After Transmigration, I Picked Up A Husband and Daughter
Chapter 174 Father-Son Relationship

Chapter 174: Chapter 174 Father-Son Relationship

Faced with the accusations of the crowd, Lady Zhao not only did not back down but defended herself loudly and arrogantly, her voice carrying an unquestionable pride, "What have I done? There are so many people in this household that need to be fed. If your husband’s harvest is poor, should we not be allowed to eat and wear? Having birthed so many unprofitable children, what is wrong with selling one to help support the family? And now, to have the audacity to lay hands on me, it’s like the world has turned upside down!"

At these words, the room erupted into chaos, filled with incredulous shock and, more overwhelmingly, with anger and disdain—Lady Zhao had actually sold Da Ya, which was like plunging a knife deep into Xie Xinghua’s heart.

It was well known in the village that Lady Zhao had a reputation for being ruthless, especially given the old grievance of nearly losing her life due to Da Ya’s impulsive action. This retaliatory act was undoubtedly seen by everyone as an intensified settling of old scores.

Upon hearing this, Xie Xinghua, like a mother beast whose bottom line had been touched, charged at Lady Zhao without thinking, crying out with a vow to defend to the end, "I will fight you!"

However, without Su Yu’s cleverness and agility to help her, the frail Xie Xinghua was no match for Lady Zhao and was easily pushed to the ground, ending up in a disheveled and sorry state.

Seeing this, Su Yu immediately stepped forward to help Xie Xinghua up, her eyes filled with rage, and she stared right at Lady Zhao, questioning her in a righteous manner, "How could you do such a thing as to sell Da Ya? Have you lost your mind?"

Lady Zhao responded with a sneer full of mockery and disdain, "I trade my own family members, what does it have to do with you? Is it your place to criticize here?"

Su Yu was momentarily speechless, indeed, as a member of the second branch of the family, she should not have interfered too much in Jiang Family’s internal affairs by the standards of family grudges.

But the upright Su Yu was not constrained by this, she stood tall, her sense of justice spontaneously arising, "Seeing an injustice and lending a hand is human nature. We live under the same roof, how can I ignore such an atrocious act?"

Su Yu’s tone shifted drastically, questioning even more forcefully, "Even if I am powerless to stop you, but willingly trading children, won’t the national laws pay attention to that?"

Su Yu had thought such a warning might deter Lady Zhao, but her adversary coldly replied, "The law only guards against kidnapping outsiders, my own children, I decide to sell them, who else can interfere?"

At these words, the air seemed to grow colder and more disdainful, Lady Zhao’s arrogant attitude further inciting the indignation within the hearts of those around.

Upon hearing this, Su Yu felt as though something hard was clogging her throat, making it difficult to swallow, with mixed feelings swelling inside her.

Indeed, in this era, the selling of children seemed to be a matter of street gossip, not unusual enough to spark outrage, people not only did not condemn it but also openly conducted such transactions even in broad daylight.

Xie Xinghua’s crying was like a flood that had breached its dams, unstoppable, each sob carrying endless regret and despair.

She regretted her shortsightedness, for merely because Lady Zhao had been inactive for a while, she naively thought there might be a turning point, and had held a sliver of hope for Da Ya’s safety.

What pained her even more was her previous indecision not to separate from Lady Zhao’s household earlier. If she had ended their financial entanglement back then, perhaps today she could have protected her own flesh and blood, preventing them from falling into the hands of human traffickers.

Er Ya and San Ya hid inside the house, peeking secretly through the crack in the door, with tears swirling in their eyes.

Their little hands tightly clenched the corners of their clothes, every cry from their mother hurting their hearts as if being pricked by needles.

Their mother, holding back tears, pushed them into the house, her silhouette appearing exceptionally strong yet fragile.

The two little girls knew in their hearts that their mother was facing that ruthless grandmother alone, fearing that they would go out and get involved, becoming innocent victims.

They could only pace back and forth in a narrow space, as unsettling emotions surged violently within their chests, each step heavy with helplessness and worry.

Thinking of their gentle and amiable elder sister, Da Ya, who, at that moment, was somewhere unknown, having been sold off, the two younger girls finally broke down in tears. Their soft sobs echoed through the empty room, like a silent accusation against this cruel reality.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xunzhong, the sole male in the household, was completely ignorant of the situation.

Lady Zhao had previously arranged everything so flawlessly that he didn’t catch even a hint of what was happening.

Even though the family fortune had declined and their financial situation was no longer as comfortable as before, he had never considered selling his granddaughter to maintain their livelihood.

This was not only a moral degradation, but also a trampling of the Jiang Family’s reputation.

Once this matter became known, his image in the eyes of the villagers would completely collapse.

Gazing upon his family home, now full of scars, Jiang Xunzhong felt as if his heart was being sliced open. The departure of family members, illnesses, and other troubles had already shattered the once warm and united family. And now, to add insult to injury by selling a child? Was this still a home?

Rage blazed in Jiang Xunzhong’s heart, and when he learned the truth, he didn’t hesitate to confront Lady Zhao, delivering a resounding slap that shocked everyone present.

This was not only a punishment for Lady Zhao, but also a resolute farewell to his own past weakness.

The villagers couldn’t help but cheer; they had never seen Jiang Xunzhong act so resolutely. The former image of the man who always obeyed commands instantly crumbled.

Lady Zhao was stunned by the slap, her worldview seemingly shifting at that moment.

The once compliant Jiang Xunzhong, who used to listen to her every command—when did he become so indisputable? Assuming that his silence during the previous severance of ties with the second family, when he forced Jiang Ziling to return the property, indicated his agreement, she thought he pinned his hopes on his grandson Dazhuang and naturally disregarded the girls.

But she was completely unaware that Jiang Xunzhong’s silence back then was actually an act of protecting the family bond, unwilling to destroy the father-son tie out of a momentary impulse.

The daughters who had toiled in the fields with him day and night were already deeply ingrained in his heart. How could he not feel pain?

Under the watchful eyes of all, the determination Jiang Xunzhong displayed left Lady Zhao at a loss, but her anger quickly surged, preparing to retaliate as usual.

But this time, Jiang Xunzhong was no longer the weak man who would passively accept his fate. He straightened his back, swiftly subdued Lady Zhao with unstoppable momentum, his eyes flashing with an undeniable sharpness, and demanded the whereabouts of his daughters.

Lady Zhao, intimidated by his piercing gaze, faltered briefly before finally confessing, "Sold to a human trafficker in Clear Water Town, only for ten taels of silver."

Hearing this, Jiang Xunzhong, unable to contain his rage, shouted, "Foolish!"

Then he issued an uncompromising command, "Tomorrow you must redeem her, otherwise you and I are not finished!"