Chapter 2: If You Don't Stop, I'll Beat You to Death

The wife beating her mother-in-law and elder brother-in-law was an unprecedented scandal in Yanyu Village.

Villagers who arrived upon hearing the commotion saw Fang Shi and her son lying on the ground, unable to get up. They then looked at the timid daughter-in-law, Lin Ruanyuan, standing nearby, unsure of what to say.

Lin Ruanyuan had been married into the Fu family for over two years, tirelessly serving her mother-in-law and elder brother-in-law every day without complaint.

"Poor girl, she must have gone mad after hearing about her husband's death," the villagers whispered.

Sitting calmly in her chair, Lin Ruanyuan sneered internally. She wasn't the crazy one; it was this mother and son duo who were mad.

The original Lin Ruanyuan had worked like a horse in the Fu family for two years. After her short-lived husband died, this mother-in-law and son-in-law pair tried to sell her to a rich man to keep the compensation money for themselves.

The village chief, hearing about the shocking incident at the Fu household, hurried over with his cane.

He initially thought it was the same old story of the little daughter-in-law being beaten by her mother-in-law. To his surprise, it was the wicked mother-in-law Fang Shi wailing on the ground, while the usually docile daughter-in-law Lin Ruanyuan sat leisurely in a chair, swinging her legs.

"What happened here? Did bandits attack your home?" the village chief asked, looking at Fang Shi and her son on the ground in confusion.

"Village chief, you must stand up for me! My daughter-in-law beat her mother-in-law. Quickly, have this woman thrown into the pig cage!" Fang Shi cried loudly, her face red and swollen from being slapped by Lin Ruanyuan.

Lin Ruanyuan had initially only given her a slap, but after seeing her son being kicked, Fang Shi couldn't resist cursing Lin Ruanyuan, earning herself a few more slaps from the usually submissive daughter-in-law.

"What did you say? Your daughter-in-law beat you?" The village chief was shocked and clearly skeptical.

"It's true, village chief. This vicious woman beat my mother and me like this. You must seek justice for us," Fu Tian, the crippled elder brother-in-law, crawled to the village chief's feet, struggling to stand after being kicked by Lin Ruanyuan.

"Fu Lin Shi, is what they're saying true?" The village chief looked at Lin Ruanyuan suspiciously, still not quite believing it.

"It... it... is true," Lin Ruanyuan cursed her own stammer before replying loudly.

"You dare beat your mother-in-law and elder brother-in-law?" The village chief was stunned. This girl, who usually didn't dare to look up while walking, did such a thing?

"Yes... I did." Lin Ruanyuan nodded. "The seven outs."

She wanted to beat these unscrupulous people, both to vent the original Lin Ruanyuan's anger and to pave her way out of the Fu family.

According to Da Liang law, if a woman committed one of the "seven outs," her husband's family could divorce her.

One of these seven outs was being disrespectful to parents-in-law.

By hitting Fang Shi, she committed this offense and could rightfully demand a divorce from the Fu family.

Once she had the divorce papers, the Fu family's attempt to sell her to the rich man would be invalid.

"Seven outs?" The village chief pondered, seeming to understand the stammering young woman's intention.

"Uh-huh, seven... outs... divorce..." Lin Ruanyuan stuttered.

"You want them to divorce you." Unable to bear her stammering, the village chief finished her sentence.

Lin Ruanyuan nodded, gratefully looking at the respected village chief.

"So you're aiming for this." Fang Shi finally understood.

"You dream of getting divorced from our family," Fang Shi shouted shrilly as she stood up, brushing off the dust.

'Smack!'

Lin Ruanyuan, who had been sitting, was suddenly on her feet, delivering another loud slap to Fang Shi.

"Divorce... if not... I'll beat... beat... beat you... to death." Her powerful declaration was reduced to humor by her stammering.

If she hadn't already beaten Fang Shi to a pulp, everyone would think she was joking.

"Village chief! Please do something!" Fang Shi's ears buzzed, her face burning with pain. She had never been treated like this in her almost forty years of life.

"Why are you hitting her?"

"Mrs. Fu Lin, I'm still here. How dare you continue hitting people."

The village chief was stunned by Lin Ruanyuan's actions; she didn't give anyone a chance to intervene.

"St-st-stop..." Lin Ruanyuan bit her tongue fiercely, finally getting the words out.

"No stop, no stopping!" Fu Tian was still lying on the ground, shouting loudly.

Lin Ruanyuan kicked him hard in the chest.

"N-no... no stop... we... we... just... just... just..." After biting her tongue again, Lin Ruanyuan was almost crying with frustration: "Just... go to hell together."

If she wasn't stopped, she would be sent to the master's house as a concubine. With so many people there, it would be hard to escape.

Perhaps frightened by her frantic behavior, the village chief hurried forward to restrain her.

"Mrs. Fu Lin, stop it. Killing someone will cost you your life. Do you really want to pay with your life?"

Grabbing Lin Ruanyuan, who was punching and kicking Fu Tian, the village chief shouted loudly and turned to the villagers watching at the door.

"You're all just standing there like dead people. Come help stop this."

He couldn't understand how Lin Ruanyuan, who looked frail and weak, could have such strength.

In fact, Lin Ruanyuan was over 1.65 meters tall, quite tall in this region where women were generally shorter.

The original owner had worked hard for years, so she wasn't weak. Previously bullied just because she was kind and timid.

Now that the village chief had spoken, the onlookers dared not just stand by.

Several women entered the Fu family's small courtyard and together restrained the frenzied Lin Ruanyuan.

"Witch, witch!" Fu Tian was beaten to a pulp, with no part of his body spared.

Lin Ruanyuan was judicious in her punishment, causing extreme pain without causing serious injury.

Seeing his miserable state, the villagers felt a pang in their hearts.

Fu's daughter-in-law was usually honest and upright. What had she been forced into to lash out like this?

"St-st-st-stop?" Lin Ruanyuan stuttered loudly.

Asking for a divorce on the spur of the moment was also a rarity in the village, but everyone wasn't surprised.

The Fu family's plan to sell Lin Ruanyuan to Master Ding's house wasn't a secret. Master Ding was almost dead, and it wasn't surprising that this stuttering girl had such a strong reaction.

"If she won't stop, just divorce her. Why keep such a fierce daughter-in-law?"

One woman pulled Lin Ruanyuan away and said to Mrs. Fu.

"Yes, divorce her. She's committed all seven deadly sins. If she were my daughter-in-law, I'd definitely get rid of her."

Although they were talking about Lin Ruanyuan on the surface, everyone still wanted to help this poor girl.

Lin Ruanyuan nodded gratefully at the women who helped, then looked at Mrs. Fu, who couldn't get up after being beaten by her.

Her fists clenched tightly together, clearly meaning that if the Fu family didn't stop, she would strike again.

"Stop, I'll decide. Let her go."

Seeing Mrs. Fu in pain and struggling to speak, the village chief made the decision for her.

"Then let her go. I don't believe this little mute can find another place to go."

Fu Lin, afraid this little mute really wanted to die with him, spat out a mouthful of blood and said bitterly.