He Min’s words completely lit the fuse. Li Cuihua, this volcano, erupted instantly.
“What did you say?!”
Li Cuihua’s voice rose sharply. “He Min! You ungrateful brat! I feed you well, clothe you, do your laundry, cook for you, and this is how you repay me? Helping an outsider stab me in the heart?”
She had completely lost her senses, her eyes bloodshot. She lunged forward, reaching to snatch the pearl clip from He Min’s braid.
“Ungrateful wretch! You’re just like that vixen, your third sister-in-law! Both ungrateful wenches! Bought off by a pair of pearl clips? Don’t you know that all her stuff is paid for with your third brother’s hard-earned money?! It’s our He family’s money!”
Spittle sprayed onto He Min’s face. The girl turned pale with fright, instinctively stepping back and clutching Ji Shuyu’s arm.
What she said was the truth anyway, so why was Li Cuihua so angry? It was the truth.
She had been the one looking after He Qiang when he was little, and Li Cuihua hadn’t even offered a word of thanks.
It was as if giving birth to He Qiang for the He family was some monumental achievement.
He Min had never liked Li Cuihua. She disliked her vulgarity, her rudeness, how she always barged into her room without knocking.
“Eldest Sister-in-law, please watch your language!” Ji Shuyu pulled He Min behind her, her face turning completely cold.
“The gift I gave Minmin is from my own heart! It has nothing to do with He Yuan’s stipend, and even less to do with the He family’s money! Without any proof, how dare you accuse me of spending the He family’s money?”
“Your heart? Ha! Listen to you!” Li Cuihua acted as if she had heard the biggest joke, hands on her hips, her voice shrill.
“You, a pampered city miss who can’t carry a load or lift a weight, living off a man! Where would you get money for pearls? If not by sucking my third brother dry! Sucking our He family dry! And you have the nerve to act all generous here?”
“Giving the best to your mother-in-law and father-in-law, giving expensive things to this sister-in-law, and for me, just a lousy scarf? Ji Shuyu, if this isn’t looking down on me, what is? You’re deliberately trying to disgust me!”
“You’re intentionally trying to drive a wedge between us sisters-in-law, to stir up trouble in this family!”
Her words grew increasingly venomous, her emotions completely out of control.
Seeing the offensive pearl clip in He Min’s braid, jealousy and rage completely consumed her.
Li Cuihua, regardless of the consequences, reached out and grabbed He Min’s braid.
“You little brat, take it off! I won’t allow you to wear this filthy thing!”
“Ah!” He Min screamed, trying to dodge, but her braid was held fast. The pain made it impossible to break free.
“Let go! Let go right now! Why are you pulling Minmin’s hair?” Ji Shuyu shouted sternly, simultaneously using force to block Li Cuihua’s grabbing hand.
She was pregnant and couldn’t move too vigorously. Li Cuihua, used to farm work, was much stronger than her.
Li Cuihua had gone completely mad. She snatched the light blue velvet box from the small table by Ji Shuyu’s bed.
She raised it high, about to smash it violently onto the ground. “I’ll show you giving gifts! I’ll show you flaunting! I’ll smash this worthless junk!”
Just as the box containing the other pearl hair clip was about to fly from her hand…
“Li Cuihua! What are you doing?!”
He Yuan’s voice rang out, stopping her action.
The door curtain was swept aside. A tall, straight figure in a crisp military uniform stood like a mountain blocking the doorway.
He had just returned. Beneath the brim of his cap, his eyes were like ice.
Li Cuihua’s hand, holding the box, froze mid-air. The expression on her face stiffened.
She never, ever expected He Yuan to return at this moment.
He Yuan strode into the room in one step, walking quickly to Ji Shuyu’s side and steadying her with a firm grip.
His eyes quickly scanned over her. “Shuyu? Are you okay? Were you hurt?” his voice was low.
Ji Shuyu shook her head, still reaching to slap away Li Cuihua’s hand that was clutching He Min’s braid.
Only after confirming his wife was unharmed did He Yuan turn those icy eyes towards the frozen Li Cuihua.
All warmth vanished from his gaze, leaving only an intimidating pressure that inspired fear.
If there was anyone in this family Li Cuihua was most afraid of, it was her father-in-law, He Junshan, and her brother-in-law, He Yuan.
She wasn’t actually afraid of her own husband, He Jiang.
“Eldest Sister-in-law, put that down.”
Li Cuihua shivered under his gaze, instinctively shrinking her neck. Her raised arm involuntarily lowered.
The box was still clutched tightly in her hand, but she no longer dared the slightest motion to smash it.
“I don’t care what happened. Shuyu is carrying my child and is the daughter-in-law of the He family. Minmin is the daughter of the He family, my own younger sister. In this house, anyone who dares to lay a finger on them is making an enemy of me, He Yuan!”
He took a step forward, his imposing presence pressing down on Li Cuihua, making it hard for her to breathe.
“You are the elder, I respect you. But that is not a reason for you to throw a tantrum and bully my wife and sister at home.”
“What Shuyu gives Minmin as a gift is a matter of affection between sisters-in-law. It has nothing to do with you, and you have no right to interfere.”
Li Cuihua still wanted to say something, but He Yuan’s sharp gaze swept over her.
She immediately deflated.
“Return the box to Shuyu.”
He Yuan stretched out his hand, his tone cold and hard.
If Li Cuihua weren’t his eldest sister-in-law, he would absolutely not be so lenient.
Extremely unwilling, Li Cuihua handed over the light blue box.
He Yuan didn’t take it, just looked at her coldly.
Li Cuihua understood his meaning. Gritting her teeth, she turned to Ji Shuyu and shoved the box into her hand, her movements rough.
Just then, Wang Shufen, who had been alerted by the noise, hurried over.
Seeing the scene in the room, especially He Yuan’s livid face and Li Cuihua’s ashen one, her heart sank.
“Yuanzi? Why are you back? What… what’s all this commotion?”
He Yuan didn’t answer his mother directly. His gaze remained fixed on Li Cuihua, filled with warning.
“Eldest Sister-in-law, what happened today ends here. From now on, I do not want anyone or anything in this house to disturb her again. Do you understand?”
Li Cuihua trembled all over. Under He Yuan’s powerful aura and her mother-in-law’s gaze, she could only compromise.
She lowered her head, forcing the words out through gritted teeth. “…I understand.”
Having said that, she could no longer stay and fled in disgrace.
He Min burst into tears, throwing herself into Wang Shufen’s arms.
Wang Shufen patted her daughter comfortingly while looking at her son and daughter-in-law with concern.
He Yuan took a deep breath and turned to his mother, his tone softening but still carrying residual anger. “Mom, it’s fine. Please take Minmin out. I’ll stay with Shuyu.”
If he had known that bringing Ji Shuyu here would mean her suffering like this, he should have prepared his family in advance.
“I-I’m sorry, Third Sister-in-law.” He Min was still sobbing.
Ji Shuyu shook her head, reached out, and patted He Min’s head.
Then, speaking to Wang Shufen, she said, “Mom, regarding what happened today, I also hope it won’t happen again.”
“The reason I respect the people in this family is because of He Yuan. If Eldest Sister-in-law acts like this again next time, I will not hold back.”
Beneath Ji Shuyu’s seemingly gentle smile, a coldness emanated.
Wang Shufen nodded, her expression also unpleasant. She was clearly very dissatisfied with her eldest daughter-in-law’s actions today.
Li Cuihua had really gone too far.
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