Time-Travel: The Tragic Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Character Makes a Comeback

CHAPTER 113: The 1980s Villain’s Biological Mother (6)

　　Once everyone had left, only the Wang family remained in the courtyard: the old Wang couple, Wang Xiaomei sprawled on the ground, and Mu Shuhui with her two children.

　　Ignoring the pain on their faces, the old Wang couple scrambled to their feet and immediately started cursing.

　　“You damned woman! Be grateful you even got those 500 yuan! Do you really think you're the only one who can use a knife? You think stabbing us would end well for you? You'd get shot too!”

　　“That’s true. Using a knife is illegal.” Mu Shuhui nodded thoughtfully. “In that case, I’ll just use my fists. The police don't interfere in family matters, and the village can't do much about it either. Sounds perfect to me.”

　　As she spoke, she gently patted Er Ya's head, signaling for the two children to go back inside.

　　The children obediently turned and ran into the house.

　　Only then did the old Wang couple belatedly feel a chill crawl up their spines. The places she'd hit earlier still ached faintly. Stammering, they cursed.

　　“Y-you wouldn't dare!”

　　“You wanna find out whether I dare or not?”

　　Mu Shuhui felt her hands still hurt from all the slapping earlier, so she simply grabbed a bamboo pole nearby and marched over.

　　Smack! Smack! Smack!

　　The bamboo pole came down without mercy.

　　“Ahhh! Murder! Somebody help! She's killing us!”

　　The old Wang couple scrambled across the ground in a panic, crawling every which way while screaming toward the gate for help.

　　Unfortunately, not a single neighbor nearby was willing to get involved.

　　When Wang Xiaomei saw her parents getting beaten, she scrambled to her feet and tried to run for the gate. Before she could get far, Mu Shuhui kicked a stool straight at her.

　　“Ahhh!”

　　The stool slammed into her, sending her crashing to the ground.

　　Mu Shuhui strode over, grabbed her by the back of the collar, and tossed her into the middle of the courtyard as easily as if she were carrying a chicken.

　　“Where do you think you're running off to? You were cursing plenty just now. If you ask me, that mouth of yours is begging for a beating.”

　　Smack! Smack! Smack!

　　The sound of the bamboo pole mixed with their miserable cries, turning the courtyard into a scene of wailing and chaos.

　　After a while, Mu Shuhui grew a little tired. One hand rested on her hip while the other held the bamboo pole.

　　Looking at the three of them curled together on the ground, trembling and sniffling, she let out a mocking scoff.

　　“Weren't you supposed to be fearless?”

　　“S-stop hitting us... We won't drive you away anymore, okay?”

　　The old Wang couple were only in their early fifties. In all their years of life, they had never been beaten as much as they had in a single day. At their age, they were genuinely frightened.

　　“As if that's even your decision to make.” Mu Shuhui snorted. “Stop changing the subject. Where's the compensation money?”

　　She tapped the bamboo pole against the ground.

　　The old Wang couple instantly fell silent.

　　Grinding her teeth, Wang Xiaomei lowered her voice and whispered to her parents.

　　“Mom, Dad, don't give it to her no matter what. Worst case, we'll move in with Eldest Brother's family. Otherwise, all this beating will have been for nothing.”

　　That money included the dowry her parents had promised her. If that bitch took it away, it would be like throwing a meat bun to a dog, gone for good and never coming back.

　　The old Wang couple gritted their teeth and played dead. As far as they were concerned, there was no money to give.

　　Mu Shuhui rolled her eyes.

　　“Fine. You won't hand it over? Then let's see who can outlast whom. Just be ready to get beaten every day.”

　　After all the commotion, she was exhausted. Tossing the bamboo pole aside, she headed back to her room.

　　The three members of the Wang family outside in the courtyard finally let out a sigh of relief.

　　Every inch of the old Wang couple's bodies ached. Wiping away tears, they muttered.

　　“As long as that disaster stays here, we'll never have a moment of peace. If she keeps beating us like this every day, we'll be beaten to death sooner or later. We need to come up with something.”

　　Wang Xiaomei's arms and legs were also covered in red welts. Still cursing under her breath, she turned to her parents.

　　“Mom, Dad, why don't you stay at Eldest Brother's place for a few days? Before you go, give me the compensation money. I'll deposit it in town so that bitch won't find it.”

　　The old Wang couple immediately shook their heads.

　　“Once it's deposited, it'll be in someone else's hands. What if they refuse to give it back later? No, no, that's not happening. We'll take it with us to your Eldest Brother's place. Anyway, that money is meant for Chaoyang's future marriage and family.”

　　Wang Xiaomei's expression darkened. She couldn't swallow her frustration and muttered under her breath.

　　“Mom, Dad, you promised you'd save a portion as my dowry. Besides the compensation money, don't you still have the wages Eldest Brother used to send home? Are you really taking all that money over for Chaoyang? Not even a share for me?”

　　The old Wang couple exchanged a glance.

　　Father Wang frowned and said, “We already gave that damned woman five hundred yuan. There's not much left now. As for your brother's wages, those were spent long ago. Where would we get any extra money from?”

　　“You're a girl. Why not focus on marrying into a wealthy family? Other daughters bring benefits back to their families. You're the only one thinking about taking money out. Don't bring this up again in the future.”    

　　Wang Xiaomei had never expected her parents to be this unfair. She was so angry she burst into tears.

　　“Mom, Dad! You're being ridiculous! You've given so much to Eldest Brother's family, yet you're not leaving me a single cent. If I don't even have a proper dowry, people will laugh me to death!”

　　“Enough already. Why are you crying over this? When the time comes, we'll sew you a few extra quilts, alright? You're so immature.”

　　Wang Xiaomei felt as though half her heart had gone cold. The sense of injustice in her chest only grew stronger. Wiping away her tears, she ran back to her room.

　　The old Wang couple, meanwhile, still thought their daughter was being unreasonable.

　　“What kind of girl has it as easy as she does? No gratitude at all. Now she's even got her eyes on Chaoyang's money. Doesn't act like a proper junior in the family.”

　　After returning to their room, the two looked around at the mess. Though furious, neither dared say much.

　　“That damned woman. So she'd already searched through our room earlier!”

　　Mother Wang hurriedly urged her husband.

　　“Quick, let's get the money out. We'll take it to Eldest Son's place tonight before she steals it.”

　　Mother Wang nodded. Carefully locking the doors and windows, she hurried over to a corner beneath a cabinet.

　　She removed a loose wooden board hidden underneath and pulled out a cloth bundle stuffed so full it was bulging.

　　Just as she was about to take it out, she hesitated and shoved it back into its hiding place.

　　“No. If we carry it out now, what if that damned woman sees it and snatches it away? We'll wait until they're asleep and make the trip tonight. The road's easy enough anyway.”

　　Father Wang hesitated for a moment before finally nodding.

　　“Fine. I’ll make a trip later tonight.”

　　The two of them were talking inside the room, while Wang Xiaomei was eavesdropping from outside the door.

　　The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. When she came out earlier, she just happened to see her parents sneaking back into their room.

　　Grinding her teeth, she crept closer to listen, wanting to hear what they were planning. Maybe, just maybe, they still had a shred of conscience and would leave her something.

　　What she ended up hearing instead was that the two of them couldn’t wait to send all the money over to the Eldest Brother’s house.

　　Wang Xiaomei’s eyes turned red, resentment flooding her chest.

　　So they planned to send the money out in the middle of the night? And still not a cent for her?

　　Fine. Then she would take it herself.

　　With that much money, she could just leave this family behind. After all, there was no place for her here anymore.

　　After making up her mind, Wang Xiaomei quietly slipped back into her room and kept a close watch on the movements from her parents’ room.    

　　……

　　Meanwhile, Mu Shuhui gave the two kids a few snacks to tide them over, then supervised their baths.

　　Maybe it was because their mother had been a bit better today, the older boy was more obedient than before and didn’t resist as much.

　　He washed up properly on his own and even boiled water for his little sister.

　　Mu Shuhui took Er Ya to bathe. There was a medium-sized wooden basin at home, and she repeatedly rinsed it with boiling water. She even secretly used soap from her space to scrub and disinfect it before helping the child in.

　　By the time they finished washing up, it was already completely dark. Both kids were rubbing their red eyes, clearly sleepy.

　　The main room had a large heated brick bed, and Mu Shuhui arranged for them to sleep on one side.

　　Er Ya was a little clingy. Even though she was half asleep, she still gripped her mother’s clothes tightly, sleeping a bit uneasily.

　　Only after Mu Shuhui gently patted her did she finally drift off.

　　On the side, the older boy was curled up into a small ball. Thin and small, he looked far less sharp now, almost pitiful in his sleep.

　　Mu Shuhui covered his stomach with a cloth blanket, pushed aside the hair that had fallen over his eyes, and gently touched his thin little face.

　　Then she went off to do other things, not noticing the faint tremble of Wang Chaoyang’s eyelids.

　　Still curled up, he buried his face deeper into the pillow.

　　On the half of his face that was exposed, a tear slowly formed at the corner of his eye, then slipped down along his cheek.

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