Grandpa Su was used to a life of luxury and had never done such rough work before. His arms started to ache as soon as he held the hoe.
He was panting heavily after only a few digs, unable to straighten his back. Leaning on his hoe, he cursed at the servants, "You bunch of dog slaves! Do you know who I am? How dare you make me do this kind of rough work! That poisonous woman Shen Qingtang will die a horrible death!"
The spirit servant ignored him completely, raising his hand and lashing his back with a whip. With a "crack," the coarse linen clothes were instantly torn, revealing a red and swollen welt.
Grandpa Su winced in pain and dared not be reckless anymore. He could only grit his teeth and slowly continue digging.
Zheng Yue'e was pampered and spoiled; her delicate hands barely touched the rough handle of the hoe.
It left red marks, and soon blisters appeared.
Looking at her swollen, red hands, she felt a pang of heartache and tears streamed down her face. She cried out to the servant, "I quit! I am the mistress of the Su family, why should I do this kind of work! Shen Qingtang, you vicious woman, let me out!"
But the spirit servant just stood by indifferently, watching her, and didn't even flinch as she cried and cursed.
Su Lingyu wasn't much better off. Her delicate appearance made her unable to withstand any exertion, and after only a few rolls, she was covered in sweat and her hair was a mess.
The rouge on her face was washed away by sweat, and she no longer resembled a young lady from the Su family at all.
She looked at her fingers, which were blistered and bleeding, and thought of Su Lingwei, who was currently living in a charming little courtyard.
Being pampered by Shen Mingzhao, jealousy and resentment almost consumed her, but she could only grit her teeth and continue working, afraid that if she dared to resist again, she would face even harsher punishment.
Su's father and other members of the Su family were not much better off.
They used to live a good life thanks to Su Lingwei managing the business, but now they are forced to do hard labor.
He collapsed to the ground, exhausted, panting heavily.
As the sun rose higher, the scorching sunlight made them dizzy and lightheaded. Sweat streamed down their faces and dripped into the soil, and their bones ached as if they were falling apart.
"I can't go on... I'm too tired..." A member of the Su family collapsed to the ground, saying weakly, "If I had known it would turn out like this, I shouldn't have come with the old man and the others to cause trouble..."
"What's the use of saying all this now!" Father Su gasped for breath, his eyes filled with venom. "It's all that wicked woman Shen Qingtang's fault! If it weren't for her, we wouldn't have ended up like this!"
Despite their complaints, they dared not stop for a moment. The servants kept a constant watchful eye on them with their whips.
The whip will lash down without mercy if anyone slows down.
Gradually, they lost even the strength to curse, and could only mechanically swing the tools in their hands.
All that was left in his mind was the thought of "finishing the job quickly," and there was no trace of the previous intention to cause trouble.
All of this was observed by Shen Qingtang, who was standing outside the courtyard.
She leaned against the door frame, looking at the disheveled state of the Su family members inside.
A faint smile played at the corners of her lips. The maid beside her asked softly, "Miss, would you like to give them some more work?"
Shen Qingtang shook her head, her eyes calm and unwavering: "No need. This is fine. Let them be worn down by hard labor, so they will know what it means to be law-abiding."
From the courtyard came the intermittent curses of Old Master Su and others, cursing her for being vicious, cold-blooded, and wishing her a terrible death.
But Shen Qingtang seemed not to hear, and turned to leave the courtyard.
Those vicious curses were nothing but the wailing of clowns to her, unable to harm her in the slightest. Seeing those who had bullied Su Lingwei meet such a fate...
Seeing that they were no longer able to cause trouble, Shen Qingtang felt only a sense of peace and relief. This was the retribution that the evildoers deserved.
This was also the best explanation she could give to Su Lingwei.
After dealing with the Su family, Shen Qingtang remained vigilant. She knew the man in black lurking in the shadows had not yet revealed himself, and she was determined to thoroughly expose the mastermind behind it all.
He then used his spatial abilities to briefly travel back to the modern era and retrieve a batch of miniature location trackers.
It was quietly placed on Lu Jin, Lin Peirou, the Su family members, and Wang Xiulian.
These trackers are extremely well-concealed and can transmit location information in real time. Shen Qingtang can detect them immediately as soon as they come into contact with the person behind the scenes.
Only after arranging everything did Shen Qingtang breathe a sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, Wang Xiulian, who had been quiet for a long time, did not remain still for long.
Since being punished by Pei Wuwang last time, she has toned down her arrogance.
But she relied on her weak and pitiful appearance, coupled with her deliberate attempts to please others.
He managed to coax Uncle Lu the Second and Uncle Lu the Third once again.
She served tea and water every day, gentle and considerate, yet from time to time she would cry and complain about her "grievances".
By portraying herself as a victim forced by Shen Qingtang, she gradually regained the pity of Lu Ershu and Lu Sanshu, and even made them listen to her again, completely forgetting her previous vicious behavior.
Upon learning this, Pei Wuwang intended to make another move, but Shen Qingtang stopped him: "Let's keep her for now. She's our informant now, and we might be able to find the man in black through her."
Although Pei Wuwang was unwilling, he still listened to Shen Qingtang's words.
They simply secretly increased the number of people monitoring Wang Xiulian's every move.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
