Shen Jiao met her eyes and cowered. "Wh-What do you want to do?"
...
"Shi Wan! How dare you mistreat my daughter?!"
The second mistress rushed over upon hearing the news. The scene before her eyes almost made her faint.
An uncontrollable anger burned in her heart. She rushed up to Shi Wan and kicked out!
"Ouch—"
A sharp pain shot from her toes through her whole leg. The second mistress' face changed color, and her eyes were filled with hatred as she looked at Shi Wan.
Since Shi Wan came to the Shen family, nothing had gone smoothly for her.
Shi Wan chuckled. "What do you mean, second aunt? Don't make unfounded accusations without evidence. Also, kick softer. This chair is very expensive."
The second mistress' face turned ashen. "Isn't this mistreating my daughter?"
She pointed at Shen Jiao, who was pulling weeds in the vegetable field, resigned and angry but not daring to say a word.
She had never even let Shen Jiao pick up a rag, let alone work in the fields.
But with Shi Wan, she was directly sent to work in the fields!
When Shen Jiao saw the second mistress coming, her eyes lit up. She was just about to stand up when she saw Shi Wan's look. She crouched down dejectedly and continued pulling weeds angrily.
"Second aunt, Jiao Jiao is willing to help me, her sister - in - law. Isn't it good for a family to help each other? Why do you think it's mistreatment?"
Shi Wan sipped her tea and said casually.
"Don't talk nonsense to me. Don't I know my own daughter?"
"Otherwise, you can take her back?"
"Really?" The second mistress was suspicious. Why was Shi Wan being so accommodating today?
Shi Wan nodded.
"Jiao Jiao, come back with me."
Seeing that Shi Wan didn't stop them, the second mistress' face finally looked better. She called out to Shen Jiao.
Shen Jiao glanced at Shi Wan. "Mom, you go back first. I'll go back when I'm done."
"Why? You're a young lady. Why are you doing this?" The second mistress was stunned. "Is Shi Wan threatening you? I knew this woman had bad intentions!"
"No, it's my own problem." Afraid that her mother would say more, Shen Jiao quickly said, "Go back quickly. Don't delay my work!"
The second mistress was completely dumbfounded. She didn't come to her senses until she had walked out of Shen Siyan's courtyard.
Shen Jiao must have been threatened by that woman, Shi Wan!
She couldn't let a country girl bully her daughter.
How could she be worthy?
The second mistress gritted her teeth and turned towards the old master's courtyard.
Seeing the second mistress leave, Shen Jiao threw down her tool with a snap and said angrily, "Are you satisfied?"
"Keep going, or you know the consequences."
"You!"
"Hmm?"
Under her stare, Shen Jiao's arrogance instantly subsided. She pouted. "I'll keep going. Don't be so fierce."
Shi Wan raised her eyebrows, looked down at the text message she had just received, and got up to go back to the room.
Seeing this, Shen Jiao was just about to stand up when she heard Shi Wan's voice float over. "Finish pulling the weeds."
"Shi Wan!"
Shen Jiao shouted angrily. Damn woman, when the old master died, neither she nor Shen Siyan would get away!
...
Finally, Shen Jiao pulled out the last weed. Before she could take a break, she heard a familiar voice approaching with the sound of footsteps getting closer.
"Jiao Jiao, my daughter!" The second mistress hugged Shen Jiao, sobbing. "You've suffered. Don't be afraid. Your grandfather is here. He will surely stand up for you. Just speak out if you've been threatened."
Shen Jiao looked at her bruised hands and almost cried.
Why did they come so late, after she had finished all the work?
Was her mom jinxing her?
"Jiao Jiao?"
"I..."
"Second aunt, it's fine for you to come alone, but why did you bring grandfather too? Isn't this against the rules?"
Shi Wan crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe.
"Pfft! Who came to see you? I'm here to stand up for my daughter!" The second mistress said aggrievedly. "Old master, you've seen it. Shi Wan mistreated Jiao Jiao and made her do farm work. We shouldn't have let her in in the first place!"
Old Master Shen frowned and didn't say a word.
Shi Wan stepped forward. "Grandfather."
Old Master Shen grunted and looked at Shen Jiao. "You've grown up. It's good to help your sister - in - law."
"Old master?" The second mistress almost ground her silver teeth to pieces. "She's mistreating my daughter. Jiao Jiao has never done this kind of work since she was a child. Don't you know what kind of temper she has?"
Before Old Master Shen could speak, Shi Wan volunteered. "In that case, why don't we let the person involved tell us?"
"Grandfather, this is really a misunderstanding. Shi... Sister - in - law didn't mistreat me."
Shen Jiao secretly glared at her. Didn't she just bet that she didn't dare to tell the truth?
"Jiao Jiao?" The second mistress was stunned. "Child, tell the truth!"
She stepped forward and grabbed Shen Jiao's hand, whispering, "Daughter, blink if you're being threatened. Mom will stand up for you."
Shen Jiao: "..."
Shi Wan laughed softly. "Second aunt, don't you want us to get along well? You always think the worst of people."
Hearing this, Old Master Shen's face darkened slightly. "You've really gone too far this time!"
The second mistress was so aggrieved!
It was fine that the old master took Shi Wan's side, but even her own daughter did too.
Wasn't this slapping her in the face?
The old master already had a bad impression of her, and now it was even worse.
"Wan Wan, where's Siyan?"
"He's gone out."
Old Master Shen nodded and smiled. "It's good to go out for a walk. Staying at home all the time can make one feel stuffy, which is bad for the health."
Shi Wan nodded. Just as she was about to say something, the old master said again, "Wan Wan, if you're unhappy about anything, come to me. I'll stand up for you and Siyan and prevent some blind people from upsetting you."
Everyone present except Shi Wan changed their expressions.
Wasn't this a warning to them?
But the old master didn't have many years to live. As long as no major incident happened, everything could be negotiated.
"Thank you, grandfather."
"Okay, I'll leave first. Shen Jiao is spoiled. You should discipline her more when you have time."
Shi Wan smiled and nodded.
Shen Jiao and the second mistress' faces changed.
"Old master..."
Shen Jiao didn't dare to speak. The second mistress wanted to explain, but the old master had already walked away.
Helplessly, she gritted her teeth at Shi Wan. "You'll never be able to discipline my daughter with that look!"
"That's right. You're not worthy!"
"Hmm?" Shi Wan raised her eyes and said casually. "Not worthy of what? Do you have the guts to say it again?"
Shen Jiao shut up. Even if she didn't expose that matter, Shi Wan would surely find other ways to deal with her.
The only worry - free way was...
"Don't have any bad ideas about me, or you'll be the one in trouble."
Shen Jiao was startled and subconsciously lowered her head and hid behind the second mistress.
The second mistress protected her. "Shi Wan, do you have some kind of persecution complex?!"
"Second aunt, if you can't discipline Shen Jiao, Wan Wan, as the elder sister - in - law, can do it."
Shen Siyan stepped forward, took Shi Wan's hand, and pulled her behind him.
"I'm here!"
"Grandfather is also here."
"You!" The second mistress looked at him, feeling a lump in her chest. "You two just wait for me!"
"Welcome."
The second mistress got angrier the more she looked at them. Finally, she snorted and left with Shen Jiao.
"Don't come here again. You're bad luck!"