. She lifted a pale leg and rubbed it against Daxing's legs, her hands roaming over his chest, trying to seduce him.
"Wow! You two disgusting things! Still lying here naked in broad daylight doing this?! Get dressed now!"