Though He Shi felt a flicker of panic internally, she showed nothing outwardly, standing rigid and alone. The color of her face did not shift, save for a thread of alarm surfacing in her eyes. Dong Yu, on the other hand, had not expected things to escalate this far, even suggesting they call Qing Shan back. She went to Madam Zhao, pleading, “Grandmother, it’s my fault. I shouldn't have spoken out of turn. If you must blame someone, blame me; I was wrong. My mother was just speaking casually, not meaning anything serious. If things continue like this, who knows what trouble Father will cause when he returns? Please, for the sake of the fact that we are both carrying children, don't let Father know about this, okay? Grandmother, I beg you.” Dong Yu wept as she spoke, preparing to drop to her knees.

Hong Yun, standing nearby, steadied Dong Yu, preventing her from kneeling. Hong Yun was a kind soul; seeing Dong Yu tearful and distressed, she forgot how He Shi had just spoken to her and joined the intercession. “Yes, Mother, it isn't such a major issue. When Elder Brother gets back, this house will be in turmoil again, and we’ll become the laughingstock of others.”

“Hong Yun, spare me your hypocritical pleas. Why didn’t you intercede when Zi Yu left earlier? Is this just to show how virtuous you are? I’ll stand right here today. I refuse to believe that Lin Dajiang, when he returns, would beat me to death. At worst, he can divorce me. I tell you, I’m not afraid anymore. If Lin Dajiang cares so little for the two children, let him divorce me.” He Shi immediately used her children as leverage again.

“He Shi, do you think your pair of children will always be your shield? For years, you’ve turned this entire household upside down, and we tolerated it only for Qing Shan and Yu’er. Now that Qing Shan has a child and Yu’er is married off, you still want to use this pretext? How many times do you think the same reason will work? Today, I am determined to have Dajiang divorce you.” Madam Zhao showed no fear of He Shi’s threats.

“Now that Yu’er is married, she’s already looked down upon by her in-laws. If they find out her mother was divorced by her father, and our home is in this state, Yu’er will have no standing whatsoever where she is. If Dajiang truly cares nothing for Qing Shan and Yu’er’s future honor, then let him divorce me. I’ll just kill myself right here; death ends all. I want to see how your Lin family will conduct themselves afterward. If your mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and several sisters-in-law drive me to death, your entire Lin clan won't benefit either.” He Shi’s threats clearly escalated.

“He Shi, you want to die, do you? Go on. The wall is right behind you. If you don’t manage to kill yourself there, the river in the village can drown people now—you can find a way easily enough. You think you can frighten me with talk of suicide? I truly am not afraid.” Madam Zhao said with a cold smile.

“You are truly so heartless as to wish death upon me?” He Shi had genuinely intended to scare Madam Zhao, never imagining she would utter such cruel words.

“You were the one who mentioned death; I didn’t open my mouth first. But I certainly won't shoulder that responsibility. If you die here today, Dajiang can deal with your corpse however he pleases tomorrow. We’ll even save the cost of a funeral,” Madam Zhao said, taking He Shi’s talk of death entirely non-seriously.

“You wouldn’t dare! While my family isn't wealthy, they won't simply allow you to treat a person like trash.” He Shi’s panic was genuine upon realizing Madam Zhao was immune to her threats.

“Hmph, your family? I hadn't considered them, truly. Your parents are old; they can’t stir up much trouble. If your elder brother and sister-in-law arrive, I might offer them a meal if I’m in the mood, or I’ll toss them out immediately if I’m not. Today, I am not the only one present. Your two daughters-in-law are here, as are all the sisters-in-law and sisters of the household. Everyone has witnessed this from start to finish; they all know who is right and who is wrong.”

“You…” He Shi was completely silenced by Madam Zhao’s successive retorts.

It was clear today that the old woman had no intention of letting her off easily. He Shi knew that if her husband returned to find her throwing a fit again, especially while both his daughters-in-law were pregnant, he would not forgive her lightly. Furthermore, regarding the previous incident with Yu’er, Dajiang had explicitly warned her to behave from now on, or face the consequences. If Dajiang came home now to this scene, with his mother egging things on, there was a high probability he would actually divorce her. What now? He Shi’s mind spun relentlessly. Finally, she noted that Zi Yu had been gone quite some time; it seemed Dajiang would be back soon. Madam Zhao sat stiffly, waiting for Dajiang with a dark expression. At this point, perhaps even an apology wouldn't be accepted by the elder woman; she could only steel herself and hold the line.

He Shi slowly edged toward the door. Since the situation had already reached this precipice, she would deploy her ultimate tactic: feigning death. At worst, she would suffer some physical pain, which was infinitely better than being cast out.

The family sat in the courtyard without a word. Normally, the extremely kind Hong Yun would intercede, but He Shi had thoroughly alienated Hong Yun today. Everyone else had long since lost patience with He Shi and certainly wouldn't plead her case, believing she absolutely needed a harsh lesson to remember.

After waiting a while, sounds of distant voices faintly reached the courtyard from outside. He Shi was the first to hear them and immediately straightened her posture, bracing herself for a major confrontation. She decided that since a battle was inevitable, she might as well make it a huge one today; He Shi was truly ready to risk everything.

As expected, Dajiang and Qing Shan returned together, followed by Zi Yu. Dajiang surveyed the people in the courtyard and asked, “Mother, what is going on today, so suddenly?”

“Dajiang, have you and your wife conspired that you no longer intend to support your father and me? If you do intend to support us, then you must arrange how our household lives; otherwise, we’ll receive no funds for our upkeep, is that it?” Madam Zhao began.

“Mother, what nonsense are you speaking? When did I ever say such a thing?” Dajiang asked, somewhat bewildered.

“If you didn’t say it, then it’s what your wife said. I heard that Yue Mei and Dong Yu are pregnant and came with the family to visit. But your wife spewed a torrent of words like that. I won’t list everything she said, but that was the gist of it. See what you can do about it?” Madam Zhao stated.

“I did say we might temporarily suspend the upkeep money, but those weren't the exact words. I only said that with so many people in the house recently and labor being scarce, and with your family keeping two idle people at home, I wanted to discuss whether we could postpone the support payments for a few months. I never said I wouldn't care for you and Father,” He Shi interjected defensively.