Step on a human flesh bench
It was getting dark.
The oxcart turned onto the main street in front of the Shen Mansion, and the crab-claw deliberately slowed down, moving slowly and leisurely.
The gatekeeper saw it from afar and quickly informed the gatekeeper.
When the news reached the backyard, Shen Congyun's younger sister, Shen Lanyan, lowered her gaze and slid a piece of tender white fish sashimi from her chopsticks back onto the porcelain plate.
She loves sashimi the most; one bite and it's sweet, tender, and smooth, leaving a lingering fragrance in your mouth.
But the sight of that tender white flesh being picked up and then falling reminded her of her own elaborate wedding ceremony, which was halfway through, with the betrothal geese already collected. But because Lin Huaiyin, that jinx, insisted on marrying into the Shen family, her fiancé was willing to endure sixty strokes of the cane rather break off the engagement.
A single letter of annulment turned Shen Lanyan from the prime minister's younger sister into a laughingstock.
She's only fifteen years old, why should she suffer like this?
Why should Lin Huaiyin be able to marry whomever she wants? She's a lowly woman who was ruined by thieves, why should she be able to marry such a good husband as my brother?
Why should I?!
Shen Lanyan grew angrier the more she thought about it, and smashed her chopsticks away with a "smack".
The maids were used to her getting angry whenever she heard Lin Huaiyin's name, and while tidying up, they were relieved that she hadn't overturned the table.
The elderly Mrs. Shen, who was having dinner at the same table, pretended not to see anything, and continued to pick up food with her bowl, maintaining her composure.
“Mother,” Shen Lanyan was furious when she saw that her mother was unmoved. “How can you swallow this? She left without saying goodbye. Does she even care about you, her mother-in-law? She went to the Lin family and didn’t come back until dark. She doesn’t respect you or our Shen family at all!”
Across the table, the old lady was furious, but she ignored her, continuing to eat and drink as usual, chewing slowly and without stopping.
She was a resilient and composed person; otherwise, nine years ago, on the day her husband died saving Princess Pingyang, the Shen family would have been devastated and never to be reborn.
For nine years, Madam Shen raised her two sons and one daughter, enduring countless hardships and her hair turning white with age. Fortunately, her two sons lived up to her expectations, passing the imperial examinations one after another and enjoying smooth careers. The Shen family also rose from insignificant tomb guards to move from the imperial mausoleums in the suburbs of Beijing to the capital, becoming a highly sought-after family of the Grand Secretary.
Every sleepless night, when no one was around to whisper to her, Old Madam Shen would wipe the cold pillow and talk with her deceased husband all night long, talking about how successful their sons were, how their daughters had married well, and how, after their deaths, their children and grandchildren had multiplied and become the ancestral lineage of the Shen family of Jingzhao.
However, in the past year, such long talks have gradually turned into long sighs.
The eldest son, Congyun, had rendered meritorious service in suppressing bandits and had also saved Miss Lin. Logically, the Emperor should have bestowed favors upon him, the Crown Prince should have granted him grace, and the Lin family should have been grateful. However, that bunch of black-hearted bastards in the Lin family repaid kindness with enmity and forcibly married their daughter, who had been trapped by bandits for fifteen days, into the Shen family.
The Lin family was of high social standing and deep roots. With the imperial decree, she was forced to marry him. The Shen family was newly rich, with an unstable foundation, and she could not refuse. Her precious son, Congyun, the most promising and brightest son, was thus forced into marriage with the legal wife.
My son has done good! My son has done nothing wrong!
Madam Shen harbored resentment. She knew her son, Shen Congyun, also resented it; otherwise, he wouldn't have refused to consummate the marriage on their wedding night and hadn't spent the night at Qingyin Pavilion since.
Since the young couple did not share a room, they naturally had no hope of having children. For this reason alone, Madam Shen could not tolerate Lin Huaiyin.
Moreover, she vaguely heard that because this marriage involved the Imperial Guards, it aroused the emperor's and the crown prince's suspicion, and also affected Congyun's career. Although her son did not mention it at all, now that her second son Zaiyuan has been sent to a disaster relief post and her youngest daughter Lanyan's marriage has been called off, one can imagine the current situation of the Shen family.
She can't even give birth to a grandson, and she's ruining my son's future and Lan'er's marriage. Isn't it a shameless woman who's destroying the Shen family?
In the dead of night, Madam Shen made a vow to her deceased husband: she would drive away Lin Huaiyin and preserve the Shen family's legacy.
However, this matter was extremely difficult. The imperial decree of marriage was there, and the mother-in-law had no right to cancel it.
After much thought, Madam Shen came up with an idea: Lan'er's outburst would give her a legitimate reason to cause trouble, putting her in a difficult position. She could then persuade the new daughter-in-law to be accommodating. By playing both sides in this way, even if the little wretch wanted to go back to the Lin family to complain, she wouldn't be able to find fault with her as the mother-in-law. It would just be Lan'er being petty, and who could do anything about it?
If that little slut insists on staying at the Shen family, then she'll be tormented every day. If she can't take it, she should go back home herself.
As Shen Lanyan grew angrier, Old Madam Shen remained silent. If things continued like this, to the point where she wouldn't even eat properly, she would helplessly put down her chopsticks and sigh, "No matter how unruly your sister-in-law is, it's because your brother spoils her. Even if I don't care about your brother, I still have to consider the Lin family. You should be more sensible by now."
Upon hearing this, Shen Lanyan stood up abruptly and said no more.
Her biological father died early, and her biological mother had no backbone. She endured humiliation for half her life and didn't know what it meant to be tough. Now that her brother is the Grand Secretary, who in the entire capital doesn't respect the Shen family? How can she be bullied at home by a wild woman?
She wanted to stand up for her mother!
She wanted to let the Lin family know—this was the Shen family home, and someone could handle her!
"Granny Xu!"
At Shen Lanyan's call, Xu Mama, the personal maid of Old Madam Shen and the head of the inner quarters of the Shen household, hurriedly responded, "Miss."
"Follow me!"
Shen Lanyan turned and left, her maidservants hurriedly following. Xu Mama gave Old Madam Shen a deep look and quickly chased after her.
"Miss, Miss, please calm down." Xu Mama pretended to tug at Chen Lanyan's sleeve, forcing a bitter smile as she advised, "Miss, you would never dare to offend Madam. Please think about the old lady; she's really having a hard time."
Upon hearing this, Shen Lanyan's anger intensified. She turned and glared at Granny Xu: "It is precisely because my mother is in trouble that I must discipline her! Send someone to the ancestral hall, lock the doors and windows, and burn five bushels of incense. I want to teach that Lin fellow a lesson and make him remember the rules of the Shen family!"
Upon hearing this, the maids lowered their eyes and fell silent, and the bitter smile on Xu Mama's face immediately became more genuine.
Xu Mama lived a long time; she served the Shen family when Old Master Shen was working at the imperial mausoleum.
According to imperial custom, to maintain secrecy, once the emperor was buried in the mausoleum, the craftsmen who built the mausoleum were suffocated and buried with him. The deaths of tens of thousands of people made her shudder every time she looked at the imperial mausoleum.
Shen Lanyan's act was exactly what is known as "suffocation torture," locking a person in an airtight place and subjecting them to smoke and fire. While there may be no visible injuries on the body, the internal organs will be damaged, potentially leading to serious illness or even death.
The young lady could describe such torture so casually that Xu Mama was horrified, feeling it was a bit excessive. But then she thought: locking them up a little wouldn't be a big problem. At the very least, she should lock up Lin Huaiyin and her two maids to suffer, to vent the old lady's anger.
Thinking this, Granny Xu nodded and signaled the maids to do it. She then followed Shen Lanyan and two maids toward the mansion gate.
Logically, from the time the gatekeeper announced the lady's return to the mansion until the group of women came out, a short time should have passed, and Lin Huaiyin should have already entered the mansion.
However, when the group came out, they bumped into Old Mo, the head steward of the outer prefecture, who was also there to greet them. The two sides met face to face, and Lin Huaiyin's oxcart was still swaying and rocking outside like a snail.
Led by Shen Lanyan, a large group of people stood at the main gate of the Shen residence.
The lantern light shone upwards, reflecting on people's faces, making them look exactly like the Black and White Impermanence, and the Ox-Head and Horse-Face.
Crab Claw, with its sharp eyes, saw that Shen Lanyan had actually come out. While admiring her foresight, it cracked its whip and headed towards the mansion gate.
As soon as the car came to a stop, she jumped out first, without turning back to help Lin Huaiyin. She tilted her head to the side and folded her small hand on her left hip as a greeting to the young mistress of the Shen family, Shen Lanyan.
Shen Lanyan remained expressionless, disdainful of speaking to her, and Xie Ao also disdained her response, smiling as he took a small leather whip and moved closer to Granny Xu.
"Granny Xu, you've been a great help!" Xie Ao exclaimed with delight, jumping up and grabbing her arm. "Come quick, Granny, please help Madam!"
The sudden tug left Granny Xu bewildered. She didn't want to get involved, relying on her high rank and tall stature, she thought the crab claw wouldn't be able to pull her. However, her flabby flesh was no match for the crab claw's skillful maneuvering. She dragged it away in a few steps, pulling it to the oxcart.
"Right here, right here, squat down."
The crab claw aimed at her shoulder, and with a clever twist—
Ouch! Granny Xu winced in pain as a force on her shoulder pressed her down, causing her to squat down and curl into a ball.
This situation left Shen Lanyan and the others dumbfounded.
Xu Mama was indeed a servant, but she was the old maidservant who served Madam Shen personally and managed the entire inner quarters. When there was no master in the mansion, Xu Mama was the one in charge.
The night wind blew the lanterns, the light and shadows swayed, and Shen Lanyan's cherry lips parted slightly. The scene in front of her was truly unbelievable to her: How dare that stupid girl, who usually doesn't say a word and is so afraid to stand up, lay down on Xu Mama?
I went back to the Lin family. Did that bitch Lin Huaiyin think she had someone backing her up?
Shen Lanyan was furious. She grabbed the hand of the maid and ran down the steps, only to find that Xu Mama was too fat to stand up straight. Instead of letting go, Xie Ao held her head and pressed her down heavily, revealing Xu Mama's entire broad back.
"Granny, stay calm, please stay calm." Crab Ao suppressed his anger and whispered into the carriage, "Please alight from the sedan chair, Madam."
Before she finished speaking, Shen Lanyan strode closer. Her two maids were about to help Xu Mama up when Yu Li suddenly jumped down and turned around to support a clumsy figure.
Shen Lanyan looked closely and saw that the rough and clumsy figure was none other than Lin Huaiyin, who was wearing a long robe on her head. Lin Huaiyin was swaying and looked delicate and weak, unable to stand on her own. She slowly took a step and landed on Xu Mama's back.
One foot, then another.
Lin Huaiyin stood firmly on Xu Mama's back, as if she were stepping on an ordinary step stool.
At first, Xu Mama didn't understand what was going on. Now, in front of everyone, she was being pulled onto a stool, treated like a pig or a dog, and trampled on like rotten wood. She felt utterly humiliated and was burning with anger.
This is outrageous! She is the old lady's confidante and the head steward of the Grand Secretary's household, yet she is being trampled on and humiliated like this. Is this a slap in the face? This is a resounding slap in the old lady's face!
For her own sake, and even more so for the old lady, she had to stand up! Granny Xu struggled desperately, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't move an inch. The crab claws were clamping down on her, and Lin Huaiyin was trampling on her. Both of them were trained martial arts masters who had grown up in the training ground and were skilled in martial arts. They had her vitals firmly in their grasp, and she had to endure the humiliation.
Unable to move, Granny Xu screamed like a ghost—
"Miss, Miss, save me!" "Madam, Madam, save me!" "No, no, you're going to trample this old woman to death!" she cried out, hoping someone would lend her a hand.
However, Shen Lanyan was already terrified by the scene before him, his eyes were like those of a dead fish, and he couldn't hear her at all.
Old Mo, the head steward of the outer residence, was clear-headed. Like Granny Xu, he had served the Shen family for decades and naturally wanted to help. However, Lin Huaiyin was standing on Granny Xu's back and looked shaky and about to fall over at the slightest touch. No matter how much he wanted to help, he didn't have the courage to step forward.
In a flash, he suddenly realized why Lin Huaiyin's oxcart had lingered for so long, waiting for them to come and fetch her—what the lady wanted was to make a scene in the street!
At the entrance of the mansion, on the main street, lanterns were lit, and it was like a stage performance. Neighbors peeked out and looked around, and everyone understood what they were seeing and hearing. Not to mention the patrolling imperial guards, who might suddenly appear at any time.
Lin Huaiyin is the lady of the Shen family and the apple of their eye. So what if she's arrogant, domineering, and tramples on a servant? She has that kind of status! She can trample on ten or eight servants as well!
But if they make even the slightest mistake, like bumping, falling, or getting hurt, and the news gets back to the Lin family, and the Lin family comes to demand an explanation, they wouldn't have enough lives to pay for it!
After a moment's thought, Old Mo, the head steward of the outer residence, felt a chill run down his spine. Firstly, he was afraid that the matter would escalate and spread, leading to the Censorate impeaching his master for not managing the household properly. Secondly, he couldn't understand why his wife, who had been in the residence for half a year and had always been reserved and kind to everyone, would suddenly start playing tricks.
Beside her, Xie Ao comforted Granny Xu: "Granny, you've gone to so much trouble, but the lady is so heavy. If you keep yelling and shouting like this, you'll frighten her. How will you get a reward later? Hehe, it'll be alright soon, please bear with me."
Yu Li was also on the other side, carefully supporting Lin Huaiyin, reminding her repeatedly, "Madam, be careful, take it easy, slow down..."
"Then slow down," Lin Huaiyin obeyed, secretly increasing her strength, her mind filled with images of Xu Mama's past beatings and scoldings of Yu Li and Xie Ao.
Endless hatred lingered, and the force of her stomping grew heavier and heavier. She could clearly feel the soles of her shoes and her clothes, and she could feel the rise and fall of Xu Mama's spine beneath the thick skin.
At this moment, Lin Huaiyin thought of the red-eyed rat in the imperial prison who was beaten to death by the sparrow-headed shoe.
That beast deserved to die.
Her fish, Yu Li and Xie Ao, had no grudge against these people, yet they were abused and tortured to death in the Shen family mansion. These people were like stinking rats in the Shen family mansion, a prison. Lin Huaiyin felt that even stomping this shameless shrew would not be enough to quell her hatred.
However, on the surface, she pretended to be timid and dared not take a step easily. Only when Yu Li pinched her palm to indicate that she would stop when she was satisfied did she slowly begin to move.
Upon landing, Lin Huaiyin instantly transformed into a frail willow, slumping against Yu Li's arms, unable to stand steadily.
Crab Ao immediately let go of Granny Xu and came to help her up.
Once the restraints were gone, Granny Xu collapsed to the ground, spitting out blood-stained teeth, her mouth filled with the metallic taste of blood, her heart filled with hatred that made her want to skin someone alive.
Having lived for fifty-six years, she had risen in status and wealth along with the Shen family, and had never suffered such a humiliation.
She couldn't stand it anymore, she couldn't bear it any longer, she wanted to throw the three of them, master and servant, into the ancestral hall and suffocate them!
Turning her head to glare back, Xu Mama's eyes were bloodshot and her gaze suddenly met Lin Huaiyin's face. Lin Huaiyin's eyes, however, shot out a murderous glint like a cold arrow.
The moment their eyes met, Xu Mama felt a chill run down her spine and was filled with dread. Her eyelids stiffened, and she couldn't close her eyes or turn them away. She felt as if she had been nailed to the ground by an arrow, and in her dying moments, the last image she saw was Lin Huaiyin.
horrible.
Granny Xu was completely out of her mind and remained motionless.
Lin Huaiyin withdrew her gaze, just like a proud daughter of a military family taming an inferior horse in the Beiyuan training ground.
They're just inferior beasts, not worth a look, and they bring no joy whatsoever.
But the plan must continue.
Lin Huaiyin narrowed her eyes, smiled sweetly, and spoke in a gentle voice that carried in all directions: "Quickly help Granny Xu up. Today is a joyous occasion, and Granny Xu was the first to receive the good news, so she should be the first to receive the reward. Come with me to tell the old lady the good news and ask for a reward."
When it came to "asking for a reward," Lin Huaiyin smiled gently, her eyes sparkling like stars. She was indeed a charming and lovely young lady. Xu Mama, on the other hand, was startled. Shen Lanyan's maid stepped forward to help her up, and the gentle touch made her jump again.
She was afraid.
The kinder Lin Huaiyin was, the more afraid she became; she would rather Lin Huaiyin hit her.
Seeing this, Xie'ao stepped forward to lend a hand. Backlit, she grinned, revealing a row of gleaming white teeth, and sneered at Granny Xu: "Granny, you've worked hard. Let me help you—"
"No need!" Granny Xu was terrified that the crab claws would touch her, so she grabbed Shen Lanyan's maidservants and pulled them back, almost causing the two girls to fall. They quickly got up and stood up straight.
"Granny is truly brave and resolute." Crab Ao praised her generously, bustling around to help Granny Xu tidy her clothes, showing great care.
In the eyes of the surrounding neighbors, there was no discord between master and servant. Lin Huaiyin, the daughter of a century-old military commander, was truly kind-hearted. She was so delicate and weak that she had to borrow a human stool, and in return, she was rewarded. Who wouldn't like such a master? They just didn't know what this so-called "great joy" was.
In an instant, people craned their necks to join in the fun, and Old Mo, the chief steward of the outer palace, listened intently to everything around him, secretly thinking that fortunately no trouble had been caused and no one had been caught making a mistake.
Granny Xu was very sensible and understanding; she was indeed worthy of being the old lady's servant, capable of enduring what ordinary people could not. Old Mo cast an admiring glance at Granny Xu.
Shen Lanyan stood aside, gradually realizing what was going on—that bitch Lin Huaiyin, she slapped her and then gave her a piece of candy, treating Granny Xu like a toy!
She was furious, and even more so, she hated that Xu Mama was just like her mother, a complete spineless coward who not only embarrassed herself but also caused her mother's face to be swollen from being slapped.
The Shen family members are all incompetent, inside and out, only she is not afraid of power, she must support this family!
A surge of anger burned fiercely; her breath nearly blew the lantern away. Shen Lanyan no longer cared about Granny Xu's crab claws; she strode up to Lin Huaiyin and raised her hand to slap her—
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
