The wicked mother-in-law doesn't try to whitewash herself; she only abuses her awful children.

“Since I married into the Gu family, I have served my mother-in-law with utmost care, treated my husband’s younger sister and brother-in-law with love, and been tolerant of my sisters-in-law. I have fulfilled my duties as a daughter-in-law in the Gu family. So what if I didn’t give birth to a son? How can you bring a son to humiliate me?”

“Mother, if you have any complaints about me, you should have the clan chief open the ancestral hall and divorce me in front of the clan members. You can’t let Da Han have a child outside and slap me in the face.”

Chen Su-fen's tearful plea was heartfelt and sincere.

Gu Dahan said anxiously, "Su Fen, Su Fen, it's not like that, let me explain."

When Gu Dahan gets anxious, he can't speak in complete sentences.

This persona further enhanced the credibility of the story in the eyes of the officers and soldiers.

Chen Sufeng roared, "What are you explaining? This child is so big already, what do you have to explain?"

Then he yelled at Tong Huaqiong, "You all lied to me, saying you were buying a girl to keep Man'er company, but it turns out she's Da Han's illegitimate son. I was completely blind! I even felt sorry for him because he didn't have a mother and treated him so well. If this child hadn't secretly called Da Han 'Dad' and Man'er hadn't heard him, I would still be in the dark."

Tong Huaqiong pretended to have a stern face and said to Chen Sufeng, "Eldest daughter-in-law, family scandals should not be aired in public. There are outsiders here now, can you please stop making a scene? Are you deliberately trying to make the Gu family a laughing stock?"

As soon as Tong Huaqiong finished speaking, Man'er burst into tears and rushed towards Xiaolong, shoving him as she cried out in a fierce, childish voice, "You're bad! This is my dad! You wear my dress and wear my velvet flowers in your hair. I've been so good to you, and you still want to steal my dad. You're just as bad as your mother, waaaaah!"

“Dad, you are my dad alone.” Man’er hugged Gu Dahan’s leg.

"This is my dad." Xiao Long hugged Gu Dahan's leg tightly and wouldn't let go.

Gu Dahan looked left and then right, sweating profusely with anxiety.

In the eyes of the officers and soldiers, this meant being torn between two equally important people.

"I'm dead."

"Now the whole village is laughing at me."

"Your whole family ganged up on me."

Chen Su-fen has gone so far as to take a rope and try to hang herself.

Gu Taohua and Liu Yue'e rushed over and snatched the rope.

Liu Yue'e said, "Sister-in-law, it's better to live a miserable life than to die. Even if my brother brings a child from outside, it won't affect you. If he wants to enter our Gu family, he'll have to call you 'Mother.' You don't even need to get pregnant; you'll already have a healthy son. Isn't that great?"

Chen Su-fen cried even harder.

One of the older soldiers frowned. Was this young daughter-in-law trying to comfort someone? It sounded more like she was being sarcastic and unfriendly.

Liu Yue'e then smiled at Gu Dahan and said, "Everyone in the village says that you are honest, but it seems that you can't judge a book by its cover. You're quite something, even when you're just working outside carrying sandbags, you still manage to attract women willing to bear sons for you."

Gu Dahan looked embarrassed after hearing this.

Gu Taohua, holding a stick, said, "Brother, why did you recommend a coachman to the family? It turns out he's your cheap brother-in-law. My sister-in-law is good to me, and now I want her over you. Your cheap brother-in-law deserves to be hit by the carriage. I'll throw him out today."

He was about to go inside and throw people out when Gu Jingzhe stopped him.

The Gu family's courtyard was in complete disarray.

Tong Huaqiong trembled with rage and shouted, "This is outrageous!"

"Do you even respect me as the head of the family?"

The officers and soldiers ate some melon for a while before starting their mission.

The soldier with the knife said, "Someone reported that your family is harboring traitors. Everyone stay in the yard and don't move. We are going to conduct a search."

Chen Sufeng rammed into the soldiers and said, "That's right, they are traitors. This child is a traitor. Take them all away." The soldiers were furious at Chen Sufeng's outburst.

But what can be done about Chen Sufen?

In their eyes, Chen Sufeng was a pitiful, insane woman who had been betrayed by a man.

Chen Sufeng tried to shove the child into the arms of the soldiers, while Gu Dahan, Gu Taohua, and Liu Yue'e went to pull him away.

The scuffle disturbed the officers and soldiers.

The soldier with the knife shouted several times to no avail, and in anger, he drew his knife.

Chen Sufeng flinched and made way for him.

The officers and soldiers avoided the crazed Chen Sufen and began the search.

When Magistrate Liu and Lord Liang heard the commotion in the Gu family courtyard, they assumed that the Gu family had clashed with the soldiers who were searching for them, so they went into the Gu family's house.

When Chen Sufeng saw Magistrate Liu arrive, she cried out and fell to the ground, demanding that Magistrate Liu uphold justice for her.

Magistrate Liu coughed a few times and glanced at Tong Huaqiong.

He didn't believe that Tong Huaqiong couldn't even handle the farce between her son and daughter-in-law.

Unless she doesn't want to deal with it.

Tong Huaqiong came before Magistrate Liu and cried out that she was innocent.

"Lord Liu, I am just an ordinary citizen. How could I possibly know any traitors? Ever since I made some money doing business, some people in the village have been plotting against me, hoping to see me suffer. Now, not only are they hoping for my downfall, but they're also accusing me of harboring traitors. Lord Liu, please do me justice!"

Magistrate Liu said with a stern face, "Don't cry foul yet. Granny Huang said you brought two people from the prefectural city yesterday."

The officers and soldiers carried Su Chengmin from Gu Jingzhe's house to the courtyard.

Tong Huaqiong's heart pounded, and she said, "Magistrate Liu, you just heard it all. This child is my husband Dahan's illegitimate son, and this fellow is the illegitimate son's uncle."

Magistrate Liu said with a stern face, "As far as I know, Gu Dahan is an extremely honest man. How could he suddenly have an illegitimate child?"

Tong Huaqiong glanced at Chen Sufeng, gritted her teeth, and said to Magistrate Liu, "Let me tell you the truth. I am a stepmother, and I don't like my stepson and his wife. I want to find ways to torment them. I also found Da Han's mistress back then, and he didn't dare to disobey. It's because a few years ago, when my eldest son's wife was washing my feet, the water was too hot. She deliberately tried to scald me to death, so I have to teach her a lesson."

Magistrate Liu's face grew increasingly grim.

Tong Huaqiong said, "Lord Liu, please don't rush to call me a wicked mother-in-law. It's true that I want to cause trouble for my stepson and his wife, but it's also for the sake of the Gu family's lineage. My eldest son's wife has been unable to conceive a son, and I won't be able to face my ancestors in the afterlife. Now that I'm bringing the child home, isn't it all for the sake of the eldest son's lineage?"

Lord Liang was unsurprised by what he was seeing.

Putting aside the mother-in-law's attitude towards her stepson's wife, many of his soldiers were away on the frontier for years during wartime, and their mothers would torment their wives.

However, the way Widow Tong dealt with her stepson and stepsister was too stupid.

Her stepson's wife had only scalded the water she used to wash her feet a little too hot, yet she went to great lengths to arrange a mistress for her stepson and bring him into the family.

However, if the child is said to be a son, why is he dressed as a girl?

Lord Liang casually asked Xiaolong, "You said you're a son, so why are you dressed as a girl?"

Xiao Long sobbed, but stopped crying when he heard Lord Liang's question. A look of confusion crossed his face, and he shook his head, indicating he didn't understand. (End of Chapter)