CHAPTER 297: CHAPTER 289: SISTERS AT WAR

Early in the morning, such commotion broke out at Zhong Liangcai’s house that it roused the neighboring inhabitants. Seeing the spectacle in the paddy fields, they too were startled, with some busybodies having already run off to notify others.

"Indeed, without you, Zhong Yuying, how could I have such wonderful days? I truly owe you gratitude! My dearest second sister!"

Sneering, with a forced smile and grinding teeth, Zhong Hongying spoke to Zhong Yuying as if she were ready to devour her alive.

"Hongying, let’s talk this out, no need to get physical. Whatever grievances you have, tell Mama, ah, not like this!" Wang Yueyue, Zhong Liangcai’s wife, tearfully pleaded with Zhong Hongying.

With a cold laugh, Zhong Hongying said, "Tell you? So you can sell me out again?"

"Zhong Hongying, you little beast, you even want to kill your own sister, are you still human?" Zhong Liangcai was not one to speak kindly, angrily spewing insults at his youngest daughter as usual.

Upon hearing the familiar scolding, Zhong Hongying’s eyebrows knitted in contempt, "With parents like you beasts, of course I’m a little beast! Now you care about your second daughter, but didn’t you repeatedly say you wanted to beat Zhong Yuying to death when she stole your two hundred yuan dowry money three years ago? I see, in your eyes, apart from Zhong Shoufu being your son, only money is your true flesh and blood!"

The crowd of onlookers at the Zhong Family’s paddy field grew, and upon hearing Zhong Hongying’s words, they all burst into laughter, leaving Zhong Liangcai gasping with rage.

Zhong Shancai arrived as well, and he was so frightened by Zhong Hongying’s stance that he hurriedly said to his niece, "Hongying, put down the chopsticks. If you kill your sister, you’ll have to pay with your life. She’s not worth it! I know you’re suffering inside, but you’re still young, with many more days ahead. We have to look to the future; things will get better."

"It won’t get better, Uncle, never will it get better. It will never be alright!" Zhong Hongying let out a wretched chuckle as if harboring immense sorrow within her heart.

The crowd always sympathized with the underdog, and seeing Zhong Hongying’s state, as well as considering her idiotic husband, they felt extreme pity for her and even more disgust for Zhong Yuying and Zhong Liangcai on the ground.

Huang Debiao always felt that his wife’s family spoke somewhat strangely, as if his wife wasn’t very welcome at home. And that beautiful little aunt, she seemed a bit off. Could it be his wife had done something to wrong her?

"Little auntie, let’s talk nicely, no need for violence. If you’re aggrieved, just speak up, and we’ll solve it together. Don’t they say three cobblers add up to Zhuge Liang?"

Zhong Hongying gave Huang Debiao a look up and down, then with a sinister smile, she said to him, "Be careful when you sleep at night. You’re laying next to a poisonous snake; you never know when you might get bitten. You could die without knowing how!"

The eerie smile, coupled with the special tone of Zhong Hongying, sent a chill up Huang Debiao’s spine, riddled with unease, as his face revealed a hint of confusion.

"Debiao, don’t listen to her nonsense, she’s got a screw loose." Seeing this, an anxious Zhong Yuying loudly explained, for although she looked down on Huang Debiao, she still needed him to keep up appearances.

"Slap"

Burning with nameless anger inside, Zhong Hongying delivered several slaps to Zhong Yuying, leaving her previously well cared for, tender face, swollen and red.

"I’m the one with a mental illness, yes, that must be the case when I let go of you, a poisonous snake, out of sisterly affection. Who knew you would hide and steal that two hundred yuan dowry money, Zhong Yuying, you’re truly vicious. You knew what kind of fate I’d suffer once Zhong Liangcai realized his money was gone, and you still had the heart to do it? Even asked me to help you elope, pah, I must be sick in the head for not seeing your true colors sooner. Zhong Yuying, you’re more poisonous than a five-step snake!"

Zhong Hongying got more and more agitated as she spoke, not even waiting for Zhong Yuying to defend herself, and started to beat and kick Zhong Yuying, causing Zhong Yuying to roll on the ground.

The surrounding villagers were also startled by Zhong Hongying’s words. They certainly knew about Zhong Yuying stealing the two hundred yuan, but they didn’t know it was Zhong Hongying who had let Zhong Yuying go. Now that they heard this, everyone felt even more sympathy for Zhong Hongying and started accusing Zhong Yuying on the ground.

"Oh my, this Zhong Yuying really isn’t anything good, used to look quite obedient, but who would’ve thought she’d be so malicious behind people’s backs, tsk tsk, truly terrible karma!"

"Yeah, didn’t she once push Sisi from the Tian Family into the tiger pit over a hairpin? If Sisi hadn’t been lucky, she would’ve lost her life already."

"Ai, speaking of which, only the eldest and the youngest daughters from Zhong Liangcai’s house have decent characters, the rest aren’t any good at all!"

"And speaking of her husband, he’s really unlucky, might really end up like what Zhong Hongying said – bitten and poisoned to death one day!"

"Yes, these days young men always pick wives based on their looks, but can looks be eaten? People really should be more sincere, a beautiful soul is what’s truly beautiful!"

...

The crowd was buzzing with comments, Zhong Yuying tried to get up to stop them from talking but was firmly held down by Zhong Hongying and couldn’t get up, so she could only weep pitifully, crying so sadly that it could really arouse a man’s protective instinct. See, Huang Debiao, who had been somewhat shaken, immediately felt a sense of responsibility as a man when he saw the frail appearance of his wife and rushed forward to save Zhong Yuying.

Zhong Hongying was also tired from hitting her, and casually let go of Zhong Yuying, telling her, "Zhong Yuying, from now on, I better not see you again, otherwise, I’ll hit you every time I do!"

After saying this, Zhong Hongying left. Huang Debiao hurriedly helped Zhong Yuying into the room, and when everyone saw there was no spectacle left, they all dispersed.

Sisi did not go to watch the commotion. She heard about it from Zhong Meiying, who took the chance to stop by while picking up firewood.

"Sisi, you don’t know how satisfying it was the other day, Sister Hong Ying beat Zhong Yuying to a pulp, her face swollen like a steamed bun, as ugly as can be, quite well-matched with her short and fat husband."

Zhong Meiying was very excited, as if she was the one who had beaten Zhong Yuying. However, there seemed to be a hint of confusion on her face.

"Sisi, why do you think Sister Hong Ying wasn’t happy at all after beating someone up? She was crying so hard at my place that day! It made my heart ache to see her cry."

"Maybe she’s just feeling down."

Sisi actually understood quite well, any girl in the prime of her youth would feel miserable knowing she would spend her life with an idiot.

"That’s true, it’s pitiful for Sister Hong Ying. But I find it weird that Sister Hong Ying would cry and say she’s going to suffer in the eighteen layers of hell in the future, it’s really strange. She didn’t do anything wrong, so why would she go to the eighteen layers of hell? If anyone should go, it should be that venomous snake Zhong Yuying!"

The eighteen layers of hell? This was indeed somewhat perplexing. Generally speaking, a person who utters this phrase must feel extremely guilty for doing something terribly wrong and say it out of intense self-reproach. But what wrong could Zhong Hongying have done?