After sharing a body with her husband

Then, Xie Ruoqiu took the child into her arms!

Xie Ruoqiu was tense all over, and looked at Shang Lingjun with great fear, like a mother hen protecting her chicks.

"Mother?"

Little Ying peeked out from Xie Ruoqiu's arms, "Mommy, I'm flying a kite with my auntie, look!"

"Mother is here."

Xie Ruoqiu held the child tightly, cherishing him as if she had lost him and then found him again.

She glanced again at the sachet on the ground, glared fiercely at Shang Lingjun, and forced out the words through gritted teeth.

"Why is Auntie here instead of going for tea?"

A faint smile played on Shang Lingjun's lips as she picked up the aquamarine sachet and said meaningfully:

"Sister Qiu has both a son and a daughter. Aying is four years old, and Ache is not even a year old. She is truly blessed. In the grand mansion of the Earl, Sister Qiu is the mistress of such a prestigious household."

Wealth, status, everything—you have it all. You're always surrounded by servants when you go out. You should cherish these good days.

Xie Ruoqiu pursed her lips and pretended to be confused, saying:

"What does Auntie mean? I don't understand."

Shang Lingjun held the sachet up in front of her eyes and waved it.

"Don't you understand?"

Xie Ruoqiu's face turned pale, but she still forced herself to stay calm, "What's wrong with my aunt? I can't understand a word she's saying."

Shang Lingjun's face instantly turned cold. "Do you really want me to say this in front of the child? Let's talk about it privately!"

Xie Ruoqiu's face tightened, her eyes filled with resentment and unease.

In the pavilion...

"Shang Ling! What have you got to do with this? If you dare touch my Ah Ying, I'll fight you to the death!"

Xie Ruoqiu growled in a low voice, her eyes almost burning with rage.

Shang Lingjun turned around to look at her, expressionless, and slapped her across the face.

Snapped!

"This slap is for your disrespect towards your elders."

Xie Ruoqiu turned her face to the side, completely stunned.

Shang Lingjun actually dared to hit her!

Before she could react, another slap followed.

Snapped!

"This slap is for your insubordination."

Shang Lingjun's gaze was sharp.

Xie Ruoqiu gritted her teeth in resentment, her eyes filled with hatred as if she wanted to devour Shang Lingjun, and was about to retaliate.

"You bitch!"

Shang Lingjun calmly raised an eyebrow. "You dare?"

Xie Ruoqiu then noticed Granny Qiu not far away, staring coldly at her. Xie Ruoqiu's pupils constricted sharply, and she felt a sense of apprehension.

"You! You're slandering me! You hit me for no reason, that's why I'm going to my grandmother to settle this!"

"What, you're allowed to scheme against others, but others aren't allowed to retaliate?" Shang Lingjun said.

Xie Ruoqiu snorted coldly. Not only did she not take it seriously, she even turned around and bit back.

"What have I ever schemed against you for? All I did was take the wrong plum wine. Is that enough to warrant you threatening me with your child? Shang Lingjun, you have such a vicious heart!"

Shang Lingjun slammed the sachet into her face.

"Plum wine, iron nails under the horse's hooves, and this sachet with hidden tricks—every time you're trying to kill me. Do you really think I'm a soft persimmon made of clay, that you can mold and knead at will?"

Under Xie Ruoqiu's astonished gaze, Shang Lingjun grabbed her chin and threatened her coldly:

"Xie Ruoqiu, I'm not going to beat around the bush with you. These two slaps are just a warning. Remember your current status. You're now a member of the Song family, so stay out of your own family's business! If you dare to provoke me again, don't blame me for being impolite!"

Xie Ruoqiu's eyes widened. Shang Lingjun actually dared to threaten her?

She never thought she was wrong!

"You're the one who drove my brother to his death, forced my mother to become a nun, and now you're threatening me with my child? I only hope that justice will prevail and evil will be punished..."

Retribution!

But before she could utter the words "retribution," Xie Ruoqiu swallowed them back.

It's one thing for Mother Liang to come, but why did Granny Qiu also come?

Is the old lady trying to back her up and make decisions for her?

Shang Lingjun moved closer and whispered in her ear:

"Don't blame me for the death of your damned brother. He deserved to die! Do you really think he was possessed by evil spirits because he slept with men? Do you really think he committed suicide out of shame?"

All of this was arranged by the Xie clan elders, and your father agreed to it. If he doesn't die, the reputation of the entire Xie clan will be ruined, and you, a married-out daughter, won't be able to escape either!

Do you want the whole world to know that you have a brother who cheated on you with another man on your wedding night? Or do you want your children to be laughed at for having a cheating uncle?!

Xie Ruoqiu's expression changed, her eyes filled with shock and terror.

"No... Zhaoqing wasn't, Mother said he wasn't... If you hadn't exposed their affair on our wedding night, Zhaoqing wouldn't have died!"

She refused to believe it; it was clearly Shang Lingjun's fault!

"He deserved it!"

Shang Lingjun shouted sternly.

She stared intently at Xie Ruoqiu, her red lips parting slightly, "Xiao Huan getting married is no excuse for him dying!"

Xie Ruoqiu was speechless, her eyes wide with astonishment.

Shang Lingjun coldly withdrew her gaze and said expressionlessly:

"Now that the third branch is ruined, you should know your place. Is it your family's support that the third branch, which has no successor, is relying on you or the entire Xie family? I'll tell you this clearly today: if you want to sever ties with your family, then go ahead and provoke me again."

But before that, I advise you to think about the consequences. If something happens to you, will it be your dead brother who can seek justice for you, or your incompetent father and your mother who has become a nun? These days, which of the third branch of the family will care about you?

Xie Ruoqiu's face turned pale and then white, then pale and then pale again; she looked extremely unsightly.

"You...you're so arrogant...don't think I'm afraid of you!"

Her words were all bark and no bite; she was actually quite insecure.

Shang Lingjun snorted coldly, and then said:

"That's all I have to say. Take it or leave it. If you remain stubborn and insist on going against me while I'm living a good life, just wait and see if I'll let you off the hook next time."

Xie Ruoqiu clenched her teeth, hating that every word was like a knife to the heart, yet also feeling fear and unwilling to speak:

"What gives you the right to represent the Xie family and sever ties with me?"

Shang Lingjun was too lazy to explain anymore, "Then give it a try."

Xie Ruoqiu's face stiffened. If it were just based on Shang Lingjun's words, she didn't believe that she had the audacity to say that her family wanted to sever ties with her.

But today, Granny Qiu was actually by her side.

Xie Ruoqiu felt uncertain. Could this also be a warning from Old Madam Wei to her?

Xie Ruoqiu put on a brave face, but in her heart she knew that Shang Lingjun was right about one thing: the family she could rely on was the Xie family, not the third branch of the Xie family.

More accurately, it refers to Xie Rongguang and the eldest branch of the Xie family.

She never intended to offend her family; she simply couldn't swallow her anger and wanted to avenge her brother and mother.

She never expected that Old Madam Wei would be so protective of Shang Lingjun.

Xie Ruoqiu took two deep breaths and asked through gritted teeth:

"Then what happened to my mother? How did you force her to become a nun at Puji Temple?"

Shang Lingjun curled her lips in disdain.

"Looks like I wasn't wrong, your third sister-in-law tipped you off, didn't she?"

Xie Ruoqiu's forehead vein throbbed, but she did not deny it.

Shang Lingjun glanced at Xie Ruoqiu with pity in her eyes, "Sister Qiu, I think you are really pitiful."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Xie Ruoqiu frowned.

Shang Lingjun chuckled softly.

"I say you're pitiful. This matter happened a long time ago, and the Xie clan elders have already judged right and wrong. But your mother still holds a grudge and, not content with taking revenge on me, she wants to drag you into this mess as well."

She knew perfectly well that once the truth came out, the old lady wouldn't let you off the hook, and your life would probably be ruined, yet she still twisted the facts and dragged you down with her. She didn't consider your situation in your husband's family.

She didn't consider your two children; she only wanted to vent her own anger. Don't you feel sorry for her? Didn't she tell you what despicable things she did to deserve being sent to Puji Temple?!

Xie Ruoqiu remained silent in shock, a crack finally appearing on her feigned composure, and this crack gradually widened.

Unbeknownst to Shang Lingjun, her words inadvertently struck a chord with Xie Ruoqiu, striking at the very spot in her heart!

"You're talking nonsense... How could Mother not consider my feelings?"