The clansmen of the Xu family were all quite astute. When the Feng Family came knocking, someone had already run to the elder branch and third branch to notify them. Xu Zhiqin, being young with nimble legs, arrived a bit earlier. While the patriarch and Old Madam were a bit delayed. Initially, Xu Minruo wanted to come with them, but Old Madam forbade it. In a world where filial piety supersedes all else, there lay Mrs. Feng; what could Xu Minruo do if she went? She would undoubtedly be grabbed by the Fengs who’d make all sorts of demands. Anning spoke earnestly with Xu Minruo about some matters, and Min Ruo then dismissed the idea of going over. However, the child’s feelings were complicated. In her view, her disregard for Mrs. Feng seemed somewhat unfilial. But the things Mrs. Feng had done left her unsure how to respond. Should she really just watch as Mrs. Feng took all the money Xu Zhiyong earned back to the Feng Family while her own family starved? Mrs. Feng was but one person, yet on the Xu side there were so many relatives. Xu Minruo could not ignore her father’s feelings; moreover, she cared for the patriarch and Old Madam, and what concerned her the most was Xu Minchang. For these people, Xu Minruo had no choice but to cold-heartedly abandon Mrs. Feng. Fearing her own soft-heartedness, she tried to avoid hearing or thinking about Mrs. Feng’s affairs wherever possible. When the patriarch and Old Madam went over, the Fengs were causing a ruckus at the door. Xu Zhiqin, with a stern face, asked Feng Bao, "How did Mrs. Feng fall ill?" Feng Bao, hopping mad, cursed: "How did she fall ill? You still have the nerve to ask? My sister fell ill yesterday and you still sent her back late last night. Isn’t that trying to kill her?" Mrs. Feng sobbed loudly: "My poor daughter, we were truly blind to marry you into such a family. It’s a den of tigers and wolves..." Old Madam, livid, went directly to scuffle with Mrs. Feng: "Shut your filthy mouth! You were blind, and so was we, the Xu family, to marry your Feng daughter who really did a number, wishing to move our house brick by brick back to your place." Following behind Xu Zhiqin, Mrs. Li also said: "The Feng family really knows how to raise a daughter; even married for so many years and having her own children, she still remembers her natal family. She would rather her own children go hungry, just to make sure her younger brother is well-fed." "You’re talking nonsense." Mrs. Feng stopped crying to quarrel with Old Madam. "Everyone knows that Sun Erniang was a fierce tigress, her reputation big even before she married. After getting married, she became even more formidable, suppressing her husband to the point he dared not utter a word. Pitiful, my daughter is honest and simple, yet is tormented by you." Old Madam slapped her across the face: "Talking out of your ass." Mrs. Feng, unprepared for Old Madam’s palm, was struck so that the corner of her mouth bled. At this point, Xu Zhiyong emerged. With a stick in his hand, he barred it in front of Feng Bao: "What, looking to make trouble? You want a ruckus, let’s have a proper fight then." Feng Bao retreated several steps in fear. Xu Zhiyong was sturdy; facing him, Feng Bao was like a small chick, no match for him at all. "What do you intend to do?" Mr. Feng quickly protected Feng Bao behind himself. Xu Zhiyong shouted: "I’ve already divorced Mrs. Feng; she’s no longer my wife Xu Zhiyong. Her life or death from now on has nothing to do with me. You carrying her over here, isn’t it just to make trouble, to extort me? Fine, I’m all in. Let’s settle it with a real fight today. Before we fight, we establish a life-and-death agreement, with no grudges regardless of the outcome. If I die, it’s because my skills were inferior; if you die, it’s simply your own doing." His eyes were bloodshot as he spoke these words, truly shocking the Fengs into silence. The Feng family is difficult to deal with and especially greedy. But often, such people are actually the most cowardly. When they encounter someone weak and vulnerable, they will push their luck. But when they truly meet someone recklessly bold, they become timid. Feng Bao no longer dared to say anything about holding the Xu family responsible for Mrs. Feng, and both Mrs. Feng and Mr. Feng were so scared they didn’t even dare to cry. Just at this time, Anning came over. When she arrived, she walked very slowly, looking extremely weak and pale, clearly someone who has just been seriously ill. "How come you’re here?" Old Madam immediately went over to support Anning upon seeing her. Anning weakly smiled: "I was worried about father and mother, feared that you might have an accident, so I came to have a look." Then Anning turned her head toward Xu Zhiyong, softly said: "Second brother, put down the stick." Xu Zhiyong obediently put down the stick: "Elder sister-in-law, don’t catch a cold." Anning waved her hand: "I’m fine." She turned to look at the Fengs: "Uncle and Aunt Feng, since you’ve come, let’s discuss these matters properly, so as to prevent you from going around accusing our Xu family of being intolerant and bullying others with our power." "You are exactly that." Anning acted as if she didn’t hear, and pointed to Mrs. Feng, who was still lying on the door panel. "You keep saying that you want to seek justice for Mrs. Feng, proclaiming your love for your daughter, but knowing full well she’s seriously ill, you only covered her with a thin blanket. Not only is the blanket thin, but the cotton inside is probably many years old and no longer warm. In this freezing snowy weather, you just carried her over . Are you intentionally trying to freeze Mrs. Feng to death?" With that said, the onlookers really began to pay attention to the blanket covering Mrs. Feng. A few of the older villagers went over to feel the corner of the blanket. "It’s true, this blanket is really too thin; the cotton inside has all clumped together, how could this be at all useful? To carry a person over in such cold weather, without even covering her with a thick blanket, that’s really..." Anning pointed to Xu Zhiyong again: "Second brother, go home and bring out one of the blankets that Mrs. Feng usually covers herself with." Xu Zhiyong turned and went inside. After a short while, he came back with a thick blanket. Anning asked a clanswoman to help cover Mrs. Feng with it: "This is the blanket Mrs. Feng usually used at our Xu home. Although it’s not new, it is warm, at least much better than what she was covered with at her parents’ home." Thıs text ıs hosted at 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✦𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✦𝕟𝕖𝕥 "Yes, indeed, this blanket is thick, the cotton is good, and the fabric is fine cotton, very comfortable to cover with." Many women began to discuss the two cotton blankets. Anning smiled: "Anyone who truly loves their daughter, upon knowing she’s sick, the first thing to do is to call a doctor, not to carry her such a long distance to make trouble." Others hadn’t considered this before, but now that they thought about it, that’s exactly right. Mrs. Feng was just ill, not dead, and her family didn’t think to treat her illness first, but instead paraded her across villages. This was truly unjustifiable. It didn’t take long for everyone to understand, the Feng family came to create trouble, not caring about Mrs. Feng’s life or death at all, only thinking of money. Once this was understood, the crowd’s perception of the Fengs shifted. "Mrs. Feng really... devoted to her parents’ family, yet her own family doesn’t care about her life or death." "I’ve never seen such heartless behavior, she is their own daughter, yet they seem to wish for her death." "They accuse the Xu family of mistreating the daughter-in-law, yet Mrs. Feng has been with the Xu family for so many years and never once fell ill. How come just one day back at her parents’ house, she became ?"