Chapter Twenty-Three: What a Fragrant Cup of Green Snail Spring Tea

"Lin Xiuzhi, you claim to be my mother?" Qiao Luo's gaze grew cold. "You are nothing but the stepmother my father married after my mother passed away when I was eight. You abused me from the moment you entered my life. By the age of eight, I was forced to do the laundry for the entire family; I even had to wash your blood-stained undergarments when you were on your period. In the dead of winter, you forced me to wash clothes in freezing water in the snow without a padded jacket. You beat and scolded me at every turn. How can someone like you have the audacity to call yourself my mother?"

The onlookers turned to Lin Xiuzhi with expressions of shock.

Lin Xiuzhi’s face flushed a deep crimson, and she flew into a rage born of embarrassment. "You—you’re lying!"

Qiao Luo stepped directly toward her, her eyes icy. "Lying? Do you want me to call the village chief right now? Shall I ask him how you abused me all those years? If it weren't for my grandfather, I would have been abused to death by you long ago!"

The focus of the crowd’s gossip shifted instantly from Qiao Luo to Lin Xiuzhi.

"My goodness! So she’s a stepmother! And an abusive one at that!"

"Comrade Qiao Luo really had it hard! But now that she’s marrying Commander Qin, her future will be bright."

"What about her father? He’s her biological father, for heaven's sake!"

"What do you know? A stepmother means a stepfather! Let me tell you, back in my hometown, there was a family just like this..."

Zhou Mengni looked at Qiao Luo with deep sympathy. "Luo Luo, I had no idea you had it so rough in the past..."

Lin Xiuzhi felt the stinging heat of the crowd's judgment on her face. Chen Zhi'an, feeling humiliated, hid behind her mother, nursing a burning hatred for Qiao Luo. She thought Qiao Luo was being excessive, airing such dirty laundry in public.

It was clear to her that Qiao Luo was doing this specifically to shame them.

Lin Xiuzhi, naturally perverse, quickly regained her composure despite the mounting criticism. She began to wail, "Every child in the village grew up the same way! Times were hard back then; your father and I had to work in the fields. What was wrong with you doing a few chores around the house?"

Feeling more emboldened, she pushed open the courtyard gate and stared defiantly at Qiao Luo. "Did we ever starve you or leave you without clothes? Say what you will, didn't your father and I raise you to adulthood? What, now that you’ve hooked a high-ranking official, you don’t want to acknowledge us anymore?"

She began to throw a tantrum. "You ungrateful, cold-hearted wretch! Everyone says it’s hard to be a stepmother, but I’ve suffered so much!"

"Bah!" Qiao Luo’s face turned red with anger. "Everything I ate and wore came from my grandfather! What did you ever do? You stripped the clothes my grandfather bought for me to give to your daughter! You snatched the eggs my grandfather boiled for me to feed to your daughter! Filial piety? You abused me like that and you expect me to be filial to you?"

As Lin Xiuzhi heard Qiao Luo continue to expose her, the surrounding crowd grew louder and more agitated. In a fit of blind rage, she lunged forward, trying to slap Qiao Luo across the face.

Qiao Luo, of course, did not let her land the blow. She seized Lin Xiuzhi’s wrist and shoved her back out of the courtyard.

Seeing Lin Xiuzhi's move, Chen Zhi'an knew disaster had struck. Sure enough, the crowd began to lash out.

"My heavens! This stepmother is something else—trying to hit her in front of all of us! Comrade Qiao Luo must have been beaten countless times in the past!"

"Exactly, that move was far too natural for her!"

"To dare to bully a military family member right here in our compound! She must be tired of living!"

Zhou Mengni rushed over, shielding Qiao Luo and glaring furiously at Lin Xiuzhi. "Try moving your hand again, I dare you!"

Lin Xiuzhi was truly intimidated now. Sensing the situation spiraling out of control, Chen Zhi'an stepped in to explain.

"Aunties, please, my mother didn’t mean it. We’ve been on the train for two days—we’re exhausted, hungry, and thirsty. We didn't expect my sister to block us out of the house." Her voice was soft, laced with grievance. "Sister, we really just came to visit you."

Perhaps because Qiao Luo had focused her accusations solely on Lin Xiuzhi, the crowd hadn't yet formed a negative opinion of Chen Zhi'an. Seeing her current state, the voices criticizing Lin Xiuzhi softened slightly.

Qiao Luo felt disgusted by this "green tea" act. She grabbed a broom from the side and swung it toward them. "Whoever invited you can deal with you! Stop begging for food at my doorstep!"

She sneered. "Do you think you’re innocent? Do you think just because I scolded your mother, I wouldn't scold you too? You’re no better! If you don't get out of here, I won't just scold you—I’ll beat you!"

Caught off guard, Chen Zhi'an nearly had her face struck by the broom. She shrieked, stumbling backward and nearly tripping over their luggage.

Once she regained her footing, she put on a pitiful, tragic expression. "Sister, how could you..."

"Shut up!" Qiao Luo said coldly. "Don't call me sister! I don't have a sister like you!"

Chen Zhi'an wanted to play the victim a bit longer, but she knew when to quit. Fearing that Qiao Luo might actually hit her with the broom in front of everyone, she tugged at Lin Xiuzhi, her eyes brimming with tears. "Mom, since my sister doesn't welcome us, let's just go!"

Lin Xiuzhi was unwilling to leave. She, too, coveted this house with its blue bricks and tile roof. But seeing Chen Zhi'an’s constant signaling, she reluctantly nodded.

As they picked up their luggage, Chen Zhi'an looked weakly at the military families. "Sorry for the scene today, everyone. My mother is just too tired and was a bit emotional. She’s really not like this usually."

She bowed to the crowd before dragging Lin Xiuzhi away.

One middle-aged woman clicked her tongue. "I have to say, Comrade Qiao Luo’s sister seems much better than her stepmother."

Zhou Mengni glared at her instantly. "Auntie Yang, Luo Luo already said she doesn't have a sister like that!"

Auntie Yang laughed awkwardly. "I was just saying."

The wife of the battalion commander standing nearby sneered. "She’s just a master of pretense! Like mother, like daughter. If she were truly good, would Comrade Qiao Luo be so cold to her?"

Another woman curled her lip. "I saw through tricks like this back in the village. One plays the villain, the other plays the victim—they’re experts at acting!"

Auntie Yang felt even more embarrassed.

The others gathered around to comfort Qiao Luo. Once she thanked them, the crowd dispersed.

Zhou Mengni stayed behind, looking at Qiao Luo with concern. "Luo Luo, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Qiao Luo sighed. "Just disgusted."

Zhou Mengni looked puzzled. "But why did your stepmother and the others show up all of a sudden?"