Chapter 5

Chapter 5

When we were little, our family was dirt poor. If Gu Ruan wanted eggs, my mother would boil two for her.

When I asked for one, she said children shouldn’t eat too many or they wouldn’t digest properly.

Once, I snuck a piece of candy, and she shoved her fingers down my throat to force me to spit it out.

Gu Ruan saw that I still wanted to pick up the candy from the ground, so she kicked it into the gutter.

My mother stood right there and didn’t say a word.

She only had eyes for Gu Ruan.

When Gu Ruan was taken away by her biological family, my mother cried for three days and three nights, nearly blinding herself from the tears.

And me?

When I fell into a ditch and ended up covered in mud, she didn’t even give me a second glance.

Now that Gu Ruan is dead, she’s willing to risk her life for her?

Why should I go along with this?

But before I could think further, my mother had already shouldered her mace and stormed out the front gate like a whirlwind.

“Hey-”

I stamped my foot, cursed under my breath, and thrust Ah Qiao into the arms of the maid, Qiuhan.

“Watch her!”

By the time I caught up, my mother had already sprinted halfway down the street.

The Princess’s Mansion was located in the east of the city, featuring vermilion doors studded with copper nails. Two brawny guards stood at the entrance.

When my mother arrived, the guards tried to block her. She swung her mace, and the lacquered red door cracked open with a thunderous boom, splinters flying everywhere.

The guards retreated in terror.

A few maids and older servants emerged from inside, but before they could even open their mouths, my mother had already charged in.

By the time I arrived, the courtyard was in utter chaos.

The Sixth Princess saw my mother rushing in with the mace and was about to call for help.

My mother grabbed her by the hair and yanked her right off her chair.

“Are you that Sixth Princess? You stole my son-in-law? And you killed my daughter?”

The Sixth Princess screamed for her guards, but my mother was already pinned on top of her, swinging both hands and delivering a rapid-fire succession of resounding slaps.

I stood to the side. To be honest, I was a bit dazed.

Where am I?

Who am I?

What am I supposed to be doing?

Clumps of the Sixth Princess’s hair were being pulled out, and the powder on her face rubbed off onto my mother’s hands. Her makeup was a ruined mess of tears.

I tried to stop her. I really did.

I reached out to grab my mother’s arm, but she nearly sent me flying with a single elbow jab.

“Mother, stop hitting her! This is the Princess-”

“So what if she’s a Princess? Does being a Princess mean you can steal someone else’s man?”

Another slap.

“Does being a Princess mean you can starve my granddaughter to death?”

One more slap.

The Sixth Princess’s face was swollen like a steamed bun, and she was sobbing hysterically.

“Do… do you know who I am? I’ll have my Imperial Father execute nine generations of your family!”

My mother took off her shoe and began thwacking her across the mouth with the sole. “Execute them! Execute yourself first! Do you even call what you did human?”

I completely gave up.

I couldn’t stop her. I really couldn’t.

Just then, Shen Zheng returned from the imperial court.

Seeing the scene in the courtyard, his expression shifted drastically. “Men! Seize this madwoman!”

Five or six servants rushed out from various corners, lunging toward my mother.

I stepped in front of them.

I hadn’t wanted to come, but since I was already here, I couldn’t exactly let my mother get the short end of the stick, could I?

So, I kicked the one in front over, backhanded the second one across the face, and the third one ran straight into my fist, collapsing with a muffled groan.

Having lived in the Borderlands for so many years, even though my father never taught me any formal martial arts, I had done plenty of heavy lifting like chopping wood and smashing stones. I was incredibly strong.

These servants were no match for me; I laid them out on the ground in no time at all.

Shen Zheng’s face turned ashen. Just as he was about to call for more men, the rapid thunder of hoofbeats suddenly echoed from a distance.

My father had arrived.

He jumped off his horse, looking travel-worn. He had likely been called back in a hurry while dealing with military matters.

He rushed into the courtyard and swept a glance over the situation.

My father’s eyes darted around, and he suddenly slapped his thigh, shouting at the top of his lungs, “Don’t touch my wife! Her madness has flared up again!”

Me: ???

My mother has a madness condition?

How come I didn’t know?