A fierce wife enters the house: She helps up a house full of spineless people.

The farce in the courtyard finally ended with the second wife's family backing down after Wang Jinzhu's forceful intervention.

The second wife, Liu Yiyi, knew she wouldn't get the five taels of silver today, so she had to give up for the time being. She was just a little girl; let's see how long they can protect her.

Old Mrs. Chen wanted to say a few more words, but when she met Wang Jinzhu's piercing eyes, she couldn't utter a single one.

She had never seen such a formidable new daughter-in-law in her life. The butcher's daughter was definitely not someone to be trifled with!

She could only glare fiercely at the eldest son's family a few times, then, supporting the equally pale-faced old man, she stormed back into the house.

The courtyard suddenly fell silent, leaving only Wang Jinzhu and her family.

Chen Shi and Chen Yuxiang were completely dumbfounded. Looking at Wang Jinzhu's back, they couldn't help but sigh, "This daughter-in-law is too amazing!"

They had been honest and hardworking all their lives, exploited by their parents for half their lives, and always submissive. How could they dare to talk back to their elders like this? What Wang Jinzhu did today was actually quite satisfying for them.

"Jinzhu..." Chen Yuxiang opened her mouth, her voice still hoarse from crying and tinged with unease, "If you talk to your grandma like that, she'll make things difficult for you in the future."

Wang Jinzhu turned around, looked at her mother-in-law whose face was full of sorrow and worry, and sighed inwardly. This family is really used to being bullied.

"Mother, she's making things difficult for me, so can't I retaliate?" Wang Jinzhu didn't take it seriously at all. "We don't cause trouble, but we can't be afraid of it either. If we back down today, Tianwei will really be sold out. In the future, whenever they need money, won't they always squeeze it from our eldest son's family? We are human beings, not pigs they raise, to be slaughtered whenever they want."

Chen Shi and Chen Yuxiang blushed and paled as they listened. The logic was sound, but they had never considered resisting.

"Sister-in-law..." Chen Tianwei, hiding behind Wang Jinzhu, timidly tugged at her sleeve and whispered, "Thank you."

The little girl's eyes were big and bright, still watery from the fright she had just experienced, like a startled fawn.

Wang Jinzhu's heart softened at the sight. She reached out and touched Chen Tianwei's head. The little girl's hair was dry and yellow, clearly indicating malnutrition.

"Silly girl, what are you thanking me for? I've married your older brother, so we're family now. If anyone dares to mess with you again, don't be afraid, just come to me. Your sister-in-law will back you up." Wang Jinzhu grinned, revealing a set of neat white teeth.

In the apocalypse, she was used to being alone, but she was also extremely protective of her own. Anyone she included in her circle would be protected by her.

Chen Tianfang remained silent, staring intently at Wang Jinzhu.

His wife was completely different from what he had imagined. The villagers all said the butcher's daughter was coarse and strong, and no one wanted her. But today he realized she wasn't coarse, she was formidable.

He watched her stroke Tianwei's head, her smile bright and warm. In his heart, something seemed to have gently bumped into him, leaving him feeling numb and itchy.

"Does your face still hurt?" Wang Jinzhu's gaze shifted to his face, and when she saw the two scratches that had begun to bleed, her brows furrowed again.

"It doesn't hurt," Chen Tianfang said, touching his face, his voice muffled.

"It's all broken and it doesn't hurt? Do you not feel pain?" Wang Jinzhu glared at him, then pulled him into the house. "Hurry up, let me treat it for you. It's such a pity to have such a beautiful face scarred."

Being praised so bluntly by her, Chen Tianfang, a tall man over 1.8 meters, blushed instantly, his face turning even redder than the bloodstains on his face. He didn't know what to do with his hands and feet, and could only let Wang Jinzhu pull him into the bridal chamber.

Chen Shi and Chen Yuxiang looked at the backs of their two children, exchanged a glance, and saw a sense of relief and ease in each other's eyes.

It seems that this family is going to change from today onwards.

Once inside, Wang Jinzhu asked Chen Tianfang to sit down, while she began rummaging through her dowry chest. The original owner's mother, feeling sorry for her and worried she might suffer mistreatment after marriage, had filled her dowry with many fine items, including some commonly used medicines for injuries.

"Bear with it, it might hurt a little." Wang Jinzhu unscrewed the cap of the ointment, dabbed a little with a clean cloth, and carefully applied it to his face.

Her movements were very gentle, carrying a tenderness that was completely different from her previous shrewish demeanor.

Chen Tianfang sat ramrod straight, not daring to move an inch. He could smell the faint scent of soap emanating from her, and the warm breath she exhaled on his cheek made him stiffen completely.

"Jinzhu," he finally couldn't help but call out her name.

"Hmm?" Wang Jinzhu answered casually as she focused on applying the medicine to him.

"Thank you for today." He thought for a long time, but could only say thank you.

"Saying thank you again," Wang Jinzhu looked up at him, meeting his dark, deep eyes. "Chen Tianfang, remember this: I married you, so you're mine. I can bully my people, but no one else can touch them. Next time something like this happens, don't just stand there and let them hit you; you have to fight back, understand?"

我的人。

These three words seemed to possess a magical power, exploding like fireworks in Chen Tianfang's heart. Looking at Wang Jinzhu's radiant face and the undisguised protectiveness in her eyes, his heart pounded faster and faster.

"I dare not, that's... my grandma," he stammered as he explained.

"So what if I'm a grandmother? Does that give me the right to beat my grandson? Does that give me the right to sell my granddaughter?" Wang Jinzhu sneered. "We should be filial to our elders, but only if they act like elders. If they have no shame, why should we give them any respect? From now on, remember one thing in that family: we, the eldest son's family, owe no one anything. Anyone who tries to take advantage of us, don't even think about it!"

As Wang Jinzhu spoke, she treated his wound.

"Alright, don't get it wet for the next couple of days, it shouldn't leave a scar." She put away the ointment, looking at her masterpiece with satisfaction.

Chen Tianfang looked at her and nodded solemnly: "Yes, I'll listen to you."

At that moment, he seemed to have found his true anchor.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the east room was icy cold.

Grandma Chen sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) in a fit of rage, slapping her thigh repeatedly. "She's gone too far! She's really gone too far! That Wang Jinzhu is a troublemaker! She only married into the family on her first day, and she dared to hit me and talk back to her elders! I think she's corrupted the whole family; they've all become like gourds with their mouths sawed off, watching me get bullied without saying a word!"

Old Chen sat beside him, puffing on his pipe, his face so gloomy it seemed to drip water.

The second wife, Chen Yang and Chen Xiufen, were also there. Chen Xiufen fanned the flames, saying, "Mother, don't be angry. It's not worth ruining your health. But to be honest, Wang Jinzhu is really too much. What kind of new bride causes such a ruckus on her first day? She doesn't know any manners at all. Who knows what kind of mess she'll make of this family in the future?"

"It's all that butcher Wang's fault! What a fine daughter she's raised! She's got the air of a thug!" Old Mrs. Chen cursed. "I'm telling you, this isn't over! She thinks she's so capable? I'll see just how capable she really is! Tomorrow morning, I'll make her get up and cook for the whole family! I'm going to teach her a lesson, show her who really calls the shots in this Chen family!"

Chen Shuyan sat in the corner, his face grim. Today's events were shameful not only for Old Mrs. Chen, but also for him. He, a student preparing for the imperial examinations, a future scholar, had been insulted to his face by a butcher's daughter—he couldn't swallow this insult.

"Mother, you're right. We can't treat this kind of woman well. We have to let her know who's in charge of this house!"

Each member of the family had their own ulterior motives, and they were all thinking about how to give Wang Jinzhu a hard time tomorrow.

They all thought that Wang Jinzhu was just making a fuss today because she was a new bride, and that she would have to behave herself once the novelty wore off.

Unfortunately, they were all wrong.

Wang Jinzhu has never been one to compromise herself.

She didn't marry into this family to be their slave.

She's here to take charge.