I painted an aircraft carrier on the courtyard house for Dongda University.

Qin Huairu, already battered and bruised, was terrified upon hearing that they were going to Qin Family Village to cause trouble and report them to the authorities. She trembled violently, her face turning deathly pale, even her lips losing all color. She shook her head repeatedly, clutching Jia Zhangshi's trouser leg tightly, her voice trembling with sobs as she pleaded incoherently, "No! Mom, no! Don't go to Qin Family Village! I was wrong, I was really wrong! Whatever you say, I'll do it, please stop, please, please don't go to Qin Family Village!"

At this moment, she had no intention of resisting at all. She only wanted to desperately stop Jia Zhangshi from causing trouble in her hometown. If this matter were to reach Qin Family Village, she would not only be despised by her clansmen, but her parents would also never let her off easily. She might even be beaten to death, just as she had feared before.

Qin Huairu's tears mingled with the blood on her face, making her look disheveled and pitiful.

Jia Dongxu lay on the stretcher, radiating a chilling aura, his face so dark it seemed to drip water. He stared intently at Qin Huairu, who lay sprawled on the floor, his teeth clenched so tightly they pounded together, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, filled with a bone-deep hatred: "Qin Huairu, I'll ask you first, where's Banggeng?"

These words struck Qin Huairu like a thunderbolt. She shuddered violently, her already pale face turning even more bloodless. Her lips trembled as she opened and closed her mouth, her eyes darting around. She didn't dare utter a single word for a long time. The matter of the stick was her greatest weakness, and being asked about it in public made her feel panicked, and even her breathing became rapid.

Jia Zhangshi, who was already furious, saw that Qin Huairu was in such a predicament and still dared to talk evasively and hide her true feelings. Her anger was instantly ignited. Without waiting for Qin Huairu to explain, she raised her hand and slapped Qin Huairu hard across the face. With a loud "smack", the force was so great that Qin Huairu lost her balance and fell to the ground in a sorry state.

Qin Huairu's face already bore several scratches of varying depths, and now a bright red, swollen handprint appeared, the old and new wounds overlapping, a bloody mess, a gruesome sight. The excruciating pain in her cheek made her vision blur, but she dared not utter a sound of complaint. She could only prop herself up on the ground, tears mingling with blood streaming down her face, her voice choked with sobs as she pleaded, "Mom, I was wrong, please don't hit me anymore, I...I..."

Madam Jia was not about to stop. She stepped forward, grabbed Qin Huairu's disheveled hair, forced her to tilt her head back, and with a fierce look in her eyes, demanded in a stern voice, "Stop pretending to be pitiful! I'm asking you, where did Bang Geng go? If you don't tell the truth today, I'll tear your mouth apart!"

Her hair was being pulled tightly, and a tearing pain shot through her scalp. Qin Huairu could no longer hide it and could only sob and tell the truth: "Bang Geng, Bang Geng... I don't know who attacked him. His legs, his legs were broken into comminuted fractures, but he is, he is in the operating room now..." Her voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible. She dared not look into the eyes of Jia Zhangshi and Jia Dongxu.

"What?!"

As if struck by lightning, Madam Jia instantly released her grip on Qin Huairu's hair, staggered back two steps, and then lunged at Qin Huairu, slapping her thigh and wailing. Her voice was filled with despair and collapse, "Oh my! My precious grandson! The only heir of the Jia family! You, a shameless slut, took care of him, and he's now crippled! I'll beat you to death, you useless thing!"

As she spoke, Jia Zhangshi kicked and punched Qin Huairu, scratching her with her hands and cursing incessantly.

Qin Huairu curled up on the ground, covering her head with her hands, letting her be beaten and scolded. She didn't even dare to dodge, and could only let out suppressed sobs, looking extremely pathetic.

Upon hearing this, the crowd erupted in uproar, their eyes filled with contempt and anger as they glared at Qin Huairu, the accusations rising and falling, even more vehement than before. "My God! She can't even take care of her own son, and she's even let someone cripple him! This woman is utterly useless!"

"Not only did she swindle the family fortune, but she also harmed the children; she's utterly depraved!"

"This kind of woman deserves to be taught a lesson; she doesn't deserve to be a mother at all!" Every word was like a knife, stabbing into Qin Huairu.

As Jia Dongxu lay on the stretcher, upon hearing the words "comminuted fractures of both legs," his whole body trembled violently, his chest heaving, as he forced back the pain and grief in his eyes.

He pointed a trembling finger at Qin Huairu, his voice hoarse yet carrying an undeniable ruthlessness: "Who...who did this? Who on earth did it? They didn't even spare a child as young as Banggeng!"

Qin Huairu hesitated for a long time, but finally dared not hide the truth and said, "Bang Geng said... he accidentally bumped into Yu Li and then passed out. When he woke up, his leg was broken. But... but the neighborhood committee sent people to the steel rolling mill to verify, but Yu Li hadn't finished get off work yet and wasn't there at all... Maybe... maybe Bang Geng mistook someone else for someone else and just happened to run into a thief, which is why he was injured like this..."

Jia Dongxu lay on the stretcher, his eyes filled with a frighteningly sinister gaze as he stared intently at Qin Huairu, his gaze like a poisoned blade, as if he wanted to pierce through her.

He was silent for a moment, his teeth clenched tightly, and said in a deep voice, word by word, "Qin Huairu, after I'm discharged from the hospital, you'll come with me to get our marriage certificate again. Give me back the house. Since you went to such lengths to steal my job, then you can go work properly at the factory. From now on, you'll be responsible for supporting the entire Jia family."

These words struck Qin Huairu like a boulder, instantly stirring up a storm of emotions within her. She was filled with reluctance. Bang Geng's legs were already crippled, and the doctor's words implied that recovery was unlikely. Looking at Jia Dongxu's bloodied legs, it seemed unlikely they would fully recover either. She would have to support two disabled people and the entire family in the future; she couldn't even imagine what life would be like.

But just as she was about to speak, she met Jia Dongxu's fierce gaze, which left no room for argument. The words that were on the tip of her tongue were swallowed back, leaving her only with a heart full of entanglement and despair.

Jia Zhangshi, who was already holding back her anger, saw that Qin Huairu remained silent for a long time and dared to pretend to be dead and struggle, and her anger instantly erupted again.

She rushed forward through gritted teeth, grabbing Qin Huairu's hair with such force that she almost ripped her scalp off. Then came a barrage of punches and kicks, slapping her face repeatedly and kicking her hard in the stomach: "Qin Huairu! My Dongxu is talking to you! Did you understand? You dare pretend you're deaf! I'll beat you to death today, you ungrateful wretch!"

Qin Huairu was beaten until she curled up on the ground, convulsing in pain. Several more wounds appeared on her face, and she had no strength left to resist.

Knowing she had no way out, she could only cover her head and beg for mercy, her voice choked with sobs and humility: "Mom! Mom, I know! I'll listen to Dongxu! I'll do whatever you say, please stop hitting me!"

Madam Jia was about to hit him again, but Jia Dongxu gritted his teeth and hissed, "That's enough!"

He endured the excruciating pain, cold sweat trickling down his forehead and jawline, his tone carrying an undeniable authority, "Don't waste time here, go ask the doctor when I can have surgery."

P.S.: Please urge me to update more and give me good reviews. Thank you!