Chapter 27: The Return of Mrs. Jia and the Resurgence of Chaos in the Courtyard

Mrs. Jia has returned.

The news spread through the entire courtyard like a gust of wind. Everyone poked their heads out of their rooms, curiously sizing up the old shrew who, only half a month ago, had been acting so imperiously, but now looked like a withered piece of wood.

"My goodness, is that really Mrs. Jia? How did she get so thin?"
"Look at her eyes—they're staring blankly, like she’s lost her soul."
"She must have suffered plenty inside. Serves her right!"

Xu Damao stood in his doorway, watching Mrs. Jia’s wretched state, and nearly laughed out loud. Retribution! It really was just desserts! For all the times she scolded me! Now you’re getting what’s coming to you!

Hearing the commotion, Qin Huairu rushed out of her room. When she saw the ghastly, ghost-like appearance of her mother-in-law, her eyes instantly welled up with tears.

"Mom! You... you’re back!"

She rushed forward, attempting to steady Mrs. Jia. However, Mrs. Jia acted as if she didn't see her at all, walking right past her with vacant eyes, heading straight for their home. Her steps were unsteady, her body swaying as if she might collapse at any moment.

Qin Huairu stood frozen, a sense of foreboding rising in her heart. What had happened to her mother-in-law? Why did it feel like she didn't even recognize her own daughter-in-law?

Shazhu also crowded over, looking at Mrs. Jia’s retreating back, and clicked his tongue. "Sister Qin, has your mother-in-law... been traumatized inside?"

Qin Huairu ignored him, biting her lip, and followed quickly behind.

Once inside the familiar room, Mrs. Jia looked around, and a flicker of life finally returned to her dull eyes. She saw the thermos on the table, the floral quilt on the bed, and the photograph of her deceased son hanging on the wall.

"Waaaah—"

Mrs. Jia suddenly burst into a wail without warning, her cries shrill, filled with grievances, terror, and endless despair. She threw herself onto the bed, slamming her head against the wall with all her might, screaming as she sobbed, "I don't want to live! I don't want to live anymore! Just let me die!"

This sudden outburst terrified Qin Huairu and Banggen, who had followed her in.

"Mom! What are you doing!" Qin Huairu rushed forward to embrace her.
"Grandma! Grandma, don't do this!" Banggen cried out in fear.

But Mrs. Jia had an extraordinary amount of strength; Qin Huairu couldn't hold her back at all. She acted like a madwoman, smashing and throwing things around the room.

"It’s all your fault! You cursed thing!" Mrs. Jia shoved Qin Huairu aside, pointing at her nose and cursing venomously. "If you hadn't made me take the fall, I wouldn't have suffered like this! You black-hearted, rotten-lunged hussy! You tried to kill me!"

Qin Huairu was stunned by the accusations. Didn't you volunteer for the sake of your precious grandson? Why are you blaming me now?

"Mom, be reasonable, will you..."
"Reasonable? I'll show you what's reasonable right now!"

Mrs. Jia grabbed a broom from beside the bed and lashed out at Qin Huairu, raining blows down upon her. "I'll beat you to death, you jinx! I'll beat you to death!"

Qin Huairu shielded her head, retreating repeatedly as she screamed in pain. Banggen tried to intervene, but Mrs. Jia kicked him away. The room fell into total chaos.

People in the courtyard heard the noise and gathered at the doorway to watch the spectacle. The First Uncle, Yi Zhonghai, frowned, wanting to go in and mediate but fearing he might get hurt by the rabid Mrs. Jia. The Second Uncle, Liu Haizhong, wore an expression of schadenfreude: "Heh, what do you call this? Dogs biting dogs, leaving nothing but fur!" The Third Uncle, Yan Bugui, adjusted his glasses, calculating to himself: With the Jia family in such a mess, life is going to be even harder for them; I need to get back the money Qin Huairu owes me as soon as possible.

Chen Mo stood behind his window, observing it all with cold eyes. He knew that Mrs. Jia’s mind had been completely shattered. Yet, this destruction hadn't turned her into a better person; instead, it had made her more paranoid and insane. She attributed all the grievances and humiliation she suffered in detention to Qin Huairu. She wouldn't dare hate those who truly bullied her, because she was afraid. She could only vent her resentment on those weaker than her, those she believed she could manipulate at will. And Qin Huairu was the perfect target for that vent.

Sure enough, after Mrs. Jia had finished throwing her tantrum—beaten and tired from the cursing—she collapsed onto the floor and continued to wail. Qin Huairu’s hair was disheveled, her body covered in bruises, her face stained with tears; she looked utterly pitiful.

"Mom, what exactly... did you go through in there?" she asked, choking back sobs.

At the mention of her experience inside, Mrs. Jia’s body shuddered violently, and a trace of extreme terror flashed through her cloudy eyes. She subconsciously gagged, as if she could still smell that scent she would never forget.

"Don't ask! You aren't allowed to ask!" she shrieked, clamping her hands over her ears. "I don't know anything! I don't remember anything!"

Her intense reaction only confirmed to Qin Huairu that her mother-in-law must have suffered inhuman treatment inside. Her heart was filled with anger and hatred, and this hatred naturally shifted toward Chen Mo. If it weren't for Chen Mo, none of this would have happened!

Qin Huairu looked up, peering through the crowd, and glared viciously in the direction of Chen Mo’s home. That gaze was filled with venom and bitterness.

Chen Mo felt her gaze, the corners of his mouth curling slightly into a silent smile. Looking at me? Looking at me won't help. This is only the beginning. The Jia family’s "good days" are still to come.

The farce finally ended with Shazhu’s forceful intervention. He burst into the room, snatched the broom from Mrs. Jia’s hands, and pinned her to a chair.

"Enough! Stop the madness! You just got back, and you’re already causing a scene—what does this look like?"

Mrs. Jia was subdued by Shazhu’s brute strength and dared not lash out anymore, only sobbing incessantly. Shazhu helped Qin Huairu up, his heart aching as he looked at her injuries. "Sister Qin, are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

"I'm fine," Qin Huairu shook her head, her voice hoarse. She glanced at her mother-in-law, who was sitting on the floor with vacant eyes, and then at her son, who was too scared to speak. Her heart turned cold. This family is finished. Completely finished.

From that day on, the Jia household fell into an eerie atmosphere. Mrs. Jia became moody, alternating between being catatonic and manic. She no longer went out to the courtyard to curse or argue with people; all her violence and resentment were vented on Qin Huairu alone.

Qin Huairu’s life became unbearable. During the day, she had to work hard at the factory, and upon returning home, she had to serve a madwoman, frequently enduring beatings and verbal abuse. Before old wounds on her body could heal, new ones were added. She thought about resisting, but every time she saw Mrs. Jia’s crazed state, she backed down. She was afraid—afraid that if she pushed the madwoman too far, she would do something even more terrifying.

As for Banggen, after witnessing his grandmother’s madness and his mother’s cowardice, his small, already twisted heart became even gloomier. He stopped stealing and didn't fight with the other kids in the courtyard anymore. He became reticent, returning home immediately after school and locking himself in his room, lost in his own thoughts. Only occasionally, when he looked toward Chen Mo’s home, a chilling, sinister look—far beyond his years—would flash in his eyes.