Chapter 031: I’ll Tear Out Your Tongue

"Shen Ningyuan, get out here right now!"

Just as Shen Ningyuan sat upright, the frantic, shrill roar of Madam Chen echoed from outside. Looking up, she saw Madam Chen blocking the entrance of Feather Finery Pavilion, flanked by a crowd of servants from the Ji household.

Seeing this, Shen Ningyuan felt not a shred of fear. She stood up, faced Madam Chen, and offered a graceful, composed curtsy. "Greetings, Mother-in-law."

Madam Chen pointed a trembling finger at her, shouting furiously, "I am not your mother-in-law! The Ji family does not acknowledge a daughter-in-law like you!"

Shen Ningyuan paused for a moment before bowing again with practiced respect. "Very well... then greetings, Madam Ji."

"You!"

Madam Chen was incensed, her whole body shaking as she jabbed her finger at Shen. "Shen Ningyuan, you shameless creature, your true colors are finally showing! You’ve long wanted to stop calling me Mother and wanted out of the Ji family, haven't you?"

Shen Ningyuan raised an eyebrow, straightened her posture, and spoke in a cold tone, "Madam Ji, what are you saying? The moment I saw you, I greeted you with the utmost respect. It was you who repeatedly insisted that I am not your daughter-in-law and that the Ji family does not recognize me as such; I only changed my address to accommodate your wishes."

She added with a faint, mocking smile, "I have always been respectful toward you, Madam Ji, so naturally, I must follow your instructions."

"You, you, you..." Madam Chen was pushed to the brink of rage. "Sharp-tongued and disrespectful to your mother-in-law! I should drag you to the magistrate and have them tear out your tongue!"

At these words, Shen Ningyuan’s expression darkened, though she remained silent.

Song Yan'er, however, could no longer hold her tongue. She rushed forward and stood in front of Shen Ningyuan. "I am standing right here! Let’s see who dares to touch a hair on Yuan'er’s head, let alone tear out her tongue!"

"Who do you think you are? You have no business meddling in the affairs of the Ji family!" Ji Yunhuan glared at Song Yan'er, shrieking the question.

Song Yan'er retorted without hesitation, "I am Yuan'er's sister-in-law. If you want to bully her, you’ll have to go through me first!"

"So what if you're her sister-in-law? She’s married out; she’s no longer a member of the Shen family. What does this have to do with you?" Ji Yunhuan stood with her hands on her hips, looking utterly arrogant.

Seeing this, Song Yan'er felt her heart racing with fury. After taking a deep breath to steady herself, she spat out two words: "Absurd logic!"

"Whether it's absurd or not, you know the truth in your heart!"

Seeing that Song Yan'er was momentarily speechless, Ji Yunhuan grew even more emboldened. She pointed at the woman behind her and shouted, "Shen Ningyuan has shown disrespect to her late husband—she deserves to have her tongue torn out!"

Madam Chen jumped in as well, pointing an accusatory finger. "Exactly! Shen Ningyuan, my son’s body is barely cold, and yet you are out here brazenly buying new clothes, dressing yourself up like a harlot! Who are you trying to impress? What? Have you already found your next man?"

Madam Chen gestured wildly at her with a hideous, distorted expression. "The world should see what kind of shameless daughter the Shen family has raised!"

She spat on the ground.

Watching the act, Song Yan'er recoiled in disgust. *She is the mistress of a Marquis's estate, yet she acts with such vulgarity? Yuan'er is so young; how could she ever have fared well in her hands? No wonder she changed so much after returning from the Ji family. With a mother-in-law like this, even the gentlest soul would be worn down into a shrew... Oh, poor Yuan'er!*

With this thought, Song Yan'er couldn't help but squeeze Shen Ningyuan's hand. She whispered gently, "Don't be afraid, Yuan'er. As long as I am here, they won't dare to bully you!"

Seeing Song Yan'er standing firmly in her defense, a warmth flooded Shen Ningyuan's heart. She squeezed back, whispering, "Sister-in-law, don't worry. I know how to handle this."

Stepping out from behind her, Shen Ningyuan looked at Ji Yunhuan and asked coldly, "If I recall correctly, sister-in-law, you should be kneeling in the Ji family ancestral hall right now, praying for me and your brother who passed away in his prime. Why are you here?"

"I..." Ji Yunhuan felt guilty and couldn't meet her gaze. After a moment, she gritted her teeth and said, "How could I rest knowing Mother had to come find you alone? Of course, I had to accompany her. What if you bullied Mother?"

"Bully?" Shen Ningyuan let out a sharp laugh. "Sister-in-law, your logic is truly bizarre. I came out today with only two maids, one driver, and four servants—fewer than ten people in total. You, on the other hand, arrived with dozens of servants. Who exactly is bullying whom?"

"You!" Ji Yunhuan was silenced once again, biting her lip and glaring at her. *Since when did she become so sharp-tongued? That wretched woman! All those months of being docile and virtuous in the Ji household were nothing but a performance!*

"Yuan'er, don't waste your breath on them. Even if they brought an army, the Shen family is not to be trifled with! If they dare to do anything to you, I will be the first to make them regret it!" Song Yan'er spoke with emphasis. She could see it clearly now: Madam Chen and Ji Yunhuan had come specifically to make trouble.

"Do you have no sense of shame?" Madam Chen pointed at Shen Ningyuan. "It is this shameless creature who, while my son's body is still cold, goes out to buy new clothes, showing no regard for my son or the Ji family! We came to demand an explanation—is that not allowed?"

"Look at the gossip outside! The things they are saying!" Madam Chen turned toward the entrance, wailing loudly to the crowd of onlookers. "Oh, the misfortune of the Ji family! How did we ever end up with such a daughter-in-law?"

"If my son, Yunchuan, knew his wife was acting this way, he would surely be turning in his grave!"

"You people must bear witness! It is this shameless woman, relying on her family's status, who is bullying us!"

"Oh, my poor son! If your spirit is in heaven, look down and see the 'good wife' you exhausted yourself to marry!"

"Woe is me..."

After her tirade, Madam Chen dissolved into wails, her howling growing louder and more exaggerated. Shen Ningyuan stood behind her, watching the performance with a face as calm as still water. Indeed, Madam Chen was right about one thing: Yunchuan had certainly exhausted himself to marry her!

The crowd, unaware of the truth, began to turn against Shen Ningyuan.

"How shameless, out in public while her husband isn't even cold in his grave, dressed up like that. She must have already found someone else!"

"The poor woman just lost her son, and Shen Ningyuan is bullying her like this. It's too much!"

"Poor Eldest Young Master Ji, dying in battle at such a young age, only to be cuckolded after his death. What a tragic fate!"

"Indeed, it is truly excessive. How could anyone be so heartless?"

The crowd, fueled by Madam Chen’s words, began to heap abuse on Shen Ningyuan. Among them, a man wearing a cloak that obscured his face stood quietly. As he listened to the vitriol of the crowd, his fists clenched tight, and his body trembled slightly with suppressed fury. After casting one deep, lingering look at Shen Ningyuan, he took a long, jagged breath. Pulling his hood lower, he forced himself to swallow the bitterness in his heart.