Xu Erya listened as the Old Madam cursed loudly outside, uttering every harsh word imaginable, including "little bitch" and "despicable creature", her eyes reddened with anger.

Lan, lying in bed, also felt that it sounded quite unlike her usual self. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"Mother, even if the second aunt did something wrong, Grandma shouldn’t curse like this, it sounds terrible for others to hear."

Anning patted Lan: "These aren’t words for a child like you to say."

Ying Ge’er pondered, "Mother, are you saying that the second aunt took all the money earned by the second uncle to her parents’ home, such that now she has not even one cent left, and although she wants to save her second sister, she is unwilling to ask her parents for money and instead kneels there forcing Grandma to give money?"

Anning nodded: "In fact, your Grandma also has it tough. Raising children and seeing them set up households costs a lot of money, she probably doesn’t have much left. Now with what your second aunt is doing, what can she do? It’s not that she doesn’t want to save your second sister, but your third aunt and I both know that the second aunt has been secretly taking money to support her parents’ home. If Grandma gives out money now, what about later? If I ask, if your third aunt asks, will she give it? She doesn’t have that much money."

Lan finally understood.

"Then the second aunt is a bit too much. She gave the money to her mother and never gave any to Grandma; she really should go to her parents’ house to ask for money, why instead she is pressuring Grandma?"

Anning sneered coldly: "As for the people at your second aunt’s parents’ home, there are no good elements there, all of them greedy and lazy, just depending on the daughters they married off for sustenance. If your second aunt goes to ask for money, could she even get any?"

Anning hugged the two children: "Anyway, this matter has nothing to do with you two; you better go to sleep quickly."

It was still early, and the children can hardly stay awake, despite the noise outside, it didn’t take long for Lan and Ying Ge’er to fall asleep.

Watching the children fall asleep, Anning slowly got up.

She knew it wouldn’t be long before Mrs. Feng would barge in, and she needed to prepare.

Actually, the reason Wen Anning was unwilling to give money was also because she couldn’t stand Mrs. Feng’s behavior.

Moreover, Wen Anning dared not oppose the Old Madam.

If the Old Madam refused to give money and Wen Anning ended up giving money to save Xu Erya, it would be like slapping the Old Madam’s face. Wen Anning, a widow struggling with children, already had a difficult life; if she were to be despised by the Old Madam, how could she and her children survive?

Although she sympathized with Xu Erya, in her heart, her own children were more important, and she would not put her own children at risk for someone else’s children.

Anning felt that Wen Anning’s approach was correct.

Everyone has their own priorities and familial closeness; no one would put someone else’s children ahead of their own.

However, when Xu Erya later learned of this, she began to hate Wen Anning.

She felt that since Wen Anning had the money, why couldn’t she use it to save her?

Also, seeing Wen Anning and her own children living comfortably while watching a family in the same courtyard starve was really too selfish and malicious.

Anning thought Xu Erya was really too much; blaming the widow in the next room instead of her mother who spent the money on her maternal family was incomprehensible.

But, since Xu Erya thought her to be malicious, Anning didn’t mind being even more so.

She would let Xu Erya understand what it means to be harsh, what it means to be truly malicious.

Indeed, just as Anning had finished dressing and doing her hair, Mrs. Feng came knocking at the door.

"Elder sister-in-law, open the door, elder sister-in-law..."

Anning leisurely washed her face with warm water, arranged her hair well, adorned herself with a silver hairpin and silver earrings, and clasped a bracelet around her wrist. By the time she was neatly dressed, Mrs. Feng had already screamed herself hoarse outside.

Anning went over and opened the door.

Mrs. Feng rolled in immediately.

"Elder sister-in-law."

Mrs. Feng entered and immediately tried to kowtow.

Anning quickly dodged aside: "Sister-in-law, what are you doing? My Ying Ge’er and Lan are sleeping right here; making such a loud noise and scaring the kids is not good."

Mrs. Feng’s eyes were fiercely red, tears flowing as if they cost nothing.

"Elder sister-in-law, Erya has a high fever, I...I want to call a doctor to take a look at her, but..."

"Then hurry up and go, the child’s well-being is important."

Anning smiled, "Why are you telling me this? Isn’t Xu Laoer at home? He loves the kids the most, hurry up and have him call the doctor."

Mrs. Feng looked at Anning’s smile, finding it increasingly irksome.

Moreover, in the light of the candles inside the room, she saw the silver hairpin worn by Anning.

Additionally, when Anning was helping her, she noticed the glaring silver bracelet on Anning’s delicate white wrist.

This made Mrs. Feng feel even more uncomfortable.

"Elder sister-in-law, we don’t have any money on hand, lend me some first."

Mrs. Feng opened her mouth asking to borrow money.

Anning’s face fell immediately: "Sister-in-law, what kind of nonsense are you talking about?"

Anning deliberately raised her voice as she spoke.

Old Mrs. Xu also heard this, and Mrs. Li from the third branch listened as well.

Mrs. Li still had not gotten up at this point.

She pinched Xu Zhiqin in the quilt: "The second sister-in-law is running to the main branch to borrow money."

Xu Zhiqin was still groggy: "Just let her borrow, as long as it’s not ours."

Mrs. Li smirked: "The second sister-in-law really is desperate, daring to go to the main branch to borrow money. Has she forgotten how the elder sister-in-law squeezed her out before? She still thinks she’s competent? If she can actually borrow money from the main branch, I’ll write my name backwards."

Xu Zhiqin was a bit more awake now.

He hugged Mrs. Li: "Why worry about that, let’s sleep, sleep."

But Mrs. Li couldn’t sleep, as she got up she said, "I have to go see the excitement."

At this point, Anning had already dragged Mrs. Feng out of the room.

She started yelling towards the western wing where the second branch lived: "Xu Laoer, have you gone mad from poverty, sending your wife to borrow money from me? Those who know think it’s for your child’s treatment, those who don’t know would think Xu Laoer, looking all honest, is actually the most heartless and cruel, can’t you just tolerate a widow and her nephew and niece?"

Xu Zhiyong, originally hiding in his room and letting Mrs. Feng seek help from Anning, now had to come out stammering because of Anning’s harsh scolding: "Sister-in-law, it’s not like that, I didn’t mean that, it’s just that Erya is seriously ill..."

"Your daughter being sick is your responsibility as a father, so what do you mean by sending your sister-in-law to borrow money from me."

Anning, hands on her hips, scolded: "Your household is blissful, not a single one missing, you are the strong laborer, the pillar of the family, and in all these years who knows how much money you’ve saved up, yet you send sister-in-law to borrow money from me, a unemployed widow, you dare even to ask, I must see just how dark the heart of Xu Laoer is, to want to drive this widow out of the home so eagerly."

As she spoke, Anning began to cry.

She was even better at crying than Mrs. Feng: "Pity my husband died tragically, gone too soon, I, with a son and daughter, struggle through life, never daring to trouble or provoke anyone, yet people still can’t tolerate me, husband, oh husband, why didn’t you take me with you, leaving me to suffer, husband, oh husband, open your eyes and see your children, how they are bullied, even by their own uncle who belittles them, I can’t live on, it’s too hard for me, why is my life so bitter..."

Anning’s crying and shouting, not only did Xu Family hear, but even the neighboring families heard.

Old Mrs. Xu could no longer sit still, she came out with a broom ready to beat Mrs. Feng: "You suicidal prostitute, have you no shame, running to your elder sister-in-law to borrow money, you actually had the audacity to ask, what money can a lone woman have? Are you afraid she and her nephew and niece won’t have a good life?"

The wives of the households next to Xu Family were about to start cooking when they heard the yelling from Xu Family, and they all had their doubts.

Most people felt that Mrs. Feng was unscrupulous.

Speaking of which, Xiao Guan Village was still rather simple and honest.

Most people felt that as a widow and unemployed, they should make concessions for Anning.

It’s especially because they considered it difficult for a woman raising children alone, any help was appreciated.

Moreover, there is a saying in the folk lore which goes, evildoers are described as ’knocking on widow’s doors, kicking the graves of the extinct’.

Clearly, at this time people felt that those who bully widows were villains, outsiders would not bully Anning, let alone Xu Family’s own people.

A few young wives didn’t even start cooking; going back to their rooms they whispered to their husbands, saying that Xu Laoer, though appearing honest, also had a very bad heart.

Others said that Xu Laoer was plotting to take control of his elder sister-in-law’s dowry money.